Final goodbyes...

It feels a bit odd that I'm not saying goodbye to my classmates, as I usually do in a physical class. So, I did it on the course blog. Why not?

Anyway, I finished my Neovox, literally just minutes ago. I thought it would have taken me maybe a few hours to write today, nope, it took me all day long...and that was with minimal interruptions. I started it around noon! I layed out in the sun, while writing my article. It got too hot, so I came back inside to "finish" it. At least it's all done now. Hope I did good on it.

I can't believe how fast this semester went. Really. It flew by! It seems just like yesterday that I signed onto WebCt to find the entire workload listed right before my eyes. I thought to myself, "oh my god..." My heart sank, and all the sudden I knew I was in for a long haul. It's now over though, and feels quite weird to me. This very minute represents my last submission for classes at Cortland. I'm now all done...no more classes to take. I graduate (well, "walk") next weekend. I have student teaching in the fall to complete yet, but as far as classes go, I'm done. I won't be traveling to Cortland anymore for classes.

I'm not sure if that makes me totally psyched, or if it makes me scared that it's finally over. I've spent 3 years of my life traveling back and forth to Cortland from Binghamton (though, currently in Whitney Point.) I guess there's something to be said in the comfort of repetition. Now I'm a bit scared to student teach,because there are so many unknowns...but I'm looking forward to it too. I guess that's part of life, right?

Here's to the Class of '07!...Looking forward to seeing you all at graduation!
Good luck with finals and the rest of your semester! Have a great summer!! I'll miss our class posts! :) Take care!

Neovox idea revised

Ha, of course I switched my idea for my second neovox article. I ended up writing about cell phones and the bee problem. Last week I heard about this for the first time, and it wasn't until today, that I thought it would be worth looking into. Although there is no solid cause for the disappearance in bees, many scientists feel it is because of the radiation from cell phones...others feel it from mites and parasites. Either way, I've learned that its still a problem for us... bees pollinate our crops so we can eat. No matter what the cause is, we need to find a solution to get back our bees!

Play Money

Play Money is quite an interesting book to say the least. I never would have pickedd this book up, had I not had this class. I think it's really fascinating how Dibbell wanted to take a risk and see how he could do with selling virual items. If I was his wife, I would have said, "you're crazy" and walked away. I certainly wouldn't have taken it seriously. Towards the end when he discovers that it is crashing right before his eyes, he says this:

"Nobody had to ask me what had finally pushed me over the edge--they could take their pick of proximate causes. Friends and family mostly blamed the shattering of my marriage, but others recognized that my career was in a crisis, too, neither clearly reinvigorated by the year at Stanford nor prestnly sustained by much more than the hanging thread of a magazine contract I had now blown off for too long, it appeared, to earn renewal when it ran out in a month or two. Personally, my darkest thougths focused on th career, which in my gut I knew to be over, while my marriage, something told me, would in time recover." (286)

The thing that really kind of irritates me with all this, is that he was always more preoccupied with the PLay MOney project, and voluntarily failed his marriage. He put his heart and soul into the project, traveling crazy miles accross country. If it was me, I would have said, YEAHHHH RIGHT.

Last days of my Undergrad classes :)

Ok, so I never went to sleep last night. I was working on my portfolio and website for Dr. Franke alllllll day, and ALLLLL night. Literally. I never fell asleep even for a min. Needless to say I'm exhausted...and, I have to be at school until at least 5:00 tonight for my student teaching placement meeting.

I do have to admit though, it feels so good to have two classes done with today! Technically speaking, if I were to stay in this computer lab from now until 4:30, I could be done with this Cyberspace class as well. Me and Erica finished our last podcast on Friday, but the UiTunes was not being that nice...so I figured I'd just upload it today. So that is coming momentarily. The only thing I have left to do is the 2nd Neovox, and to update my personal blog a bit more. I see it's a bit behind others'.

Neovox idea

So, I'm thinking that I'm going to do my Neovox article on teaching with Second Life, as I've just recently become more aware of it in regards to teaching. I never thought about it like that before. I think this is a really cool idea to incorporate into teaching! My degree is in childhood education, but...I don't see why I couldn't bring something like Second Life into an older grade, like 5th or 6th grades...I don't know, I'll be researching more about it, and how it's used in younger grades, if-at-all... I just think it's an awesome idea. I could have my classroom set up, and have my students build our community. I could do S.S. units, and science, anything really--even English.

Anyway, that is my idea for my Neovox article. I'll be doing this on Monday, as I'm still working on my website for Dr. Franke... sooooo much work............ Thank goodness this semester is almost over.. Eeeeks.

Saturday thoughts...

Well, me and Erica finished our last podcast yesterday afternoon! It was so exciting. I'm so glad I decided to ask her in the beginning of the semester, to work together on it. It's funny, we didn't even know each other at first but I felt like we were both struggling a bit, so we worked together through this class, quite a bit. This online class was something we talked about, frequently, in our other class (this of course, was after we figured out that we had another class together, outside of the online class :) We became friends I think because of it. We were so frustrated with it and stressed out, so naturally, we would discuss our issues together :)

This made me think...I have to say, yet again, that I strongly believe that ALL online classes will never REALLY fully take the place of the physical interactions of a real class. Human interaction is simply, just a basic need for everyone to experience. I mean, even anti-social individuals seek some sort of connection...Newborn babies have to have a physical connection with their parents, in order to physically and emotionally develop. Kids need it, adults need it. EVERYONE needs it in some way.

In saying that, I think that out of everything I've learned from this class, I've come to realize the important quality of human interaction in a class, vs. a class purely online. I think this will really make me become a better teacher in fact. It will be a good reminder, for when the day actually comes, when administrators in school districts suggest complete online classes. Yes, this will be much later down the road, in fact, I probably wont be a teacher at that point. But this class certainly does serve as a great personal experience for me, to remember the importance of social interaction between teacher and student.

Scholar's Day Success

The last few weeks of the semester are always so hectic. Actually, the entire last month of school has been crazy. It's been hard to sit down and devote time to my personal blog as you can already tell, I haven't updated it since April 18th.

And, by the way, the Scholar's Day recording was a success...despite the first few minutes of the presentation where I accidentally opened up someone else's podcast--and it was cranked up really loud, so everyone could hear it. I apologized, and it was over. I moved on and quickly tried to open up a new episode, then pushed that tiny red "record" button. I was really proud of myself ...I was scared to death that I was going to screw something up terribly...But, I only missed the first few minutes of the first presenter, and recorded everyone else. I was really glad I was able to help out, and , not to mention..extra credit was involved :) Thank you, Dr. Reid, for the opportunity to jump outside my comfort box. As silly as it sounds, it made me feel more capable of things that I'm intimidated by, or scared of. Hey, I figured, if I can jump out of a plane at 15,000 feet, I can pretty much push myself to do whatever, even if it's scary. :)

Scholar's Day

Today is Scholar's Day! I'm doing the extra-credit for Dr. Reid and recording one of the presentations at 1:30! I'm hoping and praying that I don't screw this up. The Podcasts have not gone so smoothly for me...let's hope this does!! :)

Video Project

Well, last week I tried getting everyone together from our group so that we could at least start with something. I found out how hard it is to bring a group of five people together of whom don't even know one another. I communicated mainly through emails, or our course blog. I then got most screen names for AIM...which was the easiest and most convenient way to get to everyone instantly. The phone just seems too intrusive.

We met last Friday and discussed briefly what we wanted to go over and some of the details that should be included in the video. It was really odd to finally meet everyone. Out of the four people, I only knew Erica from another class; I'd never met the rest in person prior to this.

On Tuesday, we met again to do our video. We met in a conference room and did did it all in less than an hour. I have to admit, I think it's going to be a bit boring. But I'm hoping that with some special effects we add to it, it will become more exciting. Thanks to James and his awesome video camera, that helped with the whole process of finding a camera and or the time to figure the whole process out to tape ourselves...had he not been in our group. So Thanks, James!

I'm excited to see everyone's videos. Should be interesting!

A Whole New Mind: Ch 7-9

In Pink's "A Whole New Mind," chapter's 7-9 explain the other three senses Pink believes to be crucial while moving into this "Conceptual Age." These include Empathy, Play, and Meaning. (In prior posts, I spoke of the first three senses that Pink discussed in the first half of the book: Design, Story, and Symphony)

He declares on page 66 (the introduction to the 6 senses), "What will distinguish those who thrive will be their ability to understand what makes their fellow woman or man tick, to forge relationships, and to care for others." Empathy is what distinguishes us from any other species. On page 159, he explains Empathy as "the ability to stand in others' shoes, to see with their eyes, and to feel with their hearts...the ultimate virtual reality--climbing into another's mind to experience the world from that person's perspective." ( I thought his use of the term "virtual reality" was interesting, especially after we just recently finished the book "Snow Crash.") Empathy is such an important element in how we connect with others, really. He goes on to say that it is just as important in leadership roles in the work-force. This is how some managers and bosses are more effective with their employees.

He quotes one of my all time favorite heroes, Oprah Winfrey:

'Leadership is about empathy. It is about having the ability to relate and to connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and empowering their lives.'

I think this is huge! It speaks volumes. As a future teacher, I think this is a crucial element in becoming a successful leader in the classroom environment. It's also important to teach this skill as well. Like Pink mentions, it's important to learn others' facial expressions to become more aware of emotions, and feelings within our own societies. This can begin as early as the infancy stage! Reading others' body language or facial expressions can really promote such positive interactions with children and their peers as they go through school, on up into adult relationships, and into the work place!

The next two senses are "Play," and "Meaning." In the 8th Chpt, Pink literally tells us to go have fun. Evidence shows what positive health and professional benefits derive from laughing. "In the Conceptual Age, in work and in life, we all need to play." (66) He offers great tips to practice laughing. For instance, he suggests taking a multidimensional sense of humor test, "to measure individuals' level of mirth." (211) More info on this: tinyurl.com/6t7ff) He also suggests to "Play at Inventing" or "Get Your Game On" which can be achieved by simply playing a video game. Other examples that promote fun and laughter: Pink suggests to go play outside, like on the playground or just sit and really watch how kids play...grasping their "sense of wonder and curiosity." (214) He also says to dissect a joke... to understand why a joke is funny, so that we can understand better, which kinds of humor work and which do not. The last tip he suggests is to play a Right-Brain Game. It is "designed to test and enhance R-Directed abilities." (www.tecmogames.com)

Last but not least, Pink discusses "Meaning." We are becoming more aware of, and trying to "pursue more significant desires: purpose, transcendence, and spiritual fulfillment." Part of this is to find happiness in non-material objects, and more within ourselves. He offers great resources to his readers which include books that share knowledge about meaning. Really trying to encourage people to find true contentment. He asks his readers to look at their lives and "Take the 20-10 Test" which asks the question: If you won or inherited $20 million and had it sitting in the bank, would you still be doing what you're doing now at the job you're at? He asks the same question, but with a different scenario...What if you found out you had 10 years to live, would you be doing the same things you're doing now? I think this is a great question to ask ourselves. It really makes you think about your life, and your passions in life--what makes you really happy inside.

Two more suggestions that I really enjoyed reading about "Meaning" was to Dedicate your work. He speaks of Danny Glover and how he dedicates every performance to someone, just like authors do in their books. This gives purpose and meaning to our work, when we think of it as a "gift" to someone. (244) This is something I'd like to incorporate into my own life in the near future! Lastly, Pink suggests that we picture ourselves at Ninety and reflect on things like, "What have you accomplished?" "What have you contributed?" "What are your regrets?" I tend to think of the accomplishments more frequently. My philosophy has always been this: I don't ever want to regret not doing anything in life." I've gone skydiving, I've traveled to Europe, I'm finishing up my Bachelor's Degree to go into teaching; I accomplish almost everything I aspire to. That has always been very important to me. The day will indeed come, when I look back on my life and ask those same questions. Did I do everything I wanted? Did I overcome a fear or anxiety I had? Did I tell everyone in my life that they are so very important to me and that I love them, and to thank them for all they have contributed to in my life? These things are so valuable in life... it's what gives us motivation and purpose in the choices we make every single day. Ultimately, it's what we live for.

In conclusion, I'll leave you with this. Pink quotes Viktor Frankl on page 244:

"Live as if you were living for the second time and had acted as wrongly the first time as you are about to act now."

Cyberspace Vs. Face-to-face communication

It's funny how we have been talking about these modern technologies that help us gain instant access to the rest of the world, or within our own little communities. Erica and I did our second podcast on this subject. We ended up having issues uploading it, and something went very wrong for the final product. To make a long story short, we decided that we needed help.

Today we met Dr. Reid in person for help. Previously, I have used AIM to ask Dr. Reid questions regarding things we needed to do for the course. This has been a positive experience; and when in doubt or in need of help, that's usually the quickest way to contact him. However, it got to the point that Erica and I needed help from a "real person."

There is definitely something to be said for needing that face-to-face communication. It is an entirely different dynamic to the whole process of communication. I don't know, I guess there's comfort in knowing there is someone there to guide you along. Even though AIM is a form of instant access and a way to have a conversation in the present-time, I've realized that I personally need the physical aspect, in some way or another.

Today, I was able to talk to Dr. Reid in person, ask questions, and have a complete, interactive discussion with him (and Erica.) I felt that by doing this, we got to know each other much better, and felt at ease, somehow.

Although I really like having the freedom and space of being part of an online class; I've come to realize that part of education is having actual physical interaction between teacher and student. I think this helps in the learning process, dramatically!

Video Proposal

I've been thinking of various ideas for this, and to be honest it's a little difficult because everyone else has come up with some great ideas so far. In Evolution of Writing we've been talking about how this new form of technology is really reshaping literacy practices. Because I will be getting my masters in Literacy for teaching, I thought it might be interesting to do something along those lines. I'm not exactly sure, as of this point in time, but I thought it would be neat to show how all of this is effecting kids in school, how they used to learn how to read and write, into modern days using such things as Leap Frog and other various forms of technology to learn how to read, and learn etc.

I'm not sure if this is too far off the concept for the purpose of this assignment, but I think it would be interesting to say the least? PS. I really like Philip's idea using costumes to show how we've evolved over time (from our Evolution of Writing class.)

A Whole New Mind, yay!!

I'm getting behind yet again! Although I've been reading the required text, I'm not keeping up to date in my personal blog. Anyway, like I said in my last post, I really enjoy this book. It really is almost a relief to know that there is hope for us "R-directed thinkers." I have always felt because I learn in different ways (which I now understand is called "learning styles" from my EDU courses) and how I appreciate beauty and aesthetics, than those whom are "L-directed" thinkers; I just thought that something was somewhat wrong with me to be honest--or that I just was not as smart as others. Pink discusses in this day-in-age, that we are moving into a conceptual age, that we really have to because most of what we produce in the U.S. can be done better and/or cheaper overseas. He argues that we MUST learn the 6 senses in order to really have a "secure job."

I enjoyed reading the first 6 chapters because it almost validates the fact that I am who I am, to a certain degree. I thoroughly enjoy design. I may not be a pro (in fact I know I am not :) HOWEVER, it is very much a natural tendency for me to look at the way things are designed--whether that be how a particular sign for an ad looks, a magazine layout, the way a bathroom looks in a restaurant, or the way someone decorates their house... I am attracted to these things almost instantly. I simply appreciate the way things look.

Symphony, ha, good luck with that one! I can not hold a note while singing, and I certainly could not write music; that is my sister's forte. However, I DO make pretty good connections. I'm good at brainstorming with others (if it's artistic or creative in any way) and come up with new ideas. I like to draw and be really crafty. As Pink mentions on page 134, we are in a world of MULTITASKING.

Stories--I feel as though I lack imagination for any type of fictional writing for this particular sense. I do like to write though. I like creative writing, and writing how I connect with certain things or to others. If I know what I'm talking about, I like to write about it, for the most part :)

Pink explains how these 3 senses (out of 6) we're focusing on this week in class, are going to be crucial and we must "master" them to "complement our L-directed reasoning" as part of the "whole new mind" so that we will be much better in our careers--so that ultimately, everything we do in the U.S. will not be outsourced.

A Whole New Mind: Chpt 1

I LOVE this book so far! Really. I'm pretty sure it's because I'm a pre-service teacher, and that I'm interested in psychology and and how we function in life as humans. It made me think about how I operate and what side of the brain I use more frequently. Prior to reading this book, I've always thought I was more of an "R directed thinker," and ultimately, I still feel that way for the most part; although, I see now that I use the my left brain for many purposes in daily situations as well. I realize now that both sides really do balance us out, it's just that one side might be more active.

In chapter 1, Pink discusses his experience from taking part in a research study at the National Institute of Mental Health on brain activity. The research was investigating which parts of the brain(right and left hemispheres) were stimulated in response to certain facial expressions and scary scenes presented through pictures.

As he discusses on page 13, Pink explains the old theory that people who use more of the left hemisphere (aka L directed thinkers) are rational, analytical and logical people. Those who use more of the right hemisphere (aka R directed thinkers) are mute, non-linear, and instinctive. It was seen that the left side of the brain was more essential than the right side. For example, a french neurologist (Paul Broca) found that the left side of the brain actually controlled the ABILITY to speak language. Presumably, the left hemisphere of the brain is what "makes us human"(pg. 14) because language itself is what separates us from any other species in the world. Interesting concept. BUT, as I was more than happy to read on. A professor by the name of Roger W. Sperry researched individuals with epileptic seizures whom required part of the corpus callosum to be removed from their brains (the part that connects the two sides of the brain) He found that the right side of the brain was not in fact inferior to the left side. He found that there is just 'two modes of thinking':
-The left hemisphere reasoned sequentially, excelled at analysis, and handled words.
-The right hemisphere reasoned holistically, recognized patterns, and interpreted
emotions and nonverbal expressions. Human beings were literally of two minds.
As far as language is concerned in humans, Pink tries to simplify the scientific jargon for the reader. He explains that "the left hemisphere handles WHAT is said; the right hemisphere focuses on HOW it's said--the nonverbal, often emotional cues delivered through gaze, facial expression, and intonation." He also mentions that the right hemisphere enables us to comprehend metaphors. Pink shows good examples when comparing the two parts of the brain. Left brainers analyze details, and right brainers synthesize the BIG PICTURE.
Ultimately though, as he mentions on page 25, BOTH parts of the brain were designed to work together, as "a powerful thinking machine."

Updating my blog

I've been playing around with my blog today. I actually made links to my site! Yay! I also changed colors to different texts and rearranged the links to the side of my blog, opposed to the bottom. AND, I added a picture! This is actually kind of cool!

Oh yeah, I also responded to this student from North Dakota who wrote me! It's nice to know that others are feeling the same way as me. :p

Podcasting......

Erica and I did our second podcast assignment last Friday. The night before it was due, I decided that my frustration and anxiety with podcasting was going to result in either 1.) me quitting and say %$# it... or 2.) go to someone else with similar issues with this technology. I decided on the ladder. I looked up some personal blogs, and realized that Erica had been discussing many of the same frustrations I was. I looked to see if she had an AIM account, she did. SO, we talked on AIM for about 30 min, and I asked her if she was interested in doing a podcast with me. She said sure, and was glad that I asked her because she hadn't done hers yet. The funny thing here is, that we have one class together (Dr. Franke's class) and we've never talked face-to-face before, prior to our meeting. We met up on Friday at 1 pm and talked for about 30 min. just trying to sort out exactly what we were going to discuss. We soon began our podcast recording. By 4 pm, we had all that we needed- 6 minutes of discussion! We were absolutely ecstatic!! No way could this be so simple!! We said what we wanted to, recorded it, played it back.. it was great. I haven't felt that good in a very very long time! We did have a few minor issues with uploading it to UiTunes, but we did it! I was so excited that I had contacted her to do it together. 2 heads are indeed better than 1!! We collaborated and really actually had fun doing it. I left at 5:10 pm that night feeling like I could skip down the sidewalk. I felt like we accomplished something MAJOR!! My weekend was fantastic because I had the whole podcast anxiety brushed off my shoulders... the weight of it had disappeared!! I know this might sound dramatic, but it's the truth! I couldn't stop smiling.

Fast forward 4 days. It's Tuesday night, and I decide to show off what I had just accomplished to my parents, when visiting them for dinner. I clicked on our podcast, and all I hear is my voice for about 1 minute, then nothing, then repetition of Erica's voice introducing our podcast. Talk about disappointment. I quickly IMed Erica as soon as I saw it, (9:41:52 PM): "oh my god
Erica (9:42:03 PM): "hah oh no" "what?"
Aimee (9:42:00 PM): "listen to our podcast"
Erica (9:42:08 PM): "oh no"
Erica (9:42:15 PM): "why"
Aimee (9:42:12 PM): ITS TERRIBLE
Erica (9:42:18 PM): i dont want to im scared
Erica (9:42:30 PM): noooo
Erica (9:42:53 PM): oh i dont want to hear it !
Aimee(9:51:53 PM): there is a huge chunk missing!
Aimee (9:52:44 PM): and there are a few parts that repeat
Aimee (9:52:45 PM): ugh
Aimee (9:52:49 PM): what the hell did we do wrong

So here we are, back to square one again, almost. I IMed Dr. Reid this morning and discussed our malfunction, and he said maybe we just need to export it differently.

*Let's hope Thursday is a good day for Erica and Aimee when we try to redo this assignment : (
Wish us luck.

NeoVox idea...

Ok, so I already wrote my NeoVox article. But here I am posting what I actually wrote about. I tend to do things backwards sometimes. :)

It was really coincidental that I had just watched a report on Frontline (PBS) early last week on the effects of journalism now since we have this new medium of the Internet, and how some of the leading newspapers in the country are being forced out of circulation. There were many factors that lead to this issue, but the one that I really paid attention to was the onset of Citizen Journalists. Seeing how we are in this new age of "blogging" and "YouTube" etc, I wrote my article about this issue, and posed questions and my opinions on the whole issue itself. Who is a citizen journalist? Who can be one? What's going to happen to the professionals who go after the news for us? What does this all mean for the future of News??

"Wherever You Go, You're on the Job"

In case no one checked this out on our course blog, take a look at it. It confirms everything we all have been talking about, regarding how technology really is such a huge part of our life, and how much we depend on it... Smart Mobs....

http://http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_25/b3938612.htm

Snow Crash

To begin with, I think that if I haven't made clear how creative this dude Stephenson is, I must make it now. I can't even imagine thinking outside the box to the level he has. Possibly, because I'm somewhat of a realist, and have a difficult time thinking abstractly, I appreciate his style...a lot. I just think it's a very cool approach. I may think this way too, because it would be the first novel in virtual reality, or shall I say cyberspace type book, that I have ever read.

I think that what helps me with this reading, is the dialect in which he has his characters use. It works well for me, probably because it sounds just like one of your friends talking (besides the terminology of the future, obviously.) I enjoy his humor too. I have definitely found myself laughing at some of the passages so far, or even just saying, "Wow, I can't believe he put that in there." One part in particular that just made me laugh was on page 10 when he went to go pick up a pizza and the place was on fire (or just smoke.) For some reason, I found a lot of humor on that page.

At first, I was pretty confused with this book, to say the least. I wasn't sure what was going on in the first chapter. I was like what the hell is a deliverator?? ha... but then it all started making more sense to me. I am definitely enjoying the book so far, and it makes me think about how crazy it all is in the Metaverse....how far off are we from that? Really.

My experience with PWR 209...

OK, so I didn't get as far as I wanted to last weekend, like I said I was going to. However, I feel as though I'm catching up and beginning to understand more. I always seem to have this tight feeling in my stomach and chest when I think about this class, literally. I don't know why, but I get anxiety when I think about doing work for this particular online class. I'm guessing that it is just frustrating for me, like Erika, that we are asked to post to like 4-5 different places.

I've taken one online class prior to this (a writing workshop class), and it didn't seem nearly as overwhelming to me... at first yes, it did, but I soon found my way around and only had to comment to one place in response to my classmates' comments. Another factor...it was a summer class... so besides working full-time, I was putting all my energy into just that.

In contrast to that from two years ago, I am now done with my major, just working on my minor(ENLW)--which means I'm in 4 ENG classes right now. I certainly am not complaining, because I know many other classmates are doing the same thing. It's just been rough. I'm working A LOT as well, AND renovating a house that I'm hopefully moving into in the next week or so.

I took this class because I thought it would be useful, and beneficial to me as a future teacher-- because I DO realize how quickly technology is moving...and to keep up with my students. I figured I should at least familiarize myself in this type of online technology route. Honestly, it scares me, even though, I, myself have grown up with it since 1994... unbelievable. Wow. I just figured I should know all that I can for my students, to be a "tech-savvy" teacher for them, and to adapt to their learning styles...what better way than with technology, right.

Oh, and about Smart Mobs, I did not really care for the book at all, in all honesty, it was difficult to read, for me at least. There were definitely good points in there that Rheingold makes, and the research he has done is really interesting, especially for when he started doing it. The info about texting as a means to overthrow a government, protesters using it, and as freedom tools for children in Japan.. I just thought that was really interesting to read about. However, I without a doubt, feel that it all could have been summed up in a much smaller book!

Playing catch up!

OK, I am spending the entire day today to play catch up. I've gotten behind and I desperately need to figure this all out soon!! I haven't had much time in the past few weeks to really sit down and try to comprehend all of the information given to us because I've been working a lot lately, so here I am!

I think I'm getting it, slowly but surely, anyway. :)

*Kudos to all of you who are breezing through it all so quickly!!*

Background Information on Aimee

I am a 26-year-old non traditional Childhood Education major with a minor in ENLW. I'm looking forward to graduating this spring; however, I have student teaching in the fall of 2007 to finish yet. When all things are said and done, I will be completely finished with my Undergrad work in December 2007!

Some of my hobbies include traveling, scrap booking, going out to eat, watching movies, and baking. If someone were to ask me about one crazy thing I've done in my life, it would be skydiving in Virginia at 15,000 feet back in 2002!

As I've mentioned, I love to travel. Some of my trips have taken me to Italy, as well as the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, and all the way down the East coast. I have lived in Raleigh, NC for a year too! I miss it there a lot!

Right now, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed this semester because I'm taking four ENG classes to finish up my minor. In addition, PWR 209 is a bit intimidating to me as well. I look forward to learning more about it though, because it seems very interesting and I'm sure it will become much easier for me as I practice more!