Emotional Reflection - 9/6/10

After receiving feedback from my dissertation chair this weekend, I am so grateful to have some one with so much experience guiding me through this process of writing my dissertation!  There is such a defined structure and so many rules to the dissertation process, in addition to all the other stuff it takes to attain a doctorate. Crafting a well researched, 200 paged statement on how educators can mentally liberate the African American community is no easy task. It's also not a mainstream piece and needs a support system of culturally conscious, progressive Ph.D's, who get the importance and core message of my voice. I am so thankful that my chair sees the big picture and is able to help me lay the bricks, few by few, towards it. My dissertation committee members are awesome too and I look forward to receiving their feedback once I submit this draft to them. I am truly blessed to have these individuals in my corner. 

I am also thankful for a husband who has become my true partner in our lives' endeavors. The rent is paid and I can continue to focus on this stage of the dissertation process: drafting the proposal for my defense at the end of this month! Nervous, anxious, overwhelmed, but passionate about this challenge of crafting my voice in a way I've never experienced before.

Intellectual Reflection - 9/6/10

Lots of reading this weekend after the phone conversation with my dissertation chair. I will need to re-work chap. 3 of my dissertation, the methodology section. The research study for my dissertation combines African Centered & Critical Media Literacy pedagogies together. Based on her feedback and guidance, a Critical Methodology and Qualitative approach may be stronger, instead of an Evaluation Research, Mixed-Methods approach... Dissertation chair? Methodology? Pedagogy? Critical? Evaluation? Mixed-Methods? Qualitative?  What do I mean by all these terms?  I'll explain later :) 

... In the meantime, just know that when you pursue your doctorate, and even at the masters level, you discover a world of terminology for the stuff you've already been doing in life as an educator, an artist and/or social justice advocate. You might not have labeled them, you may have just followed your gut and just did it! :) lol, just sayin'. 

Intellectual Reflection - 8/31/10

Challenged by data analysis... Formulating the strategy... Working on my master plan :)

Emotional Reflection - 8/31/10

TRUTH can be incredibly overwhelming... Our plight weighs heavy on my heart...