From distant collaboration to collaborative presentation: the EdD and one bedtime story more

Abstract

As part of their ever-evolving doctoral journey, the authors presented their recently-published article ‘The EdD and one bedtime story more! An exploration of the Third Space inhabited by mothers working in educational leadership whilst studying for a professional doctorate’ (Gibson, Shanks and Dick, 2017) at the Greenwich SHIFT Teaching and Learning Conference, 2018. From distant collaboration to collaborative presentation, the conference brought together two of the three women who had written the article together via online communications between London to Scotland in a virtual ‘third space’ (Soja, 1999), having never previously met face to face. Third spaces, such as online messenger platforms as used by the authors, can provide a place for individuals to collaborate, and identities to develop. The article focused on the “ever-present pressures, tensions and opportunities for women leaders in education” (Gibson, Shanks and Dick, op.cit., p.172). This conference piece draws parallels between the pressures, tensions and opportunities that conferences can provide. The article offers an opportunity for further reflection on the experience of the conference as yet another part of doctoral study and makes links to the original article’s claim that study can be a ‘third space’ (Soja, op.cit.). The conference revealed itself as the ideal third space for both professional and personal development.