Creating a Small Focused Learning Module

What a challenge this week was. I was the one praying for the ice and snow. As a result, I had the whole week off to create my presentation. The first thing I had to do was to decide on a topic. I had one for an earlier module; but I decided it would not lend itself to the module I was creating. The course I have begun to create is called, New Ideas Regarding: Aging and Retirement in America. Since I did not have access to a Learning Management System, I had to think how I could present this course without one. It started out as a Microsoft document. After emailing Sam, it quickly turned into a Power Point presentation. I have never used Power Point before! Sam…how you have challenged me, I am absolutely certain I will be divorced by the time this course is over…okay not really. But I know I am aging faster than I was before this course. I think my intimate other has heard some interesting and creative combinations of obscenities this week.

Once I moved the text from a Word document to a Power Point, I had to search for the video and blogs, etc, to present in the module. I knew the module would need an introduction to the course Module. So, after driving Norma crazy with my emails, while her power was out during the “Deep Freeze,” I realized I would need to somehow get this presentation on Elluminate. While I was at my niece’s house trying to enjoy Thanksgiving, my mind was on how to get an Elluminate session I could use to put my presentation on. While everyone else in the house was fast asleep, I was on the computer reading about Elluminate and how to work it. Their cat, barred from entering our sleeping area, sat in the door frame first thing the next morning while I was on the computer turning his head from side to side and slyly looking at me like I had lost my mind. I suddenly remembered why I wasn’t fond of cats.

On Friday, after the cat let me know what he thought of me, I knew I had to get home to write all this up and place it into Elluminate. Even though my niece’s ex-husband was a WA State Trooper, I made it home in record time…under an hour from Bonney Lake to Redmond never once realizing I was probably driving above the required speed limit on the interstate. Taking the time to warm our house from 55 degrees to 68, I sat down at the computer and read Rob’s entries into Wiki Space on our discussion page.

Thinking to myself, if he can do this, I can…I set out to put my course information into the Wiki. To my dismay, I actually accomplished that task and managed to get one usable recorded session in Elluminate, after five tries. Then, looking into my course mail, I saw Sam was setting up a session in something called dimdim for those of us who might have questions on this assignment or were a little dimdim, which I was. After it was over, I was very glad that dimdim helped this dumdum finish with her entries into Wiki and Elluminate.

After 6 hours of sleep last night…I hope to get some down time and rest this evening and make amends to my husband for teaching him words no self-respecting person should use and for being somewhere else during Thanksgiving. Now all I have left to do this week, since somehow I managed to clean my house, is figure out a way to get rid of all this turkey and pumpkin pie inside me that seems to be sliding slowly toward my tummy and thighs. They say eating is a way one comforts oneself. I can attest to that!

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