Whose cv did you choose to scrutinize? Please provide a several sentence description
of the kind of work he/she does. What is remarkable about it? What sorts of
experiences might you try to have in grad. school that might make it possible
for you to have some similarities in career trajectory? What might make it
tough? (Note:
this is an exercise designed to help you look into the future and in no way am
I trying say you should become someone else's clone. My assumption is that you
will carve out your own way, but that this way should be informed by knowing about
the ways chosen by others).
I chose Carol Flexer who is now retired from the University of Akron as Professor Emeritus. She was an Audiologist as well as a Certified AVT (so, we have one thing in common already!). I have seen Carol lecture on several occasions and now she travels across the world conducting seminars as well as authoring book chapters or participating in research. I admire Carol because she has reached practitioners. Previously, many practitioners would hold the view, “He has hearing aids (or cochlear implant). So, why isn’t he listening?” Well, the answer is simple and Carol was the first to point it out. We listen with our brains, not our ears. The ear is the pathway to get to the brain. You have to teach the brain what the sound means. That one SIMPLE point greatly impacted the way practitioners think about the services they provide. In addition to training professionals, she is a great writer and has authored numerous studies and books. So, she can hang with the researchers and then can bring it down to the people in the trenches. For me, I have experience with presenting at the state level. I would like to take the step of presenting at the national level (EEK!) and I have already started collecting data as part of my job for future research studies. Trying to get put into the right spot!
ReplyDeleteI don't really know how to answer this question.
ReplyDeleteFor the sake of completing the assignment, I chose Terry Carter who is now the Associate Dean for Professional Instruction and Faculty Development for the School of Medicine. To be completely honest, I was going for Mary Alice O'Donnell, who is the Director of the Office of Graduate Medical Education, but Mary Alice doesn't have to post her CV or picture anywhere because she has been doing her job for 20+ years and everyone who's anyone over on that campus knows Mary Alice, so I couldn't find her CV.
If you were to look at these CVs and others like them, what you would notice--beyond an accumulation of published papers, courses developed, and presentations given--is profound diversity. Books on the history of adult education and adult educators will tell you that adult educators typically come from all sorts of academic and professional backgrounds...then one day they get roped into teaching a class or taking on a training assignment and then they either immediately fall in love or they start amassing such a wealth of training experience that they eventually end up formalizing their training and going from there, now as an official "adult educator".
I'll be completely honest with you...I don't have a target job. All I want is a job that allows me to work really really hard, use most parts of my brain simultaneously, and make an obvious positive difference to someone or something in the world. Note that I said "obvious difference" which is one of the reasons I couldn't stay in my old job, since being a solo practitioner in the Northern Neck is like barely treading water. It would also be nice if whatever job I ended up was slightly less likely to get me sued, because I didn't really like the almost 100% sue rate that my old job had. Stay in practice long enough, statistically you will get sued. I wanted to get out before my time was up.
So what I've taken away from talking to people in higher education who have work-hard-think-hard-make-a-difference-not- guaranteed-to-get-sued jobs is that in grad school I need to publish as much as I can, present as often as I can, teach as much as I can, and work with as many different people as I can and if I can't work with them, I need to shake their hands at least once. And that's my plan.
It would be nice if I were able to be a little more flexible about moving to other places for a job, but I'm not. Because of that, I'm pretty much interested in any job anyone will give me. In a lot of fields, the MD will actually hurt me more than it will help. Before coming to grad school I couldn't even get a job stapling and answering phones for a nonprofit organization and I tried for those jobs and others for about a year...occasionally I got interviews but no job offers. So yes, I'm really nervous about not being able to find a job. I don't have the "at the very least I can go back to teaching" fallback that a lot of you have. I let my license expire.
Laura,
DeleteI agree that it is a very nice change to step out of the sure-to-be-sued line of employment. Throughout my career I have stepped in and out of such positions and it a stress that is hard to quantify. It becomes hard to fight against a system when your battle front is divided. The right job is out there for you. Perhaps you should talk with someone like my sister. She works for VCU and other Cancer Research entities. She works with medical researchers on an interdisciplinary team as a statistical methodology expert. She might be able to help you find a niche.
Laura! Do not worry! Everything will be okay! If im not mistaken though you can still go back as a doctor (if all else fails) and just get your license reinstated! Do no worried you will def have something to fall back on! I think teaching that class this summer will get you to meet the right people.
DeleteChristine, thanks for the idea. I might take you up on that intro in the future...I'm currently working that angle from a slightly different direction and I'm much more interested in the higher education aspect than the medical research/clinical practice aspect. And anonymous--it's actually extremely difficult to get reinstated once you let your license and your board certification lapse (I didn't tell you that part :)). When Cortes came to the new world, he burned his ships so his men couldn't chicken out and go back. No one said Cortes wasn't psycho, but it's a highly effective way to change your life.
DeleteLaura, You are awesome and someone would be crazy to not hire you! I think you have nothing to worry about!
ReplyDeletehahaha then loads of crazy people in the world :). Thanks though...keep me in mind when you're hiring in several years :)
DeleteMy goal is to work for the Federal government in a research capacity (at least at first) and then move up from there. I am not really interested in being a professor at this time in my life. I think it might be something I would enjoy when I am older (only at a liberal arts institution, though). I have been rather strategic in entering graduate school. My sole purpose is to make myself marketable for a fed job--that's it--well, maybe not. I am embracing the process and learning alot too! :) However, this process is a definite means for obtaining a much higher paying job (well, more than teaching, I should say)! I hope I don't sound shallow, as I really don't mean to. But, with no raise in sight for teachers and with two kids quickly growing up -- I need to increase my salary. I would LOVE to get a job with the U.S. Department of Education!! As the U.S. Department of Ed. doesn't post people's cvs, it does post very detailed biographies of its high ranking employees. Therefore, the person whose job I would one day like to have is Martha J. Kanter, Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.
ReplyDeleteThe first thing that I noticed about the position is that it is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate (Yikes!) So, this tells me that I will have to some how learn to be a little more politically active to get my name out there so a job of this caliber could be a possibility! Dr. Kanter, currently oversees policies and programs related to postsecondary education and federal student aid. And notice that I said "Doctor". She received her Ed (not PhD) in organization and leadership form the University of San Francisco. Her specialty is administration in the community college setting. Before her appointment, she was chancellor of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. The other thing that I noticed is that she has quite an impressive list of the community service in which she is involved.
I feel that I am on the right track to get the type of position I would like to have some day. The Federal government seems to value a person's education (hmmm...let's think about that) and they will hire people who have advanced degrees and these people typically trump those that do not have the education. Not saying that I necessarily agree with this practice...but it is a reality for what happens in the government. Loved the class, Kurt! I wish you all the best in the upcoming semesters! See you guys in the fall!
Ok, as an aside...When you read the title of this post did anyone else flash to the song "The final countdown" by Europe? If you need a break, check it out here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jK-NcRmVcw
ReplyDeleteYou are too funny! Now, I am going to be singing that song all day!
DeleteNow, for my actual post -
ReplyDeleteOk, I have ping-ponged between higher ed and a government based policy position. I currently work for the VDOE and my position is rewarding. I do not, however, think I want to move up within the state system. Also, I absolutely love teaching, I doubt I will ever be able to completely walk away (I tried years ago and ended up returning because I miss the interactions).
The United States Department of Education has an office for Research to Practice specifically. Together, with research collected from agencies such as the National Center for Special Education Research at IES, research briefs are channeled to higher levels of government and are used in drafting legislation and policy. I looked at individuals in both offices and each pulls from High Education primarily. The individuals who hold the positions have a strong background of conducting and publishing research and have held leadership positions at the University and Federal levels. It is really ironic that one of the individuals who I looked at was Deborah Speece, the Director of NCSES at IES. As of today she is officially the new Director of Research for the SOE here at VCU. I plan on making a point of seeking her out and ask for suggestions as to how to shape my experience here so that I can have a similar path.
Kierstyn here...To be honest I do not know where I am going! So with that being said I had a difficult time knowing whose CV I wanted to look at. After a bit of debate, I though why decide pick both! I decided to pick Erica Frankenburg and S. Dallas Dance. I decided on Erica Frankenburg because I read a lot of her work dealing with charter schools and school segregation. She has published her own book and numerous journal articles. Frankendburg is currently an assistant professor at Penn State. I was very surprised to find out that she held an Ed.D. I have always though that an Ed.D was a practitioner’s degree not a research degree. However Frankenburg set her own career and did not allow the letter written behind her name to predict her career. Similarly, S. Dallas Dance received his Ph.D from Virginia Commonwealth University however at the young age of thirty he became the superintendent of Baltimore City Schools. Reviewing both CV’s were very interesting. Educational leadership is a different than other fields because of the whole Ph.D/Ed.D. However it seems that both scholars set their own journey instead of following what was expected based on their degrees. I think Frankenburg and Dallas offer a balance between practitioner and researcher. However neither was able to do both. After looking at their CV’s it seems as though if you want to be a practitioner you give up doing research and vice versa. I guess in essence there is not enough time in a day to do both. I could not find any CV’s that showed how practice and research could be combined effortlessly. I guess I could not find one because the world is waiting for me to write it!!!
ReplyDeleteBruce- Kierstyn, I to seriously considered Dr. Dance. He was one of my professors in my master's degree, and truth be told one whose career I would most like to emulate. I chose not to to use him for the simple fact that he had an Ed.D and did not focus on research.
DeleteFYI: Actually on his CV it said he earned a PhD. It said that on numerous sources so I'm sure that it is correct. He studied educational leadership.... Kierstyn
DeleteDiane here--
ReplyDeleteI chose Michael Wehmeyer because when I first started doing research on critical factors for positive post-school transition, his research on self-determinaton popped up first. Mike is well-known in the field for his work with students with all types of disabilities, specifically students with intellectual disabilities. With his colleagues, he developed the Self-Determined Learning Model of Instruction for facilitating and supporting self-determination for students with disabilities. Mike is well-published, both as primary and contributing authors, over the last 20 plus years.
What's remarkable about his CV is his focus on self-determination and the network of people that he co-authors with, including those internationally. I have been to Russia to present on self-determination and have made contacts with the staff of two special education schools there. I hope to return to work with the staff on teaching self-determination. First, I need to learn more about the cultural issues of self-determination and how they differ from the western European views.
The difficulty in doing so is twofold: language and funding. Although I can understand the Russian language, I am not fluent. Therefore, to understand how the Russian people understand self-determination means I would have to have a translator for the Russian literature on the topic. Second, I would have to have funding to travel. I would like to be an educator of future special educators, as well as an advocate for families, students, and schools. I believe Mike does research, teaches, and travels. I am adding the layer of facilitating an understanding self-determination for schools and how best to enable staff, teachers. students, and families to work together for the best outcome of the student.
Ok, I seriously do not know who to pick…mostly because I am too stubborn to say that someone has already done what I hope to accomplish. I would much rather blaze a trail than to follow someone else’s. I started my search for this assignment looking at CV’s from faculty at WVU, because I would really love to land there in the distance future, when I am ready for the rocking chair….interrupted by alumni tailgate parties. I couldn’t find anyone that fit, but it was a lot of fun reading the interesting work that was going on. I then started to read bio’s of those in VEA and NEA leadership because they are truly fighting for the future of public schools and I want to be among their ranks. I love the teaching profession and am certain that whatever I do I would like to be surrounded by future teachers, current teachers, or past teachers. They are indeed great company, and as the saying goes your only as good as the company you keep. Still, even though I read some amazing bio’s I know that my path doesn’t really resemble any of them. So then I started looking at my bookshelf and some of my favorite authors…..only let’s be honest….I probably would rather write speeches than books. I was inspired by Senator Patty Murray from the state of Washington and the chair of the U.S. Senate Budget committee, when she received the NEA’s friend of education award last week in Atlanta. The inspiration was from the way she described herself and how she has never forgotten what it was like to be a teacher. She gets it! Hmmmm… OK…OK…I must pick one person?? That seems kind of limiting and for now I’d like the possibilities to be endless. I’d like them to pay the bills too, but that is secondary.
ReplyDeleteIf I have to dream about it, and pick someone it would be Diane Ravitch. I would like to use math the way she has used history to discuss education. She is a warrior for public education and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is. She speaks honestly, transparently, and analytically, she has held several different positions and continues to create new ones that fit her passions. She embraces new technology and has used it to her advantage. I admire the ability to continue to be a champion for public education even after all the information she has gathered about the enemy. She has authored numerous books, and given countless speeches. She reads everything and comments continuously on her blog. She keeps her 3million followers informed and still has time to continue to make appearances and duke it out with Michelle Rhee on panel discussions. She isn’t afraid to take on the corporations or her critics and I really love that about her. I’m thrilled to see her in person this November at the VEA Instructional conference. Keep Calm and Carry on …..see ya’ll in August ...Carol
Similar to a bunch of you, I don't know exactly what my job position will be; I only know that I want something fabulous in science and environmental education where I shake things up and people (teachers, pre-service teachers, and/or students) end up getting dirty and liking it. Not surprisingly, I am a big fan of the "No Child Left Inside" learning initiative. This past semester, I checked out three very different people who are outreach educators in Virginia, who all have a background in environmental studies, with two having higher degrees in education (one has a PhD). The first, and my favorite, is my friend Anne Wright who is the outreach coordinator/educator for the VCU Rice Center. I have taken many continuing education classes with Ms. Wright, and have brought my students to the center as well. If you EVER have the opportunity to do ANYTHING with the Rice Center, DO! The second is Ann Regn, who is the director of public information and outreach at Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality. Ms. Regn is in a powerful position to facilitate outreach education at various levels (public ed., teacher ed., student ed.). The final person I found that interested me, and helped facilitate a new perspective for me on education outreach was Dr. Nancy Franz, an extension educator who researched the effectiveness of outreach education, and evaluated if what was being taught was actually being learned.
ReplyDeleteI also just started reading "The Failure of Environmental Education" (Saylan and Blumstein, 2011), and am annoyed with the lack of secondary education and educational policy knowledge of the authors, while at the same time I agree with them on their stance that environmental education is falling ridiculously short of its goals in the classroom.
Enjoy your break from classes and good luck in preparing for Quals. I have enjoyed these classes with you all!
Take care,
--Mindy
The person's vitae that I chose to examine is Carol Dweck. The think that I find interesting about Dweck is that she started her career by becoming an expert in an existing theory (achievement goal theory), but then she took it outside of the box and started examining the phenomenon from a different perspective. By doing this, she developed mindset theory and was able to create a body of literature to support the theory. Later in her career, she expanded her research beyond education and started to explore her theory in areas outside of education. She also developed books for the lay person to discuss her findings. I really admire Dweck because her work is accessible and practical. It was neat to see this progression in her work, I hope that my path works out similarly.
ReplyDeleteOps! I absolutely forgot about the post. However, here I am!
ReplyDeleteI have realized that I want to work in the field of bullying… I have looked at different people, who I could call ‘my people’ they are mostly educational psychologist and former social worker. So I finally settled on Dr. Thomas Farmer, who I have the opportunity to work with. The first think that strikes me about his CV is the list of published articles. It is over 75+, as this is one of the key requirements for a tenured track position. I also know the number of research projects he is always involved with, and how he collaborated with different universities. He is currently Associate professor, he has held positions in a number of universities and director of various programs. As I look further he also mentors a number of students. There are so many things that I would like to do and keeping his CV as an ideal motivator would be good. I think the I have an advantage, I work with him and I can ask questions, and see the way he work and learn a lot from this experience.
Irina's thoughts...
ReplyDeleteLately I’ve been piddling with research articles in behavioral approaches and Positive Behavioral Supports (PBS). When looking at the latter I couldn’t overlook Robert Horner at the University of Oregon, who is one of the PBS gurus, funded by the DOE to set the standards of its implementation. Impressive guy, I had to scroll over pages and pages to get past the publications section of his CV. He’s been at it for a while (since the late 1970s), but even so, he’s been awfully productive, writing with all the heavyweights in the field. Not bad at securing grants either.
Let’s see, what can I do to set myself up for such a position? Probably learn to use my nights more productively than for sleeping. I need to learn how to do good research, do it, write it up, talk about it, and last but not least, teach it.
The job that I most desire is currently held by Arne Duncan. However, I hope to arrive at the position in a different manner. For the purposes of this blog, I have chosen Dr. Yong Zhao (This is most likely because I am currently reading his book, World Class Learners: Educating Creative and Entrepreneurial Students, and find his ideas refreshing and enlightening. He currently serves as the Presidential Chair and Associate Dean for Global Education in the College of Education, University of Oregon. The thing that strikes me the most about his 37 page Curriculum Vitae is the amount that he has published and presented. The true reason I have chosen him is his lack of fear to put himself and his ideas out there. “Get it out the door” is resonating in my mind as I type. One of the things I hope to get from this degree is the confidence in my ideas and writings and the ability to put myself out there.-Bruce
ReplyDeleteAs a side note, I am currently at the NAESP conference in Baltimore and heard an amazing speaker today, Dr. Freeman Hrabowski. He primarily speaks and writes about having high expectations for students, specifically minority students. He was arrested at the age of 12 for participating in a civil rights rally with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He is an inspiration and worth a look. I recommend his TED talks.
We can dream big, and unrealistically, right? I chose Nel Noddings. She retired from Stanford back in 1998, but she continues to contribute to educational research literature. What I value in her CV is that her work is focused both in the classroom and outside of it. She also addresses things from many different perspectives and disciplines: pedagogy, psychology, political theory, philosophy, sociology, etc. She can't be boxed in. She truly models Dewey's sentiment that inquiry should expand across different subject matters.
ReplyDeleteI think for me to become as expansive in grad school, I will have to join different research teams that approach different problems from different perspectives and disciplines.