Next Directions

Next directions:

Ok, so if we just want to extend the work we did in this article, we could use the same stasis points/strategies to interpret the nature of our responses and the quantity of occurrences. How frequently are we attending to one kind of stasis point, for instance. As individual instructors do we tend toward interpreting situations in one or two ways more than others? It would certainly be useful to know if I always respond based on role frames, for instance, because I’m so interested in relationships and respond so often to students as individuals. On the one hand, this might be too self-centered to really matter in terms of the larger field. On the other hand, we can continue to suggest how our stasis strategies can be useful as lenses to turn back on our own pedagogy.

Another possibility:
based on a pattern we see in our own responses, each write (but kind of collaborate behind the scenes) an article elucidating one of our stasis strategy/point categories further. Basically, develop the theory of how each of these reflective positions in the classroom works, what benefits it affords, what its pitfalls might be.

Repertoire seems a little broad still and less defined than I would like it to be.

Defining our current "frame experiment"

As we dive back into our Reflections article it seems like a good idea to pause and discuss how our research itself fits the descriptions of critically reflective practice given in the article.

For example, as part of our illustration of Shon's 'frame experiment' we say,

" The effective professional begins by noticing a dilemma, framing what he or she will con-
sider as part of the new situation (and thereby eliminating some factors),
drawing on previous knowledge and theories while adapting them to address
the newness of the situation, and testing the new knowledge in action." (155)

and later:

"We conduct research both because frame experiments did not work effectively, leaving some 'messes' to
manage (Schön, The Reflective18) that are more complex than can be addressed as we work in the
classroom or community setting, or because we hope to articulate what hap-
pened in our successful frame experiments so that others might also use our knowledge.
Reflection to develop new knowledge in and after the moment,
followed by action, combine to form a complete reflective practice." (155-56)

Within that context, how would we explain (1) the nature of our "frame experiment" and (2) the purposes of our research?

Let's get that conversation onto this blog--ideally in a more precise way than we've used during the shorthand of our e-chats.

And let's discuss it in terms of our own teaching as well as in terms of our collaborative research agenda.