Amy's Reading Response

Tierney
Get Real: Representing Reality

This article is concerned with the validity of qualitative research, mostly in regard to having an objective authority, and that there are many forms of representation that should be considered, but they are difficult to define. This has led to issues with procedure and method, which is defined as ‘crisis’.

It seems to me that what’s considered the flaw of qualitative research is what actually makes it so enticing. The whole point of qualitative research is that there are many ways of knowing, and that a human, not scientific interpretation, is a more whole way to understand cultural experience.

Edmund Cusick
Working with Myth

I’m reading about myth while driving out of LA on a road-trip, and the reality of this place squashed the myths built in my mind about it all my life. It’s really not as seductive or beautiful as I had ever imagined—meh. But I am interested in myth and how it informs our understanding. I’m even more concerned with its affect on perception. The article exclaims, “To tell stories is as natural to us as breathing.” To a large extent, our personal histories are formed by the stories our parents tell us about ourselves growing up and even their lives, but what’s odd in my case, is that my parents rarely fit this description. They didn’t tell stories or even read stories, but I do know that we all tell stories in our mind daily, and it’s these stories, the stories I tell myself, that I’m most interested in. What are the myths I have built in my own life?

Ed Check
My Working-Class Roots in an Academic War Zone: Creating Space to Grieve and Honor

Having working-class roots myself, I was instantly interested in reading this article. The author made arguments about how issues of working-class, gay identity, and grievance and loss, are left of our curriculums. He also shared his experiences as an academic, and personal stories about his life. I found it to be interesting, in that some of it I could relate to—the constant derogatory African-American jokes, for example. What it lacks, is some tools for application in the classroom. What I like about the myth article, in comparison, is the exercises included, which can be incorporated into art lessons. I do, however, like the idea of honoring working-class people. Many of these people work very long hours and have very difficult jobs, and though they may not have the best grammar, they are the backbone of this country. What educators do, on the country, is teach kids to aspire to something more, in a sense devaluing their current working-class experience.

Wendy Ewald
I Wanna Take Me a Picture

What’s shocking is that I’ve known about Wendy Ewald and her work with children for quite a long time, but I have not ever investigated what she does. I’m a little disappointed to have waited so long to learn about her. Her work with children is great. Kids are generally uncomfortable with sharing personal stories with classmates out of fear of ridicule, let alone an entire school or community, but I think her approach makes them feel comfortable. I plan to read much more about her work with children and have now shared her with other photography teachers in my district.