So I am at a workshop today and we are immersed in conversation about Personal Learning Networks, eluminate, blogging, skype etc. 

We just had quite the conversation about listening, typing, skyping, on-line chatting, emailing and more all at one time.  We even debated the word multi-tasking – what it is and what it isn’t.  One teacher in the room is not convinced that students can tune into many things at one time and learn. Others will argue the opposite. Sheryl really made a good point about her beliefs.  She never used to be able to tune into more than one thing at a time, and now she can!  Is that we can train our brains to adapt to our incessant need to do more than one thing at once? Is that we can train our brains to adapt to the constant input of media? 

I am a digital immigrant yet I find myself bored with the idea of only having a choice to do one thing at a time.  If I am listening to Morning Joe in the morning on the television, then I am using my Palm to check out wgrz.com for the local news and weather.  I am also texting family members and my boyfriend at the same time and tuning into my email to see what I got overnight.  This is all at about 6 a.m.!  Meanwhile at work, I am texting my boss with updates, checking my emails, taking phone calls, working on-line submitting a state report and welcoming people to my office all day long.  Why can’t students do this?  They appear to be more adept at it than I yet we don’t seem to trust it.

I am curious and I wonder what others think about “multi-tasking.” 

I have been tagged, sort of. 

6 Random Things About Me

1.  I have been trying to blog regularly and can never seem to commit although I believe it is one of the best tools for learning out there.

2.  I am fascinated by the phrase, “Work smarter, not harder.”  Can someone teach me how to do that?

3.  I have changed offices every year that I have worked since 1999 (sometimes more than one time).  I am sitting here amongst boxes which made me think of it!

4.  I did not eat a burger for 7 years, and now I can’t get enough of them!

5.  I wish I could start my workday at 10a.m.  I don’t like getting out of bed in the a.m., but once I get going, I can get a lot of things accomplished. 

6. I have a strange addiction to unsweetened iced tea.