How can I continue to forge my professional and academic development? How might I inquire (research) into my learning in an ongoing manner? How might my professional and academic development and practice be informed by my ongoing research? How do I respond to opportunities for inquiry (research)? How do I meet my own learning needs?

Can’t I just skip this question? I wish I could, but skipping this question would be the easy way out. Which kind of ties into my answer to this prompt. I can continue my academic and professional development by not taking the easy way out. So what is the easy way out? I guess, thinking in terms of a course, the easy way out would be to just do the minimum. For example, the easy way out could be that I just study the notes that the teacher gives in a course for the test, instead of going and reading in the text or looking up more information on that subject on the Internet. Thinking about it, reading additional information than required would probably be beneficial because most of the time more reading means a better understanding. Also, to continue to explore my professional and academic development, I really need to take to heart the literacy articles that I read. I need to take learning into my own hands and not rely on others to feed me information, which I am discovering right now through my math saga that that is easier said than done.

How can I research into my learning in an ongoing manner? Well the answer to that question, I am afraid, is the dreaded R word: REFLECTION. I think that the reflection process is ongoing. If I keep reflecting on my learning, then I will be doing some research within myself, some deep soul searching. I have found that the reflection process is a huge circle, similar to the clinical interaction model. Once I start reflecting on what I have learned, I learn something new from my reflection, which I then reflect on, which usually lets me discover something else and so on. By constantly reflecting, I think my academic and professional development will only be enhanced.

This is going to make me sound like a total bookworm, but I really enjoy research. I would rather write a 15-page paper (as long as I am interested in the topic) than take a test. I think I learn better through researching than studying notes and a textbook because I am actually thinking about the information and trying to explain it in a coherent manner.

How do I meet my own learning needs? Well, I set goals (sometimes unreasonable ones) and make myself accountable for accomplishing them. I read books and articles, and sometimes do research on my own. I also volunteer in the community where I have experienced things that will (and have already) helped me in the classroom. For example, while volunteering at Health South I learned a lot about people that have had a stroke. This knowledge made learning about strokes in Neurogenics easier because I had seen it first hand. I am really starting to realize the benefits of making learning MY responsibility.