Webquest Final Reflection

What?
I have learned quite a bit about research and the kinds of research available. Descriptive research describes a situation and asks what? Why? And how? It can be very useful for helping find specific needs of students. It can, however, have a small sampling.
Correlational study is a term I was not familiar with before I did this webquest. The name was a bit confusing at first, but makes perfect sense in context. It determines the correlation between two variables.
Experimental studies are some of my personal favorites. They give the researcher the opportunity to manipulate some aspect of a study to measure an effect. While not all factors can be controlled, these studies can be very affective at determining if that particular variable plays a role in the situation.
Action research is an easy way for teachers to conduct their own experiments. They can be done at the district level down to the classroom level and can give us a better idea of what methods we are currently using are working or not and helps us to find ways to change for the better.

So What?
I will not only use this in my classroom, but also in my own life. I will be able to look at studies that have been done and research conclusions more critical than before. When learning about the “latest research”, I will be able to check the validity and determine how this will help my students.

Now What?
I need to learn more about how to conduct the research and how to apply it in the classroom. This has been a quick overview of just four research types, but there are many more. I need to see what options are available and which would be the most beneficial for the situation.
I will use the research to improve the teaching in my classroom and how to conduct the experiments that will give me feedback to help my students better. As a music teacher, there has been so much research done that I already have a large store of ideas for my classroom. But, I think the most affective research done that I have seen was in my own choir class in high school. My teacher was so effective at getting us into the music just because she tried to come up with new ways to relate the music to us. She taught us about chord structure using Led Zeplin and U2. She taught us rhythm by taking us to see STOMP at the Capital Theater, then letting us create our own routine and letting us put it together under her supervision. I only heard one person complain about the way she taught, but every other person I have ever talked to about her methods have just loved what she did. I don't want to be just a run-of-the-mill teacher. I want to be a GREAT teacher and in order to be so, I have to be active in my research consumption as well as my conduct of research.