A New Experience: International Partnership Work in Ethiopia

Again, it's been a while since my last post... I'm having a new experience this week: I am working with an OSU colleague on an Int'l partnership development project and my college and I are visiting Ethiopia for relationship building, teaching, and fact-finding... I just figured this would be a good time to share a little of what I'm experiencing..

So as I write this, it's after 10pm here in Ethiopia! I've had an exciting day, but I'm completely exhausted! I only got an hour nap all day! Can you say jetlag?? LOL
Did you know that 1 US Dollar is equal to 17 Ethiopian Birr?? So when I cashed in 100.00USD for ET Birr today, they gave me 1700. ET Birr!! I spent 600 Birr today and here is what I bought: 5 pieces of handmade jewelry and a light meal for two which consisted of two bowls of soup, two beers, a super huge order of fries and a bottled water... I have 1100 Birr left! So I only actually spent roughly 35 USD on all that stuff... Unbelievable....
I learned that Ethiopia is actually known for its coffee and I had some of the best coffee I've ever had today. I also learned about the history of the University. The University was founded only in the 1950s or so. Their main campus building was actually the palace of their last King! This building houses their Institute for Ethiopian Studies and inside is a wonderful museum that chronicles Ethiopian life--showing notable history and rituals and customs, from birth through death. So interesting... and I've always been intrigued by different cultural norms, rituals, and belief systems, so I've been pondering lots of questions about this type of stuff  along the way. So many questions have come up (e.g., questions about gender relations in the university and in the culture in general, how meetings with university admins are approached/arranged, etiquette/decorum and views about the elderly, poverty and the behavior of panhandlers on the street, and so many other things)  I plan to share more of my relevations on this later.
I met with a few university administrators today to talk about the partnership. I met some doctoral students that are taking my colleague's class, too. I will be giving a few of them some guidance on their research proposals and I'm planning a brief workshop (on conceptualizing research questions) for friday morning--this idea just came up over dinner tonight when we realized some of the students needed help with this. So much to do!
I learned so much today, my mind is overflowing... well, I just wanted to share a little... I have a few pics to post, but I'm in bed now, so I'm gonna post them tomorrow. More updates to come!

The Time Has Come...

...for me to stop neglecting this space!

Hi all! I have a couple of new endeavors on the horizon. The one that is most heavily on my mind right now is my intro stats class. Some of you may know (well, actually, many of you may NOT know) that I taught a full, stand-alone intro stats class for the first time last summer and that it was a struggle (and that's putting it mildy). Needless to say, no one was happy with the way the class turned out. It's tough to relive this horror, but I must provide context, so please bear with me...

I have suffered with math anxiety since junior high school, but after successfully navigating many math and stats classes during undergrad and grad school, tutoring folks on stats, and teaching snippets of it as a part of research methods courses (without taking any type of anti-anxiety meds), I felt like I had beat my anxiety. So, back last year, I had actually looked forward to teaching that intro stats class last summer. Well... in retrospect, I think teaching a full-fledged stats class (in the traditional, commonly implemented approach) simply caused a relapse in my math-related anxiety--of course, teaching a stand-alone course is way different than taking a course or tutoring someone. To make a long story short, by the end of that summer, I was ready to drink myself into a stupor and pass out on my living room floor. Luckily, I fought back the urge... until, of course, I got my course evaluations--which were the worse I'd seen since 2004 (I started teaching in 1999, by the way, and I had never gotten evals that poor even then).

So, this time around I made a drastic decision--I decided to teach the course again. Yes. I was determined! This stats course was NOT going to beat me, dag-nabbit! Very soon after making that decision, I also decided that I was going to use a completely different approach--I was going to turn that course over on its head... yes, indeedy. How, you ask? Well, I'd recently heard of this teaching approached called the "flipped classroom" that these two high school science teachers had begun using (to learn more: http://youtu.be/v-y9vR7YTak) and then the eiphany hit me--that's the answer!

Give my lectures to my students before class, so that they can watch them at home, at their own pace and re-watch as necessary. Give them the 'homework" problems to do in the classroom with me and their classmates present. We could use the classroom to focus on reiteration, elaboration, and application of concepts. We could use class time to get students talking and working together to comprehend the concepts and make deep applications of stats to research. We could encourage collaboration through every aspect of the course (except exams, of course), so that students do not have to feel that they are struggling alone. On top of all of that, not having to lecture in class will free me up to provide that "just-in-time" coaching and interact with my students in small, intimate groups--so I can get to know their individual areas of strength and weakness. And the in-class practices will help me know how students are learning and what I need to re-teach or review. WOW! This was it! This was my solution... *lets out excited sigh of relief*


Soooo... I had an idea for what to do. I also decided that I need to teach in a way that matched my lively, happy-go-lucky, and fun-loving personality (I know, I'm pushing it) and I figured I could indulge the performer in me through recording those videos and selecting materials that matched. I selected Andy Field's award-winning stats text, Discovering Statistics Using SPSS (http://www.uk.sagepub.com/field3e/) which is the ONLY stats book I've ever read that actually got a chuckle out of me as soon as I opened it. Yes, the humor can be a bit crude (after all, his website is http://www.statisticshell.com/, but it's stats so what do you expect?), but darnit, it's a 7 week stats course during SUMMER--we need to laugh... desperately.

So... now fast forward to today... we are in the third week of class. The students seem very, very happy with how things are going. They like the videos and being able to watch them at home. I am peaceful and content (though I drastically understimated how long it would take me to script my video lectures, so I'm struggling a bit to keep up) and able to rest, when I do get a chance to actually make an attempt at sleeping. And most important, my students are learning!! They are understanding the concepts--the questions they ask in class show me that they come prepared and are truly processing the content. Their work in class shows me that they are able to make applications and teach each other. They are truly learning. So far, this has been a great success!

Overall, things are pretty peachy, but this process is not without its challenges... for example, I drastically underestimated how long it would take me to prepare the video scripts and get the video lectures ready for them, so I am struggling to keep up and have been since day one. Also, this past Friday, we were hit by some crazy damaging thunderstorms that knocked out power across the state. Most of my students were NOT able to get work done and I am now even more behind with my preparations--I've learned that extenuating circumstances like these wreak pure havoc on this style of teaching that relies so heavily on technology and the Internet (my videos are streamed). So, I will be using my next few blog posts to share about these challenges, the wonderful accomplishments of my students, and my personal/professional lessons learned from this experience.

I am ever so glad I listened to my mom (a quantitative research Goddess in her own right) when she said, "Nawww, Trace, don't give up after teaching it just once. You gotta try it at least ONE more time!" She just never stops being right.

Until next time (and I promise it won't be six months from now)!!
Dr. Tra

Social Media Terms of Service--Do They Restrict or Protect?

How well do any of us truly understand Terms of Service (ToS) policies for the social media services we use? Be honest. Do you actually read them?? I'll bet you don't. I barely read them--I skim at most, and that's on a really good day.

Well, when we just click "agree" and start posting, we have no idea what we're agreeing to do (or not do) by using the service. Most of the time, that's just fine. We're using these services in the spirit of the typical, honest, clean-cut user anyway (well... most of us are), so it's all good. We're not going to do anything that would cause the company to sue us or hold us liable for breaking any of their rules. However, sometimes the policies in the ToS may be there to help protect us--not to protect the owners of the service. This is especially true in the case of kids using social media services.

A while back I read an article (Boyd, et al., 2011) that reports statistics on how many kids under age 13 sign up for accounts on social media services, such as Facebook, despite Terms of Service agreements that contain policies to protect these youngsters under the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998 (http://www.ftc.gov/ogc/coppa1.htm).  Further, the article explains that not only do many parents know about their kids using sites like Facebook, they sometimes help them set up the accounts (by letting them lie about their age)--not realizing that by ignoring Facebook's policy on this, they are circumventing the Act that was designed to protect their kids.

Well, this is the thing...as a parent of  19 year old and 9 year old sons (I know what you're thinking... she is either incredibly smart or incredibly stupid for having kids that far apart--I prefer to think I'm the latter :), I was dealing with the troubling quandary of how to manage my oldest son's use of social media sites back when MySpace first became all the rave (which, by the way, looks drastically different than it did back in the day; check it out: http://www.myspace.com/). My response to finding that he had an account--realizing that I wouldn't be able to restrict him from it anyway--was to act as if I was so intrigued by MySpace that I would like him to please, PLEASE create an account for Momma! It worked. He was happy to teach me something about which I knew nothing (or so he thought) and he friended me immediately, so now I could see what he posted and use selected opportunities as "teachable moments" to help him learn how to use the medium responsibly and safely.

Well, this worked for me. I am against censorship for various reasons--I opt instead for learning more about the media my kids are consuming and teaching them about being critical consumers of this media. Yes, it takes time. Yes, it is more work than my mom experienced back in the days of cassette tapes. And yes, it is worth it. Back in the day, when we had access to inappropriate media, my mom just took it from us and threw it away. Unless we had enough allowance money left over to by a new cassette or VHS tape, it was a wrap. That was it. This parenting technique is a no-go in today's world of burned/bootlegged media on CD-R/DVD-R and endless sharing of computer media files. So... today's digital parents have to be a little more strategic... and creative... and downright persistent. Brute force just isn't gonna work. Not anymore. Further, isn't it best for our kids that we teach them about all that exists in the world and about how to maintain a healthy mental diet anyway? Anyhoo... I digress.

Well, this is our burden, digital parents and 21st century educators. We may want to pay a little more attention to the ToS guidelines for our social media services, perhaps urge our kids to know about the agreement they are making before using the services, and help them to understand why some of those policies are there. Let's think about why the COPPA was created and how this law serves us. Knowing more can mean doing better in this case. Give it a try--the next time you're on Facebook, go on over to their Terms (https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms?ref=pf) and see what's you've been missing.

If you would like to read more about this issue, read the article I mentioned above: http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3850/3075 (graciously shared via twitter by @elemenous -Lucy Gray), entitled "Why Parents Help Their Children Lie to Facebook About Age"

AECT 2011 - Using Multi-media Storytelling to Assess Students’ Application of Psychology Theory and Concepts - Dr. Tra Mickell

Using Multi-media Storytelling to Assess Students’ Application of Psychology Theory and Concepts

AECT 2011 - Jacksonville, FL
November 10, 2011
Dr. Tra Mickell
The Ohio State University
stuckey-mickell.1@osu.edu

Thank you for attending my presentation! :)

Access the reflection paper presentation materials on Google Docs: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0BzuBiL1PNvGOMjE4NDQxMzgtMDhlNC00OTI0LWI4OTctNjFiYmRjMTJlZjNh

Balance: An Unrealistic Ideal or a True Goal?

Well... here we are...finished the second full week of classes and I have already worked through the last two weekends. OUT OF BALANCE. Several years ago, I realized that grad school was not an experience that lent itself to having much work-life balance. Life was work and work was life. So... I used to dream longingly for the day when I finished my doctorate and could actually live again. Not that I didn't enjoy my work; it's just that my work became so all-consuming that I'd lost many of the things I loved that didn't revolve around my activities at the University. Like theater... I LOVE the theater. I love music, too--especially live performances. I love to read fiction--especially fantasy-type fiction. Love it. And I love plants. Get this...toward the middle of my masters degree, I became so consumed with work, that I neglected my houseplants to the point of nearly killing them and had to give them to my mom to rescue! So I did and she saved them... but I was missing out on a big part of my life.

Now... I'm finished. I finished grad school last year. Yay, me! Well... I'm finding that old habits die hard. I am back to my old tricks of planting my "butt in chair" in front of the computer for hours at a time.

Well, awareness is the first step to beating any addiction. I am A W A R E !!! I am going to squeeze in some fun and relaxation--no matter what. Even if it's just 30 minutes a day of reading inspiring quotes, laughing with a loved one, listening to some great music, or taking a walk around to look at the lovely flowers and shrubs around campus. I am also back in the gym. What I realized about working out and chilling out is this: Intellectual workers can do their work much more efficiently and effectively when their bodies and spirits are well cared for. Not rocket science, right? I know. So, why do we tend to neglect our bodies when we get a bad case of academic tunnel vision??

Well, no more. I am breaking the cycle of crazy. I am going to continue to work hard, but I am also making time to take good care of the one and only body and spirit I have. I want sharp intellect, but I want a healthy body and spirit to go with it.

So, to all my frantic and workaholic dissertators, researchers, and educators: Please, PLEASE, take good care of your careers, but take even BETTER care of your self.

:)
Dr. Tra

Teaching Classes Leads to Mentoring Research Apprentices...

Well, we've made it through the first full week of classes here at Ohio State! Feels good to be moving forward with a new term! My classes (all THREE of them) seem like great groups of students. I'm excited to be able to work with them this term. I'm teaching a course in research methods, one called teaching as a profession, and one in adolescent development--the same courses I taught last Autumn quarter. I'm particularly excited to be able to share lessons from my most recent research projects with my research methods students. I've found that the students at OSU are eager to be involved in the many research opportunities that present themselves. Two of my former research/stats students have joined my research projects and I've been able to teach research in a new and exciting way...

These two former students are serving as research apprentices on our middle school transitions project research team. These students are taking 3 hours of research apprenticeship credit with me and I am mentoring them. I've found that, in some ways, I enjoy this process as much and, at times, even more than classroom teaching. As their research mentor, I get to work with students on research problems in an in-depth and truly meaningful way. For example, we've collected the first round of data for the middle school transitions project and now it's time for my sub-team--the quantitative group--to start entering and analyzing survey data and examining school records data. Exciting stuff!

When I first realized I would be leading a team of students, I decided that I wanted to involve them in the decision-making process as much as possible. I don't believe that being Dr. Momma Researcher and making all the decisions is the best way to help my students learn. It's the thinking process involved in research that matters most--thinking through the problems and challenges is what truly makes one a better researcher. I've learned tons just from the new projects I've been working on over the six months--both of them have had lots of problems to solve and challenges to work through! It reminds me of how one becomes a savvy computer user: the more technical issues you encounter and solve, the better you are at solving the new ones you encounter. That said, I'm looking forward to learning even more as these projects continue!

Cool stuff, people! Cool stuff!

Gearing Up for Autumn 2011 and Recap of My 1st Year at OSU

Well, I have completed my first full year at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. Whooo! I have sure learned a lot, worked hard, and had loads of fun!! Before I get you all excited about the preparations for the new school year, I think a recap is in order...

Since arriving on August 13, 2010, here is what I've done:
I individually wrote an OSU Impact grant (a teaching grant to internationalize my adolescent dev course), but didn't get it. I also applied for a Fulbright grant last year--didn't get that either, but now, now...let's move on to what I DID get...

I co-wrote a Teacher Planning Grant to develop an online community of practice for in-service and pre-service teachers. I also co-wrote an IES grant on an innovative instructional method to integrate science and literacy in the early grades. It was amazing to work with teams of such seasoned grant writers. I learned a lot--just the process of grant writing is a huge learning experience. Way cool!

We won the Teacher Planning grant--and I am working on it now. I am leading the development of the data collection instruments--surveys and assessments. We are still waiting to hear back about the big IES grant--hundreds of thousands of dollars over several years--exciting!

I joined a research team as the "Quantitative Goddess" for a funded, mixed-methods research study on transition to middle school. I am responsible for the quantitative component of the project and as such, I am supervising a sub-team of several graduate student research apprentices--some of which are working directly with me as apprentices.

I taught 5 new classes (Adolescent Psych, Research Methods, Technology in the Classroom, Introductory Statistics, and Teaching as Profession). Three of these I have taught a minimum of three times already. I've taught the research methods course four times! Those doggone quarters keep me moving! This fall, I just have three: Adolescent Psych, Research Methods, & Research Methods--no new preps. Thank goodness...

I prepared two manuscripts for publication--no new pubs yet, though--got more work to do on those still.

I have served as a guest speaker in one of the Columbus Freedom Schools, spoke at the post-play talkbacks for a play on adolescent sexuality (OSU Dept. of Theatre production "Spring Awakening"), served on the PTA at my son's school (I'm one of the VPs this year--he is so proud), written countless letters of support for promising students, and reviewed manuscripts for presentation and publication across several different organizations and journals.

As far as my professional development and engagement, I attended workshops at the Digital Union--OSU's one-stop-shop for all things related to learning technology. I also attended several lectures over the past year--both invited speakers and the best and brightest of OSU's own scholars. We have some bright minds here at OSU! I attended the 16th Annual EHE Diversity Forum held right in my building--Ramseyer Hall and several events hosted at the Hale Black Cultural Center. These types of events keep me energized and motivated to keep working to support all learners in my realm--and everyone is a learner in my mind.

On a personal note, Robbie and I have done all types of cool things in Columbus--you're not going to believe how much we did! We started roller skating regularly at Skate Zone 71, hung out in some of the cool places (such as the Columbus Public Library Downtown, the North Market, the Short North District, the OSU Wex Center for the Arts, the OSU Thompson Library--one of Robbie's favorites, the OSU Urban Arts Space), and rode the bus all over the city. We have hung out on campus on Game Days (GO BUCKS!)--just being in the mix is truly something to see, especially if you hang out at the Ohio Union to experience the pre-game festivities. On top of all of that, we attended a PechaKucha event (believe it or not, Robbie really enjoyed it--he is so grown up!), saw Dr. Cornell West speak at a MLK Celebration event on campus (yes, Robbie sat for this,too!), attended Obama's Presidential rally last fall, hung out at the Arnold Sports Festival at the Columbus Convention Center and went on school field trips.

We've also experienced some of life's simple pleasures--walks in the Park of Roses, buying fresh fruit from a farmer's stand on the corner, and endless mornings at Panera enjoying yummy goodies. More recently we've visited some of the city's newly created public recreation spaces--Columbus Commons and the Scioto Mile. In addition, I have fortified my most precious relationships and forged some new ones, while also engaging in some intense personal development work. I am re-learning how to love--myself, others, and the world around me. I am re-learning how to enjoy life!

Believe it or not, there are some places Robbie and I haven't visited together--the great Columbus Zoo that we've heard so much about and COSI (Center of Science and Industry). We also missed a few big festivals (like Red, White, and BOOM!). Guess we just didn't have the time--imagine that.

Overall, I have experienced some incredible times here in C-bus. Who says a person can't be incredibly busy and still have a helluva time?? I am living proof that it can happen. The year has had its challenges, but the growth that has come from them is simply invaluable. I can honestly say I made the very best of this year. One thing that I haven't adjusted to, however, is missing my family. My oldest son, Antwan, is working hard at NIU (the family alma mater--we're a fam of NIU alumni) and as time flies, my nieces, nephews, and cousins are growing up and their parents (my sisters and cousins) are moving on with their lives. I miss my family so much. I can't help but feel a loss even now.

And now it's time to gear up for my second year and I can't wait to see what the next 12 months will bring. I have lots of great plans... Whew... recapping all of that made me exhausted. I think I'll talk about gearing up for the new school year in my next post!

Field Research in Education is MESSY...

Wow... I am a part of an awesome research team that is involved in an awesome multi-site, mixed methods research study and, wow, it is awesomely plagued with so many snafus!!! It really doesn't surprise me because as I have found many times before: RESEARCH IS MESSY!

Goodness Lawdy! From resistant school officials to weirdness on parental consent forms to overly helpful district folk to a truncated timeline that has the team scrambling to and fro---we have run across so many issues, it's unbelievable!! However...

We are NOT licked yet. We are nearly halfway through with our first phase of data collection and I am here to tell you that there are three major ingredients to a successful research study:

1) Patience, patience and more patience

2) Determination--can't let those challenges stop you from moving forward, and

3) Totally cool research teammates--smart and committed student apprentices (did I mention that we have an awesome team??) and terrific co-PIs, such as Dr. Antoinette Errante, who keeps on keeping on in the face of all the research adversity, and Dr. Lynley Anderman, who helps keep us grounded when we're about to start worrying. Did I mention that we have an awesome team?? :)

OK. Wait. Make that FOUR ingredients...

4) A super duper SENSE OF HUMOR--you gotta be able to laugh your way through!

I am also learning something about myself along the way... mentoring students who are new to the real-world research process is, in some ways, even MORE rewarding than classroom teaching. I feel a special warmth toward my student research teammates. It's exciting to watch them learn and see how much they already know, while gently pushing them to venture out into their own uncharted research waters and stretch their research muscle!!

I've posted this statement on Facebook many times and I'm gonna say it here: I LOVE MY WORK!! OH-IO!! Go Bucks! :)

Neglected...

It has been over 8 months since I last updated this blog!! I have neglected it terribly in all my busy-ness.

Wow... it seems that as I age, time passes increasingly quickly and sooooo much has happened since January of this year and now the year is more than half over. I can't believe how much has changed and how much I've learned.

I completed my first year at Ohio State--it ended with a lesson learned: Don't lapse back into workaholism!! I took on way too much this summer. FOUR CLASSES with two new preps as well as research duties that became increasingly time consuming as the summer progressed.


I spent a whole lot of time at the OSU Thompson Library--doing research has allowed me to learn more about the vast resources available at this great institution.

Well, I can honestly say that I have learned a whole lot about myself and about my new institution, but I still have a lot to learn. I'm getting better at managing my time--I've picked up a lot of great tips from my colleagues here in the School of Educational Policy & Leadership and my own reflections on how things are going. It's truly been a great year--not without its challenges, but definitely a great year.

So, I am going to try to update my blog more often. It's shameful to let 8 months go by without an update!! Ugh! Well, for now, it's back to the grading stratosphere...

*Image source: http://www.osu.edu/imageoftheday/

Happy New Year!! Welcome 2011!

The new year is off to a great start. We are two weeks into the Winter quarter at Ohio State. I am teaching one course in Research Methods (graduate level) and another in Adolescent Development. The adolescence course is the largest I've ever taught--55 students enrolled. It's a new experience that is truly stretching me out of my teaching comfort zone. I have never been a big fan of lecture as a student and my expertise in learning and instruction tells me that it is not truly the best way to learn. When I began teaching in 1999, I realized that I didn't like lecture as a teacher either. Soooooooo, how do you avoid using a lot of lecture with such a large class?

Well, I've been using smaller groups a lot and giving the students lots of opportunities to take on leadership roles in class. That really helps a lot--puts learning in the students' hands. I still use discussion a lot--I just have to work it a little differently to keep it manageable. I use an Internet-based audience polling program called PollEverywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com/) to promote interaction in the class. I have invited guest speakers and I'm exploring different enrichment activities to add variety. It' going very well indeed and I am enjoying it. As I said, the year is off to a great start!

QR codes...

One of my friendly ed-tech gurus taught me about something today: QR Codes and barcode scanner apps that exist on Android cell phones.

My buddy John Neff, Staff Development Specialist over at the Center for Teaching & Learning at Moraine Valley Community College (my former workplace), was kind enough to demonstrate how QR codes work when I visited the college today. I was amazed to see the kinds of data that could be stored in a QR code and how the barcode scanner on his Android phone easily handled these codes.

Here is one you can scan to capture my contact information:


I created this one using a web-based QR code generator at http://qrcode.kaywa.com/. Now, if you scan this code, you can save my contact information right into your cell phone. Pretty neat, eh? Want more ideas? Do a quick Google search with the keywords "using qr codes" and you'll get a nice long list of websites with ideas on how you can use these nifty little codes for marketing your business and sharing information.

Thanks, John, for sharing this cool tech tidbit. You learn something new everyday!

So much change...

...in such a short time! That's why I have neglected this blog so much...

Since the last time I've posted, so much has changed. I sent my first-born off to college at Northern IL University. I left my position as Director, Nontraditional Learning at Moraine Valley Community College and took a position as Senior Lecturer at The Ohio State University, so I moved to Columbus, Ohio. I no longer own a car (it died two weeks before I left Illinois and I decided to try to live without one for a while instead of saddling myself with a car payment.) As a result of all the walking and bus-hopping, I lost over 25 pounds (I'm still amazed!). I am doing a temporary "single parent" gig (yes, I brought our younger son with me and my hubby is still in Illinois). I prepped for and taught three courses (nearly 70 students)--I've just finished my first quarter at The Ohio State University. Now all of this is pretty cool, but one of the most neat things is this:

I have learned to LOVE living a much more simpler life.

I don't have TV or video games in our home. I cut my monthly bills waaaay down. We walk everywhere so I never think about where to park on campus. I am doing my part to reduce harmful emissions in the environment. We shop only when I need something. It's crazy--I don't miss all the hoopla of my former life. I have time to study and think and write. I LOVE IT!!! I'm still a technophile, but I'm living without very much technology and it's OK. I use the Internet on my laptop and I have a phone that does only phone calls and text messaging--none of the newer fancy stuff. I'm learning about myself through this experience and it's wonderful. Columbus is a great city. My younger son is happy and healthy. I can't wait to see what else is on the horizon.

I'm am working on some articles and grant proposals in between prepping for next quarter classes, so I'll have lots to write about in the very near future. Right now, I'm planning to internationalize my adolescent development course--I am partnering with a professor at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez to have my class collaborate with hers. We are starting slowly with just a project and a couple synchronous meetings. I am very excited! I will be posting more about this project very soon. Stay tuned!

DTLC 2010 - Madison, WI

Just returned yesterday from the 26th Annual Distance Teaching & Learning Conference hosted in Madison, Wisconsin at the lovely Monona Terrace Conference and Convention center. As always, it was a great conference. I met a lot of interesting people, had some great dialogue, and enjoyed learning about what other institutions are doing with distance learning. I also presented a demonstration on behalf of a Moraine colleague and held a roundtable discussion. Overall, it was a great time.

I enjoyed the conference, but I am looking forward to being able to focus more on research and theory. Though I have relied on the research literature to inform my work and practice over the past 2+ years, I feel like I've been away from it in terms of being able to think carefully about theories and ideas and formulate new ideas. I miss that type of intellectual work and I am thrilled to be able to get back to it (and to the classroom) when I start my teaching position at The Ohio State University this fall!

This was my last conference as a member of the Moraine Valley family, so it was very meaningful to have a great colleague, Martha Mazeika, along with me during the conference. Though I was quite tired from all my job-change preparations over the last few months, her energy and enthusiasm were infectious and she made a terrific conference buddy. I plan to return to this conference next year and I'm hoping to reunite with my Moraine colleagues at that time. To learn more about the conference, please visit the conference research library at: http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/ - you can search for presentation materials and other resources. Enjoy!

I like this...

I love Twitter--for one reason: It connects me to a lot of very neat-thinking people. For example, I like this blog entry (which I found by visiting fellow Tweeter, @krea_frobro747): http://thinkingwithahead.wordpress.com/2010/02/18/technology-listening/

Here is a little piece of it to wet your whistle...

Six Negative Listening Habits:

1. Rebuttal Maker – Listening long enough to formulate a rebuttal
2. Advice Giver – Jumping too quickly to give unsolicited advice
3. Interrupter – More anxious to speak his words than to listen
4. Logical Listener – Rarely asking about feelings/emotions
5. Happy Hooker – Using speaker’s words to shift to own message
6. Faker – Pretends to listen

Cool, huh? I wonder how many of us are not good listeners in our classrooms? I also wonder how well we address these types of behaviors when we see them in our students during class? Do we even know how to address them? Hmmmm.. Check out the blog!
Tracey

Learning College Summit, Phoenix, AZ ~ 6/7 - 6/9/2010

A few days ago, I attended the 2010 Learning College Summit hosted by the League for Innovation in the Community College at the lovely Arizona Biltmore Hotel. It was a great conference--primarily because I was able to spend time with my team from Moraine Valley. It feels great to be part of such as great group of professionals. My three teammates presented on Monday morning and another MV colleague and I presented on Tuesday afternoon.

Engaging Adjuncts as a Strategy for Student Engagement

View more presentations from Tracey Stuckey-Mickell.

In highly collaborative organization, such as Moraine Valley, it is important for teammates to be able to have time sit down and experience the synergy of group discussion during conferences and other types of professional gatherings. The conversations we had were the best part of the conference--it is great to be abel to sit down, discuss thoughts and ideas, and bond with your teammates. When I move to my new position at Ohio State, I am going to miss these times with my team most of all.

A Great Ending...

...to a wonderful journey!!

A few hours before the NIU Graduate Commencement on May 7, Mark McGowan of the NIU faculty/staff newsletter, Northern Today, interviewed my mom and me about the completion of our doctoral degrees. It was a great day and I feel very fortunate to have shared such a great experience with my mother.

I'm looking forward to really great things from her and I anxiously await the next journey!

To read the article: http://www.niu.edu/northerntoday/2010/may17/stuckeys.shtml

African American Latino/a American Adult Education Research Symposium - 4/24/2010

Saturday, April 24, 2010 was a really great day! My hubby presented a poster at the African American Latino/a American Adult Education Research Symposium at Northern IL University. It was a great conference. I was able to reconnect with some old friends, enjoy some enlightening and thought-provoking presentations, and support my husband. My mom and I had a great time and the presentations were terrific.


NIU Black Graduate Student Association & Conference Planning Committee


My Husband & Friend, Jarvis

The End of a Journey...Congrats, Dr. Angeline Stuckey!

On Monday, April 19, my mom successfully defended her dissertation. It was my great pleasure to support her through the event and celebrate with her afterward. She is now Dr. Angeline Stuckey! It has been a great journey over the past several years as we supported each other through the research and writing process. We took "writing weekends" together, shared resources, advised each other, laughed together and lamented together. It takes a village to raise a scholar and we have shared a dynamic network of professors, family, friends and colleagues.

How blessed I am to have such a wonderful friend and colleague in my mom. She is, and has always been, truly an inspiration to me! Congrats, Dr. Stuckey! It's time to write an article together...I have lots of ideas that are just waiting to be harvested!

2010 Conferences

I am planning to attend quite a few professional conferences this year--and I may be presenting at some of these. Here's where I'm going so far...

AERA - Denver, CO
*Learning College Summit - Phoenix, AZ
*Distance Teaching & Learning - Madison, WI
IAECT - Malta, IL
MWERA - Columbus, OH
*AECT - Anaheim, CA

I'm looking forward to a spectacular year!!

*My presentation has been accepted!

Mission Complete: Dissertation Defended!!

It's been quite a few months since I've posted. I have been writing like crazy to finished my dissertation in time for May graduation. Mission complete!! I successfully defended on March 31, 2010. A host of family, friends, and colleagues attended my defense and waited around in the hallway to hear the news from my chair. And when she emerged with the word "Congratulations!!" the crowd erupted in cheers, provoking people to come from their offices on the second floor of Gabel Hall and walk out into the halls to find the source of all the ruckus.

Overall, it was a terrific and exhilarating day! I felt so much positivity and love flowing from my committee and everyone that came out to support me. I hugged so many people over the past couple of days. I am truly blessed! I feel incredibly encouraged as I start out on this new journey and I am so grateful to have such a supportive network of family, mentors, colleagues, and friends. It truly takes a village and I would not have made it thus far without the wonderful people who have encouraged me, guided me, listened to me fuss, and pushed me to keep going!

Whoo-hoo! I'm done!! :)