Taking EDU6050 as one of my first two courses with Northeastern (following two others taken with Mills College) was a deeply affirming experience in which I was able to bring my personal passions and platforms to the assignments and discussions, and juxtapose them with the texts and media presented to us. As someone who admires and has studied ethnography, I valued the opportunity to also reflect on my history and on my lineage and to investigate how these factors have influenced my stances in education. There are already pronounced moments for reflection that I facilitate within my teams in the work that I do, but many of the questions and methods we interacted with in this course offer exciting opportunities for expansion and pivots to these moments. I also found a supportive community of fellow practitioners and researchers through the discussion boards and was able to witness their own pedagogical and personal arcs form and come to fruition. This was especially alluring, since the range of spaces and considerations we collectively brought to the texts made for fascinating nuances, even beyond what I already knew about this vast ecosystem of learning spaces.

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The pedagogy of Northeastern clearly centers the digital aspect, as many of the assignments demanded we produce video or audio recordings as supplements to our original data and reports, which was a challenge initially. Writing for research or report, versus for a presentation are different things and often times utilize different tones of voice, and having to shift between them was puzzling at first as I also figured out how to cite my sources and synthesize messages into a coherent whole. But in the end, I am grateful to have stronger capability with a variety of web-based tools that I foresee having substantial value as my career and our field moves towards the future. I am also enticed at the ease with which my philosophical and practical knowledge can be represented visually and experientially, and already anticipate building on my PIT infographic with new additions that cover a range of topics both related and not. Based on the suggestion of Dr. Conn, I also intend to expand my current draft of the professional development plan around disciplinary action into something that I hope to one day facilitate for a community of practice. 

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The world has changed rapidly in the last several years, especially around topics of sustainability, equity, and institutional purpose - and education has changed alongside it. Being amidst this professional growth journey in this Here & Now feels necessary and rewarding already, and I believe we are well-positioned to experience and contribute to the next emergent zeitgeist in our field and beyond.  

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