Catching up!

[Yvonne Caples]

I started to take this workshop last year, became overwhelmed and stopped. However, I did get to view Mike Wesch's video last year and posted to my blog about it: Being Disruptive which left me eagerly awaiting this workshop for this year.

I am determined to get involved this year, but find myself falling behind once again! However, I do have some time set aside to over the next few days and have thankfully accomplished many of the activities from the first two weeks. The book is fantastic, so far. I posted a reflection about the Introduction entitled: Google, Haiti, and the 5 Lenses of Digital Technologies
I hope to learn more about using a ning, social bookmarking tools, tagging, and setting up a useful Personal Learning Network. Most importantly I hope to network and meet other educators who share the same passions and concerns about technology integration. Hope to connect with some of you soon!

[Jennifer Verschoor]

Dear Yvonne,

We all feel overwhelmed with this workshop :-) Even as moderators we keep learning and sharing our discoveries. Remember that you don`t need to do everything. Take baby steps and try to choose whatever you find interesting.
Warm regards
Jennifer as happy as a dog with two tails that finally I have Internet at home

[Hanaa Khamis]

Hi Yvonne! I'd always had the same feeling (.oO I'm lagging behind). Such a -ve unproductive sentiment. Till i made up my mind not so long ago to stop the stream of negativity. I realized it's a process of growth. Since ppl grow at different paces, there's no need to look around just within. I ask myself (.oO is there anything new I've learned today?) Even one new tool, trick, tip, technique, u name it, would make me feel good even if i missed a dozen more. That's the way i learn: by taking one step at a time. Have a wonderful week! Hanaa #evomlit

[Yvonne Caples]

Thanks Hanaa and Jennifer...you are absolutely right! It's so important to keep things in perspective which both of you helped me do!

[Michael Shade]

Yvonne - 2 great posts! I found Michael Wesch's lecture inspirational when I saw it last year, and agree wholeheartedly with your comments on it.

In the more recent post you comment on the role of digital technologies in modern life, and mention Haiti in particular. Amidst the enormous human tragedy of the Haitian disaster, one poignant image (which I read of in a newspaper) that sticks in my mind is of the President wandering around helpless, unable to contact any of his surviving colleagues - indeed not knowing whether any of them had survived at all - because not only were all government buildings destroyed, but the communications systems had gone down, and the battery in his mobile phone had run out.

[Nina Liakos]

I know what you mean about starting and then becoming overwhelmed. It happens to me every year! I took BaW three years in a row and always fizzled out at around the same time. It has to do with our academic calendar: class begin for our Intensive English Program at the end of January (this year earlier), and once that happens, time for EVO sessions decreases.

I've decided that that isn't a reason not to become involved, though. I try to have F.U.N. and learn as much as possible. Everybody has a life, a family, a job that take our time and attention. (and a snowy driveway to shovel, sometimes) The key is to stop feeling guilty about what we can't manage to do and start feeling happy about what we do manage to do! (We all struggle with this, I think.)