Students will be required to complete a significant research assignment for CAGS. Students will arrive at CAGS with an annotated bibliography of educational texts, research articles, films, web sites, and related readings on a topic of their choice related to leadership, cultural studies, curriculum, visual culture, or foundations of education. Topics will be refined and the bibliography extended in classes once students arrive at CAGS. (Bring some interesting books, journal articles, and films with you!) If CAGS students have any concern about the selection of a research topic, choose something generic or general enough to get started. The faculty will work with you individually to refine your research theme once you arrive at CAGS. During CAGS we will expand the bibliography and extend the research during each of the three classes. Students will complete several drafts of a research paper during CAGS. It is the expectation of the faculty that all students will complete the final draft of the research paper before they leave CAGS.
Come prepared to read, write, question, and think during CAGS. However, if the faculty decides that additional revisions of the research paper are necessary, a final draft must be submitted electronically by the end of August. The initial annotated bibliography that is due upon arrival at CAGS should have at least 15 entries (more if you have time) with a variety of entries from books, research articles, films, and web sites. The annotated comments should be one paragraph (perhaps about 200 words) on each of the texts/articles/films/web sites.
Please bring the following four books with you (perhaps you already have some of these books from previous courses). These books can be purchased at your local bookstore or via any of the on-line booksellers, such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble. These books should also be available at the MCLA Bookstore by emailing: http://www.mcla.bkstr.com The site will ask you for course numbers; you can use CAGS 902 which covers all the books. When requesting shipping, please do not use a P.O. box as UPS does not ship to PO boxes. Books can also be picked up at the store between 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.; after hours pick up can be arranged by calling the Bookstore at: (413) 662-5240.
Please read these books in the order listed. Refuge can be read at your leisure before the CAGS session.
Crotty, Michael (1999), The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process, London: Sage, ISBN 0-7619-6106-2.
Glesne, Corrine (2005), Becoming Qualitative Researchers: An Introduction, New York, NY: Longman, ISBN 978-0205458387 (paperback).
Cary, Lisa J. (2006), Curriculum Spaces: Discourse, Postmodern Theory and Educational Research, New York, NY: Peter Lang, ISBN 0-8204-8128-9.
Williams, Terry Tempest (1991/2001), Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place by Terry Tempest Williams, ISBN 0-679-74024-4.
