I thought about this the other day-a completely random thought, initiated by a Tim Gunn ad on my Facebook Home page. I thought to myself, "I really miss Project Runway!"
And my brain grabbed onto that thought-just as egos do, and it has been nagging at me ever since.
I look at something and think, "I really miss that..." And so I thought I would make a list and put it out there..
I do really miss Project Runway..."Make it work!"
I also miss warm, tropical breezes....Charleston, SC., Pinehurst, NC, Bermuda, Siesta Keys, FL..it is gray and gloomy here in New England- June gloom has nothing on us..it's Jan-Jun Gloom...with a smattering of sunshiny days thrown in.
Martha's Vineyard-and the Black Dog...Edgartown...The News
Hangin with my friends....more often..seems to be fewer opportunities for us to get together in one place. My former teacher friends and I made a standing dinner date once a month so we would stay in touch. That is a great idea. I try not to miss that unless I absolutely have to.
Working out with a friend-it's a lot easier to go to the gym when you're meeting someone there...
The US Open- coming up again. I can't believe I was at Torrey Pines last year- seems like forever ago...
Taking classes-going to school-weird, huh? I love teaching, but being a student makes me think harder..now I need to gear myself up to learn something new, and there's no one really to bounce ideas off of of challenge my ideas....time to look into something more perhaps?
The old Facebook- I can barely remember what it was like! But I do know I have some friends that have stopped using it..it's too random now, and I usually like random things. It doesn't feel connected anymore. Everyone's talking but nobody's listening..
Being able to eat anything that's bad for me-whenever I want- now if I eat something totally unhealthy I think twice about it and have to eat make-up food the next day.
Skiing-in the winter-I think, I would love to go skiing, but it's so much work, and who would go with me? It's kind of like golf- I don' t have enough skiing/golfing friends who can randomly take a day off and hit the slopes or the course..
Road trips- I really love road trips...
Things I Miss. After reflecting, I am glad to say I don't have material things on the list, which is interesting to me. Some things I will never get back, and others will be replaced by a whole new set of experiences. And still others make me think if I miss it so much, why not just, "Make it work!"
Tim Gunn, I really miss you...
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Lost in Translation
Ever wonder about translating? When you listen to someone, take in their information, make sense of it, and then try to figure out how to relay that information to others so they actually understand not only what you are saying, but the meaning and intention behind it?
I am a translator of technology speak...kind of. I suddenly realized this week that on a daily basis I bridge the world between those that are just learning the language, and those that are native to it. In a bizarre twist of fate, however, I am also a translator of education lingo. My background and formal education are in education....and I sit juxtaposed between two worlds, every day.
Every day I must translate back and forth so that the Technology Native Speakers and the Educators can communicate with each other. No easy task. Imagine you are native to a foreign country, and you have cooking skills- and a recent immigrant asks you to prepare their favorite meal- New England Lobster- for a dinner party. In your native country, Lobster is a bottom feeder in the ocean- a scavenger akin to crow or buzzard or a raccoon and you cannot for the life of you imagine anyone wanting to eat its flesh. You know where to buy it, how to cook it, but you have no understanding of why anyone would want to eat it, nor do you understand all of its many secret and delectable culinary uses. I as the translator, have to listen to both sides of the story and convince you that it is a worthy endeavor.
I could be a world renowned negotiator. The negotiation skills I am honing are incredible, but my brain hurts. Every day it is something new.
"What does an ipod touch have to do with teaching-what can you do with it besides shop on ebay and play beer pong?" Point.
"The ipod touch will not connect to Google-it keeps asking me to sign into the wireless network. How come I can access ebay, but not Google?"
"How come teachers cannot have administrator privileges on their own machines? They cannot even run Adobe and Flash updates."
"The only time we ever get viruses is on machines where teachers are administrators."
And back and forth it goes. Point, counter point. The one thing neither side counted on is my tenaciousness and persistence. I do not give up. If something is useful and important I will bring it back to the table again, and again, trying not to offend either party. Negotiation and translation skills necessary.
Today I am back to the Teacher side of the table early in the morning, then to the Technology side of the table later on. Then back to my office to assess what was gained and lost for either side. If I make no headway, it probably means my translation for either side was not as good as it could have been.
It is an interesting psychology experiment, and fun to watch the second language develop on either side of the continental divide. The language comes easiest to those who admit they are still in the learning stages. Development is slower in those that think they have enough understanding to get by. There are both kinds in either group. I am learning to use my resources wisely, and use peer teaching whenever possible.
I am hoping today will go well. I am also hoping that soonr, rather than later, the language skills on both sides of the table will meet somewhere in the middle.
I am a translator of technology speak...kind of. I suddenly realized this week that on a daily basis I bridge the world between those that are just learning the language, and those that are native to it. In a bizarre twist of fate, however, I am also a translator of education lingo. My background and formal education are in education....and I sit juxtaposed between two worlds, every day.
Every day I must translate back and forth so that the Technology Native Speakers and the Educators can communicate with each other. No easy task. Imagine you are native to a foreign country, and you have cooking skills- and a recent immigrant asks you to prepare their favorite meal- New England Lobster- for a dinner party. In your native country, Lobster is a bottom feeder in the ocean- a scavenger akin to crow or buzzard or a raccoon and you cannot for the life of you imagine anyone wanting to eat its flesh. You know where to buy it, how to cook it, but you have no understanding of why anyone would want to eat it, nor do you understand all of its many secret and delectable culinary uses. I as the translator, have to listen to both sides of the story and convince you that it is a worthy endeavor.
I could be a world renowned negotiator. The negotiation skills I am honing are incredible, but my brain hurts. Every day it is something new.
"What does an ipod touch have to do with teaching-what can you do with it besides shop on ebay and play beer pong?" Point.
"The ipod touch will not connect to Google-it keeps asking me to sign into the wireless network. How come I can access ebay, but not Google?"
"How come teachers cannot have administrator privileges on their own machines? They cannot even run Adobe and Flash updates."
"The only time we ever get viruses is on machines where teachers are administrators."
And back and forth it goes. Point, counter point. The one thing neither side counted on is my tenaciousness and persistence. I do not give up. If something is useful and important I will bring it back to the table again, and again, trying not to offend either party. Negotiation and translation skills necessary.
Today I am back to the Teacher side of the table early in the morning, then to the Technology side of the table later on. Then back to my office to assess what was gained and lost for either side. If I make no headway, it probably means my translation for either side was not as good as it could have been.
It is an interesting psychology experiment, and fun to watch the second language develop on either side of the continental divide. The language comes easiest to those who admit they are still in the learning stages. Development is slower in those that think they have enough understanding to get by. There are both kinds in either group. I am learning to use my resources wisely, and use peer teaching whenever possible.
I am hoping today will go well. I am also hoping that soonr, rather than later, the language skills on both sides of the table will meet somewhere in the middle.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Stop Complaining
Spring is really here, and we are on our way to summer. The lilacs are blooming, the grass is growing, and the water is being sucked from the top of the pool cover. This weekend is Memorial Day weekend. With any change of season, there comes reminiscing-looking back at the last year and the past-remembering the good times and the bad times and moving forward.
I fondly remember time spent with friends and family: graduations, birthday parties, cookouts or barbecues, the Mother's Day Flood, and trips to New york and New Jersey. Reflecting on my last post, I shouldn't have complained about my trip to Myrtle Beach, but rather accepted it for what it was. Two weeks later I can look back and say to myself, the courses were absolutely beautiful, there were some amazing golf shots, there was a lot of laughter, and I was able to golf relatively pain free and live to tell about it. No, it was not as much fun as it could have been, but it was warm and sunny and good to get away.
You see, I really don't have much to complain about these days, really. my very good friend lost her husband two weeks ago-suddenly, and now she is alone. Just like that. "It sucks," she tells me every day. She is moving on-she isn't complaining or feeling sorry for herself. The most she says is, "This sucks-no really, it just sucks." So how can I complain about anything?
All around me friends have parents who are aging and losing their ability to think, reason, and be independent.They are in hospitals, nursing homes, or need constant care. How can I complain about my feisty, chatty mother who is starting to tell me the same stories over and over again, but her ailments consist of an achy joint here or there and she is still going to work every day and getting ready to set up her first laptop?
I certainly cannot complain about my job- I love my job! All of my past experiences have led me to this point in work, and in life. The people I connect with now are directly or indirectly related to my past. It's that karma thing again.
So I cannot complain-really, about anything. If I have a sore back from golfing last night it's because I did not follow the very good advice of my personal trainer-and I did not warm up first. I will pay for that later today at the gym. So stop complaining. Enjoy the lilacs, and the bees, and the growing grass while you reach for your box of Kleenex. Fire up the grill, put on the sunscreen, and sunglasses, and laugh. Remember your friends and family and how lucky you are.
I fondly remember time spent with friends and family: graduations, birthday parties, cookouts or barbecues, the Mother's Day Flood, and trips to New york and New Jersey. Reflecting on my last post, I shouldn't have complained about my trip to Myrtle Beach, but rather accepted it for what it was. Two weeks later I can look back and say to myself, the courses were absolutely beautiful, there were some amazing golf shots, there was a lot of laughter, and I was able to golf relatively pain free and live to tell about it. No, it was not as much fun as it could have been, but it was warm and sunny and good to get away.
You see, I really don't have much to complain about these days, really. my very good friend lost her husband two weeks ago-suddenly, and now she is alone. Just like that. "It sucks," she tells me every day. She is moving on-she isn't complaining or feeling sorry for herself. The most she says is, "This sucks-no really, it just sucks." So how can I complain about anything?
All around me friends have parents who are aging and losing their ability to think, reason, and be independent.They are in hospitals, nursing homes, or need constant care. How can I complain about my feisty, chatty mother who is starting to tell me the same stories over and over again, but her ailments consist of an achy joint here or there and she is still going to work every day and getting ready to set up her first laptop?
I certainly cannot complain about my job- I love my job! All of my past experiences have led me to this point in work, and in life. The people I connect with now are directly or indirectly related to my past. It's that karma thing again.
So I cannot complain-really, about anything. If I have a sore back from golfing last night it's because I did not follow the very good advice of my personal trainer-and I did not warm up first. I will pay for that later today at the gym. So stop complaining. Enjoy the lilacs, and the bees, and the growing grass while you reach for your box of Kleenex. Fire up the grill, put on the sunscreen, and sunglasses, and laugh. Remember your friends and family and how lucky you are.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
On Looking for Fun and Adventure
I recently returned from my annual golf vacation to Myrtle Beach. I am thinking it might be time to change things up a bit. The typical formula for Myrtle Beach fun had been strayed away from the last 2 years. There is a reason why the recipe for fun must be adhered to, otherwise, the whole experience falls flat.
After last year's escapade with family friends, I thought to myself, "This wasn't as much fun without my husband and his friends- they are way more fun.....next year I will go with them." So, heading into 2009, with a new job and different responsibilities and a more flexible schedule, I firmly decided I would go whenever my husband and his friends went.
Up until 2 weeks before the trip we had 8 golfers...and then 2 dropped out...and then 1 more dropped out.."Have fun golfing with your wife all week," my husband's friend commented to him.
Should I drop out? Not fair...I was in from the beginning! But, I was the "fifth" golfer. And a wife. I tried to convince myself it would be fine; my husband told me it would be fine; I knew it would be less than fine. It is easier to be one of the boys when there are more than 6 golfers. It is impossible to be one of the boys when you are the fifth wheel.
I love my husband's friends-they are funny, kind, and down to earth. But they are his friends.
We went to a birthday party for another of his friends the night before we left for Myrtle Beach."So, what do you do? Do you go to lay by the pool and hang out while they golf?" one of the wives asked me...
Another sign. I had neon, glaring signs all the way, and I stubbornly stuck to my decision to go because I wanted to have fun. Let me just say-you cannot go looking for fun and adventure- it must find you. There were moments that were fun-like the ferry ride over to Bald Head Island-but the greens had been aerated and we were all really tired. Like playing World Tour International and getting to Amen Corner and the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass- but it was a cheap imitation- no where near the real experience-you can not re-create fun.
And then there was listening to the boys tell stories about their day together-we had no stories to share. Who wants to hear about how annoying my husband is? I couldn't rag on their friend. "It's okay if we make fun of each other," he said,"but they don't know how to take it if you make fun of me, it just sounds like you're complaining." Great. Do not try to pretend to be having fun-it just comes off as complaining, I guess.
There were things that happened that I thought were fun and funny, and no one agreed with me. That was awkward. Some holes I outplayed the guys....that was fun for me, but I couldn't show it..they were sulking. When I hit a bad shot, I couldn't smash my club and swear, like them. They didn't thinkthat was fun. They smoked cigars and drank Coors Light. I was thankful for my occasional Bloody Mary. I hit from T boxes that were too far back and barely made it over the crap- and let me tell you there was nothing but crap, sand, and water. More golf lessons from my husband. Not fun.
And so it went. We played a lot of golf. The boys all had fun. It was a smashing success. They have very low expectations and their fun involves swinging a golf club, ending the day with a too large serving of beef and sweet tea, and soaking in the hot tub-followed by watching the Celtics, th Bruins and the Sox. No American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and Grays?
So, I am rethinking the whole Myrtle Beach golf experience with the boys. I had more fun last year with a mixed group. Maybe I am an annoying golfer. Maybe it is no fun to play with a wife. Next year I will not try to plan my fun with high hopes and great expectations. I will let fun find me and see what happens. There is fun and adventure out there waiting for me, I know it.
After last year's escapade with family friends, I thought to myself, "This wasn't as much fun without my husband and his friends- they are way more fun.....next year I will go with them." So, heading into 2009, with a new job and different responsibilities and a more flexible schedule, I firmly decided I would go whenever my husband and his friends went.
Up until 2 weeks before the trip we had 8 golfers...and then 2 dropped out...and then 1 more dropped out.."Have fun golfing with your wife all week," my husband's friend commented to him.
Should I drop out? Not fair...I was in from the beginning! But, I was the "fifth" golfer. And a wife. I tried to convince myself it would be fine; my husband told me it would be fine; I knew it would be less than fine. It is easier to be one of the boys when there are more than 6 golfers. It is impossible to be one of the boys when you are the fifth wheel.
I love my husband's friends-they are funny, kind, and down to earth. But they are his friends.
We went to a birthday party for another of his friends the night before we left for Myrtle Beach."So, what do you do? Do you go to lay by the pool and hang out while they golf?" one of the wives asked me...
Another sign. I had neon, glaring signs all the way, and I stubbornly stuck to my decision to go because I wanted to have fun. Let me just say-you cannot go looking for fun and adventure- it must find you. There were moments that were fun-like the ferry ride over to Bald Head Island-but the greens had been aerated and we were all really tired. Like playing World Tour International and getting to Amen Corner and the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass- but it was a cheap imitation- no where near the real experience-you can not re-create fun.
And then there was listening to the boys tell stories about their day together-we had no stories to share. Who wants to hear about how annoying my husband is? I couldn't rag on their friend. "It's okay if we make fun of each other," he said,"but they don't know how to take it if you make fun of me, it just sounds like you're complaining." Great. Do not try to pretend to be having fun-it just comes off as complaining, I guess.
There were things that happened that I thought were fun and funny, and no one agreed with me. That was awkward. Some holes I outplayed the guys....that was fun for me, but I couldn't show it..they were sulking. When I hit a bad shot, I couldn't smash my club and swear, like them. They didn't thinkthat was fun. They smoked cigars and drank Coors Light. I was thankful for my occasional Bloody Mary. I hit from T boxes that were too far back and barely made it over the crap- and let me tell you there was nothing but crap, sand, and water. More golf lessons from my husband. Not fun.
And so it went. We played a lot of golf. The boys all had fun. It was a smashing success. They have very low expectations and their fun involves swinging a golf club, ending the day with a too large serving of beef and sweet tea, and soaking in the hot tub-followed by watching the Celtics, th Bruins and the Sox. No American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and Grays?
So, I am rethinking the whole Myrtle Beach golf experience with the boys. I had more fun last year with a mixed group. Maybe I am an annoying golfer. Maybe it is no fun to play with a wife. Next year I will not try to plan my fun with high hopes and great expectations. I will let fun find me and see what happens. There is fun and adventure out there waiting for me, I know it.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
I Remember My Grandmother
And I think I am turning into her.....Lately I have discovered that if you write a letter or let someone know you are dissatisfied, sometimes, they will try to make things right. In the last month alone I have: received 10 journal magazines and 6 books from a professional organization I joined this summer. Apparently, all of my mail was delivered to my former place of employment-and it was never forwarded to me. Big surprise there!!contacted membership, and they called me, spoke to me personally, and told me they would re-send everything I had missed-free of charge!!I was pleasantly surprised to receive these goodies. Next time I will pay attention to my mailing address when I sign up for stuff.
I also received a voucher with LUV- Southwest Luv, that is...my airline of choice. After the price of my ticket dropped almost 200.00 when I flew to California last month, I wrote them a letter and, after a 50.00 service charge, I now have a flight to Houston to visit my recently relocated daughter. Hooray!
And I have been living with an insanely drippy coffee pot from Mr. Coffee for a almost a year. The gasket around the top has always leaked..and so, I did a little digital detective work and contacted the company through a third part website-was I surprised when I received a reply saying they would ship me a new decanter!! I received it last night and words cannot express how happy it made me to pour my coffee this morning and not end up with a drippy coffee mess all over my counter!!
So there you have it, ask and you shall receive. Or, if you don't ask, you will never know what the answer would have been. I am batting 1000. And I have ben pleasantly surprised with the corporate responses to my concerns. These three companies, at least, have done the right thing and that has made me a happy girl.
I also received a voucher with LUV- Southwest Luv, that is...my airline of choice. After the price of my ticket dropped almost 200.00 when I flew to California last month, I wrote them a letter and, after a 50.00 service charge, I now have a flight to Houston to visit my recently relocated daughter. Hooray!
And I have been living with an insanely drippy coffee pot from Mr. Coffee for a almost a year. The gasket around the top has always leaked..and so, I did a little digital detective work and contacted the company through a third part website-was I surprised when I received a reply saying they would ship me a new decanter!! I received it last night and words cannot express how happy it made me to pour my coffee this morning and not end up with a drippy coffee mess all over my counter!!
So there you have it, ask and you shall receive. Or, if you don't ask, you will never know what the answer would have been. I am batting 1000. And I have ben pleasantly surprised with the corporate responses to my concerns. These three companies, at least, have done the right thing and that has made me a happy girl.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Time Heals All Wounds
It really does. But when you are in pain, time can go very slowly, so much so that time is measured in the minutes and hours of every day, and the goal of each day is to get through it to get to the next day, so that it can be over as well. But then one day you think to yourself,"Hey, things are good!Life is good! I am no longer wishing and hoping and dreaming about things getting better, because they are. Just like that, it happens.
I can say from personal experience this is a fantastic phenomenon, and one that works for both physical and emotional pain. Take for example the huge bump on my shin that resulted from my collision with a moving golf cart. That occurred 10 months ago. At first, several times a day I thought to myself, "That bump is with me for life. I have a deformed shin with a bump." The other night I had an itch, and when I scratched my leg I noticed the bump was barely noticeable. Just like that, time healed my wound.
There's a slight issue with my tennis elbow, too. After 6 months of OT that seemed to render negligible results, I would have to say that 2 months after my last treatment during which my therapist proclaimed me cured..I guess I am cured! Well, about 85-90% cured. Every now and then if I lift heavy weights or sleep with my arm all crunched up, it is painful, but the pain goes away. Time heals all wounds.
And those are just the most recent, obvious physical ailments. Then there are the times in the last few years I thought I would die from misery. Clearly that didn't happen, because here I am writing about it. But when you find yourself counting days, weeks, months and years, and thinking and remembering the evil twisted events of the past, or you cannot sleep at night because your heart hurts and your head is full of memories, it is a miracle when one day you wake up and realize you have not thought about any of it for days or weeks. When anniversaries of dreaded moments come and go and are no longer celebrated and thought about with dread, when voices and people from the past no longer cause stomach pain and anxiety, and when you no longer daydream about things to be the way they used to be, you will know time has healed.
It has not been months...but as time goes by, days and weeks will turn into months and months into years. And then one day it will seem so far away and long ago it will barely be a scrape.
One day the thing you thought you would never get over and never forget, will be a whisper, a dream, a memory, and you will have to really think hard to remember the awfulness. Time truly does heal all wounds.
I can say from personal experience this is a fantastic phenomenon, and one that works for both physical and emotional pain. Take for example the huge bump on my shin that resulted from my collision with a moving golf cart. That occurred 10 months ago. At first, several times a day I thought to myself, "That bump is with me for life. I have a deformed shin with a bump." The other night I had an itch, and when I scratched my leg I noticed the bump was barely noticeable. Just like that, time healed my wound.
There's a slight issue with my tennis elbow, too. After 6 months of OT that seemed to render negligible results, I would have to say that 2 months after my last treatment during which my therapist proclaimed me cured..I guess I am cured! Well, about 85-90% cured. Every now and then if I lift heavy weights or sleep with my arm all crunched up, it is painful, but the pain goes away. Time heals all wounds.
And those are just the most recent, obvious physical ailments. Then there are the times in the last few years I thought I would die from misery. Clearly that didn't happen, because here I am writing about it. But when you find yourself counting days, weeks, months and years, and thinking and remembering the evil twisted events of the past, or you cannot sleep at night because your heart hurts and your head is full of memories, it is a miracle when one day you wake up and realize you have not thought about any of it for days or weeks. When anniversaries of dreaded moments come and go and are no longer celebrated and thought about with dread, when voices and people from the past no longer cause stomach pain and anxiety, and when you no longer daydream about things to be the way they used to be, you will know time has healed.
It has not been months...but as time goes by, days and weeks will turn into months and months into years. And then one day it will seem so far away and long ago it will barely be a scrape.
One day the thing you thought you would never get over and never forget, will be a whisper, a dream, a memory, and you will have to really think hard to remember the awfulness. Time truly does heal all wounds.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
I'm Back
So I am all recover from my vacation..and it's on to the next vacation. This time it's a vacation with a theme: Golf or die trying. 3 and a half weeks to Myrtle Beach. Me and the guys...the goal is to beat John, and to lose weight, which just may happen if I can stay away from the 9am beer.
I bought a new driver-a Taylor Made Burner with a 10.5 loft and senior shaft..and I can crush it. If I practice putting, life should be good. But that' s in May. Let's talk about now.
I am in the final days of my Microsoft March Madness series of 8 basic Office classes for teachers. It has been an overwhelming success...so much so that I am getting hugs at the end of class. I have held 6 workshops,; some have been at every workshop. They drag themselves to the High School library,after working all day, and I have to kick them out at 4:30. I was sick one day and had to cancel a class and they are insisting on making it up. Their heads are spinning with information, but they come back to me every other day for more.
Today I am working with teachers who created their very first PowerPoint EVER on Monday..and I am going to show them how to add animation and slide transitions.
This has been a very humbling experience. Here I have been making a major assumption that everyone had basic technology skills and was ready to advance to the next greatest idea. How presumptuous of me! How can teachers possibly be confident enough to use technology with their students every day if they do not know how to open MS Office, create a new folder, save and rename files, and insert clip art? It has been a wonderful experience, as they learn, their confidence grows. They are not afraid of trying new things, they are asking all the questions they feel too dumb to ask their friends, and they are learning web 2.0 at the same time! We are enjoying rich discussions about Creative Commons, Flickr, Delicious, Twitter and Internet copyright laws.
So it may seem funny to some, that there are actually folks out there that do not know where the "ON" button is, but how will they learn if w don't take the time to teach them? So every day I know I made the right decision to move on in my career. I am there for a reason, and it is just the beginning of great things to come. I no longer take for granted what I have worked hard at and learned how to do. I love technology, I love teaching, and I love education. I am thankful for the opportunity to share it with others. Do something amazing today-I plan to.
I bought a new driver-a Taylor Made Burner with a 10.5 loft and senior shaft..and I can crush it. If I practice putting, life should be good. But that' s in May. Let's talk about now.
I am in the final days of my Microsoft March Madness series of 8 basic Office classes for teachers. It has been an overwhelming success...so much so that I am getting hugs at the end of class. I have held 6 workshops,; some have been at every workshop. They drag themselves to the High School library,after working all day, and I have to kick them out at 4:30. I was sick one day and had to cancel a class and they are insisting on making it up. Their heads are spinning with information, but they come back to me every other day for more.
Today I am working with teachers who created their very first PowerPoint EVER on Monday..and I am going to show them how to add animation and slide transitions.
This has been a very humbling experience. Here I have been making a major assumption that everyone had basic technology skills and was ready to advance to the next greatest idea. How presumptuous of me! How can teachers possibly be confident enough to use technology with their students every day if they do not know how to open MS Office, create a new folder, save and rename files, and insert clip art? It has been a wonderful experience, as they learn, their confidence grows. They are not afraid of trying new things, they are asking all the questions they feel too dumb to ask their friends, and they are learning web 2.0 at the same time! We are enjoying rich discussions about Creative Commons, Flickr, Delicious, Twitter and Internet copyright laws.
So it may seem funny to some, that there are actually folks out there that do not know where the "ON" button is, but how will they learn if w don't take the time to teach them? So every day I know I made the right decision to move on in my career. I am there for a reason, and it is just the beginning of great things to come. I no longer take for granted what I have worked hard at and learned how to do. I love technology, I love teaching, and I love education. I am thankful for the opportunity to share it with others. Do something amazing today-I plan to.
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