7/1/10

Another great news! My study was approved by Human Studies! IRB approval!

It took 3 times, but I did it. I just kept revising and resubmitting until I got it just right. I was getting a bit worried because I haven't heard from them, but I guess that was good news!

Just a few more things on my list to do, before I leave for Japan.

-Committee approved
-Committee approves dissertation research proposal
-Visa

Hopefully everything falls into place soon! I'm getting excited!

6/29/10

Yet another milestone in my "road to a completed dissertation"!

I am looking at the acceptance letter from Tokyo University! Yes, Tokyo University. Although I did receive a scholarship to go study in Japan for a year, that did not come with a "free" entry into a university. I needed to apply to see which university would accept me as a research student to conduct my research. I was looking to return to Keio University, where I attended for undergraduate, but I thought why go back when I can get another "brand" name attached to my name. How about Tokyo University?...THE number ONE university in Japan. Why not? Let's give it a shot...was my thoughts.

To my surprise, I have been accepted and will be going to Tokyo University for a year to conduct my research. Words can't express how happy I am. It's like being 2nd/3rd tier your entire life and all of a sudden you reach 1st tier. That kind of feeling? You get my point.

Still have lots to tackle though. Here is the list:
-Dissertation committee approved
-Dissertation proposal accepted by committee members
-Research approved by University of Hawaii
-Visa

Alright. I did my happy dance. It's crunch time. Back to my desk.

6/7/10

Dissertation Committee Members Set!

Yes, after all the rejections, I have finally gathered 5 professors who will determine my faith. In the end, I'll be needing 3 of the 5 to agree that whatever research I did "adds to the body of knowledge" and that I should graduate.

So, obviously this is a big step. So when the last professor agreed to serve on my committee naturally I got teary eyed. I'm so thrilled I don't even know where to begin.

Shay's Dissertation Committee Members
R.H. - Chair
S.R.
P.S.
T.H.
D.E.

Preparing for Japanese summer school has taken time away from the proposal and IRB papers, but I must get back to them. Oh, should I mention that IRB has denied me twice already...I wonder how many rejections this is going to take until they finally accept. Hm...

5/4/10

Yesterday marked THE last class. Yes, THE last class I need to take for my Ph.D. Of course I still need to do comps and write the dissertation, but NO more course work. What a relief, yet a hint of sadness.

But I see it as, this is where the REAL work begins. Up until now, I had a professor that told me read this by next week, write this by the following, etc. Now, I'm the BOSS! I decide what I need to read and when I should have things written by. This requires LOADS of self discipline. Thank goodness I have some. ...enough to get a black belt in karate that is. LoL.

So, now that the real work begins...am I no longer a graduate student, but a researcher? LoL.

Good luck to me!

Oh, and a side note. A special someone got me an iPad as a congrats-for-finishing-course-work. Of course I needed it to sound like an iPad is a tool I NEED in order to conduct my research. LoL.

Happy studying!

4/27/10

A lot has happened in the past few weeks I thought I'd write an update. (I make this sound like I shouldn't be doing this everyday. LoL. In reality, I SHOULD do it daily. So much for that idea.)

1) Dissertation Proposal is now at 30 pages. I turned it into my advisor on Monday with a feeling of accomplishment. Of course it still needs LOTS of work, but just turning it into him was a relief. That moment of relief should've been cherished because the next morning, my inbox had my paper with comments and suggestions, and sections of the paper that must be re-worked. No time to breath is probably life of a phd student, right?

2) Working Title! Yes, I have, or shall I say, we have a working title! (I say, we, because I'm working on this with my advisor.) It is Educating Children in Two Languages: A Multiple-Case Study of Dual Language Instruction in Japan. Of course, it is a working title meaning it WILL change. See, I even used the word WILL, instead of MIGHT. LoL.

3) Destination Japan. So, I'm looking at different schools to apply to as a research student in Japan. You know, to fulfill my scholarship opportunity of $45,000. I was initially looking into Keio University, my alma mater, but I also have my eye on Tokyo University. Why? Well, not that it really matters to me since I live my life in America, but in Japan it's all about the brand. I already have the Keio University brand attached to my name, why not also get a Tokyo University brand? LoL, simple as that. (For those reading thinking what's so special about these schools, it's like Yale, Harvard level. Why not get both attached, right?)

4) IRB. Institutional Review Board is a hurdle that all research students much overcome. It is a board that oversees all research done at the university to ensure that we're not harming humans. There are three levels, full, expedited, exempt. Most education related research is exempt because it's not like we're poking anyone with meds. However, if you do work with students under the age of 18, minors, then you'd need to submit a expedited full review. So, in my case, since I will be observing students who are minors, I must go through the expedited review. Basically, I need to turn in a bunch of paper work saying I will not harm the people I decide to observe.

5) Comprehensive Exam. I thought I needed to take this exam BEFORE I left for Japan in August, but I have been since notified that I may take this WHILE in Japan. Sweet. This exam is basically 3 super-duper-long essays. You're given 10 days or so to complete all 3 essays, each being anywhere between 15 to 20 pages. Oh my, not looking forward to that.

6) Now what? The class I'm currently taking marks my LAST course required for my degree. Yay! On to taking Independent Study with my advisor. It's called the 699 course where you register for 1 credit just so that you can "stay in the system".

Whew. What an update. There's probably more, but this is all I could think of as of now. I will attempt to write more often. No promises. LoL.

3/7/10

So a friend of mine gave me a copy of The New York Times Magazine today. The title read, "Building a Better Teacher" with small text underneath saying "Can educators be educated about how to educate? By Elizabeth Green".

So I started to read the article and came across this:

"Among the factors that do not predict whether a teacher will succeed: a graduate school degree, a high score on the SAT, an extroverted personality, politeness, confidence, warmth, enthusiasm and having passed the teacher certification exam on the first try."

Seriously? Then what's all this schooling for?!? Wait, what are the factors that predict whether a teacher will succeed? Apparently Lemov's Taxonomy helps..."Teach like a champion: The 49 techniques that put students on the path to college". Wait, is putting them on the path to college the ultimate goal for every student? Ah, all the questions...

3/1/10

It's been 11 days since I've got my paper back from my advisor. Am I anywhere near done? No.

The two-page proposal that we've been working on has now become a "short" proposal. It's 8 pages long now. (It's supposedly suppose to be 50 to 60 or so by the time I'm done.) Right now, I'm focusing on other countries, other than the United States that have had experience with dual language education. Also, I'm looking for previous research on different program features. And of course, I need to tie this all back to the setting of the research, Japan. Oh, not to mention, I need to solidify which method of research I'll be conducting as well.

So far, I've borrowed 2 books from the library, purchased many books online, and have printed numerous articles related to my study. (I'm so lucky to have found a printer that I'm able to print from for FREE. 100 pages? No problem! LoL.)

Hopefully I will get this paper out of my hand and back to my advisor by the end of the week. Wish me luck. Oh wait...that connects to the previous post! LoL.