ED 635 Action Research

Unit 9: Wrapping up

Unit overview

Alright... this brings unit brings our journey together to a close. In recognition of this, we must consider where to go from here. Should you become an action researcher? Perhaps. Should you become a reflective practioner? For sure. Should you wonder systematically about what's going on in your school and classroom. Absolutely. Having a stance as a learner - a learner about your craft and about your profession is what separates you from all those other teachers in your building who are just putting in time. You know who I'm talking about too... its very easy to be a mediocre teacher. The problem is... if you're a mediocre teacher you're robbing kids of a meaningful experience. You're contributing to the degridadation of our culture and community. Yes, teaching is that important... I absolute believe that and no one will disuade me from it.

Moodle discussion

After spending time thinking and reading in this unit, proceed to the appropriate Moodle forum to discuss these ideas:

1. So what is our responsibility as a bunch of teachers? Do we owe it to ourselves, society, and to kids to tinker toward the best possible set of practices we can come up with? What role can action research and reflective practice play in this regard? How have you been moved by these issues? What do you need to sustain a growth-oriented perspective on your practice? Anything else?

Unit contents

Lets bring this all back to a very personal set of issues - the role that teaching plays in the lives of kids. I don't share these stories with all my classes... but I will share them with you. Years ago, as I transitioned away from being a high school science teacher to being a full-time doctoral student at a huge research focused university... I was struggling with the idea of leaving my identity as a teacher. As a teacher I knew that what I did mattered every day in the lives of kids... I've never had a job that was so clear on that issue of making a difference. However, as I began to build an identity as a researcher... I struggled with this tension. As a result, I wrote a few very personal stories about lessons I learned from kids. Actually, I wrote those to illustrate reflective strategies for a class I was teaching at the time but... that doesn't change them. Here are the stories.

Finally, here's another little paper I wrote at about the same time that tries to link the real world of teaching with what it means to be a researcher. Click here.

Anyway... that's all folks. Wonder about these things... they are important and will sustain you in your journey.