“Writing is thinking,” writes Wolcott in Writing Up Qualitative Research (2001, Sage, 2nd ed.) This is a space where I can explore a field that I love as I discover new things about qualitative research. Wolcott also writes about how knowing is never complete.
I discovered qualitative research methods while working on a doctoral minor at the University of Northern Colorado. I was starting a qualitative dissertation when I decided I needed to know more about methodology since I was one of the first students in the department to “write” a qualitative dissertation. So I started taking all the qualitative classes I could feeling called to the process, and earned a minor in Applied Statistics and Research Methods with an emphasis in Qualitative Research. Completing a doctoral minor was the best decision of my life, and I believe is what led to my study being nominated for Outstanding Dissertation of the Semester in the College of Education. I didn’t win, but that is okay. It was more important that qualitative research was now being accepted in the program.
A couple of years after I graduated, I went back to UNC as an Assistant Professor which provided the opportunity to co-taught a summer qualitative research course and co-facilitated a Qualitative Student group twice a month though the academic year before becoming an Assistant Professor in the School of Education and Human Development at the University of Colorado Denver where I teach courses in: qualitative research methods, evaluation, instructional technology & learning (eLearning), and action research for school library graduate students. At the time of this edit (May 2009), I am beginning my 4th year at UC Denver, and I feel so lucky to have the opportunity to teach courses I love and wanted to extend my “writing as thinking” beyond the classroom to this blog. It is a good place to start.
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