Category Archives: Uncategorized

Jan 10 2012

2012 – Teaching and Learning

I am fortunate to be teaching two courses this semsester:  information literacy and the academic library.  I always enjoy my classes and I learn so much from the students.  It looks to be another exciting semester.  I love teaching and especially in this MLIS program…we have such a wonderful faculty and the students are fabulous.  I can’t recommend it enough…

On another note…I’m taking some incredible courses as well.  Program Planning, Qual 2, and Gender!  I cannot wait to get into the coursework…so far it has been fabulous.

I hope to have more about my research in the future…I’m really thinking about data visualization and being able to incorporate that into my work…

I am also working on a project with Dr. Sue Bracken…woohoo!  Research and more research…I can’t wait…

Aug 18 2011

School is starting…for the teacher and the student

Wow…summer is over…it was busy and crazy and exhilarating!  We had a wonderful orientation at UNCG and a fabulous group of students coming in…not too mention that I have almost 40 students in my Foundations Course this Fall!  Wow!  I can’t wait to get to know my new colleagues!

I also am starting as a Ph.D. student this semester…moving from the Ed.D. was the right decision but it is going to be a wild ride.  I’m starting the qualitative research course and couldn’t be happier.

Even better is that I spent some of the summer with my diss chair performing research at the LOC…wow!  It’s hard not to feel like a scholar when you are in the Nations Library.

I’m also really discovering public pedagogy and seeing how it relates to adults, libraries, and all places (whether they are designed for learning or not).  I can’t wait to explore public pedagogy, technology and gender studies in terms of adult learning.  WOW!!!!  I’m finally seeing a dissertation in my future.

Happy New School Year Everyone!!!!!

 

Jul 1 2011

Teacher Librarian

I had an incredible, theoretical, intellectual and completely fun discussion with fellow librarian Jennifer Ballance.   We spend a lot of time discussing learning theories, pedagogies, etc and how librarians gain these skills.  We all know K-12 librarians learn many of these skills; however, public, special, and academic librarians all need them as well.  Lets even take it out of the library – information specialists are often called upon to teach various research and technology skills.  Where does this leave us?  Our research will figure it out :-) .

Seriously, we know that being an expert in a subject does not necessarily make us a teacher in that subject…how do we teach, how do people learn?  What types of self-reflection do we engage in when we do teach a class?

We have lots of questions and are beginning to find the answers…stay tuned…

May 9 2011

Graduation – Summer – Research – Reviewer

I attended my first spring graduation for the MLIS students this past Friday.  It was a wonderful day – it is so exciting to see everyone graduate, hear the speakers, and meet friends and family. Considering the economic climate the students are upbeat and I know they will do wonderful things with their new careers.

I have to admit it was fun for me to walk in as a faculty member…I’ll have the really cool regalia one day as well.  I can’t wait for that either.  Watching the doctoral hooding ceremony was incredible – I will be there one day and cannot wait to have my diss chair at my side.

I need to research this summer – I have several projects going on and I would like to concentrate on publishing.  I’ve had some luck with posters and really good feedback…time to take the next step.  It is a little daunting as well – serious research, IRB’s, writing sessions.

I am also serving as a reviewer for a new journal and I have my first assignment.  I am going to do that this week – I can’t wait to see what people are doing and writing and thinking.

My thoughts are with my students first; however, I can’t wait to hear where their careers take them.  I am so happy that I was a part of their journey.

Apr 11 2011

AERA and presentation

AERA is a great conference and I feel so proud to present…I received some great feedback from other educators and I look forward to publishing the study!  I’ve got to get the IRB ready and move forward with the research this summer…woo hoo!

It was also wonderful to hear people doing qualitative research – I feel that it is marginalized in some of my classes so it is really nice to hear the research others are doing.  Especially hearing academics I admire such as Elizabeth St. Pierre – she gave me a charge to continue this type of research – while staying true to my non-positivistic beliefs.

The cyber-ethnography groups were incredible…there is such a rich research cyber-ground and the professor from Mexico was very moving.  She lives in an area that has been devastated by the drug wars and she believes the only way to understand the people in her region is by using cyber tools.  Cyber ethnography could tell researcher so much about how to educate in these environments…

I came away from AERA feeling fabulous about my course of study and excited to move forward!

 

Mar 29 2011

Incredible students

I have amazing students and I am so proud to be working with them.  The ACE Scholars program put on the Un-Hushed conference and showcased their many talents.

I love teaching…I am seeing so much creativity and critical thinking that I am excited about the future of the profession.  Being able to adapt to change and make the change work for social justice is wonderful.

Social justice is a recurring theme among many of my colleagues as well…how can we equalize, or better yet, stop marginalizing difference?  It is through the work of these students and my colleagues – we will make a difference.

 

Mar 11 2011

Information Literacy Everywhere…

I’m in Nashville for the SITE Conference and took some time to see the sights.  One of the most interesting was the country music hall of fame – interesting in may ways.  I was so taken by the exhibits and the glass walls that show the library and archives.  It gave me some instant ideas to share with my info lit students.  This is a museum and archive; however, there are so many ways librarians can incorporate history into their info lit classes.  So many institutions offer these unique glimpses into the past – glimpses that help shape our future and our understanding of the world.  I can’t wait to put together the next “lecture” for class and a big thanks to the librarians at the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Frist Library and Archive

Mar 1 2011

TL Habermas Freire Kuhn Mezirow

Transformative Learning is a wonderful tool; however, I sometimes think that Mezirow isn’t given enough credit?  When I look at the scholars who undergird TL I believe it does encompass more than the individual.  Granted Thomas Kuhn and is views on normal science have always been a favorite of mine, but to see the way the discursive process runs through all of these thoughts is wonderful.

The discursive process enhances the individual and society – I don’t that Mezirow can be dismissed in so many ways when his theory is grounded in the aspects of the concious and unconcious.  The dialogue between Dirkx and Mezirow is excellent and I believe Mezirow shows the finer points of bringing the unconcious to the discursive product.

These are ramblings on my midterm…