I liked reading about Wendy Luttrell’s research because it was done in such a formal and controlled way.  This is not how I will be doing my research–so it’s nice to see the other side!

I think the variety of data she collected during both her photography ethnographic study and her “Fertile Bodies” ethnographic study were what made both so informative.  Not only did she have the work products of all participants–she also had video and audio recordings of interviews, conversations, and work sessions.  Her articles features transcriptions of these conversations or dialogue more heavily than the actual art products, and that seems really telling.  It must have taken so much time to record and transcribe every class session, but it’s what allowed her to come to such rich understandings.

These articles made me think about how art is just a conduit for understanding. Like, art is more about how someone makes the art because it helps you understand trends (data) and make meaning of their experiences (ethnography). Luttrell was paying attention to what the students talked about while making and presenting their art. This discussion of the art is just a different phase of meaning-making.  I’m struck by how much meaning can be gleaned (or has been gleaned) from just watching someone make art.

Overall, I think I have two next steps: 1) I’m going to be to film myself making my collages.  I can see the arranging and rearranging process as potentially being informative.  I would like to film it from above and have just my hands and the paper in the frame. 2) I need to start thinking about my students as human beings who have a completely separate life outside of school.  The articles about Luttrell’s photography research made me realize that there’s a whole lot about my students that I don’t know.   And changing my thinking could help me become a better teacher.