Reflections

As I reflect over the past five weeks of what I learned in EDLD 5301, the thing that really caught my interest more than any other is how consuming being an administrator can be.  Being the head learner and consistently looking at ways to better improve the learning environment for students, the working/teaching environment for staff, meeting the expectations of the superintendent, the board, and the parents is a never ending process.  Learning how to develop an action research project has helped me organize my thoughts and has helped me understand how to implement a strategic and systematic approach to meeting challenges and creating change.  The action research process I have learned has helped me organize my thoughts in such a way that the “overwhelming” is now “do-able.”  So…in a word, that which I learned and has caught my interest is “organization.” Organization of thought, actions, and communication is essential to being an effective leader.

An area in which I would still like to learn more is in technology.  Being from the era of the paper and pencil, I have never been great with technology.  Creating a blog was a great step toward increasing my use of technology. Learning how to use it in the advancement of my personal education and instruction will help me greatly as an administrator. I know that using technology is a must for the successful leader as he/she will need it to dissect and interpret data, communicate effectively, and improve virtually every aspect his/her role as head learner. 

I plan to continue to build my applied knowledge in the area of technology by surrounding myself with people who are strong in this area.  I will work closely and lean on my technology specialist as well as attend seminars and workshops.  I will be proactive in learning programs that are used by our district.  Also, I plan to stay current on the latest popular technology with which our teachers and students are familiar.  Finally, I plan o continue to incorporate the latest technology that will help me gain the best and most accurate data as I continue the cyclical process of action research.