Thursday, August 2, 2007

wiki tiki wiki

I've been working on my class wiki website --- hey, it's kinda fun! I'm beginning to get the hang of it!

My coursemate, however, seems to be technologically challenged and she is driving me up the wall! To begin with, I had to make the wiki site suggestion (because she probably didn't even bother to try out any wiki sites --- too busy lah... like I have nothing better to do with my time!) and I set up the site and sent out the invite to her to join the website. All she has to do is create an account and jump right in... and guess what happens.... she emails me (and oh, snail mail gets to me faster than her emails) and tells me that she didn't get an invite. I checked the system and saw that the invite has been sent out to her but she has yet to accept it. Technology challenged people drive me up the wall!!! In today's day and age, one should be able to follow what I consider idiot proof instructions (and websites normally come with idiot proof instructions). Last week, when I asked her if she was technology friendly, she said that she was. I guess it is all very relative... many would think that being able turn on a computer is being technology savvy...

On the subject of emails, I asked her why she wasn't getting back to me when I emailed her and her answer was " Oh, I only check my email when I know that someone has emailed me". Okay, how would one know if anyone at all has emailed them if they don't check their email account??? Do such people get smoke signals or see lightning bolts when there is new mail in their inboxes??? Arrrggghhhh....... what is the whole point of having an email account and signing up for a class that uses technology as part of the coursework if you're a Digital Age Dinosaur and planning to remain in that mode for the rest of your life (and the next and the one after that as well)??? And oh, don't you dare think for a minute that this person is ancient because she is far from it. So tell me.... what gives??? I just don't get it!!!

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

power control vampire

It’s Wednesday again!!! How fast time flies! Wednesday is class day. K dropped this course that I’ve signed up for …thank God for that! I guess she dropped the course because she felt out of place --- she didn’t know enough about the subject matter to take over the class time. She's the sort of student who has a power control issue. You know, she’s the student who does all the talking in a class discussion while the rest go zzzzzzzzzz. I guess she missed the point --- it’s a class discussion and not a monologue. Sometimes, it can get to be very tiring especially when the class is at night and you really want to listen to what the lecturer has to say, exchange ideas with your coursemates on issues and go home. The last thing you want is a coursemate who is in love with her own voice and all she wants to do is talk!!! It’s a good thing that she dropped this course that I am on and it is a good thing that I decided to drop the other course which is offered right after this one (which only ends close to vampire hour --- 11 PM). I really liked that course but the idea of it being so late (and having to wake up early the next morning to get to work) and she being there made me reconsider taking that course this semester.

K works in the city centre in an oil and gas company. She says that she’s taking this course “Just to kill time”. She seems to be big on Korea --- all her illustrations seem to be drawn from Korea. She did her undergrad degree in the same university that she is now pursuing her masters in. Mind you, she attended the night classes as a matured student for three years and those classes ran from 8 to 11 PM from Mondays to Fridays. Yes, you can see that she is no stranger to vampire hour classes. In fact, who know…she many well be a vampire herself!!!

What I don't get is why would anyone want to pursue something like linguistics when one is not planning on practicing it? Why bother coming for night classes unless it’s gonna do something for your career advancement? I don’t know….she could be a professional student of some sort. The kind that are put on this planet to make life difficult for the rest of us part-time students.

Me? I’m pursuing my masters because I think I’ll make me a better educator. When I’m more knowledgeable, I’ll be able to guide my students better. Simple.

I'm sick in bed with a fever of 40 degrees

No blog till I am well again