Busy Week

Good morning. I figure that it’s been a full week since I’ve updated that I should put something down. I don’t think this will be a real long entry though ... time is always of the essence. This is for sure still a weekday.

Cutting away to the good stuff ... I’m IN. There is one more verification on the student loan, but everything is about settled. The University gave me my loan amount and it seems enough to pay for the first course (taken by itself). There is an additional amount, they tack on to pay for computers and books and such. I’ve already purchased books, but I’ll be happy to reimburse myself. After that, it will be enough to pay for half my new computer. I’m expecting a small amount left from my father’s estate that will hopefully pay for the computer’s other half. Financial things should gel into actual money most likely this next week. Anticipating!

I’ve by now gotten some of the books. One was an APA manual and the other the textbook for first course on critical thinking in psychology. I’m pretty sure I goofed in ordering. There was so much time in between one order and the other, I believe I ordered two APA manuals. I thought, ok ... no problem send one back! But, then I got to thinking that I’d really like a copy for both home and work, so I am not trucking the book back and forth.

There is another APA book too which is like a workbook. The third book from this set is a very comprehensive 1,100 page book, cd, and web site for about any possible writing situation one could imagine. It includes, of course, grammar, but that is only part of the book. We’ll probably mention more of its use after it gets here. And, the last book was recommended by the school. It is about time management.

Hehehe ... thinking I have a pretty good leg up here. I decided to cancel the cable TV. I’ll keep cable computer, but to take on two courses, they are recommending about 15 hours per course. And, I want to do it well, so have to allow for enough time to feed my obsessions. I also decided to give up a small web site I pay money for each month. And, instead I’ll use that money to break down and get a phone if any phone company will have me. Little leary here because I’m an absent minded bill payer. Plus, we had a conflict with the phone company. I know I paid them, but the account number was wrong and they refunded another customer my money. I couldn’t get what it took to prove them wrong. Then the bank records became too old and I found being without a phone.  made it hard to follow-up. Terrible situation. So, we’ll see if another phone company will take me.

Before I didn’t have needs because everyone I talk to uses the computer to communicate. But, from what I understand talking on the phone is another very useful means of communicating while you are doing on-line learning.

*Sigh*

Still better check the mail. *whimper*

Damn I can write a thesis, but ...

Oh nevermind.

This week we’ve started the process of e-learning. Classes start on Monday, but this week has been what the call the "Welcome Week." Each day they send new links within the school that you can follow. We have access to finances, the library, writing centers, etc. Takes a while to figure all that out.

Just one thought there. I would like to convey the library is simply WONDERFUL! Everything you would expect and that much more. Within minutes I could be borrowing books from about anywhere. They say though that there is a limit of 25 books within each 3 month course. Yeeks, it would bog me down to read 25 books! The library subscribes, they say, to over 1,000 journals plus they have regular magazines and newspapers too. The avenues of general resources are terrific and each of the schools offer tricks to be finding (researching) information. YAHOOOO I’m like winnie the pooh after finding a new jar of honey!

This week they also opened up a web board just for students starting this month. I believe the student body is about 20,000, so I’m not sure how many start each month. I’m guessing that there are more who start at the regular quarters. I’ve seen some BA people at the board, but it seems that a good majority are either Ma people or PhD. About 78 people have stopped by the board in two days just to just say hi and introduce themselves. There are five "colleges" within the university. Let me see, can I remember them ... umm business, psychology, teaching, human services, annnnnd ahh information technology. Never figured out what people do in that last group, though you hear "IT" all the time. I seem to tune it all out. Whoops, way over my head!

The big buzz word at this point, is "anxiety!" I don’t feel it as much as some of the other learners are mentioning, but then this morning we were poking around in the writing center, and I got the jitters. I practice writing formally at work, but here at my journal the thoughts and style are very loose and informal. It will be a change.

The thoughts of having begun to work on my masters has not settled into our minds yet. I believe they call this "shock!" I told two of the boys through IM’s. One son didn’t respond, but the other said, "Damn good job, Mom!" That made me extremely happy. I’m sure word has gotten to the middle son too, but as normal we’re not hearing much from that direction. :( We told my boss that we were interested in going back, but she just projected a dark cloud. And, my friend knows, of course, but as of yet, we’ve only had one short conversation about it in the last three weeks. He claims to be busy. Yesterday, he let me know that he isn’t going to have time off for the next two weeks. Eh, trying not to be overly concerned. I do have two strong supporting advocates for that we’re extremely gratefuland two cats who keep me honest! Maybe there will be much more support after we meet our fellow students and staff.

I haven’t had a chance over this last month to be reading many journals. I’ve stopped in to a few, but not consistently. I don’t know what else to do there. My free time has been taken up by a lot of reading, especially about the program. So, maybe what it will come to is just maintaining this site, but expecting no visitors. That really wasn’t happening too much anyway. Eh. We’ll manage.

Shoot, don’t mean to be on a down note. There is so much to do and excitement ahead. Full steam ahead!

This week has been kind of different at work, because yesterday and today we’ve been involved with the ARC convention here out in the western suburbs. It’s just 30 minutes away. Nice! The ARC of Illinois, The ARC, to be specific is the leading advocate for People with developmental disabilities. It only rivals the American Association of mental Retardation (AAMR). There are two major differences between the organization. One is in the amount of money necessary to join. The AAMR is six times more expensive. Also, the ARC concentrates most of their attention lobbying down in Springfield our capital where the AAMR is more focused on research and publication. One other big organization that fits in here somewhere is the American Psychological Association (APA). There interests are divided into different divisions. Mental retardation and developmental disabilities are both Division 33. Educational psychology which is my highest interest is division 15. APA is like prettybig as far as importance. They are like a ruling body over all psychologists and psychiatrists, though for hands on work, I think some of these other groups are more active. I’m not overly impressed with the Newsletters these divisions put out. I’m sure though that the APA convention is huge. AAMR conventions are just ridiculous. They are cutting edge, but expect payment for each meeting you attend. Like right ... serious dough as is purchasing their professional sponsored books! I think to be an anybody in any of these organizations, particular APA and AAMR, you need to hold a PhD and guessing too being a professor at a major university doing research is very impressive to their crowds. Pretty heady stuff!

But, alas we’re way down here ... just barely past BA. Yeeks, lot’s of work ahead.

I’m not going into great detail in regard to the meeting yesterday, but it was for the most part pretty damn good. Hehehe and I guessed right that lunch was going to be something over chicken. And, the dessert?? Wow something crossed between a brownie and a frosted cake. Pshwoo, no way, I’d take a glucose reading after that!

There are a lot of choices about which meeting to go to, but then there are like the main events. I think the crowd was about 500. Not as big as it could be. My first meeting was listening to a fellow named Dr. John W. Eshleman. As chance would have it he stated he was also into educational psychology. VERY COOL! He was teaching us about something called Precision Teaching. This is the blurb on that ...

Precision teaching refers to "basing educational decisions on changes in continuous self-monitored performance frequencies displayed on ‘standard celeration charts.’"

We took copious notes! I liked the program a lot, although I thought it would be more useful to me as a researcher, then parse teaching a DSP to use it. They are just terrified with anything to do with charts and keeping records. :( Eh, keep working around them. No reason they should bog me down. We’ll just develop a program where they are not involved. Well maybe this has to be reconsidered, but not at the moment!

The next presenter was Dr. John Agosta. His presentation was on working toward sustainable futures in the field of developmental disabilities. I listened carefully to his presentation, but I thought in the end that he was an easterner with another condescending approach. I tuned as soon as I heard, "You people hear in Illinois have gotto ..." One of his big arguments was telling us to get real in our expectations that we should not expect the government to support DD. The major argument was that money was needed to fund a war in Iraq. Yep, yep ... that’s a favorite position I take! YUCK!

The next presentation was by a gentleman who had mild mental retardation. He read down this terrific paper he had written that was more impressible than anything I’d ever heard. He was terribly well organized and just "put together."

I talked to the first presenter, and I talked to this guy. His name was Rory Beggin. He is a terrific role model and I would love it if he could come out and speak to our group. We’ll see how Sr. Thinks of this idea.

The next meeting was a kind of a mess. The first presenter was a lady with a disability and the second presenter was a speaker from the University of Illinois. They were supposed to discuss issues regarding person centered planning and information about a curriculum that is very similar to our materials on social skills and personal inventory of preferences. But, what happen was like a meeting disaster. The one who was disabled decided that she was going to do the presentation herself and the other presenter was so angry that it was terrible. The disabled one wouldn’t give up the floor, but instead went down a list of questions in the curriculum that were asked. This, of course went real well with the three or four people in the audience with disabilities, but for the other 70 people it was terrible. At one point the disabled person went as far as to say something mean to the university person like see people don’t think a person like me can do this all by myself. Yeeks, terrible session. Control gone wrong and we missed all the global understanding what they were supposed to have presented.

However, the last presentation was extremely good. I’m not sure if any of you watched the movie of Radio, but he was a developmental disabled person whose story they presented in a movie with Ed Harris and Cuba Gooding Jr. The real people (coach and Radio) presented. Radio enjoyed the attention and telling people what he does. The coach talked about being attentive, inclusive, and compassionate. Radio had come from a very deprived background, but found himself at football practices of the coach. The coach, team, and eventually town adopt Radio in over time. Radio and Coach became a family unit along with his wife and daughters. And, although Radio is now 53, he has worked at the high school for a very long time. He serves as a janitorial/Hall monitor/athletic inspiration. He was very proud of his responsibilities. The coach was a down to earth, general nice guy with a heart of gold from Alabama. What he did with and for Radio especially back in 65 when schools weren’t even integrated was something he could be proud of.

So that’s about it of the meetings. I was a little disappointed by the size of the rooms in that the space was short and hard to navigate. I also didn’t like that there weren’t tables in the rooms, so I was taking my notes while sitting down. And, the crowd was so thick, I found myself getting stuck completely at the end of the line several times, just because I couldn’t have stood the length of time to make it down the hall. Then too, all the chairs were too close together for a person of my size. Today, I will be more prepared. Either I will find a room quickly, or not be so frustrated to stay behind. *Sigh* It was critical to get seating by the aisles, so we could pull our chair separate a couple of inches. *Sigh* that worked. :(

Oh a couple of other nice things. I sat next to someone at lunch who didn’t have much of a personality, but it was nice that someone else was on her own and not fearful to talk to a stranger. Most people at the convention seemed to come in whole groups from agencies. So, you had situations of people "saving prime spaces" like back in the third and fourth grades. And, we found good parking, AND the washroom was situated such that there was a private sink in the stall. Never saw that before. Pretty cool. Oh, and at least, there was one bench to sit at for smoking. I know these little things may not seem so much, but they made the day go by a little nicer. :)

Today, we will go back to the meetings again. It will be a shorter day. The time will be cut down by almost- 3 hours. Hehehe 8 - 5 is a long time to sit for meetings!

Well, I guess we lied about the length of our entry this morning. Had to take a nap in-between ... *Sigh* sure is a lot of things going on these days. And, once again I’m sorry to be disappointed anyone on the rarity of my visits. We’ll learn better and better how to guard our time so that we do get to put our thoughts in the journal, and then spend most the other time studying. It’s what is happening! Again from the #3 son, "Damn good job, Mom!"