Research Strategies

When I am researching a project or paper, I usually start with the U's libraries. I've used the databases there enough at this point to know how best to narrow a search and weed out the publications I don't want/need. I fiddle around with which search words will give me the most comprehensive results and I utilize the AND, OR, NOT features for more advanced searches. I've also become familiar with what kind of publications I can expect to get from each different database. One way I check whether an article is something I might be interested in using is if it shows up in multiple searches on different databases. If it shows up in cross-searches, chances are it is relevant to what I am looking for. Sometimes I further cross-check a source's validity by searching on Google Scholar and trying to find critiques of the article/source, or other articles that have cited the one I am interested in.

One of my new favorite research tools is Diigo. I was not sold on Diigo when I was introduced to it last year. I don't think I really understood how to use it or why it was helpful. But I have explored its uses more and I think it is amazing. When I was doing research in the past, I had handwritten notes scattered around me, and word documents with quotes cut and pasted from different sites and articles. Using a Diigo account, though helps organize and sort information from all over the internet. I can't wait to introduce more people to this resource. I think one of the most important aspects of getting students engaged with these resources is to simply expose them to them. I think we have a tendency to assume that our students are more computer and tech savvy than they are. Because we often note how this generation is the first to have grown up with computers and advanced technology from birth, we forget that many of our students don't have access to these things. And when they do, let's face it, they are usually on Facebook or YouTube, or doing other mindless surfing. We have a responsibility to really show kids how to responsibly and usefully use the resources at hand.

For my final project, I want to incorporate research I am doing for Tim Lensmire's course on Politics of Literacy and Race. I am exploring the use of hip-hop music in the classroom to enhance learning. Additionally, I want to look at controversies and challenges to this in regards to perceptions of language use in this genre. For this course, I would expand on this research and develop innovative lesson plans that incorporate digital tools and hip-hop to enhance student's writing. For this research, I will want to research best practices in helping students improve their writing and techniques that other educators have used to incorporate this genre. I will want to incorporate findings from formal publications I might find using Education Full Text, Academic Search Primer, or ERIC. I will also want to catalogue findings from English Companion Ning and other blogs and Nings. Diigo will be invaluable for collecting information from these sources. I still need to explore Evernote more, but I think it will also be a useful resource.