Lisa Larson's Page

That's brilliant! Dena hates that shirt too!

Lisa,
Research is a major part of the Summer Institute for a variety of reasons. Typically in a graduate level course you are asked to read research or find research articles that are peer reviewed. In our course we ask you to tie your research to your presentation. If you read the "Conceptual Framework in the College of Education" on the front of your syllabus you will see that the college requires us to have our participants engage in research.
Besides this requirement by the College of Education, having research to support your practice in your classroom gives you credibility when you present this summer and when you do your presentation one more time next year. Even in my job as RPDP trainer, I have to present research based methods for my boss to approve my training. It is not enough for me to stand up in front of other teachers and say here is what I do and you should do it too, without having some type of valid research to back me up. Do I love researching peer reviewed articles, no I hate it. However, the research I do helps me reflect on my teaching and validate what I do or it helps me make the necessary changes I need to make to be a better teacher. I do enjoy reading most professional books and you're right I probably put more of what I read in those books into practice.
I agree that books can be just as helpful or even more useful to you as teacher. Your article needs to be summarized to provide some background for us before your presentation and it should be mentioned at some point in your presentation. I am pretty good at weaving research into my presentations, so let me know if I can help you with that. Though I am not a mentor, I still have time to help and listen throughout the summer. Once we get going this weekend you and I should visit and further our conversation.
I am thrilled you are in this class. I was at a BBQ with Dena Harrison last night and she was telling me how much she enjoyed both you and Temoca. My son and I have joined the goodreads.com after she told us you and Temoca were part of it too.
See you tomorrow,
Carol