I'd never heard of edmodo, but I just watched the intro vid, and I'm intrigued -- I seriously like the idea of an LMS-like thingy that's built entirely around messaging. It seems like it would be a good shift from the usual "my so-called 'course' consists of this locked-up folder of giant pdf's and crappy interaction" that happens so often.

HA! But isn't that what online learning is? Another teacher explained "It's like facebook. But for education. And with polls!"

Who doesn't love a ticky box?

Some CRAZY WRONG PERSON may not like a ticky box. But as I'm the one babbling about instant polling technlogy, I am clearly not that person.

Ugh Kat! I am sorry but that is in NO WAY your fuck up. That preschool is acting like something out of a Sandra Tsing Loh sketch.

I am frustrated and angry on your behalf.

Also on yours, meara. What an asswad.

I mean, I feel bad for my neighbor, because I KNOW from his perspective, there's this annoying neighbor who drives a beater who ran into his brand new car and is refusing to take responsibility....except for how that's not what happened.

Huh. That sucks, meara. Document. Photograph his car and yours and the relative heights and parking positions. Do it right away if possible.

I have decided to embrace the cell phones of my students. I do not permit active conversations during actual instruction. But at this point I have a fairly vibrant texting counseling service going on. My girls text me to tell me their boyfriend might be cheating on them or they fell off their horse! but nothing's broken or they aren't going to make it to lessons or just to say good morning. It's kinda great at this point.

There's an acceptable delay of response. I can always ignore or censor if I need to. And when they really need somebody right then and can't verbalise it, I can be there, no matter where I am. I worry a lot less about travel like we're about to do than I used to. I always worry when I leave them, but now at least there's a lifeline.

Travel! I am now, finally, done with my board meeting prep. There may be a year when I'm not scrambling around with budget numbers going batty the night before the meeting. But that year is not this year.

Well, technically, the meeting's not until Saturday and I'm done today. But the next two days are travel days and we're picking up our intern in Albuquerque. So.

But anyway, I AM DONE! YAY ME! Open Office has just about keeled over and I'm not entirely sure why, but I have the hard copies printed out and ready to go. You cannot take my preparedness from me now.

Oh, and polish! when it was at me, all sparkly in the sun. In case those of you to whom the box is coming want a heads up. Although that's the beauty of a round robin, it probably won't be anything like that by the time it gets to you.

Another friend linked to this on facebook [link] , so he made it much easier to log in.

dear Insomnia Fairies,

BITE ME!

Me

I'm off today for a second day of Census training. Yesterday we got Sworn In, which was cool, and filling out of a metric shitload of Forms, which was full of Vuja Day, since this job is really about filling out Forms, so I suppose it's good practice, and an augur that good handwriting will count.

Argh. I finally feel a little better, like a human being, and I just realized that I haven't taken my meds in a few days, so I will be having Celexa withdrawal today. Fun Times!