AVReading

Guidelines for Writing a Commencement Address The draft you write for consideration does not need to be a final version, but should give the panelists a clear idea of what you plan to say in your speech.  The traditional commencement address has had content which reflects back on the class's experiences and also gives advice or guidance for the future.  The tone should be one which inspires and motivates the listeners. Although the Commencement Address is directed at the graduating class, the message needs to be meaningful and appropriate for the adult audience present as well.  Content, language, or style which parents or grandparents might find offensive is not suitable for a Commencement Address. Humor can be an effective minor element of a Commencement Address.  The predominant message, and consequently the predominant writing style, should be serious, thoughtful and inspirational.  Format:  This might be helpful...

In our yearlong examination of current educational research, I found a very interesting study published in this month’s issue of American Educational Research Journal published by AERA.  The study was entitled “‘Despite the Odds’: Unpacking the Politics of Black Resilience Neoliberalism” completed by Kevin L. Clay of Rutgers University.  There were two things that initially caught my eye about the study.   First, the title seemed to question that idea of resilience, similar to the study that Jae Cody wrote about in last month’s newsletter, and secondly, it was action research-- a type of research that positions the researcher not only as a scientific observer but as an advocate, implementing an action step of some sort.  Action research is not a new methodology, but it hasn’t always gotten the same attention as the other forms of educational research.             In this case, the researcher...

For this month’s newsletter, I have invited Jae Cody (AVHS World Language Teacher and STEM Advisor) to write a reflection on a fascinating   study she had read as part of our Data Blitz Team which meets the first Thursday of every month..   The study was Christopher Kirchgasler’s “True Grit: Making a Scientific Object and Pedagogical Tool” published in AERA in August of 2018.   Here is her description of the study along with some reflections on the idea of grit. In an effort to understand the role that “grit” has come to play in educational discussions, Kirchgasler traces the idea of grit back to American pioneers. Grit was considered a key reason that white settlers were successful in settling the frontier. Their success was contrasted with the natives living on the land, and the idea of American “rugged individualism” was closely associated with the idea of grit and perseverance in “civilizing” the land. The thread of grit being associated with p...