Just like when you buy a new car and suddenly notice how many others purchased the same make and model...before the purchase, however, you paid little mind to what others drove.
Research is the same for me...it has always been around, but only recently have I been awakened to the abundance of it. I find myself challenging the intent behind it, wondering who funded it, wanting to explore the methodology, interpreting the results, and confirming how the application of what was learned can help bring about positive change.
For example, a week or so ago, one of my students shared a research study conducted in Japan that found that people who viewed photographs of kittens and puppies (as opposed to cats and dogs) were more relaxed and more receptive to input such as new learning. My first thought - where did they get this crazy idea. My second: people are starving around the planet and this is what millions of dollars are being spent on instead. Hmmm...
Another study shows how struggling readers, especially those just learning how, can better learn to read aloud in a less threatening environment by reading to a dog instead of peers. While other children, who notice errors may respond and upset or embarrass the struggling reader, a dog can be a patient and non-judgmental listener. This study was the impetus for programs to spring forth in public libraries around the country, promoting special reading times just for this purpose.
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