Action Research and Educational Blogs

Action Research

When I started this program I thought there was one type of research. I have learned that there are several types of research however the one that makes the most sense to me is the action research. Action research is a new term but somewhat familiar in that it reminds me of what teachers do all the time to make improvement to their class from year to year but on a single person scale. Action research is a progressive problem solving system that uses a reflective process to collect data. It is usually aimed at improving the practice of a group or organization and it uses a team or collaborative approach to collect data regarding the problem. This research requires a conscious attempt to plan or question some existing process. It then looks at what happens after an action and describes the results of the action by recording it in some sort of observation journal or log. Then the group looks at the data and makes a decision about whether the results solve the problem or if further research or observation needs continue. The process can become a continuous questioning and tweeking of results until the best practice or outcome is achieved.


Use of Blogs in Educational Settings

I can see the use of educational blogs used in any and all school settings both by administration and teachers. I have been thinking about using it my self among the 8th grade teachers on our campus to give us a forum to exchange ideas and facilitate our ability to develop and use a cross curriculum platform to help our students gain and maintain learned knowledge from other classes. Our new website at school gives us the ability to blog and I am working on how to best implement my plan to exchange ideas within our grade level group.