Weekly Tasks: EDIT 6900

EDIT 6900
Weekly Tasks

Updated 11-12-07
Retire this after 12/08 - used only for ref in 2008

Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Old Lessons

Nov 17
Nov 11-16: Work on your Design idea while I evaluate PPP Drafts
Design Idea due (WebCT dropbox - note the filenaming instructions!)

Nov 24
Nov 19: My deadline for returning PPP Drafts
Nov 20-30: Complete PPPs (incorporating feedback)
Nov 21-23: UGA Holidays
Nov 24: our "Thanksgiving Holiday"
nothing due

Dec 1
Dec 1: Problem Project NOT due - a change!
Dec 2-7: Finalize PPP, Presentations, Reflections, Notebooks.
Reflections: plan to hand in a print copy; no need to post anywhere.
Notebooks: hand these in in whatever format you've been creating them in. One notebook per team, or individually, whichever you have been doing.

Dec 8 - The End!
Dec 8: Reflection, Notebook due; Presentations. Hand in all parts of PPP. See submission details on the PPP Assignment Description.
I will hand back Reflections and Notebooks on 1/19 for most people. If this won't work for you, let me know.

Past Lessons

Nov 10
Catch-up Week

The topic I had planned for this week, "Applying What is Known to Problems," now seems redundant in light of your projects and our prior discussions. I feel that there is very little to add about this given all that we have done. Certainly, if you have questions along this line, they will be appropriate to raise now or in class on Nov 10.

I know you're working hard on your Drafts.

Instead, it makes sense to point you to some readings for the topic of Analysis. That, in addition to your PPP, is enough for you to work on this week. These readings are:

Farmer, 16-17
Farmer, 28-36 (Yes, Statistics. Read it and we will deal with the gaps on Nov 10. She deals with qualitative analysis in this chapter, too - and you need to have ideas of what to do with both kinds of data.)
Also, if you have a data set (interviews, etc.), it would be appropriate to bring those.

Nov 3
Design (with preview of Design Idea Assignment)

Oct 27
Ethics of Research

Access the lesson here. Read the hints about opening windows to solve some problems you've noticed in the past.
Both the outline and the audiolesson are available in WebCT 6900/Audio. The recording lasts about 45 minutes.

"Homework" is included within the lesson.

Oct 20
Post a second group progress report regarding your Problem Project to MAF by 10/20, onto your team's discussion board. Label it "Progress Report for Oct 20." No attachments, brief (one screen), and just one per team.
(I know that you have your hands full with the PPP and the Critique.)

Oct 13 - Critiquing Research Lesson with readings for Methodology Day

Synthesizing Literature

due Oct 6

This lesson is actually our class meeting on Sep 29, and the homework will be given on that day. Basically, you are to:

Read Muddy Points material, Episodes 1-6.
By Oct 6: post one message from your team to your Team Discussion Board. Contents:

Restate your RQ (one question, no more)
Report progress made since RQ was submitted (and there should be some!) Purpose: help you move along and not get stuck here at the beginning of the search/synthesis phase.
Be brief! No more than one screen!
Include any burning questions, muddy points, or problems that are getting in your way.
If it seems necessary, we will follow up with advice, etc.

due Sep 29
Now Playing!
Audiolesson: Start here.
Don't forget your Researchable Question, too.

SLM Research Star Follow-up Lesson

Due Sep 22

You have had the opportunity to learn about many different topics of research from our SLM research stars.

You have also had the opportunity to speak to a media specialist about “problems of practice.”

Task:

Select one of the “problems of practice” from yours or someone else's MS Interview.
Identify and read a research article from any one of the research stars that addresses that problem in some way.
Write a short (no longer than one paragraph or 5 bullet points) review that describes the problem of practice and how the research in the article relates to or helps solve that problem.
Be sure to give the citation for the article.
Post on the WebCT Discussion Board called "SLM Star Follow-up." In the subject header, state the topic of the problem. No attachments if possible!
Make sure to set some time aside later to browse through the responses of others.
(It is not cheating if you choose something here that folds into your Problem Project.)

Exploring Literature

due Sep 15

This lesson can be found here.

Types of Research
Available: Sep 1
Due: Sep 8

Your Media Specialist Interview is due Sep 8.

You read a lot of material last week. Since there's a holiday this week and you have an assignment due, I am just going to post two thought questions here:

I want you to think about your philosophy - which quadrant do you best fit in on Creswell's grid (p. 6)? Food for thought as you're driving around or washing the dishes.
If you had to, could you list at least 8 types of research and a reference (reading, page number) where a definition/description can be found? A little index for yourself might come in handy down the road.

The next topic is Exploring Literature. Readings are:

Farmer pp 6-8
Leedy & Ormrod, chapter 1, checklist at end of chapter (you already read this)
Choose one of these readings according to your skill level for Searching:

If you need an overview of searching: Henry, L. (2006). SEARCHing for an answer: The critical role of new literacies while reading on the Internet. Reading Teacher, 59 (7), 614-627. [persistent link - this goes to Wilson but I also found it in EBSCO](MAF's comment: good overview of searching, generally; written for teachers to help their students)
If you want to focus on Google: Gunn, H. (2005). Become a Google power user. Teacher Librarian, 32 (5), 14-. [persistent link](possibly a little dated; should mostly work; concrete strategies; use Google from UGA Libraries homepage to get at library holdings.)
If you want to focus on EBSCO, see activities below:

EBSCO provides a useful bundle of educational databases with a uniform and unified search interface. If I had to take one database to a desert island, this is the one I would take.
How to get into EBSCO, one method:

Start at UGA Libraries.
Under Search Shortcuts (top left), choose Articles tab.
In Databases by Subject, choose Education K-16.
Then, on the right, choose ERIC at EBSCO. (You see other choices there to explore later.)
This gets you into EBSCOHost. For my purposes, I alway select under the in: box Education Databases/Submit. This gets you the full menu of education databases within EBSCO, not just ERIC.
Now: go to Help on the top upper right. Get to know EBSCO. One good way is to look at some of the tutorials, which are videos of 3-4 minutes. I recommend:

Basic Searching for Academic Libraries
Advanced Search with Guided Style
Advanced Search with Single Find Field
other EBSCO Help topics: look around

by Aug 25

1. Select and register your SLM Research Star with Beth B. (beth@alumni.mercer.edu)

2. Read Farmer Introduction (your text)

3. Read Leedy & Ormrod (2004), Chap 1: in WebCT/6900/Readings.

What is Research?
due Sep 1

Finish Lesson posted Aug 25: What is Research? This lesson follows from the activities posted for Aug. 25.
Read:

Farmer pp 3-5 (text)
Merriam (2002) Chap 1
Frankel & Wallen (2003) Chap 1
Creswell (2003), Chap 1

The last 3 are in WebCT/6900/Readings. There is a lot of material there. Don't get bogged down. Focus on: types of research.

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