Observations on Life
365 Project = Fail
At the beginning of the year, Mike and I decided to try out the 365 Project. Let’s just say that Mike is doing much better than I am, considering he actually took pictures past day 18 of the project. Lesson learned? Taking one picture every single day is pretty tough. Maybe I’ll try again later…in the year.
…or, I should take more pictures with my camera phone.
Untitled, an Update
Sitting in this retro, little cafe has finally inspired me to drop my textbooks, notes, and grading and finally take some time to blog again. Retro, little cafes can affect a person that way, and while I’m at it, I highly recommend the Bourgeois Pig.
No, I’m not watching the Super Bowl today. I’m not a big football fan, but I am a fan of Super Bowl commercials. Thank God for Hulu!
It’s already February, which means a lot has already happened and a lot is about to happen again.
In summary:
Teaching – Classes have started back up at TMC, and I’m in the early throes of tormenting my new students. Just kidding. I don’t actually torment them. Being in a Public Speaking course is torment enough for some. We just finished the testimonies, and I must say – I have been impressed so far. I am very excited to watch them all improve and find themselves (as far as public speaking is concerned) as the semester progresses.
GWU – Grad school started a week before TMC started, and we’ve hit the ground running. I thought my class on Policy would be the death of me, but so far, it’s my Quantitative Research class that has me confused. The materials are familiar enough (thanks, Dr. Ennis!), but the structure of the class has me sighing at my screen. Several of us in the class have moved over to Google Groups and Google Wave to supplement the class, and that has been an experience in and of itself. Google Wave has been an amazing tool for us. Here’s to hoping neither class will usher in sudden death.
Free Time – This is a foreign concept to me, but I have still managed to get addicted to Mass Effect 2 and ‘Splosion Man. And I’m still trying to work my way through The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, a pretty good story that I’m mainly reading for the sparse pictures of the awesome birds. I should just watch the movie. That will give me more time to focus on saving the galaxy with my wicked biotic powers!
Conference – I’m speaking at a State Conference in March, and I am prepping for it slowly but surely. I am not anticipating a large attendance for my breakout session since 1) I have no name recognition, and 2) the organization’s members as a whole just doesn’t seem to place much stock in technology and its impact on education, society, etc. Actually, that’s a bit unfair, but I am still keeping my expectations low. I am going to prepare as quality a presentation as I can, and if anyone shows up (even one person), I will be as excited to share my vision with them as I would to 100+ people. Hey, no matter what people say, even one person can make a difference! (I am referring to that one, potential attendee, not myself.)
Work – We now have a plastic shotgun in our office. I would like it to be noted that I have come the closest to hitting the bulls-eye on the hand-drawn target on our whiteboard. Even the office gun expert hasn’t come close! (Yes, that was a challenge.)
…and, that’s it for an update as far as I am willing to share on the Interwebz. Haha. I have been hoping to post more substantial material, i.e. book reviews, movie reviews, thoughts on news articles, etc., but please see my comment about free time above.
Truth be told, we make time for what we think is important, right? ^_^
In parting, here’s a truncated movie review for you: Paranormal Activity was a disappointment.
Cheers,
Corinne
Help for Haiti
Many have seen images and read news reports of the devastation caused in Haiti by last week’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake. You may have also read the warnings of earthquake fraud, of people trying to make a buck off of the catastrophe. More recently, you may have read the sad news of looting and aid being slow in coming to those who need it most.
If you’re like me (wanting to help more than my wallet will ever allow), there are ways – some are even local – to reach out to Haiti during this time:
OutWest Marketing
Wild about the West? So Are We!
Owned by a sweet couple, this “new charm” of Old Town Newhall is a “Western Boutique and Cultural Center”. I have met one of the owners, and she is a sweet lady.
This Thursday, January 21st, they are hosting Fine Art Photographer Frank Lozano and his work. Frank has connections to Haiti and has announced that he will be donating 100% of the proceeds of any of his work sold that evening to Haiti. OutWest will donate 10% of all their online and retail sales to Three Angels Children’s Relief.
For more info, check out OutWest’s website at: www.scvoutwest.com
Sport Chalet & Soles 4 Souls
Lend a hand by donating shoes today.
I heard about this opportunity at church today. Sport Chalet has teamed up with Soles 4 Soles and is currently accepting gently used shoes for Haiti. The drive is only until January 31st, so if you’d like to participate, now is the time!
For more info, check out this page: http://www.sportchalet.com/category/soles+4+souls+and+sport+chalet.do
We can definitely be praying for the Haitian people, and we should be. Reaching out in tangible ways is good, too. Both are needed.
2010 – Post #1
First, to all a Happy New Year! I cannot believe it is already 2010. I think I will constantly be amazed for the rest of my life each time an entire year passes. For some odd reason, I have this vivid memory of being in fourth grade in Eagle Rock, CA, and hearing from someone (I really don’t remember if it was a teacher or someone else), “You’re only in fourth grade. Time is slow. Just wait until you grow up…” Man, they were right. Time is just flying by, and soon enough, I’ll be 80 and (Lord willing) racing scooter chairs with my husband in some nursing home somewhere. That, or skydiving at 80. We’ll see how far medical technology progresses in the meantime.
Since it’s technically still New Years Day, I wanted to write this post mainly for myself as an artifact in time to look back on and remember. I haven’t made any new resolutions since 2006 when I found the four that pretty much sum up what I want to do for the rest of my life. I have an entry in some torn pages from an old journal (I’m terrible at journaling – I have numerous journals, all with pages torn out and lumped together since I keep starting/stopping them) that read:
1/1/2006
Burbank, CAThe first two pages of this journal were torn out for good measure. Well, not really, but in a way, it was very symbolic of giving up the old to make room for the new. Today is New Year’s Day, 2006, and I have an hour left on the clock before tomorrow arrives. I want to write down some of my goals/resolutions for this year before the day changes. I have never done this before, so this is going to be interesting. *smiley face*
- Read my Bible everyday and start each day asking for God’s blessing and guidance. May He get the glory. (Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 6:33; 1 Corinthians 10:31)
- Fall into permanent love with God more and trust His perfect judgment and plans. (Jeremiah 29:11-13)
- Guard my heart against anyone or anything that will pull me away from God and His will. (Proverbs 4:23)
- Have the courage and resolve to fulfill said resolutions. (1 Timothy 1:7; Romans 5:1-5)
I can honestly say that I have failed at all four of the above in various ways over the past – wow – four years since I wrote those down, and that is one of the reasons those resolutions never change. They truly encompass everything I aim to do. Thank God for mercy and grace and fresh beginnings!
Well, since this is supposed to be an artifact of sorts, here are some lessons I learned from 2009:
- God is powerful and in control; I am not. Daily, I was given opportunities to learn to submit to His blessed will and let things be. While that may sound rather un-Christian and more fatalistic than anything, it is still a fact that is true for Christians. I have the tendency to wrestle things and people if I see them doing things that harm themselves and/or others. However, I have learned and am still learning that it is not my “duty” nor my place in certain situations to do that…and more often than not, the situations are few in which I should wrestle. We will each have to answer for our actions someday, and I really need to leave everything/everyone up to God and focus on what I should be doing to follow Him more. (Note: I hope you understand that I am not advocating being apathetic and not caring about what goes on around you. There are definitely things that we should act on and be involved in without question…in my opinion, at least.)
- I am married to an amazing man. Ever since Mike and I got married, I have watched marriages start and crumble. Honestly, that has been hard to watch, and I have shed many tears over the heartbreak of others. (weird, huh?) There are very few (but not none) marriages that I see around me that I can say, “Hey, I want to be like them!” It makes me that much more grateful to be married to my best friend, my lover, my inspiration, my fiercest competitor (I still have the higher XBOX Live gamer score, however), my truest confidant, my most compassionate yet honest critic, my comforter (both emotionally and as a blanket on occasion – hey, he has warmer feet than me!), etc. Michael Thomas is my true soul mate, and should he not live to race with me in our scooter chairs when we’re 80, I will be very sad indeed. Mike, I love you.
- Learning is life-long. My curiosity gets stronger with each passing year, and it is becoming harder and harder to find the time to satiate it. Hmmm, maybe that says something about my time management skills. Anyways, 2009 was full of opportunities for formal learning and informal learning, and I pray to God I remember everything because it was all amazing.
- Teaching is hard. I have been teaching at the college level (by the grace of God and The Master’s College) since Fall 2008, and I am constantly finding ways to improve my classes. Some of my students have loved having me as a professor, others hated me, and others didn’t care either way. One thing my students may never know (well, unless they read my blog I suppose) is that I have been impacted by each and every one of them as a person. I actually prayed for every one of my students, and Mike can testify that I would have done everything in my power to help them if they had needed it. But, I have also learned that not everyone is as curious about the world or willing to listen to new views or want to work hard to improve themselves. Not everyone is as passionate about good communication, culture, nor other topics I find absolutely fascinating and essential to life. :) I learned that some people (yes, students are people, too, regardless of what some may think – lol) are extremely proud under my teaching, and I despised them – probably because I saw a lot of myself in their actions and attitudes at that age. Bad, Corinne – bad! I pray everyday that I will be a good teacher to those God sends my way not only because teachers will be judged harsher than most (James 3:1, anyone?) but because each soul that passes through my class is an opportunity for growth for themselves and for myself. Yeah, teaching is hard, but I love every minute of it.
Now that 2010 is here, I’m really excited to see what is in store. According to my fortune from the Japanese temple this morning, my examination scores will be good because “effort pays off” (haha), but other than that (jk, jk), 2010 will be an exciting year I’m sure. New places to visit, new experiences to…experience, and new people to come in contact with. I am terribly excited.
Here’s to a blessed, prosperous 2010 to us all!
Cheers,
Corinne
ECI831 – Introduction to Learning Networks
(Side note: I find it absolutely ironic that the week I learn the OSI Model in grad school, I learn about Learning Networks in an open course – so many networks!)
Well, that YouTube video never came to fruition. Life got more hectic than planned, drama happened, and the cool recording snippets I made were lost or deleted off my camera. For someone who is so invested in technology, I sure do fail a lot at it sometimes.
On a happier note, I was able to attend my first synchronous session ever with the class through Elluminate last Tuesday, and it was pretty interesting. So many students were logged in to participate in both listening to a lecturer and discussing different points on the side. While I have attended webinars and board meetings via Elluminate, I have never attended a class. Some of the students were complaining that the side chat function was too confusing. Others were having side conversations that didn’t seem to have much to do with what was being talked about. Others of us “lurked” and contributed every once in awhile. I even managed to embarrass myself by cracking a joke at an inopportune time on what I was about to find out was a terribly sad topic. *slaps self* As I mentioned before, I really need to read more Canadian news if I am to participate effectively in this class…
Anyways, the question of the week is:
So we know that social learning matters. We know that people form communities in formal and informal environments. How far should we go, as educators, to support non-formal and informal learning? How do we deal with the fact that we are part of a formal system when we know that a heck of a lot of learning (many say, most) happens outside of our formal learning systems? Where do we fit into this? Or in summary, the key question to consider is “what is our role in non-formal learning?”
To be quite honest, if you were not paying even a bit of attention during the amazing lecture or if you were not there at all, the above questions may make no sense. I was moderately paying attention, and I’m still a bit confused. I think I may ignore the side conversations next time…
To break it down:
How far should we go, as educators, to support non-formal and informal learning?
- Non-formal learning was defined to happened in a “prescribed but unfettered learning environment” where the “learner” is in “control” and “personal intentions outweigh externally defined intentions”. I think it was described as the middle ground between formal and informal learning.
- Informal learning is…well…I think as informal as it gets.
- How far should we go to support both? I would say that depends on the students you are dealing with. There are pros and cons to all three learning environments.
How do we deal with the fact that we are part of a formal system when we know that a heck of a lot of learning (many say, most) happens outside of our formal learning systems?
- Well, I think we should better ourselves as teachers so a heck of a lot of learning happens in the formal environment as well! Whether that be utilizing the tech tools out there or ensuring we pursue some sort of personal development, I think we owe it to the students to be the best teachers we can be in any environment.
“What is our role in non-formal learning?”
- There was a saying on one of the slides that read, “Engagement matters more than interaction”. Maybe that’s it – to engage. Not to watch from the sidelines, not to put down, and not to become a fanatic, but to engage others and be a teacher/participant that fosters that engagement. Wrestle with new ideas. Try new means of communication. Learn to be discerning. Work on trust.
It is interesting to me to be considering what my role is in non-formal learning considering I’m a “not-for-credit” student in this open course, and I got a sense that some of the for-credit students resented our presence in the class. I do tend to be a bystander because I have no binding responsibility to the course. I can watch, I can listen, I can process, but I am not required to complete assignments, participate, etc. I have to motivate myself to move beyond the bystander role and into one of engagement.
But, I’ll admit, that seems hard when nothing tangible is at stake (unlike my grad school classes or the classes I teach).
Well, next week again. We’ll see how it goes…
Suggested Readings from the class wiki:
- Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age (by George Siemens, the next guest presenter)
- (on teenagers who are) Living and Learning with Social Media (video by danah boyd)
From consumption to contribution (maybe)
Despite my amazingly hectic schedule, I decided to attempt to “attend” an open course on Social Media and Open Education through the University of Regina in Canada. Really, it was the trailer that roped me in – how can any resist such creativity? (Apparently, I can’t) While I’m at it, I’m going to insert a shameless plug for Free Technology for Teachers, the blog through which I found the class in the first place.
Non-Credit students got to meet with the class for the first time this evening, and since I’m a dork (and generally lazy to boot) and apparently cannot convert Saskatchewan Time into California Time (even though the prof gave us a handy-dandy converter), I missed the Elluminate session. (Dang it!) Thankfully, the materials are available for viewing/contemplation through the class’ wiki.
One of the optional (“but highly recommended”) assignments is to create an introductory video of oneself and post it to YouTube. It’s not that long – only 2-3 minutes (shorter than what I require my Spoken COM students to complete with their podcasts), and I have all the tools needed to make the video. Still, I hesitate…
…and I ask myself why…
…and I realized why it was.
- It’s not that I’m shy (heavens, no!). I’m a proven extrovert by nature. (Albeit, I have become a bit more withdrawn over time)
- It’s not that I don’t have the “skillz” to make such a video.
- It’s not that I lack the tools to make said video.
- It’s that I have never viewed myself as a contributor to any online community in this way.
I’m a online consumer by nature. I read others’ posts on Twitter, Facebook, etc. that I find interesting. I subscribe to blogs that educate or entertain me. I subscribe to newsfeeds, cooking blogs, tech reports, photo blogs, and so much more, but the common feature they have is generally a one-way communication. I read them, and they never know who I am (unless I actually talk/tweet/post back).
I take, I read, and I rarely give back.
I think that is why this class is challenging for me. Not only are the different tools of the Internet discussed; we are encouraged to use them to contribute something to the Internet that is actually meaningful.
Now that is a true challenge, and I will attempt to meet the task…
I now have a YouTube account. Oh, dear. I can promise you I won’t be posting videos of me dancing in tights or drooling as someone shaves my eyebrows off. Hopefully, I’ll be posting something more substantial.
Like that intro video. Now to get to work…
Corinne’s Book Bag
Inspired by the article Barack’s Book Bag published on Slate.
The president of the United States is on vacation. Apparently, like most people on vacation, most of the U.S. presidents bring a stack (or mini-stack) of books with them for personal edification and enjoyment. According to the article above, ever since John F. Kennedy confessed to reading the 007 series, the media has speculated on what exactly a president’s reading list says about him. I wasn’t quite sure what was meant by that – says about him as a what? A person? A leader? A curious mind who happens to like reading?
The article got me thinking about what I have been reading (or attempting to read) or have read this past summer. It also reminded me of the stack of textbooks waiting for my attention next week when I return to grad school.
Should we judge a person by what they read? Or, for that matter, should we judge a person by what they haven’t read? I know if I were to plop myself down on a lawn at my place of employment with certain books in hand, I would definitely receive some curious stares, miniscule applause, or maybe even some chastisement. Were I to do the same at my local Starbucks, I may get a few stares and nothing more (maybe a few free samples?). I sometimes feel embarrassed checking out books from my local library (especially the day I checked out She’s Not the Man I Married, which I found quite by accident and discovered to be truly fascinating. Unfortunately, I did not finish…I shall return to it next summer), where some of the teenage clerks give me odd looks as I smile at them in an effort to hurry my checkout process.
Either way, here are the books I am currently reading/will be reading in the months to come. Judge me as you will.
For Grad School:
- Ethernet: The Definitive Guide – Charles E. Spurgeon (O’Reily)
- Beginning Web Programming with HTML, XHTML, and CSS – Jon Duckett
- PC Hardware in a Nutshell – Robert B. Thompson & Barbara F. Thompson (O’Reily)
- Managing and Troubleshooting Networks – Mike Meyers (no, not the comedian nor the murderer – different spelling, too)
For Teaching:
- Principles of Public Speaking – Monroe, Gronbeck, Ehninger, German
- A Rulebook for Arguments – A. Weston
- Intercultural Competence – Lustig & Koester
- Intercultural Communication in Contexts – Martin & Nakayama
- Teaching Culture – H. N. Seelye
- American Cultural Patterns – Stewart & Bennett
And a few other books I can’t remember or don’t have nearby at the moment.
For Personal Interests:
- The Holy Bible – You know, this is the book I should be reading the most of. I am praying that will be the case this coming semester.
- The New Kings of Nonfiction – Ira Glass (amazing, so far)
- In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto – Michael Pollan
- Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife – Mary Roach
- How to Break a Terrorist: the U.S interrogators who used brains, not brutality, to take down the deadliest man in Iraq – Matthew Alexander (looking forward to this one)
I guess my lists are slightly ambitious (*laugh to self*), but I’m hoping to get through all the books. I really am.
What do my lists say about me? I’m not sure, actually. The only thing it shows for sure is that I will be mind-blowingly busy next semester.
Good luck on your reading list, President Obama. Wish me luck on mine. Let me know how the judging goes!
Related Articles on Obama’s Vacation Reading:
- Obama’s vacation reading picks: How do they stack up? (EW.com)
- Obama’s Vacation Reading List (Newsweek)
- Just In: Obama’s Vacation Reading List (ABC News)
- Scandal over Obama’s Martha’s Vineyard Reading List (Baltimore Sun) – Scandal? Really?! Just because he’s potentially reading a book he’s already read?
Status update as of August 20, 2009
I was reminded of my blog this morning when I was asked to take care of an IT issue at work having to do with Wordpress. My last post was from the “beginning” of summer in May. What happened to all the time in between?!?!
Well, a lot has happened since then, so…as not to overwhelm the 3 of you who actually read this (hi, Mom!), here is a summary of what I can remember from this summer:
(Sadly, I am opening up my Outlook calendar to jog my failing memory)
May
- I used to blog more
- I read a ton of books, including Lord of the Flies, The Devil Wears Prada, and some others I just can’t remember at the moment. Scratch “ton” out of the previous sentence.
- Vacation! I completely forgot about this (sadly), but Mike and I were able to drive up through Oregon and Washington…all the way up to Victoria, Canada. So much fun!
June
- Vacation, still! Ah, fun memories. Seems like years ago already. Pictures can be found here.
- Back to work. Thankfully, we do like work…
- We went to a cabin with some friends. Fun times!
- I vaguely remember a lot of sushi…
July
- Birthdays, weddings, and work. Not necessarily in that order.
- Some of our dearest friends moved to Texas (*sniffle*), but I think that might have been at the beginning of August…
August
- In progress, but I think I’m ready for next semester. I think…
- Lots more reading, but most of it was lesson prep. Except for the Mass Effect novels. Good stuff! I hate Saren that much more…
- Mike’s birthday is on the 31st (which happens to be the first day of classes). I am going to attempt to get him something he will never forget. That’s right, babe. You’ve got it comin’…
Next semester, I’m teaching 4 undergrad classes, taking 2 grad classes (and one “open course” on Social Media and Open Education for good measure!), working part-time for IT, attempting to get my website up and running, and some other things, so I’ll be busy and mostly out of trouble. God is good. :)
I better get back to reading as much as I can before the semester really starts. Icanhazcheezburger, I’m looking at you…
It’s Question Time!
Awhile back, I found a fascinating little app on Facebook called “Your Interview”. Fun little app, it is. Every week, I’m going to take one of those questions and answer it here…just for fun, and because I am too lazy to write my review of The Devil Wears Prada.
Q: Do you believe that the cup is half empty or half full?
A: Personally, I’m wondering what you’re doing with my cup, but to answer your question, I generally believe the cup/glass is very full. The question is – what’s in it?
Swim – #1
Mike and I went for our first swim of the summer tonight at around 7:00 pm. I thought it was great; he thought it was cold. Ah, differences in opinion. :)
Anyways, it was fun being able to splash around in the water. It was just the two of us, so that made it extra fun. I felt like a kid again. Okay, so I’m not terribly ancient or anything, but there’s something terribly fun about being the only people in the pool and being able to splash around/swim around/try to take the other person down without actually hurting them, etc. We might need to get some pool noodles or something to add to the excitement.
It was also fun to be able to spend some time alone doing something fun with my husband. There’s something especially fun and romantic about having a pool to yourselves. We swapped hilarious swim stories from when we were younger, discussed the finer points of why swimming was a great workout compared with other options, raced each other (pathetically, but give us a summer…we’ll be so fast…), and got tons of water up our noses.
More importantly, we got to be together.
..and in less than a week, we’re going to have all the time in the world to do whatever we want for 2 whole weeks.
Yes, swimming will be included.
