Use of blogs by educational leaders

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't really understand what a blog was.  What a difference a little bit of education makes.  Community communication would be a beneficial way of using blog technology.  Administrators would have an interactive method of communicating with parents and other community members about the events of the school.  Being stakeholders in the educational system, parents and community members would feel more involved in their children's education.  Hopefully this would build a better relationship within the community and the schools.

Action Research

In the infancy stages of acquiring the tools of the trade for administrators, I have made one very important observation... time management is key to becoming a successful administrator.  The reason I say this is because without the ability to manage your time wisely, an administrator would have a difficult time conducting an administrative inquiry (a.k.a. action research) with all the other duties they have to perform on a daily basis.  An administrative inquiry is not really embedded in the job description of an administrator, but it is a crucial part of becoming a successful administrator.  Conducting an administrative inquiry can be beneficial to the growth and development of the individual or individuals who are involved in the action research.  Looking at a specific area of need for the administrator, he/she can begin to conduct the action research.  Once the area of need is identified, the administrator can move to the next phase by gathering data and information using various sources, such as articles, interviews or statistics depending on the chosen topic.  It is important for the data to be collected from all viewpoints involved; this allows for a more informed and concise deliberation.  After the information has been gathered and interpreted, the administrator can decide whether or not to take corrective action to make a change in the process or protocol in which they were studying. 
I would be able to use this in my classroom right now.  The state has recently changed to End of Course exams at the high school level and I need to take a look at what I am teaching and adjust it to the new standards that are in place.  Long term, I see the benefits of incorporating action research into my growth and development in becoming a successful leader and administrator.