I am finally starting to see an area of focus for my Capstone Project. Although in it’s infancy, I am beginning to feel like it is doable. The research section is a bit intimidating still, for example I have formulate two questions to ask three people for my Pilot Study. Already one person has pointed out the errors in wording of the questions, how the can be interpreted and what I need to do to clarify how I am asking. At this point, my proposal will be to research and develop a tool for art teachers to use to assist in meeting specific criteria for classroom observations. Even though good teaching is good teaching, different content areas have specific traits, characteristics for teaching strategies. Also, there are multiple ways of teaching well, the same content area, but different strategies. My task is to acknowledge several of these and list them in some form of a flip chart as a suggestion for evaluators to ‘see’ what an art teacher might demonstrate in order to meet a particular benchmark. These suggestions will not be the only way, only meant to assist.
Action research is making sense to me at this point. This entire program we are undertaking is action research. It is the only reason I am taking on this MAE program, to be a better teacher. There is not job interest for me. Additional pay will mean teach almost 10 just to recover the tuition, but this program is such a good ‘action research’ project to be better. My proposal will be action research in a way that utilized qualitative data gathered to arrive at a conclusion, or most likely and temporary ending, with further development needed. Has anyone else experienced this type of mental exercise? This course is the most difficult thus far in this program. As with others, I have at least 25-30 hours each week, but all of a sudden, the mold is making and I can see the direction that I need to go.
(Blogspot is being a bully to Andrea this week, so here is Andrea's reflection posted by Leslie).
You are right! I think we are all entering an action research since we all decided to pursue an MA in art education, therfore to better ourselves as art teachers, to experiement and find new things we can do. I remember in past semesters classmates explaining how they were integrating parts of their learnings into their classroom as the were learning it.
ReplyDeleteI also think this course is the most difficult so far. I am logging approx. 38 hours weekly....I can't wait to go to the park!
ReplyDeleteI have had trouble with my posting, thanks to Leslie, I am back on track. I need to add my bibliography to Lesson 6 Blog Post:
ReplyDeleteAction Research in Education [On-line]
http://www.edu.plymouth.ac.uk/resined/actionresearch/arhome.htm
May, W. (1993). “Teachers-as-researchers” or action research: What is it, and what good is it for art education? Studies in Art Education, 34(2), 114-126.