Response to Chapter 5 for The Art of Classroom Inquiry

"Janelle, Melissa, and Bridget all relied on the larger community--a wider base of knowledge that already exists. It can be a relief to realize that we don't need to rediscover everything." (pg. 137). This quote stands out to me because I sometimes feel alone when teaching and that the problems that I face in my class are just my problems that occur in my class or some of my colleagues' classes. This quote is a good reminder that the answers are always out there: you just have to look for them.

"All of my families that I have worked with...were very eager to participate in programs such as family night." (pg.137) Although this is true for Bridget Harkins, a teacher in the middle school, I wonder how true is the statement at the high school level. I know from my open house attendance my attendance was slim, even though I called parents to invite them to my school's open house. I guess I'm wondering why parents are more involved when their children are younger and what can secondary teachers due to keep parents involved in their children's education.

"It is time to open the curtains and let some light into the old dark, underground images of reviews of literature." (pg. 142) Though I bregrudginly move to doing research for my questions, I do believe that it will bring some light to my dark and musty brain.

My question is about extension activity 6, though it sounds fun, I wonder how it contributes to your research?