Write my Education Essay

Interview for EDUC 247….................................................... Fall 2018

Do the trends and patterns covered in ED 247 match the experiences of a parent, grandparent, or another person who graduated from high school at least 20 years ago? From this course you’ve explored the decade when s/he was in school. Do the major points in the readings and lectures hold true for X (as I’ll call the person you’ll interview)? That is the key question to answer in your paper.

For instance, if X graduated in 1977, did her experiences match what you read & heard in lecture? If you interview a grandparent who graduated in 1955, review your notes on that decade and create questions that explore the 1950s.

Please focus on two areas: academic expectations and diversity. Find out if X had to work hard, why she did [what motivated her?], her view of AP/Honors, and anything else that sheds light on her academic work ethic. For diversity, consider a wide range of differences: race, special education, social cliques, male/female athletic opportunities, and so on.

Whatever you choose, here are some pointers:

--Eight or nine good questions is usually enough. Try to be specific—for instance, What was the racial composition of your school & how did everyone get along with each other? What do you remember about special education students with physical, emotional or learning disabilities? Were athletic opportunities equal for boys and girls—if not how were they unequal? Seek stories and examples. You might finish with an open question like “If you could travel back in time, what would you change—in yourself or in the school—to make those years better?”

The questions will of course vary depending on the decade and what you want to discover. Avoid Yes/No questions…this is not a questionnaire…

--If possible, have X retrieve an old yearbook or other materials to jog the memory.

--Good to do the interview face-to-face or Skype. You get longer and richer answers than by email. Researchers usually tape record and then transcribe, but you are not required to do that.

--For those of you interviewing parents or grandparents in private or Catholic schools (or schools in other countries), you can use the major tenets of progressive education if some of the topics in our readings don’t apply.

--You may interview two people (eg, both parents) but your paper will probably need to be longer than the six pages I recommend. Half of those pages should summarize the interview; the other half should compare and contrast what you heard with the relevant material in ED 247.

Feel free to email a draft of your interview questions to Brynn ([email protected]), Helena ([email protected]) or to Dr. H

You don’t have to use APA style in your paper…and feel free to use the first person….

Hard copy of the paper due in my office by Friday, December 14th by 5pm. Thanks…..