Permission to Slow Down

I, too, appreciated our group discussion in the library last Friday. I am always so impressed when people are willing to share their fears, concerns, and inadequacies in a public forum. After listening to several eloquent speakers, I breathed a sigh of relief and gave myself permission to slow down. You see, I have been feeling guilty because I’m not coming up with creative strategies for using the technology I now have at my fingertips. I’m always copying someone else’s idea and I feel like a sponge. I’ve only used Blogs a few times with two of my classes—and I liked the results—but I keep feeling I need to create an impressive lesson plan that others can adapt to their lessons. Consequently, I spend all of my time thinking about what I might try, but fear posting my ideas because they might not work well. “O what a rogue and peasant slave am I” (Hamlet). Meanwhile, I’m behind on my grading and not even implementing my old lesson plans in a particularly effective manner. So, it’s good to hear I’m not alone, and I think I need to spend some time in Joan’s basement to rejuvenate!

Another aspect of last Friday’s class I really appreciated was time to read personal and class Blogs in the computer lab. I really find it difficult to stare at a computer screen late at night. We spend so much time in front of our computers during the day—and my eyes begin to blur (perhaps it’s my age). So thank you for being flexible about adjusting our schedule and still giving us time to see the strategies others are using! Most of all, thank you for listening to us, encouraging us, and making us feel valued.