Kwesi’s mention of triangulation in his research lead us to understand what the term actually means – “validation of data through cross verification from two or more sources”; a useful term to know. (My question in class reminded me of the time when I was younger when I asked someone how many quarters there were in a basketball game!). I was also interested in his comment that, in the giving and receiving of correct change, children’s “moral standing” was also in play as well as their mathematical competence. His comment that teachers underestimate the support that parents with low formal education can give to their children was also enlightening. This lead us to learn more about Funds of Knowledge and how much of our learning in childhood is done informally. This also emphasizes the importance of children and parents spending time together so that this kind of knowledge can be passed on. I would like to know more about “theme construction” within the descriptive categories. Is this what people mean when they talk about “coding” their data?
Diana’s talk about her journey from being a musician to becoming a researcher was very informative. I also loved some of the quotes she mentioned: "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." – Cummings and “Be a voice, not an echo” – Einstein. Her change in relationship with “a man with grey hair” – from distant stranger, to mentor – shows us how research is not just restricted to those who we perceive to already have many of the answers! I was interested in her mention of “fiction” in research and whether it is ok to use this. Diana didn’t really answer this question and I’d be curious to hear more from her about it. In my experience in language testing, when candidates tried to answer the question truthfully, they often struggled to express themselves fluently and coherently. When told that they could “lie” in their answers, it became a lot easier for them to speak on a given topic. Mark Twain said: “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story”, but how much can we “bend the truth” to facilitate our research process?
Diana’s talk about her journey from being a musician to becoming a researcher was very informative. I also loved some of the quotes she mentioned: "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are." – Cummings and “Be a voice, not an echo” – Einstein. Her change in relationship with “a man with grey hair” – from distant stranger, to mentor – shows us how research is not just restricted to those who we perceive to already have many of the answers! I was interested in her mention of “fiction” in research and whether it is ok to use this. Diana didn’t really answer this question and I’d be curious to hear more from her about it. In my experience in language testing, when candidates tried to answer the question truthfully, they often struggled to express themselves fluently and coherently. When told that they could “lie” in their answers, it became a lot easier for them to speak on a given topic. Mark Twain said: “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story”, but how much can we “bend the truth” to facilitate our research process?
Thanks for these comments on Kwesi and Diana's talks!
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