Final thoughts

I have learned some things this semester, and they don't all relate directly to the goals of this course. I did learn course-related material; I now have knowledge of how materials should be cataloged, although that knowledge is not as extensive as it could be. That is my fault, and that realization is part of the other learning I have done. Looking back over the semester, I see that I should have applied myself more. I should have participated in, or at least perused, the discussions. I am going to end up with a grade that is less that what I would like to have, but what I will receive is what I have earned. I have found that I enjoy online coursework, but I have also discovered that, left to myself to study, with large gaps of time between assignments, I tend to wait until the last minute to do anything. During my first semester, which was in the summer, I was taking two classes, and there were assignments due almost every other day. I felt stressed by the schedule, but I believe I was better off by being under pressure on a more consistent basis. There was more accountability. I don't have a direct quote, but I believe someone once said something about the things that are more difficult are better for you. Maybe it was, "no pain, no gain". Now, I am not saying that I blame this semseter's schedule for less-than-perfect work I submitted, but I am saying that if I come across this type of schedule again, I'll need to force myself to pace my work so that I don't try to do it all at the last minute. As a classroom teacher, I have found myself acting like some of the students I teach - the ones that frustrate me the most. Go figure.

Wow. There is a lot of stuff to have to understand about all this cataloging and organizing and coding. I have not devoted nearly enough time to learning this material. I suppose now, upon reflection, I was wrong in thinking that all of this might be easy just because I enjoy filing and organizing things. I'm concerned about the quiz I just took. I think I did ok on most of it, but the added entry part got me. In truth I haven't really studied it, and I simply didn't have time to learn it during the quiz. I'm thinking that not participating in the discussions and the optional graded assignments wasn't such a good idea. I guess I thought I could get by without all the interaction, but it definitely would have helped. However, there is still time to make progress. This wasn't a final I just took, and I would like to do much better when I do take the finals. Here's to kicking it into gear on the final stretch.

At the end of February...

Well, I've made it through ISBD and AACR2 with a pretty solid understanding of how those cataloging systems work. Once I realized that creating a block record was simply "filling in the blanks", so to speak, it made much more sense. I didn't pick up on what was happening right away, but I'm not surprised. I was telling my wife just the other night how much easier it is for me to learn something when I watch someone else model instead of just reading about how to do it in a book. I think some things would have been easier for me to learn had I taken traditional graduate classes instead of online classes. However, I do enjoy the freedom to work/study on my own schedule, so it isn't all bad. Besides, I'm almost halfway finished already.

The MARC format seems a little more daunting to me because it deals mostly with symbols and characters instead of just punctuated words and phrases. I think I'll get through it successfully, but it might require a bit more focus and attention.

Beginning thoughts

As I begin this class, I am finding myself in an unusually busy state. In addition to my responsibilities as a 5th grade teacher and my course load in this class, we are in the process of moving into a new house. The closing is on Thursday, February 4, and we have been packing some each day in preparation. Therefore, I probably have not gotten as far into the course work at this point as others in the class. I realize, however, that there is a lot of material to be learned, so I plan to begin studying and practicing in earnest tomorrow.

Although the examples of coding I have seen so far seem like a foreign language at this point, I don't feel particularly intimidated by what is to come. I am looking forward to the challenge because I actually enjoy organizing and labeling things and trying to crack puzzle codes. I am aware, though, that overconfidence is most times not an asset, so I plan on taking the coursework seriously and devoting the necessary effort needed to master the skills. I'll let you know on the last day of February if I'm still feeling positive or if I'm totally overwhelmed. :-)