Welcome to Second Life

It seems I've joined Second Life. Our introductory lecture for Practicum C today involved the lecturer telling us about how exciting this new 'blended learning' experience was going to be. The most 'exciting' part was the online learning component, where face-to-face learning has been replaced by involvement in a 'virtual world'. In this virtual world, we go on a kind of treasure hunt to collect marks. The lecturer can check up on us and see what we are up to there. In fact, she says, if we wish to speak to her, it will probably be easier to catch up with her in this virtual world rather than calling by the office - we'll be sure to 'see' her around there often.

This isn't really Second Life, or any real virtual world at all; it is merely WebCT. Although the lecturer's excitement and enthusiasm makes it easy to pretend it is such (and wouldn't that be fun!), after many years of distance education I'm all too familiar with online learning.

Maybe I should suggest getting avatars?

Wanted

Where are you?

First day

Exciting news - I got my first job! Actually, I'm calling it placement, because I'm hoping to get credit points for it, and I was trying to arrange a LOTE practicum at the time it landed on me. I'm teaching two German classes (7's and 8's) at Flora Hill Secondary College as of today - my first day. It all began on the day of my last exam, Friday 22nd June. The official call came the following Monday, with the interview that wasn't really an interview the very next day. Before I knew it, I was spending my three precious weeks of holidays madly planning units of work.

And today was my first day. It went well - considering it was the first class, first day back after the holidays. Hopefully I'll get better at it quickly and the kids will settle down too. I enjoyed it, however the inconsiderate nature of the university looks likely to threaten the whole position at the moment...

Cake! Food! Shop! Games!

Southbound, D'Fo, the Chip, the Loop. These are the main landmarks along the five times e-tagged road to Frankston.

This particular five-day holiday had the following goals:
1. Catch up with family.
2. Relax a lot.
3. Go shopping for two particular items.



Goals met:
1. Caught up with family.
2. Relaxed a little.
3. Went to three different shopping complexes (Bayside Shopping Center, Centro Karingal, and Essendon DFO) and acquired one of the desired items plus 8 additional items, none of which were my original intended purchase.

Other highlights included:
* Completing Lolo 3 (a repetitive puzzle game in which I had minimal involvement).
* Feeding the pelicans at Hastings (fish heads are disgusting and very smelly).
* Playing cards (it's good for the brain).
* Eating way too much nice food (simulaneously the upside and the downside of visiting good cooks).