So What?: Reflections on 2025 (That's 9x9x25)

Thanks to Todd Conaway and the TELS folks for challenging us to reflect and write about our experiences and thoughts on what we do day after day (often not taking the time to really appreciate the great enterprise in which we are involved).

One of the questions I encourage my students to ask is, "So what?"  If they are studying something, and they can't come up with a satisfactory answer to that short query, then either they need to rethink their actions and attitudes, or consider not doing it.  So, I'd like, in retrospect, to ask the "So what?" question of this journey in electronic journalism we've undertaken.


Let me preface this by saying that, IMHO (how's that for being hip!), it was an extremely worthwhile venture, for me personally and for our institution.  Here are some of my reasons.

1.  It created lots of hallway conversations about important issues.  Grading, online teaching, active learning spaces, and many more topics were "surfaced" and became part of our public discussion.  I learned much from reading and listening to my colleagues.

2.  There was a considerable amount of interest in each others writings, and a great deal of affirmation extended to each another.  People would stick their heads into another professor's office, exclaiming, "Hey, I just read your blog.  Good stuff!" That feels good. I need that.  WE need that.

3.  At least two significant "official" conversations have begun as a result what has been shared in these blogs.  Ideas were fueled and momentum was built.  Positive changes on how we deliver our "product" to our students have resulted from our writing.  That is a good thing.

4.  Perhaps the most positive benefit is that I have once again become more reflective about the process of teaching and higher education.  I know we all reflect, but the discipline and regularity of writing, reflecting and reading others' reflections has definitely benefited my students as I focus and become more intentional about the way I do things in and out of the classroom.

THE FUTURE:  I would like to see us continue to have weekly blogs.  I would suggest that we put everyone's name that would like to participate "in a hat," and create a schedule where each week during the academic year two persons would write on the 9x9x25 site. (Keep the name--it's familiar and kinda cool. :).  If the 16 people who are writing now would volunteer, that means each of us would only have a column to prepare twice a semester.   If we weren't writing that week, we could commit to reading and commenting on the blogs that appear each week. Also, the fewer number of entries would encourage a broader readership (less time commitment each week).

I have very much enjoyed the creativity and passion the participants have displayed over the past nine weeks--on top of all their other commitments!  Let's ride the wave!!