Hiatus is over!!!!

I absolutely cannot believe that I almost skipped October in my blogging!!!

Things have definitely been busy, that's for sure!

Work
The software development project (FASC-IS) has consumed a large portion of my time....but more in a re-tooling process.

Just started some computer literacy workshops in collaboration with National Student Partnerships and TOP CAT

Got a mini-grant to host a dialogue on the United Nations and the US working together via NC Campus Compact and the UN Foundation

Moved office locations and set-up all the computers with the lab.

Leading a student to do ethnographic research on volunteer impact of NCCU and the Durham community.

Beginning to write a grant with my Director utilizing technology.

Still trying to figure out the craziness called Microsoft Access!

Prepare and submit my quarterly report!

Helped organize a Service Learning workshop.

Took lots of pictures and enhanced them with photoshop for the website!

ahhh....lots more

Friends

Mark and Danyel had their baby boy, Calvin Baxter Warren
(Picture on Right)

Dane and Bobbi had their baby girl, Kelsy Onorio

Rory came back from Iraq for a brief period of time.

Leisure

Watched seasons 1-4 of smallville (quite a feat!)
Read "The Historian"
Read "Memoirs of a Geisha" again
Read "Leadership on the Line" again
Read lotsa computer books -- not that leisurely

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I guess thats a summary....

Today and yesterday I went to the SCALE Conference and was pleasantly suprised with all of the awesome programs in literacy education!

Some highlights:

"Poetry is not a Jukebox"
The presenter, Raina, was really great in her examples and her interactive approach.

She showed us really awesome ways to create poetry in almost a quiltlike way and also using newspaper articles and pulling words from columns to make your own poetry. THATS COOL!
We took a field trip to the art museum and wrote a little poem about a piece.

What I really like about this session was that she wasn't really trying to tell us how to do 'her' program/s, but just to have fun. It was really relaxed. She provided us working knowledge of ways to use poetry by allowing us to experience it!

"Theater of the Oppressed"

While very interactive, it wasn't forced on us to participate....more like slowly raising the temperature throughout, engaging us to 'want' to participate.

Dr. Mittman showed us through 'spect-acting', playing someone's personal unresolved issue with a small group of 4 or 5, but not talking.....posing each person to display a scene in that issue.

This example slowly progressed into each actor of the scene saying something from their scene....with everyone else trying to figure out what it was all about.

I can see far reaching application of these techniques and will see how I can infuse it somehow into my work...might be hard since I am focused on technology though.

"Volunteers as Public Advocates"

Both David Rosen and Daniella Cook provide a lot of insight and good suggestions on advocating policy, but what I really gained from this is Daniella's passionate explanation of 'Bush's' "No Child Left Behind".....which now, more than ever, pisses me off. I didn't really have a full understanding of all the players involved and the demands on the teachers....but after hearing Daniella talk, it all made sense.

"Engaging Adults in Literacy Education"

The main thing I gained from this session was "IGI" or "Individualized Group Instruction".....It is my hope that this methodology might be very useful in the newly established computer literacy workshops.

All in all this conference was wonderful.....seemed like everyone was from a different state, but collectively we were in this 'together'.

Next week I am attending NC Campus Compact's annual student conference and presenting some of my work in Academic Community Service Learning as well as providing some technology tools for students to use in organizing, reflection, and social action. I will post more when I attend next week! I hope its not too cold as I will be at Appalachian State University...in the mountains...

Shame on me for not posting in so long!

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. "
Aristotle