Finding Ways to Finding Ways to Communicate Your Communicate Your

Research to the World Research to the World

Janet Angelis, School of Education, Janet Angelis, School of Education, University at AlbanyUniversity at Albany

Center on English Learning & AchievementCenter on English Learning & AchievementAlbany Institute for Research in EducationAlbany Institute for Research in Education

Be StrategicBe Strategic

YOUR GOALS – short- and long-termYOUR GOALS – short- and long-term WHAT COUNTSWHAT COUNTS

– – in your institutionin your institution– – with your key audience(s)with your key audience(s)

RELEVANCERELEVANCE YOUR CREDIBILITY YOUR CREDIBILITY

– – are you ready?are you ready?

If Yes,If Yes,

Focus Focus – – on your nicheon your niche – – on writingon writing

BuildBuild Address audience concernsAddress audience concerns Weigh opportunitiesWeigh opportunities Don’t be afraid to say noDon’t be afraid to say no WRITEWRITE

3 parts3 parts

Example Example Sample language Sample language

– – same topic, different audiences same topic, different audiences (handout)(handout)

Sample journal articles to brainstorm Sample journal articles to brainstorm aboutabout

Sandra M. VergariSandra M. Vergari

Associate Professor, 2004 Associate Professor, 2004 Educational Administration and Educational Administration and

Policy, School of Education, Policy, School of Education, University at AlbanyUniversity at Albany

PhD Political Science, Michigan State, PhD Political Science, Michigan State, 19961996

1995, 1996, 19981995, 1996, 1998 Charter School Laws Across the Charter School Laws Across the

United StatesUnited States. M. Mintrom & S. . M. Mintrom & S. Vergari. MSU.Vergari. MSU.

19951995 ““School Finance Reform in the State School Finance Reform in the State

of Michigan.” of Michigan.” Journal of Education Journal of Education Finance. Finance.

1996-71996-7 3 others (w/ Mintrom)3 others (w/ Mintrom)

19991999 B. Hassel and S. Vergari. “Charter-Granting B. Hassel and S. Vergari. “Charter-Granting

Agencies: The Challenges of Oversight in a Agencies: The Challenges of Oversight in a Deregulated System.” Deregulated System.” Education and Urban Education and Urban SocietySociety. .

20002000 "The Regulatory Styles of Statewide Charter "The Regulatory Styles of Statewide Charter

School Authorizers: Arizona, Massachusetts, School Authorizers: Arizona, Massachusetts, and Michigan." and Michigan." Educational Administration Educational Administration QuarterlyQuarterly. .

20012001 "Charter School Authorizers: Public Agents "Charter School Authorizers: Public Agents

for Holding Charter Schools Accountable." for Holding Charter Schools Accountable." Education and Urban Society.Education and Urban Society.

20022002 The Charter School LandscapeThe Charter School Landscape. University . University

of Pittsburgh. of Pittsburgh. Editor and contributor of 3 Editor and contributor of 3 chapters. chapters.

20032003 Invited participant, panel on school choice Invited participant, panel on school choice

at NYU. Plus “Charter Schools: A at NYU. Plus “Charter Schools: A Significant Precedent in Public Education.” Significant Precedent in Public Education.” NYU Annual Survey of American LawNYU Annual Survey of American Law. .

20042004 ““Funding Choices: The Politics of Charter Funding Choices: The Politics of Charter

School Finance,” DeMoss and Wong (Eds.), School Finance,” DeMoss and Wong (Eds.), Money, Politics and LawMoney, Politics and Law. Yearbook of the . Yearbook of the American Education Finance Association. American Education Finance Association.

2005- 20072005- 2007 Federal contract to evaluate local Federal contract to evaluate local

charter school. charter school. Also collected data on supplemental Also collected data on supplemental

educational services.educational services. Contracted report (deliverable) +Contracted report (deliverable) + ““Federalism and Market-Based Federalism and Market-Based

Education Policy: The Supplemental Education Policy: The Supplemental Educational Services Mandate.” Educational Services Mandate.” American Journal of Education.American Journal of Education.

The World Beyond The World Beyond AcademiaAcademia

20022002 S. Vergari and F. Hess. “The S. Vergari and F. Hess. “The

Accreditation Game,” Accreditation Game,” Education NextEducation Next 2. Opinion and research. Public 2. Opinion and research. Public audience. Find in Barnes & Noble. audience. Find in Barnes & Noble.

Queries from an array of folks over Queries from an array of folks over the years, including state legislators.the years, including state legislators.

Some TipsSome Tips Pay attention to the media – trade, Pay attention to the media – trade,

popular popular Write about what concerns your audience Write about what concerns your audience Write to various segments of your Write to various segments of your

audienceaudience Use early publication in solid journals to Use early publication in solid journals to

establish your reputationestablish your reputation Foster collaborationsFoster collaborations Address the general as well as the Address the general as well as the

specificspecific

Judith A. LangerJudith A. Langer

Distinguished ProfessorDistinguished Professor Educational Theory and Practice, Educational Theory and Practice,

UAlbanyUAlbany National/International reputation re National/International reputation re

literacy teaching and learningliteracy teaching and learning Director, National Research Center Director, National Research Center

on English Learning & Achievementon English Learning & Achievement

For EachFor Each

Who is the audience?Who is the audience? Where might it have been published?Where might it have been published? How does it differ from the others – How does it differ from the others –

language use, style, etc.?language use, style, etc.?

1.1. Reading is sense-making, an act of Reading is sense-making, an act of becoming—where new questions, insights, becoming—where new questions, insights, and understandings develop as the reading and understandings develop as the reading progresses, while understandings that were progresses, while understandings that were once held are subject to modification, once held are subject to modification, reinterpretation, and even dismissal reinterpretation, and even dismissal (Anderson, Spiro, & Montague, 1977; (Anderson, Spiro, & Montague, 1977; Goodman, 1970; Iser, 1978; Rumelhart, 1975; Goodman, 1970; Iser, 1978; Rumelhart, 1975; Spiro, Bruce, & Brewer, 1980; Suleiman, Spiro, Bruce, & Brewer, 1980; Suleiman, 1980). At any point in a reading , the 1980). At any point in a reading , the individual has a local envisionment, a individual has a local envisionment, a personal text-world embodying all she or he personal text-world embodying all she or he understands, assumes, or imagines up to that understands, assumes, or imagines up to that point in the reading (see Fillmore, 1981; Kay, point in the reading (see Fillmore, 1981; Kay, 1987; J.Langer, 1985, 1986, 1987). . . .1987; J.Langer, 1985, 1986, 1987). . . .

2.2. A process view of reading suggests that A process view of reading suggests that reading involves envisionment-building, reading involves envisionment-building, where understanding changes and grows where understanding changes and grows over time (Langer 1985, 1987a,b; Spiro, over time (Langer 1985, 1987a,b; Spiro, Bruce & Brewer 1980). I use the word Bruce & Brewer 1980). I use the word envisionment to refer to the understanding envisionment to refer to the understanding a reader has about a text—what the a reader has about a text—what the reader understands at a particular point in reader understands at a particular point in time, the question she has, as well as her time, the question she has, as well as her hunches about how the piece will unfold. hunches about how the piece will unfold. Envisionments develop as the reading Envisionments develop as the reading progresses. Some information is no longer progresses. Some information is no longer important, some is added, and some is important, some is added, and some is changed. . . .changed. . . .

3.3. Envisionments are understandings Envisionments are understandings—the wealth of ideas that people —the wealth of ideas that people have in their minds at any point in have in their minds at any point in time. Envisionments include related time. Envisionments include related ideas and images, questions, ideas and images, questions, hunches, anticipations, arguments, hunches, anticipations, arguments, disagreements, and confusions that disagreements, and confusions that fill the mind during every reading, fill the mind during every reading, writing, speaking, or thinking writing, speaking, or thinking experience.experience.

4. . . . We began to identify the steps 4. . . . We began to identify the steps in that mental process, a process I in that mental process, a process I call envisionment building. Although call envisionment building. Although the term envisionment may be the term envisionment may be foreign to you, the process surely foreign to you, the process surely isn’t. In fact, you create isn’t. In fact, you create envisionments everyday, when you envisionments everyday, when you see a broken down car on the side of see a broken down car on the side of the road, when you eavesdrop at the the road, when you eavesdrop at the bus stop, anytime you try to make bus stop, anytime you try to make sense of the events around you . . . sense of the events around you . . .

Different AudiencesDifferent AudiencesDifferent LanguageDifferent Language

1.1. Research in the Teaching of English. Research in the Teaching of English.

2.2. Language Arts.Language Arts.

3.3. Practitioner booklet. Improving Practitioner booklet. Improving Literary Understanding through Literary Understanding through Classroom ConversationClassroom Conversation

4.4. Public TV professional development. Public TV professional development.

More TipsMore Tips

Address your audience concernsAddress your audience concerns Use language and examples that they Use language and examples that they

will relate towill relate to YOUR GOALS – short- and long-termYOUR GOALS – short- and long-term Capitalize on previous work Capitalize on previous work Sometimes the way to policymakers is Sometimes the way to policymakers is

through the mainstream mediathrough the mainstream media Let your institution know of your Let your institution know of your

expertiseexpertise

The Production of Achievement The Production of Achievement Inequality in High School EnglishInequality in High School English

Never Hold a Pencil: Rhetoric and Never Hold a Pencil: Rhetoric and Relations in the Concept of Relations in the Concept of "Preliteracy“"Preliteracy“

"There It Was, That One Sex "There It Was, That One Sex Scene:" English Teachers on Scene:" English Teachers on CensorshipCensorship

In Search of a Profound Answer: In Search of a Profound Answer: Mainstream Scripts and the Mainstream Scripts and the Marginalization of Advanced-Track Marginalization of Advanced-Track Urban StudentsUrban Students

Who Else Might Want to Who Else Might Want to Know?Know?

Current audienceCurrent audience Other potential audiences – their Other potential audiences – their

issues/concernsissues/concerns Their publicationsTheir publications Language issuesLanguage issues Examples that might workExamples that might work

The The ProductionProduction of of Achievement Inequality in Achievement Inequality in

High School EnglishHigh School English

Examines quantity of assignments, Examines quantity of assignments, coherence of instruction, student voice, coherence of instruction, student voice, and course content to see whether and course content to see whether each aspect affects growth in reading each aspect affects growth in reading achievement. Overall, these measures achievement. Overall, these measures of instructional practices partially of instructional practices partially explain why students’ track position explain why students’ track position and reading achievement are related. and reading achievement are related.

AERJAERJ, 2002.  W. Carbonaro, A. , 2002.  W. Carbonaro, A. GamoranGamoran

Never Hold a PencilNever Hold a PencilArgues that preliterate can be understood as a Argues that preliterate can be understood as a

socially constructive narrative that devalues socially constructive narrative that devalues the cultures and peoples to whom it is the cultures and peoples to whom it is applied by situating them within a 19th-applied by situating them within a 19th-century narrative of primitiveness and century narrative of primitiveness and mystifies understandings of how literacy mystifies understandings of how literacy develops by representing the absence of develops by representing the absence of literacy as an expression of inherent cultural literacy as an expression of inherent cultural values rather than an outcome of values rather than an outcome of relationships among cultures of unequal relationships among cultures of unequal power. The Hmong of Laos.power. The Hmong of Laos.

      Written CommunicationWritten Communication, 2000 J. Duffy , 2000 J. Duffy

"There It Was, That One Sex "There It Was, That One Sex Scene"Scene"

Presents the perspectives of five Presents the perspectives of five experienced high school English experienced high school English teachers on how the threat of teachers on how the threat of censorship influences their selection censorship influences their selection of literary works and their teaching of literary works and their teaching methods. Claims teachers need methods. Claims teachers need strong support from administrators strong support from administrators and professional organizations in and professional organizations in order to present a culturally diverse order to present a culturally diverse literature curriculum.literature curriculum.

English JournalEnglish Journal,, 1999. 1999. J. AgeeJ. Agee

In Search of a Profound In Search of a Profound AnswerAnswer

Microethnographic study examines talk Microethnographic study examines talk among non-mainstream urban students among non-mainstream urban students (jrs, srs) and their mainstream teachers in (jrs, srs) and their mainstream teachers in two advanced-track classrooms. Analysis two advanced-track classrooms. Analysis focuses on the student contributions focuses on the student contributions praised by teachers and shows that praised by teachers and shows that student contributions that do not follow student contributions that do not follow dominant linguistic and cultural codes are dominant linguistic and cultural codes are not rewarded, and that although students not rewarded, and that although students ask their teachers for guidance in using ask their teachers for guidance in using these codes appropriately, their requests these codes appropriately, their requests are not effectively addressed.are not effectively addressed.

Linguistics and EducationLinguistics and Education, 2003. C. Higgins, M. , 2003. C. Higgins, M. Thompson, R. RoederThompson, R. Roeder