Week 5: Lessons from a Scholar

During this course I had the privilege of listening to Dr. Kirk Lewis, Superintendent of Pasadena ISD. Okay, it wasn't exactly in a lecture hall but was over the internet in my home office. What I learned from Dr. Lewis is to do research that is practical to me. I can ask myself, What do I need to know that I can apply directly to student learning? In the past, I've perceived that research concentrated on topics that were more theoretical than practical. Now I am seeing that action research is about what is meaningful to me. I am able to use ordinary language and concentrate on issues that relate to me, my faculty, and my campus. It is also necessary to follow my passions. My first action research 'wondering" stemmed from our school's RTI process. While RTI is at the forefront of many other researchers as a hot topic, my real passion or wondering evolved into issues surrounding our economically disadvantaged students. When I follow my passion the benefits are: 1) I will be interested, 2) I will be more focused on the outcome, and 3) my students will benefit. When I am able to harness my passion and put it into action that is propelled by data...I've got something that has the potential to impact the next generation of 21st century learners.