We’ve been monogamous…
I have studied online as a full-time student.
We’ve seen other people…
I have completed additional specialist training (also done online) in online language instruction while still wearing the hat of the part-time online graduate student.
We’ve taken a break…
As with many professional development endeavors, they eventually lead to promotions. Mine did, but along with more money and a longer title, it also came with more work!! As a result, I had to take a break from my studies and trust that when the time was right, we would pick up where we left off.
We’ve had a long distance relationship…
During the time that I’ve been working on completing my MA in Online and Distance Education (a three-year part-time degree) I’ve lived in 7 different cities spanning 4 countries. If it wasn’t for the technology, I would have had to choose between my studies, which are both personally and professionally very important to me, and the numerous other aspects of my life.
I hope that a few things have emerged from this little blurb. One is that learning is a lifelong process, and sometimes it can feel like a love/hate relationship. But as with all relationships, they’re only as good as you make them! The second thing that I hope translates is that online learning (whether it be fully online or mixed in with a bit of face-to-face instruction) is a flexible approach to developing your knowledge and skills. And the third aspect of online learning, and the one that is probably the most fundamentally important to me, is its ability to seamlessly connect you to a border-less world.
2 Responses
June 16th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
Gosh you really keep up your blog: I just do not have that sort of consistency. Learning is lifelong for some: I think academics always knew this, however the ‘web’ makes this a possibility for all. I wonder about those who are not engaged in lifelong learning…is this a new division in society that is creeping in?
When we introduced one to one laptops at a school (one of my bigger projects) ‘any time any where’ was a phrase that was bandied about and this comes across strongly from your ‘blurb’. Your on line learning is also ‘constant, consistent and uncomplaining’ what more could you look for in a relationship.
June 17th, 2009 at 6:06 am
Hi Les,
Nice to ‘see’ you outside of the FirstClass forums 🙂
‘Any time any where’ is touted a lot, you’re right, but I think that it means very little to people unless they are either looking for a solution to ‘any time’ or ‘any where’ (or both). If students already get their fill in the classroom and aren’t really that interested in doing extra work on the side or taking their learning in their own hands, the ability to access information (much less engage with it) from anywhere at any time isn’t really that great of a value proposition. I think we’re getting back to the discourse of technology being great when it serves a purpose, but just adding it on as a bell (or a whistle) won’t get you very far.
Cheers,
Katherine