I harken back to the phrase a beloved former principal used to remind staff of our purpose and guide us forward. When things were tough, people were tired, or spirits were low, Mr. M would tell us to ‘refocus the focus’ and this advice has served me well many times since then. I will confess that I have somewhat stalled and wandered down some rabbit holes since my group’s presentation (side note: my copy of Henry Giroux’s newest book Pedagogy of Resistance arrived and it has been a fabulous yet distracting presence).
I realize it is time to once again take Mr. M’s advice and refocus the focus. Alberta’s political shenanigans, Henry Giroux, and the Flames versus Oilers battle of Alberta aside (GO FLAMES GO!), it is time for me to remind myself of my purpose and move forward. I had a fabulous experience working with team five and I am inspired by the work that each of my team members is doing as they dig in to their individual critical issues. I thought it would be nice to ground myself and start refocusing my focus by giving each of my team members a shout out!
Gail’s research into podcasts, public health information, and the pandemic is awesome and timely (Yee, 2022). I am really excited to see what she discovers in terms of strategies that can be utilized by public health to combat misinformation. Jolee’s exploration of podcasts and accessibility raises important questions about sustainability, affordability, and the impact of rapidly obsolete technologies on learners and society in general (Chan, 2022). I am keen to hear the results of her investigations into bringing digital learning into offline environments. Luis’s examination of the corporate, marketing side of the podcast industry is both fascinating and somewhat alarming (Rodriguez, 2022). As I am made increasingly aware of the complicated web of relationships between technology, education, industry, and politics (Selwyn, 2010), I am looking forward to seeing what Luis unearths about the for-profit side of podcasting. Myrna’s research into the role of podcasts in bringing Indigenous identity, culture, and histories to light is wonderful and inspiring (Pokiak, 2022). Her work motivated me to focus my own investigations on the potential of podcasts to bring alternative views and voices into the K-12 classroom, and I eagerly await the results of her explorations. Finally, my team’s theme of Podcasts: Everyone has a Story (Rodriguez et al., 2022) is a good reminder of my purpose and direction for my onward path.
Refocus the focus, and GO FLAMES GO!
P.S. My reflective critical inquiry log can be accessed HERE.
References
Chan, J. (2022, May 12). Individual Critical Academic Reflection Blog Update. Jolee’s Blog: MALAT WebSpace. https://malat-webspace.royalroads.ca/rru0211/individual-critical-academic-reflection-blog-update/
Pokiak, M. (2022, April 24). LNRT 526 Activity 3: Individual Blog Post – Podcasts and Indigenous Identity. Myrna’s Blog: A MALAT Student Blog. https://malat-webspace.royalroads.ca/rru0219/lnrt-526-activity-3-individual-blog-post-podcasts-and-indigenous-identity/
Rodriguez, L. (2022, April 18). Podcasts and marketing. Luis Rodriguez: A Student Blog | MALAT 2021-2023. https://malat-webspace.royalroads.ca/rru0216/podcasts-and-marketing/
Rodriguez, L., Chan, J., Donahue, A., Pokiak, M., & Yee, G. (2022, April 15). Team 5’s venture into the World of Podcasts. Luis Rodriguez: A Student Blog | MALAT 2021-2023. https://malat-webspace.royalroads.ca/rru0216/team-5s-venture-into-the-world-of-podcasts/
Selwyn, N. (2010). Looking beyond learning: Notes towards the critical study of educational technology: looking beyond learning. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 26(1), 65–73. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2729.2009.00338.x
Yee, G. (2022, May 16). Unit 2 Activity 1: Reflection. Gail’s Blog: A MALAT Student Blog. https://malat-webspace.royalroads.ca/rru0210/unit-2-activity-1-reflection/
Amber I love the transparency you are bringing about your process with the critical inquiry to your space here. It’s been so helpful to me getting more focused in my own work. Also, podcasts can we all just plunk down our favourite podcasts on someone’s page or on a Padlet? I know we are supposed to be coming at these materials in an academic lens but also I just want to lay down the podcast playlist recommendations somewhere because there are so many good ones.
Thanks Karen! I’m glad it has been helpful for you 🙂
I love your idea of having a common a space for us to share our favourite podcasts. I whipped up a padlet for that purpose! HERE is the link.
Well said Amber, again it is the procrastination that seems to seep in and the overwhelmed side of a resource-heavy topic can be crushing. I’m inspired by your use of ‘refocus the focus,’ using your team’s work to inspire your own is a very smart strategy indeed! Your team did an excellent job hitting the big ticket issues with podcasts as a learning technology. Now I have to stop reading about podcasts and get back to my own topic of research! 😉