Research

The Scamp Has Academic Writer’s Block

Posted on by erranteditor

For three days not a word has been written for my dissertation. Not one. No chapter headings, no subheadings, no quotes from the abundance of research I have at my fingertips…nothing. I was supposed to spend the week working on my literature review. I’ve been working on it for a couple of weeks, and it is holding me back from the rest of my project. I have about three weeks before I need to have it done, and so far, the introduction is the only thing that is complete.

I’m not sure what it is about the literature review that has me stressing out, but I am stressing out big time. After staring at it for the last three days without really being able to see what I wrote, I decided to send it to my supervisor as is and let her rip it apart so I can put it back together. She helped me make my introduction better, so I am hoping that she can work her magic on the literature review.

The next part of the paper to be written is the methods section. Basically all I have to do is justify my project, outline the way I analyzed the two children’s stories, and justify why I chose Chato’s Kitchen and Skippyjon Jones. This should be an easy section to write. I know why I want to do this research, I know exactly how I am going to analyze the visual and written texts of the stories, and I even know why I wanted to look at these two particular books (Well, okay, one was one of my favorite books growing up, and the other one is about a spunky Siamese cat who thinks he is a chihuahua….who wouldn’t enjoy reading and analyzing that?). I’ve done my research on the design I am setting up, and should be able to knock out 3,000 words on this easy.

When I sit down at my computer though…nothing. Not one things. I keep getting distracted. I literally cannot figure out how to get the thoughts in my brain to words on the page. I have tried everything I can think of to fix this. The house is clean, my laundry is done, Kelly’s house is clean…even my car is clean. I’ve done hours of yoga, watched cat videos and even tried to write out my chapter longhand while sitting at the pool. Now, everything around me is clean and I have a good tan, but I still have a blank page.

I guess I have to go back to the research and read how other people wrote about their research designs. Maybe something will jog the academic writing part of my brain and get me back on track. I’m going to start with the article I read by Misty Sailor.

Yep. That’s her name. When I start my stripper career, I am going to borrow that name. What a perfect stripper name. Poor woman is never going to be taken seriously in the field of education. Not as long as people like me are part of the field and see her name and think of this song:

 

The Scamp and Some Edits

Posted on by erranteditor

mc-random-331

 

 

I have one week to get my literature review in some sort of order to send to my supervisor. The words are written, they just have to be worked into a coherent set of sentences that tell an awesome story of children’s literature, picture books, critical literacy, critical media studies and the use of all of those in primary school classrooms.

The problem is, every time I sit down to get something written today, I get distracted by something on the internet. I’ve already browsed my favorite fashion site looking for a dress to wear to a wedding (it’s this one in case anyone is curious http://www.modcloth.com/shop/dresses/midnight-sun-dress), stalked people on Facebook, and played two rounds of Sushi Cat.

For the last hour I have been looking into traveling and how many body parts I’d have to sell (or how many sugar daddies I would have to acquire) to make it happen.  I’m sort of attached to most of my body parts though, so I am thinking that finding an old man who would like to invest his money in something (or in this case someone) worthwhile. I’d use the money to pay off all of my loans and pay my tuition for the next couple of years, so technically I wouldn’t be spending the money on something frivolous. I’d use the money I make (assuming I can find a job) to go on adventures.

Right now I am itching for an adventure.

The Scamp and Fast Cars and Freedom

Posted on by erranteditor

When the cat’s away, the mice will play….or at least that it my motto for the next 24 hours. My mom was nice enough to accompany my dad to the mountains to do a little work on the cabin (I like to think the world revolves around me, so her choice to go was to help me out). That’s right, this girl has the house to herself until tomorrow morning. That means I don’t have to wear my headphones to listen to music while I work, I won’t be distracted by the TV, or have to hide from baseball, and the best part of being alone overnight:

I don’t have to wear pants.

…and now a quick pause for my happy dance

I wish I could say that I am spending the day lounging by the pool or laying on the couch watching TV. Instead I am locked to my desk (well, the desk I have now claimed as mine) trying to write the introduction to my dissertation. I’m about 2,000 words in, and I have to say, I think it is complete rubbish. Luckily it does not have to be a perfect little gem right now. I have to say it is nice to be able to take a break from doing research and reading other people’s writing. I’ve been reading some crap studies lately. The only good thing about that is that it gives me hope that someone will actually want to publish my work. I currently have 3,000 words written, which means I am only 12,000 from my goal. I got a little distracted today with a trip to the gym, and currently Top Gear U.K. has my attention, so it might be time to call it a day on the writing.

I am going to spend the evening trying to rearrange my room and clean it up. Right now it is full of boxes, shoes and books on teaching, and that is making it hard for me to focus. Right now, I need all the focus I can get. I have been home for about a month and have yet to settle into a normal sleep schedule, and have yet to secure gainful employment. I’m starting to feel like this:

morning-coffee-20-1

 

I know this will change…in fact, I am hoping that it changes on Thursday. I finally managed to get an interview for an instructor position at Fullerton college. Hopefully they will be dazzled by my wits and my red pen and they will hire me on the spot. I have a lot of bills to pay, and would like to have some money coming in to pay those down. My mom told me the other day that she would like me to keep living with them until I pay off my loans, but since it will be at least 10 years before that happens, I can’t see that happening. I have no desire to stay in the U.S. after I graduate…..especially when New Zealand needs English teachers and I could supplement my income by working at a place like this:

http://www.sheepworldfarm.co.nz/

Really, that would be enough to cure my wanderlust for awhile.

A Scamp and the Never Ending Outline

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I don’t like outlines. I never make them. I like to take my William Faulkneresq stream of consciousness writing style and clean it up into the pretty little gems that eventually get turned in. I will admit that several of those gems were a bit rough before the editing stage, but I have survived my entire educational career without making an outline.

The writing class that I was forced to take for the doctoral program was all about formulaic writing….and making outlines. 2 outlines per paper….yes 2. One outline for the beginning of the paper, and a reverse outline at the end of the paper to make sure that we did everything we mapped out in the first outline.

Shoot me now.

I know that I teach my little future leaders to make outlines and do whatever they can to make their drafts easy to write, but I really hate doing them myself. The only good thing about not enjoying making outlines is that I am not alone. I would have never dared say anything in class about it, but one of the guys in the program raised his hand and actually asked what the purpose of making several outlines was. I believe he is a vice principal, and probably in his late 40s, so I figure, if he hates outlines, then it is okay for me to hate them too.

I didn’t have long to sit in my hatred though. My adviser in Scotland asked me to make an outline and a timetable for my dissertation. I am a little bit behind in the writing portion of the project, but I sat for the last two days and made a very pretty (okay, it is not pretty at all, it is actually mostly bullshit) outline and sent it to her. I am still slugging through the literature review, so I think tomorrow I am going to switch gears and work on my introduction.

It will be much easier for me to expel bullshit out of my fingertips when I am writing about myself and my interest in the research. Should anyone want to know about critical literacy, and how to use it in the classroom, or feels the need to talk about children’s literature, feel free to come my direction. I’m 57 articles and 20 books in to these subjects.

I’m practically an expert.

In the meantime, I am going to channel my need for naps into going to the gym to work out. If I have to go dateless to a wedding attended by my ex-boyfriend, then I am going to make sure I look damn good.

Of course, this always gets in my way:

true-story-6

A Scamp Reviews the Literature

Posted on by erranteditor

I’ve felt like a slacker since I have been home. The first two weeks I was home I did very little research and absolutely no writing. I was starting to feel like I was behind on my deadlines, and would really have to shut myself away in the next few weeks to even think about finishing the paper on time. My mom cleaned up her office and turned it over to me and has been really great about finding things for my dad that will keep him out of the house so I now have a quiet place to work. I have read and skimmed a lot of articles, and tracked down a lot of books that still need to be looked over, but I am making great strides in my research collection. I have started to organize all of it according to subject matter, and I am kicking myself now for not having taken notes on my computer to make that process easier. It is going to take me a long time to code and organize the 50+ books and articles that I currently have notes for.

I wish I had a research assistant to do this part of the work for me.

The outline for the chapter is coming together, and I have a good 2,000 words written, but since I have yet to hear from my supervisor regarding anything related to my dissertation, I have no idea if I am even headed in the right direction. I finally got an email after 2 weeks of no response to my emails, but all she said was that she wanted to schedule a time to meet with me since I have not been contacting her…..I’m so annoyed with her and her lack of communication skills. I really hope my grade doesn’t suffer because I am not getting any help. This was one of my worries before I came home. If I was in Scotland, I could camp out in front of her office until she agreed to help me, or at least wander into the office of the director for my program and get some help (and a good story) from him.  Here, all I can do is cross my fingers and hope that she eventually emails me back.

On the bright side, Saturday is my last day of summer school for the doctoral program. The class this week went surprisingly well. I really like the people in my program, and this time we were a lot more comfortable with each other. There were lots of jokes and sarcasm, and even talk about how we were going to schedule our Saturday meetings. The downside of this program is that I will be on campus every Saturday from the end of August until 2016, and will have little to no social life outside of who brings the wine to the study group. I’m lucky that I don’t have small children and there is no one who is going to be mad at me if I am not home for dinner or can’t go to the movies on a Tuesday night, but I am still a little bit sad about the idea of losing my weekend to nothing but educational leadership lectures and readings. Soon I will be replacing my mystery novels with journals on writing instruction and community college policies, and instead of writing blog posts about getting on stage at a play about drag queens, I will be writing memos and small scale research papers about my underlying epidemiological assumptions and how best to work my viewpoint into my writings.

Last week’s class did bring about some good news. The director of the program is the one that has been running the workshops, and he asked me all about studying in Scotland and whether or not I would ever like to go abroad again. He mentioned that CSUF is working with a university in South Africa to run a program like the one I am in, and that I should meet some of the students who are going through the program (who just happen to be here right now visiting the campus) and see what they have to say about the program and living and working there. I’ve never been to South Africa, but it sounds like it might be a fun adventure. Who knows what will happen in the next three years, but I know I will be ready for another adventure.

 

and now…back to the outline. My research assistant is a cat, and besides the fact that he can’t type, or read, he is currently out and about enjoying the pleasant evening.

A Scamp and Summer School

Posted on by erranteditor

Today was the first day of my Ed.D program….I know, who wants to start school on a Saturday? I dragged my tired butt to CSUF at 8:30 this morning and got to spend the day learning how to write. I learned what a topic sentence was, how to properly use examples and evidence in my work, and what it means to write a “scholarly” piece of work. I got a lecture on how to pick the appropriate loan, and why it is important to use APA citations in my work to demonstrate my brilliance. I will now be reevaluating my teaching style and classroom activities…..since many of my lectures and activities are similar to the ones I did today, and since I wanted to gnaw my own leg off during some of the lectures, I am sure my kids want to do the same when I am in the front of the room.

As long as the day was though, it was nice to have this as a trial run for getting back into the swing of being in the classroom. While it has only been a few months since I was in the classroom, the last couple of weeks have really pulled my focus from my research and from the academic mindset. I also got some very useful tips on writing a literature review, and since that is what I am about to start making an outline for, I feel that I will be better equipped for writing that section. I have a homework assignment to do that will force me to write in a scholarly manner, and I am hoping that that little bit of writing will help me get back into the swing of my dissertation. The children’s literature has been sorely neglected for the last few days.

There is another reason that I am looking forward to getting back in the swing of school though. Lately with all of the late nights, and constant socializing with family and friends I have found myself slipping back into my old negative ways. I’m stressed, and with that has come a hostile attitude that is causing me to flip a shit in public. In the last two weeks I have been in two altercations, one of which I shoved a woman into a chair at a baseball game because she was being bitchy and wouldn’t get out of my way. I haven’t gotten arrested yet, but I do feel like I should not be allowed in public (or at least around drunk people) for a little while if I want that record to stay untarnished. I have been home long enough now that I can no longer use the “I just got back to the US” excuse to justify why I haven’t gotten anything done, or why I would rather sleep in the sun instead of sit at my desk and read articles.

Seeing as I sat in a classroom and had a lot of info thrown at me today, I think I will start the “good student” routine tomorrow.

The Scamp Negotiates Critical Literacy

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I feel like I am now an expert on critical literacy. I’ve read countless books and articles in the last month on the subject, and have pages and pages of notes in my handy dandy notebook that will help me in my paper. The problem is, I am not 100% sure that I am looking at the right sources. I have a lot of the big name theorists in the field, but a lot of their work was written more than 3 years ago. I also have the added challenge of trying to find the people that write about critical literacy as it relates to tiny humans rather than the mid sized and full sized humans that feature predominately in the research. I’ve found one book that I can access completely online (thank-you Google Books!) and I am hoping that the author of that book will be able to point me in the right direction of some other work to check out.

I’m hoping that in the next few days I can find what I need since the next deadline with my supervisor is a write-up of the research already done in the field. I don’t want to turn in a vague paper on the research that had been done in the 70s, 80s, and even early 90s. While this isn’t my first time writing a major research paper or negotiating research databases, I always worry that I am missing something or someone. The added bonus here is that the university prefers the use of British theorists, while I am much more well versed in the American ones. Because of this, I feel like I am spending a lot of extra time researching the British theorists and their work before I even start reading the book or article to make sure that I am using something substantial. While I know the second reader on my paper will not think twice about the use of Americans in my paper, I am not sure how my first reader, or the external examiner will feel. All of these little caveats to consider have really made the research part of this project a lot more stressful than my last thesis. I would talk to my supervisor about it, but she seems to be ignoring the two emails I’ve sent her. I’m just glad that one of my besties in Scotland is in on the meetings and can fill me in on anything that I may be missing.

In the meantime, I will continue to scour the interwebs for anything that I think may help me in my pursuit of convincing the world that critical literacy is an important part of book selection for primary school children, and hope that people who are actual experts in the field may be able to point me in the right direction.

As an aside, today is the two year anniversary of my first thesis being published for all the world to see. I’m not as proud of that work as I would like to be, but sometimes I still search my name in the library catalog so that I can pretend that I am a badass.

The Scamp Needs a Title

Posted on by erranteditor

Yesterday I was finally able to meet with my supervisor (which reminds me that I now need to email her again to set up another meeting for next week), and although she claims she didn’t get any of the 6 emails I sent her, she does have a really good plan of attack for me and is okay with me going home to finish my work (I’m going to rot in the in-between for lying about the seriousness of my mom’s brain tumor, but I have decided that I am okay with that). Her strategy for getting everything written and turned in on time is to give the students she is supervising homework for each week. I’m all for this as it keeps me on schedule and keeps me accountable for the work that needs to get done.

Among the first bits of homework is coming up with three possible titles for our dissertation. This one has me stumped. I know why I am choosing to undertake the research, and I am well underway with my theory and literature, but I can’t think of a title to save my life.  I figure since I can’t think of anything, maybe one of my 7 readers can. I need a title that gives a good vision of the paper that I am writing. Something catchy, but informative…something that will allow the readers to know what they are getting into so they can skip to the next paper.

Here are the details of my research:

I’m going to be using critical literacy and the concept of the language of power to examine two books, Chato’s Kitchen by Gary Soto and Skippyjon Jones in the Doghouse by Judy Schachner. I will be examining both the text and the pictures of both of these stories and discuss how the choices made in terms of language used, structure of the story and the choice of illustrations affects the way in which children view the Mexican culture. Part of the disucssion will focus on the importance of teachers critically analysing the books that they are presenting to their students, and how the right choices will help their students become strong intercultural citizens.

This was the title I used on the proposal I had to turn in, but it is crap:

Skippyjon Jones in Chato’s Kitchen: A Theoretical Study on the Importance of Portrayal of Mexican Culture in Children’s Literature

The problem with this title is that the project this title suggests is one that I would not be able to complete in a matter of months. It also lacks the info that the research is aimed at how critical literacy will help teachers when deciding what books they will teach in their classroom.

So I need to come up with some new possibilities to take to my meeting on Wednesday. I am prepared to bribe my readers into helping me, so the person who comes up with the best title will get an awesome Scottish present…..and by awesome I mean haggis flavored chips.