Almost Heaven

Here in West by God Virginia we have a motto, "Almost Heaven" I'll tell ya, if we had the outter banks nearby you could drop the Almost and just go with "Heaven"

The weather is hot and the water is cool. A Perfect combination except NC is on fire. When it is all said n' done this will be the largest brush fire in the state's history. The winds blow the smoke eastward towards the beach in the morning and then about 9 or 10 the winds blow west and the smoke smell is gone. If you've lived in a house with a wood burning stove you know the smell I am talking about it. It is that smell when the flu is blocked or not working properly, like when you forget to open a window before starting your fire to create a draft and the smoke backs up into the house. Yuck.

The war is over

The debate of whether online education is equitable to on the ground education or vice a versa is tired, worn out and predictable. Common, lets move on already. The war is over. Online education has arrived and is here to stay. We are past the early adoption phase. Millions of Americans are taking online classes and our energies would be better serve them if we debated some of the next steps, formulated and tested theories, argued about how to improve the technology and what about the long term implications of online education! We are a capitalistic society and online education is a commodity. Ultimately it will be the consumer (learner and employer) who will drive the quality of education up or down. Demand more, argue less and focus on the future.

We need to start thinking beyond the differences and start thinking about the implications. Ethanol comes to mind; like the idea to use corn for fuel. The debate raged. Ethanol isn’t better than oil, ethanol is better than oil. Back n’ forth. With everyone consumed with that argument we forgot about the implications of removing corn from the food market resulting in increased food prices.

So, what are the implications to society as online education becomes even more prevalent that it is now? Take the long term family implications of online learning for example. My children are fifteen and eighteen years from taking their first college courses – assuming they go to college. If they choose an online education what does that mean? Will they stay at home longer? By that time and with oil prices the way they are I am sure telecommuting will be common place. Oh boy! Are you following me? Will our family unit in America be more like the units in Asia and Arabia where the children don’t leave home?

What about all those ties you make in on the ground education? The old boy’s network. How will online education affect the current class system in higher education? Will online education polarize this paradigm even more or will the increased access to education level the playing field?

Chestnut Trees

I made it to my back porch in time to enjoy the sunset. Irises and Peonies are in bloom. That's a red Geraneom in the pot on the brick and there is a little Willow tree back a ways to the right. The big tree in back that centers the picture is a Hickory tree. No shortage of squirrels around here with that tree and some Chestnut trees we have along the side.

The problem with Chestnut trees is that the nuts don't taste good over an open fire, or at least I can't get them tasting right. The buggers also drop these spiny nut casings, often void of the nut which was harvested by squirrels while on the tree. These porcupine like casings absolutely kill when you step on them with bare feet. You know how we do it here in WV; there is a real shortage of shoes so we are always walking around getting our feet dirty and of course if you have Chestnut trees close by you'll pull up your foot faster then a water bug in a pond full of bass. Ouch!

INSDSG 619 Post

I am up and running with my first blog. Funny, I never thought it would start this way. It is a beautiful day and all I want to do is go home and enjoy a cold beer under the cover of my back porch and watch my grass grow. I'll have to wait...

My assignment for my last Grad class in Instructional Design at UMass is to introduce myself to my class using this blog - I've had aspirations of starting a blog and sharing my joys and sorrows with the world, but I never thought it would start this way. Never the less, here I am, open to the world. Now, down to business and the introduction assignment.

Part 1
What made me want to take this course [ INSDSG 619 Design and Instruction of Online Courses]
Simple, Online Higher Education is the path my career in Education has taken me. Out of all the courses offered in this graduate program 619 hits closest to home for me as Director of Academic Computing at American Public University System where I do just that, Design and Teach online courses.

Part 2
What are two things that everyone knows about me? I am the son of the Mayor of Shepherdstown WV, I am the father of two wonderful boys and I am in the process of reforming my hudelum ways as I transition into being a grownup. People also may know me for many other things and those may develop over time, but are not appropriate for the purposes of this assignment.