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Summary of my Placement in CSL 300

Community Options:

Community Options (CO) is "a non-profit charitable organization, registered in 1976, which has provided services to children and their families since 1977 in the Edmonton and the surrounding area. Community Options' priority at all times is the well-being of children, families and communities” (Community Options website)

Their mission is to engage families and children with their community through education and community activities.

CO offer 5 programs, primarily taking form as pre-school and after-school educational child-care programs and offering services and social events for community members.

- CPE (Community Pre-school education)

- Edm Northwest Pre-school

- Northwest Childcare center

- Northwest out of school care

- Community Involvement

My Placement:

I began my placement with Community Options (CO) in January 2014 with the intent to work with two pre-school educators from the CO pre-school and out-of-school care classroom. Community Options is a non-profit that primarily helps with family services in the west Edmonton area. Their pre-school classroom is based out of the Inglewood elementary school.

Purpose of Placement:

To develop “reflective teaching practices” for CO teachers, Chrissy and Carmen, and help them establish and develop a reflection process for the betterment of their teaching experience.

I chose this placement because of my previous experience with Education and my interest in better enhancing and developing teaching skills and being given the opportunity to critical look at teaching practices from a different perspective.

The placement itself varied between two locations:

1) Shadowing the pre-school afternoon class 3 times in order to gain some experience and context of the teaching environment and the people the teachers interact with on a daily basis

2) At a coffee shop with the teachers (Chrissy and Carmen) on a bi-weekly basis.

Progression of Placement:

The beginning of the placement was challenging because of the ambiguity of what exactly best reflective teaching practices are and how to make them. All three of us were on the same level starting out which aided in us collectively working together to start building a system of reflective practices for them.

I was primarily concerned with the time constraints and heavy demands that teaching has on teachers and didn’t want to overburden them with time-consuming projects that they ended up resenting or rushing through – although proper reflection takes time, it doesn’t always have to be done at a specific time or place.

I used a few resources to build my own knowledge on the theory of reflection, primarily referencing a book on developing Reflective Teaching Practices, “the Reflective Teachers Handbook; becoming an extended professional through capturing evidence-informed practice" by Paula Zwozdiak-Myers.

I used this as a platform to present methods and forms of reflective practice, summarizing key concepts and points for the teachers in combination with questions I created and created a document for the teachers to take, read, and take out of it what they thought was best to tailor their own RTP.

Once Chrissy and Carmen became more comfortable around me they began opening up more about the challenges and issues that arise in their daily tasks, which in turn allowed me to reflect on how best to structure my questions for them.

Main Challenges:

- Unsure of what “reflective practices” meant as it is an individual and subjective process

- Aware of my own lack of knowledge in the area and felt like the “stranger” for the first while in my placement

- Was unsure of how much I could do as a service in the time constraints

- Scheduling meetings (at the beginning) primarily due to lack of knowing what to do at meetings.

What I’ve learned:

- I no longer feel the same about being a “stranger”, in fact I’ve grown to be somewhat close with the teachers, and have even used my “strangeness” as an effective tool for outside perspective and observation.

- I’ve seen the real value that reflection can have as the catalyst and then observer of the effects of the reflections for the teachers in a short period of time.

Remainders:

- Biggest was probably the (lack of) time factor – so much so that I am extending my placement to continue developing the practices.

- My own understanding of reflective teaching practices as a methodology and the challenge of integrating it into a working model and tailored for the demands of teachers

- You cant force people to reflect in way you think they should.

- Time to reflect in conflict with time and objectives

Last Thoughts on CSL 300 (for now)

Reflection on the course:

Overall, this has been one of the most interesting courses I have taken in University. It forced me to really confront many assumptions and things I’ve taken for granted in my life and education, from my perspective on privilege and social issues to the contentious relationship between theory and practice and the question of best education practices.

This course has had a major impact on me; I did not enter into it expecting my view of the university structure to become deconstructed, and, further, re-building it throughout the course has been even more challenging and has left me with more questions than answers.

I’m still unsure if this was the purpose of this class, but I suppose it depends on what the aims of CSL are. From an anti-foundationalist perspective, I have definitely achieved the goal of having my beliefs shaken.

This ambiguity (what was I supposed to learn from this course and did I?) is I think both a positive and a negative of CSL. The open-ended/ambiguous/make-it-what-you-will attitude is unique and can really set the stage for an amazing educational experience in and out of the classroom. This attitude is also what can make the experience aggravating, stressful, defeating, and leaving students questioning if its worth it.

I think CSL requires a special kind of commitment and determination that perhaps many students don’t anticipate needing until the term is well under way. I think this speaks to the lack of communication CSL gives with its expectations and realities, and I think this is partly to the fragility of the program as a discipline but also to the lack of structure or direction in general.

To highlight the nature of the theory and practice, which this course has focused on,

If CSL is like a recipe (theory) for delicious healthy muffins, the recipe is good but is missing some key ingredients (like baking soda or powder), or the recipe just needs to be tweaked a little bit to turn out a better batch of muffins (the practice).

At the very least, this course has really highlighted the fact that CSL has a lot of work left to do if it wants to become a more permanent fixture in the university environment – but I think it can achieve this if this kind of careful and thoughtful examination continues. It is often hard to look in the (literal and metaphoric) mirror and admit to faults or inadequacies, but, like Butin suggested, this kind of careful examination is required in order for CSL to stay alive in high education.

Again, overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of this class and I think although it had many frustrations and left me confused numerous times, I think this is an incredibly valuable and rare experience to have in University and I am so much better off having it.

First Set of Questions and Information for Reflective Practice for the ECL Teachers

What does it mean to be good educator?

Definition RPT. What does RPT mean to you?

How can self-assessment and reflection make me better teacher?

What “tools” are necessary to be reflective?

How (if at all) will these tools tie in with making me a better educator?

What kinds of support structures are necessary to develop RTP

Developing Reflective Thinking Skills

“ Central to your development as a teacher is your commitment and capacity to analyze and evaluate what is happening in your own lessons an to use your professional judgment both to reflect and act upon these analyses and evaluations to improve pupil learning and the quality of your teaching. This enables you to make informed judgments derived from an evidence base about the effectiveness of both” (3).

Thus, we must think about:

Where we came from (past influences, assumptions, behaviors)

Where we are (what we currently believe and how we act)

Where we want to go (what is the ideal goal)

Requirements for developing RTP:

Communication skills, methods, manners

Honesty

Time/commitment to change

Open communication

Consistency over time

How can others help me build reflective skills?

- How can your partner help you in the classroom?

Timeline and commitment:

Monthly focus on target area/theme/concern

Daily: ideas, events, stories

Weekly: ink sheds

Bi-weekly reflections: reflective journal entries

Monthly Progress report/ summary of reflective progress

What kinds of questions will help me develop reflective teaching practices?

- What worked?

- What didn’t work

- What can we improve on?

Objectives/Aims for Class:

Before:

During:

After:

List of Reflective Questions (aka, exposing my neurosis)

Here's a fun list of questions I thought of one night while trying to write a reflection:

Can anti-foundationalism coexist with professionalism?

Is anti-foundationalism compatible with professionalism?

Should there be an expectation of professionalism?

What happens when no one knows what’s going on?

What is it mean to be “shaken”? How can you tell the difference between anti-foundationalism and non-professionalism? Can they exist together?

Stress of lack of communication, responsibility, objectives, goals, end result. What beliefs are being shaken?

Who does the responsibility of the project fall on?

What are the roles of the participants?

Is there just too much going on?

Can you force someone to be reflective? What if they think they’re being reflective but they’re not?

If nothing changes, have you reflected “well” enough?

At what point does reflecting stop being effective? Can it?

* One of my favourite questions*:

Do we need ambiguity in order to have creativity?

WHAT DOES IT ALL MEAN!?

Expansion 3

- "I was unexpectedly stressed by not being in control of my environment and uncertain of what to expect and where exactly I was going. I was out of my comfort zone (and getting dropped off at a bus stop in front of a building that was extremely sketchy (and probably haunted) didn’t help)".

My realization of being the “stranger” in my placement has been an experience that has stuck with me from the very beginning of my placement. I have tried to keep track of the progression of my feelings and perception of me as the stranger throughout the last few months and it has definitely changed as the dynamics of my relationship with the teachers and my role and perception as an “authority” (whatever that means, especially for reflective practices).[1] I am still out of my comfort zone but I no longer feel like the stranger in as obvious a way, though I still have feel elements of the “stranger” but I think its being used more to my advantage and the teacher’s advantage now as opposed to a barrier between us. For example, they want me to observe some of their assessment practices and provide a neutral/outside opinion for them. Without my inherently removed status I don’t think they would have been comfortable asking me to do this or wanting me to continue to help them develop their reflective practices.

To indulge in a metaphor, I get the impression that CSL is viewed as the “other”, the thing that goes against mainstream view(s) in some way. The stranger effect is like walking into a room full of people you don’t know and they all stare at you. It’s an uncomfortable experience. We want to be included but when there is a distinct “otherness” its hard to know how to do that.

(Another metaphor) The level of uncomfortable-ness as the “stranger” is like that person who walked into the room and all the other university departments are staring at it (and judging it). The spotlight is on CSL – it is the “other” in the university because it is different. How does that “strangeness” become mitigated? It is strange because it deviates from this formulaic straightforward typical university experience where students are only committed to a very contained set of standards.

Strangeness tends to either inspire hostility or compassion. I feel many students fall into either of these 2 categories with respect to their CSL experiences. The ones who “get” CSL might be said to have compassion, or at least the desire to understand it and work towards learning something from the antagonixing experience.

Those students who feel hostility towards it may just be unprepared for the challenges that go unappreciated and undervalued in the CSL courses. The people that need structure that are comforted by rules and regulations and guidelines, etc., who perhaps lack the stamina or creativity to navigate the ambiguous waters for themselves

I hope that CSL, in general, can progress to have the similar distinction, as I still have and will remain to have, but to embrace and accept it and use it to its advantage. Use its differences to promote its strengths in the university setting. Admit that it is different. And that’s good because too much of the same doesn’t forge the path for change or growth. And if everyone – students, instructors, and community partners – can embrace this, CSL may just be accepted to the party and actually become an established and valued part of the fabric of the university.

Expansion 2

“Can CSL students genuinely engage in their placements in a meaningful way in the short period of time the University term allots?”

“Humans tend to get hopelessly tangled up in the webs of signification that by means of language they are constantly spinning.” I love this sentence from Madison’s The Practice of Theory for many reasons and in my opinion it seems to represent a lot of what is going on in the CSL culture right now.

Lately, I’ve been wondering a lot about what it means for something to be significant or to be successful. What is the value of success? What degree of meaning must be attached to a success to make it successful? How am I going to be successful or find mening from the short period of time I have in my CSL course and placement? I have no concrete answer to this. And its been driving me nuts.

Sometimes I think we are just “spinning” webs of signification by thinking that getting an A in a course is success (and it is) but, in terms of the CSL course, what if we haven’t learned anything that has shaped/changed/altered/enhanced/etc our world view? Or learned more about the inner workings of a non-profit? Or know any more about local social causes, etc.? Am I more successful by getting an A in a course but won’t remember what I learned in 3 months from now or getting a B (or C) but having a transformational experience? The answer to this is easy, depending on your perspective.

Some students think C's are a failure, some see anything other than an A failure. This is a fairly straightforward (ish) measurement system in school and university. But what counts as a success in CSL? We use the same grades to but I think the learning outcomes are so much different, especially in the CSL-designated courses.

This lack of clarity and overall ambiguity of the goals of CSL and the supposed pedagogy which supports of ambiguity as a component of the CSL learning experience which aids in developing the skills to navigate ambiguity is something that has been bothering me for a while. While I don’t think this aim is unworthy or not valuable and I think “navigating ambiguity” is an incredibly valuable skill to have. But CSL doesn’t provide a way to develop this other than being vague and ambiguous itself. There seems to be a lack of guides, methodologies, theories, flow charts, YouTube videos, or instructions of any real import that explain HOW to develop these skills. This doesn’t make sense to me: there should be some sort of guide so students aren’t fumbling around in the dark so much.

It doesn’t have a structure in place that teaches ways to manage ambiguity but rather lumps students, instructors, community partners all together and then disappears, leaving “us” all to figure it out on our own. It feels at time like teaching someone to swim by dumping them in the middle of a lake. Sink or swim. Which, to be fair, is a learning experience.

If this is the case, I’m not sure what I’m paying for. I could just go get a job and be paid to navigate ambiguous experiences. Or volunteer. Or do anything else, really. And I have done these things and had no direction or guidance on how to navigate those murky waters except for my own wherewithal. I expected CSL to provide a “safe” environment to prepare students for dealing with the scary and murky waters of the “real world”. I think it does to a degree, but ultimately, if it could just get it together, I think it could do such a better job of supporting the experiences of those involved by being more forthcoming about the realities of CSL or committing to a more structured program and not relying on this “ambiguity” as a justification for the lack of direction and organization it has.

A measure of success in CSL (if we're taking Butin's stance of anti-foundationalism) would be the shaking up our preconceptions to come out with a new perspective on the world and identifying a (many) preconceived notions might be enough. But is recognizing them enough? Or do we have to change them or do something about them? It is unclear, at least in terms of how assessment in CSL works – and by extension, assessment is the measurement of success or understanding of the course. So it matters, especially to have a successful experience and have that reflect in the grades, and (high) grades are the currency of the university world, not “transformational experiences”.

I have no real solutions to these concerns right now but I think working together and thinking about them further or even just acknowledging them on a wider scale will be big step towards an answer.

Reflective Teaching Practice Questions From March 27

Here is a list of the questions I most recently asked the teachers to answer:

How/ has reflecting connected the theory and practice of teaching for you?

What forms/methods of reflection work best?In theory?

In practice?

How have your reflective practices changed/developed/changed since beginning?

How have creating reflections helped you as teachers? (Has it?)

Has reflecting helped develop communication skills

Between you as co-teachers

Between you and fellow educational stakeholders (e.g. Community Options head office (Margaret), parents, other teachers?)

Do you think self-assessment helps in assessment?

Has there been any relation to your assessment practices? (formal/non-formal)

What are the strengths and weaknesses to reflective practices?

Criticisms of reflecting?

How can your reflection practices grow further?

Have you tried other types/modes of reflections?

Any additional comments about how developing reflective practices have enhanced/changed/impacted your teaching practices.

Inkshed: Remainders

The topic of remainders seems to keep cropping up.

For context, in my placement, up to this point I've provided some guidelines and suggestions on how to frame the reflective teaching practices for the ECL teachers. I (hoped) to communicate that these were just suggestions and that if they wanted to change them to best fit their style and needs to go for it.

But, last week, after having a meeting with the teachers in my placement, they asked me if they could do another type of reflecting.

They asked me if it was ok.

I was not expecting that at all. I didn't really know how to respond other than making a confused face and saying "oh of course you can!?" But, honestly, it made me feel both incredibly uncomfortable (but also kind of weirdly prideful because I must seem like I know what I'm doing).

This made me feel like I was in a position of power or authority, maybe expertise, over their reflective practices, which,

So, it left me thinking about power dynamics and remainders. They're not bad, but unexpected. Especially the power dynamics. They keep seeming to shift as I get more involved in the placement, especially in relation to the separation of the classroom (with the teachers) and the head office (supervisors).

#remainders #remainsoftheday

Inkshed: "Practice" as Theory in Sport domains

Can the practice itself also be a form of theory? Can theory be physical and action-based or does it always have to be an activity of segregated to the mental domains?

Watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI

In today’s class we "learned" knife fighting. But, it wasn't like we were thrown into an arena and had to fight our way out using knives, i.e. there wasn't a lot at stake (other than looking ridiculous, and getting chalky).

This is a similar view, loosely, to what Iverson is saying in the video attached. The contention in this video seems to stem from the importance and value of practice vs. the game (when it really matters) and that practice is less important.

But, it has been my experience through various sport-related experiences that we only became better players through our practice and by repeatedly reviewing game performances to then take back to the practices and work on further. It is a continuous relationship; we have to keep building our skills through repetition (theory/physical practice) and testing (game/practice). This was similar the knife fighting today.

Thus, I think practice isn’t just in the doing of something once or twice; the value comes in the repetitive action of doing something, the thing you're theorizing. Only then can skills become refined and developed and one can begin to move from novice to expert status. From theory to practice and keep refining the practice through theory.

#practice #imtalkingaboutpractice

Inkshed: Reflection as Theory or Practice?

Short and sweet:

I keep thinking about what the term "reflective practices" means, and it has been evolving over the last few weeks/months.

Is a reflection actually a practice? Is it a skill? Or is it more about philosophy and thinking critically about practice?

What is the purpose of a reflection? And how does it make us better educators (and people, arguably).

Does a reflection have to be grounded in something, like a theory, or can it just be a free flow of thoughts? And when does "word vomit" become reflective or critical, or an effective practice?

I think this is slightly subjective, how could it not? We all have varying capacities for reflecting (I mean, I thought I was just being neurotic but turns out I've been reflecting!) so can we really assess something based on a personal reflection? I'm torn on this.

Inkshed: Can time constraints still elicit meaningful experiences in CSL?

Can CSL student's genuinely engage in their placements in a meaningful way in the short period of time the University term allots?

I'm not what is fair to ask students to achieve in their placements. I think it would change depending on the placement, but if the overall goal of CSL is to provide service and engagement with the community, to get out of the "ivory tower"...

Is it even possible to engage fully in a CSL placement in 3 months? I think it depends on a few things like the expectations of and communication with the community partner(s).

I don't think its worth losing the CSL department because I believe any experience is valuable to some degree and offers the opportunity to teach something or learn something new about yourself or the community the placement involves.

But what are we actually accomplishing in our short-term placements? What are we learning? If the practice of CSL is to gain "some" kind of ant-foundational experience (through both good or bad experiences) I'm not sure how that is linked to the academic theory side of CSL.

Enrolling in a PhD program is, from an economic perspective, a terrible decision. But that doesnât mean you shouldnât do it. Just donât let it ruin your life. Hereâs how that could happen: After nearly 10 years in graduate school and substantial debt, you still end up a part-time or adjunct professor (and still in...

Interesting article on academia and the "real world", a gulf that I believe CSL intends, or at least has the potential to narrow.

In the best possible way.

This doesn't have a major link to what we're discussing in CSL, but since its about kids, I think it kind of applies?

Kids -> honesty -> learning -> education -> university ->CSL -> reflective practices....

We can all reflect on how valuable kids are with their unique perspectives on life.

And really, who doesn't enjoy a good laugh.

alison-rowan-deactivated2021061

loakcsl300-blog

Expansion Reflection:

The influence and power behind words is massive, bigger than we often realize. Whether we intend to or not, I think we have the tendency to oppress and marginalize others with language and labels and stereotypes.

In fact, I believe this has more power in terms of influence and widespread damage than violent oppression has. Perhaps these are strong words, but I think its terms like "thats so gay" or "thats so retarded" that become normalized in our society's vernacular and don't go away, unlike the immediacy, the horror, shock, and awareness that violent oppression can bring with it.

Words are fluid, sneaky, manipulative, and easily misconstrued. This is why I believe awareness of social issues and being an active member of society (participating in community events, meeting new people, exploring new areas of places you've been a million times, finding discovering something new, travelling, having new experiences and reflecting on them, etc.) is so important. Being forced out of our comfort zone puts you in a state of awareness you're not accustomed to. You body just does it Its science.

When we are both physically and mentally more aware of our surroundings, we gain perspectives we did not have before. The more we step out of our comfort zones, the more perspectives we can gain.

The more perspective(s) we can gain, the more awareness we have and when you realize by saying "thats so gay" (even though you didn't mean to propagate oppressive language, you are. But if we can become aware of this, we can change.

If we can change, there can be hope for progress away from oppression.

thelearningbrain

loakcsl300-blog

When jazz musicians improvise, they engage parts of their brains typically associated with spoken language.When jazz musicians let their creativi…

Quick reblog/nightime think-thoughts:

I love music. I think there's something absolutely amazing about writing musical theory (an idea turned into little tiny squiggles on paper) and then translate/transform it into an amazing, magical, collective, moving thing that can evoke emotions and thoughts and inspire.

Of course, not all musical compositions or songs translate into masterpieces. But still, even bad songs had to go through some process of theory to application and existence.

But...What makes a song good? What makes a composition work and successful? Jazz, classical, pop, otherwise. It requires practice, skill, and creativity.

This seems like a good metaphor/analogy to the CSL experience. I'm extremely curious about applying theory to practice (in any realm) but CSL is like the ultimate application of theory to practice (ideally, at least). Academics to "real world".

(I'm uncomfortable using words like "real world" because I think it encourages and reinforces the dichotomy between academia and the word out of university. Maybe this is naieve? Hopeful? Wishful thinking?)

There is a gap though, and I think CSL is a way to bridge that gap (in theory). In practice, it struggles. Why? Why do some people "get it" and some just founder?

Is it just a brain thing, like jazz, where some people have better set of skills, knowledge, or disposition or awareness to apply theory to practice? What is it? Maybe its just a human thing where we all struggle with the gap (gulf, at times) between our intentions and our actions. Or maybe its more institutional?

Both?

learningneverend

loakcsl300-blog

Inkshed: Engagement (teacher and student)

Engagement is crucial in any learning experience, otherwise, isn't it just an experience. Right?

Which is why this diagram (above) is interesting. The division of various levels of engagement (or disengagement) say a lot, especially the requirement for engagement as high commitment and high attention.

Is it possible to be this highly committed and focused all the time? Should we expect this of students and ourselves?

But what is engagement anyways? The description in the above chart is... a little... weak?

If I were to define it more, I think its a focused connection to the intentions and objectives that you hope to achieve in a particular event, situation, or action. Its also about taking experiences and linking them back to yourself in a meaningful way. I think true learning and change stems from engagement. In hindsight, this definition may just be a longer version of the same BS. I don't know. Maybe engagement is all BS anyways? #cynical #digression

Anyways, I had a thought the other day that there is so much concern for student engagement and learning but teacher engagement is rarely discussed or focused on.

But I feel teacher engagement is just as important to the teaching/learning experience for all involved. Disengagement can lead to burn out and teacher turn-over rates. Thats not good. We need strong, engaged teachers to sculpt and inspire young minds. I feel many teachers (from my own experiences and in listening to other teachers) operate at a strategic or ritual compliance level.

But, it seems crucial for a teacher to be most effective they need to be engaged in the material and going-ons of the class. But how? How can teachers "persevere in the face of difficulty" and teach at "high and profound levels"? I'm not saying they don't. I'm speaking in generalities. And I'm not sure any of the teachers I know could, by this infograph's definition, claim they're engaged.

I think one way is in developing strong reflective skills and practices, teachers may stay more engaged with their profession and lessons because, really, the teaching profession is a continuous process of learning and refining teaching methods and skills.

I'm not sure why this isn't something that is more focused on or developed in both pre-service training and professional development (maybe it has been since my departure from the Education program). But I don't think I've ever had a conversation with anyone from Ed about teacher "engagement" and/or "disengagement".

Of course this isn't restricted to public school grade school teachers but any and all educators at any level.

And I think this can apply outside of formal teaching and education too. If we can engage in the things we are doing at the moment, even the most mundane, then perhaps we can squeeze meaning, learn something, or gain a new perspective.

Of course, this is definitely a situation where I need to practice what I preach as its very easy to become disengaged with things (and sometimes without even realizing it).

What are other ways, other than reflective practices, to stay engaged in life, learning, and life-long learning?

#morereflections #engagement #what is engagement?

Expansion Reflection

Some more first-world student problems:

I have agonized over and changed my E-portfolio Tumblr background about 5 times now and I’m still not sure if I like it. Why am I so worried about this?

As much as appearance shouldn’t matter (the old adage “you can’t judge a book by its cover”) it definitely does matter. People make judgments based on appearance and first impressions all the time.

CSL seems to fall into a strange category though. It straddles the line between the professional world (community partners) and the academic world (students) and as such is an ambiguous

There is no defined way to behave, no established hierarchy of position or relations. Is it a professional relationship? Is it a mentorship or a really short internship? What is my role as a student? Who is responsible for directing the project and its outcomes? I think this ambiguity in relations and responsibilities is a large contributor to the issues in CSL because it isn’t defined very well.

I feel Butin would say this is exactly what CSL is supposed to offer, this “shaking” of beliefs and hierarchies. But… in real life, it can be really stressful, especially if you care about the work in the placement. This kind of dynamic aggravates, or, as Himley suggests, CSL promotes pedagogy of agitation.

In theory, I agree with this. But in practice, as a student, I’m very unsure of how to be professional but not too “professional” (perceived as cold, distant, theoretical, not getting my hands “dirty” enough or engaging).

In my opinion, I think having a level of professionalism is important in any kind of partnership or collaboration and thus I have chosen a more professional looking theme for my Tumblr. I feel if there is a more professional structure to CSL and my E-portfolio, maybe it will be taken a little more seriously. I take it seriously, so I want that to be reflected.

Or maybe not? This is what kills me. Its all about perception. My perception that to be taken seriously I should try to present a professional presence might be perceived as boring, dull, non-engaging.

I worry that its too straight-laced. Not fun enough. How much personality do you leak into an e-portfolio? Into a class project? Where is the line?!

I feel ridiculous worrying about this, but I think it does represent some of the major concerns or weaknesses within CSL and its own image and why it hasn’t been as successful in the university setting.

Again, maybe Fish had it right when he said to "aim low". Not that aiming low is the goal, but there is something to be said for having straight-forward, clear, familiar guidelines.

So, to what degree does/can/should professionalism exist within CSL?

I will continue to reflect on this as I progress through the term. I wonder if there can be a baseline of professionalism in CSL or if this would "ruin" the anti-foundational nature that Butin claims CSL should be built on.

Essentially this is how I feel:

#blurredlines #professional #first world problems

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