Auditing GSM

I am auditing GSM this month and am excited to experience the changes to the course that Dr. Siegel has made in the past year!
I had to laugh at myself as I quickly clicked off as many assignments as I could! True to form, my default settings!!

Cityville is a new facebook game for me. It is fun, and I've been managing my time today around the energy of the game.
So glad it is summer and I have extra time to play! Probably just exactly what I need!

Honoring my Dad

I was asked what I would do on this Fathers' Day weekend to honor my dad. I've looked at pictures, cried some tears, and sifted through memories. My dad loved me unconditionally and encouraged me to take the steps I needed toward independence...


I remember asking my dad one time when "Children's Day" was....since there was "Mothers' Day" and "Fathers' Day"... his answer was that EVERY DAY was "Children's Day"! As a parent, I now know the truth of that statement!



At my wedding I wanted my dad to just be my dad.... not the pastor that married us... and he was.


Throughout my life I could always talk to my dad about anything. He never judged me or made me doubt his love and support for me. He taught me through example that relationships are most important and sometimes a person just needs for you to listen. My dad faced difficult circumstances with quiet courage and strength. I was blessed beyond measure to have the relationship I shared with him, and I pray that I can emulate the qualities in his life that I admire most. I will miss him always, even as I rejoice that he is complete and at home with our Heavenly Father.
On this Fathers' Day, I honor your memory, Dad, and love you forever!!

EMDT in Wisconsin!!

Having EMDT in Wisconsin for the New Media Consortium really capped off my amazing week! Yesterday I had the privilege of being Kathy Craven's tech assistant in her session on digital literacy and then sitting in on Dr. Holly Ludgate and Dr. Sue Bedard's presentation about Challenge Based Research. Both experiences made me feel so proud of the EMDT masters program and Full Sail University and fueled me with renewed energy and excitement!
Tonight's dinner, again brought to light the unique connections that are made in different aspects of the program...with a mix of students, alumni, mentors and course directors there was much laughter and great conversation, with the common bond being an ONLINE masters program! The relationships are real, and they are there for anyone who reaches out. Social media is wonderful and facilitates these connections, but face to face time, now THAT is really special! :)

Games+Learning+Society Educator Symposium

The symposium was very interesting and I enjoyed sharing the experience with Joan Brooke (LMC specialist at my school) and Catherine Yoho (fellow EMDT alumni).
The afternoon session of learning to design a game in SCRATCH was amazing! As is typical for me, I didn't just want to play with it, I wanted to create a game that I can use with students in my content area! I asked questions until I knew how to do what it was that I envisioned... and even was accused of being an "Over Achiever"! :) Instructional design is definitely an area I am wanting to grow in, so finding a new avenue to create engaging content delivery was exciting and energizing to me!

Congratulations Brittany! OHS Graduate!

Such a beautiful and happy day for my daughter Brittany! Her open house party was lots of fun! Graduation was full of inspiring speeches and memorable moments. I am so excited for Brittany to embark on the next phase of her life going to UW Madison in August!

Social Media and Relationships...My Story

Recently I was interviewed by a local news anchor for a story on Social Media and Relationships. She did a wonderful job with the angle of "Now and Then"! However it was not my angle or my story...

The story I wanted to tell is how social media and EMDT have given me amazing connections and relationships. When I began the Education, Media Design and Technology masters program through Full Sail University online I was already a Facebook user. I had experienced instant messaging, and had heard of Skype... but I had no idea how vital the use of social media was about to become!
First there was the profile...what information should I include to portray myself to my classmates and course directors? Skype and iChat soon became the norm for communication...type chats with icons, video chats, screen sharing, as well as conference calls for group meetings helped me build relationships and feel connected. During class Wimba sessions, my group of friends would often have either Skype or iChat open as well to safeguard against accidentally typing a private observation to the "main room"! Social media enables this masters program to have the personal, connected feeling that would not be expected in an online program.
Being a mentor in the EMDT program has resulted in many more connections and relationships, and again, social media facilitates this. When my father died suddenly in February, I was auditing a course as well as being a mentor. I was overwhelmed by the heartfelt support that came in the form of emails, facebook posts, Skype and iChat messages...some from EMDT students I had not even "met"!
I can't begin to imagine life now without social media... a message popping up that makes me smile, the opportunity to reach across time zones and miles to answer a question, brainstorm, just connect!
The rich relationships that have been added to my life....that is the story I wanted to tell!

Is Spring ever going to be here?