By: Debbie Owen on January 10, 2024
When I was a school librarian and first started teaching middle and high school students how to do research in 2004, the information landscape was drastically different than it is now. Yes, they were using the internet, but Wikipedia was considered an unreliable, forbidden resource for any purpose at all (now, depending on your topic,…
By: Shela Sullivan on January 9, 2024
Originating from Malaysia, English stands as my third language. Fortunately, I come from an English-speaking family. My first English story book was Little Red Riding Hood. I was captivated by Little Red Riding Hood’s bravery as she walked all alone into the forest to visit her grandmother with a basket of bread. Subsequently, my academic…
By: Diane Tuttle on January 9, 2024
I grew up in a chaotic home. To survive I needed to find coping mechanisms. Mine was escaping into a book. I could get lost in a story that took me to faraway places and adventures where my imagination let loose. Reading all kinds of books continues to bring enjoyment. As this semester began, I…
By: Adam Cheney on January 9, 2024
Over the course of the last year as I have been thinking of starting Seminary, I decided that I was going to increase the veracity of my reading. Last year, I read about eighty books. This year I set a goal to read one hundred and twenty. Some of these were academic, some a bit…
By: Jeff Styer on January 9, 2024
Fortunately, I was raised in a family that encouraged reading at a young age. I can still recall some of my favorite childhood books that I would return to over and over again such as More Spaghetti, I Say and The Biggest Sandwich Ever, both written by Rita G. Gelman and Mort Gerberg. Upon entering primary…
By: Graham English on January 8, 2024
The last few months have been humbling as my rate of learning has increased. I am mentoring a young leader who introduced me to Obsidian in early 2023. I was intimidated at first but as I played with it, I grew to appreciate the ability to connect thoughts and ideas. I have a long way…
By: Ryan Thorson on January 8, 2024
Someone recently asked me why I decided to begin a doctoral program when it seemed, at least in their eyes, completely unnecessary in my personal and professional life as a local church pastor. Since I had wrestled with that same question myself before beginning the program, I answered with a metaphor: I shared with them…
By: Glyn Barrett on January 8, 2024
One of my strengths and weaknesses is that I don’t particularly like leaving things unfinished. I would not consider myself a perfectionist, but leaving projects unfinished creates significant irritation. Consequently, although I have always engaged with reading, I have usually read books from beginning to end, just in case I am missing something. Fear of…
