This week we begin a two-week journey exploring influential methodologies in the genre of teacher research. This week we are investigating Ethnography and the Case Study. After reading through the two NCRLL volumes, reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of these two approaches. How are case studies and/or ethnographies consistent with our previous study of the goals, means, and challenges of teacher research? Are there any ways that these methodologies are inconsistent with how and why teachers engage in research? Last, do these methodologies pose any particular practical, theoretical, or ethical challenges for the teacher researcher?
Janet
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
Week Six Discussion
Hello, everyone. I'm posting to open up discussion of the topic for Week Six, which is a continuation of our discussion of teacher research for teacher education/professional development. In addition to discussing the key themes that arise in the readings (the dialectic between research and practice, the influence of the "reputation" of teacher research, the role of communities in teacher research, and university obstacles to teacher research), I also want to focus our discussion this week on the issue of teacher/researcher identity which Andy brought up in his presentation last week. What does it mean to have a researcher identity or to see oneself as a researcher? Is this identity in conflict with a teacher identity? While I don't want to add a lot of reading to your load, to facilitate this discussion I'm going to send you tomorrow a section from my book _Teacher Identity Discourses_ which provides a short overview of the history of teacher education in the US. I think this section will help contextualize our discussion. I'm also pasting in below an email Andy sent me after class elaborating on this issue. He gave me permission to send it to you.
See you Thursday,
Janet
Andy's email:
Janet,
Thanks again for inviting me to class yesterday!
I hope I didn't seem too pessimistic. I was thinking about this in the car afterwords--I think that, if you caught me on a week when I was better rested, I'd probably show a bit more enthusiasm.
I also found myself thinking a bit about identity, again. I think it took me a long time to develop a "teacher identity"--to feel like I really belonged in front of the classroom. (This might have been easier if I'd gone through a full four-year program, instead of TTT--but I couldn't afford that route. If not for TTT I wouldn't be teaching at all.)
I think, similarly, it would take me several years to develop an identity as a real, authentic researcher. At this point, it's much like those first days in the classroom--I don't really feel like I have the authority to claim what I'm doing is real, authentic research. It still feels like I'm playing a role, and that colors my perceptions of the value of my work. Not that rational, I suppose, but perhaps most human behavior isn't once you think about it.
I don't know if that insight is as useful to you or to the class as it is to me. Still, if it helps, there it is.
It will probably be a few years before I re-enroll at Purdue--I think my next step is to earn a journalism license, which means some time at Ball or IU--but I suspect I will be looking at PhD programs one of these years. Perhaps I'll eventually be back in your classroom. Meanwhile, let me know if you should have any other suitable guest speaker vacancies.
Regards,
Andy
See you Thursday,
Janet
Andy's email:
Janet,
Thanks again for inviting me to class yesterday!
I hope I didn't seem too pessimistic. I was thinking about this in the car afterwords--I think that, if you caught me on a week when I was better rested, I'd probably show a bit more enthusiasm.
I also found myself thinking a bit about identity, again. I think it took me a long time to develop a "teacher identity"--to feel like I really belonged in front of the classroom. (This might have been easier if I'd gone through a full four-year program, instead of TTT--but I couldn't afford that route. If not for TTT I wouldn't be teaching at all.)
I think, similarly, it would take me several years to develop an identity as a real, authentic researcher. At this point, it's much like those first days in the classroom--I don't really feel like I have the authority to claim what I'm doing is real, authentic research. It still feels like I'm playing a role, and that colors my perceptions of the value of my work. Not that rational, I suppose, but perhaps most human behavior isn't once you think about it.
I don't know if that insight is as useful to you or to the class as it is to me. Still, if it helps, there it is.
It will probably be a few years before I re-enroll at Purdue--I think my next step is to earn a journalism license, which means some time at Ball or IU--but I suspect I will be looking at PhD programs one of these years. Perhaps I'll eventually be back in your classroom. Meanwhile, let me know if you should have any other suitable guest speaker vacancies.
Regards,
Andy
Thursday, September 23, 2010
don't forget
Don't forget to also look at the readings I forwarded via email last week from Dr. de Oliveira.
Janet
Janet
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Week Five Discussion
Beginning this week, I think we're ready for more independence! :) In fact, I _know_ we are! Post about something of interest to you concerning Week Five's readings, including related issues, ideas, thoughts, questions, relevant news items, etc. Quoting from the readings is always good, as is directly responding to the posts of your classmates. Remember you can link to outside articles or texts if they are pertinent. Even though I'm out of town next Monday-Wednesday conducting an external review of the English education program at Central Michigan University, I will join in the conversation as well. I will see you Thursday in class, as usual. Enjoy!
Monday, September 13, 2010
Week Four Discussion
Hello, all. I'm looking forward to class this week and talking about all your wonderful posts from last week. Thanks for your active participation! I'm also looking forward to discussing the readings for this week as listed on your syllabus. Remember that I sent the three articles to you as PDF files last week; if you need them again, please let me know. In this post I've included some prompts to help us begin discussion of these readings, including the Cochran-Smith chapters.
Below are (hopefully) provocative quotes from the two chapters and three articles for Week Four. Respond to the quotes openly--what are your thoughts about the statement? Do you agree/disagree? What other texts or theories or theorists might it remind you of? Does the quote make you think of any similar experiences/thoughts you have had? Etc. If none of these quotes appeal to you, please select your own, copy it, and respond.
"As might be expected, teachers enter the taking stock process displaying a variety of attitudes and concerns. Teacher directed action research is designed to be empowering and most teachers responded positively. While participation was voluntary and teachers have "bought into" the process, some can interpret their participation as an indirect requirement for maintaining good standing with the principal and colleagues in the school. Still others may enter the action research activity with the hidden agenda of documenting the accuracy of long held or strongly held beliefs and assumptions." (McCarthy & Riner, p. 225)
"How do we interrogate assumptions and practices when they are embedded in the very language we speak? How do we understand how shifts at broader levels of the system penetrate discourses and practices at local levels? Social practices like teaching are viewed by Foucault as discursive practices. Discourses shape practices and practices produce discourses, and some authors use the term discourse-practice to denote this circular dynamic." (Herr & Anderson, p. 389)
"Without a clear focus on the politics of schooling and the need for community organizing to build and sustain meaningful reform, little has been accomplished even in urban districts where people of color occupy educational and civic leadership positions" (Glass, p. 15)
"The considerable range and variation of practitioner research have contributed to its richness and vitality but, at the same time, perhaps undermined its coherence as an intellectual and social movement with a palpable impact on emerging policies." (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, Inquiry as Stance, p. 35)
Below are (hopefully) provocative quotes from the two chapters and three articles for Week Four. Respond to the quotes openly--what are your thoughts about the statement? Do you agree/disagree? What other texts or theories or theorists might it remind you of? Does the quote make you think of any similar experiences/thoughts you have had? Etc. If none of these quotes appeal to you, please select your own, copy it, and respond.
"As might be expected, teachers enter the taking stock process displaying a variety of attitudes and concerns. Teacher directed action research is designed to be empowering and most teachers responded positively. While participation was voluntary and teachers have "bought into" the process, some can interpret their participation as an indirect requirement for maintaining good standing with the principal and colleagues in the school. Still others may enter the action research activity with the hidden agenda of documenting the accuracy of long held or strongly held beliefs and assumptions." (McCarthy & Riner, p. 225)
"How do we interrogate assumptions and practices when they are embedded in the very language we speak? How do we understand how shifts at broader levels of the system penetrate discourses and practices at local levels? Social practices like teaching are viewed by Foucault as discursive practices. Discourses shape practices and practices produce discourses, and some authors use the term discourse-practice to denote this circular dynamic." (Herr & Anderson, p. 389)
"Without a clear focus on the politics of schooling and the need for community organizing to build and sustain meaningful reform, little has been accomplished even in urban districts where people of color occupy educational and civic leadership positions" (Glass, p. 15)
"The considerable range and variation of practitioner research have contributed to its richness and vitality but, at the same time, perhaps undermined its coherence as an intellectual and social movement with a palpable impact on emerging policies." (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, Inquiry as Stance, p. 35)
Friday, September 3, 2010
three articles sent, 9/3
I just sent everyone the three articles for week 4 via email. Let me know if you can't open them or didn't receive them.
Janet
Janet
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Week Three Discussion
Hello, class. As you know, we are not meeting next week, Sept. 9, as I will be out of town. I do want you to continue posting at least once per week on this blog, however. Here are some possible discussion topics for Week Three:
Have you ever tried your hand at teacher research? How did it go? What did you learn?
Pretend that you have to argue to your university advisor that a teacher research approach is valid for your PhD dissertation. How would you frame this argument? Would points would you be sure to include?
Narratives are stories. Many teacher research studies are researched and/or disseminated through narrative or storytelling. Do you think this storytelling undermines the "seriousness" of the research? Why or why not? How do you feel about narrative research as a methodology?
Often teacher research questions stem from a teacher trying an approach in class and finding that it doesn't work as hoped. The research question then becomes, "why" didn't it work? The focus is on closing the gap between expectations and reality. Do you think this is a good way for teachers to approach teacher research? Why or why not?
Other topics of interest???
Have you ever tried your hand at teacher research? How did it go? What did you learn?
Pretend that you have to argue to your university advisor that a teacher research approach is valid for your PhD dissertation. How would you frame this argument? Would points would you be sure to include?
Narratives are stories. Many teacher research studies are researched and/or disseminated through narrative or storytelling. Do you think this storytelling undermines the "seriousness" of the research? Why or why not? How do you feel about narrative research as a methodology?
Often teacher research questions stem from a teacher trying an approach in class and finding that it doesn't work as hoped. The research question then becomes, "why" didn't it work? The focus is on closing the gap between expectations and reality. Do you think this is a good way for teachers to approach teacher research? Why or why not?
Other topics of interest???
Practicing K-12 Teacher Researchers
Does anyone know of current K-12 teachers who have engaged in action/teacher research? If so, can you share their names and schools here? I would like to invite some of them to speak to our class.
Janet
Janet
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)