Tag: Education

Academia, Education, Higher Education, Job, Professional Development, Self-care

Failure

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I really enjoy celebrating accomplishments but I also like normalizing failure. We do not always achieve what we want or it make take several tries before we accomplish a goal. If we are mentally prepared to understand that failure is a possibility, we are more likely to build strength to pick up the pieces and try again. So here are some things that I have failed at in the past, yet they did not stop me from continuing to pursue what I wanted to accomplish in the long run.

When I graduated high school, I decided to study computer systems engineering. That did not go too well! At that time (and still today), I was a social butterfly. College was a great place to hangout with my friends. Becoming an engineer was not really a priority. After the three semesters studying engineering and failing many courses, I decided that it was best to throw in the towel. I took a year off from college level courses to work and save to pay for my education. I eventually when back to college and started with an associates degree in Computer Programming which I completed with honors. I went on to successfully complete an undergraduate, master, and doctoral degree.

Another moment of failure in my life was when I applied to doctoral degrees. You see, I was determined to move back to Canada and in particular to Montreal. I had fallen in love with the educational technology program at Concordia University. After spending 5 full years studying in Emporia (Kansas), I was ready to complete my application, get accepted, and start a new chapter of my life as a doctoral student at Concordia University. That did not happened! I applied to three universities: Concordia University, Boston University, and Old Dominion University. A few days after doing my doctoral interview (a phone interview with all faculty members of the educational technology program), I received a letter from Concordia University letting me know that I was not accepted. I cried so much!

However, I was accepted to Boston University (with a graduate assistantship but no tuition reimbursement) and to Old Dominion University (with a graduate assistantship with full tuition reimbursement). Eventually, I decided to attend Old Dominion University and that let to so many wonderful opportunities that have shaped my personal life and career. I decided that although I was not at my number one choice, I was still going to earn a doctoral degree and make the most out of it!

Of course, there are many instances of failure in every day life: the article that gets rejected, the class activity that does not go as planned, the award that I do not get, etc.

Why am I sharing this? In academic circles, it gets really competitive. Heck, in life people get really competitive. We start looking at what others are doing and assuming that everyone is “doing things,” “going places,” and basically just “living the dream.” But the reality is that we are all working towards our goals and we all have moments of failures. That is just life.

Academia, Higher Education

Counternarratives of WOC Academics

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I recently finished reading the book “Counternarratives of WOC Academics” and I just want to share how much I enjoyed it. Love the autoethnography approach used in the book. I also like the diversity of the authors and the stories shared (faculty members, graduate students, and even those who decided to leave academia). Higher education is a complex environment and it truly requires bravery, vulnerability, and resistance to make an impact.

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We often equate bravery and resistance with “disrespect,” I was happy to read how these women were able to accomplish their goals while truly being brave and still respectful. Similarly, in higher education “vulnerability” is often equated with “weakness.” It is very sad when I see scholar ashamed to share signs of weakness as if were are always strong and powerful. Reading about others sharing their vulnerable side, expressing their fears and doubts, is something I wish we did more often.  I think their is beauty in showing we are still “human.”

I am so excited for my next book. It should arrive next Tuesday!

 

 

Academia, AECT, Education, Educational Technology, Higher Education, Instructional Design, Job, Professional Development, Research, Self-care, Teaching

Latest Publication: ” Undisclosed Stories of Instructional Design Female Scholars in Academia”

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Our article titled “Undisclosed Stories of Instructional Design Female Scholars in Academia” published in the Women’s Studies International Forum is now available online (co-authors: Tuğçe Aldemir, Jozenia Colorado-Resa, Camille Dickson-Deane, Ginger Watson, and Ayesha Sadaf).

Abstract: In this critical autoethnography, we come together as female instructional design (ID) faculty and graduate students. We use self-reflection to explore, through our writing, the experiences of our lives as female scholars. This includes gender-related challenges, concerns, and experiences that shape our lives as researchers, instructors, and practitioners. The theoretical frameworks that guide this critical autoethnography are radical and intersectional feminism. Radical feminists practice consciousness-raising in which women come together to share their personal experiences with each other. Intersectional feminists acknowledge that the various aspects of humanity, such as class, race, sexual orientation, and gender do not exists separately from each other. Our stories provide a view into the gender inequalities experienced by women, from various cultural backgrounds, ranks, and roles, while maneuvering the socio-cultural norms ingrained in higher education institutions. Our intention is that these stories generate understanding of these issues and inform ways that higher education may be more inclusive and supportive of female academics in the future.

This personalized URL provides 50 days’ free access to the article (until November 17, 2018). You are welcome to read or download. No sign up, registration, or fees are required: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1Xoml-6kqPaWN 

Academia, Belgium, Education, Higher Education, Professional Development, Study Abroad, Travel

#UTampa Travel Course Alert: Belgium

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TRAVEL COURSE ALERT! Prof. Merrie Tankersley will be leading a group of students to study abroad in Belgium next May 2019. Dr. Enilda Romero-Hall will participate as a assistant coordinator. This program is open to ALL UT students. The program includes potential side trips Ghent (Belgium) & Amsterdam (Netherlands)! For info on dates and cost, please see flyer. Also, feel free to email us. Never too early to start planning for next year 🇧🇪 ✈️

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Academia, AECT, Distance Education, Education, Educational Technology, Higher Education, Instructional Design, Professional Development, Research, Writing

Editorial: “The (Re)adaptability of Research Methodologies in the InstructionalDesign & Technology Field”

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This editorial was recently published (online first). It will be available on print in the next issue of TechTrends introducing the articles that showcase “innovation in research methodology in the instructional design & technology field.”

Academia, Distance Education, Education, Educational Technology, Higher Education, Instructional Design, Multimedia, Research, scholarship, Teaching

#Podcast Interview: “How the Future of Learning is Online”

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Earlier this summer, I was invited to share my thoughts on online education in an interview hosted by Dr. Will Deyamport, III as part of his podcast series [The Dr. Will Show Podcast]. It was a really neat experience. Some of the questions and topics address include:

  • Where does online learning come into play (when looking at different models, school missions, and varying ways to delivery instruction)?
  • How does teaching and learning change when the classroom can be accessed via any device connected to the internet?  
  • What is the learning curve for teachers in learning how to design and deliver instruction via a Learning Management System?
  • What are some of the skills needed to be an effective instructional designer of online learning?
  • Where do you see online education going within the next 5 to 10 years?
  • What do you say to those educators or individuals who believe online education is a fad or doesn’t deliver on providing the same quality of education as face-to-face instruction?

Here is a link to audio podcast:

https://thedrwillshowpodcast.simplecast.com/episodes/dr-enilda-romero-hall-how-the-future-of-5365e68d 

Academia, Education, Educational Technology, Higher Education, Instructional Design, Research, Scholarships, Social Media, Teaching

#SocialMedia: An Analysis of Syllabuses (IRB 18-063)

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Title of Study: Social Media: An Analysis of Syllabuses

Description:The purpose of this syllabus analysis is to explore and describe the structure of courses on “social media as a collaborative learning tool” within instructional design (educational technology, instructional technology, or learning design) programs. The analysis of this structure provides information about the core curriculum taught to graduate students in these courses. This syllabus analysis also serves to extract and recognize the tasks and learning opportunities, used in these courses, in a more systematic and direct manner. Overall, this research serves to understand how learning with social media is seen through syllabuses in instructional design graduate programs.

In order to conduct the syllabus analysis, I am inviting instructors who have taught (during the 2017–2018 academic year) or will be teaching (in the upcoming 2018-2019 academic year) courses related to “social media as a collaborative learning tool” in instructional design (educational technology, instructional technology, or learning design) graduate programs (master or doctoral) to consider sharing their syllabus with me.  Sample titles of courses related to social media as a collaborative learning tool include:

  • Social Media and Beyond
  • Learning with Social Media and Mobiles
  • Social Media and Collaboration Technology in Organizations
  • Social Media for Professional Learning
  • and other course titles

Study URL: Social Media: An Analysis of Syllabuses

Contact Name: Enilda Romero-Hall, Ph.D.
Contact Email: eromerohall@ut.edu