I am new to blogging… Have heard of it. Read some of them. But, never have done it myself. This is very new to me. It is kind of scary. Putting myself out there for others to see. I have never thought of myself as a “writer”. I have never felt comfortable in doing it. So, this assignment, is definitely pushing me out of my comfort zone.
This is the end of week one of my class. I have definitely learned a lot in a week. Talk about information overload! I had to learn to tweet, twitter, and twub. I think I lost count on how many new accounts I had to open in order to “Network” with others. I was definitely overwhelmed, anxious, and exhausted at what I had to do this first week. But, with the help of others in my class and from what I read on the discussion boards I was able to “knock off” one thing at a time. But, isn’t that what this MOOC is about? Learning from others?
What are the characteristics I will need to be successful in this MOOC? First of all, I think we ALL need a sense of humor! I mean, really? I had to log into twitter before I could start tweeting! Haha! I think I just need to be able to keep up with all the lingo that goes with technology. Here are a few vocabulary words I learned over the past week: MOOC, PLN, Blog, WordPress, Connectivist MOOC, Twitter, tweet, twubs, Diffimooc, weebly, only to mention a few. Overwhelmed? That would be an understatement….but, nothing that a pint of ice cream couldn’t solve, right?
Other things to help me be successful would be friends or colleagues that I have connected with via these social networks. More than a few people have been there to answer my questions. I’m shy when you first meet me, so if I haven’t helped out much…. watch out! Once you start picking my brain, I’ll be sure to do my part as well. I live on a remote island. So, my connections to professional development are few and far between. I am actually looking forward to connecting with others (now that all the complicated stuff is “out of the way”).
Another thing that would help me be successful would be to learn how to manage all these websites and accounts and networks that I have set up. I am sure that I will probably connect to more as this class progresses. I feel really scatter-brained right now. I am used to being somewhat organized. (Please don’t ask to see my desk at school. It looks messy, but I know exactly where everything is.) So, I’m looking forward to figuring out how to keep everything in one place and manageable.
OH! I almost forgot! Here is a link to my video introduction. It is my first video ever posted on YouTube. I was very nervous. But I am sure you will overlook those nervous moments. Right? 🙂 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OoSGexSgjw&feature=youtu.be
alaskanjam 
I liked your video so much I watched it twice. Once with my husband who came over to see what I was doing when he heard the music – so two thumbs up!
I am with you as far as all this being new. There is so much to figure out. I am looking forward to getting more proficient with it all.
Thank you, Lori. All the music in my video was sung by the kids in my class. 🙂
That is so awesome!
Jennifer – I laughed about your comment about opening so many new accounts! When I do tech pd with teachers who are new to networking, they often balk at having to open so many accounts and keeping track of so many passwords! However, kids think nothing of it – managing accounts and passwords is something they can get the hang of very quickly. The adjustment period is definitely longer for us adults! Your first ever YouTube video is great – and don’t worry, you will get the hang of these things fast. The individual tools themselves are not that difficult, but I think it’s the connectivity of them all that rattles folks!