LAST DAY...

"SEVEN" is the number of completion. Each year, at my church, we have a theme on which we focus for spiritual, emotional, financial and physical growth and wellness. This year, the theme is: "YEAR OF COMPLETION 2007." I HAVE COMPLETED THIS CLASS! I'm starting my year off right. Yea!

FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!

Hallelujah!!!!!!!
I have finished my paper and my project! I am so proud of myself. It's been a long time since I've had to do either. I found a wonderful website...well I didn't find it, a Seton Hall University student "hipped" me to it. It's a website that will create a "Works Cited" page for you; all you have to do is PLUG in the information.
Here is the web address: http://www.easybib.com
Hope it will be as helpful to you as it was to me.
See you all Saturday.
Peace

READING 600 - EXIT REFLECTION...

Well, well in a blink of an eye, it's over. WOW! Seems like yesterday, we were all wondering how we were going to do in and what we were going to learn from this class. In the beginning, I wanted to complain because I thought we were going to be learning more about how to use technology in the classroom. I thought I was going to learn some new things about (what I now know to be) 'new literacies'. For some reason, I never got around to writing that "complaining" blog...and I'm glad I didn't.

As I review my blog page and go through my blog archive, I can see my own growth over these weeks. My vocabulary has expanded; I know what a blog is and what falls under the umbrella of "social networking" sites. And I know what 'new literacies' are. I have a MySpace page and a Facebook page and learned how to upload pictures to both of them. My website information searching skills have improved. Google is my best friend. I know about a green frog, memes and a group of kids who are masters at telling stories about elves. I learned that I must continue to grow in these 'new literacies' if I want to reach my students, academically, in ways that really matter. I learned that collaborative learning through blogging is fabulous! I learned that MySpace is not the devil. (Well, I never thought it was.) I learned that there are still crazy people out there and we have to remain forever vigilante to instill morals and values in the students we teach and help them make sense of the world in which they live. I learned that I don't have all the answers and that's not OK...I just joking. I know that the web-world is my oyster and I have just to access the possibilities.

Yes, in retrospect, I HAVE learned quite a bit this semester. And for those of you who already knew how to do all these things prior to the class, I hope you had fun anyway and learned something new in the process. But for those of you who came to this class, babes like myself, pat yourselves on the back..."Ya don' well!"

Guys, lets stay in touch through our blogging. I really enjoy communicating with you in this way and go to my page daily looking for comments. I check my blog page more than I check my email.

Dr. D, thanx so much for broadening my horizon. Hope you get tenure! Keep me apprised of new course offerings, please. I would take another course with you in a heartbeat.

Those of you who know a word of prayer continue to pray for the families of all involved in the Va tech tragedy (even Cho's family need your prayers). And those of you who don't...pray anyway, God will hear you. (smile)
Love you all,
PEACE
Leslie Bailey

EARLY...for once

I haven't been here in so long -until I've forgotten the time the class actually meets. I thought the class started at 9:00 am. So here I am...EARLY. WOW! That feels good.
Glad to be here.

Why I Don't Like All This 'Open Chatter'...

Today, I tried something new relative to the use of 'new literacies' - I signed up for the message board for channel 7 in order to be able to post comments for the TV show, "LOST". I wrote my concerns and questions about the show and, literally, less than 3 minutes later someone responded to my post by telling me, "Get off the board if you don't like Lost." See, this is my objection to the whole concept of "openness" if you will, over the internet. There are people in this world who take all of this stuff way too seriously and I, personally, don't have the time for nor need the "drama".
I responded to the person by reminding her (I gathered by the name) that the last time I checked America, was a free country and that message boards are used for just that - freedom to voice your opinion. I told her if she could not respect the opinions of others then, "you get off the board!"

Someone, eventually, did respond to me and answered the questions I had about two of the characters (Michael and Walt). That part I liked and immediately responded back with a "thank you". But I was offended by the nasty comment I initially received, especially since it was my first time on the board. With all the open technological terrain, there are still people who embrace censorship and want to control the thoughts of others. Censorship has its place. However, people seem to like to use it only when opinions differ from their own.

I posted a message about a TV show, for goodness sakes...a TV show. And someone got all hot under the collar. WOW! I thank God I have a life.