Virtual Correspondence and Mail

            Jenna took the college placement test – more for practice than for placement.  But ever since she has been receiving brochures from different colleges and is a bit fed up with the amount of mail she’s been getting.  Yesterday she received a piece of mail that wasn’t college related and thus felt very excited about it.

            One of the YW leaders had contacted us by phone, and another had sent the mail which contained a brief note, a word search puzzle, a recipe for something called tail mix bites and a coloring page.

            Jenna handed me the word search while she worked on the coloring page.  It was quite a challenging puzzle with 900 letters.  Who does that?

            Most puzzles are less than 250 letters.  I never did find the word TRUTH even though it appears I had crossed it out.

            Jenna made the mix using measurements – though I don’t hink precise.  The misture was supposed to stick together but is definitely too dry for that.  Jenna and I had some by the spoonful.  However we plan to add an egg and some flour to it tomorrow and make cookies with what’s left.  That will be interesting.

            Today I have a virtual meeting with the RS presidency.  We have had one before.  Two of us were able to sign on, the other two had problems.  I think it will be the same today.

            Jenna has listened to a couple of AP lectures and will have her first virtual seminary class tomorrow.

Wasted Time or Wasted Mind

I attended the webinar lecture

though my mind wasn't as present as

my body.

Not as though

I was seriously in the mood anyway

There were too many sounds drowning out

the lecture

First of all,

my instructor had a sore throat. 

He didn't quite sound like Darth Vader throughout

the entire lecture

There was no wheezing - but a lot of

deep throat

My neighbor's acoustics were going

and the sirens from fire department

started wailing loudly.

One of my classmate forgot

she had turned on her mike  and

failed to turn it off before she

attempted to discipline children

making noise in background.

My instructor finally muted her

and kept referring to the time which

made me laugh as he seemed

more anxious to finish the lecture

than I was. 

I should have left the lecture earlier

I suppose.

I really didn't get anything out of it.

Routine in Education

                It is so hard trying to get back into the swing of school assignments etc. after a holiday weekend or vacation.  For the last three years I have had classes at the end of the year for two weeks before the winter vacation (or Christmas) and am expected to finish the next two week after the New Year.  I'm certain it's equally hard on the instructors.  Perhaps even more so.

                So on MLK day, I was to start a new class (my last accounting class folks.  I had miscalculated before and thought this would be two more.  But I was wrong.  Hallelujah!).  Didn't do much for it on Monday as we had invited a few friends over to eat pizza and play games. The lectures don't happen until Tuesday at 6:00 MST and so I decided I would just wait before posting to my discussion.

                On Tuesday I did some research for my discussion post, but had failed to even look at the assignment - which included three videos which I could have watched.  All three together were just over two hours.  But I couldn't make the time for them on Wednesday.

                Unlike the last instructor from my last class, this one will let the class members know what is expected on the assignment, discussion and so forth and will actually go over sample problems with us.  My last instructor would show a power point and proceed to read every single slide.  Never covered the assignment or expectations.  It was boring.  I stopped watching his lectures.  What a waste - even for insomnia.

                I do seem to be having some issues with the program itself - like when I try to explore the instructor's bio, I get this:

                               

 

               When I use an alternative to find said bio, I get this:

What??!? That doesn't tell me anything!

                Fortunately he introduced himself in the introductory discussion which isn't mandatory for students.  I am so grateful that I wasn't assigned my last instructor as I have had that happen before.  I've had several instructors several times in a row.  There were three instructors that I've had three times and one that I have had four times.  I hadn't even realized that until recently.  I knew I had him twice, maybe three times. 

                Thus far the class feels more like a management class rather than an accounting class.  The class will end on February 18 and then I will be left with just fun classes - although I am not entirely certain about the class I'll be taking in May.  I saw something there just a few weeks ago, but it is no longer there.  I don't know if the University changed its mind or if the class has been illuminated or what the deal is.  Thus far there are five classes which appeared in the 2016 catalog but I have not taken.  There are also four classes that I have taken that were not part of the 2016 catalog.  I did write down the name of the class and may be somewhere on my desk.  I should know by February 18.

Journal Entry

          Before school was back in session I had accepted two job assignments - one was for yesterday.  I had worked with the person I was replacing, but had never worked in her place.  Meanwhile, I had received a call from an aide at one of the other schools.  In a way I prefer her schedule over the one I had lined up for myself yesterday. She primarily works with the middle schoolers and does not have an assigned recess.  She is there for breakfast duty but doesn't have lunch duty.  I like that.

         

          After I returned home, I turned on the computer to view at least one missing lecture.  Both had been posted - but once again,  the accounting instructor just read through each slide and problem.  There was no mention of discussion, assignment and so forth.  Like I'm going to purposely sit through that.  The other did go over the expectations, and fortunately there was a read-along, because I was bothered with trying to listen to the recording without going insane as the volume kept fading in and out - which to me is worse than a distorted picture.

          I have not checked the possible work assignments for today, but think I will stay home to work on my assignments so that I can have them turned in by tomorrow morning and not have to worry about either class until next week.  Finals, for the most part, don't seem to require as much time as the other three weeks.  It is a short day.  I am confident that each school will be able to function without my being there today.

Two Classes and Strobe Lights

Scenario: You are an instructor about to present a lecture that you will need to record anyway.  It is 11:30 mountain time - the time announced to students when live lecture takes place.  You turn on your computer ready to start the meeting and there is no one there to listen to you live

question:    Do you start the lecture on time? Do you walk away from your computer and decide to return a few minutes later?  Do you wait half an hour after designated time before you start?  or would you start on time even though there isn't anybody with you at the start?

I would hope you would start on time.  five or ten minutes after the designated time, maybe, but not half an hour.  

I was late for class, I'll admit that.  Maybe 15 to 20 minutes.  There was somebody else signed on beside the instructor.  Why isn't he talking?  I am late for class.  What am I missing?  How come the sign on screen is on and I don't see a lecture.  I typed:

"Have you started the lecture yet?  I don't see anything."

My classmate answers that she is double checking the schedule because she can't see or hear anything either.  So what do we do?

I continued working on an assignment that I had started for my other class, but as time marched on, I grew concerned.  What if our instructor, who had obviously signed in to start the lecture, had had a heart attack or something?    It had been half an hour since the lecture was supposed to start.  I didn't feel like I was jumping the gun, but apparently, I was.  At 11:01 his voice came on and he announced that we would get started.  Just getting started?  What?  

I asked about the time and he said that he'd been there on time but that no one else was.  But two of us had been waiting for at least 20 minutes - though I told him half an hour because that's how long it had been from when he should have gotten started.  

Toward the end of his lecture, my screen started strobing - well, not my entire screen, just the lecture. "What is with your screen?" I asked my instructor - believing that he could see the same thing as I.  He suggested that the problem might be with zoom.  Oh, goody.  A third party device.  Who'm I suppose to address those concerns to?

I get someone at Tech support who says there is a glitch and did I try restarting my computer.  I guess I'll just use my laptop next week.  My last instructor (three mods now) made the screen so huge - almost too huge, but at least I could see it.  The class I had today was bigger than the one I had yesterday.  Back to a post-it-note size framed in black background.  Why does there have to be so much background???

I am excited about one class and will learn to adjust to the other.  I will be kept busy for the rest of this month.  I don't know how often I'll be able to post to my blog.  Weekends, maybe?

Three Mods in a Row - Are You Kidding Me?

          I don't know how many courses my current instructor is teaching, but this is the third mod that I've had her.  At least the lecture is on Tuesday now instead of Wednesday, so that will be better.  But the subject is still accounting.  I actually slept through today's lecture.  She was late getting started and didn't sound almost done when I finally turned her off.  I still have to create my discussion post - but then again, so does the rest of the class.

          Today starts a new mod.  My instructor kept referring to the things that had been discussed in the class last week - which I suppose is fine and good for those who actually took ACC322 last mod, but what about the members of the class who may have not even had an accounting class last mod?  She did say there were several names of students that she has been assigned to previously.  Lucky us.  In addition, she has been doing taxes for clients outside of the school.  It sounds as if her plate may be overflowing.

          And yet I keep returning to the lesson I had given about "Divine Design" and wonder if my being in her class three times in a row now may not be more than a coincidence and wonder . . .  why?

Holding Hands

            Modern Technology in some aspects has made our lives easier, but at the same time has seemed to create more challenges - particularly when there is a glitch or breakage.  Last week I had both my laptop and pc on my desk.  I could seem to receive the internet on my pc so long as my laptop was near - like an insecure child unwilling to go through with it on its own.  Oh, brother. 

            I've been using Internet Explorer on the PC as chrome seems to provide a tremendous amount of pop-ups (even though the blocker is set to BLOCK)  which is extremely annoying when taking an exam.  But lately I've been having issues with explorer as well.  I don't know why, but I have never liked Firefox.  And I can't open Yahoo in the PC at all.  

            I've been listening to the lectures on laptop just so I can set in a more comfortable chair than I can with PC.  My Management Instructor is quite knowledgeable of the subject, but he is soooooo monotone that I have a hard time keeping up.  Those voice patterns we call Siri and Alexa on our machines - they seriously put in more emotion into what they are saying (machines, mind you) than does my management instructor.  He does not sound robotic exactly.  His delivery  isn't even that exciting.

            I did not choose to attend the luncheon or games yesterday.  Often when I have two classes I have still made the effort to show up for either one or the other,  but somehow felt more pressed for devoting more time as I have two discussions, two assignments and two assessments for the week.    I would like to turn them in ASAP.  Once again I am shaking my head at the very idea of procrastination. 

            My goal for last week, this week and the next two are:

            1) to look up all my references on Monday so that I will have them available for discussion and possibly management assignment.

            2) snooze lecture on Tuesday morning - the subject really isn't that bad; it's his deliverance - or lack thereof.

            3) write the discussion posts and post them to the appropriate class

            4) sign into lecture of second class after it starts because I tried signing in early last week and as it turns out he is in another class and I ended up getting cut off.  Review takes about twenty minutes anyway.

            5) work on assignments for both classes.  Review.  Review.

            6) Review and correct if necessary and turn in either Wednesday night or Thursday morning

            7) take assessments.  But do not use chrome on PC.  check Yahoo emails on Laptop, take quizzes on laptop or use Firefox for PC. 

            So now I am done.  Except for the daily checkpoints (which can only be done per day) I am done for the week.  Hallelujah!  Frees up my Friday and Saturday for myself or house or community . . . away from the computer if I would like.

            I have had blog post ideas, but they have gotten lost in the shuffle of my mind.  I've also managed to squeeze in a few word puzzles during my breaks from the computer.  Currently I'm not reading anything leisurely.  The most interesting reading material I wish to look at lately has been whatever my sister posts to facebook.

I Need More Analogies and Less Pauses

   In this post I made a comment about how a survey is sent out during the final week of an online class and that we are expected to fill out said survey before we can continue with program.  I have now taken 4 or 5 classes in which I either haven't had a pop-up or else it popped up later than usual.  I don't know if I'm through with the surveys as I am halfway through my program, if it's a fluke, or if there have been bugs in the system when the school changed its format.  I'm guessing the latter.

          Currently I'm taking the first of six intermediate accounting classes.  I signed on to the live lecture and was asked how I felt about last week's assignment.  O.K. I guess.  In the chat box I wrote, "I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either."  The instructor laughed as she read my comment.  She seemed to agree because of the subject matter.

          Seriously?  If you actually agree with me, why not liven up your lectures?  Why present something boring in an even more boring manner?  Why does accounting have to be so boring?  At least try to fake some enthusiasm.  What are you doing teaching a course where there is no passion?  Are all accountants boring?  When I type accountants in Google imaging, for the most part they don't look boring.  They're smiling. 

https://summers-mcnea.com/

They're laughing.

http://www.insightsfinancialreview.com/skills-every-accountant-should-have/

 Maybe at an inside joke that has nothing to do with accounting? 
These silhouettes make accountants look like super heroes.  Hey, there's an idea: make the boring profession appeal to children.

https://www.ckca.co.uk/

So here are my ratings for my current class.

Overall, I am satisfied with this course.

 I think not; It's accounting. 

The work required for the course is reasonable.

 So far.  It seems relative.  Finding the correct page number on the ebook has been a major pain!  I think it's consumed more of my time than just doing the dumb problems!

The instructor is organized and prepared. 

No, Not really.  I would think there would be less pauses and shorter ones.  I don't know that she has ever taught online before.  I sense that she is not experienced with this.

The instructor is knowledgeable about the course subject.

Honestly, her voice indicates that she is more bored with the subject than I am . . . if that is even possible.

Instructor teaches concepts in a way that is easy to understand. 

Okay, I'll give her that one. She did make more sense of the chapter at one point.

instructor holds my interest 

Not hardly.  Again, it may just be the subject.  I find CrashCourse videos easy to understand;  however they don't seem to deal with accounting.  SwotSmart does put out a more entertaining video than do most accountant videos I have seen.

I  hope I may view the next two weeks with more gusto as I haven't found it thus far.  Why was it I chose to major in accounting?