Prior to this week I didn’t realize truly how valuable qualitative research is, especially in education. Between the podcast and Hinchman’s article I really started to think about how more qualitative research and less quantitative is needed to truly understand what is going on in education. The few times that I have done research or looked at studies, I have mostly looked at quantitative research. I guess I never really thought about how I was only getting a generalization not a real answer to the problem. I would have to agree with Hinchman in that if we want to really focus on why kids aren’t performing they way that we would like then we need to do more qualitative research to pinpoint the problem.
I was moved by the Moller and Allen's article. It really made me think about the fact that as teachers we stray away from topics that might be controversial or topics that may lead to a conversation that might take us out of our comfort zone. We fear what others might think and especially what parents might say. But we forget about whose needs we should really be thinking about, the children. Even as parents we try to “protect” our children from the real world. The truth is that so often they already know about the things we are “protecting” them from. Inevitably we are only hurting them by not giving them the opportunity to share their feelings and interpretations. As parents and educators we need to remember how important literature that discusses social issues and discussions about them is in helping our children grow and have a deeper understanding of the world. As Moller and Allen stated, “ If we pretend that we live in a world where these things do not happen, we not only reveal ourselves as dishonest to children, who often know more than we give them credit for , but we also fail to prepare them for the world that we and they must work together to change.” We need to work towards being proactive in helping our children understand the situations they face daily and the world around them. Moller and Allen’s article was a great reminder of this, they did not chose the book The Friendship haphazardly. Although Moller had no sure way to know which way the kids would go with the book and topics within it, she strategically planned to have multiple ways to address the topics as well as offered teacher support as needed. Moller also did not plan on a deep conversation to arise right from the beginning. However, she intended and did help guide them from a more textual and contextual guidance to more emotional guidance. So often we cut the kids off when they get to the point where emotional guidance is needed. Instead we need to embrace these types of conversations and support them as needed.
Amy Spade
Comments (6)
HI Amy. I don’t think anyone could have said that any better! I think it’s human nature to want to stay away from controversy or conversations that may lead to controversy –at least in my case it is – but shouldn’t school be the place where our students are able to learn to hold intelligent discussions with one another? Each day when I watch the news or CNN or the morning news shows, I wonder what school was like for each of them. I’m the first to admit that I think about odd things, but I wonder if they were taught how to LISTEN to others and try to understand where they are coming from, so that their responses are thoughtful and actually add to the discussion. There are so many times when we talk past each other and completely miss the point – we seem to ‘criss-cross’ our paths and miss out on moments where we could actually connect and learn (I hope you get the ‘criss-
cross’ part, Amy!) I agree that topics can be tough to address and that we need to realize that we as teachers can make that process much easier if we take the chance and let the discussion happen. A great book can take you to many places. We can see the world but we can also learn to understand the world through a book. The more we see, the more we understand, the more we listen, the better people we become.
Posted by Amie Snow | February 14, 2009 9:09 AM
Posted on February 14, 2009 09:09
I totally agree with you. I am not a parent yet, but I can see how my parents definitely tried to protect me from controversy. I ended up fine because, fortunately, I went to schools and was involved in groups in college where pulling issues apart and dissecting problems was the norm. If someone is protected to the point of naivety, we are doing them no favors once we "set them out" into the real world. Students ultimately appreciate being given a voice in a classroom and the opportunity to think for themselves. They will gain so much from an experience like that, whatever their age. And I think the earlier we start, the better. We are not destroying their innocence though, as some may think--instead we are educating them to be free-thinking and accepting citizens.
Posted by Christy Rivers | February 15, 2009 4:56 PM
Posted on February 15, 2009 16:56
I couldn't agree with you more. Your comment that children know more than we give them credit for is right on target. Seventh graders, especially, have already been exposed to a lot of controversial topics. The problem is, 90 percent of the time, they have received misinformation. Whenever I introduce a new topic, I give them a chance to give me any background information that they already possess. For example, they already know a little bit about the Iraq War, but just enough to scratch the surface. They don't really understand why we went, and why we are still there. They know that Martin Luther King was a Civil Rights activist, but they don't know what set him apart from the Black Panthers. They have a thirst for knowledge--we, as teacher, have to fulfill this.
Posted by Heather Coe | February 16, 2009 10:09 AM
Posted on February 16, 2009 10:09
Amy,
After reading your response, I could identify the similar ideas you and I have from the research. I, like you, was unaware of the importance of qualitative research in education. I had some ideas of the main differences between qualitative research and quantitative research, and from the podcast I was able to understand those differences better.
I also like Amie Snow's comment on how we as teachers can me make that process much easier if we let discussion happen. I think the more information that we can gain from qualitative research, the more we can understand the process of learning, and we can lead our students to and through discussions that will broaden their knowledge base.
Posted by Elizabeth Griffin | February 16, 2009 1:19 PM
Posted on February 16, 2009 13:19
Amy, you are completely right. It is important to involve students in subjects and discussions that matter. Some of the greatest memories I have of school are focused around "uncomfortable" topics. My best one was from 3rd grade when we read Number the Stars. Many are familiar with this book, but it focuses around a girl trying to escape Nazi Germany. It opened a whole new fascination for me and to this day, I read escape novels. I think books like this, onese that evoke a personal response are the ones that really teach.
Posted by Whitney Gilbert | February 16, 2009 9:13 PM
Posted on February 16, 2009 21:13
Amy,
I like how you summarize your experiences with research and the importance of qualitative in education. Very insightful!
Embracing the tough topics is so important, and prime for literacy. I really appreciated your analysis of "textual and contextual" guidance. I think that's a skill that literacy teachers should definitely hone!
Posted by Alecia Jackson | February 25, 2009 9:27 PM
Posted on February 25, 2009 21:27