Okay, the title of this post is sarcasm at its best. Let's just admit from the outset that I am a control freak and that should pretty much cover it. That said, this week we ventured into the world of online classes.
Yes, I enrolled my daughter in her first foray into the outside world of learning at the ripe old age of fourteen. Now I know some of you are going to just bust a gasket over this but let me explain first. Kitten is special. She's not like most kids. No, she's not autistic or OCD, and she is not handicapped in any obvious way. But she does have a condition that makes her look at the world her own special way. I don't need to elaborate on that except to say that she processes information differently than you and I and sometimes communication can be challenging if you are not aware that she isn't hearing what you think you are saying.
So to make a long story short, I have been her teacher for so long because I have learned how to communicate with her. But life requires that we adapt and I have realized sooner is better than later at this point.
We discovered Landry Academy thanks to suggestions from some friends. Since we began Speech and Debate this year, I thought their class entitled Great Orators would be a super place to start. I registered her for the class and awaited educational enlightenment to descend from the waves of the wifi.
Enter Murphy, as in that playful fellow who's surname is "Law." We go to the library to get the book and tahdah, they have two copies! The librarian hands me one off the shelf and we proudly head to the check out. To cover our bases, I also order a used copy from Amazon so that if need be I can read with her and we can discuss the speeches together. It is four days before class and we are almost ready.
Landry Academy has a great IT department to help you get your computer ready for class. It took me two hours to do this but I was using an older PC and it had some JAVA issues. Their IT guys cleaned it up though and we were ready for class on Monday!
First day of class. She logged on and all was well, until she tried to find the page in her book the teacher was reading from. Page 1100? Our book ends at 9 hundred something or other. What? Huh? Hiccup number one: the copyright date the syllabus listed for the book was 2004. Our books were dated 1997. The syllabus did not state that we needed the third edition, nor did it state that the book was in its third printing in any way so naturally I assumed (don't say it, I know) that this book was in its first edition. I sincerely hope the teacher corrects this oversight in future to prevent similar circumstances as we were not the only attendees with the problem. I went back to the library and the other copy? 2004. My lucky day. Moving on.
I had this brilliant idea that Kitty could do her class while we were on vacation. I mean, really, it's only an hour and a half of class, right? Right. Well, she did pretty well, considering she had to read four speeches a day plus take a quiz before class each day. I was proud.
Then we hit quiz four. I must interject a short explanation here for the reader, did I mention I am a control freak? I am also a former college professor and a real stickler for accuracy. The quiz contained two errors: one question did not list the correct answer among the choices and another question was worded ambiguously and was, therefore, misleading. What to do. I was really worried that if I emailed the teacher she might get angry and think I was criticizing unnecessarily. But hey, wrong is wrong and I figured it needed to be corrected so I emailed.
Many times in the past I have been raked over the coals for questioning accuracy similar to this situation. This teacher was gracious and receptive and contacted ALL the students asking them to retake the quiz and fill in the answers for those two questions so they would receive the points. Wow. Just wow. I was so happy to see this. And happy to see students seeing a teacher admit mistakes, correct them, and give students their due grade. Kudos to you, Landry Academy teacher of Great Orators!
So the whole vacation thing was working fine until I got sick. Bronchitis. I was down and out. It would have been fine except that we were planning to do the fifth quiz Monday morning and as it turned out I was in desperate need of a doctor at that moment. The quiz had to be done before noon, when class started. And Kitty had a dental appointment at nine. So I called around and got an appointment for 10am. I was really thinking I had pneumonia and was going to end up in the hospital but God is so good, it wasn't so. The appointment took a whole fifteen minutes and we were out of there. Prescription in hand I hustled home so she could take the quiz before heading out for some much needed antibiotic relief.
I am hoping the second week is less eventful, but did I mention we are traveling to Oklahoma this weekend? More school in the car thanks to my hotspot. Actually, I like school in the car. I mean, where can they go? No distractions and they are seat-belted in. Perfect environment for learning how to stay focused for extended periods of time.
The first four days I sat and watched like a hawk. I have since stepped aside and the wheels are turning on their own. My daughter is embracing the goals of the class and the necessity of the daily work and schedule. She is currently earning a high B, almost an A in the class. There are two weeks to go, but our first goal has been achieved, she is learning from someone other than me and she is liking it.
It's like watching a baby bird learning to fly, although you realize they catch on pretty quick and soon fly higher and farther than you ever dreamed they'd go. But that is the goal, and this momma is proud. Sniff, sniff.
Yes, I enrolled my daughter in her first foray into the outside world of learning at the ripe old age of fourteen. Now I know some of you are going to just bust a gasket over this but let me explain first. Kitten is special. She's not like most kids. No, she's not autistic or OCD, and she is not handicapped in any obvious way. But she does have a condition that makes her look at the world her own special way. I don't need to elaborate on that except to say that she processes information differently than you and I and sometimes communication can be challenging if you are not aware that she isn't hearing what you think you are saying.
So to make a long story short, I have been her teacher for so long because I have learned how to communicate with her. But life requires that we adapt and I have realized sooner is better than later at this point.
We discovered Landry Academy thanks to suggestions from some friends. Since we began Speech and Debate this year, I thought their class entitled Great Orators would be a super place to start. I registered her for the class and awaited educational enlightenment to descend from the waves of the wifi.
Enter Murphy, as in that playful fellow who's surname is "Law." We go to the library to get the book and tahdah, they have two copies! The librarian hands me one off the shelf and we proudly head to the check out. To cover our bases, I also order a used copy from Amazon so that if need be I can read with her and we can discuss the speeches together. It is four days before class and we are almost ready.
Landry Academy has a great IT department to help you get your computer ready for class. It took me two hours to do this but I was using an older PC and it had some JAVA issues. Their IT guys cleaned it up though and we were ready for class on Monday!
First day of class. She logged on and all was well, until she tried to find the page in her book the teacher was reading from. Page 1100? Our book ends at 9 hundred something or other. What? Huh? Hiccup number one: the copyright date the syllabus listed for the book was 2004. Our books were dated 1997. The syllabus did not state that we needed the third edition, nor did it state that the book was in its third printing in any way so naturally I assumed (don't say it, I know) that this book was in its first edition. I sincerely hope the teacher corrects this oversight in future to prevent similar circumstances as we were not the only attendees with the problem. I went back to the library and the other copy? 2004. My lucky day. Moving on.
I had this brilliant idea that Kitty could do her class while we were on vacation. I mean, really, it's only an hour and a half of class, right? Right. Well, she did pretty well, considering she had to read four speeches a day plus take a quiz before class each day. I was proud.
Then we hit quiz four. I must interject a short explanation here for the reader, did I mention I am a control freak? I am also a former college professor and a real stickler for accuracy. The quiz contained two errors: one question did not list the correct answer among the choices and another question was worded ambiguously and was, therefore, misleading. What to do. I was really worried that if I emailed the teacher she might get angry and think I was criticizing unnecessarily. But hey, wrong is wrong and I figured it needed to be corrected so I emailed.
Many times in the past I have been raked over the coals for questioning accuracy similar to this situation. This teacher was gracious and receptive and contacted ALL the students asking them to retake the quiz and fill in the answers for those two questions so they would receive the points. Wow. Just wow. I was so happy to see this. And happy to see students seeing a teacher admit mistakes, correct them, and give students their due grade. Kudos to you, Landry Academy teacher of Great Orators!
So the whole vacation thing was working fine until I got sick. Bronchitis. I was down and out. It would have been fine except that we were planning to do the fifth quiz Monday morning and as it turned out I was in desperate need of a doctor at that moment. The quiz had to be done before noon, when class started. And Kitty had a dental appointment at nine. So I called around and got an appointment for 10am. I was really thinking I had pneumonia and was going to end up in the hospital but God is so good, it wasn't so. The appointment took a whole fifteen minutes and we were out of there. Prescription in hand I hustled home so she could take the quiz before heading out for some much needed antibiotic relief.
I am hoping the second week is less eventful, but did I mention we are traveling to Oklahoma this weekend? More school in the car thanks to my hotspot. Actually, I like school in the car. I mean, where can they go? No distractions and they are seat-belted in. Perfect environment for learning how to stay focused for extended periods of time.
The first four days I sat and watched like a hawk. I have since stepped aside and the wheels are turning on their own. My daughter is embracing the goals of the class and the necessity of the daily work and schedule. She is currently earning a high B, almost an A in the class. There are two weeks to go, but our first goal has been achieved, she is learning from someone other than me and she is liking it.
It's like watching a baby bird learning to fly, although you realize they catch on pretty quick and soon fly higher and farther than you ever dreamed they'd go. But that is the goal, and this momma is proud. Sniff, sniff.
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