Insights from interviews

I found these interviews interesting in several ways. One is that Dr. Briseno , Dr. Chargois, and Dr. Lewis mentioned the importance of data. All three noted that when you are deciding on a research topic it should be something that is going to produce results that will be beneficial for your situation. In other words, don’t do something just to do something. Make it meaningful and purposeful for you and/or your situation. This had a huge impact on me because so much of what has been done in the past with courses I have had to do research in has not necessarily been of importance to me.
Another topic that interested me was having staff share what they know and what they have learned with others. This is an important concept to me and one that I agree with. I know personally, I tend to listen with much more interest when it is a colleague that has been through an experience than I am when I am told from an administrator who hasn’t been in the classroom environment for several years.
All three also stressed the importance of looking at what you are doing and what impact it will have on student achievement. This let me know that whatever you are looking into, the bottom line is the impact on the students. There may need to be changes made in curriculum or instruction but those changes should not be made without determining what the impact will be on student achievement.
A final area I found interesting was using action research as professional development. Dr. Lewis noted that you have to teach teachers how to disaggregate data and how to take what they learn from that data and make it useful in the classroom. I can honestly say I have never been in any professional development where this was done. I have learned to disaggregate data on my own and through all the courses I have taken for this degree.
What I know is when I move into an administrative position; I need to remember what I learned from these gentlemen. I need to train my staff to understand the data and empower my staff to be active action researchers.
Briseno, J., Chargois, T., & Lewis, K. Interviews on action research [ Video from week two EDLD 5301].