It's only been a week!

I totally cannot believe that it has only been a week since we have left Virtcamp! Well our first semester is in full swing and I am in the process of reading 3 books at once and trying to keep everything straight while also reading posts on Blackboard, creating a webgift, reading articles, and writing a blog, oh yeah and creating a website. Whew! My gosh! I have to admit that I did have to go buy an iLap to put my laptop at a slant so I don't get carpel tunnel syndrome. This instrument is becoming my new best friend. I'll soon be buckling it into the front seat with me! :) I can honestly say that I am a little overwhelmed right now. I was talking to Todd earlier today and had said that I take mini breaks by going and getting a snack. I know that I do have to get a handle on that otherwise I will begin to develop handles in places that I don't need them to be.

Let me tell you though...this PROCESS thing is haunting me. I was watching Leno this past week. I guess there have been many YouTube videos created mocking the candidates for the next Presidential election. Well...Lo and behold Leno had stated it was part of the Process. I am beginning to understand that this program is paralleling what education will look like in the future. I am beginning to understand that. Well ta-ta for now... I'm going to immerse myself in one of the above listed items.

Hard Fun!!!

Before Virtcamp week, I never really thought about the phrase Hard Fun!!! Seymour Papert's coined phrase is a paradox in itself. How can something that is hard be fun? Well after Virtcamp week, I learned that Hard Fun has a literal meaning and Virtcamp really lived up the the saying hard fun! Looking back on the week, I cannot believe how much of a challenge I was given and the ways that I conquered that challenge. For one, I was put way outside of my comfort zone. Not being given parameters or assignments until the last minute was a little bothersome to me. I am a person that likes guidelines laid out for me and deadlines given to me way in advance. This week taught me to take things as they are and work with what you have. Knowing that everyone was on the same boat as myself was another positive. We all had similar feelings and I was not alone.

640 A Common Thread:Day 3

Day 3....Nerds on a rope...how does it relate to our group? Yeah its candy and we all love it; but it's deeper meaning is that we have come together and united on one strand. Every one person has something to contribute to our cadre, and if we didn't have them, our common thread would have some holes in it. We all came here with a vision. Over the course of the next year, we will be able to work together to better understand how learning takes place and how we can incorporate implementing technology into our classrooms and our workplace. Learning is a process that takes time. This next year will allow us nerds to support each other and band together in what will be an amazing adventure.

Day 2 Fears and Hopes

Day 2...a little more comfortable, yet still aprehensive. After learning about what this next year entails I can say that I do have fears. One is balancing between work and school. I take pride in everything I do both inside and outside of work and school, and I really don't know how I will be able to put my everything required for these two into my 24 hour day. Also, how will I be able to do everything correctly (I guess this is part of my perfectionism) Over the next year, I think I will have to work on this. I know that the world is not perfect and I am not perfect, thus I will possibly break the my perfectionistic personality. Next fear: ARP. I'm not a writer and I'm scared to have to write a 100 pg paper. As far as my hopes: I hope to develop fabulous relationships with my cadremates, as well as learn how to better incorporate technology into my classroom. Technology is the wave of the future, and it is very important that we keep our students up to date with these forms, because they are our future.