Too Much is a Dangerous Thing

[Wendy Farkas]

Wow! I mentioned to Paul that there is no way to read everything that is sent to Google Reader via an RSS feed. yes, it's a nice way to manage the information highway, but it is highly intimidating. One might think that it could quickly become overwhelming. I guess the key is to know when to walk away. My problem is that I'm not sure I'd even be willing to embark for fear that I would be sucked in by the aura of having so much knowledge. I'm the first one to admit that I love it when students say, "How do you know so much about this stuff." The truth is, I am old and have lived through a lot of it! The technology age is, I guess, another one of those things that I'm living through and as I go through it I'm absorbing, sort of like osmosis I guess, and I hope it will have some practical application.

Hope springs eternal! I love that phrase. My hope, as I expressed it earlier, has several branches: One is that I will remember how to use all this stuff. Another is that I will figure out how to put it to use in my classroom; yet another is that I will receive the technical/hardware support that I need in order to do so. The level of frustration I have to deal with everyday reminds me of my Navy days. The chain of command is sacrosanct, and unless one wants to bring down the wrath of administrators everywhere, there is nothing to be done except tolerate the lack of enthusiasm or unwillingness on the part of those above us to assail those above them in order to get things done. I don't know if apathy is the correct description, but it seems that everyone has their own battles to wage and waging those of their underlings is not a top priority.

Yes, my frustration is really beginning to show and I believe that there are several reasons for this. One is that we are nearing the end of the class and I will be on my own with these tools that I probably will not be able to utilize. Two is that the end of this class brings me closer to the end of the summer - Boo-hoo! And three, that I know I will be continuing to wage the same losing battle I've been fighting for the last three years. Last year I stopped fighting - it just didn't seem worth it and I was losing big time. Having this class under my belt may give me more reasons behind my argument, but I don't think it's going to change the result. Very sad.

Anyway, I've found my topic (I hope), something personal that I am very curious about, having nothing to do with pedagogy - surprise! Paul, I hope you approve.

[Julie]

I hope you're willing to explore and open up your topic a little further. It may (or may not) change, based on an activity we're going to do tomorrow.