As I sat and reflected on my first graduate level course,
there are so many great things I took away from it. The first value that I got
from this course was self-confidence. Nosich (2013) described assumptions as
anything taken for granted when you think about a subject or idea. I had the
assumption that I would not be able to do well in a graduate level class. I had
been out of school for 13 years and doubted myself for thinking I could go back
to school. I also had just witnessed my girlfriend go through the Leadership
program and excel. I watched her put long grueling hours into her schoolwork
and thought to myself “I’m not sure I could have the motivation to go to grad school.”
Also, this being my first ever online class I was not sure I would be able to
succeed in an unfamiliar way of learning. The final think I was very
self-confident about was my writing. I was never a strong writer in school so
that has been one hurdle in this course. This course has made me realize that
if I do put the work in that I can succeed.
Another value I got from this course was critical thinking.
Before this class began I did not really understand critical thinking and
definitely did not use it in my everyday life. This class has taught me to be
more cognizant of my thoughts and to think about my thinking. Nosich (2012)
described critical thinking as thinking around the circle using the elements of
critical thinking. This is something I have tried to be more aware of over the
last two months. The final value this course has added to my life is purpose.
It has given the confidence to work toward something that may better my
professional life.
With all of the positive aspects of the class, there were
also a few negatives. I’m sure all new grad students have that moment where
they ask themselves “what have I done getting back into school?” Oddly, my moment came in week 2 in the “tell
your story” blog. Looking back, I have no idea why this assignment was so
difficult for me, but it is the one that caused my “what have I done”
breakdown. I am sure it had to do more with the writing self-confidence than it
did the actual assignment but it was rough. Eventually, I was able to convince
myself that this is information I knew before I started this class and was able
to get over that hump. The learning curve for week 4 and 5 was also a little
difficult. I had never been asked to complete an annotated bibliography or
literature review so they caused a bit of an issue.
As I contemplate what I could have done to improve my
learning experience, I am not sure I have an answer. I do not believe there is
anything I could have done differently. I know in my heart that I gave
everything I had to each assignment. I was well prepared with the readings. I
run at 100% all of the time and had the same level of input throughout this
class. The couple of issues I had with this class had to do with my own self
confidence. I feel like I was able to overcome those issues throughout the
class in order to have success.
I do not believe the instructor or university could have
offered any additional support to improve my learning. The university offers
the Hunt library which was very useful in gathering the research for my action
research project. Also, the modules were very easy to navigate each week in
gathering the assignments. My instructor for this class was great. I could not
have asked for anything more in my first Masters class. He offered great
feedback in the grading process. If there was an issue with APA (which I am
sure the entire class had at some point) he suggested what pages to look at in
the APA book in order to correct them for the next assignment. He also sent out
weekly announcement not only encouraging us but also giving advice how to
complete each assignment that particular week.
When reflecting back on the course I do not think anything
we learned was irrelevant to my experience. I enjoyed everything that was
offered in the class and tried to see the value in it all. Some of the things I
found particularly relevant were learning APA, critical thinking skills, and
SEE-I. I have mentioned my struggle with writing. This class helped me to learn
APA, though I still need work on some of the areas. I know this will be
invaluable as I continue in this program. I have already touched on how much I
took away in terms of critical thinking. One thing I found very relevant in
this class was the SEE-I method. I have used it various times in my writing and
know it will come in handy throughout my next eleven classes. A module I found
relevant was module 3. I especially enjoyed Sheena’s Ted talk. The reflection
on her talk made me realize that the assumptions American’s have about choices
can be wrong in certain situations.
I have an unfair advantage regarding what I expect to see
out of future leadership courses since I watched my girlfriend go through the
program. I do not remember all of the subjects that were touched but I do
believe the courses go deeper into the types of leadership and how they are
seen in organizations. I also remember her taking an ethics course that sounded
interesting. I know one thing for sure, if I am able to learn as much in my upcoming
classes as I did in this one then I am very excited to see what the future
holds.
Reference
Nosich,
G., M. (2012). Learning to think things through: a guide to critical thinking
across the curriculum. Pearson Education, Inc. Boston: MA.
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