CEREN OCAK

 

The first year in the Learning, Design, and Technology Ph.D. program has been a life-changing experience. It has been full of achievements and disappointments. Being an international student, however, I have learnt the importance of embracing my failures as well as the achievements. This is the key to success.

 

First of all, it would not be wrong to say that it has been an academically productive year. Being a member of the RAIL Robotics Team, I worked on the science content development for the 4th graders RAIL Robotics Curriculum. In addition to the curriculum development, I have gained invaluable research experience by taking part in the analysis of the video data that have been collected during the implementation of the 5th graders Robotics curriculum. Working on embodied cognition, Dr. Kopcha and I sent a proposal to 2017 AECT Convention in which we traced students’ learning through the embodied cognition in Robotics. Additionally, we have been working to write a journal article: Embodied cognition in Robotics- a case study.

 

Prior to focusing on embodied cognition, I was working on technology integration from the perspective of in-service teachers during my master's studies. Completing my masters’ thesis in Technology, Pedagogy, Content Knowledge (TPACK), I transformed the thesis into a journal article and submitted to the Journal of Computer and Education as a first author. Besides, I will be presenting my master's thesis in April at the AERA Annual Meeting 2017, in San Antonio.

 

Overall, I am satisfied with my first-year performance. Yet, this does not mean that I have never suffered. I have been through continuous fluctuations in my performance, in other words, motivational crisis. There have been times that I felt disappointed by the feedbacks that I received on my scholarly writing. Taking baby steps towards my goal, however, I have always been sure what I wanted at the end of the day. Therefore, I always find the courage to continue my path till become a highly qualified researcher. Accordingly, in the second year of the program, hopefully, I will continue to do what I desire as a  member of the LDT community.