EDLD 5301 REFLECTION

The lectures are beneficial in explaining what is expected from us as students as it relates to the class. Lectures gave me an explanation of the weekly assignments and an overview of the assigned readings. There was insight into the creators of the course and their intended outcome of the course. Each weeks lecture was a great starting point for the week. Our weekly readings provided an insightful breakdown to all the essential parts of our action research plan. We were provided with examples of how all elements of an action research plan are performed which gave an excellent starting point for our wonderings and inquiries. The readings also provided an understanding of the purpose of an action research plan and how to implement our research in a positive and productive way. I gained a familiarity with the practices and techniques as well as tools for researching and analyzing data for our plan. Searches are a good resource for gathering data. They open our minds to the vast amount of information available. As an Ed. Tech Leadership candidate it has been fundamental to explore all of the technological advancements available for use in education. The assignments and activities gave us an outlet to express what we learned throughout the week, bring all the elements together and reflect on what was learned. These activities are also one way that the students were able to interact with each other. They gave us an opportunity to ask questions and gain clarity by talking to one another and figuring out some of the perplexities of the assignments. The discussion boards were one of my favorite features of the course. The parent posts were always intriguing questions that sparked interesting conversations between students. The discussion boards allowed us to bounce ideas of each other and give insight on what each students’ plan entails and how each were progressing throughout the process. Blogging added another element to the learning process. Posting to the blog gave students an outlet to post reflections, interesting happenings throughout the week and commentary on the progress of fellow students. The blogs allowed us to express who we are creatively as well as shed light on our individual action research plans and the ups and downs of the process so far. Other highlights of this course were the weekly web conferences and the Facebook group created by a fellow classmate. It was always important to me to attend the weekly conferences. They were a place to ask questions openly and receive guidance from my fellow students and instructor. Web conferences always made me realize that I wasn’t the only one who had a particular question or I wasn’t the only one who felt overwhelmed by something. The Facebook page allowed us to be able to go straight to our colleagues with questions and problems and get answers promptly. It gave me a real sense of camaraderie among the student which I believe is really important for an on line course setting. All of these elements combined to make EDLD 5301 a wonderful class. I learned a plethora of information and feel comfortable enough to be able to take on the challenge of implementing my action research plan as well as being prepared for the challenges that will arise through this process. Because of the attention to detail within the course layout, I know that I will be able to carry many of the things learned from this course throughout my Master’s program.