I am in denial that it is coming up on my first year anniversary working for the Center for Distance Education!

Not to sound overly optimistic, but I *love* coming to work here. My co-workers are intelligent, amazing people and the environment is one of innovation, improvement, and genuine care for students. I feel valued in my work and truly supported. Of course, not every day is quite that rosy (ask me about the previous statement the first week classes start in the fall and I  may have a slightly less positive outlook until registration ends) but it is easy to remind myself why I have felt so blessed this last year.

Looking back at 2009, my first few months as a new advisor were a bit scary. There is little in the way of self-assessment in academic advising, so I bought myself a bunch of books and resources. That is all well and good, but putting the theory into practice is something that I think just takes time. I’ve learned a lot through trial and error this year (sometimes more trial and more error), but luckily there is a great team atmosphere at CDE. I never feel afraid to “ask a stupid question” sometimes multiple times. In one day. At this point, though, I do feel some sense of self-confidence in my knowledge of CDE and skill in working with students, staff, faculty, and administrators. My previous work in the Provost Office and General Studies continues to serve me well in having a solid foundation to work from. Even when I’m feeling a little overwhelmed I can at least tread water rather than drowning.

I’ve made some great connections this year with staff and faculty across MAUs and beyond and expanded my network of resources/colleagues. The National Academic Advising Association has been a great way to keep myself on-track and up-to-date. I would like to present at the regional conference next year! I really do love working in student services… I am one of the few lucky people I know that have always had a sense of what I wanted to do with my life. I think that is why I am still able to spring up the steps to work and face each day with enthusiasm (at least after a cup of espresso). Even through personal setbacks and a lot of sick days (I have *never* been so sick in a single year in my life) I feel that my work here as an advisor has also helped me grow as a person. I am continually surprised at my own tolerance and patience (thank you M.Ed. counseling program) and ability to tackle some pretty big problems with a level-head.

I would conclude that my first year here has been a success and I look forward to the many projects that are just waiting for my time and attention!

We live in a youth-oriented culture here in the USA.

Or at least, that’s what we’re told.

I heartily agree that we live in a society saturated with youth-oriented pop-culture, but I’m starting to wonder about the rest of the baggage the phrase carries. I believe that technology, particularly public digital media, is helping narrow/bridge/alter-the-perception of the gap between youth and Not youth (whatever that means).

What I mean by this is that I think the old standby of Digital Native Vs. Digital Immigrants is already a bit outdated. Sure, this probably isn’t a ground-breaking revelation to anyone out there in the inter-tubes.  I am simply struck and pleasantly pleased that I can converse with my own grandfather about web 2.0, chat with my mother on Facebook, and expect that I can learn with my possible future children (as opposed to from my children) about how to use a digital camera in 2030.

Thoughts to ponder on a rainy Tuesday morning… Back to work!

This is a topic I am just learning about and find quite fascinating! My personal perceptions of what distance education entails and why students would prefer it are changing as I continue to read up on the subject and talk to more students.

I first remember hearing about it in high school. I was sixteen and desperately seeking ways to enhance my college resume. There was a mediocre program in place at my high school that allowed students to take college credits from the nearby community college. However, it had to be in addition to a student’s high school courses and not interfere with the school day! Talk about next to impossible… I got a job so I could save up for a car just so I could -get- to these classes (the campus was about20 miles away). I remember researching distance education to see if there was any way I could add to my already considerable stack of homework and obtain some college credit that way.

Unfortunately, either I didn’t ask the right questions or ask the right person and I never found a way to take correspondence or online courses. The world of distance education is still complicated! I spend at least two hours every day fielding questions for students interested in taking courses with us at CDE. Often, the referral process is complicated. Course selection and registration aren’t necessarily straight-forward either. I keenly remember my frustration at being a interested learner who couldn’t find the path to achieve my goals.

Now, getting back to the actual topic at hand of emerging trends…

How many high school students have I talked to in the three months that I have been the academic advisor here? One. I’ve possibly spoken to more without realizing it considering the number of quick chats and phone calls I receive. The far higher proportion of students I speak to on a daily basis are either military students, military dependents, and displaced or re-locating adult workers.

This seems to fit the pattern of what I’m reading about in online journals, newsletters, and blogs. The Distance Daily recently published an article titled “Online Education Upgrades Becoming a Recession Trend” which can be found at http://www.getdegrees.com/distancedaily/online-education/online-education-upgrades-becoming-a-recession-trend/ .  It regards the recent sharp rise in distance education enrollment a mainstream option for adults to finish or pursue higher education. However, it doesn’t point to a nontraditional population as the only people using this approach. The article points to several schools that are showing an increased proportion of students enrolled simultaneously in online courses. Distance education is affordable and flexible– something it seems like students are looking for in the current troubled economy.

So perhaps the rising popularity is due to a combination of factors. Adults who went directly into the workforce after high school, or attended college but did not attain a degree, are now seeing the limitations placed on their careers. With the large unemployment rates over the last year or so, this has caused concern for some workers who may feel their resume is weak or their skills lacking. However, for most people, this probably doesn’t mean they can up and quit their jobs to pursue education. Distance education fills the niche by providing independent learning from anywhere in the world.

Many students I talk to use phrases like, “I just wasn’t serious about college back then” or “I’m really ready and motivated now to get a degree.” This seems to point to a large difference in the perception and value of education by the age populations of students.  This isn’t to say, of course, that young students can’t be motivated and achieve the goal of obtaining a degree. I think it points to a shift in cultural perspective; it seems to me that our society as a whole places a greater and greater value on education. Unfortunately, that doesn’t necessarily mean anyone is willing to take a tax increase to help pay for it. But that’s another can of worms for another blog post.

I would postulate that a combination of economic and social factors have lead to this increase in adult students seeking higher education, and specifically distance education. I look forward to reading more and continuing to watch these trends as they change and grow!

Blogging used to be so easy!

I recall nights of fevered typing on my old Mac clamshell (the ones that looked like a UFO) believing that I had important things to share with the world. I partially blame my higher education for rewiring my brain to think more academically. I want to revise everything as I type it instead of letting ideas and words flow more organically.

I think a hefty amount of my hesitancy is also complacency. It’s much simpler to keep ones thoughts to oneself and not feel the challenge of crafting ideas into something coherent and possibly meaningful to someone else. Although to be perfectly honest, after finishing my thesis this year I really have enjoyed taking a break from the keyboard.

However, part of my training as an educator/counselor is constant self-reflection. Shouldn’t blogging be second nature by now? But in this new online social milleu of Twitter and Facebook it seems that brevity is favored over depth and immediate relevance over reflection.  It sometimes seems like a battle to decide which program to log into and update every day. It actually reminds me of being a student again, lost in a swarm of overwhelming data and deadlines.  It’s good to remember how that feels so I can stay in touch with the students I’m advising!

My first three weeks as the new academic advisor at the Center for Distance Education here at UAF has been interesting and thought-provoking.

I’ve had to shift gears quite a lot in moving from an assistant level position to an independent position where I’m responsible for several large projects. It’s  been a great change, and a challenge I’ve been looking forward to. I count myself incredibly lucky to be one of the increasingly few liberal arts degree graduates who move into a job directly related to their field of study!

As in many other areas of life though, book-learning can only get you so far. I’m thankful that I have several hobbies which promote quick-thinking and interpersonal skills as I’ve felt around in the semi-dark, so to speak, in creating this new position at CDE.

Advising at a distance, and on distance-education matters, is another shift in perspective I’ve been working on. In a way, it’s like trying to predict the future. What technology related tools are students using now? What are the potential benefits and pitfalls? Is advising online truly confidential? In what ways might FERPA apply to various situations that could pop up?

I look forward to addressing these questions and discovering new ones! What an exciting career I’ve started!

And so I renew my journey into the world of blogging!

I first started blogging during college primarily on LiveJournal. I seem to have lost my attention span somewhere along the way, though, and became complacent with Facebook and Twitter. I will endeavor to refine my writing skills here and hopefully impart something interesting to the blogosphere in the process.