Week 1 – Discussion 1

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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. Refer to the Discussion Forum Grading Rubric under the Settings icon above for guidance on how your discussion will be evaluated.

 Topic Selection

Your written response to this discussion prompt assesses your ability to explain the role of action research from the viewpoint of an educational professional. This discussion also supports your achievement of Course Learning Outcome 2.

For this discussion you will be choosing a topic to use for the balance of this course. When you select a topic, think about how it supports your current or future professional goals. Before selecting a topic, it is highly recommended that you read the final assignment for this course. Doing so will give you a glimpse into what is ultimately required for mastery of the course learning outcomes and to assist in your planning for the upcoming weeks.

Initial Post: After reading Chapter 1 of the course textbook, watching the Conscious Educating videos on action research in an educational setting, Action Research in the Classroom: Part 1 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and Action Research in the Classroom: Part 2 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., and reading the elaboration provided with the Week One Instructor Guidance about action research, post a substantive initial response fully addressing each of the following:

Part One: 
After reading Chapter One of the course text and watching the videos (Action Research in the Classroom: Part 1 and Action Research in the Classroom: Part 2), in one paragraph provide your initial thoughts about action research. What value do you see in conducting action research in an educational setting? Provide examples from both sources to support your discussion.

Part Two:
Select one educational research-based topic that interests you from our course topics. List the topic you select for instructor approval prior to moving on to the next steps. The topics covered during this course include: implementing change in an education-based organization, evaluating the impact of the applied intervention, communicating outcomes, collaboration, and 21st-century leadership practices (e.g., testing and assessment, educational standards, educational technology, literacy strategies, culturally- and linguistically-diverse students, safe classroom environments, disability research in general, AD/HD, autism, emotional/behavioral disturbance, intellectual disabilities or learning disabilities, etc.).

*Note: Choose the topic that is in alignment with your current or future professional goals. The topic you choose will be used throughout this course.

• Conduct a scholarly search for a research resource via the Ashford Library (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. or another scholarly source. Please refer to the instructor guidance for Week One for a detailed description of a “scholarly search.”
• Provide the web link name of the research resource you chose to review.
• Next, in one paragraph,
  • Describe the website that you reviewed (state, federal, blog, for profit or nonprofit, etc.).
  • Reflect on one item you found most interesting in the website you reviewed.
• Finally, in two to three sentences explain why you chose this particular resources to review.
  • How does this topic support your current or future professional goals?

Guided Response: You are required to substantively respond to at least two of your colleagues by day 7 (the following Monday).

As you review the posts submitted by your peers, choose to respond to a peer that selected a topic different than your own. Provide constructive feedback and ask clarifying questions about why they chose the topic. Note how the topic is similar or different than your own. Be sure to check the web link and offer insight as to what you found interesting on the website that is different than what your peer posted. Offer questions and comments that extend the conversation in order to add meaning and substance to the discussion. Be sure to respond to others who have posted comments and/or questions in order to continue the virtual conversation.

Though two replies are the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and application of the material, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions others have given to you (including your instructor) before Day 7. This ongoing engagement in the discussion will deepen the conversation while providing opportunities to demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real-world experiences with this topic.