Welcome to Selected Reads, a haven for book enthusiasts everywhere. I am Med Kharbach, your guide on this bibliophilic journey.
About my blogging journey
With a Ph.D. in Educational Studies from Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, Canada, and more than a decade of K-12 teaching experience, I have always been driven by an intense passion for both education and books.
I channelled these passions into creating two unique platforms: an EdTech blog and this site, dedicated to book lovers like you and me. My journey into the world of blogging began in 2010 with the launch of Educational Technology and Mobile Learning (ETML), aimed at aiding my fellow EFL teachers in integrating technology into their English language teaching.
Over a decade later, ETML has grown into a top-ranking EdTech blog with a library of over 7000 posts, and is frequently referenced by prominent academic research journals, books, and media outlets, including The New York Times and Huffpost.com.
On the other hand, the inception of Selected Reads tells a more personal tale!
I was fortunate enough to grow up in a home where books were cherished. My mother, an ardent reader, surrounded us with her favourite titles. I would lose myself for hours exploring the pages of those books. This early immersion kindled in me a lifelong love for reading.
In 2013, I launched Selected Reads to share my passion for books with fellow readers. However, the demands of my Ph.D. program led me to put this venture on hold temporarily. But a flame had been lit, and it was just a matter of time before I would return to this project.
Fast-forward to June 2022, with a successful defense of my doctoral thesis behind me, I felt an irresistible urge to resurrect Selected Reads. My love for books had deepened over the years, thanks to the countless titles I’d read and the new-found world of audiobooks that transformed my “dead time” into exciting reading hours.
Yet, this desire was not just born of personal passion. A more personal, heart-rending event nudged me towards this direction. At the end of 2019, my mother suffered a brain injury, rendering her quadriplegic and comatose. Amidst this tumultuous period, books and running became my solace. Reading to her, holding her hand, I found comfort. Thus, Selected Reads is more than just a blog; it’s a healing journey, a tribute to my mother’s love for reading.
My mission with Selected Reads is simple yet profound: to share books that stimulate your intellect, inspire you to take action, and are worthy of your time and resources. I envision an inclusive community of readers where we learn from and inspire each other’s journeys. I invite you to join me on this adventure, exploring the transformative power of books in our lives, and consequently, in the world.
Selected Reads extends beyond merely sharing book reviews and recommendations. It is a platform where we engage in thought-provoking conversations and ponder about the ideas that our reading ventures inspire. I am excited to learn from your insights and look forward to your participation in discussions.
About content creation
My EdTech philosophy is to always embrace and leverage the power of evolving technology and one of these technologies that is now taking the internet by storm is artificial intelligence (AI). As such, I do use various AI tools to enhance the creation and quality of the blog content you enjoy here at Selected Reads.
Among the AI tools I employ are ChatGPT, Jasper, and Koala. These remarkable tools assist me in a plethora of ways, allowing me to generate detailed book summaries, execute effective paraphrasing, and undertake rigorous editing. They’re instrumental in brainstorming new and exciting ideas, thereby fostering a broader range of discussion topics and reviews for us to delve into.
These AI tools have a unique capacity to expedite the writing process, and at times, they even inspire with their outputs. However, I believe it’s important to note that they function as aids in my work, not as replacements for the human touch.
While AI plays a pivotal role in streamlining content production, I remain your primary content creator. It is essential to clarify that I do not trust the content generated by these AI tools. Instead, I meticulously review, edit, and sometimes completely overhaul the output to ensure it aligns with the standards of quality and authenticity that Selected Reads adheres to.
Thus, each piece of content you come across on this platform is a collaboration between cutting-edge technology and human creativity. It is a fusion of AI efficiency and human nuance, emotion, and judgment.
In this synergy, the ultimate goal remains unchanged: to provide you, my fellow readers, with stimulating, insightful, and quality content. I look forward to continuing our journey together, exploring the transformative power of books, assisted by the capabilities of AI, but always grounded in our shared human experience.
About my academic profile
As a scholar, my academic pursuits encompass curriculum studies, discourse analysis, language learning/teaching, language and identity, emerging literacies, educational technology, and research methodologies. I’ve been privileged to present my work at numerous national and international conferences and have seen my research published in various esteemed academic journals such as
- Discourse & Communication
- Discourse & Society
- Journal of the Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies
- Antistasis (University of New Brunswick, Canada)
- Journal of the International Association for the Advancement of Curriculum Studies.
My professional affiliations include:
- The International Society for Research on Identity
- Canadian Society for the Study of Education (CSSE)
- Canadian Committee of Graduate Students in Education (CCGSE)
- Canadian Association for Curriculum Studies (CACS)
- Canadian Network for Research on Terrorism, Security, and Society .
You can find an overview of my academic publications on these platforms:
Beyond the world of academia and books, I find joy in running – an activity that, much like reading, provides an escape, resilience, and moments of self-reflection. The parallels between long-distance running and a lifelong reading journey are striking – both require endurance, discipline, and the ability to find joy in solitude. These elements shape my philosophy towards reading and life and are integral to the spirit of Selected Reads.
In the end, this isn’t just about me or the books I love. This space belongs to all of us, the book lovers, the life learners, the dreamers, and the doers. I hope you find in Selected Reads a corner of the internet where you feel inspired, challenged, and at home.
Thank you for being here and joining me on this journey. Happy Reading! ?
One book at a time, one page at a time, and one story at a time.