On Being a Fellow
February 25, 2011
Editor’s Note: Want to join the Joan Ganz Cooney Center team? Apply to be the 2016-2017 Cooney Center Fellow! We are accepting fellowship applications now through April 4, 2016.
“This can be a pretty quirky place–do you think she would feel comfortable here?” Apparently, this is one of the questions that Michael Levine asked Bárbara Brizuela, my dissertation advisor, before I became a Cooney Fellow in 2009. I think Bárbara was particularly proud of her response: “She went to MIT, how much quirkier can you get?”
I wanted to share a little bit of my experience with young scholars who may be interested in becoming Cooney Fellows themselves, so this is probably a good time to share this little known fact: the Cooney Center is not quite as quirky a place as the opening line may have led you to believe (and I can say that, because I went to MIT). I immediately found everyone to be quite down-to-earth and approachable. That is, if you’re not too distracted by the Sesame Street toys that sit on everyone’s desks, regardless of position, race, or gender.
Another little known fact about the Cooney Center: there are very few people that actually comprise “the Center.” In fact, it is not uncommon to hear around the Workshop, “Where exactly is the Cooney Center?” To which we reply, “These three offices.” This is, of course, an outstanding compliment. It’s hard to grasp that fewer than ten people are able to accomplish quite so much. This also means that, as a fellow, you are never short on things to do, projects to work on, papers to proof, or blogs to write.
For a person who finds it extremely difficult to say “no” to an opportunity, the Cooney Center can be a dangerous place. There are so many fascinating projects always looming on the horizon that I sometimes feels like a kid in a candy store (or, as I experienced yesterday with my daughter: a baby in a bookstore). Thankfully, Lori Takeuchi, our research director, does a good job of keeping everyone grounded. She’s the little voice in the back of our collective head always reminding us of our research priorities and asking the question “Does this project fit within our research priorities?” [For the record, those priorities are: (1) the new coviewing, (2) networked participation, and (3) bridging learning.] If something doesn’t fit within those priorities, but still seems “really cool,” we might just do it anyway.
Most of my time recently has been spent as project manager for the National STEM Video Game Challenge. Students, professionals, and amateur game designers have designed some amazing games aimed to teach young children science and math. From designing the project goals to evaluating entries, no small detail was overlooked as we figured out how this project would not only serve the Center and our priorities, but how we could best steer the project towards an outcome that could truly have an impact on children. Throughout the course of this project, I was fortunate enough to meet so many passionate people who care about education that it certainly impacted me and where I wish to steer my career in the future.
Overall, this experience is unlike any other postdoc one could find. Nowhere else in the world will you run independent research, work with a close-knit team who all have extremely diverse backgrounds, and have Muppets at your holiday party.
Learn more about the Cooney Center Fellows Program and download a PDF with more information about the 2011-2012 program, including qualifications, terms of the fellowship, and application timeline.
