recent stuff

a few things have been happening on the technology front. first of all i'm looking forward to the class getting started on their action research projects this saturday. it's always fun to see what people choose to work on. on a personal front i got some great news this week that a chapter proposal i submitted has been accepted. i'm still waiting to hear more details but it will go in an edited book on personalized learning and personal learning environments. this is a topic we explored a bit in my last class through iGoogle and i feel is a fascinating area of study. the other fun news is that i get to present the work i've been doing with colleagues at george fox on second life at the eLearn conference in vancouver canada next week.

think i'm getting the hang of it

so i'm going to practice what i preach and do a post class reflection. i decided to do it right after the class because frankly i think it's best to do it while still in the moment, with everything fresh in my memory, but also because if i dont now chances are i wont get to it again for days.

i look forward to reading how my students responded to today's class but i know for me it definitely felt better. i felt less anxious about whether i was reaching my audience and trusted that they would let me know if there was a problem. my sense was that the technology was working well for everyone, no sound glitches that i know of and none seemed to be having trouble seeing my screen or following me.

having said that, it is odd to be the only one speaking out loud - you feel like you're just talking into dead air. it's very helpful when participants provide input just to let you know that they're ok or understanding clearly. you just have to trust that everyone is paying attention and staying on task. it's also frustrating when individuals are having problems and you cant just help them out as easily as you would be able to face-to-face. i'm sure it's not any easier being the one who is having trouble either - it must be difficult.

playing with technology

there are so many cool things to learn when it comes to technology. for example, i remember getting all excited about taking a flash workshop - i had all kinds of ideas that i wanted to develop for my teaching, so when the chance arose to take a course i was really looking forward to it.

i think many of us are used to learning technology by taking a tutorial or workshop. it is usually full of exciting new information that goes by in a flurry. then at the end you gather up your notes and handouts, and go home thinking about what you can do with your new learning. truth is that unless you sit down and play with it right away, the notes inevitably get lost somewhere in that so-well-organized filing system and it just seems to get more and more difficult to get back to. time passes, and when you finally do get the chance to sit down - if you do get it --- well, let's say that i have yet to create even one of those brilliant flash ideas of mine...

Getting with the blog thing...

i created this blog a while ago - last year i think - for one of my past tech courses. it was one of those things that i told myself i had to do. well i think i got side tracked with other stuff so here i am a year[?] later, i come to blogger and there it is, my empty neglected shell.

So i understand that blogs are a great tool for journaling, reflections, ongoing learning....so i think we should discuss the idea of each of you starting your own blog. just to try it on and see what you think.