Today, I worked on HEALTH by staying home and resting. Extra sleep seemed to help a lot for my cold. I'm not WELL yet, but I'm better.
I worked on a Prezi presentation for the administrative team to share my new proposal, and I connected with several people via email about how we can use technology in their classes.
The kitchen is still organized, and the dishes are clean. The rest of the house? Well, that's another story. I'm about caught up on laundry (cleaning it, not getting it all put away). I want to get some shelves/cubbies to put sweaters and baskets of clothes in.
I am planning to go back to belly dance classes starting on the 19th, and I may pop in to some classes before then, depending on how I feel. :)
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
January 3, 2010
Today I organized the kitchen, and I can find the countertops again! It looks great! I also got rid of some things that I'm not going to use. I also simplified my organization plan by focusing on one room at a time. Yeah, the other rooms are still cluttered, but I was able to accomplish more and make a bigger difference by ignoring the other rooms for now.
I also finished my December/January Technology Integration Newsletter, which can be found at: http://rsu16.wikispaces.com/file/view/dectechint.pdf.
I had leftovers for lunch and dinner, and not really many snacks. I tried to take a nap, but I was interrupted by a horrible coughing fit. I think I'll put yoga on hold for now, until I feel a little better.
I also finished my December/January Technology Integration Newsletter, which can be found at: http://rsu16.wikispaces.com/file/view/dectechint.pdf.
I had leftovers for lunch and dinner, and not really many snacks. I tried to take a nap, but I was interrupted by a horrible coughing fit. I think I'll put yoga on hold for now, until I feel a little better.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
January 2, 2010
Okay, so the cold is not liking being ignored, and it's trying to make sure I am aware that I have it. Last night I did Back Care Yoga with Rodney Yee, a 20-minute workout. Probably the same tonight. Breathing is an issue with this cold, and the air is so dry now. Lunch was chipotle chicken stew, and dinner was all-day-simmered spaghetti sauce and meatballs over angel hair pasta. Quite yummy.
I worked today on a course description for technology professional development for teachers in the RSU. I've planned for six possible courses, Improving Reading Comprehension with Technology, Improving Numeracy with Technology, Web 2.0-Interactivity, Professional Learning Networks, and Tips and Tricks for PC/MacBooks. I'm hoping that a few people will try each of these. I will make sure that they know that it will not suck up all of their time, and that the time they do spend doing the courses will be useful to them. I also shared two crock pot recipes with friends.
Simplifying... didn't really get done today. I think we can give up our Nielsen Homescan scanner; it's a hassle to scan every thing I buy, and really, I'm not doing it anyway. It's just one more thing that makes me feel guilty. So I'll see if we're close to earning a prize, and if so, we can work toward that, and if not, we can just give up and ship it back. Also, that will get the box out of the house.
Balance... not so much, either. I was on the computer a lot of the day. I'll still get some yoga in tonight, and maybe a little reading. I started a young adult book last night, called Sorta Sisters, and I'm not sure if I want to finish it. I'm not very invested in it. Too much computer time today. I need to get up and move more. I did spend time cooking, but not much else.
Learn... I opened Tweetdeck for a while, and I found some cool things from my PLN. I'm looking forward to sharing some of these things with teachers in the district.
I am excited that I have three followers on my 365 photo project blog, and that one commented on mine. Knowing that people are looking will help me to keep going, and I want to also let others know that I'm interested in what they are doing, so I can help encourage them to continue.
I worked today on a course description for technology professional development for teachers in the RSU. I've planned for six possible courses, Improving Reading Comprehension with Technology, Improving Numeracy with Technology, Web 2.0-Interactivity, Professional Learning Networks, and Tips and Tricks for PC/MacBooks. I'm hoping that a few people will try each of these. I will make sure that they know that it will not suck up all of their time, and that the time they do spend doing the courses will be useful to them. I also shared two crock pot recipes with friends.
Simplifying... didn't really get done today. I think we can give up our Nielsen Homescan scanner; it's a hassle to scan every thing I buy, and really, I'm not doing it anyway. It's just one more thing that makes me feel guilty. So I'll see if we're close to earning a prize, and if so, we can work toward that, and if not, we can just give up and ship it back. Also, that will get the box out of the house.
Balance... not so much, either. I was on the computer a lot of the day. I'll still get some yoga in tonight, and maybe a little reading. I started a young adult book last night, called Sorta Sisters, and I'm not sure if I want to finish it. I'm not very invested in it. Too much computer time today. I need to get up and move more. I did spend time cooking, but not much else.
Learn... I opened Tweetdeck for a while, and I found some cool things from my PLN. I'm looking forward to sharing some of these things with teachers in the district.
I am excited that I have three followers on my 365 photo project blog, and that one commented on mine. Knowing that people are looking will help me to keep going, and I want to also let others know that I'm interested in what they are doing, so I can help encourage them to continue.
Friday, January 1, 2010
January 1, 2010
HEALTH, SIMPLIFY, SHARE, LEARN, BALANCE
Okay, so my five words for 2010 are not balanced (Health is a noun, as is (perhaps) Balance; the others are verbs), and there are FIVE, rather than three, which is an example of my need to simplify. Notice that one word is not DECIDE. Maybe I can tackle Decisions in 2011, but it would be too much of a challenge for me with all of these others (or on it's own).
So on this first day of 2010, here are some ways I've thought about these words and what I've done today.
Health: I've been pretending I don't REALLY have a cold, but I woke up this morning feeling really stuffed up, with watery eyes, and just generally run down. Some Tylenol, more sleep, then a warm shower helped. I kind of like the pretending that I'm not sick; I'm getting some stuff done. Maybe this weekend, I'll give in to it and just read and nap for a while. The weather seems to be encouraging hibernation. I've cleared an area for yoga, which I will do in a few minutes. We planned weekend food: chipotle chicken soup in the crock pot. We made enough for a few days, and we are planning to do a long-simmering spaghetti sauce with meatballs for the beginning of the week. We still need to make sure that we've planned for dinners, so we don't just grab the quickest thing to make (full of sodium and preservatives and ick) when we are home from work and tired. The soup helped to clear my sinuses a bit, which felt great. I've also asked my yoga instructor when the next session begins, so that I can jump back in with the class. I'm debating a drive to belly dance classes once a week, but that will add about 90 minutes more to my driving; will 60 minutes of shimmying balance out all the driving I do?
Simplify: Threw out stuff that is cluttering up things. I need to take time to sort bills, receipts, etc., so that some will be filed, and some will be tossed. I've sorted some reading material in the living room, and I've relocated some things to the dining room for now, but they will soon be put back into the spare room.
Share: I've planned six courses for teachers to get them using technology. I'll offer the courses on moodle for the teachers in our district. This weekend, I will create a course outline for each of them, and I will present them to our district's administrators next week. I'll also finish up a December/January newsletter about technology integration.
Learn: One thing I realized today that I want to learn (or at least figure out) is a new jewelry-making technique. I've wanted to do this for about 18 months, and the two things that are holding me back now are the need for a level surface (and our house has few of them!) and enough supplies to experiment and not waste the resin once it's mixed.
Balance: Yoga tonight? I'll also choose a book to read next and take the time to begin it.
Okay, so my five words for 2010 are not balanced (Health is a noun, as is (perhaps) Balance; the others are verbs), and there are FIVE, rather than three, which is an example of my need to simplify. Notice that one word is not DECIDE. Maybe I can tackle Decisions in 2011, but it would be too much of a challenge for me with all of these others (or on it's own).
So on this first day of 2010, here are some ways I've thought about these words and what I've done today.
Health: I've been pretending I don't REALLY have a cold, but I woke up this morning feeling really stuffed up, with watery eyes, and just generally run down. Some Tylenol, more sleep, then a warm shower helped. I kind of like the pretending that I'm not sick; I'm getting some stuff done. Maybe this weekend, I'll give in to it and just read and nap for a while. The weather seems to be encouraging hibernation. I've cleared an area for yoga, which I will do in a few minutes. We planned weekend food: chipotle chicken soup in the crock pot. We made enough for a few days, and we are planning to do a long-simmering spaghetti sauce with meatballs for the beginning of the week. We still need to make sure that we've planned for dinners, so we don't just grab the quickest thing to make (full of sodium and preservatives and ick) when we are home from work and tired. The soup helped to clear my sinuses a bit, which felt great. I've also asked my yoga instructor when the next session begins, so that I can jump back in with the class. I'm debating a drive to belly dance classes once a week, but that will add about 90 minutes more to my driving; will 60 minutes of shimmying balance out all the driving I do?
Simplify: Threw out stuff that is cluttering up things. I need to take time to sort bills, receipts, etc., so that some will be filed, and some will be tossed. I've sorted some reading material in the living room, and I've relocated some things to the dining room for now, but they will soon be put back into the spare room.
Share: I've planned six courses for teachers to get them using technology. I'll offer the courses on moodle for the teachers in our district. This weekend, I will create a course outline for each of them, and I will present them to our district's administrators next week. I'll also finish up a December/January newsletter about technology integration.
Learn: One thing I realized today that I want to learn (or at least figure out) is a new jewelry-making technique. I've wanted to do this for about 18 months, and the two things that are holding me back now are the need for a level surface (and our house has few of them!) and enough supplies to experiment and not waste the resin once it's mixed.
Balance: Yoga tonight? I'll also choose a book to read next and take the time to begin it.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2010 Goals and more
Here's what you do (based on Chris Brogan's Wiring Yourself for Success, http://www.chrisbrogan.com/wiring-yourself-for-success/):
* Determine 3+ guiding words for my efforts in 2010.
* List 1-3 paths to accomplishing those goals (aka strategies).
* List distractions that might possibly scuttle my efforts.
* List the steps for each path (these are the projects that map to the goals).
* List what the “finish line” looks like.
* List what comes next, should I actually accomplish something major along those paths.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HEALTH
Strategies:
*Eat better (nutrition-wise, not technique-wise)
*plan meals before the last minute when I only want something that will take 2 minutes or less to make
*yoga for relaxation and stretching
*belly dance and tap dance
Distractions:
*Time (to plan meals, to make meals, to exercise)
*Energy (lack)
*Clutter (in the way of doing yoga)
Steps:
*Plan on the weekend what meals to make during the upcoming week, and make sure that we have the groceries we need.
*Cook big meals (for leftovers) on Sundays and Wednesdays.
*Be sure to have healthy snacks around. Find 20 minutes or more each day to do yoga. *When the Sahara Desert Dancers start working on the new routines, attend all rehearsals in Lewiston.
*Go back to yoga class when the next session begins.
*Go geocaching.
*Don’t worry about the times when these things don’t work well; just keep trying!
*blog progress!
“Finish Line”:
*More energy
*smaller clothes
*better sleep
*more relaxation
Next Steps:
*CONTINUE plan
*Be healthy
*Be happy.
SIMPLIFICATION
Strategies:
*Get rid of stuff I don't need/use/want (give to others, sell online, etc.)
*find ways to organize what is left so that it is easily found and put away
*focus on one thing at a time
*blog progress
Distractions:
*Nostalgia (to keep things)
*space (to put things)
*money (to buy tools to organize)
*time
Steps:
*Get rid of things I know I don’t need, ASAP.
*Get the Library of Congress books out of the kitchen and into the schools.
*Figure out a plan for laundry, so it always gets put away, and it doesn’t pile up in the dining room.
*Decide what to do with the cupboards in the kitchen, so everything has a home, then put it there.
*Make lists of what needs to get done, and choose to do ONE at a time.
*Buy a mail organizer, and keep it organized!
*Go through the piles of papers and file or toss.
*Get rid of more stuff.
“Finish Line”:
*Less stress
*more space
*less time wasted looking for things
SHARING
Strategies:
*Give away stuff I don't need/use/want
*teach others what I know
*blog about progress here and what I am learning
*be more active with my PLN on twitter
Distractions:
*Resources that other PLN people share on twitter get me sidetracked, but they also help me learn more--need more balance
Steps:
*Offer classes for teachers (free)
*Continue newsletter
*Give stuff away to people
*Offer workshops for teachers.
“Finish Line”:
*More teachers participating
*more experience working with adult learners
*better resume
*keep my job (or have options for others)
Next Steps:
*Expand online courses to include other educators from outside the district.
BALANCE
Strategies:
*Don’t always work
*turn off the computer sometimes
*find time to read books
*blog progress
Distractions:
Work is fun (which is not a bad thing, but I need to do other things, too)
Steps:
*Take time to do things that are NOT related to work.
*Shut off the computer more.
*Use time at work more efficiently, so that home time is home time.
“Finish Line”
*Work is done primarily at work, and time at home is spent doing non-work things. *Savasana is not spent thinking about how to solve work problems, but thinking about breathing and relaxing.
Next Steps:
*CONTINUE to seek out balance.
LEARN
Strategies:
*Read more
*Pay attention to my PLN
*Learn to be a moodle administrator
*Learn to create websites
*Learn something neat this summer
*Re-learn forgotten things (German, Russian)
*blog progress
Distractions:
*Time
*Work
*Learning something new leads to something else, ||: which leads to something else :||
Steps:
*Define time (with limits) to read PLN blogs/tweets/etc.
*Do moodle/website learning while at work
*Figure out what to learn this summer, and go for it!
*Take time to read and listen to podcasts in German and revisit Russian
*Take time to read
“Finish Line”:
*I’ll have a new skill by the end of the summer
*I’ll be able to create websites
*RSU will have a new, easy-to-navigate website
*Teachers will be able to create moodle courses
*Teachers will be able to participate in moodle courses
*I’ll be more comfortable speaking German and Russian again
NEXT STEPS:
*Find a new skill to focus on for next summer, building on this year’s skill
*Continue to update RSU websites
*Help teachers to create websites to connect to RSU site
*Speak more German and Russian; maybe add Latin for fun
* Determine 3+ guiding words for my efforts in 2010.
* List 1-3 paths to accomplishing those goals (aka strategies).
* List distractions that might possibly scuttle my efforts.
* List the steps for each path (these are the projects that map to the goals).
* List what the “finish line” looks like.
* List what comes next, should I actually accomplish something major along those paths.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HEALTH
Strategies:
*Eat better (nutrition-wise, not technique-wise)
*plan meals before the last minute when I only want something that will take 2 minutes or less to make
*yoga for relaxation and stretching
*belly dance and tap dance
Distractions:
*Time (to plan meals, to make meals, to exercise)
*Energy (lack)
*Clutter (in the way of doing yoga)
Steps:
*Plan on the weekend what meals to make during the upcoming week, and make sure that we have the groceries we need.
*Cook big meals (for leftovers) on Sundays and Wednesdays.
*Be sure to have healthy snacks around. Find 20 minutes or more each day to do yoga. *When the Sahara Desert Dancers start working on the new routines, attend all rehearsals in Lewiston.
*Go back to yoga class when the next session begins.
*Go geocaching.
*Don’t worry about the times when these things don’t work well; just keep trying!
*blog progress!
“Finish Line”:
*More energy
*smaller clothes
*better sleep
*more relaxation
Next Steps:
*CONTINUE plan
*Be healthy
*Be happy.
SIMPLIFICATION
Strategies:
*Get rid of stuff I don't need/use/want (give to others, sell online, etc.)
*find ways to organize what is left so that it is easily found and put away
*focus on one thing at a time
*blog progress
Distractions:
*Nostalgia (to keep things)
*space (to put things)
*money (to buy tools to organize)
*time
Steps:
*Get rid of things I know I don’t need, ASAP.
*Get the Library of Congress books out of the kitchen and into the schools.
*Figure out a plan for laundry, so it always gets put away, and it doesn’t pile up in the dining room.
*Decide what to do with the cupboards in the kitchen, so everything has a home, then put it there.
*Make lists of what needs to get done, and choose to do ONE at a time.
*Buy a mail organizer, and keep it organized!
*Go through the piles of papers and file or toss.
*Get rid of more stuff.
“Finish Line”:
*Less stress
*more space
*less time wasted looking for things
SHARING
Strategies:
*Give away stuff I don't need/use/want
*teach others what I know
*blog about progress here and what I am learning
*be more active with my PLN on twitter
Distractions:
*Resources that other PLN people share on twitter get me sidetracked, but they also help me learn more--need more balance
Steps:
*Offer classes for teachers (free)
*Continue newsletter
*Give stuff away to people
*Offer workshops for teachers.
“Finish Line”:
*More teachers participating
*more experience working with adult learners
*better resume
*keep my job (or have options for others)
Next Steps:
*Expand online courses to include other educators from outside the district.
BALANCE
Strategies:
*Don’t always work
*turn off the computer sometimes
*find time to read books
*blog progress
Distractions:
Work is fun (which is not a bad thing, but I need to do other things, too)
Steps:
*Take time to do things that are NOT related to work.
*Shut off the computer more.
*Use time at work more efficiently, so that home time is home time.
“Finish Line”
*Work is done primarily at work, and time at home is spent doing non-work things. *Savasana is not spent thinking about how to solve work problems, but thinking about breathing and relaxing.
Next Steps:
*CONTINUE to seek out balance.
LEARN
Strategies:
*Read more
*Pay attention to my PLN
*Learn to be a moodle administrator
*Learn to create websites
*Learn something neat this summer
*Re-learn forgotten things (German, Russian)
*blog progress
Distractions:
*Time
*Work
*Learning something new leads to something else, ||: which leads to something else :||
Steps:
*Define time (with limits) to read PLN blogs/tweets/etc.
*Do moodle/website learning while at work
*Figure out what to learn this summer, and go for it!
*Take time to read and listen to podcasts in German and revisit Russian
*Take time to read
“Finish Line”:
*I’ll have a new skill by the end of the summer
*I’ll be able to create websites
*RSU will have a new, easy-to-navigate website
*Teachers will be able to create moodle courses
*Teachers will be able to participate in moodle courses
*I’ll be more comfortable speaking German and Russian again
NEXT STEPS:
*Find a new skill to focus on for next summer, building on this year’s skill
*Continue to update RSU websites
*Help teachers to create websites to connect to RSU site
*Speak more German and Russian; maybe add Latin for fun
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