Blog Portfolio and Reflection

Introduction to Blogging

I have appreciated the opportunity to consider topics that we may not think about had they not fit into one of our blog headings. Because Student Affairs is so specialized, I think that we come to the table with perspectives that are largely based on our work experience. It was nice to see the perspectives of those who
work in other areas within the educational community, both at the college and high school levels. While some perspectives were new for me, others required me to think more deeply about perspectives that I thought I had.

Blogging provided me the opportunity to hone my skills as it relates to presenting a logical and well thought out perspective on an issue. Because of the ability to comment on others work, we were forced to consider our writing and how it influences the reader. While I generally would have liked to include more references in my blog posts, I realize that the best blogs require a variety of resources and consider a variety of perspectives. As I progressed through my blog posts I continually tried to check my propensity to write based upon emotion and be more careful to consider all sides of an issue.

The commenting piece of the blogging exercise was interesting as well. It was interesting to see the various responses to blog topics, and I must admit it was most fun when there was a little contention. The first round of blogs were easier for me to comment on than the second round. I believe this was simply because of my interest level as it pertains to the second round. I was not thrilled with the topics, but tried to make as many comments as possible, realizing that this was an exercise in considering topics that we may not be interested in.

Generally, I enjoyed the blog experience. Although, I realize I could have been more timely in my postings.

My Best Blogs:

1) http://currentevents695c.blogspot.com/2011/09/access-v-success.html
2) http://currentevents695e.blogspot.com/2011/10/online-v-face-to-face-slow- down-think.html
3) http://currentevents695d.blogspot.com/2011/10/funding-for-athletics-higher-than.html

Blog’s Contribution to Class

As I mentioned, blogging allowed us to consider a variety of issues that we perhaps would never discuss had they not been part of the blog. It also made clear to me the variety of perspectives that my classmates hold. I think blogging has helped us understand that there are a variety of issues effecting education that we may be unaware of, and there are other issues that we have pre-conceived perceptions on that may not be grounded in fact.

I did not agree with all of the posts and this exercise was fantastic because it allowed the class a forum to discuss pertinent issues in an environment of understanding and shared learning. While many disagreed, it was done so in a respectful manner. This has helped me to realize that we are all members of a learning community and it is our responsibility to both challenge and support each other as we develop as Student Affairs Professionals. Follow-up conversation on blog posts makes up a large part of our conversation both in and out of class. In this regard, this class has helped our cohort stay connected as we are reading and commenting on each other’s thoughts throughout the semester. In every class, both current events and scholarly writing, someone referred to a blog at some point or another. The blogs were a great tool for facilitating conversation amongst myself and my classmates.

I believe that I learned the most in our discussions at each class session. Reading comments and blogs is one thing, but to bring the conversation to the classroom provided us the opportunity to consider the topics more comprehensively.

What did I learn?

As I begin school once again, I have learned quite a bit this semester, both personally and academically. As blogging required us to keep track of our participation
and assure that we were doing so in a timely manner, this course taught me that I need to get back into the swing of school. I turned in some blogs late and I now realize that my organizational and time management skills will dictate my success in the future.

Academically I have learned a lot about the various topics that we discussed in class. I have learned that while some issues are not new and seem to arise over and over again, I also realize that the current trend toward neo-liberalism has put higher education in a position where we need to be more responsive to the consumer and provide evidence that our efforts are successful. While I will not call it a crisis, I do fear that some of the same old problems that higher education has faced, and triumphed over, may be addressed with more scrutiny in the future as are necessity to be accountable to our constituents increases.

I have learned though, that there is a propensity to make a mountain out of a mole hill as we encounter problems in our work. Furthermore, the problems that I identify as important may vary greatly from those that my classmates identify as important. This is a result of the fact that we come from a variety of backgrounds and hold a variety of life experiences.

The most important thing that I learned this semester, as a result of my experience within my cohort in general as much as it is about my participation in blogging, is that we are all in this together, but that we arrive here with varying opinions and outlooks on life. I have realized that we are an academic community that represents a microcosm of the environments that we find ourselves in during our regular work day. The variety of opinions, beliefs, and types of people has required me to start to think very deeply about how I interact with those around me and the effect that my interactions have on my ability to do my job successfully in the future.

I have also learned that if I put in the effort, I am just as capable of receiving my Ph.D. as any of my classmates. I believe the same is true of all of those in the cohort. I have appreciated getting know them and have learned quite a bit about each. I appreciate the support that I know we will provide each other in the future.