“ Blooming and Pruning”: Connections to the First Four Years of Doctoral Life By Donna D. Hage, NBCT Portfolio Defense Marshall University Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction December 2014 Additional Information:

Introduction O First four years simultaneously intertwined O “Blooming and pruning” (Howard, 2006) O “Blooming” – connections enhanced through significant and meaningful experiences O “Pruning” – lost connections O Photovoice (Wang and Burris, 1997) – visual connections with authentic narrative research to inspire change

Educational Reform O Educational reform – cyclical and perpetual; societal movements incite shifts in education O Progressive versus traditionalist: O John Dewey – isolated, private, independent schools or affluent, large school systems (Loss and Loss, 2011; West, 1989) O Differentiating Instruction O Vocational versus college prep: Meeting needs of different classes O Stigma of career education O “greatest good for the greatest number” ProgressiveTraditionalist “whole child”Drill Problem-solving skillsDiscipline Scientific inquiryDidactic exercises Mathematical problem-solving

Philosophy to Application O Teachers as “agents of morality” (Hiatt, 1986) O Societal Constraints and Professional Identity “As a nation we are expecting teachers to become bilingual or often times multilingual, experts in special education so we could mainstream youngsters, counselors of parents, counselors of students as well as experts in humanities, social studies, fine arts, career education, and all the mandated programs, not simply math and science” (Hiatt, 1986, p. 3). O Use progressive movement and stakeholder involvement to change identity of educators and restructure curriculum planning

“ Massive Burst of Synapse Formation” O Reflection on curriculum movements and how culture and policymakers affect public education O Stakeholder involvement O Teachers in decision-making O From agents of moral dissolution (Horace Mann, 1867) to “change agents” (Fullan, 1993) O Catalysts of reforms (Tyack and Cuban, 1995): O Cultural anxieties O Perceptions of social challenges O Educational decline O Economic competition O Intent of public education: Advance the common good O Results of reform (Tyack and Cuban, 1995): O Constant cycles of change O Disillusionment O Distrust O Decline

Pre-Sputnik Educational Reform O Stop relegating professional power to policymakers O policymakers: Administrative progressives, members of professional organizations with lifelong careers in education O Elevated from uninformed politics; driving change from experience in field of education O Student attendance for longer periods of time O Differentiating instruction based upon student backgrounds O Standardizing buildings and equipment O Requiring professional qualifications for teachers O Providing social and health services O Establishing collaboration with foundations O Abolishing school boards (Tyack and Cuban, 1995)

Post-Sputnik Educational Reform O “Educationists” launched fast and furious attacks O Courts’ and legislators’ involvement in schools prevailed O Experts, teachers in the profession, need to change perception and direction of education O Teachers as “change agents” (Fullan, 1993) O Stakeholder involvement

“Men are not built in silence, but in word, in work, in action-reflection” – Paolo Freire (Pedagogy of the Oppressed, 1970)

Change Agent Connection: Photovoice O Participatory method that uses photographs and narratives to generate understanding and call attention to an issue of importance (Nykiforuk, Vallianatos, and Nieuwendyk, 2011) O Understand social constraints that drive decisions of policymakers O Influence of dominant culture: textbook content, labels assigned to students, school environment, relationships of teachers and administrators, students and community O “Culture” of teaching (Ellis, 1996): O How are the acceptable practices of teachers defined? O How do teachers negotiate pressures from outside the profession in order to maintain a professional identity? O Role of ethnographic methodologies

Connecting Dots: Qualitative Research O Practical application of the Progressive Movement and social constraints on public education O Collecting demands on teachers outside content delivery O Societal demands on teachers O “Blame” placed on profession O “Purposefully grasping” toward information on deskilling – or deprofessionalization – unrivaled in any other profession

“Comfort Item”: Topic of Dissertation O Personal philosophies rooted in transformational leadership (Burns, 1978) and path-goal theory (House, 1971) O Stakeholder involvement O Effects on school culture and the profession O Shared ways of thinking O Cultural perceptions of the profession

“Because dialogue is an encounter among men who name the world, it must not be a situation where some men name on behalf of others.” (Freire, 1970)

“Don’t Push the Red Button!” “The Candy Factory”“The Candy Factory” from I Love Lucy “The belt starts speeding up, and they end up stuffing unwrapped chocolates in their faces, hats, mouths, uniforms – anything to avoid stopping the assembly line. ‘I think we’re fighting a losing game!’ Lucy eventually cries, stuffing unwrapped chocolates in her mouth and hat to hide them from the boss (Nguyen, 2014). As a principal at the front lines of a very rush educational reform, I have felt much the same way.”

Next Steps O Explore through Photovoice these essential questions: O Within the educational community, what are the historical foundations of the profession of a teacher? O Within the non-educational community, what are the historical foundations of the profession of a teacher? O What are participants’ perceived problems in the identity of the profession? O Why do these problems exist? O How can this be changed?

Utter Frustration: IRB Brings Tears “ This was also my first experience with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process. The arduous task of submitting, resubmitting, and adding additional pieces to the IRB documentation taught me much about the processes – and the occasional utter frustration – behind research. The experience made me realize that the IRB process could consume more time than researching and writing the paper.”

Curious to Explore: Narrowing Topics “’A Survey of the Effectiveness of Block Scheduling’ represented my largest undertaking in research and my most significant sense of professional growth in scholarship. The project was related to my current role as an assistant principal, and I was curious of the effects of block scheduling on curriculum offerings, staffing, achievement, and student and teacher satisfaction.”

Fear: Considering the Subject Pool “Parents, teachers, administrators, and students – yes, students! – participated in the study over several months. A fear that I would lack an adequate pool of subject responses – or, worse, that the IRB would not approve the participation of students – plagued much of the process.”

Aggravation: Effort May Not Equal Measure “The meager pool of participants, especially in light of the effort expended, aggravated me.”

Exhilaration: Mixed Methods Process and Public Presentation “I was off and running.” Lessons learned from the process: Patience and persistence…and more patience! Exhilaration of mixed methods research Personal interviews Wide range of data collection Online survey tool with multiple factors Formal presentation for a public group outside of classmates

Evaluation: Chore for Program Success “After three years in the program, I believed I arrived at the point where I could bring a program or initiative to its full circle. I had gained much experience with a project from inception, research objectives, action steps, and literature review. However, I, along with others, often neglected evaluation – one of the most important aspects of my development as a researcher. Steeping outside of that comfort zone to evaluate (and at times criticize) my own work was particularly difficult for me. I had grown accustomed to those routine ‘home chores,’ but when asked to evaluate something I found it difficult to start from the end, to determine how a project would be evaluated BEFORE jumping into the project.”

Conclusion: Developmental Milestones O Sensory capacities awakened by exploring skills of a leader O Self-sufficiency and inter-dependency – “community” affects other communities O Voice as an advocate for social change O “Purposefully grasping” for tools and methods to incite change O Informed opinions based upon experience O Reflective practitioner

Next Steps: Journey to the Edge of the Forest “Everything I have been and done has brought me to this point. And, I am ready to move on to the next stage. ‘By the time it came to the edge of the Forest the stream had grown up, so that it was almost a river, and, being grown-up, it did not run and jump and sparkle as it used to do when it was younger, but moved more slowly. For it knew now where it was going, and it said to itself, ‘There is no hurry. We shall get there some day.’” -- Ben Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

Resources Burns, J.M, (1978), Leadership, N.Y, Harper and Row. Ellis, C. (1996). To change them forever. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press. Fullan, M. G. (1993). Why teachers must become change agents. Educational Leadership, 50(6), Freire, P. (1970) Pedagogy of the oppressed. New York: Bloomsbury Academic. Hiatt, D. B. (1986). Post-Sputnik educational reform era: To dream the impossible dream. Retrieved from Hoff, B. (1982). The tao of Pooh. New York, NY: Penguin Books. House, R. J. (1971). A path–goal theory of leadership effectiveness. Administrative Science Quarterly, (16), 321–338. Howard, J. M. (2006). The mechanism of “pruning” in the human brain. Retrieved from Loss, C. G. & Loss, C. P. (2011). Progressive education: Philosophical foundations, pedagogical progressivism, administrative progressivism, life-adjustment progressivism. Retrieved from Progressive-Education.html”>Progressive Education – Philosophical Foundations, Pedagogical Progressivism, Administrative Progressivism, Life-Adjustment Progressivism. Mann, H. (1867). Thoughts selected from the writings of Horace Mann. Boston: H.B. Fuller & Company. Nguyen, V. (2014). Happy birthday, Lucille Ball! Watch 7 funniest I Love Lucy scenes. Retrieved from parade.condenast.com/212155/viannguyen/lucille-ball-funniest-i-love-lucy-scenes/ Nykiforuk, C. I., Vallianatos, H., Nieuwendyk, L. M. (2011). Photovoice as a method of revealing community perceptions of the built and social environment. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 10(2), Tyack, D. and Cuban, L. (1995). Tinkering toward utopia: A century of public school reform. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Wang, C., & Burris, M. A. (1997). Photovoice: Concept, methodology, and use for participatory needs assessment. Health Education Behavior, 24(3) West, C. (1989). The American Evasion of Philosophy. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. Photo Credits: Donna Hage and Remember This Photography at