Ok, a 40-something mommy who works full-time and is a PhD student, doesn't actually have TIME to blog...
Bummer news...I was diagnosed with high blood pressure in the Spring. I had preclampsia when I was pregnant with E, but the blood pressure went back to normal. It's been creeping up the last year or so. Now I'm on meds...what fun.
The end of the Spring 2007 semester went well. I received an A- in my first class, which I enjoyed very much.
The girlies and I had a wonderful summer - mostly of swimming at the beach and a neighbor's pool. I had very little actual work to do (related to my school-year job) this summer, so that was nice. K, E, knezdad and I spent a week in Seattle visiting my dad (my sister and her hubby came too). Recall in an earlier post that his wife passed away Christmas morning. We had a WONDERFUL time! knezdad and I thought we were smooth when we set up seating on the flights (two flights across country). Each parent would sit with a child on one flight, then the children/parent would swap. We sat behind one another so no kid-bickering (just the occasional E kicking the chair in front of her!). Well...once the kids were asleep, I had no one to talk to or snuggle up with (since I was in the middle seat - it's very confining). Everytime I would snuggle up to one of the girls, they pushed me off or woke up and whined. knezdad didn't like the set up either. Perhaps next time we'll deal with the whining.
Dr. P, my official mentor encouraged me to start an independent study (2 are required). I had already submitted research proposals to her and we had discussed which one might be the best one to start. So a lot of my summer was doing the literature review for my first research attempt. It was fun and made my summer busy all at the same time. However, it was really difficult to make a follow-up meeting appointment with Dr. P. All e-mails and phone calls were virtually ignored. Now, Dr. P told me that she would be available during the summer, but looking back, I don't think that was true. I wouldn't have been annoyed if she told the truth. Is that was tenure gives you? Anyway, we set up a meeting for sometime next month.
I'm taking a statistics course this semester and so far, I love it! I found out that there are undergrads, master's-level and PhD/EdD students in this class...so the course is being taught somewhere in the middle. That is okey-dokey with me. So it seems that so far I don't have a lot of work to do (recall that I am a geek? I also did read 4 book chapters of the stats book this summer). Speaking of the text book...thank god I got a brand new current edition version of the book for about $25 from e-bay. The students were buying for $137 at the bookstore! Then the prof (who might be 30) said we could pass the course without buying the book. It was helpful to have those first chapters read for the first two classes. But I won't kill myself if they're not read for future classes. So I'm using the "extra" time that I have to do more work on my independent study.It's a very popular class, with a very popular professor. 35 people showed up for a room that holds 33 (and a student cap of 25).
I nearly had a coronary about the travel to the class. It was originally schedule to be in the Ed building, which required my parking in the parking garage and taking a bus to class. It added about 30 minutes onto my commute (I left my home town at 2 pm, and ended up being slightly late for my 4 pm class). I knew I'd have to leave significantly earlier to get there on time (not good for the average working day). Because of the overcrowding issue, I received an e-mail around mid-afternoon before the second class (thank heavens for my Treo!) saying the class was rescheduled in the School of Management (WHERE?!?). I had already planned to leave super early to get there on time, so I stopped into the Visitor's Center to get a map. When I pulled the "old lady who doesn't know where anything is" routine, the nice undergrad was very helpful (I'm sure she would have been equally as helpful if I hadn't looked pathetic). When I asked where the building was, she pointed over her shoulder. When I asked if I could have a map to navigate between the parking garage and the building, she indicated that I could stay in the visitor's center parking lot (which happens to be cheaper than the garage). So I again lopped 30 minutes off my commute...whoo-hoo!
My girlies have their good friends S & J over for a sleep-over playdate. They're playing outside and enjoying each other's company. It's a beautiful day and I feel very blessed to have the family life that I have. Until next time...
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
A scholarship!
I forgot to mention that last week I received a scholarship from a financial foundation that offers them to people working in special education schools! Whoo-hoo!
A first encounter with the University library...
First of all...I LOVE my first class. I have two projects (one individual, one group), so between that, a state-wide presentation on hearing loss, my regular job, teaching job and my family, there's no time for blogging (right now I'm on, because my younger daughter wants to go on pbskids.org...she's waiting for me to finish, so I'll make it quick!).
Things are SOOoooo different than they were when I graduated with my Master's 16 years ago. I was initially stunned when I found out that I could get most of my journals in pdf form on-line. What? I don't need to leave my house? But I saw the detriments to that last night. There were 4 articles that I couldn't get on-line, so I needed to go to the library at the University. After I found it and parking after class (that took 45 minutes), I found the nice man who informed me that the 4 articles could be found on three different floors of the library (it has 25 floors...a MUCH bigger University than I'm used to). Ok, one wasn't what I needed, and one book wasn't on the shelf and I found the other two articles in bound book form. This is where it started to get interesting...and I'm still stunned...
I took the books back to the first floor. I figured I had to pay for the copies, but knew the money could be added to my ID card (what? no dimes? what will they think of next?). So I went back to the nice man, showed him the books and asked him about it. "Oh no, since you're a matriculated student, you have 500 pages already on your account." sweet! So I follow the directions on the copy machine...sliding my ID card as it indicated...didn't work...tried again...didn't work. Ignoring the "always have your possessions in your sight" sign, I walked to the Technology Help desk that was within eyeshot of the copy machines. I talked to the first 20-something who caught my eye, and noticed he had an Assistant Manager pin on his shirt, so I thought this should be easy...what a mistake...
"I'd like to make a copy of a book and it's not working," I told him. "You mean on the computer?" he replied. I guess I wasn't clear. "No, I want to make a copy of an article from a book on the copy machine." "Do you mean the printer connected to the computer isn't working?" Am I speaking English? I picked up the red book I was holding and pointed to the copy machine. "I want to make a copy of an article in this book on that machine and it won't work, can you help me?" He looked at me VERY confused, "I don't know how a copy machine works" and turned to ask the guy sitting behind him. That guy looked at the banks of copy machines as if he had never noticed them there before, and shrugged his shoulders.
I finally got hold of a very nice librarian, who indicated I DID need to put money on my card, showed me how to do it, and showed me how the machine works. I guess technology isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm still stunned with my encounter that of the undergraduate's perspective that if it ain't on the internet, it don't exist.
By the way, on my library-journey, I ran across original American Annals of the Deaf from the 1880's. I can't wait to go back and spend some time looking through them. I know they're safe from the 20-somethings.
Guess I'd better work on my projects. I've been informed that E is no longer interested in pbskids.org, but rather playhousedisney.com...Mickey here we come! I'll try to post again when there's time...probably this summer :-)
Things are SOOoooo different than they were when I graduated with my Master's 16 years ago. I was initially stunned when I found out that I could get most of my journals in pdf form on-line. What? I don't need to leave my house? But I saw the detriments to that last night. There were 4 articles that I couldn't get on-line, so I needed to go to the library at the University. After I found it and parking after class (that took 45 minutes), I found the nice man who informed me that the 4 articles could be found on three different floors of the library (it has 25 floors...a MUCH bigger University than I'm used to). Ok, one wasn't what I needed, and one book wasn't on the shelf and I found the other two articles in bound book form. This is where it started to get interesting...and I'm still stunned...
I took the books back to the first floor. I figured I had to pay for the copies, but knew the money could be added to my ID card (what? no dimes? what will they think of next?). So I went back to the nice man, showed him the books and asked him about it. "Oh no, since you're a matriculated student, you have 500 pages already on your account." sweet! So I follow the directions on the copy machine...sliding my ID card as it indicated...didn't work...tried again...didn't work. Ignoring the "always have your possessions in your sight" sign, I walked to the Technology Help desk that was within eyeshot of the copy machines. I talked to the first 20-something who caught my eye, and noticed he had an Assistant Manager pin on his shirt, so I thought this should be easy...what a mistake...
"I'd like to make a copy of a book and it's not working," I told him. "You mean on the computer?" he replied. I guess I wasn't clear. "No, I want to make a copy of an article from a book on the copy machine." "Do you mean the printer connected to the computer isn't working?" Am I speaking English? I picked up the red book I was holding and pointed to the copy machine. "I want to make a copy of an article in this book on that machine and it won't work, can you help me?" He looked at me VERY confused, "I don't know how a copy machine works" and turned to ask the guy sitting behind him. That guy looked at the banks of copy machines as if he had never noticed them there before, and shrugged his shoulders.
I finally got hold of a very nice librarian, who indicated I DID need to put money on my card, showed me how to do it, and showed me how the machine works. I guess technology isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm still stunned with my encounter that of the undergraduate's perspective that if it ain't on the internet, it don't exist.
By the way, on my library-journey, I ran across original American Annals of the Deaf from the 1880's. I can't wait to go back and spend some time looking through them. I know they're safe from the 20-somethings.
Guess I'd better work on my projects. I've been informed that E is no longer interested in pbskids.org, but rather playhousedisney.com...Mickey here we come! I'll try to post again when there's time...probably this summer :-)
Monday, January 15, 2007
Happy New Year...and here we go!
The Christmas holidays were crazy, as it usually is with young children. My girls were told they could be awake and watch TV on Christmas Eve as long as they didn't bother us. They were up at 3 a.m. (!) and I just found out they watched the PeeWee Herman Christmas special on Adult Swim! (I don't have a problem at all with PeeWee Herman...but what else did they see on Adult Swim?!?). My step-mother, Carol, passed away on Christmas morning...Dad lives on the other side of the country, so it made for a difficult holiday - he called me at 4 a.m. my time (K2, my oldest, brought me the phone).
Oh, did I mention the kids "couldn't bother us" if they were awake? Yeah, that didn't happen. Every hour on the hour. When we finally said 7 a.m. - they were down at 6, 6:15, 6:30 and 6:55. Next year we'll lock 'em in their rooms.
This week I will start teaching my class at the college...it's the 3rd time I'm teaching the same course, and it's pretty easy now. This morning I finished my syllabus - the hardest thing is making sure all the dates are right! Uploaded the syllabus, updated Blackboard, powerpoints all ready (I'm sure I've forgotten something!)
In 16 days I will begin the first course of my PhD program at the university. I'm really looking forward to it, but I've already shown my graduate school geek tendencies. Just before Christmas, I found out the titles of the two textbooks (the names which have been going around in my field - these books would have been very beneficial to me even if I didn't take the class). So....I'm halfway done with the first textbook...guess I'll be all done with the first before the class even starts. I got the list of students who will be taking the class with me - 14 others...4 others are PhD students (but I think I'm the only licensed practictioner so far). The course prof wrote one of the chapters, so I can't wait until I start.
I also asked Dr. P (my official mentor) if I can come for a day to see her lab. I'd better jump into this research business with both feet. Bummer that I still have to work full-time!
Oh, did I mention the kids "couldn't bother us" if they were awake? Yeah, that didn't happen. Every hour on the hour. When we finally said 7 a.m. - they were down at 6, 6:15, 6:30 and 6:55. Next year we'll lock 'em in their rooms.
This week I will start teaching my class at the college...it's the 3rd time I'm teaching the same course, and it's pretty easy now. This morning I finished my syllabus - the hardest thing is making sure all the dates are right! Uploaded the syllabus, updated Blackboard, powerpoints all ready (I'm sure I've forgotten something!)
In 16 days I will begin the first course of my PhD program at the university. I'm really looking forward to it, but I've already shown my graduate school geek tendencies. Just before Christmas, I found out the titles of the two textbooks (the names which have been going around in my field - these books would have been very beneficial to me even if I didn't take the class). So....I'm halfway done with the first textbook...guess I'll be all done with the first before the class even starts. I got the list of students who will be taking the class with me - 14 others...4 others are PhD students (but I think I'm the only licensed practictioner so far). The course prof wrote one of the chapters, so I can't wait until I start.
I also asked Dr. P (my official mentor) if I can come for a day to see her lab. I'd better jump into this research business with both feet. Bummer that I still have to work full-time!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
