In the summer of 2000 I began an online Masters program at the University of Phoenix. I wasn’t expecting too many bumps in the online road. After all, I regularly spent time on the Internet; I used chat programs and newsgroups and my job title, District Instructional Technology Coordinator, had me firmly entrenched in all that was new and cutting edge. Or so I thought.
At the end of my first week “in school†I was panicked, confused and overwhelmed. It quickly became apparent that this virtual schooling was not going to be easy. To my colleagues, I am known as one of the most methodical individuals in my school district, yet in the online classroom I was disorganized.
During the first course, I had printed every article, Email, group project, student-to-facilitator communication, lecture, and assignment. I struggled to work within a synchronous and asynchronous environment, while juggling my teammate’s schedules, multiple assignments, and my day-to-day job. Finally, after the first course, I realized I had to make some changes. Otherwise, I would never make it through the full 20 months of the program. Through that initial baptism by fire, I quickly developed a set of tips that my fellow classmates and I found useful.