Greetings,
As we continue to live and work through these unique times, I would like to encourage all of us to keep our eyes open for silver linings. With rapidly changing personal, professional and community needs coupled with the physical distancing we are all adjusting to, it can be easy to overlook what is actually being learned and how we are growing to meet new challenges.
At face value, the term “social distance” does not necessarily compliment nor support the idea of community engagement, however, one of the key criteria for learning through new experiences (as well as designating a community based learning (CBL) course section) is the incorporation of intentional and guided reflection.
The use of reflection can be a powerful vehicle for learning, especially when it is utilized before, during and after new and unfamiliar experiences.
The opportunity to learn through reflection has never been better. As I do some reflecting of my own, it becomes more and more apparent to me that the communities I knew before may never be the same again, and the needs of today will likely be different in the months and years to come.
The emergence of new needs, new challenges, and new opportunities demands new ways of thinking and new approaches with regards to how our work, respective disciplines and areas of expertise might serve the greater good. Stepping back to reflect on a prompt like this can serve to realign the level of relevance each of us might have as an academic in both our physical and academic communities.
Networks of Support are being formed now at GVSU. Although many of us are limited with how we engage in the community for the moment we can all begin making connections and plans to support the communities we love for the future.
- Travus Burton
