Reflection

I particularly enjoyed Dr. Smith-Shank’s presentation today. I really liked how she took the approach of “what do you want from me?” This is something that I felt was lacking from a few of the lecturers throughout this semester – it was very nice to have someone who was willing to cater their presentation to our needs and questions. It was interesting to think of the fairy tale as the key to our research paths, but the way that she broke it down it was really insightful and helpful. My favorite moment was honestly the point of taking advantage of your community resources – asking for help, advice, and input from colleagues, classmates, professors, etc. 

Colloquium - Dr. Deborah Smith-Shank

Dr. Deborah Smith-Shank
Storytelling

METHODOLOGY - theory is not methods!
Action Research - going into a situation and intending to have an impact/influence on those you are researching (vs. "old school" - you should not affect or interact with what you are studying)
Mixed Methods - qualitative plus quantitative; in Ramya's case, mixed qualitative methods only; postmodern approach to research. Whatever works best for the problem at hand.
Arts-Based Research - you make stuff and the making is part of the learning and reasoning process
Participatory Action Research - ethnography
Case Studies - applying qualitative and quantitative
Narrative Inquiry - autoethnography, reflecting on your own experiences but not so self-serving that it doesn't benefit anyone else
Arts-Based Research/Narrative Inquiry/Collaborative Storytelling - community of inquiry
Autoethnography - "non-masterbatory" - whatever you're talking about needs to have a relationship beyond yourself
Conceptual Comparison - thinking about things conceptually by comparing them together; reading and writing; HISTORICAL RESEARCH
Collaborative Forms of Inquiry - collaborative action research
Feminist - 
Semiotic - Charles Sanders: "You can't know anything fully because you only have your perspective to look at it. In order to understand things more fully, you pull a community of inquiry together to know it more richly. But you can never know it totally because you and your community are finite, but you can come to understand it more fully."

STORYTELLING
Stories are vehicles for teaching and learning... and entertainment.
Can you imagine life without its narrative qualities??
- You don't remember people without their narrative context
Vladimir Propp (1895-1970): Morphology of the Folktale
- Russian structuralism: pre-post-structuralism; pre-post-modernism

Universal story lines in fairy tales:
Person goes away/sent away from home to complete a quest
Person meets obstacles: wickedness/opportunities for growth
Person gets help (talisman): goodness or learning
With struggle, person completes goal / or not
With struggle, person returns home / or starts over

Little Red Riding Hood - multicultural constant
Artist representations: what does trouble look like?
- so "beautifully scary"
- Spinning Interpretants
- Helper or Hinderer?
You will wake up in the middle of the night with these wonderful insights. But if you forget to make the notes, you will just wake up and they're gone.
Take advantage of your community - people will help get you over - or kick you over! - your hump.
- Accepting help from outside sources
- Communative Inquiry
It's important to surround yourself with peace.
Consider your options. Nobody is going to give you the answer, but you have to listen.
- We have to listen to everybody before we can actually proceed
Consider new options... and listen to advice.

What is magic? Is it other people? Other things? That "aha!" moment?
- Magic shows up in all cultures
- Magic is condemned or magic is applauded
What do you give up? What do you gain? What do you lose?

The Struggle - you never can get there without the struggle
- What do the images say?