Thursday, July 5, 2007

morning page 7/3

7/3/07 Morning Page
Think of your future demo (CSUWP conference) from the perspective of an audience member…thoughts, impressions, disappointments, questions….


I’ve been thinking about this topic for a while since I’ve started researching. I wonder if someone in special ed would think, “Does she think she’s just discovered something totally new? We’ve known that for years. Who does she think she is?” I wonder if someone who teaches middle school English would think, “No way am I teaching that! The kids don’t need that poetry! I hated poetry and I skip teaching it every year. I’d rather teach something else that I’m passionate about. Who does she think she is?”

I’d want to know of other areas or subjects where this research was applicable. Does my research easily translate into the art classroom? Science? How would this maybe help a History teacher?

Ideally, I’d like an audience member to say, “Wow! This is interesting brain research or research about the ways our students think. I bet that would help me with ___________ in my class! This presenter should be Miss America. I will do my part to vote for her.” But I’m just not sure my demo will have quite that affect.

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Morning Page/Research Chair Questions 7/2/07

7/2/07 Morning Pages/Plea for help with Researcher’s Chair
At this point in your research, how could you most benefit from the people in AI during the last 3 days together?

The thing I guess I could use the most would be more questions from the group. As teachers or as researchers (or both!), how could I make my research more relevant or worthy of your reading time? I wonder if there is an element to my question that could be used in the classrooms of everyone here. Most of us are English teachers, but not all of us. And not all of us teach the same population of kids. So I wonder if I can provide even the smallest bit of new information for those included here.

If you could imagine yourselves reading my research, what do you think you’d write in the margins as you read? What would be redundant or unnecessary to know? What background would you want to know? What research findings would you want to know more about? Would a reference list at the end suffice or would you want me to expand on something in the actual article?

Also, I wonder what you would consider unreliable information or sources. What kinds of data would you want to see in an article like mine? Would you want to hear from the kids themselves? Would you want to know a lot about my school and principal and staff? As the author and teacher, what information about myself can I provide (there isn’t much!)?

Most of all, from the people in AI, I would need to know what experience you have with my subject and any information you can give me, almost as a resource in and of itself. What do you already know about this that would bore you if you read it again in my finished piece? What can you tell me about what’s happened in your own classrooms with poetry and/or special ed kids? Do you have any background on brain research or the thinking of special ed vs. regular ed kids? Maybe you could write it for me and I could owe you! I could maybe mow your lawns or watch your kids and you could whip up a little article of some sort and submit it for me. That’d be most helpful! Ha!

Other Ideas from discussion:
Define some terms (w/in scope of TMS???)
Clarify ideas!!!! Be succinct! Cut words!
What is my finished product? Article? Demo? Other options?
What data to get??? Method of collection?
Permission slips? (At beginning of year?)
Deadline drafts? Dates?
“God grant that I desire more than I can achieve.” Michelangelo
Primary v. secondary data? (Specific examples? Types? Organization?)
Too contextual? Anecdotal to my class & experience?
Critical thinking & pushing someone beyond one’s comfort level? (definition??)
Issues of culture, race, gender? Include?