Friday, November 23, 2012
Jay Lang and Qualitative Research
Jay Lang elected to discuss the chapter on Grounded Theory from The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research. Here is his written and visual introduction to the chapter.
Lang's image is simple and startling--an upside down house suggesting the inductive approach to inquiry. It made us stop, take note, and consider the notion of induction from a new vantage point.
Kim Gustenhoven and Qualitative Research
Another contrast was offered by Kim Gustenhaven. Here is her description of the reading on which she reported:
Tedlock, B. (2011).Braiding narrative ethnography
with memoir and creative nonfiction. In
N.
Denzin & Y. Lincoln (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research
(4th ed., pp.
331-339). Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications,
Inc.
The
graphic illustration’s purpose was to visually describe Barbara Tedlock’s writing
in Braiding narrative ethnography with memoir
and creative nonfiction (2011). The picture portrays the “Tree of Life” as
a central theme. The tree has branches
and roots which explain Narrative Ethnography and the different styles of
thought and consciousness which developed throughout the 20th and 21st
Centuries. I choose the “Tree of Life”
because I wanted to demonstrate the interconnection of people, and cultures
which is part of the tradition of ethnography.
Surrounding the tree are colorful shapes which represent cells. I chose plant cells because they are the
basic component of plant life. Surrounding
each cell are the explanations of each style of ethnography which is described
in the text.
Elegant with a strong aesthetic sense, she relied upon her drawing skills to depict her ideas about the chapter. Like others in the class, her disciplinary focus provided imagery and conceptual material that wove itself into the abstracting or note taking task.
Amy Gerarde and Qualitative Research
Amy Gerarde, also a doctoral student in the qualitative research course, reported on Chapter 7 from the Sage Handbook on Qualitative Research, Virginia Olesen's, very complete discussion of feminism and qualitative research. As you can see, Gerarde's style, viewpoint, visual perspective differs considerably from the Brooks and Brown example. Spare and simple with little distracting color, Gerarde focuses in with a laser beam.
I urged students to use the visual method that would best fit their needs--photo collage, hand printing, drawing--all was acceptable.
I urged students to use the visual method that would best fit their needs--photo collage, hand printing, drawing--all was acceptable.
Marion Brown and Qualitative Research
Marion Brown, also a doctoral student, in the UMass Lowell Graduate School of Education, took a very different visual direction. The article she reported on was Chapter 15 in The Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research--Controversies in Mixed Methods Research.
Here are her instructions for reading her visual:
Now...here is the actual visual itself:
Suffice it to say that Marion tends to be bursting with ideas! She is absolutely and totally passionate about the issues and needs of Second Language learners. She sees her academic tasks through this lens.
Here are her instructions for reading her visual:
Now...here is the actual visual itself:
Brandy Brooks and Qualitative Research
My participation in the note taking conference at the Radcliffe Institute took place at almost the same time that I was engaged with my qualitative research class students (07.704 in the Graduate School of Education at UMass Lowell) in our own note taking experiment. I had asked each of the students in my class to select an article to read from the theoretical/strategies/paradigm sections of Denzin and Lincoln's Sage Handbook of Qualitative Research. Each were then to create a 1 visual one-pager in which they would communicate their understanding of the article. They shared these in class as they described the content of the article and its relevance to our discussion of the foundations of qualitative research.
I found them to be absolutely fascinating. I think this may be a format that falls between the cracks--is it a note? a precis? an abstract? a visualization?
I asked each of them to submit to me with an explanatory paragraph, so I could post here and publish the experiment with a wider audience.
Here is Brandy Brooks, a UMass Lowell graduate student, on the Brydon-Miller, et al article on Participatory Action Research from the Handbook.
I found them to be absolutely fascinating. I think this may be a format that falls between the cracks--is it a note? a precis? an abstract? a visualization?
I asked each of them to submit to me with an explanatory paragraph, so I could post here and publish the experiment with a wider audience.
Here is Brandy Brooks, a UMass Lowell graduate student, on the Brydon-Miller, et al article on Participatory Action Research from the Handbook.
The
one-page diagrammatic review that appears below describes the article “Jazz and
the Banyan Tree: Roots and Riff on Participatory Action Research” by Mary
Brydon-Miller, Michael Kral, Patricia Maguire, Susan Noffke, and Anu
Sabhlok. In short, the article uses the
metaphors of jazz and the banyan tree to define and explore the historical, theoretical
and methodological foundations of Participatory Action Research (PAR). To that
end the one page diagrammatic review begins with the heading Participatory
Action Research (PAR) and the three elements which define PAR based
research. Underneath the heading to the
left is an image of a saxophonist and bassist playing jazz underneath the shade
of a banyan tree. The banyan tree much
like PAR is organic and can occur anywhere in the world, even in the middle of
the street in the middle of a bustling city.
Beneath the banyan tree lies the theory and methodology text box which provides
the blueprint for participatory action.
Underneath the Participatory Action Research (PAR) heading to the right,
the three research applications of PAR are superimposed on layers of soil the
narratives to emphasize that PAR can be shallow or subterranean. Lastly, the article and diagrammatic review
ends with concluding comments on how even well intentioned metaphors need to be
continually reexamined and updated to reflect current and future paradigms and
pedagogical practice of PAR.
Take Note at Radcliffe Institute
Take Note was an exhibition and conference presented by the Radcliffe Institute at Harvard Thursday November 1 and Friday November 2. The focus of this little gem of a conference was on the history and future of note taking.
Thursday was an opportunity to view Harvard collections with relevance to the topic of note taking. I slipped into the presentation at the Radcliffe Institute on the range of historic materials in their collection that illuminate the issue of note taking. From cookbooks to diaries, it was a great opportunity to see how people make more out of a book by adding to it in their own different ways, or, in essence, create their own books from notes and ideas of their own making.
Friday was a full day of panels on note taking. I was fascinated by the historical presentations that provided insight into table books, early stenography systems, and the beginnings of informational storage systems. (My handwritten notes below were from the presentation of Tiffy Stern, Professor of English, University College, Oxford University.)
I was also interested in the note taking systems that are evolving for social reading. I am absolutely going to find a tool like this to use for reading discussions in future classes I teach.
The wrap-up from a librarian/linguist (Geoffrey Numberg) mixed the historical and the new in review. In particular, he spoke of the way the modern dictionary evolved from beginnings as a set of notes.
My own note taking made the news: New York Times on Note Taking
Here is an example of the notes that I was making on the Ipad.
I had to switch to hand notes when my Ipad battery ran low.
I almost have to take notes when I listen, or I cannot stay focused on the speaker. I have to admit I may not go back to the notes, except for a few specific items. I don't know if I could hear if I were not taking notes.
Thursday was an opportunity to view Harvard collections with relevance to the topic of note taking. I slipped into the presentation at the Radcliffe Institute on the range of historic materials in their collection that illuminate the issue of note taking. From cookbooks to diaries, it was a great opportunity to see how people make more out of a book by adding to it in their own different ways, or, in essence, create their own books from notes and ideas of their own making.
Friday was a full day of panels on note taking. I was fascinated by the historical presentations that provided insight into table books, early stenography systems, and the beginnings of informational storage systems. (My handwritten notes below were from the presentation of Tiffy Stern, Professor of English, University College, Oxford University.)
I was also interested in the note taking systems that are evolving for social reading. I am absolutely going to find a tool like this to use for reading discussions in future classes I teach.
The wrap-up from a librarian/linguist (Geoffrey Numberg) mixed the historical and the new in review. In particular, he spoke of the way the modern dictionary evolved from beginnings as a set of notes.
My own note taking made the news: New York Times on Note Taking
Here is an example of the notes that I was making on the Ipad.
I almost have to take notes when I listen, or I cannot stay focused on the speaker. I have to admit I may not go back to the notes, except for a few specific items. I don't know if I could hear if I were not taking notes.
American Society of Criminology 2012 Annual Meeting
 |
| English: United States Department of Justice Logo Downloaded from United States Justice Department (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
I was taking part in a panel presentation reporting out on the findings of the OJJDP supported research on sexting of which I have been a part.
The chair was Karen JoAnne Bachar (US Department of Justice-OJJDP).
Andy Harris (UMass Lowell, Department of Criminology) presented "Understanding Teen "Sexting" in a Participatory Framework".
Karin Tusinski Miosfsy (University of Hartford) presented "Living in Different Worlds? Comparing Youth and Parent Perspectives on Teen "Sexting"".
And I, Judith Davidson (UMass Lowell, Graduate School of Education) presented on "Teen Sexting: Educator Perspectives and Challenges".
The discussion afterward was lively, and I met several people who are engaged in research on sexting (and looking at college age populations).
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