EDLD 5301 Week 2 - Lessons Learned from Week Two

This week I learned so much from conducting the assigned readings and watching the interviews provided in the courseware, that I feel more than prepared to conduct a successful action research study. This week, I met with my supervisor to discuss different topics of interest for my action research study. There were two that really stuck out and I had a hard time deciding which one to chose. I was not sure whether to conduct my research on "What can be done to eliminate the incidence of bullying at my campus?" or "How can technology be implemented in the ESL classroom to further the success of ESL students?" It was not until after I watched again the interview video of Dr. Kirk Lewis, Superintendent of Pasadena ISD, that I made my final choice. As I listened to Dr. Kirk Lewis, he said some words that really struck a chord in me. He mentioned that when conducting research, it is of upmost importance that the topic the inquirer chooses is relatable to him/her. An inquirer may choose any topic he wishes and conduct impressive research on it. However, if the topic is not relatable to the inquirer, then he/she has no use for that new knowledge. Since my main goal in enrolling in this master's program is to further my knowledge of technology and how it can foster student success, I ultimately decided to conduct my action research on “How can technology be implemented in the ESL classroom to further the success of ESL students?” This is not only a topic that really interests me, but it is a topic that if researched well enough, could bring numerous benefits to the ESL community at my campus. Now that I have made my final choice, I am more than excited to see what research is available to further my knowledge of this topic.