Done

What a journey this month has been! I can say that my literature review (at least for the purposes of IDT 8092) is done. It is far from perfect and is likely to undergo massive dissection and modification over the next year but that is to be expected. In a short five weeks I have read probably well over 100 academic journal articles about self-directed learning, open badges, adult learning, and teacher professional development. I most certainly have a clearer understanding of the existing body of literature on my topics but know that I have a long way to go before I can call myself an expert. I have gained more experience in writing in an academic voice but also have a long way to go before I would ever consider submitting anything for publication. I feel I have turned a bit of a corner when it comes to APA style. With my final draft, I only felt the need to consult the guide a couple of times. However, it will remain by my side until my defense is completed.

My favorite part of this past week was getting a chance to meet face to face with Dr. Weaver. We discussed my review and what needed to be accomplished for the final draft but, more than that, we discussed the degree program as a whole and my past year in it. I have a great advisor in Dr. Mims but I have known Dr. Weaver for much longer (we used to teach at Millington Central High School together) and I had forgotten how much I missed just bouncing ideas off of her. This class was a nightmare, yes, but she was by our side the entire time, cheering us on, keeping us on track, and even giving us a few good laughs along the way.

I do hope that, in the future, this course is not again squeezed into five weeks. Even seven weeks would have been better but a full semester would have been incredible. It was nearly impossible to reach the point of synthesis in my writing without having had the time to synthesize in my own mind everything I read. Of course, who is to say that I would have done any better in a longer class.

I do suggest, for those of you first year doc students who may be reading this (or those of you considering enter the doc program at UM), start reading and annotating now! Seriously. Even if you only have a cursory idea of possible areas of research, read everything you can get your hands on but especially peer reviewed journal articles. And, most importantly, start annotating. Even if it is just taking notes and summarizing. It will get you started and will help you tremendously later on.

It is hard to wrap my mind around the fact that, this time next summer, my cohort will be basically done with all of our coursework and we will be preparing for our comprehensive exams. Then the focus will be on the all important dissertation. Between now and then, I will continue to read and read and read although with a renewed focus and fervor.

I will continue blogging here as I continue my doctoral journey so, until next time...