My current capabilities are at the master’s level and my subject of focus is science. While I have mastered several areas of scientific study, I do have challenges in certain areas. Because of my status as a single parent and the status of this class as an online one, I anticipate certain needs in order to excel in this class. The online nature of the class already does a lot to provide the flexibility that I need in order to manage my child’s rearing and the requirements of my class.
However, another provision that will facilitate this is the access to tutoring online (or even through a local joint program with educational institutions in my town) that will allow me to have one-on-one held with the difficult concepts I am likely to encounter with the classes. Other supplementary aids that would be beneficial to me are the provision of laboratory facilities (also through a joint program at a local educational institution) that would allow me to get some exposure to the methods and results of experiments that may be pertinent to the topics being studied.
This is necessary as I do not have the facilities at home that will make such experimentation possible. Furthermore, this will also facilitate my research, as it will provide me with the theoretical and practical tools that will enable me to complete the field and analytical work for my research project. Given my strengths as an independent learner, prior access to the reading material (as granted through online and other programs) are a means by which I will be able to become familiar with the material before viewing lecture notes.
However, I have found that my learning style relies heavily on my audio-visual senses, and the benefit that online lectures would grant me includes an added level of reinforcement. Therefore, getting as many online lectures as possible up and available for download would be a significant and effective addition to my program. Furthermore, it would grant me the ability to watch and re-watch areas of the lecture that may have been problematic. During the times in which tutoring might be deemed necessary, would also be necessary for me to hire (or otherwise be provided with) day care facilities for my child.
This would also be important during lab sessions, when it would be necessary for me to leave home. Mentoring would also be very helpful for me as a student, and this form of mentoring might functionally be coupled with advisory. Advising is, in fact, one of the biggest areas in which I might need one-on-one personal help. This is important as I am not now knowledgeable about how to navigate the degree in a way that will allow me not only to finish on time, but to research construct and present a paper that will contribute significantly to the general knowledge in my area.
The research paper I know will be one of my biggest challenges, and I will need a lot of support in performing the statistical analysis of the data that I will collect. I will also need help in finding the most suitable and testable topic (or hypothesis), and in identifying methods that are appropriate in collecting and making sense of the data. In addition to this, I will also need some technical support in performing other actions using the computer.
While I am familiar with basic applications such as Microsoft Word and browsers used for the internet, the instant messaging and voice services that will facilitate the tutoring are likely to be a challenge for me. Not only would I need help setting up these services, but also learning how to use these applications once they have been set up. The individualized education program (IEP) is very important in ensuring that persons enrolled in academics are able to make the best use of their time in the classroom, whether that classroom is virtual or traditional.
People must be taken as the individuals that they represent, and quite often blanket educational programs do not offer the optimal support to persons based on their lifestyles, constraints, disabilities, and learning styles (Baumel, 2008). The individualized program takes these variables into consideration, and as a result offers the most comprehensive method of teaching to the individual learner.
Reference
Baumel, J. (2008). “Individualized education program—an overview. ” GreatSchools: the Parent’s Guide to K-12 Success. Schwab Learning. Available: http://www. schwablearning. org/articles. aspx? r=73