My learning process started with me taking 5302 and 5303. I have been out of school for over 15 years and didn't think I could start and finish my next lifelong goal. My father was my primary motivation in attaining this degree because he wanted to ensure that I was financially set in taking care of my son and me before time changed otherwise. I've been a dad's girl since I was little, so when his cancer returned, it made me spend more time with him than usual. This is how the start of my going back to school began. I come from a family of higher degrees. My mom holds a masters. Two sisters have mastered it, while my third sister is currently in school to get her doctoral degree.

 

5318 and 5320 have been challenging, and I should expect that since these are my last two classes. Going from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset wasn't easy during the courses, but with the support and guidance of my classmates, my dad and my best friend, the results turned out fantastic. I enjoyed collaborating with others that shared my frustration and ideas. Most of our conversations and feedback took place on the GroupMe app, which Lorena Guzman set up.

 

The GroupMe Team:

Lorena Guzman

Brandy Dinkins

Dricka King

Jenny Howard

 

Key Contributions:

We checked on each other periodically.

When one person needed advice or assistance, one of us would ensure that we responded.

We provided feedback for changes that needed to be made.

We offered comfort to one another when times became challenging.

We conducted weekly Zoom meetings on Wednesdays.

 

Honestly, I thought 5320 would be my most challenging since it is the capstone, but I was wrong. 5318 was my most challenging, and I even called my dad just to clear my mind after seeing my final grade on it. In my last assignment of Module 2, I didn't do well at all. I texted my team via GroupMe and shared my lack of not understanding the assignment. My team instantly provided me with their portfolio after getting their grade back to get a better understanding of what was being asked. I spent many hours making sure I address all details after seeing my team's work. I never heard of Canvas and it was new to me, so that took some time to get familiar with but after playing around with it for a few days, the canvas course became easy to use. I was very pleased with my assignment after redoing it. However, the lateness didn't change the grade I got after, so that part discourage me. I do want to apologize for the lateness and take this grade as a lesson learned and will do better on these situations in the near future.

 

Score

5318 - 90

5320- 92