Monday, August 6, 2012

Start of Week 2

I am feeling a bit overwhelmed today ... though Jim and I had a nice day off yesterday (with a quick trip to the coast), I  spent the evening going over my category definitions again and I started to enter portions of data into Microsoft Word tables (not the dreaded Excel!) so I can start testing my coding (again!).  But here is the problem -- the seminar is not slowing down!  On Thursday, I need to give a 15 minute presentation to the Dartmouth community on my research (the whole seminar wraps up on Friday before I head back to the start of a new semester next week!).  Eeek!

So here is what I need to get done soon:

  • Figure out how I want to present my methodology and methods (since this is the main "thing" I have been working on)
  • Decide exactly "how" I want to present this.  I was thinking about using Prezi (as opposed to boring ol' Power Point) but I am not sure I can successfully figure this tool out in the short time that I have (I actually haven't created a Prezi yet but I have seen several of these "sexy" takes on Power Point).
  • I know I would like to "wow" folks and perhaps do something "active" so people aren't just sitting there, staring at me!  I was thinking of copying off different sentences from student data and -- after introducing my racial consciousness categories -- seeing if the audience can guess how the sentence in hand should be coded.
  • Finish reading some new articles that I found about themed courses (including one on using a Pirate theme.  Seriously).
  • I have no internet where I am staying so I would have to do the bulk of the organization of the presentation here at Dartmouth (but perhaps this is an argument for using Power Point?  Or maybe I should use the presentation template on Google Docs?)
  • I'd like to go and get a Dartmouth shirt but I just haven't had much of a chance to walk down Main Street.
  • I'd also like to walk across the bridge to Norwich, Vermont, and see the King Arthur Flour Bakery that folks keep talking about!
  • I need to go to the library to look up a few resources that I found online (I just need a quick peek at one book in particular).
  • I am pretty limited to making sure I leave here by 5 PM at the latest -- maybe tomorrow I need to tell Jim not to expect me into later in the evening so I can stick around a bit longer.

In the meantime, we are getting these great discussions (today's highlight being on the methodology behind Academically Adrift led by Dr Bazerman).  Chris Anson talked with us this morning about research and our insitutions.  So great stuff all around, right?  I just wish I had some "free time" to work on the list above!  I feel like I can't fully concentrate on these other discussions because I am sitting here (like I am right now) multi-tasking while someone is leading a fabulous discussion.


Last night I had a dream about coding.  Perhaps that is official proof that I am working super hard!

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