These are some of the questions that I would like to ask:
- How do you encourage students to take risks in the classroom?
- Have you or a colleague ever put limitations on students writing? For example, no swearing, or specific topics that students can't write about.
- If yes, what were the limitations and were they restricted to a certain time/project/assignment. (Ex. Students can only swear in writing notebooks)
- Has a parent or administrator ever had a problem with a student's choice of topic or words in a piece of writing?
- If yes, what happened? How was the issue brought up and how was it resolved? What were the consequences if any?
In regards to secondary sources, I have found a lot of articles online. I am hoping to find more sources that deal with specific cases of censorship of writing in the classroom and to see how the problem was addressed and resolved. I want to have an idea of what a teacher's limitations are, and how to deal with disapproval of a student's work.
Please let me know how these questions sound, and if any of them need to be reworded. I have tried to dance around the word censorship because of its negative connotation and I think teachers would fail to answer questions that were too directly focused on censorship.
Please let me know how these questions sound, and if any of them need to be reworded. I have tried to dance around the word censorship because of its negative connotation and I think teachers would fail to answer questions that were too directly focused on censorship.
Jess,
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that you are exploring the topic of censorship! I think that it is something that all students face when it comes to their writing. I really like the idea of using Google Doc to reach a larger audience. I think that your questions are reasonable and will provide honest answers to benefit your research. Are you simply staying focused on censorship in secondary education or are you exploring post- secondary as well? It would be interesting to see if censorship in college was as prevalent as it is in the secondary scope.Great topic and I think that your really staying focused, I feel like my topic has shifted completely because of my research! Great job, Jess!
Hi Jess-I love the idea of online surveys and anonymity! This, I believe, will make the perspectives broader. I might pose a question about text they've read and assigned writing for which uses profanity and/or has been brought back into the curriculum after being banned for content. How do they view these works and how do they respond when students bring them into conversations about writing? Two examples I can think of are Catcher in the Rye and Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. So many more are out there!
ReplyDeleteJess, this is a great topic. Because Rhode Island is a liberal state, the topic of censorship is quite different here than it is in the southern part of the country. I'd be interested to know how much censorship is a part of the classroom in a state like Mississippi. Also, are educators in conservative states in favor of censorship? This could affect how they answer your first question, so I'm excited to see the responses you get to this question. I also like the fact that you're giving them the opportunity to complete the questionnaire anonymously. I think this is going to increase your odds of acquiring feedback. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteJess,
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great topic for your I-search because censorship is such a huge area to study. I think the questions you have listed above are well-thought out and clear in understanding what you want to learn.