HR Systemen and Technology--first class impression

This week I began the long awaited class that I was hoping to take since I learned about it in early September.

Classes, at times, can be a like gambling--no matter what the description in the catalog may be, until you get to know the instructor and attend the first class it could be a loss, a win, or just enough to last you till the game is over and you walk out of your final exam with just enought information to last you a few weeks and book to add to your reference section. If the instructor's teaching style does not match your learning style, if the medium is dry, or if its poorly organized--it could be a disaster...

Well, let me just say that my first day in the class--the HR Systems and Technology taught by Jun Cruzat--felt like I just hit the jack pot!

The class began with introductions--first, Cruzat began by introducing himself and then everyone had a chance to hear about everyone else in the class. The introductions took a little over an hour--but it was worth the time, because it opened doors to communication and collaboration for the next five weeks.

After the introductions, we took a short break, then went over the structure, the mediums and and the requirements of the class. The medium in which the class is taught is one of the aspects that make it seem that is is going to be worthwhile the time. The medium is mixed and diverse; it is inclusive, stimulating, and probing. It begins with the instructor's voice, student questions and responses, continues with a Google doc presentation, then onto a projected You Tube video clip, then back to the voices, a click on web browser on your personal laptop, then onto bullet points, continued with a the a handful of initial assignments that guide you to explore the world of technology in the now.

In addition to the medium that the class is taught in, the instructor is great.
Jun Cruzat has a very democratic, compassionate and open style of teaching. Yet the openness does not seem to take away from organization or a sense of structure. Also, unlike most other classes that require a textbook--this class has no text book. But be weary--no text book does not mean no homework. There is homework--but in addition to reading and writing it requires you to use additional skills and senses.
Rather then spending another fifty to hundred dollars on book that weights like a brick, spending midnight hours, lunches, and early morning reading through the chapters, and then spending three hours each class listening to the instructor repeat what you just read just so that you could, for the third time, regurgitate the same information on the exams--this class allows you the opportunity to invest your time and money into both aquiring tools and gaining an sense that helps you gain an orienttion and a direction in the exponensialy evolving virtual reality.

I hope my class mates are excited about this class as much as I am. I also hope that everyone can be pro-active in making this class happen the way it is intended to be. I look forward to the next class.