Thursday, December 12, 2013

Clean Up in Aisle Three...

There really isn't a clean up needed, but the last hour and a half has felt like I needed a clean up in aisle three.  To be more correct, I was the one who almost needed a clean up, as before I let myself escalate from zero to ten in about 3.9 seconds I grabbed a hold of my thoughts and thought... Leslie, this is crazy!  Relax already!

Could it be all the Christmas hype?  Could it be that there are only 13 more days until the big day?  Could it be because I'm finally feeling the "last week of school before a holiday" type of feeling?  Or, could is simply that I need to breathe?

I think it could be a combination of them all, but tonight's icing on the cake was when I went to log into my course through ETFO (One more day!) to submit my final assignment (YEAH!) and then BAM!  

No Internet! 
 
Really?  

Really.

Man oh man! 

So, I thought of this reflection I should be writing, the assignment I should be submitting, and those cute kids of mine I should be cuddling with on the couch reading away with (even though they were involved in a heated wrestling match over a new toy)!  Then it dawned on me like an Albert Einstein light bulb moment... TIMS!

Tim Horton's has wifi!  
Tim Horton's has peace!
Tim Horton's allows me to combine 2 things I love: coffee and the Internet!
Tim Horton's is going to save my butt, give me a quick break, and ultimately that breathe of fresh air that I was forgetting to take.

So, here I am!  Making it work!

And you know what?  This moment has helped me write this reflection.  Without this jumbled night, I might not have come to terms about what this course has made me think of.  For you see, sometimes we need a quick reminder that there is another way of doing a thing or two, another chance to make whatever it is work, that we might have not thought of ahead of time.  All we need is someone to share those ideas with us.  Sharing resources, ideas, and time are all huge take aways from my course.  And as much work as this course has been, it's also allowed me to meet and make some pretty cool connections.

This course has broadened my professional learning network, and I know that many of them are only a tweet or a Google Hangout away.  

With the expansion of new relationships comes the sharing of new resources.  The knowledge that so many of my fellow classmates share and have shared are truly amazing!  One of the best parts of this course was even just our twitter hashtag (#etfoaqiict2) and our diigo bookmarks.  The information, pages, and ideas that stemmed from it continue to leave me logging on daily (OK, I'm doing that regualrily, but now with more and more of a purpose), just to read up on what I could be learning.  

So, as awesome as this feeling of being finished is, yes, I'm done (Thanks TIMS for your Internet)!  I also will be looking for that next connection.  That next building block.  That next opportunity to learn something new.  From new faces, from new spaces, and to continue to learn along with my new PEEPS!  

Where are you on your journey?  What's next for you?  I'm going to give it some thought, but I'll let you know soon where my next journey online or offline will be!  I hope you'll join me?

Until then, take my advice, stop and enjoy each day... even with the Christmas craziness upon many of us.  Enjoy the smiles, excitement, and belief from the little people in our lives, and if needed, take a turn to your local TIMS, have a coffee, and breathe!

:)
Leslie
 




1 comment:

  1. I agree with all you've said, and even more with how you've said it, except, I must say, with your take on Tim's coffee (see my "About the Author" page http://therodcast.ca/about-the-author/ ). It's time now to take a breather, be with family and friends and to celebrate Christmas. Remember that you can access all the Tweets, Diigo bookmarks, and D2L content after the break when you are back to school.
    Keep on writing and sharing your infectious enthusiasm for ed tech and thanks for your contribution to our PLN!

    ReplyDelete