EDLD 5301 - Week 5 Blog Submission: "What I learned"

I learned many things in this course:

• Dr. Abshire respects honesty and candor.
• On a side-note, she gets things DONE in a timely and succinct fashion!
• The resource section is the Holy Grail.
• Section ANE doesn’t like to respond to posts on the discussion boards.
• Action Research can be invigorating and intriguing.
• Many of my classmates like to post on their blogs Sunday afternoon and frantically ask for comments.
• Daniel’s Blogger Buddies are the BEST!
• The Harris, et al, textbook is a marvelous resource.
• Vertical alignment is an issue in the program, but that it's a lot better than it used to be (thanks Dr. Perez, my LFS).
• Dr. Ashford is a great I.A.
• Getting straight answers can be tough to do.

Here are some highlights of the course in a few areas:

Lectures

Drs. Arterbury and Jenkins are like the Laurel and Hardy of Educational Leadership.  They are masters in their field, but they never fail to bring the laughs to the party. I can tell that each of these gentlemen love what they do, and are very invested in the Lamar Educational Administration program. “That’s a great question, Dr. Jenkins”, and “Thank you for asking me about…”, are two of my favorite quotes from the good Drs.

Readings

As I stated above I am grateful to Dr. Abshire for selecting Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools: 8 Steps From Analysis to Action, by Harris, Edmonson, & Combs. This text was more of a “how to” type of manual with many great research instruments included. The Dana text, Leading With Passion And Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher, was also a great resource. She laid out a great map for future administrators to follow. I especially liked the last chapter which focused on where we will be as a “Head Learner”…always looking down the road!

Searches, like electronic searches of topics and questions

No real highlights here. I have been using the internet since the early 1990’s. I was the host of an online chatroom moderator (something some of the younger folks in this class most likely have never heard of) in 1993-1995, in the area of Contemporary Christian Music Composition for AOL & Prodigy. What I’m saying is that I feel rather comfortable in my skin as far as these types of things are concerned.

Assignments and activities

The assignments in this class were good. The creation of the ARP is the main crux of the class and I really appreciate it. The week 4 assignment was good for me as well. I didn’t mind posting to TK20, but I am still a bit unsure of what should be on TK20 and when. It seems that we’ve been asked to answer the same thing about three weeks of this course: “What did you learn?” etc. At some point we’ve put what we learned, how we’ll revise, and what is best. At some point you just have to let it go. The activities, I’m referencing the online chats here, are fine, but they drag a bit for my taste. The same questions get asked about 100 times, and it drives my ADD mind crazy.

Discussion Board

The discussion board is sweet and sour to me. I am up to discussing most any topic at any time. As my late father-in-law used to say, “I don’t have an answer for you, but I have an opinion!” It is in this spirit that I always jump into the discussion boards. The topics of the discussion boards are usually awesome, and they make me think. My concern here is that my section (I’m in section ANE) doesn’t reply to my posts. In week four I replied to five or six blogs, and I had one reply on mine. It’s a bit frustrating to say the least.

Blogs

Here we go, now! I love to blog; it’s like an open invitation to put my thoughts in the ethos. I am a performer; it’s what I was created by God to do. From the age of 18, I’ve been a professional musician. I recorded with Warner Brothers as a studio musician at the age of 20. I have given talks, sermons, seminars, and trainings to tens of thousands of people in three continents. Needless to say, I’m ready to offer my opinion, with as many words as I can, at any time. The use of a blog offers the perfect opportunity to ply my trade. Being able to read my classmate’s blogs has been eye-opening for me. I love reading the blogs and seeing what others are doing, how they are doing it, and what the leading edge of education is thinking. The use of the blogs is an invaluable tool in EDLD 5301!