Print

Print


I find it fascinating that so many students have completed action research
to assist practice and student learning. I wonder if we can possibly put
together a conference where outstanding AR papers can be presented. Small
issues like funding would have to be addressed. Perhaps each participating
institution can supoort several outstanding studnt practitioners. Or,
perhaps we can think of a distance conference forum. I like the fact that ,
while most of us exist in a vacuum, so much is actually going on around us.
Anyone up for a planning group?
Alan
Dr. Alan Markowitz
Director, Graduate Programs in Education
The College of St. Elizabeth
(973) 290-4328
[log in to unmask]

On Thu, Aug 12, 2010 at 11:55 AM, Holen,Jodi Bergland <[log in to unmask]>wrote:

>  Dear Group,
> My name is Jodi Bergland Holen. I teach action research to masters and
> doctoral students at the University of North Dakota. I also do action
> research with North Dakota science teachers as a part of a NSF grant. This
> work has enabled many teachers to improve practice  and student learning at
> their various schools and in the State of North Dakota. I have worked with
> principals, superintendents and classroom teachers as well as nurses
> and people in other health related fields.
>
> We are interested in venues wherein our students can present the results of
> their respective studies in the spring. ICTR has been mentioned. When we are
> up and running again, I would like to banter ideas within this forum. I
> enjoy reading the comments thus far. This is just a quick intro as we are
> already starting the fall semester n Monday! Yikes! Bye for now.
> Jodi
>  On 08/12/10, *Alan Markowitz *<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>  Hello Kathy,
>
> We conduct action research projects as a required capstone experience
> within our MA in Special Education. Many of our projects focus on efforts to
> improve the quality of learning for individual children, using a case stuy
> model with qualitative research methodologies. We find that our graduate
> students prosper from this approach and have made it a part of their
> teaching each year. I would be more than happy to share our model and some
> of their work.
> Collegially,
> Alan
>
> Dr. Alan Markowitz
> Director, Graduate Programs in Education
> The College of St. Elizabeth
> (973) 290-4328
>
>
>  On Wed, Aug 11, 2010 at 10:14 PM, Kathy Bauman <
> [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
>
>>  Hello Dr Whitehead and all of the e-seminar participants,
>>
>>
>> I would like to introduce myself to you. Its taken me awhile to respond as
>> I wasn't sure if I qualify to participate.  I am doing an action research
>> project but at a Masters level.  I am 39 years old and live in Hanover,
>> Ontario, Canada.  I am a teacher for the Bluewater District School Board.  I
>> was in a junior level classroom in a small country elementary public school.
>>  Three years ago I studied special education and became the learning
>> resource teacher for a large (just over 500 students) elementary ( are
>> students are ages 4 to 12)  public school in my community.  I am working on
>> my Masters of Education with Brock University.
>>
>>
>> My action research project will hopefully change my life but I don't know
>> if it would contribute to the creation of living theory.
>>
>>
>> Are you familiar with Dr William Purkey's work on invitational education?
>>  Our last course was with a colleague of his named Dr John Novak.  What I
>> learned is changing my thinking about myself as an educator. I learned that
>> I matter, not just my work.  He said good teaching takes energy so take care
>> of yourself.   That is an aspect of life I have neglected.
>>
>>
>>
>> What Dr Jackie Delong taught me rocked my very foundations as she wanted
>> to hear my voice and valued what I had to say!
>>
>>
>> My research question is, can I improve my professional practice by being
>> personally inviting with myself?  In my head the question is more blunt but
>> I don't know if it is appropriate to be blunt in a major research paper: Can
>> I contribute more to the education of my students by caring for and about
>> myself?
>>
>>
>> I am concerned that if I do not change my feelings about myself and how I
>> do my practice; I will not be here much longer.  I have significantly and
>> negatively impacted my health by thinking that my work as a teacher was more
>> important than anything else, that I myself had very little value. I have
>> thought that my only value in the world was as a teacher in the public
>> school system.  My identity was strictly tied to how I felt I was doing
>> at work and how those in the work setting interacted with me.  I could be
>> destroyed by words and actions of others at work because that was the only
>> thing that really held value for me I wanted to be valued and cared about at
>> work. I am a workaholic and have been very proud of my level of commitment
>> to my job.  We work with children.  We can fill them with hope, a joy for
>> learning, and invite them to believe in their potential. I believe heart and
>> soul what is written on the plaque by my desk, “A hundred years from now...
>> it will not matter what my bank account was, what sort of house I lived in,
>> or the kind of car I drove...but the world may be different because I was
>> important in the life of a child.”( Kathy Davis, 1993)  What could be
>> more important?  And yet, what will I be offering to the education of
>> students if I am no longer healthy enough to work? I need to learn how to
>> care for myself and give from the overflow of my energy.  This is the basis
>> of my context and the concern that fuels my research.
>>
>> I am not well read yet so if what I have written makes you think of
>> articles or books I should read I'd welcome that information.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> If you are interested, I would be happy to send  you some details on the
>> project to date.
>>
>>
>>
>> Thank you.
>>
>>
>> Sincerely,
>>
>>
>> Kathy Bauman
>>
>>
>>
>> On 28-Jul-10, at 4:58 PM, Jack Whitehead wrote:
>>
>>
>>  Welcome to Alfred Kitawi from Strathmore University in Kenya, Kathy
>> Bauman and Encarna  Martinez an educator from Spain who join the e-seminar
>> today.
>>
>>
>>  Dear Alfred, Kathy and Encarna - when you are ready do please share your
>> research interests in the e-seminar. Looking forward to your contributions.
>>  Jack.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
> --
>  Jodi Bergland Holen, PhD
> Assistant Professor, Book Review Editor
> College of Education and Human Development
> University of North Dakota
> Grand Forks, ND 58202
> 701.777.6705
>