Blog Post #1

Before this semester began I was told by other students that EDM310 is a very time consuming class. How it was explained to me, EDM310 focuses on self discipline and your grade will be a direct reflection of your efforts. Finally, I was informed that there was zero tolerance for late assignments and that the lack of regularly recorded grades is also an area of concern for many students. Although I was apprehensive about the course I decided to register and find out for myself.

I am apprehensive about many things pertaining to EDM310 but the lack of a structuralized grading system seems to frighten me the most. As college students we are often trained to obtain educational achievement by reaching the bar that is established by the professor. After reading the syllabus and other course related documents it seems that rather than reaching a bar set by someone else we are required to set the bar for ourselves with no regard to anyone else, that in itself can be a bit overwhelming. There is also a fear of being judged. A blog is very personal and is available for everyone to see, that can place an enormous amount of pressure on someone who is new to the concept.

EDM 310 is similar to a few courses I have taken at the University of South Alabama, for example EDF 315. Both classes provided very detailed course information and set very clear expectations for perspective students, especially a zero tolerance policy for late assignments. EDM310 is also very similar to EPY355 in that they both set expectations that a certain amount of time needs to be set aside each week to complete the course work presented to students. My first Bachelor's degree from the University of South Alabama was in Criminal Justice so I have been exposed to a variety of courses. Each course provided a unique set of guidelines and expectations. For instance, attendance was not required in CJ390, alternative dispute resolutions but it is mandatory for certain dates in EDM310. In MA202, Math for Elementary School teachers, all assignments are promptly loaded into Sakai and our current average is always available for review, vastly different from EDM310 where grades are not the focus of the course.

I personally feel that time management will be the most difficult aspect of EDM310. I am a full time student, mother and part time employee with the Mobile County Public School system so it will be challenging to ensure that EDM310 gets AT LEAST 9 hours of my time per week, but it is very possible.

Planning my weekly activities in advance will be the best way for me to address the "most difficult" aspect of EDM310, which is time management. By keeping detailed notes and properly documenting assignment due dates and exams days I will ensure that I can devote the required amount of time to EDM310.

Since grades are not considered important in EDM310 I would like to know how a students knows whether or not they are not meeting the required expectations by the add/drop date. I would also like to know if throughout the semester any extra credit assignments will be available. The best way to address these questions is to ask previous students or directly consult Dr. Strange.