Understanding the Personal Web Presence - Teacher 2.0

Home page of my family history wiki

I do have a personal web presence, but not in the sense of it being used to develop a professional presence.  I am retired from the world of education, so I don't need a PWP for professional reasons.  I wish I knew about the concept when I was still working as I can see they have enormous benefits.  My PWP is definitely of the personal kind - I have four blogs and a wikispace.  One blog is current jottings about me today - my responses to Teacher 2.0 Challenges are documented here.  One blog is a record of the short holidays my husband keeps taking me on to relieve the monotony of doctor's appointments.  One is a record of interesting discoveries made on my ancestor search.  The fourth is my memories from childhood to the present day.  My wiki is the publication of my family history research so that it can easily be shared with other family members.

How the Internet has Impacted on my Learning - Teacher 2.0

Think about or write down how the Internet has impacted your own personal learning.

• What sites do you go to regularly to learn new things?
• Are there authors or sites that you "follow?"
• When does the Internet or the Web help your learning, and when does it distract from good learning for you?
• How do you feel about technology and learning?

I have learnt so much, in so many areas, thanks to the Internet.  I couldn't possibly begin to list the various areas in which my knowledge has been extended thanks to the Internet. Biggest area I suppose has been Web 2.0 in itself, but all things tehnological really.  And of course my family history research has been majorly impacted by the Internet.  Google has become my best friend - whenever I want to know something I "Google it!"
I don't really have regular sites I go to to find learn new things - I Google, and go to numerous sites suggested.  I do have an extensive list of bookmarks, but they are generally related to a specific purpose.  The sites that I constantly revisit, say for family history, my own blogs, FB etc. I keep listed in Google Bookmarks on my iGoogle page so that I can easily access them.
The Internet ALWAYS helps my learning - even when I find myself surfing from site to site I am always learning something new - even if it might not exactly be on track.  I LOVE using the Internet to extend my knowledge.  I've always considered myself a life-long learner, and the internet and associated technology, whilst a learning experience in themselves, have assisted that process to a huge extent.  I jst wish it was more prevalent, and that I knew as much about it as I do now, when I was actively involved in the classroom.

Something I Love Doing or Learning About - Teacher 2.0

Action 3 - Now write down something(s) you love doing or something(s) you love learning about.
Some questions to ponder:

• Why these are so valuable to you in your life?
• Do you spend as much time as you need to focusing on your passions?
• Do your students/children know what your passions are?
• Do you know what your students’/children’s passions are?
• How are passions and talents different? Do they need to be the same?

Hmm! Love doing things with family, and love reading.  But those aside I suppose I have two passions that I love doing and learning about - IT, especially as it relates to education, and Family History. Both are also inter-related as most of my family research is now done using technology that wasn't available when I began my ancestor search.
Each of these passions (family, reading, IT and Family History) are valuable in my life for different reasons.  All involve some sort of relaxation, although the latter two can often be frustrating!  As a passionate educator - now retired due to ill-health - I spent many of my working years as a curriculum consultant.  I was fortunate that part of that role involved opportunities to learn from a whole raft of 'experts'.  I used to soak up those experiences.  I like to regard myself as a life-long learner.  So anything that helps me continue the learning process is valuable to me.  I need something to keep my brain active now I am no longer working - learning new uses for IT helps with that.  So does reading, and the search for family history definitely does.
I'm in the fortunate position of having ample time to devote to my passions since I've had to give up work.
As I don't have students any more I'd have to say that my own (adult) children, and my friends and colleagues are aware of my Family History and IT passions.
Yes, I do know what my daughter's passions are - IT, drama, reading.  I could also list the passions of my step-son and step-daughter, and my grandchildren, although some of the grandchildren are less obvious these days.
Passions and talents are very often one and the same, but I believe you can have one without the other.  For instance, someone may have a passion for Classical Music, but can't play a note.  Likewise, someone may be very talented artist, but not really have a passion for creating works of art.  Someone with a passion for cooking, but not much talent, could improve their talents by taking lessons or otherwise learning all they can about cooking.  So, they aren't mutually exclusive, but I think it does help if someone has passion combined with talent.

I Found It!

Some time ago, when I was all fired up because the wreck of the TSS CORAMBA had been located I was feeling a little disgruntled (with myself) because I couldn't find my copy of the book "The Coramba, The Ship The Sea Swallowed".  I seemed to have all (or most anyway) of the books relating to family history, but I couldn't find the Coramba book.  And I was pretty sure there weren't any more books of that nature down in the shed.
Today I was looking (in a cupboard I had previously searched for the Coramba book) for a journal about one of our holidays.  Didn't find the book I was looking for, but did find several family history books, including "The Ship the Sea Swallowed".  Yeh!

One Thing I'm Good At - Teacher 2.0

Decided, at Junita's invitation, to join Steve Hardagon's Teacher 2.0.  Apparently there is a series of challenges to be undertaken to promote personal and  professional growth.  So I decided to give it a go.  You need to record what you do, so I decided I'd use this blog to record my activities.  Perfect place.

Activity 1 was to introduce myself to the group - done.
Activity 2 is to write down something I am very good at.
Some questions to ponder:

• How does using your talent(s) make you feel?
• Do your students/children know what your talents are?
• Do you know what your students’/children’s talents are?
• How do you help others recognize that they matter?

I think I am good at adapting to technology - not so much in regards to what makes it tick - but in terms of making the technology work for you.  Let's say I took to using computers like a duck to water.  I used computers personally long before many other teachers made the transition.  I introduced my students to using computers before they were commonplace in classrooms - in fact I carted my own Commodore 64 to school on a regular basis.  We used it mainly for word processing, but also for Logo - a simple programming language for teaching the computer to make geometric shapes, but catering for the simplistic to the complex and a powerful tool for developing logical thinking.
Towards the end of my (school) teaching career I was employed as an IT specialist working variously with the students and the teachers in two schools.  When I made the transition to adult education I became heavily involved in the notion of e-learning and the use of technology within a training environment.
Yes, I believe I had a well-known reputation with my students, and fellow teachers, as being the person to go to for all things computer (as long as it didn't involve the technical - and even that I could come to grips with if I was shown what to do.)  Before I retired I was developing my reputation as a leader in the area of e-learning in the adult education field.
I believe that I was able to recognise my student's talents and draw on those talents to help the students extend themselves, and to learn from them.  Not only in the area of IT but wherever those talents lay. I am particularly proud of the fact that a trainer who worked for the Community College where I was employed as Program / Training Manager is now an e-Mentor for the Gippsland District because I encouraged her to become involved in e-Learning.  Another trainer completed her Certificate IV in Training and Assessment and is now a marvellous trainer of new trainers in her own right.  I could see her potential when she was a student.
I also believe I am able to make people recognise that they matter just through my positive approach to them.  I like to think that I treat all people, be they students (child or adult), colleagues, employees, family or friends as if they do matter - because they do!

Trying Again

Saw Dr. Joshi today.  He prescribed 5 microgram per hour patches to see if they are strong enough to give me pain relief but also avoid nausea.  He thought John was being a bit "heroic" when he prescribed 20 microgram patches first off.  I do so hope they work.

Feeling Sorry For Myself

Don't know why, but I'm feeling a bit low yesterday and today.  Felt OK when I got up yesterday but by the time I had breakfast I was feeling yucky, so I went back to bed.  Wanted to feel OK to go out for Susan's birthday.  Not sure what time I went to bed, but as I hadn't even got up until fairly late it must have been nearly lunchtime.  Slept most of the rest of the day until about 3:30 when I got up and had a shower. Felt better than I did in the morning.  Before I knew it it was time to head into Bairnsdale.

Susan had picked the Terminus for her birthday dinner.  Her guests were Mum and Jim, us, John and Trish, Jen, Adam, Tiffy and Judy.  Had met them all before except Judy who is another cast member of Dixie Swim Club.
I probably shouldn't have gone, because by the time we left home I was feeling really yuck - but I wanted to help Susan celebrate her birthday.  I deided to have a maxalon to try to ease the nausea I was feeling.  I also only ordered a serve of duck liver pate for my meal - just couldn't face anything else.  I ate it very slowly, and was feeling a bit better by the time I had finished it.  It was quite nice, but not as good as the pate I had at the Shamrock.
Wasted some money on the pokies - but got about an hour's worth of button pushing for our $20.  Then wasted $2 on the lolly machine because it didn't recognise the 2nd $1 coin Bill put in and seemed to be on a very fast timer before the $1 it did recognise ran out of time.  Had never noticed they were on a timer before, so maybe just this machine.
Home about 9:30 and I went straight to bed, feeling a bit off again.
Don't know whether it is the patch making me crook, or because I'm only taking 4mg zofran because Dr. Joshi prescribed the lower dose.  I decided to give it a try since the Xeloda hasn't been making me crook.  But with the morphine patch maybe I need the 8mg zofran.
Slept fairly well last night, but woke up feeling a bit off this morning.  Didn't want to get out of bed, and had a bit of a sook before I did get up.  So, as the title says - I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself.