The Tips are True!

This week I read the chapter "Tips for Online Reading, Writing, and Discussing" by Carolyn Gale in our textbook. I am pleased to announce that they are true! By this I mean that I have already begun to experience the realities of these tips.

As I read I kept thinking, "that's right, that's right." Listen to this section heading: "Never Underestimate How Much You Will Write." TRUE. I was told going in that I would be writing a lot. I think I have to get a more comfortable desk chair. I'm finding that I enjoy writing, but perhaps a bit more in moderation. :)

I've been logging on to mySAU portal at least once a day--usually twice or three times. I've found this helpful in avoiding becoming overwhelmed. This was one of the "right on" observations of the chapter as well.

The best tip I read in the chapter was "Do Your Own Assignments Before Reading Another's." I have already been doing this, because I didn't want to be influenced by other's work. It was validating to read that this was a good idea and would make for better discussion threads.

It was an encouraging chapter--perhaps because it validated some of the things I have already been doing and encouraged me to keep my writing focused, respectful and high quality.

Lynelle

Group Project Anxiety

I have an anxious feeling today about our first group project. I feel like this is where we really test our organizational abilities and our new sense of community.

Will it work? Will we pull off our "Top 10 Time Management" assignment? I feel like we are already too far into the week (Thursday) without having it pulled together. I confess that the old "manager" in me is wanting to do something to make it happen.

The fact that we cannot all talk together at once is very frustrating to me on this project. I was hoping that someone would step up at the beginning of the week and "make this happen." I think Brenda gave it a good try -- but we didn't really cooperate in the appropriate fashion.

I sense that all of us are a little lost about how to pull this off. I really want to be helpful, in fact I wouldn't mind a leadership role. However, I feel like I could really end up frustrating my group because I won't be available on Sabbath (Friday night sundown to Saturday night sundown). I'm not willing to sacrifice my convictions about the Sabbath, but I do want to do everything I can to contribute and to get our assignment in by Friday.

I've emailed my concerns to the group. I hope that they will be understanding and that we can get our list together tonight or tomorrow.

Here's to testing our "time management" skills!

Lynelle

Making Sure I'm Still a Human "Being"

I am understanding that I must be responsible for my success in the program. Reading
Steven Covey’s "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" for the first time, I’m learning that in order to be effective, productive and happy, I need to worry about only the things I can control. What I have control over is my own attitude. Covey quotes Samuel Johnson (p. 93), "The fountain of content must spring up in the mind, and he who hath so little knowledge of human nature as to seek happiness by changing anything but his own disposition, will waste his life in fruitless efforts and multiply the grief he proposes to remove." I really like this quote. I ask God daily for the strength to keep going with all my responsibilities – kids, work, home, school.

The other big thing that I keep thinking about, is giving priority to the things I value in life. Covey’s writing in "The Seven Habits. . .", the two Covey chapters we read for our class module this week (from "First Things First"), and Donald Sull’s article, "Do Your Commitments Match Your Convictions?" only emphasized back-burner thoughts about how I manage my time.
I don’t want my life to be so much about managing time, as it is about being the right person – especially for my kids.

I guess its the old "being" vs. "doing." I'm the kind of person who can be "doing" a lot of things. I enjoy a certain level of activity. I want to make sure I don't miss out on the more important "being" though.

(The photo is of me with my kids on Mother's Day -- after waiting two hours for breakfast at the local breakfast "hot spot." They were such troopers!)

Lynelle

Community -- What is it?

This week we have been discussing creating community among our classmates. Our professor pointed out that we had not really defined community. I tried a dictionary definition, but it didn't really seem sufficient.

Community seems to be something that we all long for. We want to belong. I think we recognize it when we have it.

I am so glad, for example, that I belong to my church community -- both locally and globally. What a blessing to be able to find connections with people all over the world, based on shared beliefs.

We are really in the early stage of relationship in our class, I believe. We certainly do have the ability to be bonded in community, though. We have so much in common. It will be interesting to see how we feel about our connectedness when the class comes to an end in a few weeks.

Lynelle

Interpersonal Relationships

This photo is of my family last fall when we were away on a spiritual retreat weekend with friends. It reminds me of the joy I feel having a great family. Interpersonal relationships are on my mind.

Probably because right now I am the most excited about what I'm learning in the other class I am taking this quarter -- "Assessing and Teaching Communication Arts." We're studying the text Looking Out/Looking In. This is my first class in interpersonal communication.

When I was in college for my undergraduate degree, I missed out on the interpersonal class, because there were others that were required in my concentration (Mass Media), and it never seemed to fit my schedule as an elective.

Of course, there are so many examples from real life to look at when we discuss each topic. I'm going to be writing a discussion thread about self-fulfilling prophecies. I need to spend some time thinking about when/how I have done this to myself.

My husband and I think that we have a really good relationship. It is, at the heart, a best-friendship. What I'm learning should enhance it. However, I'm worried that I will begin to over analyze our communication and drive him crazy. He's not one for too much "metacommunication." :)

Lynelle

Do I like blogging?

"Not surprisingly, blogging, the verb form, has been viewed as a public form of journalism, giving anyone who wishes the opportunity to comment on events of the day. Indeed, as of this fall (Sept. 2002) several journalism schools at major universities have added courses in blogging to their curricula." (Blogs: A Disruptive Technology Coming of Age? 9/26/2002 By Phillip D. Long)

My first reaction to this web article was -- "you've got to be kidding!" And, I confess that I still wonder about the legitamacy of considering blogging to be any kind of publication or journalism. The first question that comes to my mind is, "who's really reading these blogs? Do they have an audience or readership?

In the current context, I understand that my classmates may take an interest in what I am publishing -- I very limited, but important readership. However, if I was just happily blogging away every day outside of this context, would anyone care?

The answer seems to be that I would need to act as publicist for myself and let possible interested parties know where they could see my reflective thoughts and hopefully creative insights.

Despite some of my misgivings about the world of blogging, I'm finding that I really enjoy journaling my thoughts in this forum. I love that when I'm done writing I can post it to the web and it looks pretty neat with the automated layout that I've selected.

I think I'm a reluctant but happy convert to the world of blogging.

The End of the Week is Coming

I have that Thursday feeling today -- the weekend is coming. I have made it my goal to complete my school work (other than book report reading), by Thursday evening -- so that I can enjoy the weekend with my family.

Since I'm a Seventh-day Adventist, I am particularly looking forward to Sabbath arriving in another day and a half. It is almost always a restful experience -- interesting how it can be so restful and also the highpoint of the week.

Tuesday of this week was kind of crazy. I think I assigned myself too much "homework" on that evening. I was up till nearly midnight working on web searches and discussion board responses. I need to look at how I distribute the work throughout the week and see if there is a better way.

Well, I know I haven't typed this much in one week in a LONG time. I am trying to remember better form for my hands and wrists so that I don't develope carpal tunnel problems :)

About the subject matter I've been studying: I love what I'm learning about interpersonal communication in "Assessing and Teaching Communication Arts." The class seems to be taking a different direction than I expected -- but I am fascinated with the material and noticing that I think often throughout the day about what I've learned. There are so many real life examples!

I also found my web searches about the Free Methodist Church to be most interesting. I have an interest in Theology as well as spirituality -- so I was happy to learn more about what the church teaches.

Here's to a great weekend!

Lynelle

Now I'm Diving In

I feel like last week I sat at the edge of the pool and put my feet in. I watched all the others at the pool put their feet in too. Then some began to enter the water.

Now, I'm diving in! I have to. I am, at the same time, thrilled to be in the water -- and terrified that it will be too deep or too cold for me.

The strategy that is motivating me is to "stay on top" by taking each class and each assignment one stroke (in the swimming analogy) at a time.

I'm developing some new organizational strategies -- especially when it comes to dividing up my work into segments throughout the week. I feel good about that.

The desire to find balance is strong for me. I am compelled to spend as much time with my children as I can and committed to making them first priority. So, I'm posting their picture here to remind me.

I am talking with God about this new pool that I'm in -- and sensing that He is with me.

The First Week

This is my first week as an on-line learner. I'm finding myself with mixed emotions. While I have some (I think appropriate) anxiety about "going back to school," I am so excited to be taking the first steps toward my masters degree.

What makes it the most exciting for me is that this is a Christian program where I am going to be able to learn more about how to communicate spiritual messages effectively. I feel like God has orchestrated things in a way that this is the perfect timing for me to be working on this degree at this institution.

It is fun to begin getting to know my classmates through our discussion board and I'm looking forward to the coming weeks.