As the seven weeks of action research finished, I discovered I still enjoy doing research. Knowing you are passionate about your topic moves you forward. I was able to gain insight into my teachings. I have been utilizing the most common cybersecurity topics in my classroom: password security, online digital safety of personal information, etc. I have learned more about social engineering (malware, phishing, baiting). I have also looked at teaching how to secure your hardware and looked at simulations for network attacks. Schools need to broaden Computer Science courses to include networking and cybersecurity, not just programming.
I learned that performing research does not need to be a scary endeavor. By breaking it up into a variety of sections, it is manageable. I plan on utilizing this when I teach research to my students. I have found writing two pages every week was not daunting. It was an excellent way to break up the work, especially for students that struggle with executive functioning.
I enjoyed reading the book and how it broke down the action research, and the exercises at the end of the chapter assisted with fostering understanding and writing.
Resource:
Dana, N. F., & Yendol-Hoppey, D. (2020). The reflective educator’s guide to classroom research: Learning to teach and teaching to learn through practitioner inquiry (4th ed.). Corwin.
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