Well, we're getting into the heart of the summer portion of this program. I know that this is still only a taste of what our stresses and trials will be like come fall and spring, and know that I'm still not quite where I want to be in terms of readings, but I also know things are going well and I have the drive to see this through.
Surprisingly, I've put quite a bit more effort than intended into my class website. Went searching around for interesting templates, found one I liked, and adapted it to my needs with minimal difficulty. Still trying to get content flowing on the pages, but it works well so far, and looks pretty good for what little actual web design work I had to do.
I'm still exploring options for action research, and will post more on that in the necessary locations, but I think I might be moving towards something useful. I have a meeting later this week with my department's manager, and look forward to getting some of her input on my forming ideas.
The Google calendar has been an interesting trial... in both senses of the word. I'm glad we gave it a try, as it's proved useful and powerfully collaborative, but it's starting to try my patience with the frequent disappearance of scheduled items. I guess I'll start making an offline backup anytime I make or notice significant changes, but this seems like something the calendar should be able to do for itself.
I'm really trying to challenge myself to become a more natural and fluid writer in both synchronous and asynchronous formats. My overwhelming tendency is to sit and criticize my writing constantly as I write, even down to checking the definitions of words I know just in case I only think I know them. This is far from necessary, as I'm fairly certain I have a decent (if only intuitive) grasp of english grammar, spelling, and diction. I hope that, with practice, I'll find the confidence to allow myself to make a few mistakes here and there in service to the greater goal of developing my style and voice as a writer.
