Seeing Through New Eyes

Last week was the Open Education Conference here at USU . It was a good conference, and I learned about many different areas that open education is focusing on right now. (I know I should have written about this last week, but I must refer you to my most recent post on brain function and say I am feeling more together this week than I was last week). It was great to listen about open education resources, localization, grant funding from the Mellon Foundation , and to meet many different people. Since the last three weeks of one of my classes has focused on open education, I've been thinking about it a lot lately. There are so many places this area can take you. I enjoy the access to resources, whether that's through the computer or other means, being able to reach information is so critical. But just as important as the information you can get is how you learn to use it and apply it in your own life. This takes me back to basic principles of learning. I have also been learning...

I have now been in my PhD program for about six weeks. Although some people may not understand this, I felt so much at the beginning as if my brain really was clouded. I'm not sure what, perhaps still recovering from having my baby (although that one seems more like an excuse), maybe from being tired and stressed, or even a mental block on my part. Whatever it has been, I have felt it lifting in the last couple of weeks. My mind is clearer, my thoughts are clearer, I am comprehending what I read and hear in class. For quite a few weeks I was feeling like I wouldn't ever catch on. Things are looking up and I think I may be able to get through this. Whitney has been wonderful to help out and take on dealing with me (that in itself is a chore). Ok, so off I go to do some homework!