I had already collected quite a number of papers from the ERIC database before that, and the visit to both Habe's and EHU's libraries gave me a chance to collect some books on the subject. I will need to go to our university library next week to pick up some books I ordered to be borrowed from another campus, but other than that, I am quite set. Actually, I have too much to read and process for such a short dissertation (the theoretical part shouldn't take more than 12 pages).
The meeting with my school placement supervisor was also great. Having to submit drafts, extended abstracts or setting appointments is a great way to push yourself to do things. It helps you clarify ideas before you actually write or have the meeting, and it allows you to receive precious feedback from people that know more than you on the topic.
I presented my school placement supervisor the three possible topics I have chosen for the practical part of my dissertation, and I took some papers about them with me:
- Analysing the theoretical background of Artigal and Eleanitz regarding the treatment of storytelling (why is it performed first without visual support, and so forth), and coming up with a list of indicators that would allow me to measure if the objectives set in those methods are actually accomplished in the classroom. Since I have permission to videotape, this would be feasible.
- Testing the autobiographical story in the classroom, to analyse the level of engagement as opposed to "regular stories" used in Eleanitz. This would be an idea for the fourth grade of primary, since I have noticed that they are very interested in telling stories about themselves and listening to personal stories of others. I would also need to select indicators of students' (and teacher's?) level of engagement for this, and equally tape the lesson.
- Testing the use of the autobiographical story as a means for teaching improvement. This would be done together with my co-reader of the school placement diary, if she agreed to it, of course. The problem with this proposal is that I would have no way to test if teaching were actually improved, because we are not teachers, and we would not be able to maintain the exercise long enough (in the literature, these sort of activities are held over months or a whole academic year). So, it would just be a matter of testing the resource and assessing how we felt performing it.
We discussed them for quite long, and my supervisor advised me that the first choice was probably the most useful and suitable from the university's point of view. We also agreed that trying to do the three would be far too much. Finally, my supervisor asked me to produce an extended abstract of the three options, which will help me decide which is the most suitable. So, that's what I will do as soon as I get enough reading done. Nevertheless, I know myself, and I am sure that consciously or unconsciously I will try to think of a way to somehow combine these three options into something that will make sense, because I absolutely hate to give up interesting things, and the three of them are.
As a final note to myself, I should consider the possibility of having two supervisors for my undergraduate dissertations, because it seems my school placement supervisor is also going to be involved in my dissertation, so it would only be fair to acknowledge that. There will be ample time for that, but I need to bear it in mind.
iruzkinik ez:
Argitaratu iruzkina