Import Test

Don,

I would like to thank you for all your hard work in developing, supporting and facilitating this blog.  I love reading the posts of people I know and people I don't know, and when I do take the time to "come here", I usually find something of interest that I could easily become involved in a discussion around.  Time is the problem!  I don't "come here" often because there are so many demands on my time that time for professional and personal reflection doesn't exist WITHIN my workday, or even easily OUTSIDE of my workday!  It is just one more browser window to open on my desktop, and unlike my email, it does not dictate or impact my workday responsibilities, so I "come here" last - after my email, my course websites, student and faculty discussion boards, etc.  I don't think there is an easy solution to this dilemma - I have participated in faculty discussions in Blackboard sites, and found them ALMOST equally difficult to get to, unless I know that the discussion will impact my "work".  I used to be able to find the time in my workday to write a few personal emails (I know this is taboo, but I'm being honest!), but I don't seem to have the time to even do that lately, so my very occasional participation in this blog is less about the Blog and more about my current professional "plate"!  As I'm sure many cluster members can identify with!  

I think that what I'm feeling about "coming to the Blog" is perhaps not so different from what many faculty seem to feel when the idea of holding online discussions is first mentioned to them - "What, I would need to participate in, facilitate, provide feedback for THAT, IN ADDITION TO everything else I'm doing?"  I respond to that concern by suggesting that online discussions need not, nor perhaps should be, IN ADDITION TO what is already taking place in the course, but rather, should be considered as a new vehicle that can conduct, and perhaps enhance, current practice.  So, could we look at the Blog as another vehicle for communicating with each other, and instead of holding all of our meetings face-to-face, spend some of our "sharing" time online?

And finally, to attest to the value of online communication as being at least a satisfactory replacement for f2f communication, let me share a quick aside with you.  Today I was a guest speaker in Bob Fera's Psychology class, joining other guests speaking about chronic illness, its effects, etc.  Bob invited me after our online communication - we have known each other for two years now, and had many conversations, but not had the kind of conversation we had here in the Blog in our f2f meetings, so Bob never knew that I had that background of experience with chronic illness.  Thus, my participation in his f2f class' panel discussion on chronic illness was strictly a result of our online discussion!

Dal6QU Hi from Russia!

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