My Not So Disparate Academic Life
I have been faced with an issue I believe that many academics would be envious to have. I get to work on two seemingly amazing topics which on the surface seem very disparate.
My one project, my day job if you will, involves me teaching College English and simultaneously overseeing the implementation of a social media certificate at the college, as well as an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree.
My other project, the one that rests at my academic core is an exploration of the intersection of tactility and pedagogy in Victorian England, especially in the work of, as I affectionately call him, "my man Ruskin." This project is an extension of my dissertation and one that I am very excited about.
However, upon further investigation one can see that these two topics are not so disparate at all. The overarching theme to both of these projects is a passion for pedagogy and teaching. I have the opportunity to trace learning, whether it be in Ruskin's Praeterita or in an introductory social media course which will involve innovative ways to encourage collaboration and creation.
As I said above, it is an issue that some academics would be envious to have. Today I spent the majority of the day revising a curriculum chart and vetting textbooks. I have spent the past few hours re-reading sections of Praeterita and making annotations. Now I am going to move on to grading a few College English essays before calling it a day.
It is a type of variety that makes for a very busy agenda, yet these ideas overlap and allow me to see things in very different ways. For example, why does Ruskin have such a minimal Twitter presence, unlike Sir Walter Scott, whom Ruskin admired so much as a child? Just a thought.
I no longer spend time trying to consolidate the disparate selves; and one would only sees them as disparate if one believes the sort of "ideal academic path" discourse they sold us in graduate school.
I love that I get follows on Twitter daily from both of my projects; Victorianists in England working on exciting sensory studies, academics in North America using collaborative pedagogical strategies in English classrooms. It allows me to further develop a network for both of my projects and allows me to have a community that has learning at its core.
My one project, my day job if you will, involves me teaching College English and simultaneously overseeing the implementation of a social media certificate at the college, as well as an interdisciplinary bachelor's degree.
My other project, the one that rests at my academic core is an exploration of the intersection of tactility and pedagogy in Victorian England, especially in the work of, as I affectionately call him, "my man Ruskin." This project is an extension of my dissertation and one that I am very excited about.
However, upon further investigation one can see that these two topics are not so disparate at all. The overarching theme to both of these projects is a passion for pedagogy and teaching. I have the opportunity to trace learning, whether it be in Ruskin's Praeterita or in an introductory social media course which will involve innovative ways to encourage collaboration and creation.
As I said above, it is an issue that some academics would be envious to have. Today I spent the majority of the day revising a curriculum chart and vetting textbooks. I have spent the past few hours re-reading sections of Praeterita and making annotations. Now I am going to move on to grading a few College English essays before calling it a day.
It is a type of variety that makes for a very busy agenda, yet these ideas overlap and allow me to see things in very different ways. For example, why does Ruskin have such a minimal Twitter presence, unlike Sir Walter Scott, whom Ruskin admired so much as a child? Just a thought.
I no longer spend time trying to consolidate the disparate selves; and one would only sees them as disparate if one believes the sort of "ideal academic path" discourse they sold us in graduate school.
I love that I get follows on Twitter daily from both of my projects; Victorianists in England working on exciting sensory studies, academics in North America using collaborative pedagogical strategies in English classrooms. It allows me to further develop a network for both of my projects and allows me to have a community that has learning at its core.
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