Category: Doctorate

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He approved!

Dr. Wiley approved of my revisions. He officially is signing off on my dissertation. Now, I think…Chapter closed. But is it? The thought of what is next frightens me a bit. However, I am remember whose approval matters: Christ’s. But the good news is that I have it.

 

It hasn’t hit home until recently. All of this work and strife, is it all worth it? It “feels” good to be accomplished because I know I have what it takes to be a disciplined person. But the vehicle I use to be disciplined has been my work and school (or my body). Has my spiritual life experienced this same muscle building? It’s a matter of asking for HIM everyday. I long for his answers but the questions still seem fuzzy. What is next?

 

There is a song by Mercy Me which I cannot get enough:

 

Here with me:

 

I long for your embrace

Every single day

To meet you in this place

And see you face to face

 

Will you show me?

Reveal yourself to me

Because of your mercy

I fall down on my knees

 

And I can feel your presence here with me

Suddenly I’m lost within your beauty

Caught up in the wonder of your touch

Here in this moment I surrender to your love

 

You’re everywhere I go

I am not alone

You call me as your own

To know you and be known

 

You are holy

And I fall down on my knees

 

I can feel your presence here with me

Suddenly I’m lost within your beauty

Caught up in the wonder of your touch

Here in this moment I surrender to your love

 

I surrender to your grace

I surrender to the one who took my place

 

I can feel your presence here with me

Suddenly I’m lost within your beauty

Caught up in the wonder of your touch

Here in this moment I surrender:

 

I can feel your presence here with me

Suddenly I’m lost within your beauty

Caught up in the wonder of your touch

Here in this moment I surrender to your love

 

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Defending my Doctorate….I finished!

I made it!!

I defended on April 2nd and passed.

Graduation is May 12th, 2010. WOW, it’s finally here.

Here is my topic: Because Writing Counts! Discovering the Perceptions of Middle School Content Teachers About Writing in Their Classrooms

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this qualitative interview study was to examine the factors of teachers’ perceptions and choices about writing across all disciplines in an urban, highly ELL populated middle school more closely. Four teachers were studied in depth, and data collected included in-depth interviews. Findings indicated three main assertions related to the research questions which sought to understand if teachers see a link to writing and learning, how teachers perceive and utilize writing in their content area classroom, as well as what factors influenced their implementation practices. These assertions are that: (a) Writing is both process and product providing proper evidence to be a mode of learning. They claim that it is helpful for processing, clarifying, reflecting, and also can solidify what has been learned. In some cases, it also provides a record or product of what has been learned providing confidence in the learner, which is significant for the ELL student. The research has unquestionably proven that the cognitive operations that students utilize during the writing process have helped illuminate the real power of writing;  (b) Teachers usage of writing (for literacy for ELL and English fluent students) depends on the goal or purpose, the timing, and the audience; This included writing to learn strategies that draw on past knowledge, prepare for new learning, review and/or fuse relevant knowledge, and to then extend knowledge; (c) Teachers are influenced by both internal and external factors which affects their implementation efforts. I found that staff development classes had the biggest influence on these teachers, but there were many areas of writing in content areas, especially the junior high areas of math and science, in which teachers could use more writing to learn strategies, and how to couple their already practicing cooperative learning strategies with writing through a staff development class or modeling. This study is in preparation for designing an intervention for staff development on teaching writing to learn strategies in any middle school; especially one with a high ELL population.