Reflective Practice 1

In thinking about our first event for Reflective Practice, I find myself reflecting not only on our meeting, but also on the goals and nature of the course. One of the reasons I was attracted to CCT was the program’s emphasis on reflection. Investing time and energy into introspection and personal reflection can be extremely difficult; it is incredibly easy to run from moment to moment, day to day, year to year without actually thinking about what I’m doing, how I’m feeling, and why. I appreciate both the program and the class for pushing me to make space for thoughtful reflection.

The first event was interesting because it involved reflection on my own life, while also exposing me to the lives and experiences of others. The autobiographical activity is simple but effective. It encouraged me to think about and share my experiences while giving me a chance to learn from the diverse backgrounds of other members of the CCT community.

One thing I noticed in the activity was the affect of my energy level on my ability to both share and receive insight from others. I was tired and a little distracted at the event, and I struggled with how to summarize my life story, and instinctively found myself pulling back from fully engaging with others. While it’s not surprising that it is harder to engage with myself and others when I’m tired, it’s something important to think about. It’s so easy to always be busy, to always be tired, to never push myself to engage internally or externally. With that in mind, it’s important to make sure I’m saving energy and investing it in thoughtful introspection and meaningful conversations with others.

That’s where the CCT program and this class play a powerful role. All three of my classes this semester (Creative Thinking, Philosophy and Reflective Practice), force me to make time for thinking and meditating, push me to open myself, despite distractions or surface reluctance. While I sometimes initially resist (“I don’t want to write another reaction piece!”), it almost always feels valuable and satisfying once I start the reflection process.

That’s an interesting thing about reflection. It often feels so difficult to make time for reflection, and it’s so easy not to do, but when I do make the time and energy for it I feel better. Reflection helps me see the patterns and structures that are affecting my life, gives me insight into my challenges and offers a chance to engage with others in meaningful ways. But it’s so hard to make time to do!

Why is that? I think part of it is just habit; it’s not built into my life. Part of it is laziness; it’s easier not to do it. Part of it social influence; reflection doesn’t seem ingrained or appreciated in our society as a whole.

Again, that’s what makes the CCT program, and the class, a unique opportunity. They offer a rare corner of the world that encourages and facilitates reflection, that pushes me to make time for it and validates it as an activity.

Philosophy of Adulthood

I consistently enjoy our readings in The Philosophy of Childhood by Gareth B. Matthews. By complicating our view of childhood Matthews raises many important issues, relating both to childhood and human experience across our lifespans. By exploring the way way children think, reflect and explore problems, Matthews confronts societal norms for those behaviors. By exploring issues of children and death, Matthews looks attitude that adults and the medical community have towards death.

The discussion of death reminded me of a conversation I had with a Children's Literature professor several years ago. I asked her why so many classic children's books featured the death of a beloved animal (A Day No Pig's Would Die, The Yearling, Old Yeller, and Where the Red Fern Grows are all examples). I was especially struck with the first three, because the children in the stories actually have to kill their animals themselves. The stories seemed remarkably intense and tragic. The faculty member suggested that for many children, the death of a pet is likely to be their first real experience with mortality, something reflected in the story. Featuring the death of a pet is also a way to introduce the concept of death without actually directly addressing human mortality. I also wonder if these stories are a powerful lesson on bearing the burden of responsibility. In the first three stories, where the children have to kill their beloved animals, it is because of a greater need, a larger responsibility, that the child must bear. In these ways such stories reflect the concept that doing the right thing is often difficult and painful, but also necessary.

In fact, a lot of children's literature involves death, including the tragic death of humans (The Bridge to Teribithia, Island of the Blue Dolphins, The Secret Garden). Which is interesting, since, as Matthews points out, typically adults are uncomfortable discussing death with children. Like many uncomfortable realities, we (adults) find it more comfortable to avoid discussing it with children, being intentionally oblivious to the reality that children will develop their own ideas and perspectives based on what they experience and learn from the world around them.
This dynamic hits at the heart of what strikes me in Matthews work. By looking at how children develop in a complex, multi-layered way, Matthews asks us to think about ourselves (as adults) and our social values. It is like looking at another culture to get greater insight into your own, but in this case the other culture is, instead, another phase of life, one we all experienced, but only vaguely remember, and don't really understand.

Why is it that children, reading Tuck Everlasting, have questions and curiosity about death, but adults are reluctant to talk about it? Why is it that children ask "naive" questions about life ("How does my mind know how big the door is?"), that adults seem to gloss over? Matthews brings up these topics in an exploration of our concept of childhood, but it makes me think of our concept of adulthood. Why do we, as adults, stop asking questions? Why do we find it so hard to discuss certain topics? Not only do we not ask questions and have discussions, we often try to avoid even thinking about certain subjects. Not just serious subjects, like death, which can be upsetting, but also other subjects (What is color? Why do we eat dinner this way?), because they seem pointless or silly, somehow unworthy of consideration.

Matthews describes philosophers as still being able to ask the naive questions. A few other professions are encouraged/allowed to keep a naive point of view as well. Artists, writers, and poets often show a fascination for and focus on things that many of us take for granted, or completely overlook. Some scientists, engineers and inventors make breakthroughs by questioning our assumptions about how things have to be. Social theorists create powerful new concepts by exploring common human behavior. So there are individuals that are encouraged and rewarded for keeping "childish" traits. But they seem to be the exception, rather than the rule. For some reason, the standard concept of adulthood seems be someone that doesn't ask questions, that doesn't wonder why things are the way the are, someone who actually avoids even thinking about certain subjects.

Maybe that is for practical reasons. Throughout most of history, humans have had to struggle to survive. A farmer working from sunrise to sunset to raise food to feed a family has limited resources to invest in abstract thinking. Someone who has an expected lifespan of 44 just won't have as much time to think, period. People who have no access to education, and are unlikely to ever leave their home village, are unlikely to be encouraged to explore new ideas and possibilities. In those circumstances some individuals will ask questions, and gain insights, but they are the exception. So maybe adulthood doesn't value naive questions and childlike insight because traditionally it couldn't afford to.

Matthews, in his work exploring childhood, pushes us not only to ask question about how we define "childhood," but to contrast them with adults, and thus confront our notion of "adulthood." By examining a phase of life we value but only vaguely remember, Matthews encourages us to examine our lives now, and the assumptions, norms and expectations of our current phase of life.

Creative Thinking Self Assessment

For my Creative Thinking class we had to do a self assessment of our own creativity:

1) What do you see as your current strengths?

In terms of creativity, I really enjoy innovation and change. I love finding new ways to do things, in both personal and professional settings. I also try to be open to new perspectives and points of view, and not to box myself into one way of thinking.

2) What are your needs?

From a creative point of view, I think I would like to develop in two major areas. In terms of my personal life, I would like to strengthen my intrinsic motivation and follow-through around creativity. I often have creative ideas, but fail to act on them, or start them but don’t finish.

In terms of my professional work I would like to improve my ability to build support for creative approaches. In the past I’ve often had creative ideas in the work place, but struggled to convincingly communicate them to others.

3a) In what domains do you wish to demonstrate your creativity, or what is the domain of your primary creative striving?

Following up on the question above, I’d like to be creative in both my personal and professional domains.

Professionally, I always enjoyed moving my projects to the “next level,” finding new and innovative ways to reach goals and tackle challenges. I always try to embrace the concept of continual improvement, and to be open to new ideas. Most of my professional life has involved working with undergraduate college students, and one of my goals was to encourage them to embrace innovation and change.

In the personal domain I’d like to incorporate creativity into as many aspects of my life as possible. I think the willingness and ability to think and act in new ways, to be open to change and possibilities, is central to human development.

I have one very specific personal creative goal. I’d really like to write a fantasy/science fiction novel. I’ve been working on the ideas and structure for it since high school (almost 20 years now!), and I have lots of elements in place (characters, plot, setting, etc.), but I’ve written almost none of the actual story. I would love to use this class to jumpstart that process.

3b) How would you characterize your willingness to take risk in this domain?

In the professional setting I’d generally describe myself as “almost always” willing to take risk…but with a caveat. I usually start by assessing how safe the environment is for trying new things. Some settings are really open to creativity, and some aren’t. I’m usually cautious until I have a sense for how supportive/hostile the culture is to change. Once I have a sense for the environment I move forward from there. My goal is to always encourage positive development, but some organizations are very resistant.

In a personal setting…I’m not sure. Sometimes I really enjoy creativity and trying new things, but other times I’m reluctant to put myself out there. That’s something I’d like to reflect on more this semester.

4) How would you characterize your typical willingness to take risks in professional activity?

In addition to what I mentioned for question 3b, I’ll add that I tend to aim for incremental change; I try to find creative new methods and approaches without disrupting everything that currently exists, and while maintaining all the good elements that are already in place. So while I think of myself as open to creativity, I also value what has already been accomplished. Sometimes that’s led to conflicts when I’ve worked with people that wanted to make changes faster than I thought was realistic.

5) Write a statement describing the specific goals you envision working towards in this course.

Professionally I would like to improve my skill in communicating about and building a constituency for change in work settings.

Personally I would like to strengthen my drive and motivation to work on writing my book, and to start developing habits that will help me in the project.

Creative Thinking Journal 1

For my Creative Thinking class we need to keep a weekly journal. This is the first one I did:

In reading the articles this week, it wasn’t surprising that creativity has been neglected as a field of research, or that creativity is difficult to study. Last semester I took CCT’s psychology course, and one of the lessons I learned from the course was how difficult it is to document and quantify the complexities of human experience. Although researchers have made many efforts to deepen our understanding of the human condition, the more complicated an area, the more difficult it is to quantify and categorize.

Creativity certainly seems complicated and multi-faceted. Creativity can be expressed in so many different ways, in so many different fields and endeavors, narrowing it to something concrete and objective must be a daunting task.

As our reading also touches on, there are also aspects of creativity that might make it seem inappropriate to study. The reading discusses creativity in association with spirituality. I think creativity is also often considered something either inconsequential OR ingenious; both perspectives discourage it from being taken seriously. If creativity is something that geniuses have, then there’s not much point in “normal” people thinking about it. On the other hand, many “creative types” (artists, actors, etc.) seem flaky and unstable.

Either stereotype, of the creative genius or the flaky artist, makes creativity seem like something that happens to “other people,” not something that applies to all of us. These unhelpful stereotypes, combined with the research challenges, mean it’s not surprising that there isn’t more support for creativity as a legitimate field of study.

It was exciting to read about the confluence approaches to the study of creativity, because they seem to have made real progress in the area, despite the challenges. The confluence approach looks at creativity as something affected by a range of complex factors, including personal traits and external influences. This broad perspective allows creativity to be examined from many dimensions, and begins to break the complexity down into manageable chunks.

I was also struck by the idea of recognizing the difference between thinking “well” and thinking along new lines. This reminded me (again) or psychology last semester, when we studied how the brain worked. Some people think faster or slower, some can think about more things at once than others, some process decisions in unique ways. Both the biology of the brain and learned habits/approaches to thinking affect how we process information and ideas. It makes sense that these factors also affect our experiences with creativity.

In psychology we discussed that these differences in how people process aren’t necessarily better or worse. Instead, they’re just different. One person might think about one idea slowly, examining it carefully and in a focused way. Someone else might bounce around between topics and thoughts. Although any style, taken to an extreme, has down sides, in general they all have value, and having people with different thinking/processing styles working together can lead to some wonderful results.

That definitely resonates with my thoughts about creativity. There’s no one right way to do it, and multiple approaches can lead to great outcomes. That complexity makes creativity hard to study, but it also makes is exciting and full of possibilities.

I’m looking forward to learn more about both the study and practice of creativity. Learning the science of creativity will give it a concrete foundation, and studying the practice of creativity will just be inspiring.

Philosophy and Embryos

Another weekly reflection from my Philosophy class.

Ethical Issues and Embryo research

One of the central issues for our reading this week is the appropriate status given to embryos in a research context. This issue is tied to questions of when human life begins, but with a permutation. Many (most) of the embryos that might be used for research have not and will implanted into a woman, and, therefore, have no chance of developing.

For some individuals, the fact that these embryos will never develop might remove any ethical issue from the discussion. As their circumstances make these embryos, at least in practice, non-viable, there is no dilemma in whether it is suitable to use them for research. For other people however, the fact that these embryos exist, and are potentially viable under any circumstances, means that they deserve to be treated with care, and are possibly worthy of protection.

This seems to boil the issue of what is an embryo down to fundamental concerns. If you think an embryo, whatever it's stage, deserves the protection granted to persons, embryos simply shouldn't be used for research. If you believe that embryos only deserve protection when they reach a certain stage, or don't deserve protection at all, embryonic research seems acceptable and worthwhile.

Mary B. Mahowald and Anthony P. Mahowald offer an interesting “bypass,” as they call it, to this dilemma. They grant embryos a certain status, acknowledging that they should be treated with respect. At the same time, they accept that the vast majority, if not all, of these embryos will die, even if no active steps are taken end their lives. It is therefore acceptable, they argue, to respectfully ALLOW the embryos to die, and then use their cells for research. By not having the researchers actively kill the embryos, the article hopes to bypass the question of whether embryonic research is ethical. Mahowald and Mahowald compare this to organ donation; we don't kill people (even people that are dying) to take their organs for others, but once people are dead we can, with permission, use their organs to save other lives. Mahowald and Mahowald even offer the possibility that researchers would treat the embryos involved with special care, recognizing their unique status.

This argument offers a powerful compromise, but I suspect that, like many compromises, it would leave neither side satisfied. Those against embryonic research could argue that, having granted embryos special status proves that they deserve protection. Those for embryonic research could be uncomfortable with the idea of granting embryos special status of any kind, especially by institutionalizing special rituals and procedures that distinguish them from other laboratory specimens.

Like many of the issues relating to when human personhood begins, I suspect this issue will never be truly resolved. There will always be two sides that have radically different views who are unlikely to come to aggreement.

However, I think that this may be an issue where the vast majority of people can accept a working compromise. I suspect that for most people, experimenting 14 day old embryos with no chance of ever being implanted, removes the embryos far enough from personhood that they can accept the practice because of the possible good that might come out of it. It is the sort of rationalization that seems likely to be acceptable to most people.

The interesting thing about that, however, is that such acceptance is probably not based on much actual reasoning or careful thought. I tend to think that most compromises like this are chosen because they are the path of least resistance, rather than the outcome of careful analysis. This is a sobering thought considering that we are discussing this in a philosophy class!

In practice, I find the Mahowald article convincing (and would not require the extra procedures for respect), and I suspect most people would be comfortable with the general compromise, but I also tend to think that people are primed to accept compromises that resolve an issue, whether or not they have actually carefully rationalized it. While there are people with uncompromising views of any issue, most of us seem to accept compromise as a practical neccesity.

Philosophy and Helicopter Parents

This was one of my weekly reflections for my philosophy class. We were discussing childhood and adolescence, and I got to write about one of my favorite topics, "helicopter parents!"

This week we read about issues relating to philosophy and children. In one chapter of the book the author describes the tendency towards increasing rights and autonomy for children, and speculates that this trend will continue. This made me reflect on a recent trend in higher education, commonly referred to as “helicopter parents.”

This term is used to describe parents of college students who are always hovering over their children, prepared to swoop down and involve themselves in their students’ lives. When used by faculty and staff in higher education “helicopter parent” is often meant as a criticism, to suggest that these parents are overly involved with their children’s lives, and are obstructing their path to maturity and independence.

I see this as connected to our reading this week because it revolves, in large part, around the definition of child and adult, and the relationship between children and their parents. There are different theories about the apparent increase in “helicopter parents,” but one that has always struck me is the idea that the period of “childhood” has continually lengthened, as we have consistently extend the period between birth and adulthood.

For example, my understanding is that adolescence is a relatively new concept, and that for much of civilization there was only child and adult. Now we have added (and extended) this additional period, which is not quite childhood, but also not quite adulthood, either.

I often wonder if we are now creating another pre-adult life stage, one we have yet to accurately name, from the age of 17 to the mid 20’s, or even 30. In a wealthy, industrialized country like the US this is the conventional period for students (at least those with a certain level of resources) to attend college, possibly go on to graduate school, and then find their first job. Anecdotally, it seems that many in that age range are maintaining stronger ties to their parents than was previously expected. They often look to their parents for practical support (money and housing), but also advocacy and assistance with life issues. This dynamic, in some ways, is extending the period before they become completely independent adults.

One of the reasons I’ve heard connected to the creation of the concept of adolescence would also apply to this dynamic. Parents and families have more resources to invest in the raising of their young. It isn’t necessary for many middle class American youth to begin supporting themselves and their families when they are 13. They are no longer expected to start a family by their late teens. There is room for an extended period to “grow up.” This could also apply to college age students. Families often expect to support their youth in college (in fact, for many it is now the only way to attend college), and these are very invested in the success of their youth.

At the same time, the extended life-span in the US also means that there is more time to be both a dependent and an adult. The average life expectancy in the US is 78. Even if an individual didn’t become an “adult” until age 30, they would still have 48 years of independence. Compare that to Nigeria, where the average life expectancy is only 46!

In terms of the philosophy of childhood, it seems quite likely that the definition of “child” and “adult”, and the journey from dependent to independent would be affected by these practical and social considerations. In American society we have the luxury of an extended developmental period, a longer period in which individuals can be nurtured before they’re expected to be fully independent.

I should mention, I don’t think this necessarily runs contrary to our contention in our reading that youth will get more rights and freedoms at younger ages. I wouldn’t be surprised if adolescence became longer in both directions; with youth achieving more rights at younger ages, while the age at which they are expected to achieve full independence is simultaneously pushed back.

Thoughts on Philosophy

This was the first weekly reflection for my Philosophy class. We were responding to some of the dialogs of Socrates.

Reading: Plato, Euthyphro, Apology, Crito

When I think of philosophy, I think of asking questions, probing for information, searching for truth. I think of philosophy as the search for and interrogation of knowledge. There doesn’t have to be a particular reason to search; the act of searching has value in and of itself.

The dialogues we read this week fit my concept of philosophy in a lot of ways. Socrates was committed to testing and probing knowledge, to digging beneath the appearance of wisdom to the substance (or lack of) underneath. Socrates was also committed to living (and dying) according to what he considered righteous and just.

In many ways, this examination of knowledge, this search for substance and meaning, really appeals to me. I like the idea of philosophy. Even though (as we discussed in class) anyone can engage in this kind of thought, I’m also glad that there are actual philosophers, people that think about the big questions for a living. I think it’s good to have people, like Socrates, that encourage us to examine our assumptions and ideas, that push us to really examine our lives.

Having said that I enjoy and value the quest for knowledge, I also have to admit that I’m comfortable with the fact that the Truth (with the capital T) is unknowable, and that it’s almost impossible to really Prove anything (capital P). No matter how much we interrogate subjects, there’s almost always a point where we simply have to accept or reject an idea, based on whatever evidence we have.

For example, I believe that it’s a good idea for me not to kill or hurt people to benefit myself. I believe that people deserve a certain base level of human rights. I believe that education is valuable. I believe that it’s better to try and do good in the world than to do bad. I can offer reasons for these values, and I can explore them, take them apart, find exceptions and inconsistencies (certainly people have been hurt producing things that I benefit from, even if I never meant them to; what do good and bad mean?, What are rights?). It’s worthwhile for me to examine these values, to think aboutthem , to explore their ramifications, what they mean for my work, my relationships, my lifestyle, my purchases, etc. But I know that I could never Prove that these values are right. All I can say is that, after considering them carefully, based on my experiences and evidence, they seem right to me.

In fact, I would go beyond that; not only do I think these are values I should live by, I also think that they are values that society, in general, should adhere to. So I support laws that I think uphold those values, I vote for politicians who claim to share the same values. I support organizations that promote those values. In the workplace I try to create a culture that is consistent with those values. I encourage others in my life to adhere to those values.

I do all of this, and I can’t Prove that that those values are True. All I can say is that, after careful thought and consideration, weighing the evidence I have, they’re values I support.

I have no doubt that Socrates could shoot holes through my values, could easily point out contradictions, inconsistencies and imperfections with my values and how I act on them; I struggle with concerns about them myself! Hopefully I would listen carefully to Socrates and learn from the conversation; hopefully I will always look for ways to be more thoughtful and better informed, to reflect on my beliefs and what they mean. In fact my values have changed and developed as I’ve gone through life. But ultimately, on a day-to-day, year-to-year basis I have to decide what values I want to live by, even if I can never completely Prove them to be True. At a certain point we have to act on the knowledge and feelings we have, knowing that they are neither perfect nor sacrosanct, but they are the best we have in the moment.

Philosophy and Abortion

I'm currently taking philosophy, which is an excellent class. We've been spending the last few weeks discussing the ethical issues around what it means to be a person, specifically at issues of abortion, cloning and embryo research. This is one of my weekly reflections on our reading:

Our reading this week was about abortion. In addition to being an incredibly difficult social issue, abortion seems like an extremely powerful topic for exploring the value and impact of philosophy. Abortion brings up a number of issues that humanity has perpetually struggled with. What is a person? What rights do people have? What happens when the rights of individuals clash? What is our responsibility to others? What is the ethical course of action? What is the role of society in resolving disagreements around moral issues?

Obviously, it is unlikely that we will come up with any definitive resolution to any of these questions. But even if we can’t find the “right” answer to these questions, as a society we still have to deal with the difficult issues (like abortion) that they impact. Even if there is uncertainty about what is right or wrong, something has to be done (especially in the case of abortion, choosing inaction still counts as a choice).

It is interesting to compare our readings, and their attempt to make a case for or against abortion, to the public debate that often surrounds the issue. In the media and elsewhere the abortion debate is often heated, hyper-emotional, and visceral. It inflames feelings and passions, for and against, that seem very distant from the carefully thought out reasoning of the articles we read. The poem by Susan Tracy and the piece by Alice Walker come closest to capturing the emotional impact of the issue.

That dichotomy, between emotion and reasoning especially struck me during the reading this week. From one point of view, the pieces by Thomson and Callahan seemed somewhat unreal, even naive. Their reasoning, unemotional and abstract, seemed distant from what I think of as the painful and emotionally complex issue of abortion. While I appreciated the writing and reasoning of both, they seemed to minimize the fundamentally human experiences at the center of the debate. An abortion is an incredibly personal experience with irrevocable consequences. Their arguments, while well presented, seemed limited because they failed to really capture the true, lived experience of abortion.

From another point of view, however, their reasoning is what we need when confronting such difficult issues. When confronted with controversies that evoke incredibly strong, often unreasoned emotional responses, it is easy for thoughtful analysis and discussion to be lost, to be overwhelmed by the intensity of feelings on both sides.

Coming into our class, I think this tension between reason and emotion was something I often equated with philosophy. What is the role of reason? Although intellect and analysis is essential, what do you lose by neglecting lived, emotional experiences? At the same time, it is easy to see the potential negative consequences of an over-reliance on emotion. Trying to balance reason and emotion is a perennial challenge when we wrestle with difficult issues.

With this in mind, I really appreciate the selection of our readings. The pieces by Walker and Tracy are embedded in powerful,concrete human experiences, and evoke strong emotional responses. The pieces by Thomson and Callahan are more analytical, approaching the issue with careful thought and reasoning. Reading the pieces together provides a rounded, powerful treatment of the issue, balancing real emotion and careful thought.

Of course, that is still unlikely to resolve the issue! But trying to offer a balanced treatment, looking at not only the for and against of the issue, but also the emotional and analytical treatment of it, offers us a more powerful and meaningful pathway for understanding the challenges involved.

New and Fun Creative Project

For my Creative Thinking class I started a webpage to act as a central resource for my creative ideas. It's probably the funnest class project I've ever had! Here's the link:

www.dreamhavenuniverse.com

It is, and will be, for a loooong time, a work in progress.

I'm testing how to blog pictures using Picasa from Google. This is my cat, napping in a position that doesn't look very comfy to me!

Helicopter Parents: matthews / 09 - Inside Higher Ed

A really thoughtful article about "helicopter" parents.

matthews / 09 - Inside Higher Ed

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Time goes by...

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted anything. I was doing well for a few weeks, and then the semester hit!

I actually have a large collection of articles and materials I've saved to blog about, but I just haven't made time to do anything with them.

I'm actually just on break from work, so I don't have any time to pull them out now, either.

So I'll do a quick personal post. The semester is going well...but I'm really struggling to stay on top of everything. Classes are interesting, but I'm behind. Not hopelessly behind, but enough to make me really anxious. What remains of the semester is definitely going to be hectic.

On top of school, I'm doing two part part time positions. Both are good jobs, but I'm struggling to keep up...

Higher Education Losing Support in the Stimulus Package?

The Senate came to a compromise on the stimulus package, but it looks like higher education could be cut out of the construction support. The bill still has to be finalized, but I'll be surprised if the higher ed construction funds come back...

They also cut 16 billion in school construction.

Below is a link to an article from the Christian Science Monitor about the deal.

Here's a key excerpt (emphasis mine):

"Under the terms of the deal, Senate Democrats agreed to cut some $100 billion from their original proposal. Spending for the states and education took the biggest hit, compared with the House bill. State fiscal stabilization funding was cut back $40 billion, school construction dropped $16 billion, and a proposed $3.5 billion line for higher education construction was zeroed out."

Here's a link to the full article:

Senate forges deal on $820 billion stimulus | csmonitor.com

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Action Research Example: Building Constituencies

On the Commuter Rail (where I spend half my life) I randomly found a copy of the The Justice (http://www.thejusticeonline.com/), the alternative student paper of Brandeis University.

The issue I found was for the week of February third, and had a lot of coverage of Brandeis University's recent and very controversial decision to close their art museum (The Rose Art Museum: http://www.brandeis.edu/rose/) and sell much (most?) of it's art collection to help with their current budget shortfall.

This decision has received widespread negative reactions from students, faculty and staff at the college, members of the local community and art advocates on the local, national and even international level. (Here's an especially damming piece from no less than the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/02/arts/design/02rose.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink - "In the Closing of the Brandeis Museum, a Stark Statement of Priorities" by Roberta Smith)

I was really impressed by the coverage in The Justice, and I was especially struck by how the Brandeis administration seems to have alienated almost everyone in the process of making and publicizing their decision to close the museum.

One of the graduate classes I'm taking is Action Research, which focuses on a model for establishing continual improvement in organizational and personal practices of all kinds.

In class we've focused on changes made in an effort to make improvements, not changes in response to crisis, so there isn't a direct connection between the Brandeis situation and class. But one issue we've discussed in class is "constituency building," which is essentially how to build support for whatever change you're trying to introduce.

Constituency building is especially important when you're trying to make change in a crisis. Without it you risk losing vital support in an already difficult situation.

Based on reading various articles it seems that the Brandeis trustees and administration practically went out of their way to alienate their constituents. I thought this was especially highlighted by pieces in The Justice. Below are some links to the relevant pieces and a few key excerpts. I definitely encourage you to visit their web site.

Piece 1 (an editorial):

EDITORIAL: Rose cut was badly handled - Editorial

Key excerpt:

This excerpt discuses the alienation felt by the general Brandeis community.

"They should have told the Brandeis community what they had on the table and kept the museum director in the loop, if for no other reason than common courtesy for our budget as well as for the Rose. If the extent of our budget crisis had been publicly known, many community members would have been less shocked by the Rose shutdown. Says Rebeccah Ulm '11, who organized last Thursday's sit-in at the museum, "I would be less frustrated and angry [with the decision] because I would have been a part of the discussion beforehand instead of after the fact.""

Piece 2 (an article):

Students protest against closure of Rose - Rose Art

Key Excerpt:

This excerpt highlights student alienation.

" "There are so many creative solutions that the student body and faculty could have come up with if they had only been asked," Ariella Silverstein-Tapp '09 said in an interview with the Justice. "I think there was a real lack of faith that the administration had in us," she said. "We go to Brandeis. We're creative. We're innovative," she added."

Piece 3 (a commentary):

COMMENTARY: Bad presentation sinks Rose cuts - Rose Reactions

Key Excerpt:

This excerpt is about alienating off-campus constituents.

"The approach to the cut has also ensured that nothing like the Rose will ever exist again should the school even survive the financial crisis. Any attempt to revive the Rose or create a similar institution will be met with extreme hesitancy by both art donors afraid of losing their works to liquidation and potential employees afraid of losing their jobs with little or no notice."


Piece 4 (an article):

Art world expresses anger at decision to close museum - Rose Art

Key Excerpt:

This excerpt is about alienating donors.

"Lois Foster, a long time benefactor of the museum whose husband founded the Lois Foster Wing of the Rose Art Museum in 2001, said she wanted to cry when Reinharz called her last Monday to inform her of the decision to close the museum.

"I'm not happy with Brandeis at all," Foster said. She added that "[the building] was given to house the collection, and I've learned from [the University's decision to close the museum] to never to give anything unless I have all kinds of legal papers that go with it," implying that the possession of legal papers would have placed a restriction on how her donations could be used."

Piece 5 (an article):

Forum held to foster dialogue - News

Key excerpt:

This excerpt ties the administration methods directly to the student resistance they're currently running into.

"Student Union President Jason Gray '10, who proposed the forum to Reinharz, said the meeting was "a very strong first step." Gray said, "I think what was awesome is [the forum] showed how engaged the student body wants to be and deserves to be."

Alex Melman '11, a writer for the blog Innermost Parts, called the meeting "very productive" despite the fact that "some of [the student questions] didn't get as specific answers as we would have liked." He added that "if we'd have done this earlier we would have avoided a lot of student demonstrations."


End of articles/excerpts.


Whew...that was a long post...of course, as far as I know, only one other person has ever actually looked at my blog (Hi Melissa!) so at least I don't need to worry about boring my audience!

State's public colleges, universities stand to lose in budget plan - The Boston Globe

An article from the Boston Globe about the cuts that public colleges and universities face in the upcoming budget. Public higher education has traditionally been underfunded in Massachusetts, and it's tragic to seem it drained even more.

While there are always tremendous demands on the budget, this seems like a time to invest in public higher education. Community colleges and four year public institutions could be pivotal in helping workers who've lost there jobs transition to new careers, and are far more accessible and affordable than private institutions.

In that case I speak from experience; I lost my job and now I'm pursuing a degree at a state university. It would be nice if everyone had that opportunity.

Here's a key excerpt from the article:

"Massachusetts public colleges and universities will lose more than $100 million in state subsidies next year under Governor Deval Patrick's proposed budget, a financial blow that coincides with a sharp rise in student interest in public schools.

The spending blueprint, announced today, reduces aid to community colleges, state colleges, and the University of Massachusetts by 11.6 percent. The lost revenue could force college leaders to increase student fees when a growing number of families are struggling financially."

...

Also, I was really struck by this line (emphasis mine):

"The state's $96 million financial aid budget, which ranks among the country's least generous, held steady."

Here's a link to the full article:

State's public colleges, universities stand to lose in budget plan - The Boston Globe

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First day of classes and...a snow day?!?!?!

Yesterday was my first day of classes! Yay! Today would have been my second day, but the campus was shut down because of snow. I was looking forward to class, but I was dreading walking home at midnight on frozen sidewalks, so I don't mind the break. I also already have homework, so I can use the time well.

Some quick highlights from my classes yesterday:

Action Research:

In Action Research we reviewed a model for creating change that was very useful. It made me reflect on changes I tried to create in my last job, and where I went wrong. Sad to reflect on, but a good lesson.

We also started a great exercise where we applied the action research model in class. It was interesting trying to apply the steps in a thoughtful way, and see all the complexities that can spring up in the process.

Cognitive Psychology

In Cognitive Psychology we began discussing the *Mind*. Here's a fun question: What is the *Mind*? I don't mean the brain, which is an organ, but the *Mind* which is something else. Think about it. Where is your mind? What does it do? What is it made of? What purpose does it serve? Do animals have minds? Do children?

This was the opening discussion for class. I found myself thinking of the mind as a set of processes, constantly interacting with each other and the surrounding environment. A lot of the activity takes place in the brain, but there's much more to it than that.

I also found myself picturing the mind as something active and dynamic. The mind is always doing something, even if that action is deep below our conscious awareness. It's like the ocean on a calm day. We see the peaceful surface, largely unaware of everything happening underneath (I'm sure I heard that metaphor somewhere else...).

Dialogue Final Paper Excerpt 4: What did I learn?

My fourth and final excerpt from my final paper for the winter Dialogue course.

We were asked to describe what we learned from our experience in the course. I can honestly say it was a deeply transformational class, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. Below are some highlights.

Dialogue Final Paper Excerpts 4: What did I learn?

The dialogue class has been a powerful and moving experience for me. On an educational level I have been introduced to a new approach for bringing people together, a way for a group to build shared meaning and common understanding. On a personal level I have gained new insight into my own process of thinking.

From an educational point of view I came into the course excited about dialogue, already a believer in its goals and vision.

...

Despite this initial enthusiasm I struggled with the unstructured nature of the dialogue experience. In other intentional conversations I’ve participated in there have always been concrete goals, a certain path to a desired outcome. Dialogue is organic and unpredictable and, although I liked the idea, I couldn’t quite picture how it would develop.

...

Over time, however, I began to feel the power of the unstructured nature of dialogue. Every night I would go into the conversation with no idea of what to expect and leave with a deeper sense of the group and a stronger sense of shared meaning. I became more aware of my own thinking and more open to the thinking of others, and felt a similar metamorphosis in the rest of the group.

...

On a personal level I am leaving dialogue with a deep appreciation for the importance of examining my own thinking and suspending the judgments that often fill my thoughts. The experience of sitting in class and focusing on being open, suspending my reactions and just absorbing what others are sharing, affected me deeply. Sometimes suspension was easy, and required no real effort. Other times I found myself fighting to let go of judgment, to set aside my instinctive critical reactions to what others were sharing. Certain topics were easy to step back from while others required a tremendous effort.

The opportunity to examine my reactions and judgments was very powerful. I often found myself surprised at my feelings, realizing perspectives and biases that I carry hidden away, largely outside of my normal perceptions. Suspending those reactions and opening myself to the voices of others felt deeply liberating, as though I was stepping out of confines I hadn’t even known where there.

...

Dialogue Final Paper Excerpt 3: Restoring a Dialogue

Another excerpt from my final paper for the Winter Dialogue course.

Restoring a dialogue is a reference to how you might help re-orient a dialogue that is going in an unhealthy direction.

Excerpt 3: Restoring a Dialogue

A number of approaches can help restore a dialogue. One of the most powerful approaches is to simply name what is happening. Naming a situation gives participants the opportunity to honestly reflect on how the dialogue process is going. Often participants are already aware of the dynamics of a dialogue, and simply need “permission” to share their perspectives and ideas for moving forward. Making a dynamic explicit gives participants an opportunity to share their feelings directly, and empowers the group to move the dialogue in a healthy direction.

Another powerful tool in dialogue is silence. Common social experience discourages silence, conditioning us to fill every empty space. Encouraging participants to embrace silence, to let the conversation flow and ebb with natural, healthy pauses, gives participants an opportunity to reflect on the process and creates potential for new ideas and direction. Accepting silence also frees participants to experience the energy and wholeness of the dialogue, which is sometimes clearest when no one is speaking at all.

Dialogue Final Paper Excerpt 2: Dialogue as a System

Continuing a series of excerpts from my final paper for the winter Dialogue class.

Excerpt 2: Dialogue as a System

The physicist David Bohm uses the image of a tree to represent the process of unfolding and folding that constantly surrounds us. That image is also a powerful metaphor for dialogue. A dialogue begins as a seed, the simple agreement of a group of individuals to participate in the conversation. The growth and development of the seed is heavily affected by its environment. The harsher the environment, the more a seed may struggle to sprout, in the same way that a hostile environment may make it more difficult for a dialogue to begin.

Many forces, including soil, weather and the local environment, affect the growth and development of a tree. Similarly, the individuals involved, their organizational and cultural context, and the spoken and unspoken goals of the conversation all affect dialogue. Dialogues, like trees, are also unpredictable. No two oak trees look exactly alike. No two apples taste the same. In the same way every dialogue has its own unique character.

Dialogue Final Paper Excerpt 1: The Purpose of Dialogue

I took a winter class on Dialogue, which I've mentioned in a number of posts. Our final project was a paper summarizing many of our thoughts about dialogue. The paper made for a nice overview of my perspective on dialogue, so I thought I'd post a few excerpts here.

Excerpt 1: The purpose of Dialogue

Dialogue allows a group to transcend their fragmented perspectives to create something new, a unique wholeness greater than their individual contributions. Dialogue creates a safe space where participants can share their true voices. This openness allows the group to begin developing common understanding and a shared voice. The dialogue experience nurtures this voice, moving the group to a point where they can actually “think together.”

Dialogue represents a level of discourse that we rarely experience in our society. The majority of our conversations are rushed, limited and lacking in meaning. Dialogue is a way to challenge this dynamic, to foster the sincere sharing that allows a group to find common meaning. Dialogue allows us to connect and grow together in a way that we almost all desire, but rarely experience.

Inside Higher Ed Article: Imagining College Without Grades

An article from insidehighered.com discussing the value of dropping letter grades (A, B, F, etc.) in higher education and establishing a more comprehensive, narrative approach to student assessment. While it wouldn't be an easy transition, I instinctively love the idea. Letter grades are a completely inadequate way to assess student learning.

By the way, if you like the article you should also read the comments people post below the piece. The reactions to the article are also very interesting.

Key Excerpt:
"Many said they assumed that it was politically impossible to eliminate grades. But they heard from educators at colleges that have done so and survived to tell the tale. And notably, they heard from colleges offering evidence that the elimination of grades — if they are replaced with narrative evaluations, rubrics, and clear learning goals — results in more accountability and better ways for a colleges to measure the success not only of students but of its academic programs."

Title: Imagining College without Grades
By: Scott Jaschik

Link:
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/01/22/grades

Preaching need for better schools - The Boston Globe

Article from the Boston Globe about the challenges facing the Boston Public Schools. The economy is making a difficult job even harder.

Preaching need for better schools - The Boston Globe

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Chronicle article: Politics and Higher Education

Ok, I could spend forever just highlighting (and reading) Chronicle of Higher Education articles. But they cover so many important issues!

So another one. This is a bit of a catch all, but I think it touches on some important issues about community colleges, college access, politics and the purpose of higher education.

Highlighted Excerpts:

" “If we really care about access, then we should do something about community colleges,” but not nearly enough additional federal money was spent in this area, Ms. Jones said. In her Education Department post — as well as in other positions she has held, as a National Science Foundation program officer and as a Congressional staff member dealing with research — she found that “there is no political bang for your buck when you fund community colleges,” mainly because they are viewed as state and local entities and their students are too busy to be much of a political force, she said."

"Ms. Jones said the Education Department had placed too much emphasis on job training provided by colleges, and not enough emphasis on liberal-arts education. “Higher education is not, and should not be, job training,” she said. “Job training should be extra.”"

Chronicle of Higher Education
January 9, 2009
Former Top Official at Education Dept. Criticizes How It Approached College Access

Link:
http://chronicle.com/news/article/?id=5767&utm_source=cc&utm_medium=en

Chronicle Article About Making Courses More Relevant to Students

An interesting article from the Chronicle of Higher Education (chronicle.com) about making courses more engaging for students. I appreciate the ideas, although it seems strange to me that we are only now approaching education this way. I suppose making courses more participatory and involving is a radical change for much of the acadame.

Highlighted Excerpt:

"We need to teach as if our students were colleagues from another department. That means determining what our colleagues may already know, building from that shared knowledge, adapting pre-existing analytic skills, then connecting those fledgling skills and knowledge to a deeper understanding of the discipline we love. In other words, we need to approach our classrooms as public intellectuals eager to share our insights graciously with a wide audience of fellow citizens."

Chronicle of Higher Education
Tim Clydesdale
Wake Up and Smell the New Epistemology

Link:
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i20/20b00701.htm?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

I'm In!

I just spoke with graduate admissions, and I'm in! The very nice woman at the front desk had to do a special search, but my paperwork is there!

I can't register, get an ID or talk to financial aid yet, and I don't have an official letter...but whatever!!! They told me I'm in, and I should be able to all of the above in 24 hours, after the system is updated. Woo hoo!

Chronicle Article About Suspending Judgement

A great first person article from the Chronicle of Higher Education about the importance of not judging people, and the fundamental humanity we all share. The sentiment connects well to the Dialogue class I just took.

Key quote:
"Each academic year, at some point, I am forced to confront either my own humanity, or that of one of my students. Those lessons are often extremely uncomfortable, and always arrive unexpectedly."

Title: Lessons in Humility
By: Na'ema Suleiman (a pseudonym)

Link:
http://chronicle.com/jobs/news/2009/01/2009012101c.htm?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

I need to double check to make sure folks without subscriptions can actually read these articles. I know the Chronicle lets you email article links to non-subscribers.

Inequity in education from the Chronicle of Higher Education

A provocative commentary piece from the Chronicle of Higher Education (chronicle.com) by John Brooks Slaughter challenging us to address longstanding inequities in education.

Here's a key quote:

"Most of all, we need to get angry with ourselves for allowing things to degenerate as they have. Education at all levels, from preschool to graduate school, must be improved and must be improved soon. And while Barack Obama must use his position and resources to make a difference, we must play our part by conveying our dissatisfaction to those in charge of our educational institutions and demanding change in order to see that lasting improvement occurs. We owe no less to those who follow."

Article title:
"It's Time to Get Angry About Underserved Students"

Link:
http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i20/20a06801.htm?utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

I think folks without a subscription can access the article, at least for a while.

Not quite...

I tried to register for classes today, but I was rejected! My final acceptance paperwork was only signed on Friday, so I'm guessing they haven't processed it yet...but I'm going to try again tomorrow!

An evolving view of depression - The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe ran a great article summarizing current views on the complex factors that play into depression. It's does a really affective job of summarizing how depression is affected by genetic, developmental and stress factors. Here's the key quote, describing how depression works (excerpt from the article):

"I would say that there is an interplay of genetic, developmental, and stress factors, and the contribution of each of these factors varies from individual to individual. Some individuals, for example, are depressed only if there is overwhelming stress. Others are vulnerable because of their genetic make up and become depressed with minor stressors."

Here's a link to the complete article:

An evolving view of depression - The Boston Globe

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Obama and Race

This is a really interesting article from the Washington Post about America perceptions of race and racism now that Obama has been elected. I don't have time to post a real analysis now, but hopefully I can come back to it...

Here's the link:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/18/AR2009011802538.html

Hopefully I'll be able to do some posts about diversity issues, and post links to interesting articles...

Dialogue, Week Three

Tomorrow is the beginning of the third (and last) week of my Winter Course, Dialogue. Having a course run four days a week for three weeks creates a very interesting learning experience. It's been a wonderful experience for this class, but I'm not sure I'd enjoy it for every topic.

The class has been very surprising, and I have no idea what to expect this week. I've facilitated and participated in a number of situations that promoted meaningful conversations, but nothing quite like this. This model has a very organic nature, letting participants take the conversation in any direction they want. The lack of structure allows topics to rise, grow and move one based on the members of the group.

I was expecting something more focused, more decision oriented. But I'm not disappointed. While this model won't directly help a group make simple decisions in an equitable and effective way (like effective meeting facilitation can), it could be incredibly powerful in many other situations.

I would love to have a regular weekly dialogue with a group of individuals working closely together for an extended period of time. I don't think it could replace an agenda focused staff meeting (with general updates, quick decisions and simple delegation), but it would be a great complement to staff meetings. Having regular dialogue could create an environment where the group can reflect on deeper issues and feelings, and really delve into meaty issues over an extended period of time.

Grad School, here I come...

This Friday, I was accepted to graduate school. It doesn't feel real yet. It probably won't feel real until my first day of classes. I've wanted to go to graduate school for so long, to actually be on the verge of it seems exciting, but also strange...a destination long imagined, but one I never expected to actually get to.

Of course, there are still a lot of things I need to do to make it really happen. I've met with financial aid several times, but now I need to get my award processed. The program is offering me an assistantship (which is wonderful!), but I'll also need to get a part time job. That doesn't have to happen right away, but it has to happen eventually.

I feel two battling emotions. Tremendous excitement to have this opportunity, and tremendous anxiety to be successful.

I had a lot of problems as an undergraduate student, and college was a constant struggle. I'm worlds away from where I was then, but my undergraduate experience is like a skeleton in my closet; stored away, hopefully just a relic of another time, but still there, rattling its bones and ready to pounce if I drop my guard.

Fundamentally, though, I'm tremendously excited. I never thought I'd have a chance to be a full time student again. Not only do I have that opportunity, the program promises to be a life changing experience, both academically and personally. It won't be easy, but it's the best kind of challenge; meaningful and substantial, promising the chance to push myself to new horizons.

Dialogue and Social Justice

This is a reflection I just drafted for my current graduate class. I thought I would go ahead and post it here (it's still a little rough)

Reflections on “The Dialogue Process in Action”

In reading about dialogue I am consistently struck by one simple observation. Dialogue creates an environment that almost everyone enjoys, that almost everyone yearns for, both in their personal and professional lives.

I enjoy having an opportunity to share insights and ideas in a safe environment. I enjoy the chance to hear others share their stories and perspectives. It’s nice to communicate in an atmosphere that is nurturing and thoughtful, that offers the possibility of reaching goals while deepening relationships. I feel confident that, if asked, the majority of individuals would share an appreciation for the values dialogue represents.

Which leads me to the obvious question. Why have we created personal, professional and societal settings that are so often antithetical to dialogue? If most of us, on some level, yearn for the atmosphere created by dialogue, why doesn't our society reflect that yearning?

Dialogue, by its very nature, promotes mutual respect and the equitable treatment of everyone involved in the conversation. In a dialogue circle everyone has an equal voice, whatever their role in the broader society. Within the circle, if nowhere else, status and power are, at least in theory, leveled out. Which, unfortunately, probably explains why dialogue is not more widespread.

The dialogic concept of equity runs directly contrary to many of our most fundamental social structures. Human history is largely built on discrimination and social injustice, the idea that there are haves and have-nots. Whether it is based on race, ethnicity, religion, ability, gender, sexuality, or some other manufactured identity, human society consistently tends to stratify, to privilege some members over others.

From that point of view dialogue is threatening, even subversive. In the United States women have had the vote for less than 100 years. “Separate but equal” was struck down less than 60 years ago. The Americans with Disabilities Act was passed less than 20 years ago. Discrimination against gays and lesbians is still legal in states across the country, and immigrant populations face exploitation on a daily basis.

I tend to take a very pragmatic view on these kinds of injustices. Discrimination happens because it benefits those in the privileged position. Through intention or neglect, some of us profit off the suffering of others. Sometimes those profits are concrete (cheap labor, control over the social and political system) sometimes they are abstract (a feeling of superiority and power).

As a leveling force, dialogue undermines systems of discrimination and inequity. It’s all but impossible to respect an individual’s voice and perspective while also considering them inferior. Once I recognize and value your voice, and embrace the validity of your life experience, how can I rationalize social or legal structures that treat you as unworthy of the rights and privileges that I enjoy?

Seen from this point of view, it makes sense that we tend to shun away from dialogue. Embracing dialogue would force us to face our personal biases, and confront many of the injustices on which we’ve built our society. Most of us are simply not prepared for the turmoil such frank self-assessment would require. It is easier to simply accept the status quo, even if it feels, on some fundamental basis, deeply unsatisfying.

However, if we can embrace dialogic values, if we can use dialogue to address the aspects of ourselves that contribute to discrimination, there is the real possibility of building a more just world. Fundamentally, dialogue has the potential to be a tremendous tool for promoting social justice, and offers a powerful way to build a more equitable society.

Week 1 (Sort Of)

This past week I started my new life as a graduate student...sort of. I haven't actually been been accepted to the graduate program yet, but I'm taking a Winter course as a continuing ed student. If I get accepted to the program this course will count as an elective. If I don't get accepted...well, it will still have been a great learning experience.

That is definitely true. The class is Dialogue and, roughly speaking, revolves around fostering meaningful, deep conversations within groups, especially around challenging subjects. On a practical level, I think it will help me in my future work with undergraduate students, and (hopefully) in other situations.

Even more important, however, is the impact it will have on me as a person. From the point of view of the course (and our text) engaging in dialogue requires a tremendous amount of personal reflection, a willingness to interrogate your own perspective, biases and habits of conversing. The goal is to understand the inner forces that affect how we engage with others.

I think that emphasis on self-awareness will actually be the most useful part of the course. Despite my efforts (and hopes) it won't always be possible to engage a group in deep dialogue. But the ability to look at myself, to understand where I'm coming from, to focus on how I'm thinking and feeling, and how that affects my responses to others is incredibly valuable. Whether it's a two minute conversation, or a true group dialogue, that self-awareness will facilitate my personal growth while also improving my ability to communicate.

On an immediate level, the class is also a deeply moving experience. We spend our time trying to listen to each, to create a space of meaningful conversation and shared insight. That is incredibly rare experience, and each class meeting is like a little gem of meaning and beauty. That doesn't mean we always agree, or that the conversation is always easy, but it is very powerful.

Finally, let's continue sending out positive energy about my acceptance and enrollment in graduate school! It's looking good so far, but I can't relax until it's actually all in place!

Starting Again?

So, I started this blog a little less than one year ago. Since then I've almost completely neglected it, letting day-to-day concerns take priority over my reflections on higher education and my role in it.

Now I'm hoping to re-start the blog, but with a radically new focus. I took down the few blogs I've done in the past year, and will start a new series with a new focus (although I'm leaving up my inaugural post as a historical piece).

This re-start has been triggered by a few factors. In August I lost my job, and I've been unemployed since. One of my goals for the last ten years has been to pursue a graduate degree, and I decided take this sudden (and painful) loss as an opportunity to further my education.

I applied to graduate school this December, and I'm waiting to hear if I've been accepted. If I am accepted, I hope to start taking classes full time in the upcoming spring semester.

The graduate program I applied to emphasizes personal growth and development, encouraging students to reflect on their lives and their values. This introspective approach is one of the qualities that drew me to the program, and I want to make this an opportunity to delve into my values, goals and life-vision.

With that in mind I'm re-booting this blog to document my reflections and insights as I go through the program.

Of course, I might not get accepted, which would short circuit the idea somewhat, but consider this post a beacon of positive energy, a placeholder for all the new ideas that I'm hoping to explore if I'm accepted....and wish me luck!