ADHD

Hypertext is cool, I dig it. So just for fun, I have randomly hypertexted things, sort of like an easy Easter egg hunt. Some links are relevant, some are not. You might get a chocolate, or you might get a dead baby bird (metaphorically speaking). I liked the hypertext article, except I found myself virtually flipping the pages and looking at the pictures. At first, the non-linear structure threw me off, and I was apprehensive about clicking hypertext and not being able to get back to the main page, that I would miss something or get out of sequence and not understand. I got the basic gist and really connected with the "virtue of irregularity" idea. Regularity is good for car maintenance, periods, and paychecks, but what good is it in the real world aside from making everyone fit their worlds into well-defined little boxes? I've always been a fan of trying something different, even if it's not entirely well thought out (e.g. my recent hair mangling). It's interesting to me to think about models or processes of thought--I had to draw my own model of how information is learned for Ed Psych, and it was different to think of thought processes in a spatial way. Which brings me to the next article:

Sounds to me like Catherine Adams has had to sit through one too many staff meetings delivered via The Devil, aka PowerPoint. From this point on, I will not capitalize it.

I did not know that powerpoint was responsible for the Challenger blowup (and here text fails me because there is a definite sarcastic note in my voice), only for mindlessly boring class lectures and meetings, the worst of which not only featured powerpoint in all its default glory, but also supply you with hard copies of the slides ahead of time. You know, in case you get lost or something. I agree with the basic argument against powerpoint, but really, I think the bigger problem is that it's used for the most driest of material. Boring facts and figures, bulleted lists and charts and pie graphs, maybe a quote with a relevant and/or pleasant picture....zzzz.....and this is seriously how teachers are taught and sometimes end up teaching. I also see this as a response to the way teachers and students have been squelched by standardized testing and micromanaging. Make it nice and "techy" and organized, that must be a sign of real education going on. Just use the default setting, every child can learn and is essentially the same anyway (again, text does not convey tone or inflection very well).

I have used powerpoint in class, not to present information, but as an individual assignment over a story (usually a narrative) that essentially is like this: create five slides, one on each story element--character, setting, plot, theme, resolution. Add relevant pictures or artwork. Pretty simple. This exercise got kids thinking about presentation, font size and style, picture selection, what to write and how to write it. It distinguished these abstract ideas and forced them to come out from between the lines on the pages where they hide all intermixed, and be on display on a 4:3 rectangle, ready to be analyzed. And like it or not, we're probably all up into powerpoint because it's a rectangular picture box with not too many words on it at once and sometimes with fun sounds, and we like that kind of thing.

Being in a long distance relationship, I am thankful for text messaging and IMing as it allow frequent (sometimes over-frequent) communication with my special man friend. I've said a few times that text can't connote tone and inflection, but when you text/IM as much as we do, it kinda does. One thing I've always appreciated about Mark (and he about me) is that we don't do the "LOL,"using "u" for "you" and "2" for "two" type of texting--we are grammarian elitists (evidenced by our watch-doggedness on each other's grammar). Lewis and Fabos reported similar findings in their study. However, this is not always easy--a few tasty fights have cropped up from textual misunderstandings. Scorpios have very sharp humors. IMing is also frequently used in the making of plans that concern meeting in establishments of food and drink. Plans change quickly, and you are painfully aware of that when you have one friend without a cell phone. Next thing you know she's calling you from restaurants you're not at and phone booths. I'm so good at texting I can do it while I drive, but I really try not to. Sometimes I'd rather text someone, and thereby bypass the customary rules of the phone call: greeting, small talk, purpose of call, resolution/plans made, small talk, ending. I can't do anything else while I'm on the phone, not even listen to music, I just can't concentrate. I'd rather say: "Trudy's, 8pm" and be done with it. Texting is also good for speeding up those faculty meetings facilitated by powerpoint.

things i've done online
- chat with friends
- check work schedule
- used SubFinder
- apply for job online
- email parents, college roommate, friends, professors, coworker, sister, job offer guy
- looked over Mark's homework
- shared my homework online with Mark
- worked on a paper
- checked myspace
- found articles from online library
- read/printed out assigned readings
- researched and purchased airline tickets
- wrote a blog entry
- researched lesson plans
- looked at other people's blogs and made comments
- found video clips pertaining to graffiti
- started final project using Windows Movie Maker
- looked into South Beach diet online
- paid my credit card bills
- ordered pizza
- ordered a new Netflix movie
- checked my bank balance