I see what you are saying. A course is a standalone area with its own data shared within its own area. If we want to use course assignments, quizzes, glossaries, etc. we have to export them to another class. I believe this is related to how Moodle is designed.
I guess I was thinking of a global resource concept, where any resource could be attached to any class. I think your glossary module got me thinking along these lines because there are glossary entries I would like to include in all my classes, for example MLA writing format guidelines. Also it would be useful to maintain one database and maybe be able to set filter locks by the instructor.
I need to figure out how to export/import entries between glossaries, so I can set them up for classes.
I still would like to figure out a way to maintain one master glossary, for example on my moodle home page, and be able to populate the secondary glossaries from the main one. <Note: Just discovered I can't backup the data from the glossary I created on the Moodle home page, I guess data needs to be associated with a class, before it can be backed up 
>In any event, the glossary will be a module I can use. One just needs to find different ways to accomplish a task.
Thanks
Kam