Edublogs has updated WordPress, so thought I would do a quick Comment Challenge update to test it out. The “real estate” is quite different, but in taking it for a drive, not seeing any problems and like some of the new features I am spotting.
My previous Comment Challenge post summed up nine days - doing better now so this will only cover three days! Day 21 asked us to use a comment to make a recommendation. I did that in several places to highlight Kayrn Romeis and her request for “How I Got Started” stories on social media. She will be analyzing those stories for her dissertation, which should be very interesting. Our own Michele Martin gave a great response this past week, so I bet I was not the only one making this recommendation.
Day 22 asked us to reflect on the comments we received and highlight a favorite. I would have to first say that I am so new to blogging that I treasure every comment received! But if pushed to pick a favorite, the one that jumps to mind is one our favorite blogging cheerleader sent me last week. After I noted that I had broken all the Comment Challenge rules by dumping 9-days worth in to a single post, Sue Waters sent me this:
Can I break all commenting rules and say excellent post? Well I going to anyway. Any post that makes me laugh several times will I read it means that you have done an excellent job and engaged the reader. Its a special talent to be able to convey humour in a post and you’ve done it well here.
It put a smile on my face that lasted all day! Thanks, Sue!
For today - Day 23 - we are to blog about what makes a great comment. What comes to my mind is something I heard Barbara Sawhill say at Faculty Academy 2008. She was talking about how some students of hers evaluate peer writing. One comment was “It showed the writer cared and made me care.” To me, that is what makes a great comment - the passion comes through the text.
So hope everyone has a good weekend! At our Center, we continue our preparations for our week-long Summer Institute on Teaching and Learning with Technology. Since it is hands on, we limit the Institute to 18 people (16 desktops in the lab and another 2 laptops on tables in the back of the lab). This summer, we have a full Institute and 8 people on the waiting list. It appears our faculty are growing more hungry for technology skills!
For those outside the United States of America, this is our Memorial Day weekend. It is the traditional start of summer for us…but as a retired naval officer, it also is an opportunity to remember those friends who gave their lives for this country.
Being a long weekend, I plan to also spend some time doing something I really love - woodworking. Last summer, I expanded the deck on the back of our house, so this weekend, I plan to build an outdoor dining table for the deck. It will be a slat-top table so that water runs through it fine, with L-shaped legs on the four corners and mortise and tenon skirts on the sides. Should be fun! I find it refreshing to do work with wood after swimming in Web 2.0 waters all week!
