summer reading

Summer reading: several books on ethics, books on writing, & one dark crime novel by Norwegian novelist Jo Nesbø (for fun!).  

Not pictured: two more ebooks on researching and writing a doctoral thesis, along with one spiral-bound APA Publication Manual, 6th edition. 

#alwayslearning #nevernottired

Did I mention this is only the first half of the summer reading list‽ Here is a partial list of books I will be reading in the 2nd half of the summer:

Bonus! 

I will also be reading one of the following books as part of a 5-week book study group:

But, wait...there's more! 

I'm sure there will be countless PDF articles, several ebooks, and videos with transcripts! I'll update this post once the syllabi for the next two classes become available later this month: Transformational Learning & Scholarly Writing/Style


Laguna Beach

I enjoyed a short, 3-day trip to Laguna Beach this past weekend. The week prior, I hustled as hard as I could to "get ahead" of my assignments in the doctoral program. And, I realized that I may never get to a place where I have successfully worked ahead of the agenda, and course outline. At least, I may not know the joys of feeling like I deserve to relax for the next 2.5 years. 

This is not necessarily a bad thing. I knew going into the doctorate program that I would be giving up a lot. A lot of time. Time that I would otherwise spend with family, traveling, or enjoying other pursuits. I have learned quite a bit in these past seven weeks, about myself and about others, and I look forward to learning more. Trust that it is not a lost point that my coursework is only beginning. 

The knowledge gained is almost enough ease the sting of time lost, the ache of academic rigor, the twinge of lonlieness, the stab of anxiousness, the pang of frustration, the spasm of sleeplessness, the cramp of existential flashes...

Sorry. I got lost there for a moment. Here are some pictures from my Laguna Beach this past weekend, where I worked to complete a 3-4 page paper and complete approximately 200 pages or reading.  

ethics

Week 4 of Ethics is beginning. It marks the halfway point of the Summer Semester coursework. And, I've read a substantial amount of work on theoretical ethics, practical ethics, normative ethics, meta ethics, and applied ethics. At least, those are the categories I recall reading in the blur of text that comprised my previous month.  

Are there categories of ethics? There sure are! Here's a sampling to get you thinking:

  • Utilitarianism
  • Deontology
  • Virtue ethics
  • Ethics of care
  • Egoism
  • Religion or divine command theory
  • Natural Law
  • Social contract theory
  • Rawls’s theory of justice
  • Moral relativism

Are you intrigued? Are you overwhelmed? If so, maybe start with Borgmann's device paradigm...and question your ethical choices surrounding time spent reading on a wifi-enabled device.  

In the interest of sharing, and in the self-serving interest of helping myself grow as a "scholarly" writer, I am posting a recent paper written for my current doctoral level ethics course. Feel free to comment with some focused, global feedback. 

For a peek at Week 4's required readings, check out this PDF. 

spiral-bound

This is my life now. All the writing rules and references I need for the next three years are contained in this lovely spiral-bound reference manual. It cost $33 on Amazon, and I am certain it will be worth the price. 

The university EdD program does provide an electronic version of the APA Manual, 6th edition...but I have struggled with referencing it as an eBook. And, failing to cite sources in APA Style has cost me a few points. So, I am going analog. 

At a recent CapCUE Board meeting, I saw a scholarly publication from 1917 displayed on the wall. It made my inner letterpress nerd happy to see the gorgeous borders, hand-set type, and careful saddle-stitch binding. Interestingly, the spiral-bound APA Manual states that it is "typeset" in Sabon, Futura, and Univers. It struck me how much has changed in 100 years, and how much has stayed the same. 

week 2

I'm exhausted, but in a good way. I have just finished my first week of the doctorate of education program, and I cannot recall a time when I was asked to read so much material. The synthesizing and the writing, have also been mentally taxing. 

Someone asked why I would ever want to subject myself to something like this. The only answer I can give is that I am doing it for me. And, I also explain that it is similar to a strenuous physical workout...one in which you don't think you'll finish, but you feel good once it is complete. 

Yes, it is only week one of a three year program. It has been a bear. Finding the right tempo, or readjusting my study habits has been a challenge. I know I will have to give up a lot of my leisure time. However, I am making something. I am making something for myself. And, I keep reminding myself of that feeling at the finish line, no matter how far away it might be.