Who Am I and What Am I Doing Here?

Well, that's quite a question. Does this refer to what am I doing right now? Or is this the bigger Zen question similar to "what is the meaning of life?"

I think I'll go with the more here and now. We all play many roles in life. My roles are: teacher, student, preceptor, mentor, advisor, Mom, wife, daughter, sister, patient, health care provider, knitter, pianist, banjo player (but I'd like to be better and not have to cut my nails), jewelry enthusiast, bibliophile, calligrapher and more.

THIS blog was developed as a requirement for a course on Social Media I'm taking through UMBC. I'm several courses away from finishing a master's degree in Instructional Systems Design. My family think I'm crazy for pursuing this degree - why in the world do you want to do more work?? Because I am passionate about education - pharmacy education in particular. I am a Professor and Vice Chair for Education at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Our school is one of the finest in the WORLD (yes, I'm very biased). Our graduates go on to do amazing things, and are leaders in the world of pharmacy. I am working with two other Vice Chairs of Education (other departments) to lead the effort of "curricular refinement" right now. It is our obligation to assure the curriculum meets our accreditation outcomes statemets, yet put a "Maryland brand" on it.

I am especially proud that leadership at our school, through word and deed, has demonstrated that they value teaching equal to the other two legs of the classic "three-legged stool" in academia (teaching, scholarship and service). I believe this is why our school is such a strong institution.

My goal is to continue to improve my ability to craft learning experiences that are meaningful, engage learners, and optimize their chances ot success. I want to see level 4 outcomes that rock your socks off. If using twitter and blogs, and skype and pinterest, and instagram and all the other things we're going to learn this semester help me do that, it's worth the pain of the learning curve.

Just think - my students think I'm uber-cool because I text. After this summer they won't be able to keep up with me!! That's down-right scary!