Pilot+Year+(Summer+2008)

=August 8th, 2008 =

As is life, the summer unfolded in both predictable and unpredictable ways. Some highlights follow:


 * Teaching in the TCPCG program this summer was amazing! I employed some pretty radical teaching and learning methodologies like not grading (Thank you Sandy and Dr. Young for being such exemplary role models in variations of this approach). The students responded with 100%+ effort and very high quality of work done in class and outside. Not one of them raised any hoopla about the grading either. It was awesome.
 * Due to challenges presented by being off-site from UCONN during the session, I could not manage the Knowledge Forum server, therefore did not employ the KF software package.
 * I did collect 44 x 5 theory to practice essays over the six weeks of the program. I ended up using a taxonomy of teacher reflective practice to scaffold the students work towards higher levels of criticality. The taxonomy I used was borrowed from a piece of original research done in the late 80s early 90s. I found only two places where the "Reflective Pedagogical Thinking" taxonomy is presented (see Sparks-Langer et al., 1988 and Kagan, 1990 on the References page here). I also emailed the primary contact for the research Alane Starko and she was still at the email address provided and responded to me almost immediately with great enthusiasm about the possibility of me further developing the taxonomy. I am not completely content with the taxonomy, however it does provide a stepping off point. I've just begun going through the data searching for themes, etc.
 * I also have various drawings, essays, writings and a set of week 1 and week 6 essays on "A good teacher..." with some self-analysis. Needless to say, as I predicted, tons of potential data points.
 * I got a bike and rode it to work. My bike and I made a great couple. We shipped my bike out to Seattle (Neal got a bike too. His is definitely not as sweet as mine.) My bike, according to the latest report, has been stolen from the bike stand in the parking garage of our downtown apartment. I am despondent. A moment of silence please.




 * I hired a graphic designer on Odesk.com to render a model of Transformational Adult Learning I created for Adult Learning class into a colorful, graphically appealing version. Check out the original and her version here: [[file:RQ3_model.pdf]] vs. [[file:Garcia_TALModel.pdf]]. I attempted to collect some data in class with students applying their "Teacher Self" to the model. My total //N// = 8. Not cool. And definitely not enough for a good test. I'm considering recruiting a sample in Seattle. I am interested in this line of research, yet as you can imagine its not of primary line of research.
 * I began work on a Proto-model of [|Teacher Problem Finding]. I used a grounded theory approach and began by gathering lists (generated collectively by each class of students, //N// = 44) They came up with many, many potential problems teachers could face. Check out the list: [[file:100(un)likely problems.doc]]. I then attended to the issues of categorization or types of problems, time to task, and others. I came up with this model (in outline form): [[file:PF_ProtoModel_WK2.doc]] I got some feedback from Jason (which was primarily theoretical in nature and has not been addressed in the model). I ran it by the students for feedback and we employed it in class. I believe to advance the model I need to recruit some students to use it in their classroom. I'm undecided as of this moment how I want to pursue this line of research.
 * I collected pre-and post "Good Teacher" essays and a student self-assessment. This data will be most interesting compared with data Jason and I have collected from the IBM students. Especially when we look longitudinally at our '08 graduating students (post-student teaching).

Overall, and as I (We) expected, an experience which presented me with tons of possible research avenues and loads of data. Now I'm to set about narrowing the field to what I believe will have the most potential to make a positive contribution to the field and to the students/participants in the research.

_ =May 4th, 2008 =

As you all know, this summer I will be teaching for 6 weeks in the TCPCG program. My plan is to use this opportunity to collect a ton of data. I will then spend the next year examining the data, and reading, writing, and thinking about the data. Thusly, it is important to me to go into the experience with a plan as to what type of data I'm looking for (i.e. insights into what broad research questions) and how might I be able to capture it.

As of today (May 4th, 2008) some data I am considering are:


 * "tracers"
 * concept maps (group constructed and individual)
 * quantitative measures (self-report surveys)
 * Weekly T2P (theory to practice) reports
 * Knowledge Forum
 * ways of problem solving
 * "Good Teacher" essays

Check out the "Discussion" section of this page for a conversation Sandy Bell and I are having about the use of "tracers". If you are unfamiliar with this phenomena, check out the "Bibliography & References" section for the reference.

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