Teaching is a form of leadership that often teeters between administrative responsibilities and the desire to assist each student on an individual basis.As an administrator and/or professor becomes too occupied with demands of preparation, organization, grading, and research, he or she becomes less useful as a personal coach to each individual student.To try to prevent this from happening, many teachers are turning to technologies that can automate grade calculations and keep track of a student’s progress so that the teacher may be better prepared to provide helpful feedback to the student and have more time to meet with students one-on-one.
New: How can using computers during the Jury experience optimize the value of feedback for Vocal Performance students at Brigham Young University?
If you can't find a team that cares, they're not going to be able to mentor you very well. Go somewhere else.
3+1+1+?: Three committee members from the department, one from another department, and you can even put one from a random place, some expert in the field- a content expert.
Get your readers hoooked enough that they'll keep reading it.
Anne's Project
Problem: Curriculum & general content has stayed about 95% the same over the last 30 years. The textbook changes every two years. (Changes objectives, resources, common vocab, etc.)
The content for this course used to be covered with three credits, and now it's covered in two credits.
We have taken additional responsibility in covering assessment topics not adequately covered in student assessment course.
Some faculty people want to steer away from a textbook altogether
Real problem: Students are not applying the theories they learn into the classroom. Research is not informing practice.
My experience: there are principles and skills involved in applying theories. You learn the theories, but then you have to teach the specific skills by explaining them, demonstrating them (guided observation), then practicing them (evaluation with specific criteria), and testing them (real-world implementation).
As I worked on writing my proposal for my Masters Project, this class helped me in several ways:
Formulating my question. At first I started with the wrong question, and I had to change it in order to allow me to narrow down to the answer I wanted.
Writing my introduction. My introduction would've been very technical if it weren't for the instruction we received on narrowing down and creating a funnel.
Working with my committee. I was able to go around and meet with each member of my committee individually, so that when we met together, it only took us a half-hour to complete the meeting.
Some other things that helped me:
Attending another proposal defense to see how that worked.
Having a "mock" defense before it happened.
Writing notes beforehand of things I wanted to mention.
Using things I'd learned from the summer about writing proposals--including the deliverables and the objectives associated with them.
Defending my prospectus was one of my favorite experiences in the program thus far, to have three respected professors in the room worrying about me and my project and giving me suggestions for improvement, discussing things I'd already considered... it was great!
If you put the Lord first--studying the scriptures and praying--you will have a greater capacity to do the things required of you.
Leave time (20 hours?) to write your final grant report. Be aware of funding cycle for your group.
Finding and hiring people is the hardest part.
AuditsIRS Audits will happen. Keep affairs in order. Keep track of hours spent and what you did during your time. Submit as you go along and keep communication honest and up-to-date.
Track your trails, how you got to where you are.
Nari's Presentation
Knew that there were things she didn't address, so she addressed them right up front--clarified what it was she was and wasn't doing.
Met with them each individually, brought them the two-page deal.
Under deadlines, but didn't want to do a bad project because of that.
Wanted to demonstrate, "I know what I'm doing. I've got a plan."
Be aggressive with yourself in getting the proposal submitted. If you don't build that tree, then you think you're there and you're not.
Guided Missle System - commuted from San Diego. Learned that all SME's aren't. "It turns out taht even the people who were the senior maintenance people on the system didn't have a full understanding of how the system worked." Be bold. Our tendency was to change the project to fit what they knew. We asked for someone new. The second person was not a real SME. Second SME was not and SME either. Then they found Mr. Cooper!! Project was supposed to be over in 6-8 mo. Created the trouble-shooting text ''ultra-fast." On-time, below budget, took materials to DARPA. Mis-perceived what they wanted; they wanted a simulation, not a training. How little people communicate when they think they are communicating, in a design world. Sometimes client doesn't know what they want, but then they describe something and when you create it, it's different than what they wanted. Make sure you understand your client thoroughly, and make sure you stay with your client. Make sure your SMEs are SMEs, and when you find that they're not, get rid of them early. We discovered on the job that verbal text is best way to instruct. Have to consider nature of content separately from natrure of anything and design "out of a box." Representation is different from the controls, strategy, etc.
Flight Evaluator - Scope Creep. NW Airlines, study for Aerospace Studies. North Dakota- all they have is sky, so they had plenty of space for teaching people to fly! They wanted some cool things to show off. We had a vision that out-did our software capabilities. The program became so big that it would only fit on one computer, and there was no way of transferring it. We didn't understand how to temper our design tools. Financially taxing. Two weeks later we came up with a prototype. Show something sooner. You have to know in advance the scope within which you are designing, what the edge of your resources are with the "gee whiz." You can build a house with a hammer, or you can build it with an air gun, and the guy who uses the air gun will probably get it done faster. We were able to bring the cost down by an order of magnitude each time.
MD-80 Flight Guidance System. Another system for TWA. The environment in which we were working changed. Video disk wiht grahical, new operating system, new graphipng system. Otherwise, everything else was stable. We were overtaken with versioning within our own company. During a project, you can get overtaken easily by a new version of software. Have to understand everyone on your team. One of the reasons that you want to be knowledgeable in advance is to understand where your team is. Programmers, Artists- the moment you start talking with them, they start thinking of what they want and how they would be doing it. Sometimes they don't know what the instructional method is, and if they knew, they'd do something much differently. Many people do not understand.
SMEs and scheduling conflicts. Companies do not send the best workers to move to a place. Used pet shop- What they'll send you is the used pets. Learn as much as you can about them, and learn early when you need to make a change.
Get to the heart of the other person's subject matter as quickly as possible is a skill to be learned. There are different kinds of subject matter. You can do a task analysis when you know the subject matter. You have to develop, as an INstructional Designer, a sense of knowledge that's different from other concepts of knowledge. YOu have to understand knowledge structurally.
Joe Anderson, Kittornger (Act * - If, Then rules; WMEs)
David Johnson - task analysis methodologies
We have been so flat in our dealing with knowledge, it's a scandal. We continue not to be interested in what kinds of knowledge are there.
Subject Matter Experts, keeping on schedule: There is a feeling among designers and people. There will develop within your team a feeling that there is one right way to do this, and everyone will start fighting for their own way. You have to avoid that. In design, there are always a multitude of right answers. Optimization is a dream, a fantasy. What you're looking for as a designer is a design that satisfies the customer. Debate about how to refill a paper machine, held up progress for three weeks. You have to watch people thinking they're right getting in the way. You have to be open to lots of ideas and develop a spirit among your team like IDEO. You have to develop that kind of culture. (*This is what I want to cultivate in my team, in my design, and in my home.*)
As we sang the opening hymn this morning in IP&T 682, I looked around the class and realized that this amazing experience--being counted as equals among this group of enlightened adults all trying to learn from an expert we trust and respect--will come to an end. I foresee a time in which I will look back at these days with great fondness as I remember the individuals in this class and what they have each taught me from their comments, personalities, and examples.
Communicating with Customers
Not communicating with your customers, the more problems can come about. Our customers are not necessarily the people we're contracted with; they may also be professors or the end users of the project.
The person you expect to be the Subject Matter Expert (SME) will often take the longest.
Mosiah 4:30- Watch yourselves and continue in the faith of what ye have heard
Summary of Crucial Conversations - Have to watch yourself and what you're doing based on your thoughts, words, emotions. The key is to observe the commandments of God, which teach people to be kind, forgiving, loving. Consider what the Savior would do.
In project management, when the CEO comes in with a vision, sometimes they don't keep "beating the drum" or setting everyone's thoughts on that goal.
I think measurement and feedback are the ways to accomplish this scripture.
'watch yourselves, and your thoughts' = Metacognition - think about what you're thinking!
Murder in the Cathedral- To be a martyr- "The last temptation is the greatest treason, to do the right thing for the wrong reason."
The Netflix Culture
A good work environment: stunning coworkers
"Adequate performance gets a generous severance package."
Give a generous severance now to make a place for someone else who could do a better job!
Measuring effectiveness over effort? We all have a different end to fulfill, but we are all capable of achieving it. We're all capable of improvement.
Perhaps part of being a good project manager is allowing group members the opportunity to make and fulfill individual goals.
Research Questions in a Thesis
Make the question so small that the faculty won't accept it as a significant contribution.
THEN cut it in half.
Effective model and key principles for distance learning in higher education? (This could have been two studies.) - Don't use "and"s in questions because there are really more questions in the one.
- No yes/no questions.
- Cannot offer universal answers.
Customers of a Thesis
Immediate customer is your committee
The field is your primary audience. But you can't get to them without pleasing your committe. Find efficient ways to communicate with them. (For example, instead of printing out your entire dissertation, make changes with Change Tracking and then print it out so they can view it again.)
Social learning - current, or for the future? The best market right now is for homeschool. People are desperate for tools for Home school. People are fed up with the things universities AREN'T doing. Do ask, "How do I help a student?" and to actually mean it is rare among universities.
We're moving towards a more social world right now
Global education- some homeschoolers go travel the world every year. You come back a changed person.
Changes for Institutions today- after-school programs, e-portfolios, undergraduate education: more traveling students/faculty
World of Warcraft
Virtual spaces
Social spaces (facebook)
joint collective agency- Building something together (not just talking together, like in facebook), doing joint work. A shared practice with a tacit knowledge component to it
MMOGs develop long-term relationships through networks and communities of practice, which develop over long periods of time.
"To see the value of games don't just look at the core of the game but pay close attention to the 'social life' on the edge of the game...a knowledge economy. "
You have to build guilds, bring groups of people from guild together to build raid teams. So much of this game is changing so fast that you have to change the structures to facilitate how you learn.
10,000 new entries made in one night- new ideas, new videos, new ways to play certain things, new ways to manipulate spells, etc.
Layering of Information Management
Intra-guild communication
Guild-to-Guild communication
Dissemination and "bragging rights"
Dashboards - What are the tools kids create for themselves in order to accelerate their ability to learn?
360 Review- Leaders of the raid get evaluated exactly like everybody else and rendered immediately public to everybody else.
Gamers want to be measured- they want to know that they are learning. They want to be in charge of crafting how they are measured.
Game designers think it's all because of graphics, when the kids don't even notice the graphics; they play for the personally-constructed dashboards!
EXPONENTIAL LEARNING
Networks of imagination - a suspended belief that they are ONE! When in joint activity/shared practice, feel more unified. *Huh... is this good or bad?
Networks of Practice + Communities of Interest --> ACTION = Networked Imagination.
Gamer "Dispositional stance"- You have to discover the resources you need before you can do the things you need to do. *Isn't that what Heavenly Father lets us do? He lets us find those things. They often assume full leadership, even finding the resources you need.
Google- Made that the corporate stance- take 20% of time to work on your own projects that could belong to Google. If you can convince other people to join your effort (they can try you out for a little bit), then it is the responsibility of your boss to facilitate the poacher. This has directed Google to being a talent-driven company.
Currently researching how students start to craft their own outcomes. "How do I let students craft the tools they want to play the game?"
What's the key to doing cooler stuff? "Obsessable"- ability to get obsessed with it.
Only 23% of workers report working at their full potential
The Leadership Skill
What results do you want that you're not getting?
What crucial conversation is not being held or not being held well that perpetuates your problem?
We construct stories/accusations that ellicit emotional responses. "What you can't communicate runs your life." - Dr. Robert Anthony
If there's an issue you're not dealing with, it will run your life.
Don't trade the possibility of an uncomfortable conversation for the certainty of bad relationships and results.
When you feel threatened, there are some chemical processes that kick in, and blood is diminished from your brain and rushes to your muscles to fight or run.
Start with the Heart - Be introspective when applying the message.
Learn to Look - Make it safe: Mutual Purpose, Mutual Respect
Motives that kill dialogue - artificial stability!
Save face
Look good
Keep the peace
Avoid conflict
Win
Be right
Punish
Law of the Hog- if you're trying to solve the problem through external means (guards, cameras, punishment) you're never going to solve the problem!
The sooner you get back into dialogue, the lower the costs.
People never become defensive about what you're saying; people become defensive because of why they think you're saying it.
Christmas deocrations story: Husband thought his wife was the Christmas Nazi. One day he woke up and thought, "I really don't care what happens today, I just want my wife to be happy." He came home, took care of the kids, when the wife got back, she was surprised. When he asked about helping with Christmas stuff, she said, "We don't really need to do that right now."
If each person wakes up every morning with an anxious concern for the other, then it works out pretty well. It's reciprocal. - Pres. Hinckley
Notes from meeting with Doctoral Student Brian Monson from the University of Arizona. Finding the Idea
Keep a lab notebook
Look for opportunities for exposure to what is a hot topic in your field
Find an area in which you can fill a gap in the research somewhere and that will allow you to answer a pertinent Question
Grantsmanship
Find out who's on the study section for the grant review (it's online)
Do a literature search on their name(s)
Address something related to what they're doing
Cite them in your grant proposal
If there is someone you're afraid of being on the review committee for your proposal, send your proposal to them in advance and ask them to review it. Then they cannot be permitted to review your proposal.
Write to the people who are reading it. They are people. Make it meaningful and interesting.
Feasibility Study
Preliminary work with a small sample to make sure the project is feasible.
Demonstrates good potential for overall project success.
Makes you think through the whole process.
IRB
Get IRB approval any time you think you might publish an article on your study/project.
Power or influence ought to be maintained by persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and love unfeigned.
Love is a great motivating force, perhaps in any setting.
Persuasion takes time, patience and communication. We should be prepared to take measures to make each of those a priority when working in our research groups, committees, and in any collaboration.
Sometimes we have to acknowledge that our ideas may not be the best ideas. We have to be open to new ideas.
Graduate either seeks a faculty member to assist or faculty member seeks graduate student to assist.
Seed moneys motivate students and faculty to work together.
Submitted Proposal- Fastlane-beta.nsf.gov - Parts of a Proposal
Cover Sheet
Table of Contents
References Cited
Budget
Facilities (Here are they kinds of facilities available to us...)
Principal Investigator (PI) / CoPI Info (To be listed, they have to be put into the system)
Suggested Reviewers (Optional-- sometimes self-serving; Can help to eliminate potential reviewers--Send it to the person you don't want to review it, and they're off the reviewers list!)
Print Entire Proposal
Project Summary
Project Description
Bio Sketch
Current and Pending
Supplementary Docs (Partnerships, sub-contractors, letter from them)
Deviation Authorization
Additional Single Copy Documents
It's discouraged to send the proposal to other places at the same time.
In general, BYU does a lot for the school and makes research a prominent goal.
Matt. 5:18 - "For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled."
There is a long process for grant applications, so we need to make it all legal and in order.
Coordinating with Research Office
Federal Registry: Any action that happens must be recorded in the federal registry; any grant application, etc. Hence, it is the most accurate source of information, because it is the most inclusive. grants.gov is searchable, based on Agency, application no., keyword searches, etc. "It is the primary source of going."
If you want to work with nsf.gov or nih, look at their own websites/search engines.
BYU School of Education Grant Committee - 3 individuals with ten years of experience (one of them being Aaron Pompham), Roxanna Johnson (editor of McKay Today Magazine, handles PR for the college), Tiffany Hall (Professional Development instructor for Center for Instruction ... CITES). They are certified grant professionals (American Association of Grant Professionals). 8-hour exam for certification. Roxanne and Tiffany focus more on promoting evidence; Aaron focuses more on Administration levels of a project, making sure that you follow all cost principles that govern the grants.
50% cost goes to Facilities and Administration at BYU (on-campus). Off-campus (doing research outside of campus for more than 140 days), you can use a lower F&A rate (28%)
"Modified F & A" : Of all categories of items in a budget--Personnel, Benefits , Capital Equipment (>$5,000), Supplies (<$5,000, includes utilities), Travel, Stipend (includes training), Contractual, F&A (the first thing BYU Administration looks at)--BYU only takes F&A on first $25,000 of all contractual work. This allows for less of F&A cost applied to the grant. No F&A on Stipend.
Nowadays, you are expected, as a faculty member, to have brought in a lot of money to the school through your research grants.
The Budget is where the Administration comes in, on College and Department level. 9/10 times, it's right in-line with their research agenda.
BYU does not allow students to interact with the agencies and try to handle all the paperwork themselves. BYU's policy is total ownership of faculty grants.
"they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." If you covet after money, it will only bring you sorrow.
Money does not bring happiness.
We look for grant money because you have a purpose in mind and you can't do it without the help of someone else. For some people, however, it's a game.
Went over how to use Word 2007 to put in headers, etc.
Use headers in your documents, because it will make life easier.
Use Word 2007 because it will make your life easier.
An Equation Builder in Word sometimes makes transferring to a PDF problematic. If this happens, feel free to bring in the document to the Media Center.
In Word 2003, use Task Pane and Outlining toolbars to get formatting correct.
We also went over using PDFs:
When you make a quick and simple PDF, the headings will automatically nest the different sections within the document. (Wow!)
To make a new bookmark in the PDF biew, you can just click on the bookmark with the gold star icon in the Bookmarks tab and then you can move it around by holding the mouse and clicking up. You can move it up/down as well as left/right.
File-->Properties--> set initial view
To replace a page, use Pages tab. There you can go to options menu to replace a page.
You can add a link in Word (using Hyperlinks) and it will work in PDFs.
Global statement: Ten years ago, the problem was big. The Problem: the future is bleak.
Stage 1: Research has been done, but we don't know why.
Stage 2:
Client, Ad Agency, and a Puppy- The Client tells the Ad Agency to create an advertisement with a puppy. The Ad Agency goes and does the photo shoot and returns the photos to the client, who says, "This is a poodle. I was thinking more of a lab."
What is "the puppy"? You have to establish early what it is what you are looking for, and what you are going to produce. Establish understanding early.
My QuestionDifferent qualities of the project:
Increasing efficiency
Forms & formats exist
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General Question/Funnel Tips
If your question isn't going to solve the answer, then you give the summary of your piece that you're contributing, then pass the baton.
You'll have to learn how to fit your proposal into the FORM-- the various constrictions behind the assignment.
When coming up with your question, cut it in half, and then cut it in half again to get to something reasonable to cover in a dissertation
Isaku's Question- What are guidelines for aggregating effective programs using OERs?
In the world of education, many understand the value of providing students with timely, individual feedback. The BYU School of Music is no exception. At the end of each semester, Vocal Performance students give a performance to a set of jurors to receive feedback on their progress. So far, this feedback has been given through scribbled notes on paper which had to be rushed so they could be completed in the ten minutes allotted to each student.However, as technology comes to play an increasing role in education, alternative methods may now be considered.The purpose of this Development Project is to digitize the Jury process to simplify the feedback process and to make feedback and scores more quickly and easily accessible to BYU Vocal Performance teachers and students.
A good question and a good introduction (and a good plan!) guide very much in the storm of the Masters Project/Proposal
Music Game
Hearing a song, at the wrong time, going to hit pause, and we have to sing the next note. (Jazz, art song, vocal jazz, classical piano, symphony)
In most cases, we stopped the music on a V7: By the time the reader gets to the end of the introduction and they come to the part where your quetsion is, they should be able to put their hand over the question and guess, with 99% accuracy, what the question is. "Of course that's what the question is!"
Duane C. Roberts, Faculty Use of Digital Technology in Teaching: Some Motivational Influences in the Adoptation Process
Bad MovieHave you ever seen a bad movie? What made it bad?
Too predictable
Trite
Didn't end "Right"
No climax
No novelty
"Yeah, right!" - not believable (an interesting topic, because what we don't believe is often a matter of what fits/what doesn't) - Twelfth Knight, Star Trek
Good Proposal Introduction
Books tend to have things like pacing, diaglogue, can be too predictable, etc. Which of these should we include in our Introductions?
Pertinent, relevant, important
Believable
Timing, pacing- world events, within the document - connection between the macro and micro; have to have emotional buy-in throughout the work! (Meter!)
Placement of tension
Urgency
Passion
The FUNNEL- making sure that when you draw the line, that the path has enough direction that you can guess the end point before arriving there. (Global, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3- most specific)
Teacher Quality - Student Achievement (Whats the implication of teacher quality being poor? Your most needy children don't learn to read. <-- data-blogger-escaped-a="a" data-blogger-escaped-backup="backup" data-blogger-escaped-before="before" data-blogger-escaped-further="further" data-blogger-escaped-going="going" data-blogger-escaped-may="may" data-blogger-escaped-need="need" data-blogger-escaped-span="span" data-blogger-escaped-statement="statement">.)
Identify factors that influence quality (reading)
Without research we don't know
What are the beliefs?
What are you passionate about specifically in this topic? In trying to create urgency, sometimes have to let down formal tone.
Dreams Come True- singer whose songs begin with the chorus
Can you begin by establishing mutual purpose and mutual respect, the writer and the reader?
The TENSION is what carries the reader through the page-turn.
If you want people to read what you produce, make it so the question is worth finding out! Create tension! (I believe students learn best with bias.)
People holding on to the old way of science- from them is taken that which they have, because their generation rejects it. New generation follows new paths, old generation withers and dies.
Critical to the process that we get to where we are going by steps
If you pray about things in your life that you need to change, the Spirit will tell me one thing. And as you act on that one thing, the Spirit can lead you in a path that takes me closer to what we're really looking for.
For our proposals- build on what has already been done, and build on it. NOT jumping five steps. Make room for the next steps.
Example: Refrigerators- first ice came from trucks. People who delivered the ice knew enough about refrigerating units- people wanted to keep stuff cold, not necessarily have ice delivered to them. Idea: Refrigerating units in everyones' homes
In IP&T, it's a full-time job just keeping up with technology. If you ever feel that you know enough, you are done, and you'll lose whatever you had before.
Hewlett Foundation - Guidelines for Grant Proposals
If an organization likes your idea, they may ask you to write a proposal, and they will give you something like this document.
Make sure everyone has read the guidelines!
Do your homework regarding other organizations studying similar things
Sample chart- create measurable outcomes--numbers! Include indicators, baselines, and targets.
Program officers- Hewlett vs. NSF- equally competent, but different ideas of what their roles are; NSF = steward of public funds, monitoring role; Hewlett = partner in research, help you with strategy, write parts of the proposal, etc.
Guidelines for Preparing a Prospectus for a Project or Dissertation
Have to manage your committee as a group of people
Write preliminary proposal, then schedule fifteen minutes with each member of your committee to explain it to them.
Then add detail and keep going with the research, so there are no surprises when you defend.
Prospectus must be signed before you start the project. It's an agreement, a contract; a guarantee that if you do all the things that you agreed to do, you will graduate.
Suggestion: Do not have two co-chairs on the same committee.
When editing document, track changes and print out the document with changes tracked
When you submit an article for review, make those revisions, but then respond in writing- use bullet points, "I addressed this this way..."
You don't want any surprises! All along the way, keep communication with your defense. You won't surprise them, and they won't surprise you.
To Create a Proposal
For Pre-Prospectus, type up the main points (2-3 pages) of the idea for research and meet with each committee member individually to discuss your idea and get that approved.
Have someone to help you write proposal (meet with them often).
Meet with each committee member to present your prospectus. Be prepared to give a 30-second spiel, then get any of their questions. Any time you can answer a question within your proposal, do so. If you can't, say, "That's a really good point. Let me see how I can address that," OR "That's really not what I'm trying to answer. That will be in the section of future studies." They can request changes that you choose not to make.
2 Nephi 28:30- Line upon line, precept upon precept; hearkening unto His precepts, and lending an ear unto His counsel leads to wisdom.
As I go through my thesis project, I will approach new ideas. If I will lend an ear unto the Lord's counsel and pray about it, I believe I can learn wisdom through this project, and learn more.
Project Proposal Example
Look carefully for requirements. No matter how hard you work on it, if it doesn't have the requirements, it's not going to help.
Watch for "must," "should," "could," and "might." Highlight them.
Find out requirements for the University before going through the Proposal.
I think it's neat how the Proposal is presented. Even before they go through the requirements, they state what the main purpose and goal of the foundation is, saying, "If you are interested in what we're interested in, let's work together." This is why it is so important to know what you're passionate about; what your interest isbefore you look into proposals.
The bullets in the outline of your proposal can come exactly from your highlighted passages of the Request For Proposals (RFP), even to the extent that if there is a citation in the Proposal, that citation should show up in your proposal as well.
When you make a phone call to the person who is directing the RFP, he or she will only be able to tell you whether or not the project is within the scope of what the sponsor is looking for.
What are the advantages and disadvantages to creating an online jury form to replace the traditional, paper jury form?
What are the pieces of the question that are spots where we could use different words? *This can also be a place to find different topics for follow-up research, for articles/journals, etc.
What are the ((advantages) and (disadvantages)) to (creating) an ((online) ((jury) (form))) to (replace) the (traditional), ((paper) ((jury) (form)))?
Replace these with other words. Substitute variables. Look at synonyms. Consider phrases/terms/etc. (especially terms with a particular history/connotation). Be careful and conscious about the politics of your word choices. Zoom in and zoom out.Remove parenthesis as you feel more certain about your word choices.
What are the ((advantages) and (disadvantages)) to (implementing) a ((computer-based) ((assessment tool))) in a context formerly dominated by hand-written assessment?
What are the design principles behind designing a computer-based assessment tool in a context formerly dominated by hand-written assessment?
What are the benefits of implementing a computer-based assessment tool in a context formerly dominated by hand-written assessment?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of analog vs. digital feedback regarding Vocal Performance at Brigham Young University?
How do you optimize the value of feedback for Vocal Performance students at Brigham Young University?
How can using technology optimize the value of feedback for Vocal Performance students at Brigham Young University?
How can using computers during the Jury experience optimize the value of feedback for Vocal Performance students at Brigham Young University?
Compare with original. Have you improved the question? Is what your going to study going to be helpful or interesting to others in the field? New: How can using computers during the Jury experience optimize the value of feedback for Vocal Performance students at Brigham Young University?
Original: What are the advantages and disadvantages to creating an online jury form to replace the traditional, paper jury form?
Trust no man to be a king over you-- worldly accredidation should and must not determine what or how we do things.
Teachers and ministers as influential as kings; kings physically (laws, labor, etc) and teachers/ministers mentally & physically (beliefs) --> I must remain free to choose to do the will of the Lord.
Working with a Partner/Committee
The Shopping Mall Test (for choosing a partner)- If walking through a mall and you see a person and they haven't seen you yet, do you go up and talk with them, or do you run the other way and hide?
Make sure you work well with the people on your committee, and make sure they work well together as well. Do your homework to know their interests.
If you change your committee, it is courteous to let the former committee members know.
Difference between a Contract and a Grant: - Contract = you do what we say. More micro-managing. - Grant = much more on trust. You get the money, do what you feel is good for the project. There are federal guidelines on how money should be spent, but overall, a grant is more flexible than a contract relationship. Also, if you do a project with a grant, and the grant provider likes your work, they will be more likely to support you in the future. - Gift = donor gives money with very few strings attached. In this case, keep them involved, and they may be able to help you in the future. Not subject to FNA.
NSF.gov - For IP&T: Crosscutting, NSF-wide, Integrative Activities, Education (EHR)--
FNA- 45% of grant goes to this organization to run paperwork, Facilities, and Administration, etc.
When a BYU student submits a Proposal for a grant, it goes through ORCA, and grant stays with the school.
Applying for these is for when there are questions you want to research that are so big, you can't do them alone.
Ether 12:27- If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient fora ll men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.
Often our passions are our weaknesses.
Weaknesses are a gift from God to help us to be humble.
As we humble ourselves and rely on the Lord, He can use our weaknesses as strengths.
Hubble Telescope Ultra Deep Field: Hubble Telescope image of an area in space that was totally black as far as we could tell, but with 11-day exposure, it came up with this image.
Alma 38:12- "Bridle all your passions that you may be filled with love." Direct my passion for something good and useful.
For research and experimentation, the question is everything.
Getting to your question:
Think of a question:
What are Pre-service special education teachers' beliefs about effective reading instruction for students with mild to moderate disabilities when they enter teacher preparation programs?
What are the pieces of the question that are spots where we could use different words? *This can also be a place to find different topics for follow-up research, for articles/journals, etc.
What are (Pre-service) (special education) (teachers') (beliefs) about (effective) (reading instruction) for students (with mild to moderate disabilities) (when they enter) (teacher preparation programs)?
Replace these with other words. Substitute variables. Look at synonyms. Consider phrases/terms/etc. (especially terms with a particular history/connotation). Be careful and consciuos about the politics of your word choices. Zoom in and zoom out.Remove parenthesis as you feel more certain about your word choices.
What are (Pre-service teachers who haven't started special education coursework) (special education) [(teachers') (beliefs)] about (effective) (reading instruction) for students (with mild to moderate disabilities) (when they enter) (teacher preparation programs)?
What are (Pre-service teachers who haven't taken their methods courses) (special education) [(teachers') (beliefs)] about (effective) (reading instruction) for students (with mild to moderate disabilities) (when they enter) (teacher preparation programs)?
What are pre-service special education teachers who haven't taken their methods courses beliefs about (effective (will need objective definition) (reading instruction) for students (with mild to moderate disabilities) (when they enter) (teacher preparation programs)?
What are pre-service special education teachers who haven't taken their methods courses beliefs about (effective (will need objective definition)) reading instruction) for students (with mild to moderate disabilities) (when they enter) (teacher preparation programs)?
What are pre-service special education teachers who haven't taken their methods courses beliefs about (effective (will need objective definition)) reading instruction for students with mild to moderate disabilities (when they enter) (teacher preparation programs)?
What are pre-service special education teachers who haven't taken their methods courses beliefs about (effective (will need objective definition)) reading instruction for students with mild to moderate disabilities?
What are pre-service special education teachers' beliefs about effective reading instruction for students with mild to moderate disabilities?
Compare with original. Have you improved the question? Is what your going to study going to be helpful or interesting to others in the field? New: What are pre-service special education teachers' beliefs about effective reading instruction for students with mild to moderate disabilities?
Original: What are Pre-service special education teachers' beliefs about effective reading instruction for students with mild to moderate disabilities when they enter teacher preparation programs?
In IP&T 682, we were challenged to blog about our passions. We were told that we could discover our passion by going through the Shower Test, which is the question of what we think about, related to IP&T, when our hands are busy but our minds are free.
For me, I've realized that due to my experiences this past summer learning about work cultures and the Carrot Culture, my mind often turns to the challenge of creating, sustaining, maintaining, and teaching a culture.
From what I've learned, our experiences lead us to certain beliefs, which in turn lead us to action, which give us desired results. So it is ultimately our personal experiences that cause us to change our actions. And what is teaching or learning, if it does not change our actions?
In a particular instance of the BYU Early Childhood Music Academy, Susan Kenney seeks to create experiences in her music classroom for 2, 3, and 4-year olds and their parents that will change the music culture of their homes. Experiences include both exploration and instruction periods, with homemade and store-bought instruments. Children are also encouraged to check out CDs of a variety of music to listen to with their families throughout the week, and are often given new musical instruments to take home for the week. The experiences there are part of a unique music culture. My questions concerning this method of instruction include:
What is the culture being taught?
What parts of the experience in the Academy can only be repeated, rather than modified, in order to maintain the culture learned within the home?
What sub-cultures have arised as a result of experiences with this music culture?
Does the music culture transfer to the home?
If so, how?
What is the main purpose/vision of this particular culture?
My thoughts of culture have an interesting connection with unity. It seems that in order to create and sustain any organization of unity, there must be an established culture in which to create experiences that will lead any member of that organization to act in a similar, distinct way. I think this might just suggest that unity comes from common experiences.
Some other complexities with this riddle include the idea that people internalize different experiences differently because of their previous experiences. This may suggest that we need to come up with a way to understand individuals' previous experiences in order to create experiences that will best express to that individual the desired culture. Though the technology to be able to do this may be way down the road, I believe it will be possible to individualize experiences so that individuals may come to a common understanding of a culture.
My mind grazes through these sorts of questions. It is important to me because I want education to be more than memorizing facts; I want it to be an experience that teaches people to make their own decisions and take initiative and authorship of their lives.
The connection between this passion and the gospel is the idea of sharing a culture of the Kingdom of God. I believe this culture is taught in sacred temples and even in our homes around the world. My questions for this culture are similar to my questions concerning the BYU Music Academy:
What is the culture being taught?
What parts of the experience in the temple can only be repeated, rather than modified, in order to maintain the culture learned within the home?
What sub-cultures have arised as a result of experiences with the temple?
Does the culture of Zion transfer to the home from the temple?
If so, how?
What is the main purpose/vision of this particular culture?
I believe that as our ability to share a culture is expanded, we can improve those processes to lead to better morals, better ethics, a happier people, and a better-informed, more unified public.
