Last night was the big project defense...
I am beyond thankful for my Graduate Advisory Committee and their involvement and willingness to walk with me through my graduate program journey. With their approval, I have been given the green light... on Mother's Day I will be graduating with a 4.0 from the MEd in Cross-Cultural Studies program from the University of Alaska Fairbanks!
Some quotes from my committee members:
"This was not over-romanticized. It is very compelling."
"Your willingness to step out of your comfort zone regarding the use of technology is to be commended. It is quite parallel to your project, actually."
"You have manifested. You have identified challenges and you are passing your learnings along."
"The challenges of living and teaching in rural Alaska were presented in a subtle and sophisticated way. I appreciate the portrayal."
"All rural Alaskan schools need this."
...music to my ears! Thank you my lovely, awesome GAC for your feedback and approval!
Thank you so much to all of my friends, family, and colleagues near and far! Your support, encouragement, and love has lifted me when I needed it most. Yesterday's 20 minute defense turned into an hour long presentation... me?... a talker? :D It was awesome to be able to defend what I have been so passionate about and to wrap up this project, which has really documented my four years in Chevak.
Even better, I was able to celebrate with my honey, while the sun shone down on us. Not much is comparable to having a strong and loving support network. It makes anything and everything a little more tolerable. This girl is BEYOND ecstatic, thankful, and appreciative. Maybe it's about time I take a little break from school...
Cheers! XO!
Misty Dawn
Showing posts with label cross-cultural studies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cross-cultural studies. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
How Do You Say Hello?
Hello! Bonjour! Zdravstvuj! G'day! Guten tag! Hej! Zdravo! Jambo!
Bear with me, but I wanted to send a shout out to my current top viewing countries:
US, France, Russia, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Slovenia, Denmark, and Kenya!
Nearly each of these countries are on my list of places to visit... my heart gets so full just thinking about it! This summer might consist of a tropical destination, but a dream of mine is to do some volunteer work in an orphanage in Africa sometime in the next few years.
Also, Europe originally inspired my bug to travel. I took French for four years and had such an intelligent and passionate teacher... every time she spoke of her travels, it made me more certain that traveling abroad was in my future. I cannot wait to someday view the architecture and visit the museums of Europe!
Thank you for following my blog. Cross-cultural studies is my passion, and with so many countries represented in my viewers, that passion is ignited!
Find your passion and pursue it. Surround yourself with people, places, and things that make you thirsty for more and that feed your passions.
Bear with me, but I wanted to send a shout out to my current top viewing countries:
US, France, Russia, Australia, Germany, Sweden, Slovenia, Denmark, and Kenya!
Nearly each of these countries are on my list of places to visit... my heart gets so full just thinking about it! This summer might consist of a tropical destination, but a dream of mine is to do some volunteer work in an orphanage in Africa sometime in the next few years.
Also, Europe originally inspired my bug to travel. I took French for four years and had such an intelligent and passionate teacher... every time she spoke of her travels, it made me more certain that traveling abroad was in my future. I cannot wait to someday view the architecture and visit the museums of Europe!
Thank you for following my blog. Cross-cultural studies is my passion, and with so many countries represented in my viewers, that passion is ignited!
Find your passion and pursue it. Surround yourself with people, places, and things that make you thirsty for more and that feed your passions.
Monday, January 16, 2012
PROJECT TIME
Well, it is crunch time... just about! I am officially enrolled in my grad school Project. This should be my last semester of grad school, as long as I work hard to meet deadlines and present my best documentation. My GAC offered the thought of blogging my project experience, and I have debated just how I would like to do so. If all else, I figured I would share with you what it is that I will be focusing on in the next couple of months.
For those of you who have been wondering, my program is Cross-Cultural Studies (with an emphasis on Alaska Native Education). For my grad project, I decided that I wanted to create an orientation video for future district applicants. The reason this came to be is because I have had a strong desire to prepare teachers as best as possible for their teaching experience here in Chevak, Alaska. Though I can provide a huge amount of information and personal experience, no one can fully understand what it means to live and teach out here until they do so (particularly if they have never taught in rural Alaska).
The goal of this project is that by having more information about our community, applicants will be somewhat more prepared as to what it would be like to live and work for our district. At the completion of this project, the administration can choose to use the video if they wish.
So far, I am really enjoying my one-on-one time interviewing my colleagues. It is difficult to find time throughout our days, so that has been a bit of a challenge. However, I am really enjoying going through my footage and photos from over the years. It is hard to believe that next year will be my fifth year teaching in Chevak. I am hoping to capture my experiences in a productive and meaningful way, though it is important to me to be as real as possible-- not to paint a picture through rose-colored glasses. Each school year has most definitely brought challenges, along with moments that will always create a feeling of nostalgia.
The temperatures have been rather cold here lately, but we are up to two degrees fahrenheit today! While it is a little warmer, I will be conducting a bit of filming outside... brrr! :)
Please send your good juju my way as I take on this project and put it altogether for its finale. My hopes are to have it completed by March and to be able to graduate in May (prayers are appreciated)! Thank you for your support and interest. It's go big time!
For those of you who have been wondering, my program is Cross-Cultural Studies (with an emphasis on Alaska Native Education). For my grad project, I decided that I wanted to create an orientation video for future district applicants. The reason this came to be is because I have had a strong desire to prepare teachers as best as possible for their teaching experience here in Chevak, Alaska. Though I can provide a huge amount of information and personal experience, no one can fully understand what it means to live and teach out here until they do so (particularly if they have never taught in rural Alaska).
The goal of this project is that by having more information about our community, applicants will be somewhat more prepared as to what it would be like to live and work for our district. At the completion of this project, the administration can choose to use the video if they wish.
So far, I am really enjoying my one-on-one time interviewing my colleagues. It is difficult to find time throughout our days, so that has been a bit of a challenge. However, I am really enjoying going through my footage and photos from over the years. It is hard to believe that next year will be my fifth year teaching in Chevak. I am hoping to capture my experiences in a productive and meaningful way, though it is important to me to be as real as possible-- not to paint a picture through rose-colored glasses. Each school year has most definitely brought challenges, along with moments that will always create a feeling of nostalgia.
The temperatures have been rather cold here lately, but we are up to two degrees fahrenheit today! While it is a little warmer, I will be conducting a bit of filming outside... brrr! :)
Please send your good juju my way as I take on this project and put it altogether for its finale. My hopes are to have it completed by March and to be able to graduate in May (prayers are appreciated)! Thank you for your support and interest. It's go big time!
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