Rethinking the Research Paper - Week #6

Part #1

I love to think outside the box!  I am most comfortable in digging into primary sources than I am in  rehashing the work of others so this brief article really spoke to me.  I was particularly intrigued with the following: "Although Burkhardt’s (2003) examples include personal narratives and memoirs, and do not focus solely on research pieces, his advice about giving students opportunities to do real writing for real audiences is worth noting. When students write about real topics (that are important to their lives) that have real audiences, they are more invested in their pieces. (Hermann, 2012)"

As a folklorist and regional historian this article had me intrigued from the beginning, but after this comment I was very connected to the article.  I instantly thought of an independent research project that I am currently working on, a study of the life of a woman named Beatrice "Billy" Bannerman.  Billy was born in South Dakota, raised in New York, and lived her adult life in West Virginia.  During her 86 years she was a classically trained off Broadway actress, a pilot, a member of the Civil Air Patrol during WWII, a weaver/spinner, and a lapidary, not mention a wife and mother.  She was instrumental in the revival of the arts and crafts in West Virginia in the 1960s and 1970s and was overall an amazing woman.    Billy (whom I never met) is an inspiration to me, her story speaks to me on many levels and from my interest in her life I have the foundation for a variety of independent research projects that will synthesize into one final product.



I will be presenting an introductory exhibit on the life of Billy at the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair in Ripley next week.  I have only begun my journey into the research of her life and my library is filled with primary documents of her life including photos, letters, journals, and other ephemera.  Students who are tackling research papers have similar access to primary documents that tell the story of their family and community.   It is possible to find a research opportunity in any topic that is of interest to a student, teachers need to be willing to think outside the box.

I have selected as my resource the website of the National Archives.  As teachers work with students on exploring primary sources there is no better site to access.  This site is comprehensive and offers access to the history of our nation in a way that will appeal to all.  Even if a student is interested in doing research on a non-historical topic, such as Pokemon, this site will still provide instruction on primary sources. 

Herrmann, B. (2012). Writing as an exploration: Rethinking the research paper. Wisconsin English Journal, 54(2), 49-51 inclusive. Retrieved from http://journals.library.wisc.edu/index.php/wej/article/viewFile/538/579

National archives. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.archives.gov/ 

Part #2
1. What is the difference between writing a report and "doing research"? 

     When one writes a report they are merely looking for, assembling materials, and restate what has been previously determined.  Typically "doing research" has comprised of reviewing materials that others have written and summarizing the content. 
2. How might doing authentic research better prepare students for the 21st century work place? Give specific examples from the "Between a Rock and a Hard Place" reading. 

     When one is challenged to seek out primary sources there is a more indepth knowledge gained of the subject being researched.  In seeking information related to a topic one must utilize a variety of skills such as independent thinking and collaboration.  While this seems a contradiction, it is not.  " Workplace knowledge is not only shaped via the use of canonical and content-based sources but is also shaped through noncanonical sources such as the experiences of embodied performance, which are created when workers engage with the physical and material space of their workplaces, and through the tacit and implied nuances that construct the workplace narrative (Lloyd, 2011)."
3. Why might Constructivist type type learning better prepare students for the 21st century work place than Behavioral approaches? 
 
     In the real world students must be independent thinkers, they will not have the benefit of a teacher/boss who will guide them in each and every step of the process.  They will need to learn to utilize the boss as a mentor to offer guidance and be able to work independently.

4. How does authentic research support new media literacies? 

     The thought process of independent research allows one to evaluate sources, synthesize information, question facts, and apply previous knowledge to the research.  Through this process one can make independent conclusions based upon the material provided.

Head, C. (2011). Students as authentic researchers: A new prescription for the high school research assignment. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/slmrcontents/volume21999/vol2gordon

Lloyd, A.(2011). Trapped between a Rock and a Hard Place: What Counts as Information Literacy in the Workplace and How Is It Conceptualized?Library Trends 60(2), 277-296. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Retrieved June 20, 2013, from Project MUSE database.