Dear Mark (and all) - many thanks Mark for the introduction to the ideas of Shawn Wilson on indigenous research methods, I'm finding his insights are helping to extend my own understandings and I'll be integrating these insights into my future writings and practice. 

I've just received my copy of a book on 'Action Research For The Professional Development of Teachers',  edited by Dubravka Kovacevic and Renata Dominic with papers presented at the Council of Europe, Pestalozzi Workshop in Zagrab in May 2010. They include keynotes by Alan Markowitz and Tim Cain. Here is the preface by Dubravka and Renata to show how relevant the ideas are to our e-seminar:

“This publication is a collection of papers written by the experts and teachers who participated in the European Workshop 'Action Research in the Function of the Professional Development of Teachers', which took place in Croatia, May 2010, in the framework of the Council of Europe Pestalozzi Programme.  As organizers of the workshop, we were so fortunate to gather in one place seasoned action researchers from different action research schools. Croatian foreign language teachers who had taken their baby steps in action research and interested foreign language teachers from many European countries (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Latvia, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Turkey, UK).

The prevailing models of in-service teacher training which focus primarily on the content knowledge and the development of individual instructional skills do not enable the teachers to face the challenges of the complex context of contemporary teaching. They place teachers in the role of 'implementers' rather than 'creators' of change. With this publication we wish to promote action research as a means of empowering teachers for taking an independent and deep insight into their work that will lead to better understanding of themselves, their learners, and subsequently, the improvement of their teaching practice.” (p.177)
Kovacevic, P. D. & Dominic, R. O. (Ed) (2011) Action Research in the Professional Development of Teachers, Zagreb; Teacher Training Agency (Croatia).

The details of the 2011 Conference of the European Association of Practitioner-Researchers for Improving Learning (EAPRIL) can be accessed from http://www.eapril.org/EAPRIL2011/Submissions . I've just added a blog to the EAPRIL to draw attention to the significance of the book edited by Dubravka and Renata for enhancing the influence of explanations of educational influences in learning in a European context (and beyond). I do hope that you might consider joining EAPRIL and contributing your own thoughts to the various blogs.

Alan and Sara have been attending the 8th Annual SOLES Action Research Conference May 13-14, 2011 on "Globalization & Action Research: Bridging the Professional, Political, and Personal" in San Diego, USA, with Lonnie. Alan - it would be good to hear your reflections (you too Sara and Lonnie) on the conference.

Alan's keynote to the Pestalozzi Workshop in Zagreb was on:
Teachers' Classroom-based Action Research: An Alternative View.
Tim's keynote was on:
An Overview of the Action Research Cycle.
Branko contributed a paper on:
Problems in Making Significant Changes in Teaching Practice through Action Research.
Marie contributed a paper on:
Children and Young people as Living Theory Action Researchers.
My own contribution was on:
Web-Resources to support Action Research in the Function of Professional Development of Teachers.

If you'd like to receive a copy of these it should be possible for Alan, Tim, Branko, Marie and myself to send them on. Sara has written a delightful paper on "Formal English Without Tears: Rewriting the Narrative of Developmental Students" and I am hoping that Sara will also share her writings.

Love Jack.