Looking Back - Hindsight is not quite 20/20
A
Reflective Essay by: Bradley John Gagnon
After
reading the Goal Statement Essay that I submitted on March 31, 2011, I am
reminded of the importance of Taekwondo and my teacher Master Ron
Southwick. At the time of my initial
application to the Graduate School at Michigan State University, I had no doubt
that MSU TKD would always be at the center of my focus. However, as with 99% of the population of the
United States of America, I have been forced to confront financial
catastrophe. For me, this has meant
consideration of the ability to complete my Degree.
Because of
the tumultuous way in which the last year has unfolded, my focus upon Taekwondo
has shifted, and this shift has been reflected in my coursework for the classes
I have taken. A major way this can be
seen is in the content of the site that I created for CEP 818 "Creativity
in Teaching and Learning." The site
I created is called "Creativity and Learning," and the URL is:
This
website is focused not upon Taekwondo, but on another subject I hope to teach:
brewing beer. I had been working on ways
to supplement or even replace my income through on-line methods that include
brewing videos, products, and other content.
This endeavor had barely begun, but I attempted to make progress through
devoting my work to it for that semester.
Much progress was indeed made, but unfortunately Taekwondo was put on
hold. In retrospect, I can see how changing
my focus has reduced the TKD related content that I would otherwise possess, which
would be of much use.
While the content may be different, the way in
which it is communicated is the same.
Because of this, the creations that are on that website have still given
me a tool for use in teaching Taekwondo.
By using similar methods through text, images, and videos presented on
the internet, Taekwondo, Brewing, or any subject can be taught, learned, and
shared.
Below is
the embedded document of my Goals Statement that I submitted on March 31, 2011.