21st Century Concepts

I have listed seven 21st Century skills that educators should be integrating:

1. Creativity & Innovation
2. Communication & Collaboration
3. Research & Information Fluency
4. Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Literacy
7. Growth & Leadership

Action Research

Whether you are in a classroom leading students, or an administrator striving for school improvement and student learning, we are faced with many challenges and issues throughout the educational system. While taking Lamar’s online course, Research 5301, I was introduced to the process action research which is a powerful tool used for school reform and improvement. Our text states the word research carries negative baggage, since many people recall long hours in the library, endless bibliography cards, and lengthy papers when they think about research. Therefore, the term inquiry was used synonymously with action research. So what makes action research different? It is a continuous spiraling process where the intentions of research are to bring about some type of transformation. The leader goes through a process of wonderings or posing questions that spark the beginning of the inquiry process. Through reflections and research, new insights are gained; data is collected, and analyzed. The leader reads relevant literature and shares the discoveries with others. Based on the new findings, a plan is put into action to bring about a needed change for improvement. Throughout the process of action research, reflections are continued and more actions are incorporated according to needs and circumstances. This continuous cycle places the leader in charge of their own professional development and they become a lifelong learner in today’s society.
As our district’s instructional technology specialist, the action research process will be helpful in discovering new ideas and gain insights to difficult problems that exist in technology today. Our professional development plan is in the early developing stages. I plan to use this process to help with our goal of improving technology integration in our district, which will in turn, improve student learning and teacher proficiencies.