Kay offered this statement in class:

Remember youve gotto make the argument that satisfying your purpose contributes to a body of knowledge.


To me this means: Tie my study into a lack of quantitative or experimental evidence of the validity of culturally relevant pedagogy.


The purpose to show that it works and that is the value add.


Why should we be interested in something that helps Blacks learn? Tie in gates h1b visa
and shortage of tech workers.

I have been spending time lately reading the works of Gloria Ladson-Billings. It has sparked several ideas. Maybe I will do an ethnographic study where I look at sucessful male African American teachers of African American boys. I have also been thinking about crafting a study that looks at how African American teachers connect or get access to the knowledge of those such as Ladson-Billings and Hale. The more I think about it I am liking more and more the idea of doing an empirical study that adds to the literature regarding the efficacy of culturally relevent teaching.

Still searching,
Kai

We are in the second day of our research methods course. I have had another idea for my study. I am thinking that maybe I can identify schools that are currently using some form of culturally relevant pedagogy and craft a study that shows that it works or simply study schools and report back what I find. I first learned about these schools whle attending AERA last year in April. There is a school in Detroit and also Oakland that I can research and contact. This class is fantastic and is clearing up many questions that I have been entertaining for a minute.

Researcher Dupe

I have secured Margaret as my chair. That is very exciting as I am sure that she will push me to do my best work. I have just finished reading our text for the research design course. It is by creswell and it has helped me to gain a much better understanding of the dissertation process. I have been thinking that I would want to do something that would be an actual experiment. I am thinking I would like to design an experiment based on some of the theories of culutrally relevant pedagogy. I am also thinking that a mixed method approach would be best suited for this. We will see how I feel after this week. Perhaps I can get someone like Bill Watkins or Janice Hale to be on my dissertation committee.

-Kai

I have just finished reading "Learning While Black" by Janice Hale. Hale's work fits nicely juxtaposed with "African Centered Pedagogy" by Peter Murrell. I am starting to think about possibly doing a study implementing strategies outlined in one or both of these models and writing about the findings. Additionally, I am still working with Dr. Collatos and I have an opportunity to do work for Dr. Ann Turnbull of Kansas University. Any ideas that I think about I will continue to reflect here. I am also reading the research design books and musing on ideas that come to mind doing reading. I am not certain whether I wish technology to be a part of my dissertation but it probably should. I have also secured Dr. Riel as my chair. So, I am getting help from many areas.

-Kai

Ok. Obviously it has been awhile since I have posted. But I do have some things to offer. I have asked the person who I wish to chair my proposoal and received valuable feedback. I have also talked with Dr. Wickersham regarding being my one outside advisor. I am taking my research design course and have started my reading of "Research Design" so I have to get back to working on what I will choose as a topic.

Stay tuned,
-Kai