Erin's+Link+Between+Teaching+and+Research

===The interesting thing about this week's readings was how nicely they fit together. I know, as a teacher, it is always good to have readings surround a common theme; however, the topic of "What is research in the context of teaching?" is uniquely answered. The first article, "Understanding the Relationship between Research and Teaching," offered an academic answer to the thematic question. The various authors/ contributors obviously thought long and hard about teaching, teacher education and research. The second two readings added a personal touch to the anonymity of the first article. So, while the academic article is a useful starting point; I enjoyed and found more value in the personal research project by Nizol that was linked to on the class wiki. ===

===Some of the highlights from the Understanding article were the many references to how the federal government has attempted, over the years, to get involved in both what teachers should be teaching, as well as what and how they should research. They call for increased rigor that will boost literacy rates, when, ironically, even educational professionals still debate, and have for decades, what literacy truly means. I believe a laughed out loud when I reached the section about the "What Works Clearinghouse". Leave it to the government to tout a clearinghouse to " provided educators, policymakers, researchers, and the public with a central and trusted source of scientific evidence of what works in education" (DiPardo 304). I suppose they do know best, when it comes to housing the best and the brightest (sarcasm intended). I am certainly enamored of the idea that teacher research can empower teachers and other educational professionals to speak truth to power...the truth of personal research with an eye on one's own classroom and the realities found there. ===

===What made Nizol's work so refreshing, interesting and compelling was how nicely it answered the call of the academic article "...research that promises to benefit the teaching-learning process is informed by an appreciation that classrooms are multi-dimensional and dynamic places" (DiPardo 300). Through her work with genre studies and with an eye out to close the achievement for her predominately African American students, Nizol embodies what the academic research article for this week suggests, indeed, demands. I appreciate the coupling of these articles. Nizol's project really helped to flesh out the ideas from the "Understanding" article ===