It's dissertation time

The journey to my dissertation has gotten off to a rocky start. That is, it really hasn't gotten off to a start at all. I don't know which way to turn. I have a book called "Destination Dissertation" - all about the process. I need to read it. I have a book on grounded theory research. The research model I will probably use. I need to read it. I realized today as I was walking my wonderful dog that I really haven't read enough articles on my topic. I have to find them and read then.

I have to complete Chapter 1 - Problem Statement and Chapter 3 - Methodology for my research course - Due August 17. I have to complete the Institutional Review Board application before the end of the summer.

Where do I start? My advisor has been very busy and not available. I keep thinking that maybe I can't pull this off. Then I go back to being more positive. The fortune cookie I had today said to stop playing around and get focused.

Here is the list:
Find and read more articles on Faculty PD
Read Destination Dissertation
Read Grounded Theory

Chapter 1
Chapter 3
IRB

That is the probable progression. Dr. Melissa Cardon, my dear friend and a prof at Pace is coming over on Sunday to help me focus and sort through this mess. What is the worst case situation? I don't complete in May 2010! I have to accept that it could happen and just make a plan and focus. I helps me to feel better knowing that Melissa will be here.

To Blog or not to Blog

I realized that I haven't posted to my blog in awhile. I was active in the beginning but have fallen off. This blog is just for me. If I was writing something that I thought would be of interest to someone else, I might post more often.


Right now my mom is here. She came to stay for a few days because my son has his winter break and I have to work. I took off today to go to a Cub Scout outing. It was great to be a mom for a day. But here I am, I am working on my coursework as my mom and son sit and watch Nickelodeon. I just couldn't sit through another episode of Sponge Bob when the school work was calling. If mom wasn't here, I wouldn't be working right now. In a few week, my son will have someone/thing to keep him company when I have school work. Chance - an almost two year old Labradoodle will be joining our family on March 19th. It will be nice to have another member in our family. We could both use the company. I am enjoying the journey to my doctorate but I feel like I am missing out on so many things too. I hope the sacrifice is worth it.

Snow days are good for all

It was 5:45 am, the phone was ringing, no one was there. It was 5:55 am, the phone was ringing, no one was there. At 6:00 am when the phone rang again I thought "so much for modern technology". I guess our call out system was malfunctioning. Rather than try to get back to sleep I thought I would use the time for something special. A nice cup of tea and three hours of Jack Bauer. I am finally caught up...with my two shows and my school work. The price I paid? My son was at his dad's house last night. He stayed there and went to the movies with the dad's girlfriend. My son should have been home with me. I should have been the one to take him to the movies. I could have studied, watched Jack in the early hours and still had time to go to the movies. Being divorced is not fun when you have kids.

What did I do with my extra time? I started investigating getting a dog. I am looking at a Labradoodle. At first it was for my son. Now I know it's for me. It would be nice to have a dog around when I am alone. Although walking a dog on a snowday is not very appealing. My son should be home any minute and I have the whole evening to spend with him and it's only just after 4:00.

LIfe is like a GPS - Recalculating Route

"Dad" weekend for my son. This means I have plenty of time to work on my studies. My plan for the evening - have an early dinner with a friend, return home to complete this week's readings and blog review assignments, then watch two hours of 24...Well life happens. First recalculation - email from his teacher and an issue that needed prompt attention. My son does not want to learn Ballroom Dancing - this is part of his fourth grade curriculum. This will be a long detour as we work together to figure out what is best.

A quiet dinner with my good friend. We talk of motherhood, working, our older kids (who were in school together), quilting. Quilting is what first brought us together. She has her own webpage and a thriving quilting business. I didn't think until now that she might want to start a blog on her website (recalculating route). Looks like we should meet for dinner again real soon.

I came home to work on my blogging assignments and it's starting to come together. The interconnectedness of blogs. I realized that I could link my postings to other websites (recalculating route). I start looking at the blogs that I am supposed to review and see how the links are set up. Back to my blog (recalculating route). I spend some time setting up links to the posts I already made. I am starting to feel connected. Maybe this is what it is all about.

And what about the GPS? Well life is like that, you start out following a path, think you know where you are going and then take a different turn - you then have to recalculate your route. Looks like no Jack Bauer for me tonight.

Still searching for the meaning behind Blogging

I have spent the past few nights reading about blogs, attending workshops about blogs, and exploring several blogs. Each blog is as individual as the owner. I have found a few that spark some interest. I have subscribed to them using RSS, I have a Google Reader account. I am blogging again this evening. I am glad I have a place to put my reflections but wouldn't a spiral bound notebook or a word document on my laptop serve the same purpose? I talked about my blog at work today - in between the discussions of LOST, 24, Desperate Housewives and other required TV shows for lunchroom discussion.

This year I am out of the loop. I feel like I have to leave the room when the discussions start. I have five hours of 24 to watch, one hour of LOST, I don't even remember the last time I watched some of the other shows. I guess to be a graduate student and single mom working full time, I have to give up a few things. TV will be the first.

I had a wonderful mom experience today. My son was a finalist in his schools Geography Bee for the National Geographic Society. He finished in third place out of ten participants. Pretty good for a kid who did not prep and wasn't even sure he wanted to participate. I was so proud of him as he stood on the stage with his number around his neck. He looked so young and a bit scared but so grown up too! My daughter started another semester of college today. She called to check up on her brother. My kids love each other and I adore them. That's what its all about. That and getting this submitted before the midnight deadline. I made it through another week.

Week One - complete

The deadline for submission was midnight tonight. It's 11:50 and I just hit the submit button. Life happens.

It's all coming together

I have been working in the Educational Technology field for several years - many years in fact. I was originally a classroom computer teacher working on the Apple 2E. I thought I had reached nirvana when I joined the Lower Hudson Regional Information Center as an Educational Consultant - but my main focus was on computer assisted instruction programs. At first I thought the programs were a bit dry, then I saw the educational value behind them and became an avid supporter.

Time passed and I knew there was so much more. I attended conferences and workshops and saw how much the technology world had to offer education. But who had the time to investigate it all? I would sign up for an account for a web tool during a conference - and then never use it. Now I have to. In my doctoral course, I am required to check out these sites, sign up for accounts and use them. I am blogging right now, because it is part of my class. Does anyone care? I don't know but it will help me on my journey.

My dreams are coming true. I am working on my doctorate and I am spending time investigating the technology I have been interested in. I look forward to spending my evenings with purposeful searching on the internet. A reading I had this week was a blog by Steve Dembro. He "twittered" in to a conference I was at in the Fall. His blog posting was about how blogs can help you change your job/career. Is this what will happen? Only time will tell, In the meantime, it is nice to start seeing all the pieces of my life falling into place.

The only downside - Jack Bauer will have to wait. 24 started last night and I am already four hours behind.