Author Archives: Melissa D Atkinson
16th Week PhD: Individualism and Consumerism
Another week gone, and still there is much to do! Also, my mom is doing better after surgery and continues to recover. Thank you to all of you who are keeping her in your thoughts and prayers.
This week the focus for me was on the discussion post for the Advanced Worldview class regarding the prevalence of individualism versus consumerism in our world in general and in education. According to our textbook, written by Steve Wilkens and Mark L. Sanford in Hidden Worldviews (2009), individualism is “the belief that the individual is the primary reality and that our understanding of the universe and lifestyle should be centered in oneself” (p. 27). From the same textbook, consumerism “absolutizes consumption by believing that we can find fulfillment by accumulating wealth and everything that comes with it” (p. 45). In the case of the world in general, I believe individualism (selfishness) is more prevalent since individualism causes consumerism. Finding fulfillment usually means our own fulfillment, which is just a form of individualism. James 3:16 says, “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice” (NIV). Adam and Eve ate from the tree of life in order to be like God (Genesis 3:5-6). Individualism, the desire to be put “in the God-position” has caused “every evil practice” (Wilkens & Sanford, 2009, p. 42).
Consumerism is rampant in education, especially higher education. Students are now viewed as consumers or customers. Making a profit is the goal for most institutions. Building better buildings, better programs, attracting more students are all incorporated into vision and mission statements without actually being stated. Too often the intrinsic value of higher education is lost in the sea of consumerism. Investing in buildings that are already there, students that are already there, and faculty and staff that are already there would seem to be the most profitable by being good stewards of what God has already given. Luke 12:48b (NIV) says, “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.”
Blessings to you and yours.
15th Week PhD: Life Happens
During residency, several professors explained to us that throughout this program “life happens” regarding work to be done, time management, and emergencies. This has been a week of emergencies and deadlines. My mom went to the emergency room on Monday complaining of severe abdominal pain. After looking at tests, the ER doctor called her surgeon who performed emergency surgery that night (about 10:00pm). One of my assignments, a book review, was due at 10:59pm that day. Fortunately, I was almost finished and only had a few edits to do. The surgery went very well and my mom is still in the hospital, but is free from pain in her abdomen. God is good. I turned in my paper at approximately 10:40pm. God is good.
We can never predict when life will happen–as in “life happens”–and when plans are interrupted due to unforeseen circumstances. My mom will not get to go on her trip to see her granddaughter’s first birthday this week. However, she will be able to go in the future. If she had not gone to the emergency room, her situation might have been different. The Bible has many examples of plans that get diverted, changed, postponed, or reversed. Job’s life didn’t go as he had planned, yet God blessed him with new plans. Proverbs 19:21 (NIV) states, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles in which it states, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV). God tried to encourage the exiles with the fact that he had their backs and not to worry about their future. God did this for them after many years through his gift of Jesus, which is now our gift. So, when “life happens” remember God has your back.
Blessings to you and yours.
14th Week PhD: Doctrine of Vocation
This week we did not have any discussion questions to post since there is a book review assignment due in the Advanced Worldview course on Monday, and there is tons of reading to do in the Research Design course (6 chapters of research design in 2 weeks). As part of our reflective journal in the Advanced Worldview course, we were asked to answer one of two questions (or both). The one I chose is “How can the doctrine of vocation affect the way that we view Monday through Friday (and, for many of us, nights and weekends as well)?” This question relates to an article we were assigned to read by Veith called “Arenas of Service” in WORLD magazine. This question also fits in nicely with the last chapter of our Plantinga text (Engaging God’s World), “Vocation in the Kingdom of God.” The Latin origin of vocation is “calling” and in the Oxford English dictionary online, vocation is defined as “divine influence or guidance towards a definite (esp. religious) career.” Veith describes vocation as not only a job or career, but working “side-by-side with God” and serving others by what we do. Vocation is 365 days a year, 24/7. Second Peter 1:3 says, “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness” (New International Version). Knowing God has called us to Him gives us reason to carry out our vocation every day of the week, serving God by serving others.
Blessings to you and yours.
Veith, G. E. (2010, August 28). Arenas of service. WORLD Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.worldmag.com/articles/17017
Vocation. (2014). In Oxford English dictionary online. Retrieved from http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/224289?redirectedFrom=vocation&
13th Week PhD: The Dissertation Transformation
For my two classes this week, there was a lot of reading and a lot of posting in discussion boards (and even more of that to come). In one class (Research Design & Analysis) we were required to read the first two chapters of a dissertation and see how it aligned with what our textbook says about how to structure research. In the second class (Advanced Worldview) we were required to read two more chapters in our textbook plus two articles that have opposing viewpoints to the Christian worldview concept and discuss them in relation to their legitimacy and educational transformation. Instead of telling you what I wrote for the assignments, I will just leave you with this: “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).
For the first time in 13 weeks, I am tired of thinking. Although my husband and I took a mini-vacation last weekend to celebrate our anniversary (which was fabulous!!), my brain is tired from reading, thinking, writing, thinking, writing, reading…and staying up until 2am probably didn’t help either.
I will press on, get some rest and transform my mind in preparation for the big “D” (Dissertation!).
Blessings to you and yours.
Eleventh Week PhD: Advanced Study and Research
Hello fellow bloggers and blog readers! This is my eleventh week in the PhD program and my respite is over. This semester will be long, but in the end it will be worth the many hours of discussion, reading, writing, and researching. My two classes this semester are Advanced Study of Worldview and Research Design and Analysis. More on Research Design and Analysis in a bit. The first impression of Advanced Study of Worldview is there will be a lot of reading, I get to write a book review, and I get to read “God is not great: How religion poisons everything” by C. Hitchens. I am really not looking forward to reading the last book, but I am pretty sure it will challenge me, and I am always up for a good challenge.
As a librarian, I live for research. I research everything–buying a new phone, a new car, a new stove, a new computer, couches, desks, books, hotels, activities, etc. I help students research. I help faculty research. I teach how to research. I research for the fun of it. The textbook for this class (as seen in the photo) is “Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research” by J. Creswell (5th ed.). The textbook is full of information, a lot of which I know, a lot of which I don’t. One little thing that bothers me about this book in chapter 3 is a section on how to conduct research in the library. This edition was updated this year–the copyright date is actually 2015–and it is only available in a loose-leaf version. However, the information on library resources is a tad outdated. I am sure some academic libraries (somewhere) still use CD-ROMs to access databases (there could be some). Creswell (2015) even suggests that a researcher “go to the bookshelves” and “scan the table of contents of education journals from the past 7 to 10 years” (p. 82). I might possibly do this while working on my dissertation so that I leave no stone un-turned, however it would only be if my library (I have access to two wonderful academic library resources) did not have electronic access to what I needed or if the only copy of a journal was in print. This scenario is highly unlikely since most academic libraries (including the one in which I work) have removed some print journal copies (given away, donated, sold, etc.) if available elsewhere electronically to make room for other collections, services, or partners, etc. in the library. I realize that not everything is available electronically and in those cases, yes, I will use the print copy to browse the table of contents, but it is only as a last step (depending on my topic).
The author fails to mention the most valuable resource a doctoral student will need–WorldCat–the catalog of almost every book known in the world in every kind of library imaginable, most of which are connected to a lending system. He does mention the Library of Congress, which is a wealth of information (especially their online collections), but it is not primarily a lending library. There is one mention of interlibrary loan which is also of utmost importance to a doctoral student, or any graduate student really. Try as it might, there is not one academic library that can purchase every single database, book, resource, media, etc. in the world. Interlibrary loan covers this by creating a lending library of thousands of libraries across the world–not only for books, but for journal articles, too
. I think Creswell should have consulted a librarian on this chapter because this librarian is not impressed.
So, off my soapbox, I am excited for this new semester to begin. Reading, discussing, networking, writing, and researching will be the thing for the next few months.
Blessings to you and yours.
Creswell, J. W. (2015). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Tenth Week PhD: Respite
For over a week, I have had no homework, writing, or discussion posts for doctoral work. I have started reading two textbooks for two of my classes, but I have also been reading a book for enjoyment. The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith–one of the books in The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series. If you have never read any of these, please consider it. They are set in Botswana and follow the detectives Precious Ramotswe and Grace Makutsi in the town of Gabarone. They spend most of their time thinking their way through cases, traveling to the bush in an old white van, and drinking tea. If you like books that are peaceful, insightful, and pleasant, with a touch of mystery and pluckiness, then these books are for you. You can check one out at your local library (electronic or print–whichever you prefer).
Speaking of electronic or print, as for me, I recently purchased a Kindle HD on a whim. Reading books on an electronic screen is different than a print book, to be sure. However, for books I read for pleasure that I don’t need to make notes in or re-read to take a test, this format works very well. I love the smell of books–of which I have plenty. I still have to print out articles for research. Highlighting and underlining help me remember and study. There are ways to do that with an electronic book, but I haven’t figured out how to do that in a way that will help me. To me, reading for pleasure is a respite and a stress reliever. It will help me get ready for new doctoral courses this semester by clearing my mind and filling it with pleasant thoughts, well-developed characters, and a craving for red bush tea.
Blessings to you and yours.
Listen to Mr. Smith here: http://youtu.be/YhPNMIyidbA
Ninth Week PhD: Been There, Done That
This Monday, my final paper was due for my first doctoral class. Christian Worldview for Educators was a great first doctoral course as there was the appropriate amount of APA style, assignments, readings, and discussions. This course was a good introduction to the doctoral mindset. I had never given much thought to the Christian worldview as a way to relate to my profession. As someone who works in Christian higher education, a Christian worldview is important since it is the reason Christian higher education exists and why I have chosen to work in its environment.
Another lesson this class has taught me is time management. Having one course in the summer has been a challenge, but having two courses this fall will be even more challenging. Without a set schedule for dealing with two courses at once, I will surely get behind and will probably not be able to catch up.
So, now that this course is over, I will rest a little, read for pleasure a little, and read ahead a little for the start of a new semester.
Blessings to you and yours.
Eighth Week PhD: A Moral Argument
One of our readings this week was from our Beckwith, Craig, and Moreland textbook, “To everyone an answer: A case for the Christian worldview.” Our discussion question asked us to choose one of the arguments we had to read and decide which one best argued for the existence of God. One chapter called, “A moral argument” by Copan, struck me as the most valid and convincing argument for God’s existence. The moral argument proposes that since morality exists, then God exists. This is a very brief summary of the argument. There are some that would argue that morality (knowing the difference between right and wrong) can exist without God.
I read a portion of a book by Zuckerman that explained how the societies in Sweden and Denmark are existing peacefully and in little chaos without a strong following of Godly principles. There are probably many other societies existing with the same principles. Morality is something God gave all human beings knowledge of as explained in Romans 2:14-16 in which the Gentiles have the law “written on their hearts,” obeying God’s law even though they did not know the law. Whether you believe in God or not, he exists and he has given everyone an inner moral compass. Even if a society exists with peace and abiding citizens, eventually, without acknowledgement of God, the society will fall.
The difference between morals with God and morals without God is the motivation of our actions—faith. In relation to faith and actions, James 1:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder” (New International Version). While morality (knowing the difference between good and evil) is a human nature, I believe that without God morals have no purpose and no meaning.
Blessings to you and yours.
Copan, P. (2004). A moral argument. In F. Beckwith, W. Craig, & J. Moreland (Eds.), To everyone an answer: A case for the Christian worldview (pp. 108-123). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.
Zuckerman, P. (2008). Society without God: What the least religious nations can tell us about contentment. New York: New York University Press.
Seventh Week PhD: Null Curriculum & Intelligence
If you’ve never heard of the “null curriculum” you are not alone. Perhaps you are a teacher and you did study about it when you were going through college. If I studied it while I was in college, I don’t remember doing so. According to our textbook by Pazmino, the “null curriculum” are the things that you do not teach that you either meant to teach, but forget or can’t teach because of time restraints. The “null curriculum” fits into the “explicit curriculum” and the “hidden curriculum” to make up the whole of what a teacher could teach. The “hidden curriculum” are the things that you don’t necessarily put in your lesson plans or aren’t necessarily a learning objective, but you teach it anyway. One example of this might be if a teacher tries to teach her students to treat each other with respect. She may not have this in her lesson plans or it may not be a learning objective, but it is being taught nonetheless. An example of “null curriculum” might be if a teacher has to skip a chapter in a textbook because there was a day lost due to weather. The teacher has to make the decision to keep it in or take it out and what is the most important thing for the students to learn. That is what a teacher does. All of those things comprise the curriculum.
It wasn’t part of our reading this week, but next week part of our reading includes chapters from our Beckwith, Craig, and Moreland text. In one of the chapters, Dembski defines intelligence, according to etymology of the word, as “choosing between.” Intelligent people weigh all the options and then make choices. This makes sense because in Proverbs 14:6 (NIV) it says, “The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none, but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.” Intelligence can be inherited, but I think it can also be learned by teaching students, children, friends, and colleagues how to make choices when given many options. Maybe you are more intelligent than you thought!
Blessings to you and yours.
Dembski, W. (2004). An information-theoretic design argument. In F. Beckwith, W. Craig, & J. Moreland (Eds.), To everyone an answer (pp. 77-94). Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic.
Pazmino, R. (2008). Foundational issues in Christian education: An introduction in evangelical perspective. (3rd ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.
Dawn of Knowledge 
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