Hello: My name is Shaunasi Sprain. I live in Eugene Oregon. I'm taking online courses from home because I have an 11 month old boy at home to take care of. My academic goals revolve around studying Fine/Performing/Liberal Arts studies, General Education, Human Development and Communications. I have recently taken course in Business & Computers to improve my marketable skills bank. I think it's virtually imperative, especially in today's society, to learn technical, logical, reasonable, analytical, methodical skills, problem solving and critical thinking skills, practical, good sense skills and physical skills as well as creative artistic skills. I'll add these skills are not mutually exclusive of one another.
I myself enjoy the creative process and am drawn towards Music, Art, Dance, Theatre and Humanities. I am politically, socially, environmentally, and economically aware, informed, and active.
I haven't taken Sociology courses per say yet although I have taken what I think are related courses in Humanities, Human Development, and English.
From the sound of the orientation last night I think I will like this Sociology course. I like the thought provoking progressive tone of this Sociology course better than another approach like say just learning textbook verbatim and memorizing the verbatim and acing tests which definitely does have its place too though. I just don't like always learning everything pre-recorded and rerun over and over again but understand that its important to do just this to learn. I need references and frameworks for information I learn which is why effective functional structure organization and verbatim learning memorizing and testing is important it seems although while this way of learning is necessary seemingly and beneficial it can be potentially somewhat limiting and at worst case stifling.
I just like the opportunity to take this Sociology course to broaden my horizons.
I don't like to be ignorant or uninformed or just believe a lie that could potentially be harmful to myself and others. I like to know the truth of what's going on with the society, the world and myself today currently so I can make good choices and decisions and contribute in good positive ways to this society, world, and my life.
There are like two-hundred different news sites I can find on the Web like for instance an Independent Media site which reviews news independent of the main stream media. I like having this site to read on the net so I can compare the views and perspectives of societal and world issues of this Independent Media site with those of the mainstream media. To really learn Sociology I think I have to respect conventional wisdom and views and I have to challenge and question them as well to truly optimize my learning experience and find truthful answers to my questions about society, the world, and myself.
Glad to be in this class.