From The Publisher

** #1153012 Not An Image **

The official Newspaper of the A-1 Writing Academy

Page Editor: Budroe is Blessed!

September 1, 2007

         I have been a paying member of the A-1 Writing Academy since September, 2006. I have been a student working diligently to improve my writing at the feet of some of the finest faculty it's been my pleasure to know, online or otherwise. I am grateful for the education the Academy has given me. I hope my writing skill is a reflection of that learning. If not, the error is upon me.

I have also been, since April 2007, a member of the Academy faculty. I have instructed students in the finer points of English grammar in the "Alpha" Course (since retired), the Genesis III Course (currently in the Catalog), and have even been allowed to develop some courses of my own. One of them, the "Mystery Writing I" course, is currently an advanced course of study in our Catalog. Others, such as the "Student Orientation" course, and the "Basic Reviewing" and "Critiquing Another Writer" courses, soon will be. It is truly a labor of love for me personally. I have been a professional educator for some 40 years now. In both the public and private sectors, I have taught at every level from elementary through higher education. I have created, run, and sold my own private education Institute.

Since only June of this year, I have also been privileged to serve as the A-1 Writing Academy Administrator. I am still a faculty member (as every member of the Academy staff must be), and an enrolled student as well. One of the primary, and consistent needs I have seen throughout my time with the Academy is the need for communication. Both inside the Academy, between the student/members, staff, faculty and administration, as well as outside the Academy to the larger WDC community we serve. Only a few days ago, I and another faculty member were in WDC chat, hashing out some of the requirements of a new course. In a span of less than one hour, no less than ten members asked us what A-1 was, and what it was about. I have since been pleased to accept the applications of four of those members into the Academy for our next (Fall) term, beginning in October, 2007. This gives me reason to believe we need to be getting a very important message into our WDC community.

The purpose of this Newspaper is to answer those and other questions. I find it unacceptable that such a treasure as the Academy has so large a potential student base which has no idea we exist. Inside the Academy, students do not always know what is needed to succeed here. Faculty members and staff sometimes have difficulty communicating with one another those most important truths of the classroom. We find it sometimes hard to share our successes, or de-construct our failures. This Newsletter will change that, if we do what we are supposed to be doing.

Now, more than ever, the Academy needs accurate and universal communication. The entire Academy is undergoing change as we fast approach our 1,000th member. We must change the way we do business. We must also change the business we do. This Newsletter will provide a catalyst for that change--universally--across both the Academy and the WDC communities.

It is time for the Academy to become what it has always been meant to be: THE writing educational facility on the internet. This publication will chronicle that transition through accurate information, shared among the members of our communities. We will not always do things right (the first time), but we will be challenging our thinking. We will be daring each other to step out into the new horizons that only exist in the world of educational excellence among believers. We will hold each other accountable for those things we do. We will do these things, and more, right here in "The Academy News".

This Newspaper is a product of the Friends of the Academy (FOTA) group, and is not associated in any way with the A-1 Writing Academy. We are friends who have benefitted from the work of the Academy, who wish to support the work and student membership of the A-1 Writing Academy in the ongoing pursuit of educational excellence. We are "giving back" to an organization that has simply given to us. We are, in the truest sense of the words, "paying it forward".

We sincerely hope that you will join us on this grand adventure. Join our group. Write an article, or edit a page. Communicate with those members who matter. Let us know how we are doing. Purchase a subscription through your membership to the group, or donate to our cause. All GPs raised go directly to the Academy, or projects which directly support the Academy. Become a member of the Academy, and take a course--or several.

Your writing life will never be the same once you do. And, sometimes, change (no matter how painful or frightening) can really be for the better.


For the Friends,

Bud

M. B. Fields, Jr.
Clarksville, Indiana USA
Publisher

Proudly presented by

** #1294451 Not An Image **

Return to the Front Page here:The Academy News