Getting Started is the Hardest

​Within the planning stage, identifying and limiting the topic will be the most difficult for me.  I tend to be a ‘big picture' thinker, and getting down to the specific details of any project or initiative pushes me out of my comfort zone.  Once I am able to narrow my focus, I should be able to accomplish the planning stage of my research and begin the Acting stage within the time frame of this course.  With project-based learning as the cornerstone of my innovation plan, I don’t think there will be time to gather enough data for the Developing or Reflecting stages before the end of this course.  We are just getting our club program started for the year, and the authentic learning experiences we are planning range in duration from several weeks to all year. 
We have been prepared well for the gathering information step through the self-reflection, description, and explanation we have been maintaining throughout the ADL program on our blogs.  Reflecting has made me a better educator by making me more aware of my own strengths and weaknesses.  Since I’m in a position to not only work with students but also the educators on my campus, I have used self-reflection to identify where I tend to have a growth vs. fixed mindset and use that to help me be a better leader during professional development sessions and PLCs. 
As Dr. Thompson said in video 1.2, educators are constantly conducting action research by evaluating what works with their students and what doesn’t, making adjustments, and drawing conclusions about how to proceed.  (I was glad to hear her say that because I was thinking it!)  What that ‘on the fly’ approach lacks is actual data.  We use our own informal observations and perceptions to make decisions rather than developing a plan based on anything formally collected.  There is definitely a place for the former (like every day all day), but the latter could give insight into more complex classroom issues that a teacher might be facing that require deeper understanding.  That leads to the big difference between action research and more traditional methods: action research is directly related to the educator’s situation and needs, whereas traditional research focuses on things outside the educator’s sphere of influence. 
While I’m still working on narrowing my topic, I’m looking forward to all the possibilities that action research presents.