As educators, we are constantly employing different methods to further develop and/or improve our teaching practices, thereby providing students with new and exciting ways to learn and grow. We conduct many changes to our teaching methodology throughout a year, semester or even during a unit, to provide best practices to meet the diverse needs of our learners. Reading Marion Engin’s article, Research: A Tool for Scaffolding, resonated with me, as so often I sit and reflect upon how a lesson, or unit went. I consider what I would change, what worked well or did not work well, and what my learners enjoyed or found challenging. Engin’s article made me realize, that although it is good practice that I reflect upon my teaching, I could do better by recording it in a diary that would serve as a non-static guide to assist me in improving both my learners’ educational experience, and my own teaching and learning experience as an educator.
Engin’s article has encouraged me to keep a diary for the upcoming school year as I will be teaching the new Career Life Connections 12 and Capstone Project, a graduation requirement that replaces the former Grad Transitions 12 Program. The diary will provide me with an evolving resource and hold me accountable for being increasingly more focused on the “Four R’s of Research,” that is necessary to examine while both developing and delivering the course. Under the umbrella of the “Four R’s of Research,” specific areas I will examine include the Research, the Researcher, the Researched and the Reader. First, using the diary will enable me to keep track of specifics in relation to the research my learners will be examining, compiling and preparing to present. Second, for the researcher, it will assist my learners as I can compile notes on areas that may cause struggles, making sure that expectations are clear and information is accessible to all, and it will also assist me as I can look back at my tracked information for assistance. Third, for researched material, it will again provide a guide for my learners and myself as we discuss and provide feedback on items including authentic information and helpful websites that were useful in completing the course material. Lastly, to the reader or myself, the diary will provide me with a repertoire of feedback on what worked or didn’t work, areas for me to improve upon, leave or remove altogether. All these recorded findings I can share with my current learners and future learners in my course to assist and facilitate them in their experience.
Engin’s article suggest there is “little examination of the role of the research diary as a learning tool in the development of the research knowledge,” (Engin, 2011) I believe my actions of recording my thoughts, learners’ feedback and outcomes will serve as a physical guide from which I can continue to work from, evolve and grow as an educator. If I simply continue to think and reflect and only make the odd note here and there in my day planner, it is not as cohesive enough in terms of understanding the learning that is going on or could be going on. By having the diary as a record or reference that outlines and supports the specific categories of the “Four R’s of Research,” to examine, it will support me in having discussions and making changes needed to facilitate learners’ positive experience. Although it may initially take some getting use to and some patience on my part, I do see the value of a creating a research diary to assist in scaffolding and documenting both the building of learning experiences and challenges (for both learners and myself), as I take on the delivery of the (new graduation required course), Career Life Connections and Capstone, in the upcoming school year.
BY: Deirdre Houghton
For: Dr. Jennifer Thom
EDCI 515