Call Me Dr. Kiefer-Newman. Then, Call Me Confused About Bb9.
By Kat Kiefer-Newman
Here we are. It’s a new year, and we’re returning to classes, after orientation meetings and hopefully contract signings. I have an orientation tonight and haven’t decided yet if I’ll go. These get togethers are peopled with the most interesting folks, and I rather hate to miss out.
As I mentioned in a previous post, my schedule is just so nuts right now that I don’t think I can afford the time. As soon as I finish this blog I’m boxing my edited dissertation manuscript and sending it off to my committee. They’ll read it, make their recommendations (hopefully not too many), and I’ll address those recommendations. Then it goes to the copyeditor. I’ll address his or her recommendations. Then it goes to the panel and I defend it.
If I “pass” I’ll head to graduation. If I don’t, I’ll cry a lot.
I’ve been working on this for, wow, it seems like forever. I can’t believe how close to done I am. Everyone keeps asking me if I’m thrilled…I am. I think. No, wait, I am. A Doctorate is what I’ve wanted for as long as I can remember. Okay, the truth is that I don’t know what I feel. I feel…..weird.
I’m two weeks behind in getting this out, that’s for sure. I am more than a little stressed about that. And I’m not yet able to see what comes next when this is done.
When my students whine that I assign too much writing, I won’t be able to pull the stack of papers out of my bag and slap it on the nearest desk: “To much writing? You don’t know to much writing until you’ve tried to tackle a research project like this,” I tell them. However, I won’t be able to do and say this anymore.
I have moments where I wonder what else will change. Will I be different? Will I look different? It isn’t like a neon green exclamation point will appear over my head, but surely people will see “doctorate” somewhere around my eyes…maybe in the newest dark circles and crow’s feet that last year has brought.
I don’t have much time for such fancies, though; I have to maneuver through the latest version of Blackboard 9 (lovingly called Bb9 for short) and completely rebuild all five of my classes, nearly from scratch. In all of the holiday hoopla I neglected to download my previous classes off the old server and now a good chunk of the material is forever gone. I’m hoping the ideas, at least, will return to my beleaguered brain.
While this new Bb is worthy of its own blog, it’s frustrating me so much I don’t want to give it one. Yes, it has all sorts of new features but I’ll likely never have time to explore, let alone use, them. For example, there’s a Facebook App included in some forms of Bb9. You can create your own blogs and journals inside the course page (and I’m not the only one irritated by these latest bells and whistles). There are also all sorts of group and community pages that confuse me. Maybe I just need some tutorials, though, and then I’ll be the latest cheerleader for this newest nightmare, I mean, college tool.
Blackboard 9 beckons me now with her charm and multi-functions. Maybe I just need to get to know her better? It’ll have to wait until later, though, I have an important date with the Post Office, and getting my last three years of work into the hands of my dissertation committee.
About the Juggler: Kat Kiefer-Newman currently teaches as an adjunct instructor at two colleges in two different departments. In addition to her busy working (and driving) schedule she attends conferences presenting her research, is in the last stages of finishing her Ph.D., takes care of her elderly father, has recently packed up and sent off to college her second daughter, chats in status updates with her students on Facebook, does not hand out her cell phone number to said students despite their pleadings, and in her spare time she plays in her organic veggie garden. (And though she will never admit it, she also enjoys reading trashy vampire novels.)
