Week Thirteen: Mining for Gold

In some of the small amount of my free time I have taken to watching the television show Gold Rush.  Within the show several groups of miners are on the quest for gold amidst the recent Alaskan gold rush.  I cannot help but reflect on the fact that to me the process of determining a research interest or dissertation topic is much like the process of mining for gold.  It involves sifting through many topic options, at first large and then progressively smaller until the final stages where nuggets are uncovered.  As graduate students we develop inquiry depth within our courses over time.  Throughout that process we narrow down interests.  Topics narrow first in large chunks, either by eliminating or highlighting potential options.  As time passes, interests continue to narrow until there a research need, the gold at the end of the mining process is found.

In a previous entry I mentioned the venn diagram that represents the need for research to fit within an area of need within a field of research.  Further reading on that post is located in the Week Nine entry.

Like mining, research also involves instincts.  At first we follow our gut to places that feel like they might be a good fit.  They are exciting, intriguing and spark additional curiosity.  In time we continue to read and stumble upon resources that refine our research topics.  Throughout this process we also are afforded the chance to network with other researchers who have input, ideas and resources that can continue to add depth.

At a conference this past weekend I interacted with a prominent researcher in Higher Education that made a great point about how her research interests unfolded that resonated with me.  She said that throughout her career she had things that caught her interests and somehow an opportunity serendipitously was presented that allowed her to pursue.  Each step she took, another opportunity managed to present itself to her leading to her current work.  She referred to opportunities as doors that opened that she just had to “walk through”.  To me this spoke to the patience required to pursue passions.  There is time needed to network and build resources worth chasing.  All of this time is worth using and remembering.  The process of narrowing research is not easy, and I am sure at times is frustrating.  Reminders like this  are important to hold onto throughout the process that lies ahead.

Remember that what lies ahead might be a challenge but it is worth every minute.

Week Twelve: Writing with Style

As writers we have a lot to learn.  At least I know I do.  At a recent conference I heard several veteran writers in Higher Education say that they too always worked on improving their writing.  So I am hoping that I am not alone on this one.

John Trimble in his book Writing with Style: Conversations on the Art of Writing now in its 3rd edition he addresses some basic strategies that help a writer improve writing style and practice.  I admittedly have not read it yet but it is at the top of my end of semester reading list.  The reason I bring this up is the writing process as a graduate students is in my experience one that takes ownership by each author.  I need to take responsibility for myself as a writer and challenge myself to continue to grow as a writer.  Starting with books like Trimbles.  At this point of my academic journey I have identified the following steps that I need to pursue to improve as a writer.

• Practice writing in different styles.  To be an effective researcher and scholar each writer needs to develop different styles to use to address the different media types available.  The style I use on this blog (a rather non-academic approach) is not even remotely the same as the style it would take to be considered for an academic journal.  To improve as a writer I need to practice writing in different media and have experience writing through different "lenses".
• Accepting feedback.  On a run this evening I saw a sign in the football weight room that read "Pain is weakness leaving the body".  This is not a unique sign to this campus or to this weight room but it got me thinking about feedback and writing.  As writers we need a tremendous amount of feedback to develop good work and publish professional materials.  As a graduate student is we had a mythical "weight room" I think this sign would read "Feedback is key to weakness leaving your work".  It is important to learn to embrace feedback.
• Build a network.  In a recent conference session I heard a speaker discuss her network of writing friends who promise to critique and be honest about each others work.  Even though I am early in my academic career I find myself on the lookout for people who might fit this mold.  Folks who I can benefit as much or more than could benefit me.  It will take the help of others for me to learn and grow to my potential.  I too want to pay that forward to others.  Now is as good a time as any to get that process started.
• Write every day.  I heard it recently said that writing is a habit that needs to be practiced.  This applies to graduate students too.  While it is not easy to write additional work than is expected of us it is important to keep the writing muscles sharp and practiced.

Remember that what lies ahead might be a challenge but it is worth every minute.

Materials to support writing:

Belcher, W. L. (2009). Writing your journal article in 12 weeks: A guide to academic publishing success. Los Angeles, CA: Sage.

Bolker, J. (1998). Writing your dissertation in 15 minutes a day: A guide to starting, revising, and finishing your doctoral thesis. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

Graff, G., Birkenstein, C., & Durst, R. K. (2009). They say/I say: The moves that matter in academic writing : With readings. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Co.

Trimble, J. R., (2010). Writing with style: Conversations on the art of writing (3rd ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Week Ten: I am Lucky (and I think you are too)

When I was in college I saw a commercial once that depicted a man painting a picture from within a wheelchair.  This would not have been terribly uncommon or memorable had the man not been using his teeth to paint because he was unable to move any of the the rest of his body.  Throughout this short clip he struggled to complete his painting, dropping his brush many times.  The commercial captured what appeared to be a very frusterating process, but enjoyable process for the artist.  In the end, his labor of love was complete and the commercial just showed three words typed by the artist and read by computer softward that said.  "I am lucky."  I wish I could find this add on youtube to share with you, I unfortunately could not.  I do remember it vividly though and came back to me this week.

I don’t tell myself this enough but I am truly lucky to have the opportunities to pursue graduate education.  This is not something that many people have the opportunity to do.  As of 2005 according to the National Institute of Educational Statistics only 5.9% of Americans had completed a masters degree and 1.1% completed a doctorate (National Institute, 2011).  Wikipedia also has some charts and graphs associated with educational attainment that are worth looking into.  The bottom line is I find myself in a very small group of people who are blessed with a chance to pursue a graduate degree.  This is a message that I need to keep reminding myself of, I sometimes get bogged down in the work and the difficulty associated with the program and do not think about what a privilege this is.

As a part of a class discussion this week the following article was discussed about the shape of the future of higher education.  The article is written by Walter Benn Michaels, professor of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago and titled “The Trouble with Diversifying Faculty”, it was published in Liberal Education which can be found here. The premise is that the primary group that is oppressed in admission processes of universities are financially underprivileged students. One of the summary quotes as highlighted by Rick Reis a faculty member at Stanford was:

“And, of course, what it also means is that the underrepresentation of African Americans in colleges and universities has nothing to do with those universities keeping out African Americans (or, for that matter, Hispanics and Native Americans). Universities don’t keep out minority students; they keep out poor students.”

It is not my intention for this quote to cause controversy or debate, but more an appreciation for what could become a growing trend.  I mention it more because it reminds my of just how lucky I am to have ended up where I have.  I want to make sure that I use this time and this privilege for good.  This just fortifies in me the purpose of my educational pursuits.  I want to further myself to help narrow the access gaps in higher education.  It is unfair to presume that our country can continue to grow and solve the complex problems we face if we continue to shut out access to education from anyone.  

The level of success I will achieve on this venture I am not sure, but it is still important to me to have a reminder every once and a while that I am lucky, and that anyone else pursuing graduate education is too.


Remember that what lies ahead might be a challenge but it is worth every minute.


Resources:

National Institute of Educational Statistics. (2011). Retrieved from, http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d05/tables/dt05_009.asp

Michaels, Walter Benn (2011). The Trouble with Diversifying the Faculty. Liberal education, 97 (1), p. 14.