Learning from research!!!

This week has been so busy for me.  School has been none stop and with class work and being sick added to that it seems that I cannot even catch up.  I have had the opportunity to look at various things with my class though.  I have learned that my thoughts on school and how things should be handled and ran are online with many others in my position.  I especially like it when I listened to other educators/administrators talk of looking into what others have done and pulling from that the things that fit you.  I do not think it is right to make others do things a certain way unless it is absolutely neccassary.  To me, when this happens it makes for a unhappy teacher.  Not all classrooms are the same and not all students are the same.  I really feel that you need to look at the student and their life outside of school also.  This could make a big impact on how they act and learn.  It is important to understand what is going on in their lives to know how you can help the students. 

Blogs...Positive...Effective...

In a day and age where technology is so much a part of our lives, blogs can help educators of all areas to be more successful.  It provides a way to share information, first hand information, for others to use.  It allows a group of people to share ideas about topics of interest.  People can tell of what works or doesn't work for them.  We can reach people all over the world as well.  This is the first time myself to ever have done something like this but I can see where knowledge can easily be exchanged between people.

Reflection on Action Research

It is funny at how things work out.  I have thought all along that the best way to improve is to take a look into what you are doing and see if it lines up with what you want.  If not then make the necessary changes to get it where it needs to be.  This process requires you to think about your situation and take into consideration what is best for the particular task at hand and to take some action in getting it done.  I know workshops provide great information but they don't always know all the factors involved and it seems to me that they come from ideal situations.  I like action and I think it provides an opportunity for quick long term results.  I have often used it to redirect in my classroom and in athletics.  I seek the advice of others to help with insight as to how they have done things and what results they received.  I also read new and up to date information that is provided over the internet and through our service center.  I take this and see what might apply to the betterment of my students and myself.  Action research seems to a tremendous way to affect what is going on in a positive manner.  There are so many times when I see others trying to mimic the way they see others do things and they get different results.  I feel this is because they have a totally different array of problems or students.  I remember sitting in a workshop and listening to the way they wanted us to handle discipline in the classroom and i thought this is so far fetched and would never work in my situation.  It is good to receive new and different ideas but we must be able to apply the ones that will work in our situation.  This is why I like action research.  I provides this opportunity.  I am a firm believer in letting others get it fixed before you have to step in and I feel this is done through action research.  We can change our approach to create a different atmosphere.  Maybe look at providing information in a different way, a way that develops relavance that helps us apply it to the everyday.