When I started this semester, I planned on completing my coursework this summer. However, scheduling issues have forced me to continue taking classes this fall. I was delivered another disappoint this week when I found out that one of the courses I needed for the fall will not be offered. I do not want to extend my coursework past Fall 2021, so I am hoping I can enroll in an independent study for my final topics course. If that request is granted, I plan to defend my portfolio early in the Fall of 2021.
At the beginning of this semester, I was very concerned about my portfolio. However, last week, I presented two papers at the SITE 2021 Online Conference, which will be published in the conference proceedings. In addition, I presented a workshop called Virtual Teaching and Learning Best Practices. These presentations strengthen my portfolio and take away the majority of the pressure I was feeling earlier in the semester. I feel confident I could successfully defend my portfolio this semester, and I look forward to sharing my learning with my committee and others this fall.
My dissertation is a different story. I was feeling great about it a few weeks ago, and then I started working on my literature review. As I mentioned in last week’s blog post, my literature review did not come together as I expected. I realized that I needed to head back to the library to find more (and better) references to support my topic. Thankfully, I will not be submitting my formal dissertation proposal until the fall, which gives me plenty of time to work out the problems I ran into with my literature review. By taking Dissertation Prep early, I have a head start on the work needed to complete my dissertation. My goal is to refine chapters 1-3 this summer since I will only be taking one course, and formally submit my proposal early in the fall of 2021. However, one thing I have learned this semester is that life often has other ideas, and I need to remain flexible with my timeline.
