Action Research: Creating Change in Education

Being involved in Action Research projects with my students in the UAE for the last 2 years really reinforces the saying that "actions speak louder than words." All the blogs posted and all the time spent saying, "teachers could do this or teachers should be doing that" are not going to make changes happen. "Shift Happens" and teachers are the ones who can make changes teaching a new generation of students by taking action.

I started on the path to taking action when I left grad school. I picked up the mantra "The greatest end of life is not knowledge, but action. "Taking action with my students to make small changes has really been exciting for me as for them.

Teaching my students about Action Research and seeing what they can accomplish reinforces my belief that teachers need to be armed with real tools that they can use to improve their practice, their classrooms. and their schools. Action Research is one tool any teacher anywhere can use to make change.

As an Educational Technologist I know its not about the technology, but rather it is what teachers will do with the technology that will bring about the change in the way we educate the next generations.

This year students' projects are exciting prospects at bringing changes to local schools and public organizations. l will be sharing these with you over the next year as my students move from being in the classroom thinking how teachers could make changes to becoming practitioner-researchers taking action.