Draft Research Essay

Jennifer MacDonald

Research in Literature and Language

Dr. Chandler

Research Draft

12/08/2011     

            As I proceed through my latter years of college, I have begun to question my aspirations in the teaching field. I remember Elementary and Secondary schooling and specifically considered the teachers that have positively and negatively impacted my life and through that, I have developed a way of thinking; in every great teacher, there are great intentions and is a specific goal in mind. That being said, I question what kind of teacher am I going to be. What will be my teaching style? How will I make my classroom work? My major consists of Elementary and Secondary Education (K-5 5-8) with a focus in English (writing option) which gains my interest particularly in middle school Language Arts. In a middle school Language Arts class there are the kids who actually love English, and the kids who need to pass it to move forward. I want to make sure as their teacher that their experience in my class was beneficial and worthwhile. I am specifically interested in the retention in reading materials. After contemplating my teaching structure, I find myself running back to the same question; Do students reading a specific work of literature (book or short story) as a class/group retain more knowledge than they would do silent individual reading by themselves?

            According to a study done by Shlomo Sharan, Zalman Ackerman and Rachel Hertz-Lazarowitz, a three week experiment was conducted involving kids in grades 2 through 6. The study asked the academic achievement of Elementary School children in small group versus whole class instruction. This specific experiment involved psychologists and educators and they questioned the children’s cognitive functioning. Contrary to their experiment, my study would particularly look at the actual teacher’s analysis of the class, reading in a class as a group versus individual, silent reading. There was also research done by DeWayne Mason and Thomas Good showing the diversity of the students that influence the group work. Once again, my research would be more focused. I intend to stick to strictly interviewing a teacher and a student.

         As far as my detailed research is conducted, the abstract of my project will be to interview two teachers and two students based on the end of the year analysis. I will begin my investigation in September of a particular year by telling my participants at the end of the school year, I will be interviewing them based on that in school year- (for confusion purposes, I will meet in September of 2012 with the participants and tell them at the end of that school year, June 2013, I will interview them based on that 2012-2013 Language Arts class, reading time, full year). I will interview one teacher who performs their in class reading as a whole group/class discussion/reading aloud and another teacher who conducts their reading time by instructing individuals to silently read. The two students will be chosen randomly from each teacher’s classroom and will also be interviewed with a different set of questions. Throughout each interview I will ask identical questions to each teacher and a separate set of identical questions for each student and record their answers to identify their interpretation of the different teaching/learning methods. A list of questions is as follows for both teachers:

-         How many students are in your classroom?

-         What are you mainly focusing on in your classroom?

-         What is your goal as a teacher?

-         What books/articles are you focusing on this marking period?

-         How much homework is assigned?

-         What is the general dynamic of the classroom?

-         What time of day do the students enjoy the most?

-         What part of class seems to be the most effective?

-         Where do you feel the students strive?

-         Where do they lack?

After asking basic, general classroom questions, I will then break into the depth of my research:

-         What makes you decide on group versus individual reading time?

-         Do you typically do a group/class discussion daily?

-         Is silent reading time a punishment or an everyday part of class?

-         Do you see an improvement in student’s academics when they group or individualize?

At the end of our interview, I will ask the teacher to sum up the year, particularly speaking about the reading time:

-         How would you summarize the year as a whole during reading time?

-         What would you change for next year?

This set of questions will be asked by me to each of the students who attended each teacher’s classroom:

            - What is your favorite subject in school?

            - How do you feel about Language Arts class?

            - What was your favorite part of your Language Arts class?

            -What books did you read?

            - When was reading the most effective? Morning, noon, late in the day?

            -Do you like partaking in a group reading or individual reading?

            - Which method do you think your teacher used?

            - Do you think it was effective?

            - If I asked you to summarize this year’s focused reading, would you be able to explain the story to me?

            - If your teacher asked you what you thought was best, during reading time, what would you suggest?

            - Do you like when you are told to read silently?

            - Do you feel less focused when you’re in a group, reading aloud or individual?

To sum up the conversation, I will ask the students almost the same question I asked the teachers at the end of our interview:

-         How would you summarize the year as a whole during reading time?

-         What would you tell the teacher to change for next year to make the reading aspect more understandable or comprehendible?

After asking my personal questions, since this is beneficial to me as a future teacher who hasn’t found her style yet, I would ask the teachers if they had any advice on what they’ve grown to learn about the dynamics of a classroom and the effectiveness and retention of students during reading discussion.

            After a successful interview I would transcribe our conversation into a textual transcript. Using discourse analysis, I would, probably over the course of a few weeks and even a couple months, pick through the entire transcript and analyze the interview. Using discourse analysis, I will get an honest and deeper connection to group reading versus individual silent reading.

            I have thought long and hard about this specific research experiment and feel every part of my research theory is feasible. I would be able to easily access extra history research or even just textual research describing other researchers’ analyses of the same experiment. I am doing my field experience next semester which would be a surefire way to watch over a classroom and get a first hand experience; I might even be able to interview the teacher I am assigned to do my field experience with. All aspects of my research are within close reach making this project realistic. The most feasible part of my research would be my personal desire to conduct this explicit research because of my passionate interest in conducting a beneficial, almost perfect classroom where the students’ retention levels and comprehend every aspect of our language arts reading classroom.

research question- research- methods

Research
i've decided to narrow down my topic a bit- i started with one question- it branched off into 249 other questions. so- after thinking and rethinking i've decided my research will go something like this-
Research Question-
are kids more knowledgeable about their class assignment if they're in a group/class discussion or as individual workers?
My idea is- is a teacher lecturing in front of a 6th grade language arts class more effective? some of us would think no- it's boring, but that would intale the type of teaching method and activity the teacher uses to get the kids more interested in the work. then- we would think of the opposite method- individual work- some kids so like to work by themselves but i remember being told, in class, to read 5 chapters and write a summary; i didnt get through one chapter without being distracted and thrown off topic, my mind would wander, i would be passing notes.. etc.
QUESTION-
"Is an open discussion during reading time in a 6th grade language arts class more effective than individual quiet reading time?"Methods-
With this idea in mind- i think oral history (ideas and thoughts from teachers with experience in this field) will be able to give me a great look into this question. for my second method- nothing would be better than seeing this first hand. i would have to use visual analysis- go into a couple different classrooms with teachers using both methods of teaching- group class work (full class participation) and silent reading/ individual work.
This will be a great and easy way to get information- seeing it first hand and also, oral history, since i'm not a teacher yet with the experience, will be able to tell me what past teachers have noticed and believed to work the best.

possible idea's for reseach paper

boy oh boy- i thought i liked freedom but this is the hardest thing i've had to do all semester- pick a topic for a research paper. i almost wish i was just told what to do! ha.

i would definitely like to involve my "future" career choice on my research solely because it will be an asset to me and my knowledge or what i might become knowledgeable about-
i am an elementary education major (k-5 5-8) with the english writing option. i am overwhelmed with excitement and cannot wait to finally get into the classroom.
i would like to base my research off of something relating to the way kids are taught in the classroom; influences how they grow up or end up in the education aspect.
im not sure what my question will be but i am definitely interested in how teachers teach and how it gets the attention of the children.
i remember one of my elementary school teachers was all about repetition and memorization. she didnt make things fun- she didnt relate it to our personal (simple) lives at the point.. she just told us what to know and how to know it.
on the other hand, i remember my 3rd grade teacher- she made games for every activity and songs and (looking back now) corny phrases for us to understand the meaning and information we did have to know at the time.

i will better devolope my point and question when i figure out exactly what it is...
any ideas???!!!!!!
 HELP!

revising the DA paper

Definitely for my DA paper- i will be editing..editing and editing my ending. i think the closer says a lot about a person- i spent a lot of time working out the opening, body and then kind of just plopped out an ending that basically was a repeat of the opening argument.. just in closing form. (hah) i think that was weak and definitely needs work and i would love suggestions if anyone is willing to take on such a hard task!
i also would like to maybe answer more of my rehitorical questions- or take some of them out. i feel like me asking all of my ..not supposed to be answered.. questions- opens new arguments and thoughts and i think that takes away from my main focus. i dont want someone to be reading my paper and stop at one of my side note questions and hope i answer it and i dont.. if that makes any sense.
i need work all around on just the tone of the paper as well. i feel like people might think that i am anti- A. it sounds like in the paper i do a lot of negative finger pointing and dont mean that at all! im honestly just trying to validate my point and she happens to be fueling my discussion!
a few of those might help-
(see ^^^^ this is an example of my lack of knowledge on how to close a paper... i just basically sum up what i said- it's kind of a forest gump move... "and thats all i have to say about that.." )

discourse analysis ... analysis =]

i feel like i had a pretty good grasp on my assignment for the da paper.
i might be able to take out one or two of my samples and maybe elaborate on one focal point..more. maybe- but then again that might not be DA because you have to analyize every aspect of the text- im not sure- i'm definitely waiting to see what my classmates think..

expectations-
i'm definitely expecting people to tell me i'm too passive. i know my writing is kind of blunt and straight forward- but that's how i am when i speak/write..blog.
i'm also expecting someone to comment on how mean i am to "A".. i dont mean to sound like i hate the girl! (haha) i'm just using her as my main point of justification- she is the reason were writing the paper anyway!
i want someone to tell me what i might be able to alter and change to make my point more solid- despite the fact that i did go prettttyyy deep with every point ;) ...
oh I'M DEFINITELY EXPECTING SOMEONE TO TELL ME MY QUESTION IS TOOOOO EXTENSIVE TO UNDERSTAND- but i thought about it and rethought and rewrote- i like it. i think if you read it.. and think about each part of the question- you'll understand as well. but i'm always up for constructive criticism!

1st Draft of DA paper

Jennifer MacDonald
Research in Language and Literature
English 3029
First draft: Discourse Analysis Paper
November 3rd, 2011
            Over the last decade, the internet has become the biggest known social network. Between friends, family, and even job opportunities, “the web” is the one place everyone can be “linked into” at the same time. The internet has a lot of ups; emailing family all across the world, shopping without having to leave your house, finding the latest fashion and following your favorite celeb, all with a couple clicks of the mouse and a qwerty keyboard. Of course, this world of cyberspace can have its extreme downfalls with many people involved for all the wrong reasons.
                In the “Chat Transcript”, we see firsthand the low’s of the internet. “A” was a victim of the negative aspect of the web as appose to the positive light we tend to relate the internet to. We analyzed this interview, thoroughly, to find one main question that reoccurs repeatedly throughout the conversation. I have come up with a question that I feel I can directly connect and prove through her dialog.
            “A” almost justifies herself a couple times in this interview after expressing her close encounter in the beginning of the transcript. She tells us she was in a chat room, which she knew she should not have been in, and met a man who she did not know. She pursued the conversation and he ended up being an older man lying about his age. For a young girl, this could be a traumatizing and life changing experience. “A” continues throughout the essay to express a lighter topic and she tries to justify herself by using the phrase, “which is dangerous” and telling us a funny story she experienced during another chat room incident. I wonder, does “A” sway the additional conversation and tone because of the confession she expresses to us in the beginning of the transcript by using justification, validation and repeated words to lighten our interpretation of her as a person? This question can be answered by doing a close reading through the transcript by using discourse analysis.
                In the first few lines of the transcript “C” opens conversation about being young and discovering the internet. “A” expresses to us how much she loved being on the internet, AOL, emailing, sending pictures, using Photoshop, etc. At this point, the conversation seems innocent and fun but she uses for the first time in the dialog, “Which can be dangerous”. At this point, we almost dismiss the comment because we’re not sure why it would be dangerous to her yet. After reading into the talk, we see how this incident has shaped her; she kept the situation in the back of her mind and still refers to the internet as a dangerous place because of the devastating experience when she was younger. After the first presentation of the Pedophile Story-, we start to form an opinion of “A” and we can see she almost sees how we can think negatively about her, herself; this is where her justifying comments enter the conversation. She mentions the words “strangers”,” dangerous”, and “scared” all in the same sentence. 
                During her “Reflection on the Pedophile Story”- “A” again, for the third time says “dangerous” and for the second time “scared”. We do have a sense of sympathy for her because of the innocence of “A” in the situation through her youth and unintentional misfortune, but at this same time, my questions rises; is “A” using these words and changing the tone of the conversation so we don’t think less of her, or develop a negative perception of her? Here “C” breaks through the mold but asking if she has told her parents about the situation. “A” confesses she never told her mom or dad then within seconds, changes her statement and says she thinks she told her mom later on in college. This is another place where my question stands strong, is she just telling us she did actually tell her mom so we don’t think she’s a liar, or any less of a person? Through this long statement “A” makes, she expresses how, again, dangerous being in a chat room with strangers is. She also almost pawns the blame on her parents to lighten her load a bit. She tells us she “…had no restrictions, my parents didn’t know how to put restrictions, they weren’t too familiar with it”. Again, in the same statement “A” tells us “…could be really dangerous when there’s chat rooms…” Her justifying comments lead me to believe she is trying to sway our opinion of her as a person, now, over ten years later.
                “C”, after hearing her last statement, tries to close the conversation but “A” comments again, and expresses the tone of the man on the phone and what she “thinks” he said. She adds she wasn’t sure but “thinks” he made a comment which makes her unsure about telling us this phone conversation. The last comment she makes before this first experience is concluded is, she is nervous her mother “is going to kill her”. She again, makes a statement, which might help us to gain respect for her even though she is going against what she knows she shouldn’t be doing.  After this point “C” helps “A” to validate herself by asking “…how did that change the way you used it then?” and “A” expresses to us she was careful and monitored her younger siblings because she didn’t want them to fall victim of the same instances. Again, she is showing us her maturity and responsibility which I personally see as a justification and change in tone so we can interpret a better understanding of her. “A” here is swaying our personal take on her by choosing her words and expressing her further experiences. She also tells us that in middle and high school she was educated on the internet and gained a better understanding on how to use it properly; again a validation.
                When we get to Excerpt 2 in the transcript, I have missed feelings about “A”. I’m not sure if she is sincere and honest or she is trying to swing us to believe she is a good person by saying certain things and expressing particular opinions. “C” asks “A” in the second section what “A” and her friends did typically when they were together on the internet. “A” tells us they would check the internet, homepages, send pictures, and once again tells us, they go into chats but verifies by saying the chats were with their friends and people they knew. Here we ask ourselves, why would she be in a chat room again if she had a bad experience prior to this? Despite our interpretations, she tells us “…which could be dangerous, cause they could be imposters, we really didn’t care”. Again the use of dangerous arises but then she tells us they “really didn’t care”. “Really” to me, is a word to intensify the following word, or in this case, de-intensify; she uses “really did not care” as a way to tell us it wasn’t that big of a deal. “A” then expresses the use of paint and Photoshop. She tells us her and her cousin would change themselves to look more appealing and send the new edited pictures out to people. She concludes this statement by saying “so we had a lot of fun”. I would think she would believe this to be the most dangerous part of the entire transcript but it is the only place she didn’t use the word dangerous! Sending pictures of yourself as a more appealing and almost perfect person by editing and tweaking is to gain attention and they might get it from someone they weren’t necessarily aiming towards. At the same time, my question remains, was “A” telling us different situations and changing the conversation to a lighter note to change our analysis of her?
                In the last and “funny” side of the chat room experience, “C” asks “A” if she has another experience with technology. Here I feel like “A” could go anywhere with this. She could say something completely off chat room talk but she insists on telling us a funny aspect of a chat room, which to me, seems like she is really going to justify her actions in a chat room even though chatting still seems extremely dangerous. “A” goes into detail about being in a chat room, picking a random guy based on his screen name, chatting with him and sending him a picture without knowing who this person was. Why would “A” send a picture of herself to a stranger, especially after her incident with the last chat room guy? The reason “A” decided to tell us this story is because it turned out to be “funny”. She elaborates and we find out the guy who they sent their picture to happened to be the pastor’s son who was 20 years old. He actually became mad with the girls because of the risk of sending pictures of themselves to strangers. You would think “A” from here would be ashamed with herself. What if it wasn’t someone she knew and the same situation like story one happened? What if the man on the other side of the computer was a pedophile from their town and pursued her more than a phone call? Once again “A” repeats herself to get her point across; “He was like our older brother, eww.” “We knew him like an older brother…” “…this time is was someone we knew…” she states this more than three times to let us know she was familiar with the person she was sending the pictures to which is ironic because she didn’t know the person BEFORE she sent the pictures; she found out after. This to me seems like the most dangerous encounter in a chat room she’s told us about and she’s downplaying it to make it seem less “scary” or “dangerous”. Once again, my question relates to this directly; is she downplaying the situation so we form a better perspective of “A” as a person?
            Next she told us she would change her age to make her seem more desirable to older people, she would change her screen name so people would think she was a different person and edited the pictures to look more desirable. This all seems very deceiving and dangerous to say the least. At the end of her statement, she says very casually, “What can you do?” almost like she is brushing off the whole conversation. “A” at this point is trying to make everything seem like it wasn’t that big of a deal by the way she comments and makes fun of certain situations.
            My questions still stands, does “A” sway the additional conversation and tone because of the confession she expresses to us in the beginning of the transcript by using justification, validation and repeated words to lighten our interpretation of her as a person?  I feel my question is validated my aforementioned points. “A” seems to have an “excuse” by her using a repetition of words, neutralizing her actions by telling us a serious, off putting story then counteracting it with another chat room experience, which happened to be “funny”. Her comparison with danger and funny seems to be a justification. She tries to sway our interpretation of the experience by changing the tone and repeatedly stating her feelings.

more questions and developed statements for my DA paper

I am at a stand still because my intro is really stinking. I'm not sure if i want to relate it to me or just go right for facts.

i want to make sure i display my question- and stick to it... 100 times. i need to explain and i'm having a hard time doing that.

-why is she still going into chats after problem one?
maybe i wont try to answer that question because that's not involved in the interview.. i want to explain her tone and demeaner in the chat. i feel like she bit her tongue by intoducing us to her pedophile situation in the first couple of conversational words- she probably wishes she didnt say that- then trys to justify but going back on her words- saying its dangerous, bad, dangerous, dangerous, dangerous- then says to herself, maybe if i tell a good and lighter situational chat room experience- it wont seem as bad, or I wont seem that bad for that matter. she continued to go into chat rooms, so if she had another BAD experience we might smack her for going into another chat room! like shes fishing for trouble. but- she tells us a funny sitaution so we kind of laugh it off with her...
make sense???

-why does she blame her parents for not knowing what shes doing on the computer rather than taking the fault?
i see a lot of JUSTIFICATION.
i will relate almost every line to somehow show how she is justifying.. over and over. she wants us to look at her as if she's not a bad person- which he cant hold against her now since it happened so long ago but the validating statements repeat to prove my main question and point.