1) Who are you?

I am an Associate Professor of English and Director of the Masters of Arts in Writing Studies Program at Kean University in New Jersey, USA.  My passion for literature is rooted in my belief that reading and writing are essential to communication, connected learning, and participation in a public commons.  I am also a scholar of Electronic Literature (literary works that originate in a digital environment and require digital computation to read.)

I enjoy writing about how digital technologies are transforming education in the 21st century.  I have been a leading voice for the practice of open networked education, co-founding several global learning networks including Equity Unbound (#unboundeq), Networked Narratives (#NetNarr), Connected Courses (#ccourses), & Connected Learning MOOC (#clmooc).

I am honored to be a two-time Fulbright award winner and a Mozilla Foundation Open Leader.  And last year to my own surprise and delight, I was nominated by the students and alumni of Kean University as Professor of the Year.  I love teaching and collaborating, and the co-learning that emerges from my teaching practice is the heart and soul of my research and scholarship.

2) What is your vibe? Share it in a meme or quote…

Funny, I think during this crisis time I am more reflective than ever about our humanness.  Maybe because life as we have known it, has been upended. I am sharing here the quote I used when I graduated from high school (so long ago) because it happens to capture my vibe today.

I guess in some ways, I haven’t changed much at all:

3) What gives you hope these days?

Walks in nature with my family, cooking new meals, the Spring flowers blossoming in our garden each day, and the quick notes of concern and care I receive from friends in faraway places. And my students, who make me smile when I see them on screen, and who continue to be thoughtful and creative in a time that is so difficult for everyone.

4) Who are you learning from lately?

I have learned so much from my co-chairs – Daniel Villar-Onrubia and Jonathan Shaw.  And I have also learned so much from ALT‘s Maren Deepwell and Martin Hawksey.  Working with them this past year preparing for #oer20 has been a wonderful learning journey full of discovery, smart professional integrity, and friendship.

In addition, I am so grateful for my global network of friends and colleagues (shout out to my “Continuity with Care” peeps in particular).  We have been in closer touch ever since the pandemic has gained global momentum, sharing so many of the ups and downs of our more recent days. In admitting what we struggle with (both professionally and personally), we are all buoyed by generosity, kindness, and insight.

5) In your opinion, what should we all be caring about? Why?

We should be caring about each other, and the quickly shifting future we have a stake in. It is true that this is both a painful and fearful time, but in crisis, often we also have the chance to realign our priorities and identify what is critical as we move forward with hope. The pandemic will forever change the way we build, we learn, and the way we connect. There is simply no way that our lives will resume as if this had never happened.  So I want to imagine a world that emerges from this crisis as a more caring one.  And I want to do my small part to move us in that direction.

6) What do you hope to take away from OER20?

I hope to take away new insights, new friends, and new work partnerships.  I hope to identify new work-in-collaboration which pushes to re-define the future of education (leaving some mistakes behind, and forging better solutions moving forward).  And whatever new projects may come after #OER20, I hope that my work will make a difference in protecting our humanness – because we must assert that our human behavior is more than the sum of our data.

Shared by: @MiaZamoraPhD

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