Final Reflection
There I was, back in February visiting my 99 year old mother after not having not been in her physical presence in over a year. I arrived on the train the night before and honestly, it felt a little overwhelming to be home with my family of birth. When class three was taking place, I was watching the Barbie movie with mom and two of my older sisters. I completely forgot about class once I got off the train in Kingston the night before. It occurs to me now that even though I don't presently do work that pays me money, I probably should leave away messages when I have no intention of checking my email. I should have known going to visit during term would be tricky but that was the only time I could go, and it had been too long since I had been home. I wish I had let S. know in advance not to expect me, but that would have involved me not forgetting about 806 in the first place. I asked myself at the time, "Will that oversight prevent me from graduating in June if I manage to get my dissertation done and defended on time?" Should it? I don't think so, and I can't think of an andragogically [new word] sound reason it should at an online university at the doctoral level. Can you? Is this type of gatekeeping necessary when a) I am and adult who has paid tuition, and b) I am a doctoral student focused on expanding knowledge?
In March, I missed a second class when I travelled to China as part of an academic exchange. I went knowing, but not really believing that my decision to go on this trip might prevent me from graduating in June if I defend my dissertation on time even though current language in the course would suggest otherwise.
Should it? According to the course set up and goals, yes it will and yes it does because I am required to attend six sessions and write about five + a course evaluation reflection [this] to pass EDDE806 over a maximum of two terms.
Sometimes there are delays beyond the power of the students, so it seems unfortunate such delays might hold the student back from starting 806 when they have time to meet some of the learning goals before they defend their proposals. Surely, there is space for creativity in process and procedures that allow students to continue to move forward toward their learning goals.
At the moment I don't see myself making the progress I need to make to defend and convocate in June. So the pressure is off for me, but the question remains: how does the current course structure of EDDE806 support the student who might be in the position to defend their proposal and their dissertation within a three - four month period and is unable [or wouldn't choose to] attend six sessions in six weeks?
Unlike any other course, students have the access and opportunity to attend sessions throughout their program. Not everyone does -- but I will speculate there may be a higher program completion rate for those of us who [at least intermittently] attended 806 throughout their studies. [Has anyone asked that question?] In my memory, attending the 806 seminars the term after I left my paid work pulled me though a time when I was ready to give up on this whole project. Although my attendance has not been consistent (except perhaps when my supervisor was teaching or others in my cohort study group were registered, or a particular speaker was coming) the 806 seminars have served me well over time and are part of what supported me in this journey on more than three occasions when I seriously contemplated quitting.
But before we move forward into opportunities:
A question [or two] that come to mind as is my way. First, I am curious: did you listen to any of the music I suggested? Have you thought about ways of incorporating Indigenous Hip Hop or popular music into an assignment in the field you teach? I am so curious about any ideas inspired... If you didn't listen to any of the music, I am curious as to why not? What held you back? Finally, have you had an opportunity to consider the questions I offered for reflection in my class one post?
OK, back to the course. This is really a culmination of the teaching and learning that has occurred for me throughout this program.
- I would be tempted to get more creative about how to measure participation in EDDE806 and create a Microsoft team where students can potentially share resources across cohorts, announce upcoming presentations or dissertations, meet in small groups or study groups [seminar 'room' channels], have a library/study channel [space], and a channel to meet for the EDDE806 seminars where the recordings and records of chats could also be housed. There is opportunity to maximize the benefit of Microsoft Teams in supporting student learning and engagement. A potential marketing poster is below. This could be a student managed or course instructor managed space. I did set up a team, but don't expect to be around for its ongoing maintenance if there is even interest in such a space. Does anyone want to take it over or co-facilitate the space? Reach out over teams to @mrauliuk1
Proposed EDDE Student Lounge and Library
As an example, when I worked as a course lead and instructor in an online graduate program I had such a team set up for the clinical courses where all clinical students could communicate, some instructors offered regular office hours, and students met in small groups to participate in practice based small group learning and/or clinical debriefing sessions. That space was also available for students to meet and work together. As instructors we met in that space two or three times per term to debrief, support, and share ideas.
Wouldn't it be awesome to know when students are presenting in other courses, know the topics in advance, and have the opportunity to attend those presentations if they are of interest? How could we make this happen across EDDE courses each term? There is such opportunity to lead innovative online, blended, and distance scholarship of teaching and learning from within this program. A common digital space for EdD students to meet, share and collaborate could be an interesting path to explore. Oops. Tangent. Redirect.
Thankfully, the summative evaluation in EDDE 806 is pass/fail. Hopefully, the same has happened in EDDE805 since I finished that course in December 2020. If you ask me [which you did not] there is no need for GPA based marks in the two research seminars [if EDDE805 still gets marks]. EDDE806, but similarly in EDDE805, marks run counter to recognizing the work completed in that course as a first draft proposal. Then it is graded?!?! It makes no sense. For some of us, assessment needs space for change; holding some flexibility in assessment practice supports self regulated learning (Panadero et al., 2018). Speaking from the student perspective, useful feedback holds much higher value than a number or letter grade at this point in the program.
Also consider this (to bring it back to conciliation...):
I recently had the privilege of being a guest on episode 41 of Create. Share. Engage. where I talk about online cultural safety and disrupting the dissertation into the 21st century with Dr. Debra Hoven and Kristina Hoeppner. Please click the blue title above to link to the podcast.
image: business card idea april 2024
In my dissertation itself, I reflect somewhat on the ethereal nature of time. As I prepare to step away from this ePortfolio to focus back toward the digital dissertation, I think about the last three months and how I have progressed toward completing it [read slowly] with progress surprisingly yet unsurprisingly interrupted by two trips. I have ethics done [who knew it would be so complex when I am the only participant], and a website bought although I don't understand why I can't just continue to work in foliotek and need to explore that some more. I feel a request for an amendment to my ethics approval in my future if I keep on getting error messages in WordPress. I have started to play a little, but it has been almost six years since I built my last website and that darn thing keeps breaking. So frustrating! I prepare to return to Kingston for an extended reading/writing retreat. I will stay with my mother who prepares for her next transition, which for her means reuniting with my dad in a catholic version of heaven. I hope she has the energy to wait until my son can get there for a visit, for my family to all come but I also recognize that when the time comes, it comes. Tomorrow, next week, next month, three months from now -- six months -- longer ... For the first time in my life, I think my mom might think six months is too long and that experience feels uncertain as a daughter and too soon, but then I consider the gift of all these years. Maybe she is planning to be 100 in December and I am misunderstanding what is going on; I expect we will will have that conversation after I get there. Regardless, I prepare what needs to be done here so I can be present to what is ahead there.
During this course, I have demonstrated ePortfolio [what I currently think of as] andraheutagogy [defined in my dissertation] where I invited you into a conversation through reflection during the Winter 2024 term of EDDE806. I hope you felt welcome. I recognize that I may have spent more time on this project than was perhaps prudent, but there will be pieces that will or have been pulled into the dissertation work itself. I hope you didn't find it too long, but it has been my experience that it takes the time it takes to finish the work. "The challenge is knowing when to wrap it up and move on to the next project", I say, gazing at the heron sitting on the log over the edge of the gorge in the late afternoon light. "I have a hard time coming back, looking at it, and not editing." Composing in the digital environment where you can easily share with peers, with a themed background, musical soundscape, images, ideas, and critical reflection? So much more fun. I mean seriously, friend, how much more awesome can the expression of learning get? Doesn't it make you want to play?
How/Do you use ePortfolios in your teaching and learning practice?
Have you used music as critical pedagogy?
What is one thing about online teaching and learning that you think is awesome?
What is one thing you can do for free to make space for connection in yours and student's lives?
How does love manifest in your work?
If you made it to here, I am very grateful for the gift of your time reading and thinking about my words, thoughts, ideas. I hope I have prompted at least one, "huh", or "I hadn't thought about that", or "that sounds interesting, I think I might try [x]". I also hope the human who set up the tracking for key climate change indicators is wrong. Regardless, I wish you well.
Tide moving out
as cherry tree flowers burst
the season changes...
#haiku
Final entry completed April 9, 2024
References:
Athabasca University. (2018). Imagine Learning Framework. https://imagine.athabascau.ca/files/StrategyPlan_2018.pdf
hooks, bell. (2010). Teaching Critical Thinking:
Practical wisdom. Routledge.
Panadero, E., Andrade,
H., & Brookhart, S. (2018). Fusing self-regulated learning and formative
assessment: a roadmap of where we are, how we got here, and where we are going.
Australian Educational Researcher, 45(1), 13–31.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-018-0258-y