Photoshop

In this class, I am learning how to write html and how to use Photoshop. I must say that this class has me working very hard. I spend so much time in a trial and error mode that I feel like I am taking three classes at once with the amount of time I am putting in! I am still a little confused. You see, once I finally do get the desired look I want, I have spent so much time and various ways trying to do it that I sometimes don't know what I did do right. Do you ever get that way? Maybe I am just over tired and trying to do too much. Any how, I did managed to clone myself into a picture. A small success which I thought I would share. I am definitely a hard worker and I do have endurance, but this class is testing that.

What is the chance a probability instructor will email you back?

In my Probability class we have been working on a difficult conditional probability assignment for two (three?) weeks. The due date for it was extended because so many of us voiced that we were having a tough time with it. The assignment was meant to be a solitary assignment done over just one week, but the instructor felt that since this is an assignment used in the "brick and mortar" classes, we should also have the benefit of discussion. I was really glad for that, because I really struggled with one particular part of the problem.

Because there is just so much to get done trying to work full time and take two classes, I try to stay ahead of the due dates as much as possible. In this case, when the discussion board opened up, I found out that I was ahead of the class as far as my progress on the problem. My excitement over being able to discuss the problem was dampened because the discussion didn't really add much for me; I had worked all the beginning steps out last week, while others waited until this week to get started. (Let me add that I recognize that they are likely very busy too, and they have just chosen a different way to manage their time as far as when they do classwork. I know not everyone can front load their week like I do.)

So where was I to go for help? Email to the rescue! I am so pleased that our instructor decided to take the time to help me through the difficult steps, and I was able to turn the assignment in last night. We probably had at least 5 rounds of back and forth email over the past week. I am now well versed in writing out conditional probability notation. Solving the problem: no problem, just me and a trusty tree diagram, but the notation just killed me!

This isn't the first time an instructor has taken the time to respond to my email queries. In Algebra II I had a lengthy email chain with the instructor over an extension of a topic in the module, something beyond what the class covered.

So the chance you'll get an email back from my probability instructor? Experimental results say it is 100%

My first post!

Hi! I'm Jessica and I'm new to blogging with Lesley, but not new to blogging. I've been keeping online blogs and journals for over 10 years.

I am currently taking 2 online classes, Geometry and Probability. I've already completed 4 others towards my M.Ed. in Mathematics Education. I am thrilled that when the Fall 1 term is over, I will be over the half-way mark towards earning my degree. Since I am in Iowa, I will be doing the entire program online. I've found that the majority of my classmates are from New England (a few even take classes at Lesley's physical location) but I've also had classmates from all around the country, and one who was international.

Doing two classes at a time, working a full-time job, and maintaining my regular life can be a challenge at times, but it is definitely doable. With two classes there is a lot more to keep track of! It becomes a difficult balancing act during Week 4 and Week 8, when the self-assessments are due (I find that these papers take me a lot of time to do well), but all the other weeks it is just an exercise in time management. I still get to do the fun things I enjoy, but I have pretty much sworn off television- there just isn't enough time. Right now we are in Week 3, so as long as I do a little work each night, I know I will have enough time to get it all done.

Last night, I focused on my Geometry class. This class has been working on constructions, and we have been using three different methods for each construction: compass and straightedge, paper folding, and Geometer's Sketchpad. I'm a traditionalist, so I really like my compass and straightedge, but I've been really impressed with the capabilities in Geometer's Sketchpad. It is an inexpensive piece of software that can do so much. I've found that it is really intuitive to use and since computer use is so ingrained in students' lives, I think it is very important that we learn about technologies that can be incorporated into classrooms to help support their learning.

Web Design, Fun?

Here I am again, almost a full circle. I was the class blogger for one of my first classes at Lesley in pursuing my online graduate program and now I am on my final class to complete my Master's degree. I had never blogged before when I started. I now know so much more like, how to add video and pictures to a blog page (I'll try to find sometime to squeeze that in).

My final class is about web page design. I thought at first that this class was going to be a really tech type class with a lot of material that was above my head. Instead, I am brought back to my childhood when I would love writing secret messages in code.This class is about learning the HTML language used to write web pages. I am having a lot of fun with it. I write or place pictures into this code sequence, and then I can see it happen right before my very eyes. The instant feedback to see if I wrote the code correctly is a great way to learn. Of course, there are those moments when you try everything and it still does not appear the way you intended. That is when our instructor, Bill, comes to the rescue and usually untangles us from the web mess we created (no pun intended).

Picture source:secretbunker.co.uk

Welcome to Lesley University's Online Student Blogs

Greetings! On behalf of the Online Division at Lesley University, we are excited to have current student bloggers to represent our programs. This blog has been created in an effort to provide our prospective students with an inside look at what it is like to be a student in an online program at Lesley University. The postings you are about to read feature the authentic voices of students who are in one of our three Master’s degree programs in Education, focusing in Math, Science and Technology. We have put together a diverse team of bloggers brought to you from all over the United States. To view our other program offerings, please visit Lesley University’s Online degree pages at: www.lesley.edu/online

Ecology Ends

The chemistry between the students and professor was tremendous in my Ecology course. In our discussion forum there was a constant flurry of comments from us all on what we were learning, what we were seeing in our observations and any conclusions we were making. The atmosphere was such that you felt comfortable asking questions. There absolutely were no "stupid questions". Several classmates as well as our instructor shared global connections that helped to extend our learning and help us to apply what we had learned to the world outside our Lesley class. One of our final assignments was to complete the exact same thought experiment we had completed in the first week. We were asked not to refer back to what we had written originally but to infuse all the knowledge we had gained in 8 weeks into the new version of the assignment. We were all floored at the major gains we had made since the beginning. I am moving into my first week of my next class, Biology. I already get the sense that this class is going to be as eye-opening as the last one. As my former classmate Linda would say........
"Science ROCKS!"

Ecomp 6202 Week 5

This week we worked with online assessments. Many in my class chose one site, I and a few others tried Quizstar. I really liked this one (mostly because many of its aspects are again free). I was able to add PDF documents to the questions which would allow someone to read and refer back to text or diagrams in order to answer a question. A definite plus! The site has many other great features.

I also completed my paper on computer-based testing and submitted it. My schedule has been rather hectic, but I pulled off getting everything completed. With the flexibility of working online getting things done around my schedule is so much easier than trying to drive somewhere to attend a class.