September 2009 Archives

I've been part of the e-portfolio initiative since the summer and for the last month I've been doing a lot of work with students, particularly freshmen, helping them to get up and running with their academic portfolio. Here are some of my initial observations.

Generally speaking, students are not familiar with blogs or portfolios. I'm speaking both about the technology, I'd say 95% of them have never created either a blog or portfolio, and the concept, a lot of students did not know many of the sites they frequently visit are indeed blogs. I suspect this trend will change somewhat in the coming years as more high schools and grade schools incorporate e-portfolios into the curriculum. But for the next incoming class or two we do need approach the topic at the entry level.

However, students are taking to the initiative with ease. I'm happy to say they find the platform easy to use. Even better, they like all they can do with it.  The big selling point is talking about how e-portfolios are much greater than a class assignment. Students like the idea of having a space to capture their entire academic career, including the extracurricular stuff.

The other aspect the like is the social piece. The students like that they can incorporate their e-portfolio along other applications such as Facebook and YouTube. They really like the idea of using multimedia as part of their e-portfolio for conversation as well as demonstrations of learning.

Switching to the other side of the equation, faculty are very surprised when I talk to them about why e-portfolios are relevant for them and their career. At the moment, they see portfolios as something good for the students and are unaware of their potential for themselves. To raise awareness we've been doing more faculty outreach on the benefits of e-portfolios and later this fall we'll be piloting a workshop designed to help faculty and staff begin using e-portfolios.

I had a good week's worth of runs book ended by a 12 miler and a 16 miler. I've cut down on the weight training and increased my time hitting the pavement to build up for Philly. The extra running plus the change in diet is helping me lean out. This paid off with a 7:30/mile pace during my 16 miler.

One cause for concern is this recent pain in my left foot. It's right in front of my heel and seems to be deep, like it's coming from the bone. It started a few weeks back and became more pronounced this last week. There's no discoloration it just hurts. Hopefully it's just something to work through.

I've been using Sue's Shuffle for my runs lately since my second Nano also failed. I must admit I did not mind running with the Shuffle at all. It's light and clips right on to my shorts. The only drawback was my inability to track mileage using my Nike+.

The folks at Target were great. They took it back without hesitation and replaced it with a new one. In fact, I got the latest Nano, equipped with FM Radio and video camera. More importantly for me, I can now continue tracking my milage with my Nike+.

Jude got into the Jesus business at nineteen right after his third stint in rehab. Going door to door selling the Good News. Soon he hooked up with the wife of a State Trooper and discovered the Word was easier to sell when it was accompanied by a dime bag. It was a sweet ride that came to end one Saturday night beneath the Tacony-Palmyra bridge when two troopers worked him over pretty good.

In an earlier post, My MadMen Moment, I referenced something I call good openness: succinctly, good openness is a kind of openness that fosters conversation amongst your tribe, helps to forward knowledge in your field, and helps to establish your reputation as a lead thinker in your area. It's about knowing what to share and how to share it.

For example, as an academic interested in the diffusion and adoption of technology I spend a lot of time working with faculty and students plus a lot of additional time thinking about it. I also write about it and post it on my blog. And over time, I've learned how to write about it. Good openness is about letting people in on the conversation and it is a conversation so treat it like one. In this form, I try to write as if I'm talking directly to you. I think I have something interesting to say and I'm hoping you'll explore the topic with me.

It's also about brevity. Shakespeare said brevity is the soul of wit. I also think brevity is the key to good discourse in this format. This requires pausing a moment to think about just what exactly it is you want to put out there. Then paring away the rest. This material can always be used for another post or in follow-up comments. If not, then perhaps the cutting room floor is the best place for it.

I try not to write as if I'm presenting a white paper or a report. In this medium I find it much more interesting to talk about the process of discovery and the moments of gestalt that arise from it. Formal artifacts, such as documents and presentations, can reside somewhere else, I tend to place mine on a separate tab within my portfolio.

Part of good openness is the willingness to think out loud. I don't claim to be any sort of expert in my field but I'm doing my best at trying to answer the questions before me. One of the interesting and pleasant outcomes of going through this process in the open has been the advice, input, and encouragement by colleagues from all over. I've been able to tap in and benefit from people I could not necessarily reach using another medium. A result is I've been able to grow in ways I could not just on my own while also establishing myself as someone in the field. What's better validation than peers and experts taking the time to read and comment on your work?

I think, good openness is also about presenting a well-rounded interpretation of yourself. Sharing particular aspects of your life other may enjoy or find interesting. For instance, on my portfolio space I also share some about my other interests in fitness, design, and writing. It's enabled me to better connect with people in my field and it's also helped me to establish other relationships as well.

Of course, good openness extends into other areas as well, such a Flickr, Twitter, and Facebook. But, that's for another post.  

The first thing I did this weekend as part of my year-long review of myself was take the time and actually count all the clothes that I own. I have to tell you, it was sobering. I am a bit of a clothes whore so I knew the number would be high but, taking the time to go through them all I was shocked by the amount of it all.

Like most people, I own a lot more than I actually wear. I have my favorite items. Items that are a bit to large or small for my current weight, and items that seemed like a good idea at the time I purchased them. So I came up with a plan.

I'm going to reconnect with a tailor. We had one in town that I used a lot when I first started losing weight but she's since moved on. I have a line on a woman who does it on the side. Things that haven't worn for whatever reason, they looked better on the mannequin, the size difference is too much for alterations, whatever, will be added to our spring yard sale (another first). Any remaining clothes will be donated.


A brief listing of the clothes I own

I have a goal of purchasing as few items of clothing as needed this year and instead plan to maximize what I have now. I read a lot of magazines and catalogs so I thought it's be cool that when I saw a combination I liked, say in J. Crew, that I go to my wardrobe and see how closely I can approximate it. I'll post photos of the outcomes as I go along.

Another thing I've done is gotten friendly with the cobbler across the street from Schlow Library. I take a lot of Sue's shoe's there for work. I found out on my last visit that he can do things with rubber bottomed shoes just like he can with leather. This means I can get more life out of favorite items such as my McAllister boots.

 

I did 10.26 miles today at a 7:33 pace. I was feeling kind of sluggish running around the golf course and campus in the middle of the day. I'm hoping to pick up my mileage this week with an eye toward a longer run next Sunday evening when we get back from my sister's. If not I'll have to make up the long run the following weekend when we're home. I think the dip in my run was when I hit the traffic light crossing over Atherton. Looking at the dips in my pattern I see I ran alternating between fast and slow. Could be the hills but, like I said, I wasn't feeling myself. It felt good to get ten. I'll need to work on keeping a better consistent pace for Philly.

Speaking of my sister, she called and asked me to pick up a second pair of runners for her from Rapid Transit. So far so good for her. She likes to run. Must run in the family. Also, Sue ran around Bellefonte today; 3.6 miles in 47 minutes. A great job by her. Weather permitting the three of us will get to do a short round around Gilbertsville next weekend.

One final note, I got stung by a bee smack in the middle of my forehead on my second pass around the golf course today. It still smarts and I got a headache. Not sure if the stinger's still there. Sue's going to check it tonight.

Lately, I've been thinking about how fortunate I am to be where I am. Everyone has his share of bad breaks, adversity, and sorrow but, on the whole, I think I've been most fortunate. In fact, I think many of my problems may be self-inflicted. Through conscious effort or otherwise, I am who I am because of the choices I made, the actions I did or did not take. So I'm thinking of taking this next year to reflect on all that I have.

I'm talking a total personal inventory. From physical things from my house to my socks and everything in-between I feel I need to take a personal accounting in order to fully comprehend the abundance I have. I'm also planning on a metaphysical audit as well. A spiritual, and philosophical accounting is well past due. I feel the need to pore over everything that is my life in order to come to some sort of understanding of who the hell Jeff Swain really is when all is said and done.

I've been rolling this idea around in my head for the past few months. Quite frankly, I'm somewhat unnerved to be doing this. It was hard enough to slam the door shut, what with all the skeletons I have, and now I' going to invite them to come out and play.  I don't mean to be melodramatic. Quite the contrary. I'm talking about the ordinary, the mundane, the things that go into making our everyday because that is life. Sure we remember the big moments but it is in the other ninety-nine percent where we spend our time living. And that's what I want shed light on.

I have a suspicion that at the end of the year not only will I find that I have all that I'm allowed but, maybe more than I deserve.


 

This was a good week. Running wise, I've no long run to report however, I was doing two-a-days this week. I'd run five or six miles during the day then do another three to five miles at night after work. I got into this because Sue's started running more so we've been going together at night.

Additionally, I took my sister to Rapid Transit to get fitted for a pair of running shoes this past weekend. My sister was my inspiration for joining Weight Watchers so I was excited to be able to do something for her.

If you've never had a proper fitting it's well worth it. A good running store will be stocked with knowledgeable people who will measure the length and width of your foot, check your arch and ask you to walk, run, and bend your knees all to get a read on your gait. Once they have an idea they'll explain the three most common types of running shoes (flexible, neutral, and and support) and make a recommendation on the best type for you. Then they'll bring out a couple of brands, each has their own subtle difference, have you try them on and run a bit to see how they feel. If they are really good, and Rapid Transit is, they'll let you buy the first pair on trial. If after two weeks of running something is not right you can bring them back, in any condition, for credit towards another pair.

No we're talking about the three of us going for a run when we get together at her house in a few weeks. 

A couple walking toward me, to young to be so beaten down by the world. They more resembled to Juvee's on work detail than lovers. As I drew near her hand instinctively touched her belly and I saw the bump. We were to distant to have anything in common but, there we were, passing by, me to old and they to young to be victims of what was lost.