SU-21 Research Analysis

I chose to analyze my data with a poem again. I think research and data analysis should be fun. The other analysis styles/tools are valid and find great results, but they didn't feel fun for me. If I am encouraging my students to learn through playful practices, I should be doing the same thing. I have to walk the talk. For me, poetry is a playful way to analyze my data. I don't write poetry and I don't have a lot of practice in writing poetry. I know that I am going to ask my students to try things they are uncomfortable with or aren't "good" at. I'm asking the same of myself with this type of analysis.

Poetry allows us to think and analyze data in a creative way. I find this practice similar to drawing. I think of times when I am trying to draw something and getting frustrated because something just isn't clicking. If you turn the photo upside down, your brain sees the shapes differently and suddenly you can make sense of how and where to draw. Poetry to analysis is the same as turning your paper upside down to see more clearly. Completing this excercise twice allows me to look deeper at my research. I feel a deeper, more emotional connection. I relive the experience like watching a movie over and over again. Each time you notice another clue or somethin a little different.

An imaginary race track

A teacup

A snowman

Not always pretty, but what is the value of pretty?

Where is the learning in pretty?

A messy challenge

Unsure direction

Unknown outcomes

Trying something new

Thinking. Tinkering. Trying.

Enjoying.

Learning.

The end result may not show the worth in the process.

Sometimes we need an escape

Collaboration, Inspiration, Concentration

Freedom of choice

Freedom to think

Collaboration, Inspiration, Concentration

Kind of sounds like life.

Or are we talking about playing?

This first poem began as more of an emotional/psychological analysis. I thought I was going to write two poems, but as I started looking at my data and specific words/phrases. I noticed they fit well into what I had.I started the poem with subjects the students made out of clay. The line: "Kind of sounds like life/Or are we talking about playing?" Isn't to compare life to a game. I am comparing the similar process of learning through play to life. In life we don't know what our outcome is going to be and we go through phases of unknown direction. In the end we may not have a flashy life to show off, but that doesn't mean there wasn't value within that life.