Reflections on Sessions 3 and 4

Most of the students pulled through the first "hell week" for the course. Working on two sessions in one week is a major accomplishment! However, some students are slipping a bit -- not meeting the 100-word limit, duplicating current events postings, and not posting the article headline in the title. Fortunately, they posted early and were able to notice my feedback in time. They were able to correct their misdeed in time well before the 11:59 pm deadline. The morale is to check our site regularly.

There were very interesting next-generation telecommunications device. The trend was converged functionality, in a very small form factor, broadband wireless, and many students were intrigued with holographic image projection for some reason. Oh, yes, another trend was that many students are awful artists! I'm glad this is not an art class.

I remember when I was a kid there were matchbooks with offers to take drawing lessons by mail. I wonder if these companies are still around. Some of the students could use their services!

Reflections on Session 2

I am glad to see that we have an imaginative collection of students in the class. The diary assignment revealed that! Smart appliances, robots, flexible monitors, holographic classrooms, hydrogen-powered vehicles, automated climate control systems are just a few of the creative thoughts that came up.

One of my favorite sayings is "Imagination is more important than Knowledge." Reflect on that statement a few minutes because it is very profound. Without imagination, our society would not have advanced at all.

BTW, that saying came from Al...

P.S. Humor is also important!

Reflections on Session 1

This class seems to be really enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The students represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds --- from the military to high school educators. I like classes like these -- you get a wide range of perspectives. I predict a very stimulating class this semester!

I am glad that the students are cooperative about adhering to my plethora of rules (100-word limit, indicating who you are responding to, including the article heading in the current events posting title, etc.) I hate playing "gotcha!" but I have a reason behind my madness!

The postings look pretty good so far. Most of the students are applying critical thinking and analysis to the discussion question contributions. It's easy to copy and paste info, but graduate school is all about higher order thinking. The current events postings are on target! Feel free about posting podcast links.

As for the blogs, add a little more pizzazz with the addition of images, relevant links and (yes) even humor!

Introduction

Hi! I want to welcome the students of CSMN 601 to my class blog. Your first "mini-project" assignment will be to create a blog and include your first post...a bio just like what's in the next few paragraphs. Add pictures please. During subsequent weeks, you and I will add posts in our blogs containing reflections from the past week.

So, allow me to introduce myself...



I was born in beautiful Hawaii and I attended Farrington High School and the University of Hawaii at Manoa where I received a bachelor's degree in Engineering. I joined the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 1975. My first "mainland" assignment was in Washington (the state, that is), then, I worked in Kentucky, Nebraska, and Utah.

While with the FHWA, I attained a Masters degree at the University of Nebraska (Go Big Red!) in Lincoln. The university is recent national football champions! (But...did you know that the "N" on the side of their helmets means knowledge???!!!)

I went on to receive a Ph.D in Engineering from the University of Utah which is located in Salt Lake City. I much enjoyed the climate, people, and the living environment there! Clean living, that's for me!!!


In changing careers, I attended the MBA Program at the University of Maryland at College Park. My concentration was Management Information Systems. Maryland has the best program academically and in terms of athletics. Fear the turtle!!!


I married the former Janet Lee on May 28, 1983 whom I will cherish forever. She is gainfully employed as a clinical pharmacist. She loves chocolate candy, Chinese and Korean food, University of Texas, and her family (not necessarily in that order).

In 1987, we were blessed with Laura Meghan Eun Hae (blessing from heaven) Pang. She is a hard-working student at the University of Pennsylvania. She loves playing the piano, playing the violin, and just playing. There's a video of her at a recent recital (she's in the middle).

After a short stint at the Federal Aviation Administration, I joined the National Defense University in February 1995. I work in the Information Resources Management College as a Professor of information systems management. I truly enjoy my job, particularly, interacting with the students. They all have a lot to share!


I love to run and it seems like the song "Running on Empty" is very appropriate for me. Some of my running accomplishments include the Marine Corps Marathon, Baltimore Marathon, Montgomery County Marathon-in-the-Parks, Honolulu Marathon, B&A Trail Marathon, Howard County Striders' Metric Marathon, River Rumble Half-Marathon, Army Ten-Miler, Cherry Blossom Ten-Miler, Annapolis Ten-Miler, Governor's Bay Bridge Run (one of my favorites), Pike's Peek (in Rockville, not Colorado), and many others. See Les in a video at the National Marathon!!!

My lifelong goal is to be the best professor that I can be and to light the flame of knowledge among everyone I encounter...(corny but true!)

The journey is the reward!