I caught two etmooc sessions this week, but I was not able to give my undivided attention to the Blackboard sessions due to work and family obligations. I plan on heading back this weekend when I have a chance to watch the two recorded sessions. I am, however, still organizing and sharing my resources and links. I finally dropped Scoop.it in favor of Pinterest. I can still share with Pinterest, and I can keep as ,many different boards or categories as I like (makes room for my Star Wars pin board) where on Scoop.it I was only allowed five different categories. I also like Pinterest’s integration with my Mac, iPhone, and iPad – far superior to Scoop.It.
One of the things I am completely amazed at is all the amount of time that some people are able to dedicate to the etmooc. My email is being swamped from the Google+ community – I’m going to have to stop the automatic email updates. I don’t know if it’s just the mass amount of people involved here, or my inability to spend time concentrating on the etmooc topics and events. I’m not going to stop moocing – I’m looking forward to the future sessions and catching up with the ones I’ve missed – it’s just that I don’t know how people find the time! Definitely a topic I hope we cover – and also something that my organizing has been helping with. By streamlining my own workflow of gathering ideas and sharing, I feel I’ll be able to more easily share and update my resources. I’d like to connect either my Diigo categories or my Pinterest boards with my different class blogs – gathering and curating resources for my students to use for class.
For now – I have just enough time to get this post done before bed. As a band director and music teacher I’m at work after school hours on almost a daily basis. I also teach seven different courses during my 8 period school day (two are grouped together into one class). Between after school rehearsals, meeting for the band’s 501(c)3 foundation, arranging music for my various ensembles, doing lesson plans, and working on my district’s music curriculum re-write – I really need help streamlining this process and training myself to make the upkeep of my PLN and reflective blogging more habitual.
Is anyone else experiencing these issues of having enough time?
Hi Serge
I will be interested to see how you go with Pinterest. The reason why I don’t like Scoop.It is it adds extra clicks when links are shared on Twitter. I’m still pondering my thoughts on Pinterest.
There are way too emails from the Google+ community. Turn off notifications and check Google+ using the Google+ app a couple of times a day using a tablet or mobile device, alternatively on your computer. It is a bit slower.
Here is my post that explains how to streamline the process to make it all easier -http://suewaters.com/2013/01/22/work-smarter-and-stay-connected-in-a-learning-community/
Thanks so much – that help article is amazing. I had already stopped my Google+ emails, but I am really new to Google+, so all your info was a big help. I really like the IFTTT service – an amazing tool that will certainly help. I was using Hootsuite on my iPad – but I like your suggestion to use FlipBoard instead – I wasn’t aware that I could customize it in that way – thought of it more as an RSS feeder for blogs – didn’t realize I could follow a hashtag on it – thanks for the help!
Hi Serge, glad my tips helped! Flipboard seems a bit better but I have to admit the etmooc hashtags I monitor less than everything else.
I focus more on reading the posts, commenting, Google+ and mainly look at the hashtag occasionally on my computer. Every now and then I’ll look at the hashtag in FlipBoard.
Hi Serge,
You are not alone in feeling stretched for time. I, too, have been trying to catch as many Blackboard Collaborate sessions as possible. That only happens in my life between driving my sons to soccer practice and finishing my own preparations for my work day. Remember, that you are doing the best you can and that is good enough.
Thanks – I need you with me at breakfast every morning for this pep talk. Reminds me of Saturday Night Live skit “Affirmations” – “you are good enough, smart enough, ….” Thanks for the kudos and encouragement. Glad I’m not the only one feeling this.
I think everyone is feeling overwhelmed by the info stream. I am dipping and sipping as a I can, then setting myself a small learning task. It’s working OK.
Good luck!
That’s what I’m starting to do myself – little by little. Thanks