Thursday, August 27, 2009

Intro to Higher Education

Well, now that I'm half-way done with my degree, it's only appropriate that I'm in this class! The class isn't incredibly huge, but it's larger than I've been used to (there are 21 of us) and the classroom we were in tonight was tiny (they double-booked our original classroom so we all smushed into a small room)! The class seems to have a great mix of students - different ages, levels of experience, areas of expertise, local/mainland, newbies and folks further along in the program. (Though it seemed like half the class was somehow affiliated with the athletic department. How did that happen???) 

One incredibly nice/relaxing thing about this course is that I know for sure that I will be taking it. This is not one that's up for debate. The daunting thing about this course is that it's an "intro" course - which means tons of information. In college, I always found intro courses to be the most difficult - there was so much information to grasp. The more focused the topic is, the easier it is to wrap your brain around. When I find something I like, I prefer to get "deep" with it. Though the wide net is incredibly important - and I'm sure I'll learn a ton of new things.

I'm also excited because this is my first course with Dr C. Yay! (And yes, there will be journaling!) The assignments/papers look reasonable but since this is just the beginning of the course, I have NO IDEA what topic(s) I will choose! Another assignment is to interview someone currently working in higher ed. I'm thinking of interviewing someone with experience in institutional research to find out even more about that area.

Dr C handed out some articles to read for next week. At one point she brought up the relationship between institutions of higher education and its relationship to the market and to the consumers (students). What are the responsibilities of institutions toward their students? Should the students dictate their learning or should institutions say, "This is what we think you should know so we'll teach you this." - What about access issues? She compared it to McDonalds in the sense that someone comes in and says, "I want a hamburger and fries." - Well, McD's isn't going to say, "You know, this really isn't good for you..." - no, they just take your money and give you what you want. Is that what education should be? The first thing that came to my mind was how institution type can play a role in the way that question is answered. Different institutions have different stakeholders - and while many times they may be the same, the extent to which their opinions are taken into consideration can vary a great deal.

Well, this is my first "journal entry" for this class. Another one will come once I've done the reading for next week. :)

First Night of Class

While online classes started on Monday, it didn't really feel like school had begun. Tonight was my first class of the fall (or at least my first in person class of the fall), EDEA 780H Seminar: College Student Affairs Administration. Let me preface this by saying that I'm still not sure what my schedule for this semester will be. Since the Assessment & Evaluation seminar was cancelled, I've been scrambling. 

I like that this is a small seminar (I think there are 8 of us in the class) and that we'll be discussing current higher education and student affairs events in class. I was a little more hesitant about the final project. While flipping through the syllabus in class, I wondered if my heart was in this class. It's been awhile since I've really worked with students (not that I don't enjoy it) but I'm not entirely sure this is the direction I'll be heading in. -However, I think the argument to be made, regardless of what sect of higher education you're in, students are central. You should care about the students and be aware of their circumstances - they are the heartbeat of the university!

The main learning outcome of the course is professional development within student affairs administration - not just development per se, but the capacity and understanding of the importance for continuous professional development - knowing what resources are out there and how to make use of them. As an advocate for the idea of the "lifelong learner," I love that this is the central goal of the course (through a student affairs lens, of course). 

The final project, however, is incredibly daunting. I sat there thinking to myself, "I'm not even sure if my heart is in this course entirely, how can I fall in love with this project???" The project is to propose, develop, and deliver (and later reflect upon) a professional development workshop to student affairs professionals. Ack! My heart sank. I so don't belong in this class. I decided not to make any rash decisions...but if I can't invest my heart and brain into the project, I should invest it elsewhere. 

After letting the idea settle a little longer - and after picking up the syllabus again a few hours after class ended, a BRILLIANT idea hit me. I know what I want to do. I have an AMAZING idea. The wheels in my head are spinning. Is my idea viable? Can I pull it off? -We shall see!!!

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Healthcare Reform

If you've been following the news at all, I'm sure you're aware of the insanity surrounding healthcare reform. From the public option and single-payer option to well...nothing. From filibusters, lies (i.e. death panels, calling Obama "Hitler"), to town hall disruptions. -It's been insane. I also love how public opinion doesn't seem to circle around opinions about the truth, but rather, the lies people are led to believe based on what network they get their news from. 

Now, I don't post many political thoughts on this blog that aren't related to education, however, I saw this and it really ticked me off. I'm sorry, but the poor economic state of our nation is not a reason to ignore healthcare reform - on the contrary. As more and more people are losing their jobs and their healthcare, while the democrats have the majority vote, this is EXACTLY the time for healthcare reform. It may be the only time for healthcare reform.

For some wonderful blog posts on healthcare and other political topics, please visit my friend's blog. I've known blpanda for at least 10 years and he offers a thoughtful and well-informed perspective on several topics, including healthcare. I hope you check it out. 

Podcast Junkie

Okay, confession. Since my last blog post I have become a complete podcast junkie. No, you do not need an iPod to listen to podcasts, but if you want to port them around, you do. 

In my attempts to do a ton of cleaning and organizing before the fall semester, I have been listening to podcasts while cleaning instead of my typical weekends of reading or blogging. There are all kinds of podcasts out there on topics from politics to the arts to (believe it or not) fantasy football. Here are the podcasts I've "subscribed" to:

***Anderson Cooper 360
***The Atlantic
***Best of the Left
***nytimes.com book review
***Chronicle of Higher Education: Tech Therapy
***nytimes.com The Ethicist
***Green 960 - Rachel Maddow
***MSNBC Countdown
***MSNBC Rachel Maddow
***New Yorker: The Political Scene
***Wall Street Journal This Weekend
***President Obama's Weekly Radio Address
***NPR: All Songs Considered
***NPR: Education Podcast
***NPR: Food Podcast
***NPR: Technology Podcast
***NPR: Your Health Project
***NPR From the Top Podcast
***NPR: Talk of the Nation

Some podcasts are daily, others are weekly - some podcasts are one-time only. I'm a relatively casual viewer/listener, but have been listening more since I've gone nuts cleaning & purging. My "must see" - or perhaps "must listen" - shows are Rachel Maddow & From the Top. What's better than an attractive, intelligent, eloquent, progressive, and funny (well, I find her funny...) lesbian and classically gifted youth??? -Not much, my friends. Not much. 

Saturday, August 1, 2009

This Book is Not Required

...but I wish it was. I wish this book were assigned to me when I was in college. I am half-way through this book and the only reason I haven’t finished it is because I have much to say about it and probably should have been blogging after each chapter (the topics are great)! It is somewhat of a "living document" as it has been updated over the years with contributions from students.

Basically, the book examines “participatory” education and what the author calls “Buddhist sociology” and has some great reading and even some exercises to do. (Anyone who works in higher education - administrator, professor, everyone - should read this book.) It’s not full of citations and references, it’s incredibly readable, and will make students actually think about their education.

Here’s a brief rundown of things I’ve wanted to discuss:

Grades

I definitely agree with the premise that the grading system (particularly for young children) doesn’t really help people learn as it makes the grade the reward instead of the process of learning itself. I do have a couple points of view on this topic that I would like to share:

First of all, I am someone who has had to deal with what I will call the “perfectionism” disease, and it took me time to come to terms with the fact that I am me, not my grades. But, I think that journey was a valuable one. Yes, there may have been points in my life when I thought grade was more important than the learning, but as I’ve gotten older, I found that if I study what I love and enjoy the process, the good grades usually follow.

That said, I am coming from the perspective of someone who has generally always enjoyed school and never had any difficulties in the learning process. I think for people like me, perhaps the process of coming to terms with the fact that I am not my grades is a good lesson, but what about other students out there that may not be as naturally inclined in the academic realm for whom grades are a source of anxiety? I think grades can then start an incredibly negative cycle of self-worth and confidence in young children that should really enjoy “discovery” and “process” and feel good and excited about learning instead of living in fear of bad grades and stress from parents and teachers.

The Standardization of Education

As much as we like to discuss the diversity of the different types of colleges and universities out there, higher education is standardized. - This is not (in my opinion) a good thing. While I do enjoy college campuses (particularly older ones, like MHC), I think it’s important to understand that as “diverse” as types of colleges and universities are, the education system itself is standard. Learning takes place (generally) in classrooms. Students receive grades for their work. Academia is full of “gatekeepers.” Learning shouldn’t be confined to this format (how limiting!) and furthermore, it makes education appear so inaccessible!

Wisdom & Knowledge

Wow, I’ve got many pages in this chapter marked. Okay, so the authors compare wisdom to knowledge where knowledge is all the information thrown at us in school and wisdom is self-knowledge that involves not just the self, but the world around you. A good example from the book is the difference between studying something from a book vs. living it. The author taught a course on race relations - now you can read, and read, and read all you want and get to know all kinds of facts and opinions on the topic. Then the author brought a black activist to talk to the class. After that, the students better understood that, “Intellect alone could not fathom the phenomenon of black anger. The word is not the thing” (p. 71).

The author also talks about how students separate knowledge from wisdom and become “learned fools - people who can rattle off the ideologies of countless groups but still naively trust that their own version of truth is immutable and not to be questioned” (p. 72). Personally, I think the first topic discussed, grading, can lend itself negatively to this problem. Perhaps students think, “Well, I’m graded on the ideologies of others, I’m not graded on how this information influences me.”

Religion is discussed in this section and the author brings in some discussion of Buddhist and Hindu philosophies. While I haven’t particularly looked at my view on knowledge (or my values on a whole) from this perspective, I have to say it makes me feel quite zen. See, as time goes by, I’ve found that to be a good learner, you need to be open. And this is not just in the academic sense, but in life-learning as well. At one point in my life, I thought holding on firmly and tightly to convictions was important. -But if everyone does this, how can there be common ground? How can there be respect? How can we live together? How can we agree to disagree? It’s okay to believe what you believe. But perhaps it is more important to keep your mind open to other perspectives and other views and not just immediately shut other ideas out. It’s important to always have a critical eye - to question things - but you need to question what you know and what you think you know with as much scrutiny as you are critical of other people and unfamiliar ideas.

It’s kind of like “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” - how sometimes teaching a beginner (let’s use playing the violin as an example) is easier than someone more advanced. It’s easier to teach a beginner from scratch how to correctly do something than it is to teach a student that has learned something incorrectly to “un-do” the incorrect way they learned to do something previously. So yes, this idea but applied to the mind - seeing things with a “beginner’s mind” - open, and fresh. Not full of what has been pounded in our brains by parents, school, and the media. Staying open. Questioning what you know. Questioning what others know.

The author advises students to not separate themselves from the process of learning and to always ask, “What can it teach me about myself?” when learning any subject. I think this is sound advice, not just for school, but for life in general.

Pursuing Wisdom in the Academy


This chapter relates similarly to the previous chapter, but gives advice to students on how they can use college to pursue wisdom, not just knowledge. Some of the main ideas here are:

You need to meet others of different views to understand that you have a view of the world (p. 86)
Internal experience combined with other peoples’ outsides lead us to misperceive the world (p. 89)
Attaining wisdom requires engagement of the senses, not just reading and writing (p. 102)

Adventures in Desocialization

This chapter offers up some activities to try to undo, or at least understand the ways we’ve been socialized. “Sociologists study this process in great detail, demonstrating how we are, completely, creatures of our culture. However, they never seem to step beyond this stage and actually try to free us from social conditioning, nor do they point out that this freedom is even possible” (p. 108). The focus of this chapter is to understand the ways we’ve been conditioned in society.

The activities are great and do focus on “The Self” - ideas we have of our “real self” and our “ideal self,” self-criticism, and expectations. I think the idea that the “real self” and “ideal self” are both illusions is interesting - as the book says, “Buddhism tells us that, to get rid of the problematic self, we need not change any aspect of it. We only need to accept what is there” (p. 115). This idea is freeing in a way. This chapter also discusses the idea of “the critical voice” as an enemy (so true) and that expectations ruin satisfaction (again, also true).

In retrospect, since reading this chapter, I honestly think I’ve been less critical of myself and I have tried to focus more on the present (though it is difficult). I have come up with my own exercise as a result of this chapter. I will call it the “apple” project. Assuming I’ve gone grocery shopping, I get an apple (occasionally a plum or nectarine) for everyday at work. Usually, I eat it, absentmindedly while I am working or playing around online. From now on, I am going to try to focus on the present while eating my fruit. Savoring the flavor, thinking about the crunch in my mouth, enjoying where I am - and occasionally eating my apple at different locations on campus, enjoying my surroundings. :)

The Mac Deal

Okay, so as most people know, I am a hardcore PC person. While I did first learn to type on an Apple IIE and remember the days when floppy disks really were floppy, I did convert to the world of PC’s. Not that I’m a Microsoft lover (I do have a hard time complaining as Bill Gates kinda helped put me through college.....) but I do love PC’s. I think better on PC’s. My mind was made for the PC. I will agree that Mac’s have the leg up when it comes to most “creative” things - video editing, art things, etc. But in general, I’ll take a PC over a Mac any day. I have been known to make comments such as “PCs are computers, Macs are toys.”

Fast-forward to now. I own a MacBook. Several factors pushed me towards the decision to become a Mac owner. I think the best one I heard was from a friend of a friend who has similar feelings about PCs and Macs that I do. His logic went something like this, “I go to work with PC’s all day long. PC = work. When I come home, I come home to a Mac. It’s my “fun toy” - it means I don’t have to work.” I still dissed him...I think I told him he went over to the dark side. BUT, after time went by, his logic made sense. Since getting my Mac, here are other benefits I’ve noticed:

-Being able to talk both “PC” and “Mac”
-Becoming familiar with Mac applications
-Allowing my creativity to flow more easily with Mac applications

Now, I’m not saying that everyone who owns a PC should run out and get a Mac. I’m just saying that I’m enjoying the benefits of the world that Apple has opened me up to. (What good does it do any of us to be closed-minded?) Don’t worry, I haven’t tossed my PC love in the trash - in fact, I probably would have bought another PC if it weren’t for the fact that I have a PC laptop for work and am thus able to choose at my convenience which I’d rather use depending on my computing needs and activities. I think having both is actually really nice.....

Also, I don’t know if it really is me or if the media has gotten to me, but I honestly “think” better in front of a PC (i.e. writing papers, etc.) but feel my creative juices flow better on a Mac (i.e. photos, videos, music, blogging). Anyhow, this is my advice: don’t knock it ‘till you try it - why not enjoy the best of both worlds?