Blogging with Jekyll Over the past nearly 10 years I’ve tried numerous times to maintain a blog. I enjoy writing and figured it would be a good way not only to practice the skill, but to share my thoughts with others. I don’t really care whether anyone reads my work, to be honest; I just want to write. The problem is that, while I don’t care so much if I’m read, I do want to be able to keep my files and refer back to them from time to time – something of a journal (which is what the blog was originally conceived to be).

Designing Your Life I ‘attended’ a presentation by Story Musgrave, the astronaut, on “Designing your life” or some such similar topic. While I wasn’t overly impressed with his general rambling presentation style, I was very impressed with the message that threaded throughout his story. I took several keys away from the presentation. The value of curiosity The first takeaway was the importance of curiosity in achieving an effective life. From high school drop out, he went on to earn a BS in math and statistics, MBA in operations analysis and computer programming, BA in chemistry, MD, and MS in physiology and biophysics within an 8 year period.

Some Thoughts on Philosophy So, I’ll begin this treatise with a question: What is philosophy? And perhaps another, just to follow on that, why is philosophy important? To take things in order, my simple answer to the question of what is philosophy is to say that it is, generally, the creed by which one lives one’s life. I think the dominance of big names in the field – Nietzsche, Hume, Watts Marx, and so many others – and the deep, convoluted and difficult writings that these big names have produced have left most people with the impression that philosophy requires deep, almost mystical thought on very esoteric subjects.

How Social Filters Impact an Educated Response One of the hallmarks of the well-educated person is, I think, the ability and willingness to explore all sides of an issue before making a decision. Unfortunately, it seems that few people, even those who are, in fact, well-educated, truly take the time to explore an issue before taking a stance on it. And, to a large extent, I get it. It’s hard to do.

The First Thing Every College Should Do For Its Students

For some time now I’ve argued that colleges and universities have dropped the ball on one of the most important preparatory steps in attending college: Defining what a college education is all about.

Students often go to college without a clear conception of what they’re supposed to be getting from the experience.  They go because college has become the “thing you do” after high school.  Like their secondary education, they never really stop to think about why they’re going, or what the benefits are. More importantly, many students see college as simply an extension of their secondary education. That is, learning without an express purpose other than “I’ll need to know this someday.”

#No, In Fact I Don’t Like Social Media Well, the title really says it all: I don’t like social media. The reasons, though, need some explanation. I believe that social interaction and the sharing of ideas is an important part of life and, particularly, of learning. Engaging in thoughtful, thought-provoking conversations allows us to to explore more fully our own thinking, to consider the thoughts of others, and find in the mix a fuller, more well-developed sense of the world around us.

The Fault of Not Reading I love to read. That’s a good thing, since I do quite a lot of it. After four years of forced reading as I progressed, first through my Masters degree and then the first three years of my doctorate, you’d think that I’d be tired of reading. Surprisingly, not only have I not grown tired of it, but I actually derive great pleasure from it. Still.

A Long Time Coming It’s been quite a while since I posted anything here. I’ve been quite busy working through the remainder of my didactics, writing (and passing) my comprehensive exams, and beginning work on my prospectus. But, I’m back trying to regain some semblance of order in my life that includes sharing some of my ideas, thoughts, and observations on nursing, education, and a various sundry other things. How Did I Get Here?

The Meaning of a Degree The reasons why they may choose to do this are myriad. For some students, the BSN has long been a personal goal. For others, though, the decision isn’t internally motivated. Rather, they’re faced with either obtaining their BSN, or finding other employment. Now, for anyone outside of nursing, that latter reason might seem a bit harsh. But for those of us in the profession, it makes sense – at least to a degree.

How Time Flies Okay, granted not the most original title, but the fact is I really didn’t realize it had been nearly four months since my last post. If you read that one, though, you might be inclined to forgive me — I’ve been a bit busy. But, today those crazy hours are behind me and only a single paper remains between me and the end of the term. There has been so much that has captured my interest this term that I’ve simply not been able to write about.