Week 7 Class Reflection, Allison

When I first read the assignment to reflect on everything I learned this class, my head was swimming with not only answers but also questions. This has been a whirlwind class full of overwhelming assignments of deep-seated learning. So much so that I felt that I couldn’t stay afloat long enough to understand everything that was rushing at me. What do I really want to prove and how do I compose it into a concise, clear question? I first felt a supporting hand when I had my one-on-one talk with Leslie. With her help I began organizing, categorizing and clearing excess ideas. From that organization and weekly readings, my thesis question became clear. While reading Reflections on the narrative research approach, Moen (2006), I realized that everything she talked about she supported with information and explanations down to each word used. This made me re-evaluate the importance of finding and using the right words in my thesis question.

Personal influences or experiences outline our research. As we all begin to formulate our ideas we rely/ reflect on our own knowledge, insights and perceptions to help guide us. The personal connection is what engages us all in anything we do. Our research links us to our experiences as educators yet allows us to move away from the classroom and venture on an individual journey of discovery that can benefit both ourselves as teachers and the larger community of academics. Working in a school specifically for dyslexic students and having a dyslexic child myself, my passion for researching the relationship between art and dyslexia was inherent. What I was lacking was the knowledge to find, understand, integrate and substantiate the right information to formulate a sound and valid research.

Through the weeks, I have been reading and writing, although not actually comprehending how everything connected together to help my research happen. As I continued to read the weekly assignment, I would have flashes of clarity, yet they seemed to disappear as fast as they came. My ah-ha moment when everything became a bit clearer for me was just recently when I read two articles regarding case studies and action research. Techniques for art educators in architectural design research and evaluation by Guilfoil (1986) examined the techniques and approaches to data recording to solidify her students understanding of their learning environments. The students were collaboratively involved in the process. Knowing that my case study would include students’ participation, this article provided me with an understanding to move forward in my pilot study. Vanwynsberghe & Khan’s (2007) Redefining case study mapped out what was and was not a case study. This article was simple and clearly written which I appreciated whole-heartedly. The notion that a case study does not guide the research in effect it is the research that guides the study created a lucid moment for me. And finally, understanding what a portraiture case study sealed my research course.

Learning the APA style of writing seemed daunting. Michelle Tillander gave me great advice at the beginning of the course. She said to go out and buy a book that I could keep right in front of me rather than rely on the website. This was an incredible piece of advice. I have kept it right by my side and referred to it in a moments notice. I still make stupid mistakes, but my book is a most valuable part of my research. Keeping my reading reflections, my references and my proposal writings organized and categorized in a folder on my computer has allowed me to refer back to any of them easily. Recognizing and using the human resources around me has facilitated discussions and essential knowledge that has always been at my fingertips. It is easy for me to fall into my own routine and not push myself to gain new knowledge. This class and program has impelled me out of my comfort zone and given me the drive to do my homework, be prepared and always questions everything. Most importantly learned, a carefully studied, concise, consistent, related research earns recognition and merit. We will see how my research pans out in the next research class, my independent study class where I will be conducting my case study.

Guilfoil, J. K., (1986). Techniques for art educators in architectural design

research and evaluation. Art Education, 36(2), 10-12.

Moen, T. (2006). Reflections on the narrative research approach, International

Journal of Qualitative Methodology, 5(4), 1-11.

VanWynsberghe, R., & Khan, S. (2007). Redefining case study. International

Journal of Qualitative Methods, 4(6), 80-94.