Here We Go Again

Greetings, I'm Rhonda a PhD student in the Curriculum Studies department. My focus is social studies education with a minor in public management. This is my fourth year with the program and I'm trying to jump through those final academic hurdles so I can hopefully begin dissertating (it's a word).

My main research focus is on student's historical understanding - in particular historical empathy/perspective taking and the effect informal learning environments have on the development of this skill. It is a bit of a blessing and a curse that there simply isn't too much out there that bridges these two areas of study. What does exist is happening in Europe and Africa.

Prior to tumbling down this academic rabbit hole I was a high school social studies teacher and track coach. It's dogma that social studies teachers are coaches, you get a team jersey and whistle issued with your teaching certification.  I've also worked at IU as an associate instructor for various social studies methods courses. In fact this is my first year in a decade where I'm not directly in a classroom. I'm working as a graduate assistant for the Center for Social Studies and International Education on an USAID grant designed to promote women's equity and education in South Sudan. If you want to know more the project is called the South Sudan Higher Education Initiative for Equity and Leadership (SSHILED). However, if you have been watching the news the situation in South Sudan is precarious at best but negotiations are happening and actually include women which is a huge step forward on so many levels!

I've dabbled in the world of blogging on exactly two previous occasions - each for various education courses. The notion of online publishing isn't something I've ever personally enjoyed and the more informal environment tends to amp up my already considerable levels of snark. I'll try to keep it under control for the sake of those reading.

So I'm going to make the best of this and really focus on the process of reflixivity - it's something I've spent considerable time with in my teaching practice but not so much as I've transitioned into academia and research. I'm sure it will be beneficial to my development as a researcher so I'm working to keep an open mind with this process. I'm going to approach this as a tool, not as an assessment of my understanding of course concepts. In addition, I struggle to put word on page particularly in an academic sense but I plan to incorporate these blog posts into my writing exercises -which like regular exercise I'm sporadic with at best- so it might get a little weird and I'll apologize in advance.

Also this is my research partner, Victor. He's not all that helpful and honestly he is a bit of a jerk but he amuses me.