Each day is filled with moments that lend themselves to learning.  Through every human encounter, in all my contact with the natural world, in every song I sing or book I read, with every stroke on a computer keyboard or interface with a screen, I am taking something in, I am processing it, and I am making sense of it in the larger scope of who I am and who I want to be.

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The great philosopher Socrates once said that "education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel."  When I have finished this Masters of Arts program, I will not be finished learning.  My entire life has been and will continue to be one learning experience after another.  This will be my third college degree,  That in itself is a testimony to my hunger for knowledge.  However, my education is not defined only by the successful completion of formal college programs.  In addition, I have taken piano lessons and voice lessons, have taught myself how to play guitar and how to operate a myriad of electronic musical instruments and recording devices.  I taught myself how to cook, how to garden, how to prepare and file taxes, and how to run a business.  I have mastered a great many computer applications, can do minor home electrical and plumbing repairs, and most challenging of all, I am always learning how to be a parent.  Oftentimes we take for granted the mundane tasks and activities with which we fill our days, not realizing that in them is the essence of our life and learning.

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Before embarking on this journey through Michigan State's MAED program, I had little experience with computer web applications.  This online program exposed me to many previously unexplored places:  Facebook, YouTube, Skype, GoToMeeting, blogs, Piazza, Camtasia, Google docs, web authoring programs, avatars, Dropbox, and more.  I have learned that the web is not only a source of nearly infinite information, but an active environment in which a person may interact with others in a variety of ways both personally and professionally.  It is an ever-changing medium for learning and growing that, if it is to be fully utilized, must be constantly revisited.  I plan to continue learning and growing in this environment.

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I am also considering the possibility of pursuing a PhD.  On many occasions I have thought that I would like to teach at the college level.  I am convinced that a PhD is necessary for a competitive edge in the arena of academia.  Whether I pursue another degree or not, I intend to continue learning.  I love learning and this vessel is not yet full.  I will keep the flame burning.  I believe that continued learning makes me a better person, a better teacher, a better citizen, a better brother, a better friend, a better father.

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