Self-expression via blogging

The traditional learning environment is one where the professor teaches and the student learns, but college is supposed to be different.  Professor Kurpis’ class is one of the few classes offered at Baruch that actually breaks tradition.  He creates an environment that allows everyone, including himself, to be the student AND the teacher.  One way Professor Kurpis has created this construct is with this blog.  This communication tool allows for students to give their input on assigned topics or on other people’s entries, make management connections to class activities and speak freely of any sort of management-related topic on separate entries.  The management blog is surely a benefit to us students.  With a lecture class of about 70 people, it’s hard to interact with everyone; this blog allows me to communicate with a great many others that I haven’t gotten the chance to speak/work with in class. 

The blog did effectively get me to reflect on what we did in class.  I haven’t gotten the 5 extra credit points at any point during this semester yet, so every time a new blog assignment is posted after a class activity, I use the assignment as my chance to review what I did wrong and think of what could have been done better, hoping that it would be helpful for the next class activity.  Writing my own entry for each assignment allows me to gather my thoughts fully together, which is helpful when I go to my fellow classmates’ blogs to comment on their entries because then I'd have something valuable to offer them as a response.  Commenting other students’ blogs made me think outside of my comfort zone at times too, which allowed me to understand their points of view and opened my eyes to new perspectives on certain things. 

There was a decent amount of outside reading to do via the blog.  The various management topics introduced in Professor Kurpis’ blog did not directly relate to the course material, but they certainly related to topics that I’m sure many of us could relate to.  The “cabinet” entry got me to realizing that it’s best that I surround myself around good people that won’t intentionally bring me down and that networking is vital.  The “time management” entry was surely insightful because all college students experience trouble with it at some point, and it fitted in perfectly with many of my peers’ biggest management problem entries about time management.  The “success” entry opened my eyes to new ways of defining the word and caused me to mentally change some of my personal goals.  The last entry about our generation’s image problem was definitely helpful because it gave me some insight as to why I haven’t gotten a job yet. 

The overall assignment to manage this blog did relieve some test anxiety.  I like free writing and I don’t get to do it often because I don’t usually have time, but this blog allowed me to do so since it was required.  It was enjoyable because of its lack of strict structure and directions; it let me explore management freely in my own way and allowed for the in-class discussions to continue outside of the classroom.  I think it tested our grasp on the material more so than the actual exams because it allowed us to add in our input; the exams were straight textbook material.  My test anxiety wasn't completely offset because I get EXTREME test anxiety and do really badly on tests; I’m just hoping this 20% (if I get the full credit) can make up a good deal for my atrocious test grades =/. 

I’m not sure if I’ll continue posting on this blog after this class has ended, but I might.  This blog assignment has reminded me of my days when I used to blog on Xanga, and I kind of miss them.  Blogging is a good way to vent, share ideas, network and get input from other bloggers.  Still, I don’t know if I will feel comfortable sharing personal information on this particular blog, but I might use it as a professional/career blog (when I get to that point, which is hopefully soon).

 * Definitely continue using the blog as a component for this course.  No other professor or teacher that I’ve had has ever done something as innovative as this.   The blog is a unique form of communication that allows everyone to speak their minds, even the quiet ones like me.  It’s definitely better than the tool on Blackboard, especially since Blackboard continuously is down.  The only suggestion I would make is to have more management topics/entries that aren’t related to the course.  Since there’s no time limit to respond to those entries, it isn’t that hard for students to reply to them.  Those were enjoyable to read.