Duckworth+Article

I really enjoyed the Eleanor Duckworth article as I found the information it contained relevant to what we are currently engaged in – developing a proposal for our field study. There are certain points I found very intriguing, particularly the power of journaling and how excited one can get about the process of research. ** The Power of Journaling  ** Duckworth found that the students she had in her course got a great deal of benefit from journaling about their experiences with watching the moon. Some of the statements that were repeated again and again were how their assumptions changed as they observed the moon and pondered what they had written about their observations. I particularly liked reading about the revelations Student One had as her/his research progressed. You can just hear the passion in the writer’s voice when (s)/he says, “I get so excited when the moon moves across the sky just the way I thought it would, and I’m so disbelieving when it does something unexpected that I check my notes again and again...Everything... is expanding- my questions and observations are getting broader.” (p. 154) I can substitute “moon moving across the sky” with my own research question and hope that I will get this excited when I implement my topic of technological study in my classroom. By writing and then reflecting on my journaling on a consistent basis, I should be able to see trends, changes, consistencies or a whole host of other outcomes. The key for me is to ensure that I actually make the entries and analyze them. Again, I refer to Student One. She comments on fact that the entries don’t have to take a long time. Yet, it is necessary to do them in order to make comparisons or generate new questions. It relates to learning a new instrument. It is only through regular and consistent practice that you will master the instrument and be able to produce beautiful music. ** Keeping an Open Mind  ** The subjects in Duckworth’s study were very much like me – teachers who were learning a new discipline to convey to the students in their classes. These teachers came to Duckworth’s course with preconceived notions about their craft and what they believed they knew. They soon found out; however, that what they thought they knew was not necessarily the “Truth. “ When this fact is revealed for the first time, it can be very scary and alarming. “You mean I was wrong all along?” Nevertheless, to be a good researcher, one has to put biases and assumptions aside. This does not necessarily mean that I put aside everything I’ve learned about how adolescents engage with digital media. Rather I will have to be careful not to impose my own judgments onto my student then ensure I keep an open mind as I carefully analyze my research. Finally, I must not read something into the data that is not there. Wow! This is going to be challenging. Already I am seeing the benefit of “journaling” as I formulate the process my research path will take. It’s almost like this reflection is the ‘secondary subject’ and the “aha” factor of realizing the power of personal inquiry through journaling is the ‘primary subject.’ Now I’m making this too convoluted. There is also a flip side to the revelation that my beliefs may not always be true. This revelation can be incredibly freeing. For instance, I “know” that some students have had more exposure to computers than others. My belief, therefore, is that those with more exposure will be more excited and learn the new type of digital technology faster than the others. It remains to be seen if my hypothesis will be validated. And, if it is not, this opens up a whole new set of questions for me. After reading the Duckworth article, I am convinced that journaling is very beneficial to the researcher and will be a very powerful tool for me as I conduct my field study. As I journal, I hope to be able to do authentic reflection as well as keep my original research question (my goal) in the forefront of my mind. Furthermore, as I will be doing with this reflection, I will share my wonderings with my colleagues so that I can use their various perspectives to analyze my data and further advance my research.
 * Response to the Duckworth Article  **