Guide to Online Education > Online Education In-Depth > Meet Real Online Students > Jenn G., Master of Education
"Even though I may be a little tired on Monday mornings, I look back on the week and see that I did a good job at work, had fun with my family and friends and got my course work done, so it was all worth it."
Name: Jenn Griffiths
Age: 28
Marital Status: Married
Location: New Jersey
Current Occupation: Elementary School Teacher
School: Grand Canyon University
Target: Master of Education, 2007
Her experiences with Grand Canyon University have been positive. Grand Canyon uses Blackboard technology for its online programs, and Jenn gave it high marks, saying it was easy to navigate.
She acknowledges that the technology "took some getting used to" at first, but she utilized the available tutorials to learn how to use it, and referred back to them whenever she needed them. With Blackboard, she could see each week's assignments, and access a chat room where she interacted with the other students and the professor. In addition, she could see all of her grades, and read comments from her professor.
The dedication of the professors at Grand Canyon University impressed her. "The professors are all over the country," she says.
"Many of them teach in traditional classrooms, too, and have busy lives, but they are usually online every day." She's found their feedback to be especially useful. "They are really good about giving you constructive criticism."
At times she misses the face-to-face interaction of a traditional program, but overall feels that you can get as much out of an online program as you can sitting in a classroom. Her learning has been enhanced by being able to bring her real-world teaching experience into her coursework. And though she has not graduated just yet, she has already been able to apply what she has learned in her program to her third-grade class.
Best of all, much of the expected total cost of Jenn's degree will be reimbursed by her school district. She pays for her courses each semester, and then submits her course grades and receipts for tuition to the district. Jenn pays out of pocket for certain expenses, such as fees and books. She estimates the total cost will be about $12,350.
Looking back as she nears graduation, the sleepless Sunday nights nearly behind her, Jenn is happy with the path she chose. "Online learning was a lot of work," she reflects, "but I don't think I would have chosen any other way."
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