YDEV 506 #9

 Ideas of what I can hand in at the end of this semester:

• Exploration into the question : Do I belong in a classroom or a different setting with children?
• Could do a couple small interviews of teachers who have left the classroom...
• Research into the current teacher resignation movement
• Research into other possible roles I might explore
• Pros and Cons representation - art, collage, and/or diagrams? 

• Add to capstone.....
• Ask interviewees to read my paper and reflect? 
• Do they feel captured? acurate? what else did it make them feel?
• Further research into why teachers leave classrooms, programs, schools?
• Why parents choose to switch programs/schools?`

Write a "mock" grant? Just something I'm interested in trying.... 

     

    

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YDEV 506 #8

 This is such a powerful letter and was both frustrating and hopeful to read. For me, I think about this concept of "well-intentioned". This is a concept within this line of work that I hadn't thought too much about before starting this program. My first class in the YDEV MA program was the first time I had heard of the "white savior complex" and it really shifted the way I looked at everything I did and wanted. Does your intention matter if you are furthering harm? I may have argued yes in the past, although I don't align with that belief anymore. As Tuck says "are we certain that the benefits will outweigh the costs?" (p.410). I had a conversation with my partner recently after leaving Victoria's book release party. He was confused and said "Wait, it sounds like they are saying metal detectors in school are bad. Aren't they helping to protect the students?" I was (now with a year of YDEV knowledge in me) able to explain about the damaging messages of oppression, fear, and mistrust that can give to students, especially those of color who are also the population most likely to experience things like metal detectors or school based PO's. We talked a little about the School to Prison Pipeline, about the historical trauma between police and youth of color, about how most school shootings in the US are committed by white males even though white-majority schools are much less likely to have security measures like a metal detector in place. At surface level, it may look like it's promoting safety, but at what cost? Tuck, I think, would agree that the fear, re-victimization, and criminalization of any student in their place of education is NOT worth it. "Common sense tells us this is a good thing, but the danger in damage-centered research is that it is a pathologizing approach in which the oppression singularly defines a community." (p.413) Instead of simply labeling themselves as "well-intentioned" researchers and youth workers must proceed WITH intention - intention to do no further harm. I think that the "benefits" of deficit-based approach of research and youth work (often times fincancial, or short term based)  will never outweigh the lasting damage this can cause a community.  I know that this way of looking at what I do definitely helps me to see my true role in the lives of students. It helps me to understand I can be a catalyst for change in small, impactful ways, simply by refusing to allow others to judge my students in deficit-based ways. 

YDEV 506 #6

"In one sense, our study had no design. That is, we had no well-worked-out set of hypotheses to be tested, no data-gathering instruments purposely designed to secure information relevant to these hypotheses, no set of analytic procedures specified in advance. Insofar as the term “design” implies these features of elaborate prior planning, our study had none" . (p.215)

It was interesting reading this document by Maxwell (and taking this class) after having completed my capstone. It is actually really interesting to have first hand "suffered" through the process and am now hearing all the outlines and vocabulary to go along with what I did. For more than half the semester with this qualitative research project I was so anxious about the fact that it felt as though I had "no plan" and NO ONE was worried about it except me!! Hearing them tell me that it's okay and that it's part of the process felt somewhat frustrating at the time, although looking back it was an important lesson to learn. Reading much of the Maxwell selection it is paralleling so much of my own experience with this type of research design. It is quite a nerve wracking process to not know if all of the tedious work and long hours will amount to anything that usable or significant!

YDEV 506 #7

"The term reflexivity (Hammersley & Atkinson, 1995) is often used for this unavoidable mutual influence of the research participants and the researcher on each other." (Maxwell p.234)

I had never heard this term before and really enjoy both the word itself and also the definition supplied. I think this is such an important and interesting point of qualitative research. One that I experienced for myself both within the classroom setting/research and also in my qualitative capstone project. I find that often times this is somehow used to make qualitative studies seems less "legit" or harder to "qualify". However, I believe it's this relationship building that is both essential for and what makes qualitative studies so incredibly important. Observation can only take you so far. It is the conversing of the researcher and subjects that creates such meaningful and powerful results - an actual look into the thought processes behind the behaviors. I think this is even more important when it comes to working with and researching youth specifically. I know in my own classroom not just me relationships with children, but even just my presence itself could completely throw off the room or certain kiddos. Children, being so in tune to things many adults learn to ignore, are able to pick up on if you are frustrated, overwhelmed, scared, or sad. The more I was able to keep myself balanced and attuned to the space, the easier it was for my children to achieve the same calmness. Understanding my different relationships with different children was helpful in my daily "research". If there was a child that had a stronger relationship with another teacher I would often pass some of the observation off to that teacher. Often times as educators our own personalities, triggers, and mannerisms might not jive well with every child. Understanding this is important and delegating that child's "research" to a teacher who understands them better can bring better and more accurate results. During my capstone I interviewed several educators and parents. Most of whom I'd had a previous relationship with, some I had not. I noticed that my interviews with those I already knew ended up feelings and looking very different from those I did already know. Not to say either seemed to be "Better', but certainly different. I found it difficult to know if my relationships with interviewees were affecting the kind of answers given, either negatively or positively. I thought about how much this small thing, although "unavoidable" as Maxwell points out, could really impact a qualitative study. Maxwell states that "eliminating the actual influence of the researcher is impossible (Hammersley & Atkinson, 1995), and the goal in a qualitative study is not to eliminate this influence but to understand it and to use it productively" (Maxwell p.243). I used the strategy of "respondent validation" during my capstone to try and make sure I was accurately understanding and comprehending the intention of the interviewee regardless of how well I knew them.

YDEV 506 #5

 Well, this post (and semester) is a little bit different for me because of my funky timeline! I had already completed and presented a capstone project when I started this final semester of my journey through the YDEV MA program. I thought I'd take some time to reflect on some take-aways from my experience. First of all, I feel really lucky to have gone through the capstone process with the group that I did. They were some of the most intelligent, open-minded, and beautiful humans I've had the pleasure of being with! I really can't imagine going through the process without them or our professor, Besenia. On the other hand, I think it definitely highlighted some of my insecurities along the way. Along with immense pride in my fellow classmates I always felt a lot of internal pressure (some healthy, some maybe not) to do something "great". I wanted to do something equally as meaningful and impactful, while never feeling like I could quite live up. I think this was a large realization I've had moving through this program - my propensity to "cut myself off at the knee". As a neuro-divergent learner I figured out early on that if I didn't quite put my whole self into something, I didn't have to ever feel inferior or incapable. It seems to me that the same goes for me finding my passion (capstone, career, or beyond). I have always just done what I was naturally good at - taking care of others. But looking around and seeing so many people in the capstone process with such a specific purpose and goal in mind felt so daunting.... and invigorating. I wouldn't have been able to see all these things in myself without being surrounded by such inspiring energy. For good or bad, I did prove to myself one thing during the capstone process - I am capable. I never would have thought when I was a younger student that I'd be capable of going through a Master's program, no matter writing a 20+ page document on my own research process. Overall, I'm thankful that I made the decision to do my capstone a little early and I'm thankful to continue growing with this current amazing class and  to see all the amazing and inspirational things they'll go on to do! As for myself, I'm excited to take this semester to figure out what direction I'll go in next. On the precipice of a huge transition in my life, I'm ready to stop "cutting myself off at the knees" and finding a way to create a life that's meaningful and energizing!

YDEV 506 #4

Journey to Praxis:  Supporting Youth Activism

By: Rachael Lee Ficke Clemons

• Introduction

"How do youth development workers engage adolescent youth in social justice activism?"

• Review of Literature
• Social Justice Youth Development, A Framework
• Methodology: Qualitative Sampling, Data Collection, and Analysis
• Sampling
• Community Selection
• Site Selection
• Participant Selection
• Qualitative Data Collection
• Qualitative Data Analysis 
• Results
• Participants - Youth Empowerment, People for Change, Neighborhood Arts
• Social Justice Youth Development: Across Organizations
• Organization Specific Processes 
• Background
• Critical Consciousness 
• Social Action 
• Discussion
• Implications
• For SJYD practitioners: 
• Preparation and professional development is important
• Work in community, not as individuals
• For policy makers and organization leaders: 
• Systems need to change
• Conclusion
• Through "critical consciousness and social action praxis in SJYD spaces,"... "youth and adults work together to challenge systems of oppression that impact their daily lives".

YDEV 560 #3

It was interesting for me to learn about these ways of thinking about research! I think that each is intricate and some may have a bit of overlap as well. I would have to say that the approach I would align with most might change a bit depending on the situation at hand. However, that being said I think I most often relate to the constructivist approach to research. I believe that you have to acknowledge relationships and perspectives in order to truly comprehend the data in front of you. If you only view things from your own (or someone else's) perspective, you are missing valuable data and conditions that should be considered. Research, like human life, does not often happen in a vacuum. Ignoring the different realities of each person creates a narrow framework off which to base your research.

Thinking through this lens about my 'wonderings' last week was also interesting. At first I wasn't sure of which perspective I would relate to the most, but looking at some of the questions I posed it was so natural and immediate to think about them in the constructivistic framework. Looking at the following question I thought about how I would approach this in a constructivist way...

Why are we in the midst of a major teacher resignation? 

     I think that for this question it is extremely important to be partnering with the subjects in order to receive their genuine perspectives and insights. Going into a study on this topic it would be inherent that each person's values, perspectives, and daily situation are taken into consideration. While I would like to narrow down this question a little in general, it is an extremely critical one (I believe) in the future of the teaching profession and youth development fields both inside and outside of the school building.