My First Online Learning Experience: The Story Continues: PART FIVE

Let's get back to the story about why online learning was liberating me. Maybe I was able to do this because the online discussion board freed me from the things that held me back in face-to-face (f2f) classes. I was shy, insecure and not always able to express myself in ways that were effective or in my best interest. I now had more control in how I responded. Others could understand me without worrying about how I looked or the tone of my voice or other distracting things. I could control my emotions and minimize things within my personality or body language that had interfered with being heard by others. I could think about my answer. I could edit my answer. I could use my writing abilities rather than my speaking abilities to answer the question. I could say things that I had long felt in my heart, soul and mind, but had been afraid to say. I felt liberated. My inner life and my written life were congruent. I could be myself and I was not afraid. My words had integrity and I felt good about what I was saying. I was in the act of being myself. I was genuine, authentic and real. I had broken through the barrier that had held me back. Indeed, I started pleasing myself and thinking about helping the other students understand my point of view. I started genuinely listening to what others had to say. I opened my mind. Is it possible they are right too? STAYED TUNED TO PART SIX!