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Goals

Jump to EDIT 701 conclusions

Upon entering the program

It wasn't supposed to be a Master's degree in Education.

Years ago, I thought I'd take a year off – some day – and get a Master's degree in Journalism. I grew up wanting to be a sportswriter and I always figured I'd add another Journalism degree, you know, to take a break from the grind. Eventually, I became a sports editor, and I kept thinking about getting an MBA. The degree was sexy in the 1980s and 1990s, and seemed like a way of jumping high in the management ranks.

I never pursued it because, frankly, statistics bored me – as did budgets and accounting.

I left the newsroom, turned an extra bedroom into a home office, and with a 10-year-old Mac, became a webmaster. Working for myself, I worked through the night many times, teaching myself HTML, JavaScript, Flash and ActionScript. I was always the smartest person in the room (the dog and cats were no match), but I found I was re-inventing the wheel every day. I had no one with whom to share knowledge. I started attending conferences and workshops, and I learned at an exponential rate. Soon, I was working again in the corporate world, guiding companies in interactive strategy.

But still I'm alone. Because the Web is so young, companies hire just one person like me. When I'm working on Google ranking strategy, or figuring out best practices in Flash, I may as well be back in that spare bedroom – I'm all alone again. Sure, blogs are a terrific way to learn what another person's thinking, but it's difficult to get a reliable (and correct) answer to your own questions.

Then I "discovered" the Educational Instructional Technology program at GMU. I'm looking forward to learning from and collaborating with students and professors in standards and best practices for the web and interactive applications. At last: An environment where we're all thinking interactively.

And a degree in Education is appropriate: The Web is all about learning new information.

Upon leaving the program

I want to establish a professional network here at George Mason, which will include both ID peers, educators and staff. The ID program is a nerve center for information and connections throughout the Washington, DC area. Graduates and recruiters alike flow to George Mason for education, like the e-Learning symposium, and referrals for possible job applicants.

While I plan on building my personal network through my address book and LinkedIn profile, I'd like to work with the ID program to build a social network for a knowledge base. This could include a wiki, archived information and group blog, discussion board and job postings.

Career

Now that I've earned my Graduate certificate in e-Learning, I've developed scaffolding for further learning in Instructional Design and project management. Most of what I've known about planning in my career has aligned with ID and PM principles; I simply lacked the nomenclature. I've found I've been using a version of the ADDIE methodology, but now have a clear understanding of how to apply precise guidelines.

As I mentor peers and employees, I'm now able to outline the principles of ADDIE as well as agile and waterfall PM methodologies, and help people understand the benefits and risks of each approach, then choose the correct methodology for the correct situation.

Lifelong learning

Anyone involved in the interactive world has settled into the role of lifelong learner. In the short-term, I learn through postings on blogs and wikis and feel comfortable challenging the facts or pursuing more information. I'm also interested in a being a professional trainer, teaching adults on-site and online, much like this class.

EDIT 701

I want to be careful not to alter the work I've done in EDIT 601, which is a chronicle of the work I did through the halfway point of my program, and resist the urge for revising history. What follows are my reflections specifically on the seond half of this graduate program.

Upon leaving the program

Now that I'm graduating, I'm awash in emotions: melancholy, wonder, regret, fulfillment, exhaustion, gratitude, expectancy.

  • Melancholy: I wish I had built more of a community during this program, with fellow students, professors and instructors, and professional instructional designers. Part of the reality of a part-time program is everyone's time is limited. I learned so much from my peers in our work gropus, but nothing from students in other groups. I thought (and still believe) the Fairfax Hard Times Cafe should be a satellite campus for the ID protram, a (calm) fraternity for students to exchange ideas and proposal after class. Only a few times was I able to talk people across the street and through the parking lot for further discussions. For me (as a learner and communicator), that was the est time to develop my social network.

  • Wonder: I think I'm smarter now than when I started. I've developed cognitive skills and study habits I didn't have before. I now have a better context and metrics through which to evaluate and assess what I do and do not know. I've been able to interview and gather requirements with potential clients, but this program has helped me better measure the progress and learning as a result of these interventions. While I've always considered the user in my online construtions, I know know how to determine how and why the users makes the choices they make.

  • Regret: I wish I had done better work in this class on more meaningful projects and I wish I could have been on time for class.

    In Dr. Bannan's class, she talked about her time at Stanford University. Professionally, I've always considered Stanford graduate programs the gold standard. They develop programs that get notice — and eventually job offers — from the communities they study. Google was spawned in a doctoral project and patents and businesses are regularly created in graduate programs. I though our projects should be at that level, whether we worked with either the Fairfax schools or goverment, different programs inside George Mason University, or any of the companies and associations in the Washingon, D.C. area. In our classwork, we created small, theoretical studies. And though it would mean even more time, I think it's fair to expect this graduate program to produce better work.

    • The Instructional Design program is based in the Commerce buidings in Fairfax City, which is a godsend. Because the program is two miles short of campus, we saved 20 minutes on commuting, parking and parking costs. But I advocate for Arlington campus classes. The Arlington campus is atop the Virginia Square metro, opens the program to a DC audience and makes late afternoon clas — ses feasible for working professionals — wich is nearly the entire student audience. I've said my peace about how classes need to be taught in the 7:30 hour instead of the 4:30 hour, but most of my fellow students were able to regularly make it to class online.

  • Fulfillment: Since high school, I've always seen myself with a graduate degree. I just couldn't see myself as a graduate student. When I scoped out the coursework in this program, I saw 36 consecutive months of hard work in a new field for me — education. Man, was I right. I'm proud of myself for this accomplishment.

  • Exhaustion: Frankly, this program wore me out. Each semester, I'd spend Saturdays and early mornings staying ahead of my reading. Any family cold, business trip or late project would knock me off my rhythm, and nearly every semester I was catching up. I encourage everyone — even you, dear reader — to get your graduate degree, get it while you're young, get someone else to pay for it, and go full-time.

  • Gratitude: Thank you to the staff, faculty and students of George Mason University. I'm extremely proud to be a student and alumni of the university. Go Patriots.

  • Expectancy: Where do I go now? I have talked with Dr. van Rooij about a career track as a chief learning officer. I've tried and I don't see executive management in me or my futre. In so many conference rooms, I explain what Instructional Design is and define use cases, learner profiles and instructional stragies. Often, I get blank stares. But, sometimes, I see smiles and nods from consultants across the way, and with those people, I build wonderful, meaningful projects. I keep looking for them and look forward to working with them again.