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March 21, 2012

Moodle Madness!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I had to learn a new online platform for my Child Development II class. This has been an extremely time consuming journey. I have to:

a) learn how to manipulate everything from my assignments, my grade book, importing pictures and videos, and moving stuff around that they loaded from my Blackboard site. Then,

b) Figure out what to do with the students who took the Child Development I class because the instructor already mistakenly taught 1/3 of my class. She had them buy the publisher's edition which takes out the adolescent part. That means that they have already spent $75 on a text that does not serve my classroom; to get the last 1/3 of the book they have to spent $125 more for a book they already have except for one section. I'm working with the publisher to send me some free copies to lend out for those who took Connie's class. Then!!!! they have to sit in a classroom for four sessions that teaches the very same material!!!!

c) I'm rereading the newest edition of the text because it is really much better than the old edition - and it is time consuming and filled with boring stuff like research as well as interesting stuff about growing children. And,

d) I'm trying to creatively circumvent assignments that the students might already have done in Child Development I. And, finally,

e) I always try to redo the assignments anyway which bring them up to date and make life more interesting for me to teach.

All this is but a prelude to saying that I have been completely obsessed! I used Martin's expertise to put some color in the course headline

, and yesterday I went down to the college to check in with Linda, a psych prof and a techie for the department. She was amazing. All week I had been gathering questions to ask for things I couldn't seem to quite get. She not only answered those things in short order, but she gave me lots and lots of tips for doing stuff that moodle does that I didn't know about. I'm anxious to get back to the drawing board and finish off downloading some stuff.

Why am I so obsessed with this? I didn't particularly want to do it, but I feel like I've been on a significant journey. But, here is the rub. I HAVE to do it to teach the class which begins on April 5th. I have no choice (except to do it poorly which isn't a choice). Why, why, why don't I have the same kind of drive when it comes to my own projects or my own writing? I've been avoiding learning Scrivener, a program that Martin swears by, because I think I don't have enough time. I avoid writing daily even when I have something "in the works." If I had worked on my latest story the amount of time that I have struggled with moodle, it would be long finished.

What is there about motivation? I could certainly learn from my friend, KJ's blog, about this topic because it is a favorite of hers. I could definitely learn from my son who writes consistently even when he has a full-time demanding job and a toddler. It has something to do with internal and external motivation.

I guess I need to hire someone who will stand over me with a whip! Nah! I would then get belligerent.

Here is a picture I'm using at the top of my course page (with his father's permission):

Oh, Lord, please help me to find perspective! Amen!

Posted by Marilyn at 9:36 AM | Comments (2)