Success - Part One

I successfully defended my research proposal on Wednesday afternoon at Harrisburg University - Yippee!  Dr. Gould attended and (after some technical issues) we Skyped in Dr. Miller and Dr. Eagle.  The format went as explained and there are some revisions to make this week.  I was surprised by some of the feedback (too many instruments) and now need to think about how I can apply the feedback to my proposal.  During our executive session on Friday, Dr. Gould told me to just defend anything that I feel needs to stay as presented.  I need to remember that I can fight for particular aspects of my research that I feel strongly about, sine this is MY research, after all.  This is a helpful reminder as I move forward in the process.

Dr. Eagle suggested that I consider a teacher's perspective on whether or not creativity can be taught as I review my data.  If a teacher feels that relativity is simply innate, that assumption needs to be addressed before any meaningful development can occur.  This will most likely become an important part of my final outcomes and implications for the future.  As for now, I actually believe that I will get to the end of this process and am looking forward to the next steps!

Proposal update...Almost there....

Since my last post, my focus has been on combining my proposal into a cohesive framework while working out the details of the study.  I have investigated instruments, obtained author permissions, drafted qualitative questions, and added to the literature review.  A written lay summary and consent to participate are attached and ready to go to my sample one identified.  It truly feels like the process is moving!  I have received some constructive criticism and have made needed revisions - love that APA formatting......The entire document is 84 pages at this point and, while I know there is a great deal more ahead of me, I am amazed I have managed to write anything that long.  I know, I know.....it's not about the length, but for a MATH person, I think that's quite the accomplishment.  (virtual pat on the back, thank you....)  I do know that I have to add to the literature some more.  There is always new information coming out since creativity is a hot topic in the research right now!   

On Wednesday, I will be defending my research proposal to my committee.  The slides are ready (although copies need to be run and compiled still) and my thoughts seem (at least to me) to make sense.  I feel that I have a good handle on what I want to do and (more importantly) why this is important to education.  Now, I have to make sure I can make my committee feel my passion and understand my protocol. Oh, and speak s-l-o-w-l-y when I present.....More to come!

Work toward the proposal

While this quarter has been stressful at times, I have grown overall toward building a successful dissertation proposal.  This fall, I will need to revise, revise, revise with the help of my committee.  I now understand the individual pieces, but I feel I have repeated myself a bit too much through the help of copy and paste features of word processing.  In the immediate future, I will take a bit of a mental vacation away from this work while I open by building and send my own children back to school.  Before I know it, I will need to get back to the task at hand.  While I am thinking about it, I have made a list of some things I know I need to complete before I have something that is truly cohesive and presentable.    

• Search for specific literature that supports my opinions (based on personal experience) to make my arguments stronger and more scientific.  
• Creativity Theories
• Further time management studies
• Review Chapters 1-3 for overlapping texts.  Copying and pasting over the years may have led to duplicate wordings in multiple chapters. 
• Investigate general theories of creativity further.
• Revise Chapter 3 into a format that flows better for primarily quantitative work.
• Contact authors and obtain instruments.
• Develop qualitative questions for follow-up phase.

And...off we go!

Nearing the end

I have been working on the integration of my new sources with my initial literature review.  At the start of the process, I felt overwhelmed and a little lost, as if I couldn't clearly see my way.  Different directions at times seem contradictory and need clarity.

 
After some advice from peers and professors, I have reached a product that is satisfactory - for now.  However, in the process, I could feel the areas where I need additional research and where I am lacking empirical evidence.  This fall, I am looking forward to spending time integrating the proposal and solidifying my work.  Often within the coursework, I do not feel like I have the time to dedicate to this process fully and never quite get into the depth that I desire.  Soon, we will be focused on the important task with less additional work on our plates (or at least I hope that's where we will be....).  My final proposal will be more than simply satisfactory with continued advice and a clearer view of what's ahead.

  

Grant feedback

I received my initial feedback from my adviser regarding the Spencer Grant proposal and need to focus in a few areas as I move forward.

1.  Be aware of requirements - I knew what the difference was between a vitae and a personal statement, but then I followed the outline we were given (which did not have a spot for the vitae.)  Lesson learned - when in doubt, ask.

2.  Be more careful of citing statements - I thought this might come up eventually and here we are.  Ultimately, this is a matter of careful note taking and caution to cite more frequently.  When in doubt, cite.  I am at the point where some of my statements seem like common knowledge simply because of the amount of time I have spent with the topic.  I need to recall that my readers need to know whose ideas my statements were initially.

3.  APA formatting - When discussing a work written by multiple authors, I need to include all their names in the narrative.  Simple enough!

In addition, there were a few comments that pertain more to the flow of the text.  This will need to be revisited as I move forward into the official proposal (a bit frightening, I must say) this fall.  Even though I do not technically need to revise and resubmit the document, I am going to anyway and post my revisions here to complete the process.  Hmmmm...the main question is if I will have that part done before this weekend!  
    

Working on assignments

I am working simultaneously on the literature review, Spencer grant proposal, and my draft of Chapter Three (for another class - EDUC 835).  The Spencer grant contains several elements from both other assignments, but in different formats.  My thought this week is to complete the literature review and Chapter Three and then integrate these pieces into the proposal.  However, I am just overwhelmed by attempting to work on them at the same time.  It's hard to choose which one to focus on!  My plan....

1. Outline the format of the Spencer grant proposal, completing the pieces I can immediately (like the cover sheet, for example.)
2. Revise Chapter Three based on peer feedback.  (Thanks, Jeremy!)  Include more specifics on reliability and validity of assessments.
3. Add parts to grant proposal that are so far ready.  This will help me feel as though I accomplished something.
4. Work out the remaining kinks in the literature review.  The information is all there, but now I need to get it in the right format (around my three streams) and make it flow as one piece.
5. Choose critical parts of the literature review for the shorted version of the proposal.
6. Integrate the final proposal and add budget information to the budget worksheet.

Well, let's get moving, shall we?  More to come....

Finding my voice

I completed reading The Craft of Research and The Literature Review on the shores of New Jersey last week on a needed family vacation.  My Kindle in hand and the sound of the ocean as my soundtrack, I found both texts to be easy to read (although a bit dry at points) and chock full of interesting perspectives and advice on writing like a researcher.  The Craft of Research provided practical suggestions on word usage and I was encouraged especially by the advice on using active vs. passive voice.  I can still visualize the red ink on my ninth grade term papers, "You use passive voice too much.  Be more active in your prose."  At the time, and honestly, perhaps until now, I just never quite got it.  After completing this book, however, I can appreciate when active and passive voices are each acceptable and have learned that IT IS OKAY TO USE THE PASSIVE VOICE! Let's breathe a collective sigh of relief, shall we?  Booth, Colomb, and Williams speak of making sure sentences make sense and begin with "familiar information, preferably the main character" (Location 2519 in my Kindle - Not really sure how to properly cite THAT one).  While I will remain cautious of my overuse of passive verbs, I now take comfort that sometimes, what feels right - is right.

The shores of Lavallette, NJ

I also will take the planning and drafting advice given in this book - just write and don't get too caught up in the planning.  Sometimes, I fall into the trap of overplanning and need to just get moving.  The upcoming Spencer Grant proposal is a perfect example.... I have several pieces in multiple assignments and just need to assemble, tweak, add, and improve - while following the format.  The longer I wait to simply begin....the harder this task will be.

The Literature Review by Diana Ridley also proved to be worthwhile beach reading.   Two sections were especially helpful - critical writing and writer's voice.  I have a more solid understanding of what it means to be critical in my own writing.  As I write, I will refer to the pieces on pronoun and adjective use, organization, and evaluative strategies often.



   

Feedback and check-in

Well, after some technical difficulties, I received some feedback today from my adviser on the annotated bibliography. So, I can begin to make revisions soon, focusing on three areas:

1. Revise annotations so they are between 150-200 words EXACTLY.  I thought this was a guideline, an approximation, but this is a specific expectation.  So, I need to be more concise with some and add to several others.
2. Change any first person to third person, such as "the researcher..." instead of I or me.  Hmmm...I had thought I was to reflect in the first person, but I may have misunderstood.  Easy enough to fix, though!
3. Connect articles to other sources from the literature review or the within the annotations.  I have printed the draft with the intent of physically cutting and sorting the annotations.  I am hoping this will help me to connect the pieces better.  After our WIMBA session this week, I wanted to do this anyway to help develop my literature map.  In reality, this task should make the process more concrete as I assemble the pieces into the big picture.

 In the meantime, I am off on vacation next week and will spend time catching up on my course readings and may work on the annotated bibliography revisions and perhaps start integrating the new sources into my original literature review. 

On another topic, I started a One Note notebook for my research.  This tool will enable me to organize my stumblings, photos, links, and e-mails into one location.  With any luck, it will keep me together over the next few months as I move towards the official proposal defense!

Annotated Bibliography

Today's goal - finish the annotated bibliography and submit the first draft.  I have come to the decision that I could work on this assignment for several more weeks (and maybe much longer), as I stumble across new sources and discover additional areas which I could look further into.  When I first began writing on this topic (last year in several other courses), we were to write an initial literature review.  Looking back, I wish we had begun with this approach, as the annotated bibliography is a much more organized, analytical, and comfortable method for me personally.  I have toyed with the idea of annotating my original sources, as well, but cannot decide if the effort would be worth the time invested.  Ultimately, developing the annotations further may prove useful in the dissertation process over the next year, as I need to connect sources and develop conclusions connected to my own data.
 

Response to Reading

Today, I read Chapter 3 in The Craft of Research by Booth, Colomb and Williams (2008).  The authors discussed three questions that a researcher should be able to answer regarding her topic. So, I thought I would give it a whirl to see where I am at this point.

1.  What are you writing about?    Creativity in teaching and time management

2.  What don't you know about it?    How to make creativity practical and applicable to teachers at the secondary level.

3.  Why do you want your reader to know and care about it?   Because creativity is critical for our students and teachers to be successful in the ever-changing, global climate we live in today.

Now, let's put it altogether, shall we?

I am studying the connection between creativity in teaching and time management to find practical solutions for educators who understand the need for innovation in today's global society.


What do you think?  Personally, I feel more confident in the direction I am heading with each (baby) step I take on the pathway toward actually having an approved dissertation topic.

Trouble getting started

After a class discussion this evening, I feel even more overwhelmed than before.  APA, annotations, critical reflections.....Where to begin?  I am trying to remember - "Write first, think later" as I begin the annotated bibliography.  Typically, my issue is just getting focused and moving in the right direction.  I see some late nights ahead in my future.  Even with extended due dates, these tasks seem insurmountable right now.  New goal - complete one annotation tonight to move forward.  Wish me luck!

Video notes - Alan MacFarlane's advice for writing a dissertation

Today, I viewed this video on writing reflections for dissertations. It is a bit lengthy, but has a wealth of practical advice from Alan MacFarlane.

Key points:

• Don't delay - start writing as soon as possible. "Write first, think later" - Ray Bradbury
• Leave the introduction for last. Begin with a possible introduction (I see this as the one in the initial proposal and which will change later.)
• Put aside the data and sketch out your plans before writing. Find the "hub" and work from there. What drew you to this subject in the first place?
• "Bounded, but leaky" writing in social science. Need long periods of intense thinking while writing (3-4 hours max at writing.) Writing can be a lonely process, but need to be deliberate in the process.
• Work with others who are in the same process to add social elements to the work. Exchange work for feedback and understanding.  Try to have individuals outside the field read your writing to check for clarity and understanding.
• 8 hours to work, 8 hours to sleep, 8 hours to play. (hmmm...when do I work?)
• Where to write?  Somewhere comfortable with minimum distractions.  Individual preference for comfort is important. (So where do I send the kids/husband for a year?)  
• Be careful of electronic distractions (e-mail, Facebook, Skype, etc.)- Here is one I struggle with!
• Hand write first draft.  Typewritten drafts look too neat and can be misleading.  Revise and rewrite 3-4 times.
• Writing is a curve - start out with little knowledge...followed by a peak where you have appropriate knowledge and interest....then, ends with a lack of interest and have gained what you can.
• You cannot know what you actually wrote until you read the text days later.
• Writing can be like "religious ecstasy" - as if the spirit's are coming through you and onto the paper.  
• Writing is like running.....Now I see my problem!
• Try various styles, formats, and topics as you continue on the journey to keep your writing fresh.
• Write to help others - share what you know that can help others like you.
• Writing should be fun - an effort, but not a burden.
• The questions/thesis may not be truly known until the end of the journey.
• Keep a log of the journey with reflections to track where you have been and where you may be going. 
• Don't be concerned with the number of words  Get your thoughts down and cut to appropriate levels at the end.  Always better to have too much.... 

A plan for success

Today, I mapped out short term benchmarks that should (hopefully) help me reach the completion of multiple large projects over the next ten weeks.  All I know is that I need to remain on track and not become sidetracked or fooled into complacency or procrastination.  First goal - review my initial literature review from what feels like eons ago and take a hard look at my sources.  Are enough of them truly scholarly?  By the end of the week, I intend to have the first five (of at least 25) annotations complete for the annotated bibliography.  My one frustration is that I which we had started out this way.  I understand the need to revisit and revise my writing, but this assignment would have alleviated a great deal of confusion when we first started this journey so long ago.

EDUC Plan for Success Rlorfink(Educ 815) - 1

The beginning....sort of

I started the journey towards obtaining my doctorate in the fall of 2009 with a background in teaching mathematics and after a single year as a school administrator.  Writing was certainly not viewed my me as a personal strength, but more as a functional skill.  Over the past two years, I have written more through the Drexel program than I ever imagined (or - frankly  wanted) to think about.  Nontheless, I am facing a looming dissertation and need to become more confident with my writing abilities and skills as I move forward into the final stage of earning the right to be called Dr. Lorfink.  Today, I am beginning a course in Research Writing and this portfolio is a product of that course.  This journal will document my frustrations and successes as I move towards publishable written products in my research area.  Follow along, if you wish, on my journey into becoming a more accomplished research writer.