Hello 2006

I spent last week babysitting my little niece and nephew. I love those kids, and I got some great quality time with them, but I never seem to have time or energy to post entries or do much of anything else on the internet while I'm staying with the family. So now I am back at my house and gearing up for the spring semester to kick in (which is tomorrow). I have yet to enroll in two out of three of my classes, because I haven't taken the prerequisite classes. So I'm going to have to get written permission from the prof. But, I like the prof (he teaches both classes that I want to get into). I decided to take his classes this semester after I enjoyed the college teaching class I took with him last semester.

Since it is a new year, I decided to make some academic goals for this semester and resolve to continue making goals in order to facilitate my progress through the program (otherwise, procrastination and laziness with take over and seven years later....I'm still not done).

Goal #1: Write two papers for publication by the end of this semester: my thesis and my computerized project completed over two years ago (but currently sitting in dusty folders and back corners of computer innards).

Goal #2: For my three classes, I will read every assignment before it is due rather than after it is due (or not at all as sometimes the case may be). I will take a more proactive stance towards learning from classes rather than focusing solely on research (but, not to the detriment of research).

Goal #3: Learn Item Response Theory (deeply and comprehensively, I will not be satisfied with surface learning or partial understanding).

Goal #4: Launch my project on reading comprehension assessment with another graduate student. Read the necessary research, create the assessment, begin collecting data.

Goal #5: Get involved in my advisor's project on BrainWise. Another potential colleague is starting a related pilot study before we find out if the grant will be funded for the fall. The pilot study focuses more on literacy, so it would be good for me to get involved.

Goal #6: Ed Psych Society projects: I have sole charge over the first bimonthly Ed Psych research colloquium, and I will stay involved in the first lecture series we are conducting with a couple of local schools (hopefully, they'll let me give a lecture as well).

Wow, this is a lot to do. But, at least I won't be teaching, so that will free up most of my time. I'm considering teaching again in the fall. I learned that my program is planning to separate the current undergraduate research methods class (Psy 400) into two classes: A required Psy 300 Research Methods (without two-way anovas) and an optional Psych 400 Advanced Research Methods for undergrads who want to go to grad school. Since most of the profs who currently teach 400 will be vying to teach the more advanced course, graduate students might actually get a chance to teach an undergrad research methods course (as opposed to the prerequisite Intro to Psych Statistics). I certainly can't pass up that chance, and I'll be trying to get them to let me teach this course. I'm actually a little excited about it.

So tomorrow the semester begins. Good bye free time, hello academics.