Saturday, March 10, 2012

March is McDowell Month: Top Ten Reasons to Apply for a McDowell Research Grant

Deadline March 31st, 2012

Number Ten: The process of applying is a drop-everything good excuse to go for coffee, go for supper, with colleagues you never get enough time with. You and your research buddies will have fun thinking up what you want to investigate.

Number Nine: Your boss will think, "Mmmm. What a go getter!"

Number Eight: You will re-think your role as teacher and possibly reinvent or renew your teacher identity.

Number Seven: Winning a Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation for Research into Teaching is a stellar resume builder. Just ask one of the hundreds of Saskatchewan educators who have researched with the McDowell Foundation!

Number Six: Seeing your classroom or school through the lens of teacher researcher will bring insights you wouldn't otherwise see.

Number Five: Your students will think you're really cool, especially if you invite them into the process as fellow Action Researchers.

Number Four: You will find out what all the fuss is about Action Research. (Is it research on the fly? Is it formal or informal? Is it a cycle of questions, action, reflection, more questions, more action, more reflection? Is it real teachers in real classrooms doing real research?)

Number Three: You will get to rub shoulders -- maybe electronic shoulders -- with the fabulous staff at the Dr. Stirling McDowell Foundation for Research into Teaching.

Number Two: You will dream a big dream and that's always good for the teacher soul!

Number One: You will power-up as you consider research purposes, objectives, innovative points, relevance and your own power as a classroom teacher-researcher.