Almost there...

"Don't limit yourself. Many people limit themselves to what they think they can do. You can go as far as your mind lets you. What you believe, you can achieve." -- Mary Kay Ash

This is my final post, and a good-bye to Geri!  She is finished with the Master's program, and is a certified Reading Specialist!  (I'm jealous!....Just Joking, Geri is a hardworking person and deserves all the credit and praise)  Congratulations Geri, it was nice to finally meet you, and you are considered to be a wealth of knowledge.  Thank you for the many advice you have given, and I look forward to seeing you in the future, as you have become successful in completing the program.  (I wish I am where you are right now)  This semester seemed to be hard work, trying to finish my assignments for this class, and taking it along with another course, (namely ED644).  The other course in itself had much work to do, and considering I am the only one in the course, all fell on me to be completed.  Needless to say, I have completed the semester, with all my assignments in order (hopefully).
Again I hope to meet Geri again in the future, as she has proven to be a vital support for myself, in completing this degree.

Image Taken From: http://entrance-exam.net/era-of-online-degrees/
Quote Taken From: http://ripplemaker.hubpages.com/hub/50_Inspirational_Quotes_for_Teachers

On line course

"A teacher who is attempting to teach without inspiring the pupil with a desire to learn is hammering on cold iron." -- Horace Mann

It is interesting how there are many views on online courses, but I for one, rather engage in a classroom environment.  I like how there is a certain gain in experience the physical presence of others in a classroom setting.  Call me a romantic, but I do feel how an online course may at times be somewhat standoffish, and we may not really engage each other in debates of what we feel we are learning.  There are many advantages in taking an online course, and time being the highest factor of all, being able to work at your leisure, from the comfort of your home, but some may argue in fact an online course is more intense with work.

Image taken from: http://www.csitaustralia.com/
Quote taken from:  http://ripplemaker.hubpages.com/hub/50_Inspirational_Quotes_for_Teachers 

Pacific Literature

"Learning is finding out what we already know. Doing is demonstrating that you know it. Teaching is reminding others that they know just as well as you. You are all learners, doers, and teachers." -- Richard Bach

The article by James D. Sellmann Chamoru Social-Moral Philosophy  was interesting to read, coming from an insider's view, to read what an outsider has to say about the Chamoru culture.  There were quite a few things that stood out with what this person has said.  One, "Moral philosophy proposes prescriptions on how one ought to live; it does not describe the manner in which people actually live--" I thought it was very interesting how he said this, because when I read this, I kept thinking, we need to take everything with a grain of salt, especially when we read.  We need to take things into perspective, and we need to make our own conclusions of what we read.  I especially liked how he argued that we need to understand the past to gain insight into the present situation and the future development of a philosophical tradition.  Once we understand where we have come from, we will know where we are going.  It was interesting to read how he views the society today, and how he knows where we came from or are coming from.

Image Taken From:   http://highlandsr.spps.org/Social_Studies3.html
Quote Taken From: http://ripplemaker.hubpages.com/hub/50_Inspirational_Quotes_for_Teachers

Visual Literacy

"Ideal teachers are those who use themselves as bridges over which they invite their students to cross, then having facilitated their crossing, joyfully collapse, encouraging them to create bridges of their own." -- Nikos Kazantzakis

The Article Critical Visual Literacy: Multimodal Communication Across the Curriculum by Barb Blakely Duffelmeyer and Anthony Ellertson was interesting.  Literacy today involving technology is fast moving and at times may be hard to keep up with.  I for one, have not kept up-to-date with technology, for the sole reason of how things may be obsolete, at times it is confusing, with technology.  What I usually do is just learn along the way, learn how to use the technology, new commands that come up, the new programs.  The internet is very resourceful.  I saw a quote once that said, Google will give you over a thousand hits, but a librarian with give you the right one.  Some may argue that Libraries have become obsolete, because we have the internet, and all the information at our finger tips, that may be true to some effect, but we still need the guidance of an instructor, to show us how to use that information, and of course to validate that info.  It may also be argued that the hardest thing to teach anyone today is how to think.  Visual literacy aids us definitely, but how to interpret that information and with the right guidance is crucial.  As teachers we must take into account, and we cannot fight technology, we must comply, and learn what our students are learning.

Image Taken From: http://mason.gmu.edu/~jwillil/literacy.html
Quote Taken From: http://ripplemaker.hubpages.com/hub/50_Inspirational_Quotes_for_Teachers

A New Chapter

This is it!  I've finally reached the end of the semester as well as my Masters program.  I'm starting to feel excited, knowing that I'll be graduating soon; that is provided I pass these last two courses this semester.  Anyway, without sounding too mushy, I would just like to state my deepest appreciation to Dr. Rivera for all her encouragement and support throughout the courses that I've taken under her.  I don't think that I would have been able to come this far without her help, along with Dr. Stoicovy's and Grace Griffin's support, as well.  I would also like to say, "Nice knowing you," to Joe.  I really enjoyed chatting with you and providing feedback and comments from one another.  Good luck, Joe!  I hope you pass the Praxis II, too.  Farewell, but not goodbye!

image and quote:  http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http

School Rocks!

You can never be overdressed or overeducated
Oscar Wilde

It's the end of the semester, and it's been a long but interesting road.  In the middle of all the different activities, assignments, blogging, and finally the special project, I had to find the time to study for the Praxis exam which I eventually took on March 10th.  I'm the kind of student that enjoys being in a classroom surrounded by my professor and classmates.  I truly like the "on the spot" rapport, engagement, and feedback among each other.  On the other hand, online courses do have their advantages, especially the fact that one doesn't have to travel far to attend classes, and also the flexibility of doing assignments at one's convenience, especially if you're a full-time employee at your job.  All in all, it's been a great experience taking this course, and I just want to say that what I've learned, I'll be able to apply and use, now and in the future.

Image:  colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com
Quote:  http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/show_tag?id=education

Pacific Literature

Gatbo gi mena-hu, gatbo gi tate-ku. Gi hilo-hu yan gi papa-hu mampos gatbo.

Beauty is before me, beauty is behind me. Above me and below me hovers the beautiful.

 Navajo Prayer

As a true Chamorru in  every sense of the word, I had a special interest in reading the article by James Stellman.  This was was due to the fact that a non-Chamorru had the interest to write about my culture's philosophy and traditions, and also because I am a native of Guam, I was able to relate to it the most, over all the other readings.  I really enjoyed reading this short, but informative article that reminded me of the Chamorru way of life, most especially in the past.  The concepts of respect, reciprocity, and maintaining peace and harmony in the community are the focal points in Stellman's article, and although we do still see these features in today's society, I would venture to say that it's to a lesser degree than in the past.  Nonetheless, reading the article did bring back fond memories of life as a child and as a young adult.

image:  www.juggle.com
quote:   http://chamorrolanguage.blogspot.com/2008/10/famous-quotes-in-chamorro.html