Action research is simply "learning by doing".  Within an educational setting, a group of teachers and/or administrators identify a problematic situation or issue, collaborate with others to find a common resolution through data analysis, share with others what results occurred, and finally devising an action plan.  Action research is a not an isolated process, but a group effort between more than one person.  Willingness to share and communicating openly, will only make action research that much more beneficial.  Data collection and analysis are a vital part of action research as well as communication.  Action research engages the "practitioners" in the design, data collection and the analyzation of data based on their "research question or issue".  Playing a part in the research process, eliminates the teacher/administration feeling as though they are on the outside looking in.  Being a first-hand active participant in the research process, will make the participant more likely to facilitate any sort of educational change within the school or campus.  Action research can serve as a chance to really dig deep, and reflect on one's own learning and strategies.  While the focus is usually on the students, action research makes the teacher/administration investigate what effect their teaching is having on the students, what they could change to further the knowledge of the students, or to make their school better as a whole.

There are many different uses for action research.  Some examples would be to research why the girls are better readers than the boys within your grade level, or why is the testing gap so wide between the Anglo students and Hispanic students on your campus. 

I think that blogs can only benefit educational leaders.  By sharing your ideas with others through a blog, one can only gain more knowledge about certain educational issues and situations.  Listening to other people's struggles and concerns to accomplishments and successes, blogs open up the world to hearing and sharing will all types of individuals.