Final Thoughts

When I registered for this class, I worried about taking a course online and at first was sceptical.  I had tried to take an online course once before and it was brutal. However, that was a calculus course so I don’t think much has to be said about that.  As this class began, I quickly realized there would be a substantial amount of student involvement, thought-provoking articles to read, as well as a knowledgeable instructor, much like the classroom atmosphere that a student would hope for.

I have really enjoyed taking this course. Throughout the process, I have been encouraged to think about the purpose of the article and then write from the heart.  Many of the articles that we read really got me thinking about life and what some people have to endure. My problems seem very small and insignificant compared to others. I think we are fortunate to have writers among us who make us walk in the shoes of others and also challenge us to evaluate our positions and biases. This was the most valuable lesson that I discovered. It was valuable for me to think about what I had read and then write about what I thought were the important ideas from the essays of others. I have always considered myself to be a moderately effective writer and have been critical of my ability to write well.  I felt that the essays chosen to read were extremely interesting and each week I looked forward to each new assignment.  With the comments that were made about some of my assignments, I was also encouraged to improve on my writing skills and it allowed me to have a positive opinion of my capabilities as a writer.

Of all of the articles assigned, my favourite was “Dumpster Diving” by Lars Eigher. I was really drawn into this story; literally walking beside him, as he went from one dumpster to another.  It was a heart wrenching story.  Even at work, I encouraged others to read the article because the City of Lethbridge, my employer, has initiated a housing first project, in which the main goal is to end homelessness in the City of Lethbridge.  My least favourite reading was “Code Breaker” by Jim Holt. I say that with an explanation because I really did enjoy reading this article because there were many interesting facts that were written about Alan Turing. I just found myself wanting to skip through the descriptions of the machines, knowing that there were more interesting things coming.

In closing, I just want to thank Laurie and my fellow colleagues for all the helpful suggestions and input into my work. I really enjoyed the course and would recommend it to other students.