July 11...The Final Post

Whose cv did you choose to scrutinize?  Please provide a several sentence description of the kind of work he/she does. What is remarkable about it? What sorts of experiences might you try to have in grad. school that might make it possible for you to have some similarities in career trajectory? What might make it tough?  (Note: this is an exercise designed to help you look into the future and in no way am I trying say you should become someone else's clone. My assumption is that you will carve out your own way, but that this way should be informed by knowing about the ways chosen by others).  

More Thinking about Theory...

We've done a lot of mucking around about theory. Now that we've talked and you've read all kinds of stuff and enjoyed some of the presentations based on Anyon, take a moment and revisit the Labaree article and the Stemhagen-Hytten piece. Both make the point that ed. school doc. students are frequently reluctant to engage with theory (the claim is that at times they are afraid of or hostile to it!). Please post on your current thinking about this claim and/or anything else related that the class might find interesting.

June 6...Deep theory

During our last class, Kevin shared how his research is built upon a behaviorist foundation and that it employs ecological and transactional  theory to contend with the contexts within which behaviors are situated. he noted that some folks in schools have said that his program is not compatible with High Scoop (http://www.highscope.orga). Granted, I am not an expert on Kevin's work and I know only what I found on the website about High Scope, but I do think it is notable that folks in the field have felt what I see as a clash at the highest level of abstract theory, that between a behaviorist and what might be a social constructivist approach to learning (note: form poking around the website it seems likely that High Scope has some Vygotskian foundations...). I don't really have a question here, I'd like to hear your thoughts on whether this helps to think about how theory exists/operates in the background of our work. Kevin (if you read this), am I characterizing all of this even remotely correctly?  

May 30...Scientifically-based Educational Research

How did the Eisenhart and Towne article leave you feeling about the possibility of educational research to be scientific? What obstacles do you see to realizing the vision of a scientifically-based ed. research and are they insurmountable?

May 23…On the Nature of a Discipline or Field of Study…Steward of What?

Have you ever thought about the potential for unintended consequences in acquiring disciplinary expertise?  While one might assume that you see the rewards as worth the risks, this might not be the case, as some of you might be in the program more for the post-credential opportunities than for a genuine desire to become an “expert.” How does all of this relate to your situation and also to the current state of Doctoral Education in Education?           

May 28…On Labaree’s Scholar-Practitioner Tension

Note something from this article with which you disagree (note: I assume that reading this paper was a different experience for those with P-12 experience and those without.  That said, he made a sufficient number of bold claims so I’m sure everyone can disagree with something he said). Why do you disagree with it?  Did Labaree give words to any tensions that you feel as you head down the road of the educational researcher?  If so, explain.