What A Doctorate In Education Means To Me

Past life situations have dictated my chosen fields of study but a degree in education always has been my dream. As I progress through the Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership program at University of Phoenix, my goals are entirely the same as before I entered the program, to gain knowledge, help reform educational institutions, and help students achieve and reach beyond their goals. I am a lover of education and lifelong-learning and together with my passion for helping students the Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership is an exceptional fit.

Influences

From an early age I noticed the difference between bad, good, and phenomenal teachers and ever since my curiosity peeked. As time progressed I became more intrigued with people who believe in education and want to make a difference, and the first person I took note of was Bill Cosby. Bill Cosby is an actor most recognized for his work with the Cosby Show but he has a Doctorate in Education and has spent most of his career trying to educate kids and young adults. For example, The Cosby Show plots were always pro education and college. It was understood that education was the way to success and part of the way of becoming a better person. Bill Cosby is and will hopefully continue to be a wonderful ambassador for education.

As time progressed my influences came from other people who took education and helping others seriously like Dr. Cornel West, Bill Gates, Tony Danza, and most recently Sal Khan. Dr. Cornel West is One of America's most provocative public intellectuals and has been a champion for racial justice since childhood. His writing, speaking, and teaching weave together the traditions of the black Baptist Church, progressive politics, and jazz (Cornel West, 2011). These tendencies and his tireless commitment to knowledge are what I admire him most for. Bill Gates is best known for creating Microsoft Corporation and not for his motivation for better education. In past years Bill Gates has been a big supporter of education and has worked diligently to bring attention to teachers and the educational field. Gates (2007) believes learning is the indispensible investment required for success in the information age humanity is entering, and because of this I see him as continuing to do astonishing things for education in the future.

Tony Danza like Bill Cosby is an actor but before he became an actor he attended college to become a teacher. Even as an actor Tony Danza never gave up on his dream of becoming a teacher to help students, and eventually found a way to parley the two of them. Tony Danza developed a reality series called Teach and during the 2009-2010 school year, he took on his most challenging and rewarding role as he stepped into the classroom as a full-time teacher at Philadelphia’s Northeast High School (A&E, 2010). While watching the show I could see that Tony Danza is very passionate about teaching and making a difference in students’ lives and I found myself relating to him more than I had in the past.

Recently I have become a big supporter of Sal Khan and his Khan Academy. The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for better by providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere (Khan Academy, 2011). I am a firm believer in technology as a useful tool in helping students and educational institutions with learning because I believe once teachers and schools adapt to technology correctly, student’s retention of knowledge will increase dramatically. With my doctoral dissertation’s main subject area of education and technology Sal Khan and his Khan Academy will continue to be very influential toward me.

What the Doctorate of Education Means to Me

Currently I think I am well prepared to progress through the Doctorate of Education in Educational Leadership. My motivation and willingness to be wrong and learn from my mistakes will help me to achieve my goals and dream over time. However, my sense of my current position in the field is very low because my present field is not education and I may lack the practical experience that my fellow students have.

I see my studies having a profound effect on my future practices within the education field because of the knowledge and confidence I will acquire by finishing this doctoral program. One example of this is a reflective leadership plan I completed in COM705 and this plan allowed me to assess my current strengths and weaknesses, gaps within my leadership qualities, and the actions I need to take to improve. This type of study will continue to be beneficial to me as I progress through the doctoral program but as I continue throughout life as well.

With my current field being business I am comfortable leading within this field but I need to refine my knowledge of the educational system and how leaders react to various situations within this system. With this, the scholarship-practitioner-leadership model will undoubtedly help me in becoming a leader within the educational field. The model will help me to become more information literate, a better practitioner of the knowledge I have gained, and being a leader who accomplishes positive results.

Future Goals

My goals align phenomenally with the School of Advanced Studies mission statement. I want to be in a position one day to where I can help enable students and myself to develop the knowledge and skills necessary for him or her to achieve their professional goals, improve the productivity of their and my organizations, and provide leadership and service to mine and their communities. As I become a better rounded well respected individual I want to share my experiences and knowledge with students in hopes of projecting a positive influence upon them.

Conclusion

My life beyond this program will be greatly different regardless of a change in employment title or type. I will have gained knowledge, experience, and confidence to help me make a difference in other’s lives. This program will allow me to become a better person by enhancing my respect for others, listening skills, reasoning skills, thought process, and the asking of well thought out questions. My goal is not to only leave this program with extensive knowledge regarding educational leadership but to become a better-rounded person and join the educational and scholarship communities.

References

A&E (2010). Teach: Tony Danza. Retrieved from http://www.aetv.com/teach-tony-danza/about/

Gates, B. (2007). In Think-Exists online quotation’s dictionary. Retrieved from http://thinkexist.com/search/searchquotation.asp?search=Bill+Gates

Khan S. (2011). Khan Academy: About. Retrieved from http://www.khanacademy.org/about.

West C. (2011). Official website: About. Retrieved from http://www.cornelwest.com/about.html





What else is there to say but goodnight and goodnight to you Mrs. Amore, wherever you may be.