Showtime: Part II

Last night, Wimba challenged me to an arm wrestle and I WON! What a feeling of accomplishment. First, I'm proud of the lesson our group presented on Humanist/ARCS theory. Thanks Darlene & Jenn! Also, as a result of this project, I feel more comfortable and confident navigating Wimba, although I'll continue to practice and hone my newly-acquired skills. Finally, I was surprised and pleased with how the bucket lesson resonated with classmates. Coincidentally, about a month before this class began, I picked the bucket book off the shelf in the children's section of Barnes and Noble. The cover plus the cleverness of the idea of "bucket filling" caught my eye and I immediately thought of instilling this idea in my own family with my 2 sons. Little did I know that several months later, in a graduate course,  I would encounter this book again or the type of impact it would have on my own life and education. I've since bought a copy of the book and think of my own "bucket-filling verses dumping" behavior on a daily basis. Life is funny like that!

Ready,Set,Showtime: Part I

It's showtime! Our presentation on Humanist/ARCS Learning Theory is tonight! So much anticipation and excitement. What will I stress about when this is over...? Rest assured; something else will be on the horizon. Stayed tuned for the debriefing... wish us luck!

Dr. Seuss Insight

Last night I saw our high school's production of Seussical with my 4-year-old son Harrison. What a treat! As as watched, I couldn't help but think about and appreciate all the hard work, practice, and dedication put into the production. It reminded me of my group's rehearsals for Monday's theory presentation in Wimba. Regardless of what happens, we're confidently prepared as a result of practice and teamwork. Just had to share those thoughts. Happy weekend!

Wimba Rehearsal

Monday evening found my group and I spending 2.5 hours in Wimba trying to organize our theory presentation for next Monday. Maybe it's the anticipation of it all, but for the first time in this MAIT program, I'm questioning the rationale behind certain apsects of this class. For instance, is there supposed to be more focus on technology implementation over content? Also, is the purpose of the quiz to practice with a Web 2.0 tool or really get 100% on everyone's quizzes? Essentially, in the process of learning about learning, I'm questioning what I'm getting out of this as a graduate student. Doing Wimba from my house is a little too close to home for me. It's difficult for me to draw the line between family and graduate work when they overlap in one place. My boys were out of sight, but not earshot. Maybe that's the realization; time is too valueable to be taken for granted. Will the hours and hours put into this project be justified or relevant in the end? Lots of questions, plenty of exhaustion, and never enough time to myself. I decided to schedule a spa day; some well-deserved me-time at the conclusion of this project. So, if you can't find me it's because I'm hanging with Elizabeth Arden!

A-Ha Reflections



Happy Valentine's Day

Kudos to the classmates who presented last night. The theory behind the teaching should never be taken for granted, as evidence by the informative and well-executed presentations. My "A-Ha" moment involved the chance to reflect on my own teaching methods in light of the theories presented. Of course, I cannot downplay how nervous I am to present our own theory: Humanism/ARCS. However, I feel passionate about the importance of Maslow's theory to teaching and learning so that comforts me a bit. Still a lot of Wimba uncertainty, but I'm reassured by the successes of my peers. I also feel encouraged by the feedback I received from Amy regarding my personal learning theory. Possible Capstone? Wow! I'm invested professionally in my topic, so that adds relevance too. Until next week...

Cookies for preschool

Harrison's birthday cupcakes



Wimba Collaboration

Tonight, I moved one step closer to a greater understanding of Wimba. Darlene & I collaborated with Jenn, our distance-learning partner, for our Humanist Theory lesson plan. The project is starting to take shape and it's exciting. The proof will be in the execution of the lesson in a few weeks. Teaching a lesson virtually is a new forum for most of us in Amy's class. Once again I find myself in unfamiliar territory, but it's nothing new in this MAITs program. Good luck to everyone presenting next week!