Mornin' Monday

** I found this post in the draft folder. If I recall correctly, the internet was not co-operating that day and so i abandoned it.

Well summer was fun, wasn't it? I spent most of it in my classroom with piles of students and then came home to teach online. Let's not do that again? Okay? I really missed sitting on my balcony and reading in the sun.

I have been experimenting with teaching online. I found a program (WizIQ) that has a video interface and a system with a whiteboard onscreen that allows me to put up examples and write on the fly while teaching. It works, but it is still a little clumsy  or I should probably say that I am a little clumsy  with the interface. I find I'm constantly searching for the button that lets me highlight or erase etc. My hope is that I can build a client base and transition from working for a school to working for myself. Online teaching is different animal from teaching face to face. It takes a lot more prep work and energy to keep the student engaged and interested. I also have to write my own materials to use, but once I do that I can reuse materials for other students. The system also allows me to record a class with a student and essentially sell that lesson to other students to watch. But I think I want to be more polished before I start doing that. The future benefits are of course less work and more money, but also I can be anywhere and have a class as long as I have my computer and an internet connection. My student from the summer has gone back to Andover for school, so I will see less of him until it is time to write English class essays.

Andrew is being sent by Herzing University to Korea next week for 2 Trade Show/Conferences (Busan and Seoul) in an attempt to recruit Korean students to Canada. He is only the tiniest bit excited about it. Mostly the idea of cheap socks and computer parts are enticing him. Although he doesn't think he will have much time to do anything but work.

My big decision this weekend was that I think I will get rid of my chair in the living room as it has not been functioning as a chair for at least 6 months but rather as a place where I stack books and my laptop lives when it isn't on the coffee table.