It's nice to be introduced to a problem that I have faced as I began to read the essay: How do we define learning. The author quoted ancient Greek philosophers (Heraclitus and Parmenides) both of who had very different views on the world they were teaching about. One believed the world an ever changing thing, the other saw it as never really changing. The author introduces the problem this creates for researchers who study learning.
One anecdotal story is told in which researchers interviewed and then observed math classes. In the interviews the teachers and students claimed to be following traditional styles of math but in practice they were not. Not only is this an excellent example of why observation is necessary along with interviews to get the complete picture, but also is an example of why there is so much confusion over learning (inadequate/ unclear definitions of what is the researcher is considering to be the style of learning or of learning in itself).
Next the author begins to talk about the reasoning, or lack there of, between the organization and purpose of learning materials and future activities in the business world.
Lagache points to a need for quantifiable tests in regards to learning styles, materials, etc. One way to do this he says is to recognize that each place of learning (schools in this case) is it's own micro-world, with a micro-culture that the researcher must take into account.
To do this Lagache suggests researchers gain access to the social climate through befriending the participants on the edge of the learning environment and progress with them through the journey. This sounds remarkably like what Dr. Griffith has described when she talks about her research techniques which is really no surprise as we have talked about Lave and Wagner and Peripheral participation.
Further in the author elaborates on the intricacies of peripheral learning through the example of scuba diving and becoming a master scuba diver. While it was an interesting topic the most research related thing to report about this section is the elaborate use of diagrams to describe what the author is talking about. I'll have to look back over the paper and be sure to include more diagrams in the finished product, they are incredibly helpful in communicating ideas. Does that make me a visual learner?
The author concludes by pointing out how diving is an excellent hobby because it's learning sphere is so removed from the typical life that a person might have allowing them the break they need in a hobby, however it is not without it's influences by deep cultural effects (such as effects of race, class, gender, etc).
It was a very well written article that related greatly to the learning type of community I will be studying, I think I may try to find more articles written by Lagache.
Words on the Brain
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Review of Participant Observation, by STEPHEN P. BOGDEWIC
This was a chapter taken from Doing Qualitative Research (1992) by Benjamin F. Crabtree, Wi l l iam L. Miller (eds). It highlighted the many definitions that could be used for participant observation among which were " research characterized by a prolonged period of intense social interaction between the researcher and the subjects, in the milieu of the latter, during which time data, in the form of field notes, are unobtrusively and systematically collected" (Bogdan, 1972). The chapter then went on to name a few of the benefits/disadvantages that could come from participant observation such as the difference in view created by being inside a institution or culture versus outside of the culture, or the organic nature of questioning (the ability to adapt to the language of the culture).
In the next section the author describes the steps of participant observation (having an overview of the project, entry, initial contact,"establishing report", and knowing what exactly it is you are "observing", essentially the who, what, where, and when's of the project). According to Spradley (1980) researchers must take into account five things when recording their observations:
1. Space: the physical place or places
2. Actor:the people involved
3. Activity: a set of related acts people do
4. Object: the physical things that are present
5. Act:single actions that people do
6. Event: a set of related activities that people carry out
7. Time : the sequencing that takes place over time
8. Goal: the things people are trying to accomplish
9. Feeling: the emotions felt and expressed (p. 78)
Threaded into each of these overviews are case studies. It is suggested that the researcher have both a field log (for recording how they generally pass their time during the research) and field notes (that should be as detailed as possible as they will be what is referred to later in the research analysis stages of the project). The author stresses that each page of notes should have proper documentation so you know the time, place, and date of each note, as well as page number in case the pages should get mixed up.
The author recommends you record your field notes as soon as possible and do not discuss your observation with anyone before recording and interestingly that you do not edit as you write rather accept the natural framework of the paper (likely influence by your surroundings, but can be changed later).
The author describes the ideal subject as "someone who has been in the culture long enough so that they no longer think about it." This is to observe the most natural reactions. To avoid too biased of a view of the culture the author recommends researchers avoid subject too active in one manner of the culture (the example given is social work). For my study I believe that this may be difficult to do because I am looking at such a specific group of community members.
Overall this chapter was informative and brief (only about 25 pages) and I have a feeling I may be referring back to it in the months to come.
https://curve.coventry.ac.uk/cu/items/d2a95e0f-7ac7-674f-f2fd-1f97224e7bcd/1/Bogdewic_03_0803944047.pdf
In the next section the author describes the steps of participant observation (having an overview of the project, entry, initial contact,"establishing report", and knowing what exactly it is you are "observing", essentially the who, what, where, and when's of the project). According to Spradley (1980) researchers must take into account five things when recording their observations:
1. Space: the physical place or places
2. Actor:the people involved
3. Activity: a set of related acts people do
4. Object: the physical things that are present
5. Act:single actions that people do
6. Event: a set of related activities that people carry out
7. Time : the sequencing that takes place over time
8. Goal: the things people are trying to accomplish
9. Feeling: the emotions felt and expressed (p. 78)
Threaded into each of these overviews are case studies. It is suggested that the researcher have both a field log (for recording how they generally pass their time during the research) and field notes (that should be as detailed as possible as they will be what is referred to later in the research analysis stages of the project). The author stresses that each page of notes should have proper documentation so you know the time, place, and date of each note, as well as page number in case the pages should get mixed up.
The author recommends you record your field notes as soon as possible and do not discuss your observation with anyone before recording and interestingly that you do not edit as you write rather accept the natural framework of the paper (likely influence by your surroundings, but can be changed later).
The author describes the ideal subject as "someone who has been in the culture long enough so that they no longer think about it." This is to observe the most natural reactions. To avoid too biased of a view of the culture the author recommends researchers avoid subject too active in one manner of the culture (the example given is social work). For my study I believe that this may be difficult to do because I am looking at such a specific group of community members.
Overall this chapter was informative and brief (only about 25 pages) and I have a feeling I may be referring back to it in the months to come.
https://curve.coventry.ac.uk/cu/items/d2a95e0f-7ac7-674f-f2fd-1f97224e7bcd/1/Bogdewic_03_0803944047.pdf
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Letter to Subjects
Hello, my name is Nicole Schram and I am a graduate student at Central
Michigan University. I
am conducting research on the transfer of knowledge between generations. This
research will fulfill my undergraduate degree requirements. You were selected to participate in this
study because you fall into the category of possibly having agricultural
knowledge. Please verify if you meet
this criterion.
I anticipate that this interview will take around 2 hours to complete. There is no compensation for responding nor
is there any known risk. In order to insure that all information will remain
confidential, I will not record your name.
I will only record you as a subject #1.
Copies of the project will be provided to my Central Michigan University
faculty monitor. Participation is
strictly voluntary and you may refuse to participate at any time.
I appreciate your willingness to help with my project. The data collected
will provide useful
information regarding transfer of knowledge. If you would like a summary
copy of this
study please let me know at the end of the interview and I will add your
name to a list
that I will maintain separately from my interview notes. If you have questions later,
please contact me at schra1nr@cmich.edu.
My faculty monitor is Lauren Griffith and she
can be reached at griff2lm@cmich.edu.
If you are not satisfied with the manner in which this study is being
conducted, you
may report (anonymously if you so choose) any complaints to the
Anthropology department of Central Michigan University at the Office of Humanities
through 989-774-3681.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Review of "From 'old school' to 'Farm-to-school': Neoliberalization from the ground up"
This article, by Patricia Allen and Julie Guthman from the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at the University of California and Geology from the University of California at Berkeley respectively, talked about an option a lot of smaller farms may be taking in the future. They claim that local communities will grow their citizenship and local economies as well as improve the health of their children through FTS programs (Food-to-school). While they recognize that the programs are closely based on Neoliberal values thus encouraging such values in the participants (students, local community, and food workers) they see no problem with this.
Actually the authors claim that "not only have FTS programs garnered wide-ranging support, it would be difficult to argue against them on principle." While I can agree the programs sound good in principle, (increasing local commerce interaction between the education systems, local farmers, local businesses, and restaurants as well as providing a better opportunity for children to get good nutrition, etc.) I don't really like this slightly cocky tone that shows itself throughout the article. It's not very professional. Later in the article they quote what I believe is probably an opponent of the system who essentially says that it's a great idea but the political climate and structure of local areas makes it an inefficient way to do business. The quote ends with the person saying the devil is in the details and they have a rather sassy remark that that is certainly not the case with this program and that the person leaving the remark was mistaken. Perhaps this article is taking it's place in a larger political conversation in California that I am unaware of, where this tone is not only necessarily but wanted, but it did not carry the neutrality I had hoped for from a scholarly article.
I would be interested to find out if anything like this is going on in any nearby local communities, mostly to see how they are handling the details. I know that an elementary school nearby has started a small garden, but that's not the same program the authors are talking about in this article.
Actually the authors claim that "not only have FTS programs garnered wide-ranging support, it would be difficult to argue against them on principle." While I can agree the programs sound good in principle, (increasing local commerce interaction between the education systems, local farmers, local businesses, and restaurants as well as providing a better opportunity for children to get good nutrition, etc.) I don't really like this slightly cocky tone that shows itself throughout the article. It's not very professional. Later in the article they quote what I believe is probably an opponent of the system who essentially says that it's a great idea but the political climate and structure of local areas makes it an inefficient way to do business. The quote ends with the person saying the devil is in the details and they have a rather sassy remark that that is certainly not the case with this program and that the person leaving the remark was mistaken. Perhaps this article is taking it's place in a larger political conversation in California that I am unaware of, where this tone is not only necessarily but wanted, but it did not carry the neutrality I had hoped for from a scholarly article.
I would be interested to find out if anything like this is going on in any nearby local communities, mostly to see how they are handling the details. I know that an elementary school nearby has started a small garden, but that's not the same program the authors are talking about in this article.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Reflection of "Extending Cross-Generational Knowledge Flow Research in Edge Organizations"
In this article they immediately introduced the word
ontology, a formal representation of knowledge as a set of concepts within a
domain. The ontology they discussed was that for cross-generational knowledge
flows along the edge of organizations. They collected their data from surveys
and then analyzed it using social/organizational network analysis (a system of
analysis that can be found using the Protégé program from Stanford University
if I understand it correctly). The study
was very vague in this sense despite the fact that it included images of what
the program was like and which tabs to press.
The authors included copies of the survey that they handed out
to employees in the methods section which
was nice to see, to see what type of questions they asked and the way in which
they were presented. Many of the questions were technicalities (how long have
you worked for the agency, what year/ generation were you born to, etc) but the
last page had very subjective questions such as rate your organization on how
well there is a shared understanding of command intent among your team? For my
study I think a majority of the data will be subjective.
According to the data workers from the Baby Boomers generation
are often seen as powerful individuals in industrial networks, or close to
power, with high performance rates. This information coincided with the picture
of Baby boomers from the article on perception of the university shown through
metaphors, that they are hard working individuals because they think hard work
will progress them in life.
In one section of the article they discussed other articles
they had read. While they seemed to directly relate the information the
similarity in the wording to the hypothesis and data analysis makes me wonder
if they had read the articles before hand and created a slight bias in their
analysis.
Overall the article didn’t conclude anything that I could
tell. It said that there was a clear structure the organization of knowledge transfer
and, even more importantly, evidence that generations had tendency towards a
particular location in this system. Even this was somewhat doubtful to gather
from the data. They raised so many questions, though I suspect this is the way
it will always be with research. The article had little information that pertained
to my study but was a good sample of writing style.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Response to Higher Education, Blended Learning and the Generations
The authors of this article introduce the concept that "blended learning is transforming higher education by altering the metaphors" used to describe the institution. The metaphor focused on is "knowledge is power". It's an age old expression and we've all heard it, I personally however have never thought to apply it to the way people approach teaching and learning.
As the article progressed the authors introduced four different "generations" and their different approaches to life and learning. First is generation "Matures", born before 1946, lived through WW II, the Korean conflict, the Great Depression, and the New Deal. The metaphor designated to this generation by the author was "hard work is the key to success."
The next generation is the Baby Boomers, born from 1946 to 1964, lived through the Cuban Missile crisis, the Kenedy assassination, the assassination of Martin Luther King. The metaphor given to them was "Buy it not, pay later. Everything is going to work out once I get my degree."
Generation X came next, born from 1965 to 1980. They lived through Watergate, anti-war protests, and massive layoffs. The metaphor given to them was "I have no idea what's happening after graduation." In this sense the university became another place to doddle in until you went out into the "real world".
The final generation known as the Millennial, sometimes as generation Y or generation why?, is born from the years 1981 to 1994. The author characterizes this generation as people who challenge any tradition, institution, value, or person they choose, and who are in many cases confused about the scandal and dishonesty in the government and business world. The metaphor given to this generation, applying to the university, is "I'm piecing together a program from four departments."
Because of the differences in the "nature" these generations grew up in the author proposed each generation takes a different approach to learning and to their view of the university. As a resolution to these different approaches to the university the authors analysed Blended classrooms ( a hybrid classroom that involves some online class time and some in face-to-face class time).
According to this study the more recent the generation the more the liked the blended classroom. the authors hypothesized that this was because it allowed for the generation to take more control of the classroom setting, which they have grown used to because of the internet and such instant gratifications. One potential downside is that is requires some of the skills, self control and commitment that the generation is supposedly lacking.
Over all this study helped me to have a more concrete understanding of differences that could take place between generations, and perhaps because one of the environments I would be study in (Huron County) is in my mind a lovely example of time selection (they make changes in the community structure very slowly and only after many years). I disliked some of the vagueness with which the authors referred to statistics (a few, or a bit more than). If you're going to quote a statistic quote it. This vagueness makes it sound like the authors are trying to fabricate information. I'm sure they're not it's just something to look out for. Sometimes it's not what you really said or did but how others perceived it.
In fact this very problem is what the authors point out as a flaw with the current education structure. Students perceive the teacher and their role one way while the teacher fails to understand this miscommunication. An idea that the authors presented about this was the comparison of a dysfunction relationship of husband and wife and the teacher-student relationship, derived from misunderstanding and miscommunication.
Overall the study used a survey method (which I'm not a fan of) to collect it's data. It introduced some good theory about learning and the generations and has reminded me of the importance of the language used by my informants and during the interviews.
As the article progressed the authors introduced four different "generations" and their different approaches to life and learning. First is generation "Matures", born before 1946, lived through WW II, the Korean conflict, the Great Depression, and the New Deal. The metaphor designated to this generation by the author was "hard work is the key to success."
The next generation is the Baby Boomers, born from 1946 to 1964, lived through the Cuban Missile crisis, the Kenedy assassination, the assassination of Martin Luther King. The metaphor given to them was "Buy it not, pay later. Everything is going to work out once I get my degree."
Generation X came next, born from 1965 to 1980. They lived through Watergate, anti-war protests, and massive layoffs. The metaphor given to them was "I have no idea what's happening after graduation." In this sense the university became another place to doddle in until you went out into the "real world".
The final generation known as the Millennial, sometimes as generation Y or generation why?, is born from the years 1981 to 1994. The author characterizes this generation as people who challenge any tradition, institution, value, or person they choose, and who are in many cases confused about the scandal and dishonesty in the government and business world. The metaphor given to this generation, applying to the university, is "I'm piecing together a program from four departments."
Because of the differences in the "nature" these generations grew up in the author proposed each generation takes a different approach to learning and to their view of the university. As a resolution to these different approaches to the university the authors analysed Blended classrooms ( a hybrid classroom that involves some online class time and some in face-to-face class time).
According to this study the more recent the generation the more the liked the blended classroom. the authors hypothesized that this was because it allowed for the generation to take more control of the classroom setting, which they have grown used to because of the internet and such instant gratifications. One potential downside is that is requires some of the skills, self control and commitment that the generation is supposedly lacking.
Over all this study helped me to have a more concrete understanding of differences that could take place between generations, and perhaps because one of the environments I would be study in (Huron County) is in my mind a lovely example of time selection (they make changes in the community structure very slowly and only after many years). I disliked some of the vagueness with which the authors referred to statistics (a few, or a bit more than). If you're going to quote a statistic quote it. This vagueness makes it sound like the authors are trying to fabricate information. I'm sure they're not it's just something to look out for. Sometimes it's not what you really said or did but how others perceived it.
In fact this very problem is what the authors point out as a flaw with the current education structure. Students perceive the teacher and their role one way while the teacher fails to understand this miscommunication. An idea that the authors presented about this was the comparison of a dysfunction relationship of husband and wife and the teacher-student relationship, derived from misunderstanding and miscommunication.
Overall the study used a survey method (which I'm not a fan of) to collect it's data. It introduced some good theory about learning and the generations and has reminded me of the importance of the language used by my informants and during the interviews.
Final Draft for HON 399
Key Questions:
Well, after a semester of reading and drafting and thinking its come to this... for now.
How is motivation linked to the
acquisition and application of knowledge? What roles does motivation play in
the resources used by an individual? Is there a particular
classroom/teaching/learning environment that best promotes the motivation needed
to grow self-regulated learning outside of a structured environment?
Introduction
The classroom
structure that I grew up with, likely seen in many public classrooms across the
US, was one of clear boundaries. The students had clusters of desks all facing
each other towards the center of the room with the teachers desk off to the
side (some years it would be in the front and some it would be in the back of
the classroom but always separated from the students). This arrangement made it
easier to have student shift their attention to the teacher, by making it
physically more difficult for students to not pay attention. Off to the side of
the board would be the daily schedule, which typically followed a pattern
depending on the day of the week. During a particular subject, the teacher
would have a habitual method of teaching, for example history was frequently
taught by having us pull out our books and reading the books. Then we would
talk among our table or a small group and discuss what we had read in the book,
trying to answer guideline questions that the entire class had. For math we
would see examples up on the overhead or chalkboard and then get assigned a
certain number of problems from the book for homework (every night until I came
to college I had math homework). For english
we would always have some worksheets to fill out answering questions about
books that we had just read (sometimes they were short stories, sometimes
novels or poetry).
The mind needs
organization and has been known to create it where the organization may not
have previously existed (Dunne, 2012). For example people have been looking at
the stars for millions of years, and they keep seeing or finding patterns in
the random assortment of dots and their movements, like the big dipper or even
the sun. It’s hypothesized that this skill came in handy way back into our
ancestors past by helping ancestors to make associations between events and
reactions as well as seeing things that just didn’t belong (Benziger, 1996).
Today we use this part of our brain to read text and see symmetry in faces
(perhaps why some appear more attractive to us) (Betran, unknown). The
classroom setting previously described capitalizes on the ability of the human
mind to appreciate patterns, but is not the only type of environment that is
need for intellectual growth in the future.
In school we are
told to excel, in sports we are told to push ourselves to our limits. We are
told to take chances and step outside our comfort zone, that’s where we will really learn (Vygotsky, ). If these
statements are true why are we learning in classrooms with so little changing
during the lesson? Classrooms structured with more inherent, organic change in
the future may lead to a deeper understanding in the students. The human mind
is naturally motivated to find patterns in the world around it, so perhaps for
us to learn to the greatest extent of our ability we should learn about the
world in a situation that aids us in seeing patterns but has such a variance as
to keep us “on our toes” mentally.
The more our
surroundings change the more chance that cognitive dissonance will occur. The
brain will naturally work to find a way to resolve this cognitive dissonance,
providing an opportunity for some, like a teacher, to step in and offer a proper
schema, or way of organizing patterns of thought (Bernstein). This would
hopefully be a way of teaching that is closer to that which the brain has
evolved under, a more natural learning environment.
One could hardly
expect school systems to revolutionize their programs quickly. It also would
seem important to discover what it is in classrooms and in people that keeps
them searching for these patterns, and for more knowledge. Therefore, this
research asks: How is motivation linked to the acquisition and application of
knowledge? What role does motivation play in the resources used by an
individual? Is there a particular classroom, teaching, learning environment
that best promotes the motivation need to grow self-regulated learning outside
of a structured environment?
The
only thing that interferes with my learning is my education.
-Albert Einstein
-Albert Einstein
Literature Review
When observing education, many researchers will need
to acknowledge any preconceived notions they have about the process due to an
enculturation in western methods they have experience through their education
experience (Wilson, 1977). Before you set out on the task of “observing” and
“documenting” learning, first a thorough understanding of what is being
researched should be understood. To define learning, consider some implications
or assumptions. Firstly what is intelligence? For the purpose of this study someone
is intelligent if they have a possession of knowledge and the ability to
efficiently use that knowledge to reason about the world and the ability to use
that reasoning adaptively in different environments, simply put the ability to
overcome challenges that present themselves in their environment (Bernstein,
2010).
Some
individuals learn this through education, but what is education? What does it
mean to be educated? For this study the term education is making use of the
cultural narrative to manipulate the environment, thus enhancing one’s ability
to overcome challenges. In this sense, one would be educated if he is a farmer
who understands the growth of his crops and the impact different environmental
factors may have on it. Farmers need to rely on their observations of previous
growing conditions in their surrounding area, they need to be able to “read”
the plants and determine if they need water or food. Farmers can create ditches
going through their fields or tile the field to overcome an abundance of rain.
They can place sprinklers in their fields if there hasn’t been enough rain. All
are different aspects of them showing an ability to overcome challenges in the
environment enhanced by their use of the cultural resources around them (technology
in many cases). They would be educated if they used internet access to read up
on articles about increasing production or quality of crop (assuming internet
access). They would also be educated if they began talking with other farmers in the surrounding area about their
growing methods.
The
definitions of intelligence and education call on the use
of analytical
skills and a certain amount of interpersonal
communication by the individual. Like sports
would not be
present without athletes and the physical
motion unique to
each game, so to
education does not exist without the learners
and those learning. So, what is learning and
who are the learners?
|
Some anthropologists have come to view learners
“as mentally and physically active seekers of knowledge and skill” (Zimmerman,
2010). Modern western society has created school systems, internships, etc to
further the knowledge certain individuals have, but is this too closed off a
look at learning and education for a “truthful” interpretation of what is going
on. Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger, the authors of Reflections on Situated Learning Legitimate Peripheral Participation,
claim that “learning is a process that takes place in a participation
framework, not in an individual’s mind.” (Lave & Wengner, 1994) Imagine,
your mind is completely depending on
the people that you surround yourself with. It’s a rather frightening concept.
Another scary concept, and it would seem
to me one not talked about enough, is that of the changing brain. The concept
generally held by our society is that once you reach a certain age your brain
stops changing, but new research is finding out that it doesn’t stop. It may
slow down but your brain is changing in response to your environment as mode of
survival (Carr, 2010). Why isn’t anyone warning us of this when we do things
like watch TV or use the computer? Consider if you pull through most fast food
joints and get a cup of coffee there will be a warning on the side of the cup
“caution: Hot fluids”, there’s no warning on the side of your computer “mind
altering device, limited time advised”. Why is that? The more important question is: is this
changing a bad thing?
The environment we surround ourselves with, including
the technology that is a part of that environment, is in some ways an attempt
to homogenize the way we learn. Then the prevalence of new technology in
everyday life can be used to the advantage of humanity, to further our learning
in a classroom setting. Chan, a professor at the Graduate Institute of Network
Learning Technology of the National Central University in Taoyuan Taiwan,
proposed a few “conjectures”. Firstly that a “digital classroom wave- is
imminent” (essentially that technology is constantly improving an invading
other aspects of our lives thus has to intersect the education sphere at some
point, as shown in the image to the right). The next conjecture was that
“classrooms undergo radical change over the next 20 years” (for this Chen held
his own small experiment on a classroom to create an ‘individualized’ classroom
setting). One conjecture was “individualization will be increasingly
emphasized”, for this change in classrooms to occur Chen suggested that “teachers
(would) increasingly (become) Mentors”. The final conjecture I will mention
though Chen goes on state a few more, is that these new classrooms would solve
the age old “all-up-to” and “mobility” problems.
The “all-up-to” problem is that the
education system pushes all students
to reach up to the same standard.
Think of an industrial packaging line, packing all the minds of students with
the same information and expecting to get a uniform result of educated people
out (Robinson, 2011). Industrialization has had a worldwide impact, so it would
make sense that its influence on education has been worldwide and that in itself
seems rather odd. In countries such as America where individualization is said
to be highly prized and encouraged, the school systems don’t yet show this
value.
There
is the idea among some education researchers that “institutions are responsible
for the indoctrination of the young and
that they aren’t doing it effectively” (Chomsky, 2012). Financially most
students of today face rising debt due to the cost of university education. The
debt is created in such a way that students once they have gone through this
process of indoctrination are from their limited monetary resources that they
are trapped into conformity (Chomsky, 2012).
During the enlightenment era learning
was viewed as harnessing the quest for knowledge but during the preceding eras
in education more of an emphasis had been placed on the rote memorization of
facts rather than the quest to acquire them. The Enlightenment era shifted
emphasis onto the methods and the ability to question doctrine, authority, and work
with others, not simply on the conformity and rote memorization that most
standardized education now contains (Knowledge, ). This is important now
because of the developing belief in American and world culture that the process
is more important than simply the end. However this does not mean the end has
no importance.
In today’s world, the ability to
cultivate knowledge is imperative because it means an individual can function
on their own and create new ideas.
This is especially important because of the access to the internet that many of
today’s students have, access that creates in many cases an overload of
information that without self-regulation can create feelings of despair or
incorrect understanding of the topic. Students without the proper guidance may
have a “cultish”, inaccurate understanding of the topic they are trying to
explore on the internet (Chomsky, 2002). If all you know about a subject is a
fact here and a different fact there the image that you have created from these
facts will be very different from the image of someone who had background
knowledge or at the very least the ability to cultivate their knowledge may
have created. Imagine seeing the same picture in the dark with only a match to
illuminate it vs. looking at a more or less complete picture. Ultimately does
not teach students how to cultivate their knowledge to their best ability. Modern
classrooms are not teaching people to be free thinkers, who can be trusted to
make the right decision, because they are not teaching them enough about
learning.
(If you give a man a fish he will eat
for a meal, if you teach a man to fish he could eat for a lifetime.)
Methods
In Anthropology, participant observation
is a frequently used technique to gather data.
Participant observation is an ethnographic technique that involves
engaging in the day to day activity as fully as possible while at the same time
maintaining an analytical distance for quality observation. During the act of
collecting data through participant observation one must do a few things.
First, establish a credible role within the group being observed. This is
fundamental in the research and data later collected. The researcher should
“work methodically to avoid being identified as the member of any particular
group” as this might limit access to information or the quality of information
obtained (Wilson, 1977). Aside from establishing your role in the community
being observed, the researcher should be careful to avoid emotional attachments
that will over bias the results of the study. If such a thing were to occur new
research subjects should be found (Wilson, 1977).
Another technique frequently used by
Anthropologists is the interview. There are three major kinds: the structured
interview, in which the interviewer has a set list of questions and does not
deviate from them, the semi-structured interview in which the interviewer has a
list of questions but can ask them in different order and ask other questions
as the interviewee begins to answer, finally the unstructured interview in
which the interviewer has no questions and lets the interview direct completely
where the interview goes (Bernard, 2002).
During the summer months of
2012 I will be traveling to observe the transfer of knowledge from generation
to generation in the formerly polish community of Huron county and surrounding
areas. As that area is where my Grandmother and Grandfather lived for most of
their lives and they still have family up there I will be using some of the
family connections created over the years.
I will need a recording device,
a journal to keep notes in and a computer to transcribe my interviews and
observations daily. First I will meet with the sources and develop a stronger
network in the community, as is suggested for participant observation. I’ll ask
certain older members of the community about their family history (particularly
focusing on when they were learning to farm). Also I will shadow the younger
generation, in the process of learning and perhaps hear more stories about the
family, as well as be able to observe the methods with which they teach/ learn.
During the same summer I will
build contacts at Michigan State University’s agricultural department. During
the fall of 2012 school year I will analyze the data collected over the summer
in the Huron community as well as take beginning observations of the classroom
settings in the agricultural department. By the end of my study I will analyze
the interviews and primary modes that each group used to convey their knowledge
to the “students”. The different bits of
learning that are passed on and the observable difference in the students’
attitude towards learning it and then applying said knowledge should be
discernible from transcribed data.
For the collection of data in Huron
County I will use participant observation methods, perhaps scattered with
impromptu interviews. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted for primary
collection at MSU, however I would also be doing a bit of participant
observation in the classroom.
The interviews they can be
sorted by three main lenses. For this study I shall sort the interviews by
relationships (so as to better define the “classroom” settings found in Huron
County) (Jennings). Included in the research may be family maps, and property
locations to better explain the possibility people have to interact with
certain individuals in the community, thus “learn”.
Purpose
Eventually the analysis of both
types of learning methods may prove relevant to all those in the academic
community. Once the study is complete the western academic community will be
able to have a better understanding of students from the Huron community’s
lifestyle learning (the learning styles they group within the community around
them). Students will also be aware of this, and if necessary make changes to
their approach to learning to learn better in the new learning environment. It
may also provide key insight into the gap between generational learning and
Western education, the synthesis of which could provide a well rounded and well
educated individual and support network for learning purposes.
Refrences
Benziger, Katherine, and Sue Holmes.
"The Human Brain." Benziger
Thinking Styles Assessment. Unknown, 1996. Web. 03 May 2012.
<http://www.benziger.org/articles/brain.php>.
Bernard, H. Russell. Research Methods in Anthropology: Qualitative and Quantitative Methods. Walnut Creek, CA: AltaMira, 2002. 213. Print.
Bernstein, Douglas A. Essentials of Psychology. 5th
ed. Vol. 1. [S.l.]: Wadsworth Pub, 2010. Print.
Betran, Cecilia. "Beauty and the
Brain." HubPages.
Web. 26 Apr. 2012. <http://ceciliabeltran.hubpages.com/hub/The-Power-of-Beauty>.
Carr, Nicholas G. The Shallows: What the Internet Is
Doing to Our Brains. 1st ed. New York: W.W. Norton, 2010. Print.
"Chapter Three: Knowledge Through Prescribed
Experience." Knowledge
Through Enlightening Experience. Hermes Press. Web. 08 Apr. 2012. <http://www.hermes-press.com/Perennial_Tradition/PTch3.htm>.
"The Purpose of
Education." Interview by Graham Brown-Martin. YouTube. Learning Without
Frontiers, 1 Feb. 2012. Web. 12 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdNAUJWJN08>.
Dunne, Tim, and Maggie
Dugan. "Assumption Busting." What
Does It Take to Innovate?2012. Web. 06 Apr. 2012.
<http://www.instantbrainstorm.com/bust_assumptions.html>.
Jennings, Gayle
R. "Interviewing: A Focus on Qualitative Techniques." Tourism Research Methods:
Integrating Theory with Methods. Cambridge, Mass: CABI, 2004. 99-139.
Print.
Lave, Jean, and
Etienne Wenger. Situated
Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation. Cambridge [England:
Cambridge UP, 1991. Print.
Wilson, Stephen.
"The Use of Ethnographic Techniques in Educational Research." ERIC – World’s Largest Digital
Library of Education Literature. Spring 1977. Web. 18 Mar. 2012.
<http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true>.
Zimmerman, Barry
J., and Manuel M. Pons. "Development of a Structured Interview for
Assessing Student Use of Self-Regulated Learning Strategies." Jstor. American Educational
Research Journal, 2010-2011. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. <http://www.jstor.org/discover/10.2307/1163093?uid=3739728&uid=2129&uid=2&uid=70&uid=4&uid=3739256&sid=56139756663>.
http://loldaddy.com/pics/3981
(4/21/2012)
During interview:
Watch for family pressures, individual vision of the future and the present
(how do they see agriculture, how has the community’s history played into the
teaching and application of knowledge)
a brief history
of the Huron Community may be important to include in this study (perhaps also
that of the agriculture program at Michigan State University).
The importance of self-regulation in learning (my preference
for learning without being presented a structure to put the ideas in) my derive
from an inherent distrust of the source the information, and a desire/ free
will to place the facts in the location the learner sees fit.
The difference between knowledge and skill
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