Other peoples' proposals (OPP)--I'm down with it :)

I would like to thank Joshua and Elizabeth for sharing their work and coming in.  I am so glad to see these proposals and hear about their research.  Thanks for having them.

 

After reading Elizabeth’s proposal, I am wondering why she chose to take ENG 462 J.  Her proposal is clearly written.  It flows well, her knowledge and voice come through her piece without overpowering it—she is a fabulous writer.  That is not the question I wanted to ask her, of course.  What I was wondering were two things:  1) How was she able to gain access to such (usually guarded and private) IEP meetings? (I was a teacher, too, and I can only imagine how difficult it is to gain access to that type of setting) and 2) During her meetings, did she find many students misplaced under Special Education programs, especially students of color or non-native speakers and low SES students?  I have seen many students in my classroom that had IEPs that honestly did not need them (I taught in high school), but they had an IEP since elementary school, and just as her literature stated, it was almost as if that ‘stuck’ to them—a stigma forever attached.  If she found that, maybe that could be another avenue for research. 

 

Joshua’s proposal sparks and interest with me, in fact, we are almost looking at the same idea—I think I may use some of his references when I start writing my prospectus…I love this idea, and I have been toying with using DA as a methodology in my dissertation.  What I am looking at (for now—this may change slightly) is how pre-service ESL teachers’ perceptions impact their teaching.  Unfortunately, I have not been able to find much on pre-service ESL teachers beliefs in the United States.  There are many studies of pre-service EFL teachers in other countries, but what I found while working on my comps is that the ability to speak English is viewed differently in other countries than in the U.S.  Here, Americans ‘expect’ non-native speakers to learn and speak English very quickly and almost assimilate themselves to the culture.  In other countries, learning English can allow for better jobs and mobility.  Students are not asked to abandon their native language, but use English to enrich their lives within that space.  I am still trying to explain it, but the phrase “English Speaker” means two different things depending on the context.

As far as what I’ve been working on with ATLAS.ti, I have not been having the ease that I expected.  I have been trying to get my anchors to show in my transcript for two days now, to no avail—I am still working on it, and if I can’t get the anchors in, I will submit my one transcript that is attached to my one video today in dropbox, but I am very glad now that Ann was able to come to class, because I am not sure if I would have been much help to the class.  I am still trying, and I am not letting it discourage me.  We’re all learners here, and now is the time to take risks.