Hey, that's my idea....

Original ideas are not always important or useful. It is hard to come up with a new type of music, piece of literature or an invention. An idea may not be tangible, but it is still a part of someone that is personal or even valuable. Stealing an idea is like stealing a birth right. I am not sure exactly what I would do if someone stole an idea from me, but I know how I would feel. Violated is the first word that comes to mind. I have had a person break into my car and take something that was not theirs. I imagine someone taking credit for something that I created or thought of would feel similar. A friend of mine is going into copyright and patent law. There is a high demand for this sort of specialized lawyers. A line has to be drawn somewhere and it simply boils down to a legal issue. I guess ultimately I would have to get the law involved.

You want me to do what?.......

I had many reservations about going back to school. Could I afford it? Would I have enough time to juggle work and family? Not only was I about to embark on a huge commitment, but I had to do it online. Being an online student is scary. My three year old knows more about navigating the computer than I do. I was watching an episode of Glee and Sue Sylvester said, “I’ll have you know that I have my Masters Degree.” And her counterpart said, “Yeah, but you got it online”. I thought what am I getting myself into? Now that I have had some time to reflect on my newly acquired education, I have decided that I like it. Everyone is super supportive. The academic advisers, students, and faculty all have the same agenda. Success seems to be the common denominator in this equation. You mean, I can have a full time job and a family and go to school? The flexibility is great! This setting makes it easier for students to develop bonds than in a traditional classroom setting. There is not any upstaging. Students are helpful and encouraging. The only thing that I think could help with getting to know students would be to put a little face next to their name every time they post. Visuals seem to help me put a face with a name. Maybe I could put that in the suggestion box. :-)