Let the Games Begin

The Winter Olympics have begun, and all is right in the world! Why I'm such a fan I don't know. Though I skied (cross country and downhill) quite a bit as a youngster, opportunities to do so just haven't presented themselves in recent years. Despite the fact that we lived in the mountains of northern Arizona, several lean winters rendered opportunities to ski sporadic at best. Since moving to Ohio I have been deluged with graduate work, the result of which has left little time for recreational sports. Of course I continue to dream of getting back outside. In fact, my skis beckon to me each time I open the closet door and take out my winter coat. It's a matter of finding the time!

Things have been exceptionally busy as of late, and should stay that way for at least another week. I am currently observing eight preservice teachers, teaching a course that introduces undergraduates to the field of English education, and, when the opportunities to do present themselves, attempting to complete my own work. In addition to all of this I've been reading a lot of John Dewey, as well as Louise Rosenblatt, particularly those texts that address her transactional reading theory. Both writers have influenced my thinking considerably in recent weeks. In fact, I'm particularly taken by Dewey's notion of experience, which appears to have influenced Rosenblatt's thinking considerably. At the current time I'm trying to make sense of the ways in which I can apply this theoretical framework to the work I do as a university supervisor. I see plenty of parallels, but still need to reconcile the two!