Issues

     Today it took me 45-minutes to get all of my technological pieces set up and ready for use. I certainly hope it doesn’t take this much time in the future. I had to check out a webcam from the library because, although my MacBook has a built-in webcam, I wasn’t able to figure out how to use it for Blackboard Collaborate. I also have a headset with a mic that I checked out from the library, too.

     When I finally got all of the webcam software up and running, I still had to get onto the Blackboard Collaborate site. It took forever to get everything loaded and working properly on the computer in the Trio Learning Lab. The computers here are usually really fast, but when I bogged it down with all of the equipment I was using, it slowed down significantly.

     I wasn’t able to get Blackboard uploaded on my own. It seems like any time I try to use a new piece of technology, I get lost in the process or end up going in circles with the computer asking me whether I want to open the file or save it and what application I want to use to run the software, and I have no idea what program does what with which format or anything. It’s all very confusing for me. I want the computer to just already have everything on it that I need to use so I can just sit down at it and get all of my work done.

     Now, I’m tired and frustrated, and I still have a bunch of homework left to do before I have to get to work this evening. Here’s hoping for everything else to go more smoothly for the rest of the day.

Collaboration

     Today, we discussed Google Docs, which is something I’ve been very interested in learning about. I’ve had several students in the Learning Lab present their homework assignments to me in Google Docs instead of in a Word Document. It’s a foreign concept to me, and I still think it’s better to use Word if you’re not collaborating with other individuals on an assignment, but I feel relatively comfortable using the program now for the group assignments we are responsible for completing this week.

      The problem with doing a group project, for me, is finding the time to do more homework. I’m already running from work to class to the library to work again without so much as a lunch break. My nerves are getting worn thin, and we’re not even halfway through the quarter yet.

     I am really looking forward to the group project though as it will be great experience working with someone over a long distance without any face-to-face time. I still prefer to be in the physical presence of another person. There’s a palpable energy present that simply doesn’t transfer through any form of technology. But it’s an invaluable resource to be able to communicate and get work accomplished with another individual even when there’s no possible way to meet at the same time or in the same location.

     Exploring alternative forms of collaboration software for this week’s discussion is also a helpful assignment. There’s so much information out there about an abundance of products currently available; it’ll be great to get some feedback and recommendations.

Challenging

     I keep forgetting about posting on my classroom blog. With all of my other homework, life responsibilities, and updating the social media sites, blogging seems to have fallen onto the back burner.

     I feel particularly challenged in this class because the only computer I have to work on when I’m not on campus is my Mac. Blackboard Collaborate doesn’t seem to want to work on my laptop, and I don’t know if it’s a Canvas issue or a compatibility issue. But at least my laptop has a webcam built in, so I won’t have to check one out from the library if I can get the software and hardware to all work properly on my laptop.

     Not having class in the classroom threw me off also. I spent most of that time posting in Google+ and reading the article for our group discussion page and writing a discussion post. I was barely able to get everything done on time as I also spent a lot of time trying to upload Blackboard Collaborate on my laptop and figuring out how to use the headphones with a microphone.

     There’s so much to learn, and it feels like there’s information pouring in on me from several different directions at once. It’s a lot to take in. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if I weren’t also working approximately 40 hours a week in addition to going to school full-time. But, big dreams take a lot of hard work. No one said this path was going to be easy.

Blogging

     I began my first blog in December of 2009. At first, I just wanted a place to record a few aphorisms I had ingeniously invented. Then, I figured it would be a great place to store the poems and songs I’ve written as an online back-up to my flash drive. Now, I would really like to learn useful, free ways to advertise my blog so that once I begin an active writing and editing career, my blog will actually get viewed. This class will hopefully be advantageous to my future goals and aspirations as a writer.

     I have intentionally requested my in-class blog to be viewed by class members only because my blog is atrocious and my posts are rough draft forms. I certainly hope no one else reads this blog because I’m a much better writer when I take my time to write well and to edit the content than I am when I simply write free-flowing consciousness.

     I’m eager to read everyone else’s blog posts and to see how they have designed their pages. I don’t know how much I’ll have time for, but I’ll check out as many as I can. I think blogs are interesting and entertaining, and they can also be quite informative.

Google Docs is actually what I’m most eager to learn about. A lot of the students I tutor in the Learning Lab use Google Docs instead of Word, so it’ll be great to get more familiar with any differences there are between the two.

     I also apologize if there are any typos in these blog posts. As mentioned earlier, I am not editing them.

Articles

     I really liked the article Keats shared today about the options available on the EPA website: Social Media at EPA. It's important for everyone to be able to stay informed about environmental awareness and to be invited to participate in existing programs that help sustain the habitability of our planet.

     I also want to go back to the blog presented by Brianna, which presents the photography of Mark Graf: http://www.grafphoto.com/. His pictures are amazing, and his blog is more interactive and similar to a website, which is what I would like to emulate with my own blog.

     I’m feeling miserably sick today; I’ve been fighting off a flu bug for the past two weeks now. But I’m glad I came to class today anyway because I would not have wanted to miss out on all of the information that was shared here today about how social media is used in the business world and the various blogs that I would have never thought to have gone looking for on my own.

     I wasn’t particularly eager to share the articles and blogs I initially found in my search because my interests in editing and songwriting seem like they would not be relatable or engaging. I was a bit apprehensive about sharing the information from my assignment because these topics are very personal for me and close to my heart.

     The One Drive document sharing is also a new experience for me. Having everyone editing the same page at the same time is an interesting occurrence. It’s one of the most important things I’ve learned in class thus far because the work I plan to pursue once I finish this course requires the ability to edit and share information virtually.