Week 3 - How am I going to get all of this done?

This week has been a lesson in time management. I do not remember a time when I have ever taken a class that has had so much work. Of course, this is an online class and I do need to factor in the six hours a week that I would be spending in a classroom that I am not. That means I should have six hours of work per week plus the time I would normally spend doing homework outside of class. I am certainly spending six hours plus trying to get all of the reading and assignments done. Especially this week.

The assignments for this week were not especially difficult, just incredibly time consuming. I looked at what was required for this week last Sunday and worked to manage my days so I could get a little bit done everyday and not have too much waiting to be completed on Saturday and Sunday. I am done with everything at this point but am waiting for help on my pod cast before I can record it.

I don't mean to be constantly complaining about this course, it's just a bit out of my comfort zone and I feel I am forced to commit a lot of time and effort in completing the assignments. I do certainly feel like I am getting my moneys worth as I now know how to blog, create a website, and record a pod cast - all of which I had no idea how to do three weeks ago. I am glad to learn how to do all of this and now have more tools in my toolbox to work with when I do get into the classroom, I just don't know how likely I will be to actually use these tools with my students. I would love to know more about how teachers are incorporating cell phones, blogs, and pod casts in classrooms today, not just how they should work ideally or in theory.

Not class related, this was a wonderful Portland weekend. The sun was shining and sky was clear both Saturday and Sunday. I went on a couple of really nice, long walks through South East exploring Laurelhurst park and the neighborhoods between Burnside and Hawthorne. I also saw an amazing moving, Man on Wire, about the French wirewalker, Phillipe Petit, who succeeded in securing a wire between the World Trade Center buildings in 1974 and 'dancing' on the wire for 45 minutes to the amazement of the world. The movie is a documentary that focuses on this unique person and his passion for life. I definitely recommend it!