Wiki Wondering

Since my last blog, I have been attempting to make my wiki my own. I don't know what it is about wikis that confuses me, but I find it hard to maneuver around the site and get anything of substance added and added what it's supposed to be. I have tried both wikispaces and pbworks so I can't blame it on the site's ease of use. I've read about wikis online and the concensus is that they are an easy to use application that give so much organization and substance to any subject. So what's my problem. I'm hoping to resolve any problems I'm experiencing and make some progress. What I lack in wiki-bility, I make up for in my determination to get this done. So, here goes nothing... (Probably a wrong choice of words!)

Wiki-ing and Wondering

I spent some time today trying to add some personal touches to my newly created Wiki. At the moment, I am not feeling very confidant about my wiki-ing abilities. I'm hoping that I will be able to create the type of wiki that I can use at school to enhance the education of my students. But first, I need to understand what I'm doing as far as content and labeling of content so that it is easily assessible. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed and inadequate. Nothing that a little determination, focus, and patience can't cure. So my plan is to visit as many educator wikis that I can, making note of any aspects I would like to include in my own wiki and then return to mine with some fresh ideas. There is always the help menu. But is there a help menu for the help menu? Wish me luck.

Novice Blogger At Work

So I now have a blog in the works. Nothing fancy and because I'm new at this, nothing too much in the "meaningful" department. I hope that will change. I'm feeling relieved to have completed the beginning of this assignment by creating the blog, but I'm also feeling the pressure to become more comfortable with all this so that it can benefit me. I will be adding more in the form of a profile and personalization, but more importantly I hope some substance to my blogs. Time will tell.

What's In A Name?

All these decisions!! And that's just to set up my first blog. The perfect name? I came up with a few but always came back to "Still Hoping After All These Years". Yes, Paul Simon came up with most of this first but I've always related to that song. The problem is I had a problem with admitting that I was crazy in my first blog attempt. I began to think about hope and how no matter what has happened to me in my lifetime, good and bad, I always felt that there was hope. The idea of what we're hoping for may change in our lives, from "I hope that Mommy doesn't serve me those mashed peas again." , through "I hope that Stanley asks me to the dance Saturday." and the "I hope it doesn't rain on my wedding day." through the "I hope that my father knew that I loved him before he died of cancer." and the "I hope that my son becomes healthy one day and doesn't have to take medication for an autoimmune illness." to a "I hope that I can get back into my music one day." to "I hope that my sons can live happily ever after doing something they're passionate about." to the current "I hope that I can keep all this straight as I try to juggle family, work, choral and guitar students, with my graduate school commitment?" I am indeed "still hoping after all these years" and have no plans of giving up.

So, here I am blogging! Who would've thought? Certainly not I. I'm so proud of my baby steps but realize as any one year old trying to cross a room for the first time, that it looks so far to the other side. Then again, just like that baby, I feel like I have so much support. My professor, my classmates. They've been great. I feel like I can ask for help any time I need to and someone will be ready to help me with my next baby step. I hope that I become comfortable with all that I am learning this semester and more importantly, that I use it all for the benefit of my students.