Thoughts from Ways With Words

I have been completely fascinated with the book we're reading now, Heath's Ways With Words. I was a baby in the early 70's, so I have been really analyzing my own home at the time, and my parents' beliefs about literacy and what kinds of experiences and practices were common in our home. At the time, both of my parents had graduated from high school (both in the Dallas area) - my father was in the military and going to college, and my mother stayed home with us (she'd go to college later in my life). What is odd, though, is that our experiences were closer to the "townspeople" in Heath's book. Was that because of the city? Something about the regional environment?

The other thing that I continue to think about is how fascinating it would be to set up a camera in my own home to capture the interactions I have with my own children - what kinds of things we talk about, how many questions I ask them, how many directives they are given, etc. I think I know what happens, but I'd be interested all the same.

The problem with reading for grad school...

The biggest problem I am having right now is that I am reading for three classes, a couple of projects I am interested in, and trying to keep my dissertation rolling along at some respectable pace, as well. Frankly, the reading is all over the map. But from the title of this post, the problem is that there is such little time to reflect. Therefore, this attempt to summarize and make connections may seem a little weak, but is offered for thought anyway.

The text that's consumed most of my day is Issues in the measurement of metacognition edited by Schraw and Impara. It would be torture for anyone with a qualitative bent, I am sure, but I am hoping to use some of this in my dissertation. The amazing thing that I read today, that has relevance for this class in particular is that very few, if any, studies have been conducted with students or participants from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Researchers have compared children, adolescents, and adults on a number of other descriptors, but nothing related to race or origin. Very strange, I think. The editors offered this in the same paragraph as research from 1994 by Graham in which African-American students' self-assessment of abilities were not positively correleated with achievement. In thinking about my own research project AKA the dissertation, I realized that I am not making really any significant contribution here, either. If I go with the school which I had considered for my study, there is not a lot of diversity. Should I consider a different school? Should I incorporate ethnicity into the dissertation? Or should I hold this one out, address it as a limitation, and have something new to do when I finish? So many questions...

Schraw, G. & Impara, J.C. (2000). Issues in the mesasurement of metacognition. Lincoln, NE: Buros Institute of Mental Measurements.

Graham, S. (1994). Motivation in African Americans. Review of Educational Research, 64, 55-117.