WoW!

OOF! For some unknown reason I found this session to be exhausting and overwhelming. This is not to say that I did not manage to do everything I needed to do, but I always felt that I was playing catch up or just putting out fires. It's possible that this is a result of just having to assimilate too much information in too short a time. If I have to characterize this session this is how I would do it. Too much, too quickly. I suppose that some time this summer my brain will catch up with its task... I was asked to moderate an ED-Tech panel discussion and presentation at RASCALS and have agreed to do so. Don't know how it will turn out, but if you don't try you won't know..

Reading Week

True to its name, this week I have been doing a lot of reading. Midterm grammar exams, compositions, compositions, reading exams, and speaking and listening exams. Mark then enter. It seems the week may not be long enough... Boy, will I feel lighter when this is done. I am looking forward to looking back.

If at first you succeed...

The presentation at Rascals went well by all accounts despite a small glitch with Poll Everywhere. There was more material than there was time and the people seemed satisfied with the content. Naturally there are things I would do differently if I were to do it again. All in all a good experience!

Ready to take the plunge again...

After an long relaxing summer I am starting to feel like I may be ready to go again. With this comes a feeling of apprehension and excitement as it always does when I am about to begin something after a break. I worry about the unknowns and I relish them too. We shall see what this season brings...

Fear of Falling

Tomorrow I will be making a presentation to RASCALS on the topic of Ed-Tech for the first time. While I suspect that all will turn out ok, right now I am imagining all the things that can or may go wrong. I suppose that I am experiencing what my students feel when I ask them to present their work in front of the class in a foreign language... It's the fear of falling -- on my face and being embarrassed. Oh well, one can only hope for the best and know that if you don't try - you can't succeed.

First, there was the idea

I have been thinking about how and why someone would do something new and I have come to the realization that nothing is possible until you have and accept an idea. You have to imagine it and think that you can/might be able to/ do it. Seeing someone around you do something helps you to imagine you can do it too. Being the first in a group to do something because you believe (stubbornly) that you can/should/must/ do something is more difficult. There is an incredible feeling of warmth and good feelings that come with achieving something like that. There are generally no bad feelings to not succeeding right away. Try something. You'll feel better. See: How to Find and Do work you love. Scott Dinsmore TEDx Goldengate

Finding Clarity

I just wanted to say that there is nothing that forces you to learn more that the need to explain something to someone else. The first thing you need to do is to identify the audience so that you can tailor your message to them specifically. This exercise forces me to put myself into my audience's shoes and see what I am doing through their eyes. As I review the information that I could present I am overwhelmed with the sheer amount of it and how quickly it seems to be shifting. So, now I need to look at each program, each app, each site and each blog with an eye to evaluating their pertinence, ease of use and importance to teachers and students. I hope that I can live up to expectations and deliver the definitive must-know presentation that I imagine in my head....