Dear Sue and Alan
Thank you for your responses, and I shall be talking about the ways that we can describe our educational (and social) influence/s in our work, and thank you for your contributions in this regard.
In this posting, Sue, you demonstrate and talk about your practice that I find very interesting, viz. "I talk about circles of influence that come from this reflexive stance in my case they were self, literature and methods. For others in their research it may be different. The major point is within my living the theory generated I can search to discover which circle is more prominent in each stage of my spirals of action research. Contradictions begin to be made more public in a way that is in tune with the principles of action research. " I like the way that you talk about the influences on your practice which include "self, literature and methods". I would add "the living practice of others". Would you agree? I like the way that you mention that it might be different for others, thus reminding yourself and me that prescription (as mentioned by Stefinee) is not helpful. I particularly like your "major point" for the "prominence" of a particular circle of influence at any given time or point in the action. This alerts me again to the need for observing and reflecting on one's own process constantly for what is happening - be it congruence, contradiction or the emergence of something new. And takes me back to Stefinee's posting about the dangers of prescription.
Thank you
Joan
-----Original Message -----
From: Practitioner-Researcher [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Sue Attard
Sent: Friday, April 16, 2010 6:46 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Design as Research
Dear Joan and Alan
I have read with much interest your reply to my posting and as you can see I have taken a little time to digest it.
Joan you may use this as an idea if you wish I would find it a great honour.
Alan I found your interpretation of my words rather confusing and with your use of many words to tell me what I was thinking took me back to my fears of "the academy" in which vocabulary is used as a barrier to keep out those who are new to this way of working. I have read several times the quantum mechanics paper and it has meant very little to me in terms of living theory in fact it was like trying to read a little known foreign language.
I am deeply in sympathy with the use of Action Research in classrooms in order to reflect on practice which formulates theory. My circles of influence have been important to me as I discovered what was framing my reference points. Reflexivity has enabled me to look at myself, which in turn opened my mind to what others were talking about related to similar experiences and finally analyzing the effectiveness of the processes or methods I use. I talk about circles of influence that come from this reflexive stance in my case they were self, literature and methods. For others in their research it may be different. The major point is within my living the theory generated I can search to discover which circle is more prominent in each stage of my spirals of action research. Contradictions begin to be made more public in a way that is in tune with the principles of action research.
Thank you again Joan and Alan
Sue Attard
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