Graduate Student Blogs

The Theme: The Interview
Participants: Researcher and Interviewee
The Subject Matter: To Be Determined 

 
Contingent on the subject matter, the position and interest of the researcher, and the position and level of engagement of the interviewee, an interview can determine the fate of one or many. Like the act of educating, our conditioned society freely associates the act of interviewing as a formal procedure held within a fixed and structured environment. Informal Learning is a term that involves learning through flexible and informal approaches in flexible and informal environments.    

 

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I'm struggling to write this post because I feel like I have a lot to share and wrap up at the end of this academic year. First of all, I started a new full-time job at GW two weeks ago. My first week at my new job was also my last week of class, and this past week I turned in all my final assignments. (Yes, that was very stressful. Thanks for asking.) I'm registered for summer classes and on track to graduate next May. I received a lot of support this year from my professors and my classmates, and I'm surprised and sad that the first year is over. Obviously, I don't want to be in school forever, and I'm excited about the future, but I recognize that this is a unique time in my life and I am only really learning to appreciate it now.

Graduate school has been a wonderful opportunity for me. I've learned a lot about myself, what I believe, and what I am capable of. I appreciate well-written journal articles and good research, but I also appreciate the varied viewpoints and discussions I've had with my peers in and out of class. I really believe that GSEHD and GW were the right choice for me. The support system here is phenomenal. Our library services are excellent, the GSEHD career services office was very helpful, and all of my professors have been happy to give me advice as I move along on my career path.

Saying "goodbye" to the graduating second-year IEP students is going to be difficult. Although many of them plan to stay in the area and quite a few have already found jobs (or at least had interviews), a number of them are moving--some for jobs, some to be closer to family--but I will miss all of them. I think one of the best parts of the International Ed program is that we actually are not part of a cohort, so we really get to know all the students in our program, even those that started a year or two before us. We automatically have a group of people at our disposal to serve as mentors, and now that they are graduating we will suddenly have a wide network of great connections, and not just in the U.S., but worldwide.

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Sorry for the delay in posting my blog this week! I attended my first conference – the American Educational Research Association (AERA)’s annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia and didn't return until Thursday (and then I was jet-lagged) I was excited to attend for several reasons but primarily because:

1. It was in Vancouver, a city to which I had never traveled. 
2. It would be my first experience with the world of educational research.

I will address the second point first. I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I heard from other students who had attended previous conferences that the AERA conference was large. I guess when I heard the word large, I interpreted that to mean a couple thousand people. In fact, the AERA conference this year was estimated to host upwards of 18,000 people!

At registration, we received a huge book that listed all of the presentations. There were so many interesting topics, but of course, there is no way you can attend all sessions. There was such a range of themes and it was quite amazing to see that there are so many different ways to think about education and the problems that educators face. But, again, I couldn’t attend all the sessions, so I had to make choices. I chose successfully for the most part (there was some research that did not seem new to me). The part of the experience that was so important to me is how it is helping me shape who I am as an educational researcher. While I felt torn in many different directions, I know that that uncomfortable feeling of being split, will eventually lead me to some sort of clarity around my dissertation research. I will say though that because there is so much new information and so many varying perspectives that confront you and challenge your own thinking, I could not attend more than 3 sessions a day. So that’s when I decided to decompress and explore the city of Vancouver!

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Time has flown this past year. I feel as if I’ve only just decided to attend GWU’s Education Policy Program and now, registration for fall classes of my last year begins today. Perhaps it’s the increased number of electives I’m able to take next semester or the knowledge that I’m half way through my program, but course selection for next year feels more difficult than it did for the past two semesters. It reminds me of that feeling during the spring of my junior year of college, when it dawned on me that I only had one more year to take all of the classes that interested me. Much like I did then, I find myself having to weigh the benefits of taking classes for pure interest and classes that will help me improve professionally and academically.   One of the reasons I decided to pursue this degree was to increase my skill set and further my understanding of education policy. Making choices that align to that goal is like having to go to the dentist. It’s good for you and you feel much better afterwards, but if you have to do something on a Saturday morning, it’s not your first choice.

Having the option to take a few elective courses next semester should ease this dilemma, but with so little time left in my program and only six more courses to take, I have to balance what I want and what I probably need. As I look through the course catalog, I keep asking myself what will help me most after I graduate next year. Thinking about that forces me to consider how I want to focus my degree.

Although studying Education Policy Studies means that I've already focused my self within public policy studies, further focus is still necessary. Do I want to focus on urban education or international education issues? Do I want to strengthen my ability to understand the statistics or the legislation of education? I must consider these questions as I try to select what I will take next semester. A year ago, as I decided to study at GWU, I might have been able to answer these questions easily. Still in the classroom teaching, I had a clear vision of what steps I wanted to take to improve education. A year later, removed from the classroom, now a student of Education Policy, I have reevaluated my ideas of what can be done and what will most benefit future generations of students. As I have learned over the past two semesters, there are many ways to approach a problem and develop a solution. There are many components to understanding the problems of education and there are more problems than one realizes while standing at the front of the classroom each day. This past year has flown by and I know the next one will as well. Graduation, while still far away, will come all too soon and it’s important that I remember my reasons for entering this program. Deepening my comprehension of these problems is why I decided to pursue Education Policy Studies, so ultimately the classes I select must reflect that.  I don’t always want to go to the dentist or take certain course, but afterwards, I’m going to feel great.

In early 1997, the prolific singer-songwriter, Erykah Badu released her highly acclaimed album, Baduizm with the leading single, “On and On”.  Her album debuted at #2 on the Billboard charts.  I’m a shameless lifelong fanatic of profundity.  I came to this realization in early 1997 while being fascinated by Ms. Badu’s melodic lyrics, “The man that knows something knows that he knows nothing at all”.  I was a sophomore in college at the time.  The pride that took a lifetime to claim of my intelligence slowly ebbed away forever with twelve words. 

 

Intelligence... how, what, when, where, and most importantly, why?  I am trying to remember, how did we meet?  It was in first grade.  I still remember being overwhelmed with infatuation and desperation simultaneously trying to understand more about what the gold stars symbolized by my name after the teacher would grade our tests.  I knew that that the gold stars made me smile whenever I saw a new one posted.  But I wasn’t the only one.  Gold stars also made a few of my classmates, all of the teachers, as well as our parents smile.  I remember wishing that gold stars could be posted beside every students’ name.  But the reality was that there were only a few of us that had the pleasure to be rewarded and surrounded with smiles.  At least back then, it wasn’t about who you know, it was all about what you know.  But we all grew older, the know-it-alls and the rest of them.

 

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As a Midwesterner, I've never really enjoyed spring. Our flowers bloomed, but spring in the Midwest equals rain, thunderstorms, hail, and, of course, tornadoes. D.C.'s spring, however, is brilliant. Watching the flowers slowly bloom and the buds on the cherry trees pop is a terrific experience. Last week the blooms reached their peak, and tourists descended on the National Mall in droves. 

I've only been here since August, but because people in D.C. are often transient, that's almost enough time to make me a local. (I'm kidding.) Honestly though, my family came to visit last week, and I realized something as I showed them around the area, took them to my favorite restaurants, and taught them how to use a SmarTrip card: I live here now. D.C. has become my home.

If you don't live near here and you haven't been to D.C. when the cherry blossoms are blooming, I recommend it. It's not too hot and it's inspiring to see the monuments rise up above the cherry blossoms. I also recommend the National Arboretum, especially the Bonsai museum. Arlington Cemetery does the Changing of the Guard ceremony on the half hour in the spring. And if you are looking for a great place to grab a meal, Founding Farmers is always a hit. Also, to get to the Smithsonian from the Rosslyn metro station, you can take the Orange or Blue line and you need to be on the upper track.

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Several times now in my counseling classes the diagnosis debate has come up: should we counselors confer diagnoses on clients? The concept of diagnosing is for sure a delicate one, full of complex ethical tangents, power dynamics, emotions and potential lifelong impact, let alone permanent records. Of course, as counselors, we will assess our clients, form hypotheses and at least make working diagnoses, in order to conceptualize clients’ challenges and plan treatment within the framework of a universal language. Sometimes—depending on the healthcare provider or the necessity of obtaining insurance coverage— diagnoses are mandated, and this question becomes moot. But for the sake of debate, let’s leave these instances out and consider an uncomplicated, ideal scenario: what are the benefits of giving a client a diagnosis, face to face, versus the risks?

             A diagnosis could come as a huge relief to a client. It might assuage feelings of “just being crazy” or somehow at fault for the struggles in one’s life, erasing damaging layers of guilt and self-blame.  It might be a desirable revelation to some clients to simply have a concrete answer to questions like “why do I feel like this?” or “what’s wrong with me?”  A diagnosis could provide hope for greater self-understanding, more resources to explore, and structured, tried-and-true ideas for improvement-- now that a standard, publicly-recognized problem has been identified and named. Getting a diagnosis might even give some clients a sense of community or shared support, knowing that there are others out there with the same issue and that, therefore, they are not alone or “abnormal”. Such clients may come to truly “own” their diagnosis, coming to terms with it, knowing its familiar manifestations in their life, and integrating it as part of their identity.

            On the other hand, though, at what point does a diagnosis become a confinement, a restriction of the client’s potential, a ceiling that can’t be moved beyond due to self-perceived expectations of the label, or a distorted reevaluation of one’s own abilities? Will some clients cease to push themselves, or put less energy into doing the intense personal work of therapy, now that they’ve settled into a “known quantity” identity?  Would they feel defective, damaged, or less-than, by having the label of a diagnosis placed on them?  Would they place limits on the dreams or ideals they are working toward, because those things aren’t within the description of their condition?  As counselors we exist to help individuals reach their potential, working toward meaningful life goals and surpassing obstacles along the way. We must be careful that conferring a diagnosis on someone does not become another obstacle in their path, or—like so many assigned labels in life-- a self-fulfilling and limiting prophecy.

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With spring break approaching, I’m sure that many of you have been overwhelmed with papers, projects, and exams. I certainly feel that way. Up to this point, I have been extremely positive about my experiences at GWU, and I don’t feel any differently, but there are a few things during this pre-spring break period that I wish were different.

1. Access to more collaborative study spaces: I find the library’s facilities to be quite outdated, sweltering, and cramped. It tends to be full much of the time and in order to reserve one of the sweat boxes, you have to do so well in advance, particularly if you want one of the nicer rooms. It would be nice if GSEHD had some collaborative study spaces for its students separate from Gelman library. Perhaps this is a lot to ask for, but given the high tuition rates, I do expect to feel comfortable in a study space.
2. A GSEHD librarian on main campus: I recently learned that there is no librarian specializing in education on the Foggy Bottom campus. There is apparently a position open, but it has been difficult to fill it. Recently, one of my seminar classes had a session with a library from a different GWU campus. She was great and the session was very informative but it would be nice to have access to a librarian on main campus that could assist us with our projects.
3. De-Stress sessions: Maybe I missed a memo somewhere, but there hasn’t seemed to be many opportunities on campus to help students de-stress, especially for graduate students who aren’t on campus all day. The only thing that I’m aware of is that the Lerner Health and Wellness Center is offering mind and body classes this week – many of which I can’t take because I have class. I know American University (where I received my bachelor’s degree) provided food, discount tickets to sports games, and massage sessions. These were specifically provided to graduate students. Maybe I am just not aware of the opportunities on campus, but if that is the case, the advertising needs to be better.
4. GSEHD Student activities: There aren’t a lot of opportunities to mix and mingle with students outside of my program unless I meet them in class. I do know that there was an attempt to host a game night for GSEHD students, but when several of my classmates and I arrived at the room listed on the flier, we discovered that no such game night had been scheduled. One of my classmates followed up with those in charge of hosting the event and learned that the event had been cancelled. To date, the event has not been rescheduled. Events like this would be a great way to decompress and network with other students.

All-in-all, as I’ve said countless times, I’ve had great experiences at school, but GSEHD does have room to improve the experiences of its students. These are just some of my suggestions, and I’m sure you all have some of your own. Make sure to make your suggestions known!

 

As a former teacher, I have mixed feelings about publishing teacher ratings. With the recent release of teacher data in New York City, I have spent some time thinking about why I cannot easily make up my mind on whether or not revealing this data is positive or negative. A recent discussion in my Qualitative Research Methods class did little to help me decide. The class debated how much responsibility the researchers versus the consumers held in terms of understanding data. Without getting into the debate, let me just say that it left me conflicted about the release of teacher ratings.

On the positive side, I believe that parents have a right to know how educators perform. These teachers, after all, are responsible for the education of their children. In college, I often spoke with other students to learn more about professors. Did the professors actually teach? Did students feel like they had learned something from the class and the professor? Parents should have this type of information to determine if their students will have an educator who actually teaches. Furthermore, if teachers know that parents and students will have an opportunity to see their performance ratings, then perhaps it will motivate them to perform better. This is the reasoning behind grading students.

On the negative side, I cannot support the release of data based on standardized test scores. These test scores do not accurately measure a teacher’s ability. They do not capture all that a teacher does in a classroom and they ignore the other influences on a student’s performance. A student’s performance on a single test will vary depending on something as simple as missing a bus. Test anxiety, something else outside of a single teacher’s control and increased by the pressures of high stakes testing, also influences a student’s performance. Having taught a tested subject area, I witnessed this every year. I watched a responsible, level-headed student become increasingly nervous as the test for my class drew nearer. I had a panicking student run into my classroom on the day of the test because the bus had passed her without stopping and now she was late.

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-Like the countless bolts of lightning, the purpose of my intelligence is only certain to me, the beholder, while the remaining stands tensely fascinated or in fear of its unpredictability. 

 

My current interest and objective is to evaluate the processes of implementation that enables community–based service providers to effectively reach and serve its targeted population.    My research will focus on applied interventions towards improving program effectiveness.

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If there's one major problem with going to school in D.C., it's that sometimes there are more interesting things to do than read one more article for class. Sometimes my statistics homework just doesn't sound as much fun as shopping in Georgetown. And I like to tell myself that I'm probably learning more by spending a few hours in a Smithsonian museum than I am by reading all the posts on a Blackboard discussion.

This weekend I spent a few hours in the U Street Corridor on a work-related outing. I visited the African-American Civil War History Museum & Memorial and ate chili at Ben's Chili Bowl. I thought it would be a welcome break from classes, homework, and reading.

Ha.

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I recently read an article (not for class surprisingly!) about a school in California that saw a 20% increase in math scores by using Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s (HMH) Algebra I Curriculum Application for the iPad. What stood out to me in particular was that students using this app were more “motivated, attentive, and engaged than traditionally educated peers.” It doesn’t surprise me that in our current society, technology can have a tremendous impact on curricular and instructional matters, particularly in the STEM fields.

As a former English teacher and as a Literature major, and having been educated in the more “traditional” sense, I have to admit, I have been quite resistant to technology in the classroom. It’s not that I don’t think different technologies have a place in schools, it’s the pervasiveness of these technologies and the over dependence on these technologies to reach our children that give me pause. I am quite aware of how some of the more recent technology has affected me. For example, it is significantly harder for me to retain information because I know that right at my fingertips I can use any number of devices (iPhone, iPad) to find the answer. For our classrooms to be designed based on these technologies frightened me because it appeared that technology, while exciting and beneficial in the short term, would eventually have deleterious effects on our students (this sentiment is based primarily on my own interaction with various technologies and not on any research that I have conducted or read). 

Yet, after reading this article, like any good doctoral student would, I have to stop and think about my position. At this point, I’m still not wholly convinced that technology will or can solve the issues that plague our schools, after all this study was based on just one school. Another point to take into consideration is that this application was designed for math, a subject that easily lends itself to interaction. But, this article has made me reevaluate my position and it makes me think about the impact technology can have on other school subjects. Taking into accound my own classroom experiences and the new insight provided by this article, I find myself wondering: Could this type of technology benefit the Language Arts classroom, and if so how?

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Classes start today!

One would think that at this point in my academic career, having gone through every step from kindergarten to high school to college to graduate school, the start of classes would cease to create any anticipation and anxiety. This is not the case.

I’m looking forward to seeing what this semester brings. I’m taking courses that I never considered before this year. Introduction to Educational Statistics worries me for no other reason that the word ‘statistics.’ The English major in me remains wary of any terms that sound vaguely mathematic or scientific, which means I’m not too confident about Qualitative Research Methods or Program Evaluation either. ‘Qualitative’ looks too much like quantitative in my mind, which brings forth the fear of math. This feeling is completely unfounded because they obviously mean very different things. The problem is that ‘research methods’ does not calm my nerves because it makes me think of sitting in a science lab. I can’t explain why, it just does. My last class, Program Evaluation, has the unfortunate luck of having the word ‘evaluation’ in the title, which reminds me of the math worksheets with endless problems and one-word directions: “Evaluate.’ Apparently my experiences with these worksheets now cause apprehension simply at any form of the word.

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The time has come that I am beginning to understand the question in regards to what is my interest in pursuing a doctorate degree in Human and Organizational Learning. This program has new rules, jargon, and expectations of my work. I also have new expectations of myself. In comparison to my previous degrees, I am in a similar yet enhanced state of mind. I am in a different tax bracket, family structure, and so on. Then, it was all about my interest. So, when I was given a question I thought of my one single voice, my one single thought. Now, I feel that I am in a position professionally and personally that I am able as well as obligated to consider the voice and thoughts of others.

I am by nature a mediator. Throughout any conflict, I typically never take sides. My residence has always roamed stubbornly in the middle. My innate ability has taken me this far so to abandon my natural instinct would be unthinkable. What I will commit to do is take the time and effort to visit every side of the conflict at hand, empathize to the degree of understanding the plight, translate into general concepts, and then commence to mediating while representing every participant at the table. My second semester will be interesting because I will have more to say simply because now I am speaking from various interests, perspectives, and motives.

2011 was a strange year.  I can remember few years with as many major events as 2011.  Tornados, earthquakes, the Republican primary campaign, the Arab Spring, the death of Osama Bin Laden, the troops returning from Iraq, and so many other events... it truly was a strange and noteworthy year.

In my own life, 2011 was a year of transition, and a year of growth.  As I look over my last semester of work, I'm pleased with my grades and my effort.  I'm succeeding at GW, and I feel confident in my future.  I know I have chosen the right path for myself, and I am proud of what I have accomplished.  Even so, I'm hesitant to make any major life decisions right now.  In the past, I've always gotten caught up in planning every detail of my future.  I make elaborate plans for every possible situation, and I sometimes struggle when faced with changes in my plans. Recently, I've been mulling over many questions, like whether or not I should pursue a doctorate when I finish my masters, or if I want to work in higher education or outside of a university. All of this planning and decision-making has become exhausting.  I feel as though it is time for me to put aside those decisions and focus on what is happening now.  I want to embrace this time of my life.  I want to focus on my education and my growth as an individual. I want to be present in my own life instead of day-dreaming about the future.

2012 offers many new opportunities.  I am looking forward to a year of settling in and exploring my new home.  I am excited about my upcoming courses, and I am excited to meet new people and experience more of Washington, D.C.  The past few years of my life have been anything but stable, and it is comforting to know that if everything goes as planned, I'll still be here in a year from now, looking over my booklist and preparing for another semester.

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On summers and holiday breaks during my undergrad years, I worked at a large record store near my home in Annapolis, MD, and became lifelong friends with some of my coworkers there (yes, if you’ve seen the movie “Empire Records”, it actually was a lot like that).  One year for Christmas, a friend who was an artist gave me a beautiful framed collage that she had made.  It had dozens of images of butterflies pasted together over the backdrop of a blue sky, and was decorated with tiny sparkling stones.  Toward the bottom, in small letters, were the words “let me really live.”  I liked it a lot, thanked her, and hung it on my wall without thinking too much about its meaning.  In retrospect, I feel that she chose to give me this piece out of a sense that something was holding me back, and she was right.  At that time in my life I didn’t realize just how restricted I was by others’ expectations; by feeling like there were certain things I should be doing, as opposed to discovering and listening to myself.

 

More than a decade later, I have now officially survived my first semester of graduate school.  Overall it was pretty incredible—not to say that there weren’t a few minor, even major, bumps along the road and adjustments to be made.  I encountered a vast amount of new ideas and experiences-- both formally in the classroom, and informally throughout the whole process—and incorporated bits and pieces of those things into myself along the way, sifting through it all and taking the relevant parts with me.  I feel that much of what I gained this semester was only able to occur because I managed to remain open to experience and change, and relied on my own intuition.

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Tonight, I turn to my classmate and friend Afsaneh for guidance on my blog entry. She gave me a wide range of possible topics and the ones I’ve latched onto are based on an event that took place last week Tuesday.

It was our last class and our professor invited us out for an end-of-year gathering at a local restaurant. It was nice to get to know him and other students outside of class. Reflecting on this event brings two things to the forefront of my mind:

1. The reason I chose to attend GWU
2. The reason I have managed to complete my first semester in one piece

Why I chose GWU

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With two papers and two classes remaining, my first semester at GW has nearly ended, which makes this a perfect time to start worrying about my summer plans. As the semester break approaches, I have started to develop a list of places to contact about summer internships and fellowships that will allow me to enhance my experience as an Education Policy student. After my mixed results when pursuing these during college, I fully appreciate the necessity of starting my search early.

(I will admit that some of my efforts may stem more from extreme efforts at procrastinating rather than any attempt at excellent planning, especially when my research becomes overwhelming and I become tired of my topic.)

The wonderful thing about my research is the help I have received from GWU. Between regular emails from the GSEHD Career Center, from the GW Career Center, and from my program, I have learned a lot about the opportunities available for graduate students. Although receiving a high level of emails becomes frustrating at times, knowing that I attend a school that constantly informs students about opportunities has helped ease my personal concerns about my ability to find a summer position. Both the GSEHD Career Center and the GW Career Center also offer advice through emails, workshops, and other events, which they encourage students to attend.

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The time is near completion of my first semester, the first step of many in this race (a marathon, not a sprint).  I believe that everyone is officially dizzy from the ride on the educational merry-go-round.  We all have endured numerous twists and turns, ups and downs, self-confirmations and self-doubts, learning to unlearn to learn from any and everything yet to question what is learned, I could go on and on.

I now see another perspective of the saying, “You are your own worst enemy”.  Self-doubt is a powerful tool and we all have reached for it at some time throughout this semester.  But what I had the pleasure of noticing is how ambitious and determined people use their self-doubt in comparison to others.  On one hand, we use self-doubt to push us through times of uncertainty trusting that the relief will soon surface typically in the form of completing the task at hand.  On the other hand, we use self-doubt to pull us through.  Either way, we use self-doubt as fuel and not dead weight in order to slow us down or at worst, stop.

Every class, every reading assignment, every project (individual or group) new information entered my realm of understanding and I had to decide what to do with, why do I need it, where to place it, when to use it, and how to interpret it.  I believe you call this synthesizing.  Synthesizing is stimulated by new information and I tip my hat off to the GW instructors for investing the limitless amount of information into our churning minds.  It amazes me that we all as students personally have decided to defy our human nature by not seeking shelter and safety whenever we begin to feel uncomfortable and imbalanced (self-doubt).  Instead, we all have sought the council of our instructors that have been where we are going.  Now that is trust.         

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First of all, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

A year ago, I was in Pereira, Colombia, finishing up a year of teaching fifth graders.  It had been an extremely challenging year, and I was ready to return home to the States.  At the time, I was researching graduate programs, and I hadn't decided which schools I would be applying to.  I remember the frustration of being in another country while trying to decide what my next move would be, and I am still surprised that everything turned out as well as it did. 

For those of you who might be considering graduate school, I would like to offer some advice, and then I will tell you why I picked GW and GSEHD.

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