Week 4 – Discussion 1

Your initial discussion thread is due on Day 3 (Thursday) and you have until Day 7 (Monday) to respond to your classmates. Your grade will reflect both the quality of your initial post and the depth of your responses. Reference the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

Observation   Reconnaissance

 Research supports the contention that formative assessment has a direct impact on student learning (Volante and Beckett, 2011) which is also a goal of action research. Formative assessment of data is a reevaluation process that is conducted by the researcher for the purpose of continual improvement (Buczynski & Hansen, 2014). The function of this practice is to help researchers and leaders make adjustment that will best inform and change educational outcomes (Mills, 2014). This research, paired with the successful exercise of leadership practices improves the teaching and learning process because it causes us to respond to the needs of the educational environment. In this discussion, you have the opportunity to think about this iterative process of your research process. 

Initial Post: Buczynski and Hansen (2014, p. 31) share important points to consider regarding effective leadership practices that yield results in the differentiated learning environment. This is affectionately termed, the change leader which is what you are becoming! Here, you discuss the status of your action research implementation focusing your discussion on the following questions: Are you closer to answering your research question(s)?      Why or why not?  To what degree are your data collection instruments      yielding the information you’d hoped for in answering your research      questions? Why or why not? and  How have your leadership skills been put to work      specifically, as you have participated as a researcher?

Guided Response: Respond to at least two peers. In your responses, consider asking questions of your peers about their responses to encourage further conversation. Consider selecting a peer whose response or experience differs from your own experiences thus far in the field. Provide feedback regarding your peers’ reasons for identifying these observations and provide thoughtful suggestions for their continued implementation of their research. Use your text and other resources to support your responses. How might you contribute to your peers’ analysis of the formative data, leadership, or other decisions that will be made about their findings? Though two responses is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions others have given to you including the instructor to further the conversation while also giving you opportunities to demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real world experiences with this topic.

Respond