This week has been interesting to say the least. At Tuesday's class, we received the upcoming due dates for our Multimodal Project # 1, interview transcripts, survey results and observation draft. If one ever wished to see a live public meltdown of a complete class, KEN 209B was the place to be, as our professor made all four assignments due in two weeks.
The realization then came that I although I have been (fairly) good at staying on top of my research, I am really going to have to kick it into high gear if I am going to have any chance of completing all my work before the due dates. So in the spirit of "git-r-done", this blog will be a checklist of what I need to do before the due dates.
- Multimodal Project # 1: This MM will be a brochure for the SWCA. I have a draft and I will need to edit it to make it final for printing and distribution. Excitingly, this brochure will be used for the SWCA, and I am debating whether or not to put my name on it for credit.
- Interview transcripts: I am (still) working on transcribing my first interview! I never knew the process would take this long, and I definitely underestimated the amount of effort it takes into transcribing interviews. I don't know if I am just over analyzing how I transcribe, but this task will be the hardest (and probably take the longest) time completing - especially because I will be doing four interviews next week! Looking on the bright side, four individuals that I have asked to interview have said yes. This weekend will be spent researching a brief biography on each and contextualizing my interview questions to fit within their experience.
- Survey results: My survey is complete and I now need to receive approval to begin distributing it. We had an interesting class last week where we debated the ethics of whom should be asked to take a survey. Applying the debate to my research, I will be emailing the survey to those at the writing center at my school, (possibly) emailing it to members of the SWCA and posting a link on the SWCA website. I need to complete this ASAP; if the results are due in two weeks, I need to get the survey out so people can actually take the darn thing.
- Observation draft: This is where my to do checklist comes to a screeching halt as I have yet to 100% decide what I will be observing. I am leaning towards observing the writing center at my institution and examining how I can apply that to the SWCA.
As Sod's Law predicts, according to my British counterpart, or on our side of the pond, Murphy does, "everything that can go wrong, will", as just this week the due dates for two oral presentations, another research paper and third journalism story have been announced and they are in two weeks as well! I just have to get it together and make sure I control my public meltdowns!
October 28, 2010
October 24, 2010
The ARP Approaches
Like the seconding coming, the Academic Research Paper (ARP) is upon me and I have had to buckle down to start putting together a substantial draft to bring in to class. The process of writing the ARP was oddly enough hard and easy at the same time.
Starting with the easy part, the problem statement, research questions and review of literature were based on previous work that I had done - the Research Proposal and the Annotated Bib. The hard part came in when I had to change the language of both documents to fit the context of the ARP. I accomplished this by putting the writing in past tense, removing the first person narrative and organizing/structuring the sections to flow into one another.
After that, the task definitely became harder, as I had to draft the Abstract and Methodology sections. The Abstract section was difficult because it can only be about 120 - 150 words. I've included the draft below:
This research project is intended to present the 30-year history of the Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA). Since its founding in 1981, there exists no substantial historical writing on the SWCA. Utilizing the tools of historicism, this project will attempt to contextualize the history of the SWCA throughout a specific time period through text-based research, observations, surveys and interviews. The intent is to then bring together an evolutionary history of the SWCA; discovering its past, establishing its present and looking towards its future. By connecting the three standpoints, this research project will attempt to provide the SWCA with a historical foundation capable of propelling the organization into a vivid future.
Starting with the easy part, the problem statement, research questions and review of literature were based on previous work that I had done - the Research Proposal and the Annotated Bib. The hard part came in when I had to change the language of both documents to fit the context of the ARP. I accomplished this by putting the writing in past tense, removing the first person narrative and organizing/structuring the sections to flow into one another.
After that, the task definitely became harder, as I had to draft the Abstract and Methodology sections. The Abstract section was difficult because it can only be about 120 - 150 words. I've included the draft below:
This research project is intended to present the 30-year history of the Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA). Since its founding in 1981, there exists no substantial historical writing on the SWCA. Utilizing the tools of historicism, this project will attempt to contextualize the history of the SWCA throughout a specific time period through text-based research, observations, surveys and interviews. The intent is to then bring together an evolutionary history of the SWCA; discovering its past, establishing its present and looking towards its future. By connecting the three standpoints, this research project will attempt to provide the SWCA with a historical foundation capable of propelling the organization into a vivid future.
With the Abstract section (fairly) done, I began to tackle the Methodology section. I must admit I have had a hard time with this section, and I can't really place my finger on why that is so. The methodology should be a section in which I discuss my text-based research, interviews, survey and observations. One problem that I realize I have is how concisely I am writing. Sometimes I write one sentence that I think adequately describes one of the four categories and I want to leave it that way. I will have to work on expanding the text so that it is both descriptive and concise.
So far, our assignment has been to get the first three sections done, as we are not yet to the point where we could complete the entire paper. We will be having a workshop in class this week on all the ARPs and that should be, pardon my scotch, a helluva session!
October 19, 2010
Survey Workshop Part Deux
As the last blog started my journey with surveys, this one will continue into the foray as well. We've all signed up to SurveyMonkey and my hunch that seeing the questions on the site would help proved right. SurveyMonkey has so many different options and it was extremely helpful to just go into the site and explore the possibilities.
We continued the workshop format for class and had a rotating setup so that we all worked on each other's survey. The comments were varied and random, to be honest, but at the same time made me realize how every individual is different, so I have to create a survey that can be applicable to all them. A surmountable task, but one that must be done to create a survey that will actually produce results.
Below are some of the questions that have made it into my survey:
Each will have options (duh!), but I'll leave that to be seen by those that take my survey. The next step is to have the survey approved, and sent out into the writing center world!
We continued the workshop format for class and had a rotating setup so that we all worked on each other's survey. The comments were varied and random, to be honest, but at the same time made me realize how every individual is different, so I have to create a survey that can be applicable to all them. A surmountable task, but one that must be done to create a survey that will actually produce results.
Below are some of the questions that have made it into my survey:
- Which category describes your position?
- How many hours per week do you spend at your school's writing center?
- How informed are you and your writing center coworkers about the Southeastern Writing Center Association (SWCA)?
- How well utilized (read, discussed, used for training, etc.) is the SWCA's publication, Southern Discourse, at your writing center?
- The SWCA hosts annual conferences that are designed to bring the entire region together. What two cities located within the region are most convenient for you to attend?
- Which of the following local events would you most like to see the SWCA host in the future?
- What feature would you most like to see added to the SWCA website?
Each will have options (duh!), but I'll leave that to be seen by those that take my survey. The next step is to have the survey approved, and sent out into the writing center world!
October 15, 2010
Survey Workshop
This week we started to work on surveys, and I have a few ideas running through my mind. Below was my original draft and a print screen of the notes I took on it when I had a workshop in class with fellow classmates and my professor. I also sat down the director of the writing center at my school and worked on it with him to discover the possibilities of this survey.
The screen shot showcases my original ideas on how to draft a (possible) survey. The next step will be to log on to SurveyMonkey and find out the question types and formats available. I think that my seeing how the survey can be setup on SurveyMonkey will help move my survey to the next level as well.
Looks like my "pet project" has just transformed from a 500 lb tiger needing taming to a spry little monkey that needs training.
October 12, 2010
Research Wrap
Going along the last blog’s theme, below will be a research wrap for the articles I have been reading. Two were some pretty heavy theorizing material that I had to wrap my head around and the others were documents from the International Writing Center Association's website.
Theorizing the Writing Center: An Uneasy Task (Peter Carino)
Really, with this article, Carino wasn't kidding when he said it would be an uneasy task. The amount of information was overwhelming. The article starts with Carino’s assertion that the writing center field (at the time) was moving away from only practice, to theory as well. Writing center theorists have two agendas: bringing practice through theory and using theory politically to define the writing center not only to composition studies, but to identify it within the academic world, thus establishing a center's disciplinary status and its role within the institution. Carino brings in theory from several authors (North, Warnocks, Knoblauch & Brannon, Bruffee, Ede, Lunsford, Gillam, Murphy, Hobson) and analyzes each one for how they really contextualize into the writing center realm. To be honest, I have no idea how any/all of this information will be applicable to the SWCA. If anything, I learned more than I ever thought I would about writing center theory. Having 3+ pages of notes will have to do, as it would be especially easy to get lost within Carino's article.
The National Writing Centers Association as Mooring: A Personal History of the First Decade (Joyce Kinkead)
The manner in which Kinkead approached the history of the NWCA is very similar to how I am approaching the SWCA. In her notes section, Kinkead writes that this was a keynote address at the first NWCA conference in 1994. One of my (possible) goals for this project is a presentation at the SWCA conference. It is important to note that the National WCA is now the International WCA. I will use Kinkead's article to compare and contrast how the SWCA has evolved. It is my intention that with such an approach I will be able to investigate the SWCA more deeply. I had spoken to my professor how to find primary research, and Kinkead's utilization of minutes, conference programs, etc. will be an amazing addition if I could find them.
The other articles I read were from the IWCA website and they included such topics as what a writing center is, how it operates, how to start one and branching out of such ideas. They will be used more for my own background knowledge, as I am approaching this research project intended with an audience that is familiar about the writing center field.
Looking ahead, the next "pet projects" will starting my surveys and getting into gear with my interviews. Now, although I joke about it being my pet project, it is only joking made out of terror, as I know my pet is really a 500 lb tiger that I really need to start taming.
October 9, 2010
Saturday Night Fever
My cheesy chicken & rice casserole bakes in the oven; Frost battles Nixon in front of me on HBO; and I look over my notes on the SWCA in amazement of my Saturday night. A few weeks back, our professor joked about having an assignment due on a Saturday night, 11:59 PM, and if whether that would get in the way of our "nightlife". The answer I gave him then, is even more poignant now - after all I am writing this when I should very well be replicating Travolta, not in dance moves per se, but in living out my youth. I guess those days are over! Or, at least they will be, until I finish these damn degrees.
Today has been a microcosm of how I have attempted to research the SWCA. I deliberately scheduled my work for this week to be Friday and Saturday mornings, so I would have afternoons/evenings available for research and school work - possibly freeing my nights. Unfortunately, as Burns says it better than me, the best laid plans . . .
I have this unnerving need to often look up any subject that is brought to my attention. This is not such a good trait when you are attempting to read writing center theory. Such is my ADD mind: as CNN plays in the background, Pete Dominick appears with his new segment, and I start looking up Rick Sanchez; the host brings in Arianna Huffington as a contributor, and I start looking up her biography, the Huffington Post and read a blog by the Greek writer; as I read the Huff, I remember that she had been a panelist on Bill Maher, and I start looking up the controversial host; I watch clips of Real Times, hearing the cover up story of Pat Tillman from his brother Rich, and begin to look up the Tillman controversy; I feel the weight of the clock on my shoulders and realize I have just spent three hours looking up all these random topics - and confirm that really I can't lay out a plan for the life of me.
Not to be deterred - I was going to read these damn articles if they killed me - I decided to get out of the house and walk down to Starbucks, only a mile or so down the road. This was the life-saver for me, as it has been the most amazing weather, and during my walk, I realized that as much as I have organized the areas around me, I had still not "Aryanne-proofed" my apartment. I, unfortunately, am not strong willed enough to resist the crack-like temptation of the Internet, and thankfully the sterile location of the coffee shop allowed me to get about 4 hours of work done uninterrupted.
To ensure I did not relapse, I did not take my laptop, and as a result most of my notes are handwritten and in the margins of the text. This then will be what my Saturday night will be spent on: transcribing the 7 pages of handwritten notes and my interview from last Monday.
So, at last, au revoir to my Saturday nights - and bonjour to a different kind of fever.
Today has been a microcosm of how I have attempted to research the SWCA. I deliberately scheduled my work for this week to be Friday and Saturday mornings, so I would have afternoons/evenings available for research and school work - possibly freeing my nights. Unfortunately, as Burns says it better than me, the best laid plans . . .
I have this unnerving need to often look up any subject that is brought to my attention. This is not such a good trait when you are attempting to read writing center theory. Such is my ADD mind: as CNN plays in the background, Pete Dominick appears with his new segment, and I start looking up Rick Sanchez; the host brings in Arianna Huffington as a contributor, and I start looking up her biography, the Huffington Post and read a blog by the Greek writer; as I read the Huff, I remember that she had been a panelist on Bill Maher, and I start looking up the controversial host; I watch clips of Real Times, hearing the cover up story of Pat Tillman from his brother Rich, and begin to look up the Tillman controversy; I feel the weight of the clock on my shoulders and realize I have just spent three hours looking up all these random topics - and confirm that really I can't lay out a plan for the life of me.
Not to be deterred - I was going to read these damn articles if they killed me - I decided to get out of the house and walk down to Starbucks, only a mile or so down the road. This was the life-saver for me, as it has been the most amazing weather, and during my walk, I realized that as much as I have organized the areas around me, I had still not "Aryanne-proofed" my apartment. I, unfortunately, am not strong willed enough to resist the crack-like temptation of the Internet, and thankfully the sterile location of the coffee shop allowed me to get about 4 hours of work done uninterrupted.
To ensure I did not relapse, I did not take my laptop, and as a result most of my notes are handwritten and in the margins of the text. This then will be what my Saturday night will be spent on: transcribing the 7 pages of handwritten notes and my interview from last Monday.
So, at last, au revoir to my Saturday nights - and bonjour to a different kind of fever.
October 5, 2010
My First "Official" Interview
This past Monday I completed my first interview with the president of the SWCA. He is also the director of my school’s writing center, so it was a great opportunity. On the whole, the interview went well, but this blog will focus on specific areas that need improvement and others that could be expanded to make better.
First, although I took notes throughout the interview, I did not sit down afterwards and gather my thoughts. I think I really should have done this because it parallels the method that I followed while writing the Annotated Bib. With the interview fresh on my mind, there may have been specific incidents, words, phrases, etc. that I could have written down. For the upcoming interviews, I will do my best to complete this last step, as it may lead to new observations.
An issue that I had was how to read my questions. While the interview was ongoing, I was attempting to think or look down at my next question, while still paying attention and taking notes. This didn’t work very well, until I looked down and realized (insert smack in the head here) that the page, when pressed down, allowed me to read the typed questions underneath. With this new revelation, I was able to see the questions, and still take notes.
Another aspect that I need to fix is time management. It is possible to “feel” how long an interview is, but I would like to know the exact time length. I thought bringing out my cell phone would be rude, and looking down at the voice recorder might distract the interviewee, so I have decided to fix my wristwatch. With good time management I will be more in control of the interview.
Steps that I completed well were in establishing rapport with my interviewee, obtaining informed consent to record the interview and utilizing the techniques offered by our professor’s handout. I really would like to ask the interviewee for suggestions and critique, but I don't think you are supposed to be asking your interviewee that! On the whole, I believe the interview flowed smoothly, and I hope my future interviews work as well. The next step will be writing my “Thank You” email and transcribing the interview.
One down, I don’t know how many more to go!
October 1, 2010
Applying My Research Tools
In a previous blog, I had written of my need to make changes in my research method. Wendy Bishop's The Research Writer at Work; or, Managing Your Data Before it Manages (to Overwhelm) You has resonated in my mind ever since I read it. In particular, it is her second emphasis on how to not let your research overwhelm you that has stuck in my head. After staying up til 4 A.M. to finish my Annotated Bib, I knew changes had to be made. That was the Annotated Bib; if I follow the same trajectory, the Research Paper would surely be the end of me. It's about time I utilize the invitations that Bishop extends throughout her article.
The first invitation was to "give up buying something this week", and utilize the money towards "materials that will help you organize your writing life" (100). Without a doubt, I need folders. I have about 20 articles, and they are starting to jump out of the paper clips I currently have them in. With folders I will be able to organize them into categories, or perhaps with one large binder I will organize them into sections. Also, the interview section is fast approaching, and I need a legal pad where I can have all my notes in one place. With my research organized, perhaps I won't feel that it is taking over my life.
The second invitation was to "take a personal inventory" (105), specifically of the physical location that you are writing in. Currently, I am tapping away on the keys of the library computer, but at the time of reading Bishop's article I was sprawled on the couch, snacking away, with the TV blaring in front of me, and the iPod sounds drifting in from the bedroom. All this and more contrasts with the environment Bishop invites her readers to create. Ironically, I don't need to purchase any of the furniture Bishop advises; I just have to get my lazy butt over to my office corner and clean my own desk up.
Yes, the picture shows the absolute mess that was my desk. In all its glory, that is a my blow dryer, cold medicine, 1-month-old newspaper, air filter and every other loose end of my life on predominate display. No where will you find research material, computer or any other "desk" material that should be there. My task today was then to clean it up and fulfill Bishop's invitation. And so I did. It only took 20 minutes, which just goes to show how lazy I was being, and now I have the area I should have been working in the past month.
Bishop's last invitation is to ask other writers how they write. I will probably accomplish this task throughout the week, as I really am interested in finding out how others are going about their research paper. She specifies to ask on "space and physical layout" (106), areas that I have had issues on, and hopefully their advice will gear me towards the right way.
I had been thinking on writing this blog for weeks now, ever since that first reading of Researching Writer at Work, but it was our last class session that inspired me to do so. It was a mini-therapy session for most of us, as we all exclaimed the highs and lows of our current research project. Most of us have had the same issues I have written about here, and it made me realize I am not alone, and I really should change before my research manages, in the words of Bishop, to overwhelm me.
The first invitation was to "give up buying something this week", and utilize the money towards "materials that will help you organize your writing life" (100). Without a doubt, I need folders. I have about 20 articles, and they are starting to jump out of the paper clips I currently have them in. With folders I will be able to organize them into categories, or perhaps with one large binder I will organize them into sections. Also, the interview section is fast approaching, and I need a legal pad where I can have all my notes in one place. With my research organized, perhaps I won't feel that it is taking over my life.
The second invitation was to "take a personal inventory" (105), specifically of the physical location that you are writing in. Currently, I am tapping away on the keys of the library computer, but at the time of reading Bishop's article I was sprawled on the couch, snacking away, with the TV blaring in front of me, and the iPod sounds drifting in from the bedroom. All this and more contrasts with the environment Bishop invites her readers to create. Ironically, I don't need to purchase any of the furniture Bishop advises; I just have to get my lazy butt over to my office corner and clean my own desk up.
.JPG) |
Contents of my desk: everything but my research material. |
Yes, the picture shows the absolute mess that was my desk. In all its glory, that is a my blow dryer, cold medicine, 1-month-old newspaper, air filter and every other loose end of my life on predominate display. No where will you find research material, computer or any other "desk" material that should be there. My task today was then to clean it up and fulfill Bishop's invitation. And so I did. It only took 20 minutes, which just goes to show how lazy I was being, and now I have the area I should have been working in the past month.
.JPG) |
| Now only to keep it this way. |
Bishop's last invitation is to ask other writers how they write. I will probably accomplish this task throughout the week, as I really am interested in finding out how others are going about their research paper. She specifies to ask on "space and physical layout" (106), areas that I have had issues on, and hopefully their advice will gear me towards the right way.
I had been thinking on writing this blog for weeks now, ever since that first reading of Researching Writer at Work, but it was our last class session that inspired me to do so. It was a mini-therapy session for most of us, as we all exclaimed the highs and lows of our current research project. Most of us have had the same issues I have written about here, and it made me realize I am not alone, and I really should change before my research manages, in the words of Bishop, to overwhelm me.
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