Hello Matt,

I'm sure many readers of these postings would enjoy
reading about how your research develops with the
English Language Arts students this semester!

This is the sort of thing Je Kan was wistfully asking
for.

Do let us know how things go.

No doubt several readers could be useful "friends" in
giving you supportive feedback.


I particularly enjoyed Janice Hill's piece of
action-research in your Fall journal.

Kind regards


Brian
--- Matthias Meiers <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Dear Brian and friends,
>  
> I have been working to find a way of clearly
> describing my ongoing action research. Your letter
> is helping me find a way back into this
> conversation. 
>  
> I am a high school teacher who at this moment works
> with Grade 12 students. I will teach English
> Language Arts to Grade 12 students and German as a
> second language to beginners.
>  
> The second semester of our school year will begin in
> two days. I have mapped out an action research path
> that I wish to walk together with my students. 
>  
> I see the following strands in my curriculum
> inquiry:
> 
> 1.	
> 	Planning and preconception of the curriculum: In
> the last few weeks I have begun to think about what
> I will do together with the English Language Arts
> students, what texts we will read and what projects
> we will embark on. This preconception of the
> curriculum is limited by my horizon or limited
> pre-understanding of the students that I will first
> meet in two days. 
> 2.	
> 	Curriculum development once the teaching-learning
> dynamic in the classroom starts: the development of
> new and shared understandings. I will pay attention
> to  the classroom curriculum as a planned and
> purposeful journey of inquiry and learning;  to
> student perspectives and points of view (i.e. how
> they articulate their experiences, their inquiry and
> learning); to continuity and thematic development in
> our English Language Arts courses (Our activities
> will be connected and relate to each other. Most
> importantly, I want the students to recognize these
> relationships in connection to their inquiry); and
> to classroom ethos or the ethical dynamics of a
> classroom learning community.
> 3.	
> 	Participating in a sustained professional
> conversation about my practice: interpreting this
> teaching experience with critical friends.
> 
>  
> Matt
>  
> Teaching Today for Tomorrow at 
>
http://www.7oaks.org/teaching_today_for_tomorrow_an_on_line_journal__70a4211e728e46eab78a20e81f9760f4.aspx
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> From: BERA Practitioner-Researcher on behalf of
> Brian wakeman
> Sent: Mon 1/29/2007 5:09 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: World Class practitioner research
> 
> 
> 
> Hello Yakub and All,
> 
> 
> I know you may have signed off, but I've copied you
> in!
> 
> There are a couple of points I wish to make about
> your
> last posting:
> 
> I feel it's important to clarify BERA's role, in
> responding to your question about BERA
> objectives.......
> 
> 1.  Here is a quote from the SIG's statement:
> DESCRIPTION
> "This SIG focuses upon issues arising from carrying
> out , supporting others in carrying out , and
> theorising about , practitioner research. We promote
> the publication and dissemination of practitioner
> research studies and methodological approaches to
> practitioner research, bring together those with a
> special interest in all  those (closely
> related)methodologies in which research is an
> integral
> part of practice: e.g. action research , teacher
> research, evidence -based practice, research into
> personal and professional change, and research in
> the
> developmental/critical paradigm. Practice is very
> broadly defined as any form of professional work or
> community activity or individual endeavour in which
> action is informed by values, belief an experience.
> Research in this context is defined as any form of
> systematic enquiry whose design, method, analysis
> and
> interpretation are open to peer review."
> AIMS
> "The SIG contributes to the generation of theory,
> knowledge and expertise about practitioner research
> and the exploration of different purposes and
> conceptualisations of 'practitioner research'. We
> provide 'critical friendship' to those engaged in
> practitioner research with the intention , inter
> alia,
> of establishing broadly agreed 'fitness for purpose'
> quality criteria for such research . In addition we
> promote links between practitioner research,academic
> research and local and national decision-making. The
> SIG plays a role in the the development of national
> policies for practitioner research through active
> engagement with policy makers and bodies that have a
> leadership role in practitioner research"
> 
> 2.  Secondly the e-seminar organised by Jack has
> been
> promoting these BERA aims in general terms and more
> specifically been addressing "standards of judgement
> in relation to the RAE criteria".
> Living Theory and Self-Study have been the
> pre-dominant emphasis of the e-seminar due to Jack's
> world-leading expertise in this approach.
> However many other approaches to practitioner
> research
> are practised by SIG members, and have been
> reflected
> in the postings from time-to-time. e.g. my own
> understanding is more akin to Elliott and Somekh
> than
> to the Bath network.
> My interest in action-research  has arisen out of
> practical professional problems and issues in my
> work
> as a classroom teacher, curriculum developer, and
> leader in secondary schools, and more recently as an
> advisor and support tutor in ITT, and as an adult
> education tutor of watercolours.
> The heart of my enquiry has not been self-study or
> Living Theory, but more focused on  improving
> pupils'
> and students' learning, promoting staff development,
> and in addressing management and leadership issues
> in
> a more inclusive and human way.(for me relating
> insights from my Christian faith to professional
> practise). Far from being only focused on "I" or
> local
> issues,  my action research has taken on a much
> wider
> circle of concern and effects e.g. through
> publication, and work with a major moral education
> project in post-communist Slovakia, and more
> recently
> on relating theology to curriculum development in
> China.
> 
> Here's wishing you real 'eirene', 'peace', 'shalom',
> 'salaam'
> 
> Brian
> 
> 
> 
> --- Paul Murray <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
> 
> > I have some questions and then I'll go and leave
> > your 'locality' in peace
> > (piece) - dismiss me as the 'overly deterministic'
> > Muslim terrorist.
> >
> > But even Muslims have compassion, loving charity,
> > care of the present and
> > future, and responsibility and the questions below
> > represent mine, and my
> > expression of Said's speaking truth to the power
> of
> > this BERA list: 
> >
> > 
> >
> > How can practitioner-research that has as its aim
> > individual and social
> > transformation qualify as world class research
> when
> > it focuses only on the
> > local experience of 'I' distracted from analyses
> of
> > the larger picture of
> > the social, economic, political and militaristic
> new
> > world order? 
> >
> > 
> >
> > How can I sustain a claim with my Masters students
> > that the
> 
=== message truncated ===


Brian E. Wakeman
Education adviser
Dunstable
Beds