Self and Unit Evaluation

This was a big few weeks for me. When I first enrolled in this class, (I was wait listed) I did not realize my husband was ill. His chemo runs every two weeks for five full days, and I had a lot of anxiety over whether or not I could pull this off. I have been working full time, playing nursemaid, mothering my children, and going to school. the fact that I finished this unit feels like a huge accomplishment. That is what I am most proud of.

Secondly, I am proud of the cell model. I spent a lot of time on it and I enjoyed putting it together. My 10 year old daughter, who is a true artist, served as a consultant and helper. I enjoy doing things with her.

Last, I am proud of the ethical issues essay. Not because I think it is any great thing, but just because it was fun to write, and I am interested in the topic.

The compendiums were a challenge for me and I worked on them almost simultaneously. I was not that happy with the first compendium. I felt the second is better than the first because the information was fresher in my mind. Now that I know I can edit the blog even after posting something, I think I will try finishing up topic one and then work on topic two. If I have new information that I want to add I will always be able to go back and edit. I also think I could have done better on the DNA double helix part of the cell model, I could not get it to look right.

I believe I deserve an A. What else am I going to say? I checked the guidelines for each assignment and tailored my work around the "A" requirements.

Again, I will probably modify the order slightly for the next unit.

Regarding the Unit

I felt most engaged while constructing the cell model. The model brought out a lot of discussion amongst my family. The information contained in the unit took a lot of brain power for me. I do not know that I ever felt "distanced" while working on the unit by the information or assignments, however the situation with my husband was a distraction, especially while he was in treatment. Fortunately he does not have to go back for two weeks.

The website is a useful tool. I appreciate it and use it constantly. One thing I found confusing in the instructions for the cell model was an instruction about the materials used being related to each other. I was not sure if that meant that they should all be of the same type or if it was referring to how the materials were used.

I was surprised at how creative the other cell models were. People did a really great job. I especially like Carrie's, it looked good enough to eat!