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Coursework Reflections
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| General Culture |
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EDUC 805 Leadership Seminar |
Leadership Seminar was the first class that I took as a doctoral student in the education program. The course looked at multiple styles of leadership moving from Machievelli's authoritative stance through systems theory and ending with Margaret Wheatley's view of the interconnectedness of the environment and its people. Although I had not previously been interested in the subject of leadership, I found the discussions in this course to be not only thought-provoking, but relative to just about all aspects of my daily life. As part of the course, I was profoundly moved by three books, Howard Gardner's Leading Minds, Margaret Wheatley's Finding Our Way, and Peter Senge's Fifth Discipline. In their own way, each of these books demonstrated the importance of fostering your own leadership qualities in all types of life situations. By reading each of these books, I realized that at this time in my life, I subscribe to systems theory and would prefer to have the role of indirect leader. The papers assigned by Dr. Galluzzo helped me to understand how being an indirect leader is currently part of my life as a school psychologist and as a doctoral student. |
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EDUC 800 Ways of Knowing |
Ways
of Knowing was an informative but challenging class that showed me just
a small cross-section of the many ways that individuals come to
understand their environment. The readings for this class sampled
many great thinkers including Decartes, Bruner, and Khun.
Two highlights of the course for me were reading Vera
John-Steiner's book Creative Collaboration,
and finally learning a basic understanding of quantum theory after
dropping out of physics as an undergraduate. It was during
the knowing project in this course that I began to assemble the basic
idea of a topic for dissertation study looking at the use of literacy
to build community and motivation in classrooms for young children.
As part of my project, I read Sullivan's Art Practice as Research: Inquiry into the Visual Arts. Not
only was this the first time that I had read a textbook for personal
enjoyment, but it was also the first textbook I had read that began to
help me piece together my interests in the arts, literacy, and young
children. Sullivan's approach to viewing visual information as a
form of language was a novel concept that I hope to study more about in
later courses. Ways of Knowing required participation in groupwork, and in this particular class that was not always a simple task. Although there were differences in my group, we were able to work together over the semester to put together a film review based on the movie Pride and Prejudice. My portion of the review looked at the way costumes provide an understanding of class and gender from the 1800's. While it was difficult in this course to address many ways of knowing in so short of a time, I have already noticed many connections in my readings and experiences that I would not have made without participating in this class. |
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EDUC 802 Doctoral Seminar Dr. Anastasia Samaras |
Doctoral seminar is a beginning doctoral course that introduces students to the research interests of the George Mason Education faculty. "Connect the Docs," the name for the class that one of my peers coined during the spring semester, also gives students and opportunity to hear about the professional and personal journeys of the faculty and look for common themes between their experiences. After listening to the presentations, I identified ten critical elements from the talks that I saw as the building blocks for my own professional foundation.
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EDIT 772 Electronic Portfolio |
Electronic Portfolio was an extremely helpful class for getting me ready for my first portfolio review. Not being a person who is very comfortable with technology, it was beneficial to have the one-to-one help with learning the ropes of making a webpage. Although my portfolio will continue to need lots of updating as I continue in the program, I was very glad to have the class to learn the basics. |
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| Research Methodology |
| EDRD 810 Problems and Methods in Education Research Fall 2006 Instructor: Dr. Margo Mastropieri |
EDUC 810 was an introductory course in
research methods in education. Having taken several graduate level
statistics classes years ago, this course was a wonderful refresher.
Two of the highlights of the course were the opportunity to hear
Sandy Sanford speak about the Human Subjects process and meeting with
Sarah Sheehan the education librarian to learn about library resources
at GMU. I found the overview of qualitative methods to be very
helpful for my continued work with the Mason self-study research group.
Dr. Mastropieri was very supportive of each of the students and
provided us with great opportunities to learn about the research
resources available at GMU and in the Washington, D.C. area. |
| EDRD 811 Quantitative Methods in Educational Research Spring 2007 Instructor: Dr. Dimiter Dimitrov |
Quantitative Methods was a challenging course that provided an opportunity to develop a more in-depth understanding of research methods. Unlike quantitative statistics courses I have had in the past, Dr. Dimitrov's focus was on having his students understand not only the calculations but also the meaning behind the numbers. Having this course from 7:20 to 10 was a challenge, however, because we were usually beginning new information around 9:30 and I often had a hard time that late trying to focus on the technical explanations. The most helpful part of the course was the study sessions that Dr. Dimitrov volunteered to run on the weekends before exams. It seemed for me, these sessions were the time that I was able to get the information to "click" and I was able to understand the statistics in a practical manner that applied to "real-world" applications. I felt that Dr. Dimitrov's explanations of SPSS were especially beneficial to my understanding of methods sections in the many research articles I have read for class and at work. |
| EDRS 812 Qualitative Methods in Educational Research Spring 2007 Instructor: Dr. Earle Reybold |
EDRS 812 was my first course devoted to exploring a wide variety of qualitative research methods. Dr. Reybold provided us with a comprehensive reading list that gave multiple perspectives on the history and use of qualitative methods as well as examples of research articles using each of the major methods. As part of the course, we were required to complete three process papers that would eventually make-up part of a final research paper. For my project, I decided first that I was going to interview a selection of individuals who had exposure to the Ghanian school system, for example parents of some of the children in my school, professors working with an international literacy project, to gather information regarding their perspectives on family and community involvment in literacy education in Ghana. I submitted the proposal to HSRB and was ready to go when two problems occured. First, HSRB rejected the proposal asking for information that I could not gather before the due date of the project, and second, my trip to Ghana to work with elementary teachers was cancelled. In a pinch, I decided to reframe my work to focus on an idea I was interested in for dissertation. I interviewed teachers in my own school regarding their perceptions of family involvement in teaching children pre-literacy skills. I asked about their views on families, their familiarity with culturally-responsive teaching practices, and their knowledge of community resources. Although I was unable to submit the project for HSRB approval, it did provide me with valuable information regarding teacher and family relationships and it gave me an opportunity to expand on my very limited knowledge of grounded theory methodology. From the project I learned that the most challenging aspects for me when developing my proposal will be developing interview questions and completing the axial coding for themes. During the project I had difficulties in both of these areas with accounting for extraneous information and I hope to become better at these processes in EDRS 822. |
| EDRS 822 Advanced Methods in Qualitative Research Fall 2008 Instructor: Dr. Earle Reybold |
In the Fall semester of 2008, I enrolled in the last formal class of my coursework, EDRS 822. After spending the summer completing theoretical readings, I was anxious to incorporate what I had learned into a new and improved plan for my potential dissertation proposal. With only four people in the class, Dr. Reybold encouraged each of us to do just that...use our module papers to investigate aspects of proposal planning. The course was heavy on reading but allowed us to focus on the methods we intended to use in our own research. I spent the most time on the readings for ethnography and grounded theory, but found that our main textbook, Patton's Qualitative Research and Evaluation Methods, was an excellent resource on aspects such as developing research questions, designing quality research studies, and for understanding how to choose the most appropriate methods based on your questions and perspectives. I used my class project from 812 as a skeleton of my new and expanded proposal . I felt that the module papers gave me the opportunity to elaborate on some of the information that had been touched on in 812 like understanding quality research and knowing how to reference relevant literature for the methodology section of my paper. I would like to have been given more time working on the coding and interpretation piece, however without actually working on a research project at the time, it was difficult to know which questions I needed to ask about the process. After taking this course, I feel like I have the background needed to start the more in-depth reading on grounded theory that I will be doing as I write my proposal and dissertation. |
| Literacy |
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EDUC 797 Research in Writing |
This course was my first literacy class at George Mason. Using the Handbook of Writing Research, Dr. Sturtevant provided us a an overview of the history and current practices used in writing education. The connections between oral language, reading, and writing were heavily discussed through group interactions, as were the implications of teaching writing to diverse students. As a final project of the course, each student was required to write an article for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. I chose the topic of working with students from poverty for my paper geared to a school psychologist audience. Writing this paper was more difficult than I imagined, however working with Dr. Sturtevant helped me to identify stereotypes I had evoked with language I used in my writing. She also alerted me to several great resources for working with students from poverty that I have since contacted for materials for use in my own school buildings. This course was the first time that I had ever focused on writing as its own form of literacy and it was very interesting to see explanations for things I see in children's writing on a daily basis as a school psychologist. |
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| EDRD 830 Foundations of Literacy Education: Birth to Later Childhood Fall 2006 Instructor: Dr. Steve White |
EDRD 830 examined the research related to literacy development in young children. Although not always easy to read, the articles assigned in this course were an important overview of both historical and recent research related to topics such as phonics and language development, emergent literacy, instructional influences, sociocultural influences, and family literacy. It was during this class that I discovered the fields of emergent and family literacy and realized that they were where I wanted to focus my study in the program. The hands-on, interactive presentation of the information in this course helped me to synthesize what I was learning and connect it to what I knew about literacy from my professional practice. In fact, I used the final paper in this course to begin my literature review in the fields of emergent and family literacy. |
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| EDRD 829 Advanced Foundations of Literacy Education Summer 2007 Instructor: Dr. Betty Sturtevant |
I completed EDRD 829 in the summer of 2007. This course was designed to be taken as the initial course in the literacy track, however only one student in the course was taking it during her first semester. The remainder of the students were in either their second or third year of study and had taken at least one other literacy course. Because of this, I believe the discussions in this course were enhanced by the knowledge and experience of the class members. Each member had a very different area of focus in the field, which allowed for other classmates to see literacy instruction from a variety view. I think it was beneficial for me to take this course at the same time as my independent study and internship because I was able to use the final paper to synthesis what I knew about family literacy programs with intergenerational family members from urban settings. |
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| EDUC 897 Independent Study: Young Adult Multicultural Literature Summer 2007 Instructor: Dr. Kristy Dunlap |
When I was browsing through the course offering for the summer of 2007, I noticed the title of a class called Young Adult Multicultural Literature. Since as a psychologist I work with students in late elementary school, I thought this could be an opportunity to become familiar with books I could use with students in my schools. I especially was interested in looking at literature that would be appropriate for the in-between grades of 5th and 6th, who don't really respond to picture books but are often too immature for the topics discussed in some young adult novels. The class did not disappoint, and I had the "stressful" summer task of reading 25 young adult books. I was amazed to find that as soon as I began reading, I was engaged in conversations at work and at internship about several of the books I had chosen. I felt like I had been opened up to a whole new world of adolescent literature that I had only generally knew existed. In addition to reading the required number of books and completing assignments for the course, I also was the guest lecturer for the class on the topic of multicultural literature and I completed a grant application to start an intergenerational reading club with 5th grade girls at one of my schools. The application is currently still pending, but I am hoping to secure some funding to help expose the students to diverse literature with strong female characters. |
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| EDUC 994 Advanced Internship in Education Summer 2007 Instructor: Dr. Steve White |
During the summer of 2007, I
completed my internship with Teaching for Change, a non-profit
organization in Washington, D.C. that supports an intergenerational
family literacy program with D.C. public schools. To best reflect
on this experience, I refer the reader to the link to the self-study
project I completed as the final paper for this course. That
paper best reflects my experiences with the organization and highlights
how the internship has impacted my practice and future goals. |
| EDRD 831 Foundations in Literacy Education- Adolescent to Adult Fall 2007 Instructor: Dr. Bill Brozo |
In the Fall semester of 2007, I completed one of the literacy core classes, EDRD 831. The course primarily focused on the theory and pedagogy of adolescent literacy, however we were given the opportunity to expand on adult literacy issues in our class assignments. The most interesting aspect of the course was learning about the idea of "new literacies." This refers to the use of modalitities like computer programs or song lyrics to involve students in the reading and writing process. The concept advocates using these alternative forms as a way to involve students in their own education by using modalities that they are familiar with outside of school to help connect literacy to their daily lives. While I have to admit that I am old-school and still think that students should be exposed to the classics, I believe that incorporating new ways to engage students in literacy is something that we as educators cannot ignore, especially in the age of the computer and I-Pod. For my book review in the course, I read School's Out: Bridging Out of School Literacies with Classroom Practice edited by Hull and Schultz. This was a very interesting compliation of research that looked at the influence of family and community on the development of literacy practices. Although my focus is early childhood, I was able to make connections to my work from the chapters focusing on school-aged children. I also enjoyed reading about adult perspectives, since one of the larger components of family literacy programs is literacy education for adults. |
| EDRD 832 Seminar in Emerging Trends and Issues in Literacy Spring 2008 Instructor: Dr. Julie Kidd |
In the Spring of 2008, I completed the Trends and Issues seminar course with Dr. Julie Kidd. This was my last literacy core class and I enjoyed the intense conversations that we were able to have in this small group setting. I decided to move away from my traditional family literacy topics for this couse and planned to focus my work on family and community literacy involvement in the international community, primarily Ghana, in preparation for my upcoming teacher training trip there in June. Unfortunately as stated in my 822 post, the trip was unexpectedly cancelled in May. I felt that I still benefitted from the paper because I had the opportunity to delve into the literacy programing of Ghana and was given a view of a system very different than that of the U.S., particularly for female students. The lectures in the course were very timely and each student was given the chance to be responsible for leading the lecture/discussion on one of the current topics in literacy. Several students were interested in content-area writing, which was a new area for me, and one I am glad I know more about. The one downside of the course was learning that family literacy was on the "cold" side of the annual "Hot and Cold" list from the National Reading Conference, but I wasn't too surprised by this fact. I was happy to learn that in a follow-up to the list, many literacy professionals felt that family literacy was an area that was important and deserved more research. Since I am not looking for funding, it seems like I have a good chance to provide some new information in the field with my dissertation! |
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| Education of Young Diverse Learners |
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EDUC 895 Self-Study for Teacher Educators |
Self-study for teacher educators was best described for me as an experiental learning environment rather than a class. Six education students took the plunge in the spring of 2006 and joined a class that was a bit of a mystery. What is self-study, we wanted to know? Soon we were to learn that there is no definitive answer and that the beauty of self-study lies in its ambiguity. Together with our critical friends, we each embarked on a journey to examine our own education practices as well as the ways our prior experiences have impacted the way we view the world. This was one of the most challenging courses I have ever taken as a student. It forced me to look outside of my comfort zone and examine the very premises that have led me to be an educator, though art, writing, drama, and critique. I would highly recommend it to any educator and student who is willing to think "outside of the box" to improve their practice. |
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| EDUC 874 The Achievement Gap Spring 2007 Instructor: Dr. Nicola Williams |
The Achievement Gap was one of my favorite courses at GMU. My fellow students and I were challenged to put aside what we thought we knew about the Gap in order to form new or more refined opinions based on historical and recent research. The books Bridging the Achievement Gap, Young, Gifted and Black, and Class and Schools gave me thought-provoking material regarding the impact of "research-based" programs on the achievement of low-performing students from low income and minority backgrounds. One disheartening factor from the books was the fact that in order for most of the programs discussed to work, it required that teachers work long hours and spend much of their free time focused on the learning of their students. Many of the teachers interviewed were young, single people and because of this I worry about the potential burn-out rate and also the impact that marriage or a partnership would have on these educators ability to to continue to run the programs. I felt like it would be very difficult to institute one of the programs in its true form in any of my schools because of the time commitment. One a more positive note, the class made me look at my own stereotypes regarding the achievement gap and who it affects. It also gave me an opportunity to use the final paper to investigate the preschool programs available in my state to students coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. |
| EDUC 895 Current Research and Trends in the Early Education of Diverse Learners Fall 2007 Instructor: Dr. Susan Burns |
EDUC 895 was a course that pushed my limits and required me to take a critical view of what influences the way that I view and practice early, special, and multicultural education. I began this course only knowing one other person, quite a change from my small literacy classes where I knew everyone. I also was the farthest along in my program in this class as most of the other students were early childhood students taking their first doctoral course. Because of this I often became frustrated with the amount of time we had to spend in class answering questions about assignments and going over the writing process. That aside, I found the discussions with the diverse group of professionals to be challenging and benefical to my growth as an educator and researcher. More than one of the individuals in the class was the parent of a child with disabilities or had a disability themselves and I often found myself feeling defensive when they described their negative experiences with schools. It was a strange mix of feeling responsible for their problems and wanting to defend why the schools made the choices they did. The few times early on that I commented in class, I felt attacked by my peers and this initially skewed my perception of the class. As the course continued, however, I began to be more open to hearing the experiences of other members and felt as though I could contribute to the discussion. When several members of the class commented positively on the article I had chosen to present to the group, I felt like I had grown personally and professionally from the first few weeks of class. One of the most poignent of my experiences was our final class when we had dinner at the home of one of the students. It was here in our after dinner conversation that I was able to engage in a very meaningful conversation with the group about the factor of race in education and what it meant for me as a white woman to be working for social justice issues in the field. While this was certainly not the easiest course I participated in while at GMU, it was beyond a doubt one that enabled me to meet a group of individuals I would not otherwise have known and through these interactions allowed me to grow personally and professionally in ways I had not imagined. |
| EDUC 897 Independent Study: Theoretical Readings on Multicultural and Literacy Education for Children Summer 2008 Instructor: Dr. Steve White |
In the summer of 2008, I participated in an independent study with Dr. White that examined the following four theoretical readings on literacy and multicultural education: The Secret of Childhood, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Funds of Knowledge, and Culturally Responsive Teaching. Each of these works had been referenced repeatedly in family literacy articles and I wanted the chance to read and analyze these works more closely in order to better understand how they would, if at all, influence my own research. The most difficult part of this independent study was being able to move from a micro view of my topic to a macro view that situated the works from an education theory, but not family literacy perspective. Process papers for each of the works helped me to look at each book from the board view of its impact on education. My culminating project allowed me to compare and contrast how each of the works examined the impact of children's funds of knowledge on learning in both the home and school environments. |