First Day of Class in My ITCC112 - Advanced Technology and Project Management
I began my studies at University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) Obrero Branch as a Master of Information Technology student on August 31, 2024, a Saturday. I was both nervous and happy on the first day of school as I walked into my ITCC112 Advanced Technology and Project Management course. It brought me back of my memories during college undergraduate years, after working for a few years in the company. except from being aware that this was a completely different kind of learning experience.
We started the session a little
bit later than planned because the graduate students' orientation delaying
our class schedule.
Introducing one by one to the
facilitator and classmates was the first part of the class. We were requested
to provide a brief introduction that included our names, degrees, ages, the
schools from which we had graduated, and our current jobs. It was on that part
that I have known an information about my classmates’ professions and
experiences, either employed by IT companies or in the teaching field. The
introductions were fascinating because of their range of experiences and
relationship to technology. I began to think about my own profession after
learning about their occupations and different career choices.
When it is my turn to walk, I introduced
myself, excited to be a part of a class filled with professionals who share
common passion to become a better IT professional. I realized how comforting it
is that we all share the objectives of improving our knowledge and abilities,
regardless of whether we were using them in IT profession, IT companies or as a
teacher for an institution.
Our facilitator gave a few more
introductions before getting things going. He gave a brief history and made his
introduction. We were all immediately at ease about the knowledge he would be
sharing with us on project management because of his extensive experience in
this subject and his years of experience as a facilitator. He also gives us a
reminder that this is a graduate school where knowledge and information are not
spoon-fed but researching and working hard.
Next, our facilitator inquired
about our past experiences and knowledge about project management. While some
of my classmates were more knowledgeable with the fundamentals, others have led
IT projects in the past. I also provided my little experience, which was
primarily gained from project assistance in past roles during in my college years
and during in my work.
After the orientation was over,
we headed to our classroom and officially started the class. Despite the late
start, everyone was still excited and ready to learn, and the atmosphere was
positive and enthusiastic.
As part of instructor’s teaching
plan, he introduced the school’s VMG. The university's mission, vision, and
goals were covered in brief by the facilitator because we had already learned
about it in detailed them during our orientation. I felt happy to be a part of
this campus when our facilitator emphasized USeP's goal to become a premier research
institution not just in the Philippines but internationally. After learning
that we are pushing for innovation and producing graduates who are globally
competitive, I felt driven to perform well in the program.
We then discussed about the
schedule of our class. Our face-to-face meetings would take place every
Saturday from 10 AM to 12 PM, according to our facilitator but we will be
conducting online class on the latter part of the semester since it was for the
consultation and making the project. He also made a joke about wanting to see
our "handsome faces" each week, so in this reason, we are going to
meet weekly.
This class schedule of the course
was so great because it provided us with a regular schedule. We would be able
to participate in discussions and fully engage with the lessons if we met in
person once a week, which is always more beneficial in my way of learning.
Our facilitator gave a brief
introduction to the subject, ITCC112 - Advanced Technology and Project
Management. He highlighted that this course would focus more on research and
case studies rather than a regular classroom where information is spoon-fed. This
approach encouraged us to be more independent in our learning, diving deeper
into real-world problems and developing our critical thinking skills.
His emphasis on research about
the industry we are working made me realize that we would be challenged to
explore and apply what we learned in practical, real-world contexts, which got
me excited for the unique learning experience ahead.
The facilitator gave us an
overview of the final project we would be working on this semester
towards the end of the class. Based on what I understood of the project,
it would include creating appropriate project management plans for each of our
industries we are working and documenting them. In my situation, I would
be concentrating on my line of work and using project management concepts to
enhance procedures and results.
We would also be expected to
regularly blog about our progress. This blogging component would act as a means
of keeping track of our achievements and provide a reflective area for tracking
the implementation of project management practices and their effect on
the output. The project was both interesting and demanding because of its
practical, hands-on approach, which integrated documentation, research, and
practical implementation.
What I came to realize on my
first day of ITCC112, I've come to understand that this course is about
applying information in practical applications rather than only listening
to my college instructors and professors. I was forced to think outside the box
by the facilitator's emphasis on independent learning, case studies, and
research. The idea of recording my field of work and applying project
management techniques to enhance it seems appropriate and helpful, and the
blogging aspect offers a fun method to monitor and evaluate my development.
My attitude toward studying has
already changed as a result of this course; I no longer expect to be spoon-fed
knowledge. I'm looking forward for the upcoming weeks because I know that this
experience will broaden my knowledge and help me develop into an effective
project manager. It's obvious that this is the beginning of an exciting and
demanding adventure that will influence my career in the IT industry.
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