Thesis

So I did it. I defended my thesis.

That's right you are looking at a Master now.

Well, or reading the words of, in any case.

Summary: The defense went really well, we talked for about 2 hours. Comments were overall positive with one or two reservations about how I had described my method as an ethnography, and my reticence to "out" myself as a participant in the research. I am very grateful to the members of my committee Liz Miller, Dr. Sandra Weber, and especially to my supervisor Dr. Leslie Regan Shade.

That was April 6th.

The ensuing week has been incredibly strange, like a comic strip where the Coyote chases Road Runner off the cliff, and then runs for another five feet before looking down, shrieking, and plunging to his doom.

But this column in the G&M is bang on the money. At least as far as I can tell based on my thesis - (that's right now I have a body of research I can appeal to what a bonus!).

Kids who don't come from advantage need hella more then "portfolio based curriculums (new school education reform), or the 3 R's and standardized testing (old-schoool education reform), or portfolio-based learning with standardized testing tacked on at the end (Quebec bien oui!).

The schools she is talking about here, the KIPP program (Knowledge Is Power Program) have instituted many changes to a traditional public or even private model school, school days are much longer, students can actually call their teachers off school hours for homework help, and the curriculum includes some non-standard elements like overt training in listening and attention skills, instead of the simple yet- in-effective exhortion to; "PAY ATTENTION CLASS".

Sum it up in point form:

• Finished written portion of thesis dropped it off at the office in 2 boxes and one internal mail service envelope for my committee. At the copy centre the very enthusiastic employee gave me a celebratory lollipop.
• Am still finishing the website part of the thesis, should be done tomorrow, working slower then a tortoise on Qualudes, would it be disingenious of me to say I just don't give a flying fig anymore. I don't know what magic part of my self I am using to do the last part of the work, but when it runs out I am screwed.

And there are some minor changes...

I think I may have just given myself the slaps. Okay I did just give myself the slaps. One or two new paragraphs - revisions on the bibliography...

Go TEAM.