In this piece I will touch on some of what I learned. Two lessons were very pronounced. The first learning was about the range of research interests on the part of practitioner researchers, and the second was understanding more about the characteristics of the mentoring relationship A range of interests. Work by practitioners from these projects confirmed that practitioner research can provide unique, intimate, privileged and situated views of the classroom and of student learning. The funded capacity building projects show a range of research interests amongst practitioners.
Some examples illustrate the range.
Another grantee was an African American teacher from the Mississippi Delta. This teacher s research focused on understanding what kind of learning occurs, and by whom, when optimal conditions for learning are in place with culturally relevant instructional teaching practices. These projects, and others like them, make way for fruitful conversations about teaching and learning that move from the ground up. The areas of study for each of the funded projects grew out of a deep concern on the part of the practitioners to understand certain aspects of teaching and learning in their own communities. As such, not only do they provide opportunities for others to see into their world, but perhaps more importantly, the practitioner s deep concerns established a frame for learning to do research.