Education Technology – My Journey

I just read Screening Out the Introverts by By William Pannapacker in The Chronicle of Higher Education and found this article refreshing. In a world where one can be famous simply for being famous, where statements such as "It's always the quiet ones" make those of us who tend to be more self-contained, introspective and yes, shy, feel even more like outsiders, it is nice to see someone take note and say not so fast. I took the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator several years ago and landed so far down the introverted scale one might wonder how I ever manage to leave the house. Yet I talk to my neighbors, I lead discussions at work, and I participate in class. The difference between myself and many around me is that I typically rehearse what I am about to say and am terrible at small-talk. I observe those around me, get a feel for the room, and react when I think I have something to add. Introvert is not a four letter word, but as educators we often feel that it is necessary

Today I read an article in the Chronicle of Higher Education My Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Dissertation . As one who is currently struggling with completing the writing for her qualifying project I was hoping for some ah ha moment reading this article. In stead I ended feeling "so I'm not the only one." Confirmation that motivation and the research muse is fickle. Early on I sat down and wrote 17 pages concerning background, literature review, and identification of need. I figured that by the time I was done with the research I'd just need to go back and edit, fill in some blanks, and add the results. Oh how silly of me. Looking back at what I wrote several months ago I feel utterly disconnected from it. So now I am back to procrastinating, looking at an ever looming deadline and the hope that inspiration suddenly hits. I used to keep a notepad by the bed, as I would always seem to find solutions to issues of wording, transitions, or methodology at 2 AM. R

The data collection portion of my qualifying project is complete. In some ways I feel as if it is a great accomplishment. With all the roadblocks and mid-stride modifications I had to make to accommodate my workplace if sometimes felt overwhelming. Actually it usually felt overwhelming. I still find myself siting and staring at the data, wondering what does this all mean? Have I actually accomplished anything? Will anyone see value in what I have done? I did not decide to go for my doctorate for anyone but myself, but it seems as if as a doctoral student you reach a point and ask if what you are doing matters. Not in the "Pluto is no longer a planet" change in the paradigm sort of way, or even in a "look I developed a taxonomy that will now be synonymous with instructional design" sort of way, but in a will anyone read this sort of way. Yes it will be nice to be published, but I wonder if my work will ever get referenced by some student or researcher trying to find

My qualifying project has finally gotten off the ground. Almost a month late, and scaled back considerably due to concerns from the powers that be here at work. However, the brief elation I felt from finally getting started has yet again come crashing to the ground due to one simple fact. In order to do a project concerned with a cross-functional team's ability to create a useful evaluation tool, you first have to have willing members for a cross-functional team. Due to my shortened time frame to conduct my research there is a shortened time for individuals to do the work. The first hurdle, to get people to agree to participate, was only partially successful. Only half of the members of the working group even responded and some said that they were simply too busy. Maybe I could offer donuts? It is frightening to know that despite all the time and effort I have put into the doctoral program it could all come to naught because I can't get any input. What happens if nothing happen

As a doctoral students we are told to find an issue we're passionate about, on that's not too small, or too large, too hard or too soft. Use that area of passion, that question that keeps you up at night, to help develop your niche area and therefore your area of research. Easy right? So what keeps me up at night? Lately it's trying to develop a niche. While reading Machi & McEvoy (2009) The Literature Review i can't help but think "what a great idea" if I lived in a parallel universe. "Schedule at time with no interruptions and quiet surroundings" (p. 10). Awesome now if the family, friends and neighbor's kids will just cooperate. For those of us in my Ed.D. program who are online students with full time careers and family responsibilities the idea of taking two hour chunks everyday to do a lit review with no interruptions seems somewhat far fetched. I'm sure it's good advice but not sure my boss will go for it. But doing a lite

So this week the hits against education keep on coming. I am not going to claim that the education system in America is perfect and that we don't need to work on it. The high school dropout rate is too high, the college drop out rate is too high, and the number of students graduating with STEM degrees too low. Debates should be occurring concerning the role of standardized testing, school funding, teacher pay and accreditation, as well as the core curriculum; what should not be occurring is a debate concerning if our children should go to college. Now, not everyone wants to or should attend 4 year colleges, there are those with other gifts, other dreams and other paths to follow, but not going to college should be a decision based on individualized goals, not on the lack access. This week Rick Santorum claimed that "The indoctrination that is going on at the university level is a harm to our country" and that wanting students to go to college makes you a "snob."