Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Last Week of Class

Well, the last week has been refreshing for the action research course. Here are a few things I reflected on from the past few weeks...



This course has definitely educated me on Action Research. To be honest, I had no idea what I was getting into with this class. The first week our assignment was to create a blog. My knowledge of blogs was not much. I knew the word but did not ever follow one nor did I know how to create one. It took me a while to understand the lingo and flow of a blog but once I navigated through the other blogs for the first week I started to like blogs! I began searching for music blogs, because of my music background, and found so many! Along with my action research blog I decided to start my own blog for my classroom. I wanted to start a new blog to help new music teachers have a resource to go to when they were in a rut or just needed another idea! I love the idea of blogs and with sharing blogs with classmates, it has helped me in so many ways such as, proof-reading, having a better understanding for action-research, connecting to other students with their plan ideas, creating a blogger community to go to when in need of a new idea or how to do a specific assignment. If only every teacher and student had blogs of their own it would be an endless amount of learning opportunities!
The discussion board is also a great way of connecting with students in the class. I thought by taking an on-line course that I would be lost and feel alone taking courses. I have had that theory proved wrong in this class. I actually feel more connected in this class with my peers than I did in a physical classroom setting in my undergraduate university. With web chats, blogs and discussion boards I feel that I am connected all day every day. Giving and receiving feedback about assignments and activities I feel that there is a better understanding about the class material. We are all helping one another and it is a feeling of great success.
The online videos from the educational leaders from week two also helped me in the direction of my action research plan. During the first week of the course I felt so lost in my knowledge of action research. I tried to understand what was of highest importance at my school and I was thinking to in depth. No after reading and viewing the videos and reading other action research plans I found that there are so many studies I could to at my school. There really are endless possibilities. You can always make a change, try something new, and research an area that needs some work. The way you process your plan and give the time and effort to it will make a better impact in the long run. As what I have learned in this last assignment from part one, assessing the quality of inquiry in your plan will make a huge difference in your journey.
The assignment for this class, my action research plan, will be ongoing for the next few months and hopefully be implemented and continued in the future. My action research plan I feel passionate about and really hope it makes a difference in my students lives. I want my students to find their self-confidence and really grow from the skills we learn in the percussion program in the mornings. I hope they apply these skills towards their other classes and everyday life. I feel that motivating students can help and not destroy their self-worth. Each child is of the most importance and taking care of the ones that are struggling is my main goal. With this class I found a new understand for action research and can apply it towards my school.
With everything above being said, I really enjoyed the layout of the course. I think if you did all the assignments to the best of your ability, interacted through the blogs, web chats, discussions and read all the material you should understand and apply action research with any hesitation. The course was a great experience and I hope that my courses in the future prepare me with as much knowledge as I gained in this course.

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