8/22/08

What is a dissertation? According to the American Heritage Dictionary it is a length and formal treatise or discourse, especially one written by a candidate for the doctoral degree at a university; thesis. Basically, it's an original research that is really long.

*note: Answer questions on page 42 and 43 of Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day.

Original research means no one has done it before, right? What sort of research do I want to do? What am I passionate about? It needs to be something I can stick with for a few years. Is it second language acquisition in the early years? Is it going to be on bilingual studies? Is it going to be on elementary math? What about classroom discipline? Regular academic discipline? The program I entered is titled "Curriculum Studies". Does that mean that it has to do with studying a type of curriculum? Does that mean I'm coming up with my own curriculum? Am I analyzing curriculum? Comparing and contrasting curriculum? I really don't know. Maybe I can choose a topic and if it doesn't fit, I can switch programs? Is that a lot of hassle? Is that possible? Does an original research require money? For travel? Data collection? I think I need to re-read what exactly curriculum study is about first.

Ok, so specialization in curriculum and instruction is a specialization in developing educational leaders in curriculum development, teaching, curriculum evaluation and/or teacher education and professional development.