Random Musings of an Instructional Designer

In case you actually stumble across this old thing, the blog moved a long time ago to its current location: http://effectivedesign.org/

I've finally got all of my reservations made for AECT. Now, here's what I need to do to get ready:

1. Decide if I want to write short papers for each.
• I'm thinking that for the presentation on practicing what we preach in instructional design, the answer is definitely yes.
• It would also probably help me get my dissertation ready to go for publication if I did it for it as well.
2. I need to finish the Instructor's manual for EDTC 3123 (the EdTech class). This will mainly include writing short lesson plans, etc. More than anything, this work won't be hard, it will just be time consuming.

I also need to finish my dissertation corrections. Enough said.

Words cannot describe how behind on grading I am right now . . .

But boy am I glad we don't live in Clear Lake (South Houston) anymore. Lori said to me last night, "You know you'd be evacuating me right now, don't you?" I smiled and said, "Yes, I do."

OSU is using a program called LiveText. Words can't describe how bad this program is. Inflexible, unforgiving, and counterintuitive don't even do it justice.

Again with Barry Bonds. Another night, another blast. Who would have thought we'd ever see someone with a legitimate shot at passing the Babe and Hank Aaron? I don't know if I like him, but I like watching him play baseball . . .

Sheesh! I've got to get better about updating this thing. My sister, Kay, and my good friend, Jason Dickamore, have both gotten on to me in the last day about not updating.

So I'm now a month into teaching, and it's going pretty well. We've had some issues over the EDTC 3123 course curriculum (that's the preservice teacher technology course), but I think we've got them ironed out for the semester. We do, however, need to get going on how we will avoid this next semester. I do think a standardized curriculum is best, we just need to get everyone on the same page.

Ahh, to be back in the faculty ranks. I've got three new preps (new courses to prepare for) in the next year, so I've been on the textbook websites and I've had desk copies sent. So far, I've only had two arrive. I've got Smith and Ragan's Instructional Design 3rd edition. I'm happy to see they've updated. I really like this book and their approach to design. It's simple and straightforward. I think it's a great book for a beginning design class. I'll be interested to go through it. I also got Designing Effective Instruction by Morrison, Ross, and Kemp. I've got an old copy of this, but I've never looked at it. I'm interested to read it. They include a 120 day trial of Microsoft Project, so I'm interested to see how they incorporate that.

But I can't yet. My dissertation came back with corrections from the USU grad school, so I am going to spend today finishing those up. It's not much, it's just a pain that I have to do it. I feel like Michael Corleone in the Godfather part III, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in . . ."

I never thought I'd say this, but I'm looking forward to this whole tenure thing. I've been going through Cabell's directory trying to find journals to submit my dissertation articles to. I'm going to submit a quantitative piece (which, by the way, Dr. Merrill said he'd be 2nd author on) to either ETR&D or Computers and Human Behavior, and I'm going to submit the qualitative article to Qualitative Studies in Education. After those, I'll see where I go.

I'm also getting ready for AECT. I've got two presentations, so I've actually got some preparation to do. I've got to get my teacher's manual done, and I've got to get my dissertation presentation ready to go. I've at least registered for the conference, but today I have to book the hotel and the plane flight today. I'm going to go a day early to see my best friend, Brent Wainwright.

Speaking of the Wainwrights, welcome to Jason Brent Wainwright, Jr.! After four girls, Brent finally has a son. I don't know what I'll tease him about anymore . . .

Finally, Barry Bonds is from another planet. Last night he hit #706, and it wasn't by a little. HE CRUSHED ONE to the upper deck at RFK. There are guys who couldn't do that from the outfield. I don't know about the steroids thing--I have opinions--but I am enjoying his show.

L8R -->

BTW, I tried to highlight the main points here. I thought it might make reading this easier. Tell me what you think.

Current music: Jehricho Road, Inside of Me

The first day of class has come and gone, and I must confess, I was borderline BRILLIANT. But I guess that is to be expected. It seems like I have two good sections, and it was good to be in the classroom. It's a different student body here than from BYU-Idaho, but that's to be expected.

Strange, though--I never realized how much I'd miss it there . . .

The new semester starts tomorrow.

And with that, I can say I'm excited. I haven't been in a classroom since the beginning of February when I left BYU-Idaho (had to get that dissertation done) . . . but I'm sure everything will go OK.

It's like riding a bike, right?

I'm just not ready yet. Not prepared I mean. But what's new? Why should being at a new school make a difference? I'm never ready.

Well, it's getting close to the new semester, and it will be time to head back into the classroom. I've got to admit: I'm excited. I've been out of the classroom for about six months now (I've been teaching for ten years), and I've missed it more than I imagined I would. This fall semester I'm going to teach two sections of EDTC 3123, the basic preservice teacher technology course. I'm okay with teaching that, although I'm excited to get to work with graduate students agian (it's been four years since I taught on the graduate level). At least they'll be easy preps and I should be able to prepare without much ado. Then spring semester (or winter semester--I don't know what they call it at OSU yet) I'm teaching Instructional Design and Multimedia Design and Development. Soon I'll have to start worrying about those.

But right now I have to finish all the little things from my dissertation. It's written, defended, and I have all the signatures, but I just found out I have some formatting things I have to finish. I think I'll definitely try to get a graduate student to do that for me.

I think most of all I'm glad to get back with my family. We've been back and forth apart as I've finished my dissertation and started the new job, and tomorrow I fly out to get them. I miss them terribly. I'm looking forward to seeing my wife, Lori. She's taken on WAY TOO MUCH as I've been gone these last months, and I'll never be able to repay her for it. I also miss my two oldest kids, John and Natalie, and we've even had a new one, Andrew, in the time I've been gone. Like I said, I'm most excited to be with them again.

You know, if I've learned anything these last few months as I've finished my dissertation, it would be this: I love instructional design. I'm really good at it, it's extremely interesting, and I find it challenging. But as much as I love it, I don't think I ever realized how much more I love my family. I've always been one who spent too much time at work.

But not any more. I'm ready to be home.