• Activity 1: Humorous Awards Ceremony (1 ½ hrs) Participants plan a ceremony to commemorate the end of the research and create “silly” or humorous awards to bestow upon each other. 
   
• Activity 2: What Does Practitioner Research Mean? (1 ¼ hrs) Whole group discusses the significance of practitioner research staff development.

Activity 1: Humorous Awards Ceremony
 

Group Process:

Begin by reminiscing with the group about the fun times you’ve had over the course of the project.  Revisit some of the fun or silly occurrences that the group has experienced over the length of the project -- in the midst of and surrounding the intense work and learning process. Well, this next activity is meant to be fun for participants  - fun for fun’s sake. This is also an occasion for the group to celebrate the end of their work together. Point out that this is the last time the group will meet, at least as a group of practitioner researchers. 

Explain to participants that they (not the facilitators) will plan an awards ceremony and create “silly” or humorous awards to bestow upon each other. Divide participants into two groups. Ask the groups to create a special award or honor for each person in the other group. (In the Virginia Adult Education Research Network, participants created an award for each facilitator too.)

Distribute the arts and crafts materials. Give the two groups ample time to plan and complete this work. (1 hour)

Bring the two groups back together and turn the floor over to participants (masters of ceremony) for the fun and celebration. (30 minutes)

(Break)

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Activity 2: What Does Practitioner Research Mean?
 

Group Process:

This is the final large group discussion and a time for participants to reflect on the significance of practitioner research and practitioner research as a form of professional development. Facilitators may want to tape record this session especially for reporting and evaluation purposes.  The questions below structure this open discussion. Give the group a few minutes before beginning the discussion to consider each question silently:

• What happens when practitioners carry out research?

          What do you feel walking away from this project?

           What do you think now that you are where you are? Where
           are you?

          What insights do you have about the totality of your experience?

• What is the larger significance of this practitioner research work?

           What insights do you now have about the greater significance
           of this work?

           What is the value of this work?

           How does this work fit into the bigger picture?

• What will you communicate to others about conducting research?

Before you adjourn the meeting, review the group’s timeline for finishing the research briefs. Address any outstanding issues and respond to participants’ final questions and comments about completing their work.

Ask participants to evaluate Meeting Four, using the standard form:

1. What did you like about Meeting Four?

2. What suggestions to you have for improvement?

View Meeting Four Evaluations from participants in the 1999-2000 Virginia Adult Education Research Network.

Conclusion of Meeting Four: Making Our Research Knowledge Public

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