18
AUG
2024
Kindness costs nothing
I have just returned from a wonderful few days in Prague. I went with my Mum to make some lasting memories with her and explore a city we had both not been to before together.
Overall, we had a really amazing time away. The hospitality was great. Everyone was welcoming and friendly. I think that being super friendly and saying thank you, as well as tipping every time we bought food and drink really helped.
Being kind, smiling and showing gratitude is a sustainable way to get by everywhere, but I think it is important to respect other cultures and know that not everyone is outwardly open and friendly.
On our way home, I encountered a man serving me at a cafe at the airport, he got very aggressive when I asked for our coffees to be put in real cups, not paper ones, as we were customers seated at the cafe. It really caught me by surprise. I was used to everyone being kind. I realised I did not tip him, could that have been it? Or was he just having a bad day?
It can be hard in situations like that not to react back. I just walked away and ignored his antagonisitic vibe. Another man at security in Gatwick ushered me through telling me that we hadn't got all day...I was waiting for the nod to walk through as you can also get told off for going through too fast. Sometimes you can't please everyone, but you can keep being kind.
I was reminded of this when I picked up my bags, almost home after a full day of travelling, from the sign above the conveyor belt (photo to the right). Kindness can be one of the most sustainable things we can give in our lives. If everyone was a little bit more kind, I am certain the world would be a happier place.
Reflections on Being a Digital Scholar
Reflecting on my current networks, I can see how they have expanded in the last twelve months. A part of this has been due to my new role as lead for inclusion in my department (DLTE). This role was loosely delineated, and I did not really know what to expect from it. Joining the inclusion committee as part of this role has given me insights into activities and barriers in each of the schools. It has also educated me in sector-wide developments, such as the National Equality Outcomes (SFC,2023). My external networks in this field have developed from the attendance of conferences and running of workshops around using vulnerability as a tool for radical action in inclusive education. This has created a broader community of practice (Wenger, 1998) and has resulted in giving guest lectures on this topic with my colleague, who is a mentor of mine due to their depth of experience in this field.
In the future, I want to search for and apply for more funding opportunities in the area of inclusion and have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues from other institutions and bodies, such as Advance HE in this area. One way might be to keep abreast of the latest developments in this area through the SHED community. The Scottish Higher Education Developers is a collegiate and open community of academic developers, and they run regular meetings and an annual writing retreat (SHED, 2014).
The other main area is the collaborative aspect of sustainability in the curriculum work, which spans the University. I am currently searching for external networks, both in the tertiary sector and more broadly. An interesting cross-over I am now seeing is the application of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN, dated), where equality and diversity are gaining greater representation (SDG 4, 5 and 10). This is also a strong overlap with the areas of inclusion and sustainability in the field of social justice, where my work has been in support of local communities and mangrove conservation. I would like to expand my network by connecting with international scholars, such as Maha Bali to develop my practice and understanding further in this important area. Maha has paved the way for Open Education Resources (OER) social justice and pedagogies of compassion and care. I am teaching and facilitating learning in these areas at ENU but would like to externalise these further.
Finally, I am keen not to lose all the learning I have done in my PhD. sssssI am continuing to publish in the field of mangrove socio-ecology, in the hope of becoming an external examiner in this topic in the near future. I have strong networks in the marine conservation circuits but need to maintain and expand them. As the digital world is now an established space for academics, there is scope for digital communities of practice to be created and transformed in ways which encourage collaboration and opportunity to connect (Huang, 2024). Indeed, the blended aspects of learning and teaching can enable relationships to be built upon which transcend time zones and countries, therefore the potential to expand my digital scholarly network is the greatest it has been.
References:
Advance HE (2025). Equality, Diversity and Inclusion | Advance HE
Bali, Maha (2025). Reflecting allowed. Reflecting Allowed – Maha Bali’s blog about education
Huang, Hsin-Chi. (2024). Enhancing doctoral learning through virtual communities of practice: an autoethnographic perspective. Frontiers in Education. 9. 10.3389/feduc.2024.1347052.
Scottish Funding Council, (2023). National Equality Outcomes Data Reporting and Guidance. Available from: National Equality Outcomes Data and Reporting Guidance - Scottish Funding Council
Scottish Higher Education Developers (SHED), 2014. https://shedscotland.wordpress.com
United Nations, (undated). United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511803932
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