On Track? Off Track? Back On Track Again!

Darcey commented on Monthly Summary for Group 2 & 4.
Carol commented on Transformational (Group 3) and Indigenous (Group 4) 

What a month! It was comparable to a roller-coaster ride. We started going up in one direction, and then spiraled downhill, and now we’re back on track enjoying the ride. J

October Monthly Summary

Our group began the month of October tweaking our program investigation. Since two group members completed narrative literature reviews and one did andragogy, we thought it might be interesting to compare and contrast the two considering some of the similarities among their target learning audience. Unfortunately what we accomplished was complete confusion. Granted that may be a great idea if one was conducting research on the benefits and practical uses of narrative and andragogy but it had no room in our program investigation.

And thus the start of the downhill spiral…

We started out with three in our group. Communication was slow but steady so we "thought" we had this thing in the bag. However as we were reworking the investigation, we seemingly lost a group member. Opportunity knocked; she answered; and as a result moved on to bigger and better things. While we do wish her the best of luck, the re-work must go on.

And then there two…

We weren’t going to be defeated by our setbacks so we reached out to Dr. Chang, reassigned roles, and plunged forward full speed ahead. With the editing of the investigation we also had to reconsider our program design and now we feel we’re back on track. Our lesson learned this month can be summed up in 3 simple words: Syllabus before Suggestions. Although you have an idea of the direction you may want to go in, make sure it aligns with the syllabus and grading rubric.

As with most roller-coaster rides, you start our thinking “piece of cake…no worries”. Then as the ride progresses, you begin to feel a little fear, and you wonder if you’re going to survive this thing. Finally at the end of the ride you realize it wasn’t as bad as you thought. Well we’re not quite at the end of our ride but we move forward with confidence in knowing that we will not only survive but emerge victoriously.

Round and Round I Go

It’s amazing what you (I) can learn while being twisted and turned and hanging upside down on a roller coaster. Sometimes, you need to rethink your position; sometimes you have adjust to the change in direction; and most times, you just have to hang on hoping you get right side up. In October, as we were making our way through the ride, I also learned that sometimes, it is necessary to sit back, enjoy the ride, and finish it with a smile.  

For November, however, I am voting for a simpler ride, like the merry-go-round.  It is a ride with smaller ups and downs, delightful music, and a slower pace! But regardless, I am going enjoy the ride and be smiling at the end.

Darcey