Janice--reflections from Week 4

My question as it is right now: How can social learning theory, used as a teaching methodology in the art studio, contribute to reconceptualizations of creativity and the needs of twenty-first century learners?

I don't like the phrase "reconceptualizations of creativity". If "reconceptualizations" is in fact a word, perhaps it ought not to be. I do know I want to marry or merge facets of creativity as defined by Zimmerman (2009) with the idea of a general re-tooling (sorry, hate that word too) of education, as defined by Pat Bassett (2004). Part of me wants to melt in mortification at how pretentious that sounds. I am also saying a very sound methodology for teaching what students will need to be able to do in the future is social learning theory. After telling my "critical friend" partner that she needed to narrow down, I am now wondering if I have two different threads going!

But--this is about our methods. My method will be narrative, I know that--a lot of my work is theoretical--how future learning needs coincide with redefinitions of creativity (beyond self-expression). How social learning theory fits in will be my argument that it is a teaching methodology well-suited to meet those needs. (I think it is beyond my argument to say it is the best--because that means I have to address others. I may have to address other methodologies to have a well-rounded argument, anyway, but it takes off the burden of proof.(?) My data collection from the classroom will be in support of that argument. I plan to use notes--my journal--interviews with students, and other people's observations and perhaps a video or watching myself teach. I'd love to go into other classrooms but I don't know if teachers will be agreeable.

Although I am writing a narrative, I don't really want it to be a straight narrative. I want to have a bit of flexibility with it. If my narrative has structural divisions--in terms of sectionA/section B/ etc., I was thinking of having a "case study" written by me but in the voice of a student inserted between the sections. I am worried this will be too fictional, but it will be from my notes and interviews.

My project is sounding a little nuts, even to me. I am struggling to contain it. I haven't really done the work of containing it yet; I think in the research process we all go through a phase where our ideas expand--as ideas do--they go from one to the next to the next.

Right now it seems to me I have two questions: How do redefinitions of creativity enlarge its role in twenty-first century learning? and How can social learning learning be used to emphasize the efficacy and identification of affective variables in twenty-first century learning?

Somehow I feel these are two sides of the same question. In losing the emphasis on "self-efficacy"--or at least it is getting a little buried--I feel I am losing a little of my intense personal identification. I don't really like that, because I feel the mystery of that identification pushes my energy, courage, boundaries, and writing.

I have to tell you all the truth, I am a bit discouraged at the moment.