This has been a
very informative week for me. When I first saw the subject of this EDLD 5301
course "Action Research" I thought "What the heck is
that???" I have now learned that action research is a much more personal
type of research in the educational realm. Instead of looking at the research
of others and regurgitating statistics and data. I have chosen a topic that is of great interest to me. I acknowledge that I have a negative bias against the
topic that I have picked. I hope to be pleasantly surprised and find that
developmental (remedial) classes in the context of higher education (community
college) are helpful. I promise to keep an open mind in order to become a successful
educational leader.
I now feel confident
that I will be able to move forward with my research and hopefully make a
difference in my "little corner" of the world and beyond. A part of
me is afraid that I am opening a "Pandora's box" and the
powers that be are not going to be happy with my findings. I have found that
some my associates are very closed minded. My site supervisor supports my
project and that makes me feel a little better.
Action research is
the perfect venue to explore the pros and cons of developmental classes in
higher education. I hope to find answers to my questions about this practice.
Is it helpful? Is it worth the time and effort of both the students and instructors?
Is there something better out there that would help people that want to go to
college but lack the knowledge or skills to be successful in college level
classes? It is nice that I will be
getting feedback from my peers.
I applaud you for moving forward with your research. I remember how you had mentioned previously that you had some resistance to your internship plan. Regardless of how they feel, you will be accomplished for having done your research and producing the data. I know first hand about having doubts - I have decent support from many of my peers but still sometimes question the outcome of what I am trying to accomplish in going through the program...Will it change my stars? Will I have to take my next step at another institution because of how those around us like to label people and it is hard to escape that? I just take a deep breath and keep on going. I know that this program will stretch us. Luckily we all in this together!
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