What's the Buzz?

Hello again to all of my lovely readers and followers. It's been a very busy first month of the fall semester for me, and I'm happy to have found a few moments to sit down and write a new post!

I've been bouncing around ideas and post titles in my head over the past several weeks, and I thought I'd begin here. I want to take a moment to discuss "buzzwords" with you this evening.

I come across a LOT of buzzwords on a daily basis as a graduate student. Some of the top buzzwords on the campus of Texas Tech University are (in no particular order): honor, respect, tradition, civility, ethics, and diversity. We hear buzzwords in politics, advertising, social media, our workplaces, etc, etc, etc.

But... have we ever thought of our own personal "buzzwords"? I've decided to co-opt this term and apply it to my own life. So, my "buzzwords" are terms that get me excited, ideas about which I'm passionate, items to add to my "bucket list" even.

So, please indulge me and allow me to share just a few of them with you.


My number one buzzword right now is "accessibility." As someone passionate about the performing arts and all they can do to help shape a person's life (they've certainly helped to shape and define mine), I hope to be a force in making the arts accessible to everyone in the community in which I live. Every movement begins at a community level, right? I also hope as an artist and art enthusiast, I can help make art relevant (through conversation, demonstration, and all means of communication) for people who haven't had an awesome experience with it yet in their lives. A girl can dream after all.

My other current buzzwords are "learning," "imagination," and "creativity." With all the current focus on standardized tests and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), we're losing sight of what kids are learning. They are learning to be strategic test-takers instead of thoughtful people experiencing deep learning. (For an excellent resource on deep learning, see L. Dee Fink's Creating Significant Learning Experiences. See also Also, PBS's Arts and the Mind. I can recommend others, as well.) Without an emphasis on imagination and creativity- which are part of the arts and humanities- an education is unbalanced. One can learn all the formulas and equations which could lead to the cure for something like cancer or AIDS, but without having exercised imagination or learning creativity, one may never have the inspiration to apply all the math and science. So, I'm keeping as reminders those three little personal buzzwords that mean so much to me, "learning," "imagination," and "creativity," and I keep holding on to the hope that a greater understanding of a well-rounded education isn't a far-off pipe dream.

Now that I've shared just a few of my buzzwords with you, I'd love to read some of yours. I'm sure our lists will be ever-evolving as we grow and change, but it's a fun and worthwhile exercise in keeping what's most important to you at the forefront of your thoughts and efforts.

Until Next Time...
Ro Huizinga