Where is your focus? Try the long view as well as the close up

Hi everyone,

I have had a note on my computer for a few weeks to blog about taking the long view. When we are young and learn the skills required to do well in school we learn to focus on the end product required for that lesson, that class and (only occasionally) the unit. Doctoral work, when well done focuses our attention on the rest of our lives, what is important to the whole of the field we are studying AS WELL AS the immediate work of the class and the research we are doing. Like camera shots in a film with excellent cinematography we benefit from developing the regular habit of looking at both the long and short views.

These are the reasons this blog looks at both the specifics of writing a lit review AND the indications we may pick up from the horizon as to where education is moving. For instance, in the blog previous to this one I used the title to link to a presentation on the use of mobile phones as educational tools - why? because in some parts of the world mobile phones have much deeper penetration than laptops - making these technologies potentially keen for developers.

I'll close this short note with a few examples of how the long view may be important to doctoral work:

1. By understanding the policies that affect our topics we can be in touch with the district and state personnel (in the US) and/or other types of civic officials who are responsible for managing the funds associated with these initiatives. Depending on our topics, their may be funds to help support doctoral efforts. In my case the Colorado Department of Education paid about half of my salary and gave stipends to the participants I worked with. Because of their support, Regis university donated classroom space for our meetings.
2. Technology is interesting to young people, in a time when motivation for standard techniques associated with learning lags. Perhaps there are ways in which incorporating video (and uploading it to YouTube) or starting a blog (that is partially written by your participants) may be both a great source of data but energizing for the students you include in your study. But you have to know what is the most current to catch them - for instance do you Twitter (www.Twitter.com) ? If so, let's tweet! I am alanajames
   
3. The new and different is energizing - that is a key reason humans are always inventing - it gives us life. On the other hand doctoral work may sometimes seem like a heavy weight (after all will you EVER have your life back again?). Spending an allotted 10 minutes on web walking, searching for new and tangential ideas - reviewing what is up on www.slideshare.com or www.YouTube.com and you may regain your perspective.

Don't forget to search out movement videos when on YouTube! The latest brain research tells us that the chemicals that flood our brains with aerobic exercise are also important - remember our health is also part of the long view.

I look forward to your commenting using the link below if you found this helpful - share what you might have found in your latest webwalk!

All the best,
Alana