Reflection of Research Course

     As I reflect on all that I have experienced and learned through this course, I am able to recognize all of the positive aspects of it. I have gained the most through the readings, assignments, and discussion board postings.

     From the text, Leading With Passion and Knowledge by Nancy Fichtman Dana, I have learned the most. Her clear text features and organization helped me to easily navigate through the text. On any given page, my eye was drawn to the most important information she was presenting. Being a fourth grade reading and writing teacher, I am regularly covering text features and how they relate to the ease of reading through a non-fiction text. The style of writing Dana uses also contributes to the ease of learning from the text. She is very clear and concise and does not try to use unnecessary vocabulary which can lead to misinterpretations. I fully appreciate the way she provides facts and then backs them up with anecdotes. The real life examples help to visualize the way each aspect will play out in reality. Her brief mentioning of social justice has really sparked my interest. Teaching in a low socio-economic school has allowed me to realize the way many people around me around me live in a completely different way than what I thought was the norm. I hope through further research on social justice, I can help my students understand the importance of an education and breaking the cycle of poverty.

     The assignments individually and collectively have helped me tremendously. They have provided a framework to follow in order to navigate my way successfully through the course. Each week has a clear set of instructions that not only teach me the course curriculum, but also help me to further my abilities to effectively conduct my action research project. I am very interested in my topic and hope it will benefit many students, but in order for this to happen, I have to first know how to develop and conduct an action research project. This course has done just that. I feel that each week I have grown not only as a learner but as a researcher as well. I gained the most from week three because that is when I started feeling confidant on where my action plan started, grew, and where it is now going. Having to fully develop the plan allowed me to truly see the way my research will play out and how many students it can potentially benefit along the way.

     The discussion board postings have also been very important in my growth through this course. I have been able to view other students’ thoughts and reflections along the way, which usually directly correlated with my own. It always helps to know that we are not the only ones going through feelings of incompetence and that we can turn to others to help us on our journey along the way. There is a lot to be gained by reading through others’ reflections, commenting on them, internalizing the thoughts, and changing as a result of them. Sometimes, I find valuable information on areas I would have never considered and am able to utilize the ideas/information as well. Although I am a little reluctant to ever provide feedback that could be thought of as a criticism, I am always interested in seeing if anyone else has an insight of ways I could improve my reflections in the postings.

     Overall, as I look back on all of the knowledge I have gained through this course, I am grateful for the opportunity to grow myself as a learner and researcher and gain a master’s degree in the process. I am always trying to relay the importance of a quality education to my students and by being a student as well, I have more credibility in their eyes. This course in particular will forever change me because once this action research project is over, I will continue to look for more that can be conducted.