On+The+Art+of+Inquriy

Teacher research is, firstly, personal and in this way perhaps more vital and relevant to the cause of advancing the knowledge base of teachers as a result because the 'researchers' in this case are: The format of research will most likely be: A key thrust for the Teacher Researcher [TR] needs to be: It is important to: The TR may not necessarily learn anything but they will surely learn something (if only): Research is: How can a teacher survive this enterprise?: "The vision presented in this book is not of passive teachers who perpetuate the system as it is, but of teachers who see how the system can be changed through research". [Hubbard/Power, pg. //xvi//] This is the thrust of this book. "Books are linear but research is not..." [Hubbard/Power, pg. //xix//] //I am personally very excited by this definition of our task. Excited because this is how I approach what I do from a personal perspective and also because this feels somewhat akin to the Action Research projects I have done over the past years in Math and with Assessment/Data Walls.//
 * closer to the subject
 * have a vested interest in the results
 * are able to frame the results -- whatever they may be -- in the larger context of the students, the school etc.
 * Interviews
 * Data collection
 * Culling Information
 * Wonderings
 * include your students in your quest for answers
 * not be afraid that you don't know where this might go as you begin
 * how to observe
 * to better understand why it is we teach as we do
 * to better understand what we do from a student's perspective
 * to better trust their own 'powers of learning'
 * "a friendly, welcoming attitude toward change... going out to //look// for change instead of waiting for it to come to them."
 * "it is //tomorrow's// mind instead of yesterday's..." [Ketting in Boyd 1961, pg 82]
 * be humble
 * be teachable/inquisitive/curious
 * be willing to share the story of your journey

Chap 1 __Try to Love the Questions themselves: Finding and Framing a Research Question__ Main Idea: Find a question that asks, "What if...?" It can be with one student or a group.

Chap 2 __Form and Function: The Research Design*__ The key components seem to be: Regular journalling is a must as is the openess to follow the 'wanderings after you start wondering'... It is recommended that I not work alone but that a partner or group will serve to flesh out whatever is being learned. Artifacts, events, interactions [pg. 18]
 * A very detailed chapter on the particulars necessary to set up an Action Research Question properly. Refer back to it as the time approaches to formalize my study.
 * permission for sharing any results
 * samples of student work
 * interviews
 * recordings
 * surveys
 * journals
 * learning logs
 * exit slips