I guess what I have a problem with not so much "ownership" in itself, but
by defining authentic or good educational practice simply by ownership it
does not allow us to focus on its positive and negative aspects. Ownership
can be used for purposes other than a more inquiry based approaches which I
see as the more positive aspect of the concept. When I organize an
environment or instruction in a way where children are more likely to take
ownership, where is that in relation to my biases, values, ideology etc.
Is it so they will feel the same ownership to activities that I value or
privilege, or is it so learning contexts are valued in which they feel
ownership to.
Recently stopping by Networks that Gordon is the editor of the beginning of
an article by Clare Kosnik caught my attention,
"What you see is not always what you get! Having been involved in action
research in preservice teacher education for the last four years I continue
to be startled by the impact of the process on students and faculty. It is
not simply an assignment to be completed; rather, it is a process that
leads student teachers to the core of what it means to be a teacher. This
experience and the knowledge gained in turn change them as individuals. The
action research process requires students to ponder and struggle with many
difficult questions: what is the role of the teacher; what does it mean to
have a student-centred class; how much can and should I deviate from the
formal curriculum; how can I authentically assess student learning; what
should be the goals of schooling; and what kind of teacher do I want to be?
These deep issues require a lifetime of reflection, analysis and research.
Certainly student teachers do not "solve and answer" these questions;
however, action research draws them into the intricate process of
teaching/learning and helps them realize that teaching is a highly personal
process."
To play with authentic a little bit, is action research authentic? I would
say no. Yes there is ownership, but there is ownership in many activities.
For me, what makes it different is it is so inauthentic in that so often in
authentic activities we don't ask such radical questions as Clare is. In
this sense, maybe what we need are more inauthentic activities in school.
Just a thought.
Nate
Networks
http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/~ctd/networks/journal/current/article3.html