Engagement 3/4/20

I’m interested in learning more about how people using writing as mediation in their professions, similar to Brandt, but I am particularly interested in learning about how they feel limited by their institutions. It might be interesting to interview teachers, and to see what kinds of writing they enjoy the most in their jobs, and what kinds of writing feel chores. Do they feel like they have the flexibility they need to craft a good curriculum and create fair tests for their students? Do they find themselves having to put more time and energy into some kinds of writing more than others (Ex: feeling like you have to respond to emails before working on curriculum)? A potential research question could be something along the lines of: I want to investigate how high school teachers use mediational writing in their everyday lives, and whether they feel institutional constraints limit their mediational ability. This question is still a bit broad, but I think I will be able to narrow it down more as I think more about what I really want to learn through the interview process. I think I would primarily use interviews, because I want to know how these teachers feel, personally. That’s something that’s difficult to judge through observation, but I could potentially sit in on a class. Textual analysis could be beneficial. I could look at emails, rubrics, or curriculum plans.