Technology and the Theoretical Framework

What new insights have you gained?

With this chapter reading and my self-selected article (which I felt went very well together!), I have learned a lot more about the concept of “new literacies”.  Even as I am writing this I am participating in the new literacies that are emerging as the rule rather than the exception in education, using the Internet and technology to learn and communicate for professional purposes.  As a person who has grown up in the information technology age, I am so thankful that we have these resources at our disposal.  It is so nice to be sitting here in my pajamas on a Saturday morning doing my schoolwork! 

What have you learned that will make a difference to you as a researcher?

I have learned more about how a theoretical framework is important to a research study.  It seems to me that it will be very helpful to establish as much detail as I can about the perspective from which I will approach a topic as I start my masters project in the fall.  It helped to read about the many different frameworks surrounding new literacy research.  This reading broadened my framework concerning theoretical framework! (ha)   I am excited to put what I am learning in this class into practice.

 What do you understand about research, or components of research that you didn’t know before?

I think that reading about theoretical framework and thinking about the different ways a topic can be approached gave me deeper insight into what I need to consider when choosing a research topic.  I don’t think that I had thought about how deep issues can go and how many ways people can see them.

 What is bothering or disturbing you about research?

It makes me sad that most literacy is becoming digital and internet based.  I love ink and paper books and I am sad to see book stores closing (Bookstar, Borders, etc.) and Amazon.com taking over.  I have not given in to the Kindle craze yet and I order my pleasure reading books from half.com (I know, hypocritical since I hate that bookstores are closing…), but eventually I will probably have to make the switch.  Technology will always prevail in today’s society, no matter how much we fight it. 

What else do you want to learn about designing and conducting research?

I would like to learn more about choosing a topic for research.  I am not sure that I am confident enough in my knowledge base to choose a topic and stick to it.  I guess I will have plenty of time to think and read about it between now and when I actually need to do an action research project!