I am a mother of five tremendously beautiful boys, and a loving wife (at least I think I am loving) of 15 years. I have enjoyed for twenty years, and still do enjoy being a professional sign language interpreter, yet recently I had strong yearnings to complete my bachelor's.

My husband and I are dedicated home schoolers and when the decision came for me to go back to school I thought that an online program would be ideal to keep the consistency of our home school program. So I chose the very reputable Drexel University's online education program. It was the best decision I have ever made.

I am now the proud recipient of a B.S. in Education. I can't wait to continue my educational process and I am also committed to online education. I want to combine my interests of film editing and education into a MFA or PhD in educational/digital media.

• Prepping for the Praxis

  In education we have a licensure and certification testing process called the praxis. This is a two part series of assessments used to see if an individual has the basic skill set to be a public school teacher. The second series tests an individual's core knowledge of their specific area of expertise. I have already taken the first set of tests with the belief that I would someday be a classroom teacher, or at the very least find this certification to be of some benefit to me. I am no longer sure that the certification process will still hold any benefit for me. It's like having a "fallback." I know that I want to become a professor so why go through all of the other things that might actually take me off of my focus on becoming a professor. But let's say that something happens on the way to me becoming a professor. I will always have the fallback of being a certified teacher. Right? First, I should probably tell you all how much I am against these types of high stakes tests. I do not believe that they are an accurate assessment of someone's ability to do the job. I also do not believe that a high score on the SAT's or GRE's is an accurate assessment of the amount of knowledge a person possesses. Maybe the test taker was fortunate enough to be able to afford a great GRE prep course. So that being said, I am still back to the same problem. Do I take the test to certify myself as a public school teacher or do I continue on my road to professorship? I should also confess that I am somewhat of a test phobe. I get so nervous when I have to take a really big test. I normally do well, but the stress I place on my mind and body is far worse then the actual test. Add to:                      Posted Wednesday, August 06, 2008 10:40 AM by torimitch | 1 Comments Filed under: Academic Advice, Career

• No financial aide! No fellowships or assistantships either!

  During my process of researching graduate schools, I began considering fellowships and assistantships. I spoke to several admission officers and they told me that they ONLY give fellowships and assistantships to on-campus students. Many also stated that they do not offer any type of merit scholarship for their online students. When I asked why, their reply was, "We don't know? It just is." So, if I am required to do the same course work and the same thesis work… Why am I not afforded to the same perks as the on-campus students? What does this say about an online education? Are schools saying that online classes are different from the on campus course work? If this is true, then why do these schools offer online classes at all? I honestly find it more difficult to be online than it is to be on-campus. There is an never ending amount of time consumed in an online class, while an on-campus course is more defined. A person may come to class approximately three hours a week and maybe complete two hours worth of reading or writing. An online class is usually a daily check on the discussion board to see the responses to posts, then more responses to those responses. Finally, since I think University's are skeptical about the rigor of online programs, they assign about three times more work than the norm. It is the fate of being discriminated against. You have to work ten times as hard just to been seen as equal. My two B+'s came from my toughest online instructors. I received all A's from my on campus classes (even chemistry, I stink in chemistry!) If institutions truly believe in their online programs, why do they treat them as if they are less? Why did FAFSA decide not to provide financial aid to online programs? Does anyone know? Add to:                      Posted Thursday, July 31, 2008 11:20 AM by torimitch | 1 Comments Filed under: Online Studies

• Patience is a Virtue (but not online!)

  People say that patience is a virtue, and in the general scope of life, being patient is a very important quality. But when it comes to getting your grades back from an online course, the last thing you can remember is the virtuosity of patience. Especially when a paper or test is worth 30, 40, or even 50 percent of your grade! As online learners, we are notoriously known as being perfectionists. I remember visiting the discussion board frequently to see if my writings were going in the right direction. To help alleviate my concerns, my professors were great at grading assignments or giving feedback before assigning a final grade. Specifically, I remember the experience of my Science and Methods class. I enjoyed my professor, Dr. Gridina, even though she told me in an online post in front of everyone that I needed to "attend attitude adjustment camp." I knew that if I sent her an assignment early, she would give me feedback and send me a grade quickly. Even with an attitude adjustment, I wound up earning an A, and in the end changing some of my feelings about Science and Methods. I thank all of my professors and give them a round of applause for posting grades quickly and efficiently! Their feedback allowed me to grow and excel as a student. Now that I have graduated, it seems silly to have so much anxiety, but while I was in the program the feelings of desperation were all so real! Add to:                      Posted Wednesday, July 30, 2008 11:20 AM by torimitch | 0 Comments

• The soothing sounds of Dr. Ellen Scales

  Yesterday I was on the phone with one of my favorite professors and I asked to write her a letter of recommendation for my graduate application. During the conversation, I couldn't help but think how her voice brings a sense of tranquility to the chaos of collegiate life. Just hearing her on the phone reminded me of my desperate calls of trying to align graduation. So again, I couldn't help but laugh when she said, "You knew I would get you there." And these words rang true to me. I questioned for a long time my ability to finish my degree. Having someone like Dr. Ellen Scales in my corner was a major plus! It just so happens that Dr. Scales is not only an excellent teacher, (she was my professor for Learning Disabilities and Current Research and Curriculum and instruction) she is also the director of the Drexel Online Program. Dr. Scales gave the first online orientation and she has an uncanny ability of "getting the job done." This included somehow getting a fearful group of fledgling onliners all the way to graduation. I think she might be offended if she knew that I likened her to a mother, but this is really how she was. Checking up on each of us and letting us know that she was their if we really needed help. If anyone needed help we knew to call Dr. Scales! Even after graduation, she continues to be a support to me. Add to:                      Posted Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:52 AM by torimitch | 0 Comments Filed under: Academic Support

• Everyone should have an "online roommate"

  Many times people ask me about my online classes at Drexel University. For the most part, I attribute my success to the professors and the format of the program. Additionally, my cohorts played a significant role in my success. I started and ended this journey with a group people that I should give much more credit. The first person is my "online roommate," a classmate that was there for me through thick and thin. We frequently e-mailed and called each other to see if the other was still breathing. We also asked each other about the many assignments. Towards the end of the program we were desperate to graduate. We submitted our request for graduation and found out that there was ONE more class that we both needed to take. It was not offered online that semester, so we made a pact that we would finish this class together. We had our student teaching during the day, two online classes and one evening class. We were both over our heads, but we were able to support each other all the way to graduation! The night before graduation our professors took our core group out for dinner. It was one of the best nights ever! We laughed and reminisced like we had known each other forever. I guess in reality we knew each other for about two years of grueling and intensive program. I'm not sure if I would have made it without my online roommate or my cohorts. Now that I think about it, they were the support I needed when no one else understood what I was experiencing. They were going through the same things and could give me real advice and support. Thank you to all of them! Add to:                      Posted Wednesday, July 16, 2008 5:24 PM by torimitch | 0 Comments Filed under: Online Studies, Academic Advice