Study Unit II Fieldwork Basics for Teachers

Stage 3: Processing Fieldwork Materials

After fieldwork, what? Professional folklorists find many ways to use their documentation. You and your students will have to decide how best to process and preserve your fieldwork.

Archiving

One of the most important ways to preserve fieldwork is to archive photographs, slides, tapes, field notes, and videos in a repository where the materials will be protected from disintegrating and where people may study them. Archiving requires careful logging, so this is where students' labeling of materials and securing permission forms really become important. Without a permission form, materials cannot be made accessible to the public, nor can they be used to produce exhibits, publications, or programs, which are other major means of presenting fieldwork results. Whether they create a classroom archive, a school library archive, or a gift to the state or local historical society, students should learn something about the importance of preserving folklife fieldwork. Brainstorm a list with them about why preservation is important. Ask students to explore the online archives of the American Folklife Center. Then return to the list of reasons to preserve fieldwork and add any new insights students come up with. Together discuss how the class would like to manage fieldwork notes.

Transcribing

Professional folklorists spend many hours transcribing field tapes, listening over and over to write out interviews word for word. A special tape player with earphones and a foot pedal is an invaluable tool, but few schools will have access to this equipment. Be realistic in deciding how much to transcribe. Students could listen to their field tapes, create a subject index, and choose a portion to transcribe (see Sample Field Notes and Tape Log). A subject index can be as simple as a list of words listed in order that will help cue a listener. Transcribing as soon after fieldwork as possible is helpful since the interviewer will remember the conversation more clearly. Again, be realistic about how much students can actually transcribe. A mere five minutes of conversation may take up pages when transcribed. So why transcribe at all? It's a good way to teach listening, proofing, editing, keyboarding. Students can see themes that emerge, analyze the text more carefully, and study the difference between oral and literary narratives. Results can be preserved in a local archive or students' portfolios; used for scripts for radio programs or readers' theater, for example; given to interviewees as gifts; or added to exhibits. A transcription can also indicate where more fieldwork is needed, either to clarify a point or deepen the project. When students return to interviewees with their transcriptions, they can verify the interview and strengthen their relationships with interviewees.

Student Products

Sometimes fieldwork results give a clue how best to present findings. Sometimes you'll know going into a project that you have to create an exhibit or a video to meet content standards. Sometimes students will know what message they want to convey through a presentation. Obviously, student products will vary from project to project, community to community. If you've undertaken very simple fieldwork and asked students to interview one another, the product can also be simple: essays, drawings, timelines, graphs, oral presentations, or group reports. More elaborate fieldwork demands more complex products. Collaborations among classroom teachers, media specialists, and art and music teachers strengthen design and content of products. See below the list of Ideas for Student Products Based on Fieldwork and find descriptions of a few folklife and oral history student products.

Even 1st graders can conduct fieldwork. One classroom teacher spent the first semester letting students build a portfolio called "All About Me." After writing a letter to families, the teacher sent a child home with the class tape recorder microphone each night and asked parents to record a song they sang to their child as a baby. Each afternoon she played the tape up until the end and sent it off with another child, warning, "Don't rewind or you'll erase everyone's songs." Miraculously, no one recorded over another family's song, and the children loved this recording, which became the most played cassette in their listening center. A Polaroid camera later went home so that parents could have someone photograph them at work or home while the children were at school. Then came recipes, special objects, and stories from childhood, which the teacher also recorded for the listening center by holding an inexpensive microphone in front of the students as they reported to the class. The parents looked forward to their next assignment and started offering their talents in the classroom.

A music teacher asked parents of kindergartners to videotape themselves singing their children a lullaby, and she worked with the art teacher to design an exhibit on sleep around the world featuring students' favorite stuffed animals, video clips, recordings of lullabies from different countries, and a performance for parents of a medley of lullabies the students had collected.

Eighth-grade girls collected life stories from their grandmothers and decided to stage a presentation wearing some of their grandmothers' wedding dresses and reading excerpts of the stories.

A 4th grade teacher designed a year-long rubric to measure how her students' interviewing skills improved. She began the year by sharing her own flawed attempts at fieldwork; paired students off to practice interviewing; used exercises to improve listening skills; invited many guests to speak on various topics to the class and included student interviews of each guest; critiqued interviews with students; assigned writing assignments based on the interviews; and, finally, compared students' final interviews at the end of the year with their first interviews. Students themselves discussed what they had learned about interviewing, how they had improved, what they learned by interviewing and listening to guests.

Fourth graders collected family stories during a six-week interdisciplinary unit on family stories. They chose one story at the end of the grading period to polish into a script the next grading period. With peer editing they wrote scripts of their stories, drew scenery on clear overheads, made shadow puppets of their characters, and acted out their family story plays for the class using an overhead projector. Later the media specialist invited students to the media center to videotape each play. Every family received a copy of the final compilation after an evening premiere of the video.

High school students met with community residents over a ten-week period for a community self-study. Working as a team, students and community members researched and discussed topics such as histories of the town, its churches, schools, and businesses; the impact of the natural world on the way people work and play; the town's economic connections to the state and the nation; modern influences and how they are changing the community; and ways to make life in the town better.

During a study of regional occupational folklife of logging in Montana by a Chapter One high school English class, a student was elected Logger Queen, prompting an investigation into the 35-year-old community tradition. This led to the first Logger Day Queen coming to class to discuss changes that have occurred over the decades in this annual community celebration. Students researched the tradition, found and copied photographs, and archived results in the school library.

Students worked with a tribal agency to study local Native American history and culture. Each student wrote a research paper and presented it at a barbeque hosted by the tribal agency for students and their parents.

An interdisciplinary approach to a study of water encouraged students to think about the many ways that water touches our communities. Students read literary selections in English class, learned mathematical methods used to quantify water, learned scientific methods for studying water in science class while thinking about several broad questions related to water: Where does water come from? Is pollution a concern in this area? What are the conflicts between wilderness management, industry, and development? Students visited a waste-water treatment plant, a weather station, a nature preserve, a refuge, libraries, and the state historical society. To complete this heritage project, students interviewed community members and wrote and presented a paper on their research at a community open house.

For a family history video project students explored their families (with alternatives for students who did not want to focus on their families) by video documenting the lives of their grandparents, parents, and selves. Video recordings included family photographs and period events, stories written and narrated by the students, and music from that era. Students hosted an open house for their families and presented their videos.

Students in a small high school started documenting sports trophies in hall cases, which led to ongoing research to find athletes on past teams, interview them, and collect stories about school sports traditions of the past.

Eighth-grade English students read regional fiction of the past then interviewed community elders about life in other eras to compare with fictional accounts.

Students conducted interviews of community elders, then wrote a script for a radio play. A team directed and broadcast the play live over the school intercom, complete with sound effects and authentic music. A more ambitious project ended up on a live town radio broadcast.

Planning and Problems

Folklife is inherently complex and touches on people's beliefs and way of life. Students should honor interviewees' beliefs, values, and privacy, and they will learn that trust creates better results. For example, the line between sacred and secular traditions differs among folk groups. Mardi Gras may be a completely secular celebration for some and closely linked with a sacred calendar for others. Some people may deeply believe that a local legend is true, while others may dismiss it. Family stories often express family values. Respecting interviewees' beliefs about their traditions is important. Insiders' views of folklife differ from outsiders' views. Not everyone in a folk group will agree about a tradition; not everyone will practice it identically. There is great diversity even within folk groups.

Folklife is not only a vehicle for positive and celebratory cultural expressions but for more troublesome beliefs such as prejudice. Be aware that complex issues underlie folklife, but, as stated earlier, studying folklife can help increase tolerance and cultural understanding.

Showcasing traditions raises other ethical issues. Asking students or other representatives of a particular folk group to "display" traditions is not always appropriate. Students of various ethnic, religious, or other folk groups may not know much about the folklife of the group. Make sure you are not assuming a student is an expert, for example, or marking a student as "different." Highlighting Jewish traditions in a predominantly Christian classroom, for example, requires consideration and planning.

Having raised the specter of possible problems so that teachers will not be unprepared, it is important to repeat that studying one's own and others' folklife is richly rewarding academically and personally. Just as they learn effortlessly in traditional activities outside the classroom, students learn important skills and viewpoints through studying folklife and conducting fieldwork.

Ideas for Student Products Based on Fieldwork:
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Archival presentation of fieldwork to school or community
Board game
Brochure
Classroom or school exhibit
Community heritage night
Computer quicktime video clips
Computer or conventional slide show
Cultural map
Diorama
Drawings, paintings, collages
Graphs, charts, timelines
Magazine or other publication
Newscast
Oral and written reports
Portfolios (of units or a longer study)
Radio program
Readers' theater
Residencies by tradition bearers and folk artists students identify
School or town story day
School or town photo day
School history
Songs written from fieldwork interviews
Story quilt or mural
Taped sound collage of "community sounds"
Town model
Video
Webpage
Writing workshops

 

Sample Letter to Parents and Caregivers
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(Date)

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Our class will be studying _______________ (for example, the occupational traditions of this parish) during the next few weeks. Students will conduct primary research by interviewing people at school, at home, and/or in the community. They will be learning not only about various traditions and how people learned them and practice them, they will also be learning to ask good questions, listen well, take notes, follow up on interesting points or missing information, follow directions and a sequence, and behave politely. Students may want to interview you or another family member. They must get permission of those they interview to share the results of the interview. Finally, they will compile their research and develop a final product. They will be graded on their research and their final product.

Please contact me with any questions you may have about this project.

Thank you,

(Teacher's name)

Sample Written Release Form
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See other samples in Folklife and Fieldwork, and Standards for Folklife Education (see Unit II Resources). There are many variations that you may use depending upon the complexity of the fieldwork and how the results will be used. Sometimes an interviewee will grant unrestricted use of materials; other times, restricted use such as classroom only, not for public presentation. Use this comprehensive form or adapt a simpler one. This form may be duplicated on school letterhead or blank paper.

Full Name of Person Interviewed (print):____________________________________________

Address:___________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________ Phone: (    )____________

Place of Interview (include Parish):_______________________________________

Name of Interviewer (print):______________________________________________________

Interviewer's School: _____________________________

Date of Interview:________________

I understand that this interview and any photographs, tape recording, or video recording are part of scholarly research by students at the school named above. I give permission for the following (check all that apply):

______May be used for educational purposes and research at the above school
______May include my name
______May be included in a school publication or exhibit
______May be included in another educational, nonprofit publication or exhibit
______May be used but DO NOT include my name
______May be deposited in a school, parish, or state archive
______Other (explain)

_______________________________   ___________________
Signature of Interviewee                Date

Sample Oral Release Form
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Record this statement at the beginning of an audio or video recording of an interview in the presence of the interviewee. Circle the documentation method(s) used.

This is _________________________________________(Name of Interviewer)

of ______________________________________________(Name of School) in

______________________________(Town and Parish) on ___________ (Date)

I am interviewing, photographing, tape recording, or video recording ______________

_______________________________________________(Name of Interviewee).

Do you understand that portions of may be quoted or used in a publication or exhibition for educational purposes?

___________________________________________________(Name of Interviewee).

Sample Field Notes and Tape Log
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Fill out a log for each tape. Adapt this log according to project needs. For example, while interviewing, jot notes to help you return to a subject, remind you to ask for more information or correct spelling. Or, use this form to index subject matter before or instead of transcribing a tape. Be sure to store the log with the tape.

Tape #_______ Type (circle one) Audio (length)______ Video (length)______

Date_____________________ Time_________________________

Interviewer ______________________________________________________

of ____________________________________________(Name of School)

in ____________________________________________(Town and Parish)

interviewee_________________________________________________________

Place of Interview __________________________________________________

Subjects (briefly summarize in order)

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Word List, Comments, and Questions

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Sample Photo Log
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Photographer______________________________________________________

Dates_________________________________ Time______________________

Subjects_________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

Be sure to label each slide by writing on a sticker then placing the sticker on the backs of photos and the frames of slides. It's best to use a numbering system that refers to this log and keep log with photos.

Sample Fieldwork Checklist
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Involve students in developing a fieldwork or project checklist. If working in groups, each group should have a checklist. This is only a starter. Each project will have various components and needs, and students can assume different roles or take on an individual project. Roles might include research, developing appropriate forms, interviewer, videographer, photographer, sound engineer, tape logger, mapping, artifact collector, equipment manager, project designer, editor, transcriber, layout person, archivist, curator, publicity manager. The checklist could also become a timetable so that students accomplish tasks by certain deadlines. Set reasonable amounts of time for each project. Students could use a software project planner or spreadsheet.

Design scope of fieldwork project
Create a work plan
Determine equipment and material needs
Determine budget needs
Organize teams and assign jobs
Begin research of existing resources (local newspaper, school and local library, historical society, museums, Internet, Louisiana Folklife Program)
Identify new resources, potential interviewees
Revisit scope of project to define fieldwork, stay on task
Consider potential final products and adjust work plan and budget
Begin documentation, using appropriate permission and survey forms
Process documentation through transcription, checking notes, developing photos
Return for more interviews and fieldwork if necessary
Develop final product
Publicize final product if appropriate
Thank interviewees and others involved in the project
Evaluate project
Store fieldwork results appropriately (class archive, student portfolio, local historical society, for example)