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For Marj DeVault
I meant to post this for you, Marj, on the Day of your party. I’m sorry I missed your BIG DAY. Remember the Acknowledgments page in my dissertation? “I am indebted to many people for the completion of this dissertation, not all of whom I am able to list in a detailed fashion. To the following I owe my utmost gratitude: Marjorie DeVault, my advisor, for taking me “from crayons to perfume” (To Sir with Love). You continually teach and model for me, in exquisite ways, the knowledge and practice of research,…
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Different strokes for different folks
Some advice to heed in this PHD journey: Don’t fall into the trap of comparing your situation with others. No two PhD’s are the same. A little competition can be a motivator, but in general try to mix with people who have a positive or helpful attitude. If this is not possible, then find a PhD blog or try to meet with other PhD students at University events. Read more. For myself, I find it particularly helpful to look outward. Being in AERA Div C has been a blessing. It’s…
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Beyond cognition
Back to my research focus on motivating creativity. As Amabile (1997, 1998) posited in her Componential Theory of Creativity, abilities and skills alone are insufficient to bring about creativity in a domain unless one is motivated and willing to do so. How can we motivate people to be innovation-oriented? What is it in the environment – including human and non-human resources – that can inspire someone to be creative and willing to work at it? Let me know. Just finished submitting my AECT 2010 proposal. Yay!
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PAGE-Imagining America
I went to the Publicly Active Graduate Education forum today with Page (pun unintended), a fellow doctoral student. The gathering was interesting; it was fascinating to hear scholars from different disciplines talk about what’s on their heart: how to get beyond the ivory tower to make their research accessible; how to connect with the community through their research; the desire not to mess up the community by walking away when the research is done. Really, how does one sustain research in a community after one graduates and not make others…
