As I get closer and closer to dissertation writing I have been thinking a lot about what I want to research. I have a LOT of ideas, but almost all of them involve combining concepts from gaming and Web 2.0 into employee reward systems, but that is really for another post. The other day I found a great post by Dean Terry on Twitter and it really got me thinking… Why don’t more schools use Web 2.0 technology and gaming to engage students and inspire learning? After I shared the article on Facebook I got a message from Mark Riffey and he asked me what I thought was a great question: “Can you imagine what a Foursquare of downtown Boston, DC (et al) must be like for a history teacher…” I was momentarily stunned. I cannot believe no one has thought of this yet. Foursquare may not be the right app for this use, but with GPS enabled smartphones being as common as they are now and cellular broadband connectivity being readily available this concept is a no brainer. Imagine how cool it would be to walk historical locations and stream relevant media over GPS enabled mobile devices. It’s not just historical locations though. It could be used by science students on a hike to learn about geology, geography, biology, etc… It could even give valuable information about locations of cultural significance. The possibilities are endless. What I am really talking about is augmented reality meeting education. How cool is that? This technology is not pie in the sky, existing devices like the iPhone or the new Android phones are a natural fit for this technology.

I’m really just rambling here… and this is hardly academic writing. My goal in putting this post up was not to solve the world’s problems, but rather to inspire others to think about this issue and consider ways we could implement these technologies into our education system and get today’s youth engaged in learning in some non-traditional means. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this issue in the comments. I have as much to learn as anyone and would love to spark a rich discussion on this topic and possibly even help develop the app.

-Brad

I think this is a common question for administrators to ask themselves. The fear is that the Ed.D. is somehow less than the Ph.D. and that could not be further from the truth. I assert that there are people ideally suited to both programs and what route you take for a terminal education degree should primarily be based on where you see yourself in the future. If you are a hard core researcher that is focused on adding to the body of knowledge and doing traditional academic research resulting in a traditional dissertation I think the PhD in Education is the way to go. However, If you are an education administrator and have interests that revolve around solving real world problems I believe the Ed.D. is the way to go. My personal preference is to go with a school that focuses on Action Research.

As part of my Ed.D. program I recently read “Disrupting The Status Quo: The Action Research Dissertation as a Transformative Strategy“. and have to say after reading this I am very comfortable and excited about my decision. I am a firm believer that if we have any hope of solving the problems facing us in education today; we will need powerful transformational leaders who are willing to take calculated risks to achieve significant improvements in both student outcomes and other important metrics. As a future campus president one of the quotes that really spoke to me was:

Leadership is a much more complex undertaking today than it was in the past. Leaders now need expertise in policy formation and implementation, deep knowledge of pedagogy and curriculum issues, expertise in fostering collaboration and teamwork, and a sophisticated understanding of data collection and analysis.

This quote sums up why I felt it necessary to advance my MBA to the Ed.D. Although I have the ability to develop solutions to complex problems within my own department, I also understand that executive leadership in schools brings forward a myriad of considerations not taught to traditional MBA students. I feel a deeper formal background in educational theory and law are also required in order make the difficult cross departmental decisions that will bring resolution to the problems today’s educators face.

If you have thoughts on my writing or the article I would encourage you to please leave me a comment!

Good morning everyone! This is my first post on Edministrivia.net. I am a 34 year old Director of Admissions and Education Doctorate candidate. On this blog I will be sharing some of the great articles and resources I come across in addition to sharing some of the essays I write, my research, and random thoughts about education, management, leadership, and administration. I publish a weekly podcast for sales managers on my other site at http://salesmanagement20.com and am hopeful I will have the opportunity to add a variety of media to this site, but am fearful that the strain of family, career, and school may put a damper on my plans.

I am looking forward to the opportunity to use this tool as a sounding board. I want to share my ideas with others and gain feedback, but am also hopeful that I will be able to influence some of my peers and help make the industry a better place through an open exchange of ideas.

Thanks for visiting my blog… Please leave a comment!