Weeks 4 and 5

 

There was no excuse for not posting last week; nor will I offer one. I simply forgot to do so. The week was given to us as a chance to keep working on projects, but the load was a bit lighter. Therefore, we could all take a collective breath.

I needed it desperately. Maybe I took too big of a breath, because I neglected this blog, and I did not mean to do that. I have learned so much in this class, it’s amazing. I can no longer imagine teaching effectively in the 21st Century without the web tools we have discovered in this class. (Picturing Dr. Bass with an evil grin right now.)

I completed my Web 2.0 project quickly enough, only to discover that the element I chose was swallowed up by Google a few days after I posted. I did have a couple of alternate sites, but I was so in love with Fridge, a private social networking service, that I left it there thinking, “what if.” In many ways, this will probably improve many aspects of Fridge, but inevitably it will take away from the product as well. Little start up companies tend to do things the right way. That’s why the often get bought out by bigger companies.

I just completed my WebQuest assignment. This is a dastardly difficult tool to master. I’m thinking as I continue to look at other WebQuests that I may have gone into too much detail and failed to effectively express the main ideas of the quest. Still, I really like my choice of subject, and some tinkering may help satisfy me.

However, as much as we’ve learned, and as much as I’ve progressed, I can’t escape the feeling that I’m barely treading water in this class. I spend the majority of the week feeling completely clueless. Eventually, I put enough elements together that I get the desired product. But I’m not sure I’m understanding what I’m doing. Each time, I’m fairly pleased with the end product. But it’s all as a result of major stress throughout the process. I just wish I felt like I was on top of things. I actually felt that way through much of Week 4. But then again, I forgot to post here during Week 4, so that was a failure. I can’t get my brain ahead of – or even in step with – my assignment, if that makes any sense. It sounds like I’m getting by; and that’s what I keep telling myself. But the biggest assignment of them all is staring me in the face. I’ve been working for weeks on my ePortfolio page. It’s now time to start placing NETS elements on the pages, and I don’t know where to begin. Actually I do know where to begin. I think my WebQuest can be one of the elements. But that leaves four more.

I want this ePortfolio to be perfect. I want it to look professional. This is the portfolio I want to present to potential employers as I continue to search for a teaching position. I’m not afraid that I might fail: I’m afraid that the next three weeks will be pure hell.

Somebody give me a hand basket.