Monay PM/TuesdayAM-12:30ish: It’s too late for coherent diction. I can’t really see all the way to the computer screen with both eyes open, but I want to get some record of what has been happening the last few days. I can’t possibly know right now if this will be coherent, so posting it on the blog will be delayed. I have a lot of admiration for the likes of Lewis and Clark, Scott and Amundsen, and other intrepid explorers who managed to drag themselves through all kinds of trials each day and still record what they were doing. I’ve been way too busy for my own good, I think.

The weblog: Friday I gave the class blog a go, but it was a disaster due to some last minute tinkering I did with an .htaccess file. It caused havoc with the way the links displayed in b2evolution. I was in the school computer lab using an old mac with only OS 9.2 on it, so no shell access to the server to fix the bug. I had to give up and let the kids play stupid games while I tried to sort things out looking for a workaround. I thought I was going to help them get started as bloggers. So did they. But, it was no use fighting a technical problem then and there. I gave up and we went back to class when I saw several of them using KidPix to uncover a picture by simply wiping the mouse back and forth across the screen. In their idleness they descended to the least common denominator of computer users. Thank God it was Friday. The weekend turned out positively for me, though. I got the class weblogs sorted out and running very smoothly finally.

The wiki: I’ve been working very hard on the Alaksa wikicity. I’ve been trying to understand MediaWiki organizational schemes. I think I got it sorted out.

Over the weekend I was at UAF both days - all day - or a good part of each. I participated in a training session to prepare me for using a new math/literacy program that is being developed up there by two members of my former masters committee. I’m still in touch with those folks, and we continue to have a working relationship. They needed some teachers to pilot their program before they offer it in a summer workshop to teachers from around the state.

I also got a project lined up with Joan Parker Webster and Jerry Lipka. Joan is going to work with me on the wiki. That’s what she said, anyway. She’s busy with many things also. But I’ve made it hard for her to stay away since I told her that I would document the project on the Alaska wiki under the category: EdProjects. If I can get Joan going on it, she may see the value of wiki as a collaboration tool. In that case, there is a chance that other teachers from outside Fairbanks will get introduced to it through her.

I wonder if Radar wanted to use it.