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Thursday, September 16, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
We Must Shift From Teacher Quality to Teaching Quality
Wise (2010) article in Education Week confirms the efficacy and professionalism of practitioner research, especially with the following words:
Accountability, at its essence, is not a goal; it is the acceptance of responsibility for all that we do in our classrooms, day in and day out. Accountability, when embraced for what it is, turns out to be not some sort of punitive “gotcha”; instead, it is what drives commitment to continuous examination, reflection, and improvement.
Despite the upside of accountability, we have failed to manage its unforeseen downside: a tendency to look back at regimented instruction with a sanitized fondness. It seems we have, in our profession, lost the will to acknowledge and leverage the multiple ways in which children learn—or to recognize the multiple ways children fail to learn when ineffective teaching is all that a classroom provides. We have, perhaps, become a nation of educators focusing wholly on the what of teaching, without effectively confronting the far messier (but pivotal) how of teaching.
"Accountability, at its essence, is not a goal; it is the acceptance of responsibility for all that we do in our classrooms, day in and day out."
Reference
Wise, J. (September, 2010). We Must Shift From Teacher Quality to Teaching Quality. Education Week, 30(03). Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/09/08/03wise.h30.html?tkn=MSCC%2BvEe0sc25LHuHWg5%2FnT0snoLFaDEjf%2Fj&cmp=clp-sb-ascd
More Thoughtful Guidance
There has been much discussion among the Elementary and Secondary TED Faculty about what constitutes credible MA capstone practitioner research for the MA examination.
TED Secondary Education Chairperson Lyn Oshima further defines what the practitioner research should be. Our masters program is similiar to the M. A. in Reflective Practice (MARP) and mirrors goals for your practitioner research narratives. The following is excerpted from a recent email from Dr. Oshima to Coila and myself. I think her workds will help clarify the process and content involved during your capstone experience.
________________
Attending the presentations at Farmington were a good reminder of how personal the culmination of their degree program should be. Deciding what the product should has been a topic for frequent discussion by the faculty.
This first MARP cohort gave us an opportunity to experiment with the format. Here is how the paper was described to them:
They were to review course syllabi and major course assignments from all MARP courses. They were to identify themes in what they learned and areas of their practice in which they have put their learning to use.
The final paper was to present students' individual journeys through the program, documenting what they learned both theoretically and practically. Their conclusion was to end with a description of specific directions they see for further learning and growth. They were expected to reference literature previously studied in coursework and augment this literature with current relevant literature that is needed to support their understandings and future directions. The oral and visual presentation should demonstrate and best represent what they learned and planned to do in the future.
Their references to readings and past assignments were consistent across the students. From this cohort came a clearer purpose for the MA exam/paper. We asked what matters at this level of graduate study for experienced professionals? We believe it is to understand why and how they learn and apply it to student learning in their classrooms. (Email, Dr. Lyn Oshima, September 9, 2010)
TED Secondary Education Chairperson Lyn Oshima further defines what the practitioner research should be. Our masters program is similiar to the M. A. in Reflective Practice (MARP) and mirrors goals for your practitioner research narratives. The following is excerpted from a recent email from Dr. Oshima to Coila and myself. I think her workds will help clarify the process and content involved during your capstone experience.
________________
Attending the presentations at Farmington were a good reminder of how personal the culmination of their degree program should be. Deciding what the product should has been a topic for frequent discussion by the faculty.
This first MARP cohort gave us an opportunity to experiment with the format. Here is how the paper was described to them:
They were to review course syllabi and major course assignments from all MARP courses. They were to identify themes in what they learned and areas of their practice in which they have put their learning to use.
The final paper was to present students' individual journeys through the program, documenting what they learned both theoretically and practically. Their conclusion was to end with a description of specific directions they see for further learning and growth. They were expected to reference literature previously studied in coursework and augment this literature with current relevant literature that is needed to support their understandings and future directions. The oral and visual presentation should demonstrate and best represent what they learned and planned to do in the future.
Their references to readings and past assignments were consistent across the students. From this cohort came a clearer purpose for the MA exam/paper. We asked what matters at this level of graduate study for experienced professionals? We believe it is to understand why and how they learn and apply it to student learning in their classrooms. (Email, Dr. Lyn Oshima, September 9, 2010)
Thursday, September 9, 2010
9 September 2010
Thank you for an intellectually stimulating evening. Your intellectual history maps provided you with a direction to talk about your research questions. Thinking about your map hopefully informed writing your Teacher Reflection #1 introducing yourself as a teacher. Please create a new page on your Social Justice webpage and post your Teacher Reflections on them.
On Thursday, September 23, we will conduct a Research Overview including APA style and talk more about our text Chapters 1, 2, 3, along with our Avery, Capitelli and Malarkey articles.
Since half of you will be attending Parent Conferences on Thursday, September 16, a Work at Home night is our alternative plan. Therefore, we will not meet.
Please read your syllabus, taking note of page 14, Checklist of Research Process for this semester.
- Teacher Reflection #2 (9/16) will focus on making deliberate connections to your master's coursework and other courses and how they influence and relate to your classroom. See page 12 of our syllabus.
- Teacher Reflection #3 (9/23) will focus on what you know about practitioner research and how you identify yourself as a teacher practitioner.
- Teacher Reflection #4 (9/30) will focus on your emerging question related to your classroom and why this is important for you and your students as co-researchers.
On Thursday, September 23, we will conduct a Research Overview including APA style and talk more about our text Chapters 1, 2, 3, along with our Avery, Capitelli and Malarkey articles.
Since half of you will be attending Parent Conferences on Thursday, September 16, a Work at Home night is our alternative plan. Therefore, we will not meet.
Please read your syllabus, taking note of page 14, Checklist of Research Process for this semester.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Welcome to your Practitioner Research Project
Dear Teacher Practitioners,
During your capstone year of your UNM Master's Program you will have the opportunity to document the journey through your program as a relfective practitioner in a Descriptive Narrative. Think of it as a personal journey because it is a personal account. Consider everything you have learned during the program and your description of it will be a summative assessment of your learning. The important question is what do you take beyond the program? You are the author and storyteller.
Thinking of your final project as a Descriptive Narrative of your learning throughout your UNM experience is moving us away from the formal research paper. In this way, you become the storytellers reflecting on your journey and sharing this with a teacher audience. We will encourage you to share your teacher stories with other published practitioner research stories. Above all, only you can tell your story about your learning and the learning in your classroom.
As Nikki Giovanni says: "If you want to share a vision or tell the truth, you pick up your pen and take your chances." This is your chance to pick up your pen and have the courage and conviction to tell about you as a learner and teacher.
As you reflect about your experiences, you will explore a particular question. Your research question is where you apply what you have learned throughout your master's experience and draw from your own professional expertise. In this process, you may ask yourself the following prompts:
Notice --> Reflect
Describe --> Reflect
Wonder/gather --> Reflect
Interpret --> Reflect
Overall Reflection of Journey
NEXT STEPS --> Reflect
These notes were taken while talking with UNM TED Co-chairs Dr. Keyes and Dr. Krebs (Personal Communication, August 20, 2010).
Welcome to YOUR JOURNEY
During your capstone year of your UNM Master's Program you will have the opportunity to document the journey through your program as a relfective practitioner in a Descriptive Narrative. Think of it as a personal journey because it is a personal account. Consider everything you have learned during the program and your description of it will be a summative assessment of your learning. The important question is what do you take beyond the program? You are the author and storyteller.
Thinking of your final project as a Descriptive Narrative of your learning throughout your UNM experience is moving us away from the formal research paper. In this way, you become the storytellers reflecting on your journey and sharing this with a teacher audience. We will encourage you to share your teacher stories with other published practitioner research stories. Above all, only you can tell your story about your learning and the learning in your classroom.
As Nikki Giovanni says: "If you want to share a vision or tell the truth, you pick up your pen and take your chances." This is your chance to pick up your pen and have the courage and conviction to tell about you as a learner and teacher.
As you reflect about your experiences, you will explore a particular question. Your research question is where you apply what you have learned throughout your master's experience and draw from your own professional expertise. In this process, you may ask yourself the following prompts:
- What has brought me to where I am now as a teacher?
- What are my philosophies and beliefs?
- What is practitioner research and how do I see my self as a teacher researcher?
- During my UNM journey, what questions surfaced or keep surfacing?
- What do I want to explore in my classroom?
- Who else can I research, read or talk to to inform me about ideas related to my question?
- How will I apply these ideas to find out something in my own classroom? (What happens when...)
- What have I learned about my students and myself as a result.
- What are my next steps?
Notice --> Reflect
Describe --> Reflect
Wonder/gather --> Reflect
Interpret --> Reflect
Overall Reflection of Journey
NEXT STEPS --> Reflect
These notes were taken while talking with UNM TED Co-chairs Dr. Keyes and Dr. Krebs (Personal Communication, August 20, 2010).
Welcome to YOUR JOURNEY
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