Intense Exhaustion --

In this week, there have been so many new ideas and new opportunities, and I am mentally exhausted. This is an unusual experience for me. It amazes me the abilities and knowledge of the various students in the class. It is exciting to learn new things and to imagine how these things can be incorporated into my classroom. I have now created a list of things I intend to use in my class this fall, as well as my plan for completing this coursework.

Another day of new things and ideas!

We learned how things work this morning. This afternoon we worked, and we worked, and we worked. I am so blessed by my team. They are open to my ideas and balance my weaknesses. Our project is moving right along and I feel good about it. 

Learning the WebQuest process has been interesting, and I really look forward to learning more about videography and flipped classrooms. I understand enough to get started, but feel quite insecure about my knowledge. It surprises me constantly that I can still learn. I have often felt that my brains fell out with my hair, but the meds are still holding me together.

Changing the View -

Today we spent the morning learning and the afternoon doing. This was a good plan, and along with it, I pasted my beloved Baron into Neko Harbour, Antarctica. (picture attached at blogspot)

Additional time was spent pondering and discussing dissertation ideas with my peers. I'm still puzzled about whether or not to go quantitative, but I think I am leaning that way. The kind of editing we did today with pixl was certainly something I had thought beyond my ken, but I guess not. Wow! Who would have thought it!?!

Nerves

Nerves - At this point, with this much experience and this much know-how, one would think that the butterflies would at least fly in formation.  But, instead, I feel the flutters of nerves as the morning begins.  As the day goes onward, I know that my senses will settle, and I will become comfortable with the classroom environment again.  For the moment, however, nerves are aflutter.     As the prof presented the information, I found myself relaxing.  The history of memory use resonated with me from my early days in computer sciences and programming.  

    The trip down memory lane aided me in relaxing and being open to learning the paths open to us.  Then, the lights went out and my anxiety rose.  I was near edging into hyperventilation and using tools for bio-feedback to relieve and distract me when we broke for the dissertation brief and lunch.  By the time we returned from lunch, I was back on focus and the lights stayed lit.  The afternoon allowed for discussion of the requirements for the lit review.  Focus was given on the need for published research articles vice best practices.  For the individual prospectus, take what we have learned about our singular issue sub-trend as the basis of a hypothetical research project.  

    This afternoon culminated with a dynamic work session within our team.  We are blessed to be well balanced and appropriately focused.  There are no slackers in this group and our presentation will be wonderful I have no doubt. We found that we have a creative theme captured within our group, and I am hopeful it will be approved.  If not, we will rein it in and move forward in a slightly less creative manner.  The topic is fascinating, and I feel I am learning new things constantly.  

Back in the Day

When I was a young adult, I received an Associates in Computer Programming.  I learned to use punch cards for RPG programming.  The most advanced thing program we had was Assembler 365.  We did our debugging with a vacuum cleaner, and the mainframe was housed in a room that was about 50' x 75' and highly air conditioned.  I am constantly amazed at my phone.  It houses more computer power than we ever thought possible, back in the day.  Throughout my professional life, I typed on manual typewriters, then electric typewriters, then electronic typewriters, then large word processing machines, and eventually, on desktop and portable (luggable) computers.  I was nearing the end of my full-time career when laptops were viable, and diskettes had moved to three and a half inches.  

Trying to keep up with the times has been an amazing effort.  While I managed well enough through Windows 7, Windows 8 has been a real challenge for me.  Touch screens and Smart boards bring a versatility to my classroom that excites me with the options now available.  While I don't understand all the new technology available these days, and I'm sure there is much more to come, I look forward to learning to use these new tools to a greater efficacy.  I know that any new technology in my classroom will aid in engaging my students to their benefit!