Introduction
Prior to the first class meeting I had minimal knowledge of what to expect from the Current Issues course experience. From the course description and title I made the assumption that we would be learning about the many issues that have surfaced or have been problems in the field of higher education. I was welcoming the chance to temporarily escape from the field of counselor education into a subject that would provide challenges and learning opportunities.
The blogging aspect of the class was intriguing to me. I’m in the process of determining whether or not the on-line format is worth pursuing as a potential faculty member. Having the opportunity to learn from my peers and interact through blogging was something I was both looking forward to an apprehensive about. I was interested to see how the format of the class would enhance the learning experience. I was new to blogging and was uncertain of how all the pieces were going to fit together. My apprehension was awakened by the idea of having to post my thoughts and beliefs for everyone to see.
I entered this course having limited knowledge on the many current issues in the field of higher education. I was interested in expanding my knowledge while challenging myself to embrace the opportunity to enmesh in a field that I have relatively minimal experience in. Additionally, I had some concern about the time and energy I needed to dedicate to the course in order to keep up with blogging, posting comments, and reading content from my peers and in The Chronicle of Higher Education. I knew that I would have to find a working routine if I was going to manage the workload while honoring other responsibilities as a student and a professional.
In conclusion I was excited about the course format and having the opportunity to enhance my understanding of the field of higher education. Not only was I looking forward to learning the content, I was excited about the course format as well. I have found that the material that I learn in HESAL courses serves me well as a therapist. I believed that this course would only add to the many valuable lessons I’ve learned in previous HESAL courses.
My Blogs: A Few of My Favorites
I chose the following blogs as they represented topics that I am passionate about and blogs that generated a considerable amount of interest in our blogging community. Although I found many learning opportunities with each blog that I wrote and responded to, the following are the three that capture my experiences throughout the course.
1.) Drop the Ball: Really???
To my knowledge this was the first time that I had the chance to connect my experience in athletics to higher education in a written assignment. This blog entry highlighted the many issues that continue to plague the world of college athletics. I found it ironic that the University of Miami scandal was the “big news” in sports at the beginning of the semester only to be surpassed in deviancy by the Penn State scandal at the end of the semester.
I enjoyed voicing my beliefs about the many positives that college athletics brings to universities. Although there are many “issues” that continue to surface amongst student-athletes, coaches, and administrators, I believe that college athletics is a key component in the realm of higher education.
2.) Show Me the Money or Show Me the Door
I was beyond fascinated by this article. This is primarily due to the fact that I had never given thought to the monetary value of my degree prior to pursuing a potential university. I had no idea that companies like PayScale exist and are dedicated to helping potential students/parents identify which schools will provide the best “investment” (if you’re talking dollars and cents). This article challenged my belief system and the many variables (or lack thereof) that students take into account when determining which school to attend.
3.) Education for Our Soldiers
As I have previously stated, on-line learning is an area that I have interest in. I have continued to wrestle with the idea of on-line education and whether or not it is as valuable as traditional learning environments. This article served to strengthen my faith in on-line education. I had never given thought to the many opportunities that the on-line environment provides to military personnel. I was inspired and honored to blog about the soldiers who spend their “free time” enhancing their education in efforts to be competitive in their chosen field once their time in the military is complete.
My Blogging Experience
Looking back on my blogging experience I can say that I’ve learned lessons that won’t soon be forgotten. I reflect back on the first couple weeks when I hadn’t the slightest idea of how to post a blog. Now I’m thinking about how I can integrate blogging into my classroom as an instructor. In my opinion one of the downfalls to on-line learning is the fact that some students are able to “hide” while others are fully engaged in process of learning. Blogging seems to be a realistic solution to students who seem to disappear in class discussions. I trust that having students research an article and make some sense of it and reflect it in a blog post greatly enhances their ability to be critical thinkers.
While blogging I felt a sense of freedom that I haven’t experienced in quite some time. I felt I was able to share my thoughts and feeling on subjects without the fear of facing the scrutiny often found in scholarly writing. I enjoyed reading the ideas and perspectives that others offered at the end of each blog. These thoughts and ideas often caused me to reflect on the topic and search for articles that could either validate or disconfirm their posts.
I was challenged on a weekly basis to communicate in a way that was respectful yet genuine and realistic. At times I was afraid that my responses would not be taken in the context in which I intended them to be. However, I know that this is experience is consistent with the publication component that faculty members experience in that sometimes words get lost in translation. Once I hit “send” I had to sit back and hope for the best. This forced me to put forth a great deal of thought when determining when and how I wanted to respond to certain posts. I learned the art of expressing my ideas when writing about a subject that I am passionate about and have emotional ties to.
Perhaps what I enjoyed the most about my bogging experience is learning how many different and unique perspectives my peers had on a given topic. I was amazed at the number of different lenses in which people view the world of higher education. I enjoyed meeting people and seeing how their life/professional experiences shape their beliefs. I was able to reflect on my own experiences influence my perceptions.
Overall I found my time spent bogging proved to be a vital element to my understanding of the current issues in higher education. Blogging offered a unique method of instruction that I benefited from as a student and aspiring faculty member. Although blogging was time consuming and challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone, I believe I enhanced my critical thinking and writing ability.
Summary of What I Learned
I learned a great deal throughout this semester. I learned the current state of higher education; the complexities of issues that plague higher education, and how to stay current on the literature in higher education. Although there are multiple discussions, blogs, and articles that I will utilize throughout my professional career, these three areas seemed to consistently surface as topics of interest.
I appreciate learning the different perspectives and how the field of higher education has evolved and reshaped throughout the times. It was reassuring to know that times, perhaps, aren’t as bad as they seem. This belief was captured in both articles and class discussions. Although there are, in fact, many “issues” that are worthy of a great deal of attention it is nice to know that there have always been “issues.” In a world that feeds off of “crisis” it’s nice to know that there are people out there who recognize that there are many positive changes that are being implemented in higher education. I learned how important it is to take the time and energy to research “issues” for myself and not rely on others who are quick to declare a state of emergency.
Having a counseling background allows me to see how complex people’s problems really are. Rarely is there an easy solution for any problem that is worth fixing. I learned that the same is true for the issues present in higher education. This was highlighted in our class discussions as we tossed around ideas and rarely identified and concrete solutions to problems. I enjoyed delving into conversations about the horrific Penn State scandal and Occupy. There were people who had opposing views on these topics and both sides brought up relevant facts to support their beliefs. I trust that discussions like these are the key to identifying workable solutions to inspire change.
By participating in the course I learned how to stay current in the literature. The Chronicle of Higher Education quickly became my best friend early in the semester. The iPad app (thanks Mr. Jobs) allowed me to quickly and efficiently stay on top of the monthly editions. Although I would argue that I learned more from my classmates than some of the articles that are published in the Chronicle, I know that I will continue to use this publication as a way to stay current. The Chronicle significantly reduces the time I typically spend navigating through the on-line database looking for articles, and for that I am grateful.
Summary of Blogs
1. A JOB Well Done: A Legacy to Higher Education
2. The Fix?: Increase Aid, Multiyear Contracts
3. Making the Grade: Helping or Hurting Minority Athletes?
4. Drop the Ball: Really?
5. Library Drama: Forget the Books, Give Me Video Games
6. Show Me the Money or Show Me the Door
7. Teach Me/Give Me Diversity and I’ll Stay
8. Education for Our Soldiers
9. Coming Together: A Gathering of Minority Students and Professionals
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