Well, it is hard to believe but this is my final post for this class. Seems like I have been on a whirlwind tour of some kind. The experience though has been invaluable. I have learned so much and much of it can already be taken back to my job for implementation. This is the sign of a well designed class. My classmates as well have made this experience one I will never forget. As I have mentioned previously, I am so not a fan of group work but this class actually made me enjoy it. I am not sure how he did it, but whatever method Jim used to put together our group was great. We had some bumps in the road but we were all understanding that life happens. Made me realize that this is how I need to live my life as well.
I am on to the next phase in my Grad School career which is finishing up the "course" work so to speak. I have to complete the e-Learning Practicum this summer and the Portfolio class. Once those are complete, I am done with course work. I only need to complete my thesis and I will be a teacher with her Master's in Education. I remember in the '80's watching the movie "The World According to Garp" (which is great by the way - personal bias I am sure) and his children as talking about the students their mother teaches. The youngest son cannot say graduate students so he calls them "gradual students". This is what my family has been calling me for almost two years now. In a way, that little child is actually correct since it should be a gradual process of learning. If we rush things, there is so much which can be missed. Even though this course was only a short eight weeks we really didn't seem to rush it at all. We covered many aspects of assessment and I am sure could have covered many others given time. But then again, even in a semester long course there are still things at the end which could have been covered so it isn't necessarily a matter of time but what you do with that time.
Ending the course with the unit on Discourse Analysis was quite interesting. I especially enjoyed learning about the different types of people we encounter in life or in an online world. How many have you encountered from supporter, informer, and flamer? Believe me, I have met them all and do not enjoy being around a flamer as there is no reasoning with him or her whatsoever. The other aspect I enjoyed learning about was the type of people who call in to CSR centers and how they should be handled. It was quite interesting to think back on my days in retail and see many of the people I have dealt with fall into one or more of the categories. Interesting if you really look at it but as teachers aren't we in the customer service area too? I am sure our parents could easily fall into one of these categories as well if we truly thought about it.
Time to take a final bow and say "Au Revoir". The ride has been grand, educational, and a learning experience I will never forget. Thank you Jim for showing us what a great teacher is all about in so many areas. After obtaining my Master's, my goal is to teach online at the university level. If I can be half the teacher you have been then I will be a success. Here's to pursing that dream and making it a reality!
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