Julie Zedella provides insight into classroom teachers and teacher inquiry research

Regular contributor Julie Zedella shares insight into classroom teachers and how they can research their own learning environments!

I am delighted to be sharing in the conversation on research in the emerging field of blended learning with the iNACOL community. As part of the iNACOL Blended and Online Learning Symposium in Orlando, Florida, I had the pleasure of listening to Michael Horn and Heather Staker of the Clayton Christensen Institute discuss disruptive innovation in K-12 education. Like any dynamic exchange, I walked away with new ideas and more questions than answers.

If you are looking to join in the conversation on blended learning and participate in research as a classroom teacher, check out the blog post at Getting Smart, “Blending Alone: Blending in a Non-Blended Environment” by guest author Mark Engstrom. It’s filled with practical, approachable ideas to energize your practice.

If you need a resource for how to conduct classroom research, consider The Reflective Educator’s Guide to Classroom Research: Learning to Teach and Teaching to Learn Through Practitioner Inquiry by Nancy Fitchman Dana and Diane Yendol-Hoppey. It is a step-by-step guide to teacher inquiry from selecting a research question to collecting and analyzing data, all for the purpose of informing your practice. Include sharing your findings with your PLC (Professional Learning Community) or the broader community to widen the impact of your study.

Join in the conversation on innovative practices in teaching and learning. Your students will thank you.