Christopher Lambert's Online Journal: Off to a good start

Off to a good start

When I first looked at my grading contract, I knew I didn't want to turn in a memo within the first couple weeks of class--that would have been too much too soon. Plus, I thought, keeping a blog shouldn't be too bad; I like writing.

My first thought when Meredith passed back the memo assignments during Tuesday's class, "I need to find out when my blog entries are due." Little did I know I was already late.

How about a little more about why I'm doing this:

I picked the blog partly because writing is a hobby but also because it wasn't something that had to be completed immediately. Since anyone reading this is familiar with Case (after Brian Gray's comment I need to reiterate this statement: Since the chances that whoever reads this is familiar with Case), I don't need to go into details about how it feels like there's never enough time accomplish everything that needs to be finished; how every worry-free, stress-free, second I have is bliss. When I had the option to either complete a long-winded summary and assessment paper (a short-run problem) or do a blog entry later on(a long-run problem), I saw short-run freedom and lunged for it.

Which doesn't make a lot of sense since, now, I have to do all these blog entries.

Back to realizing I needed to get started:

I didn't check the blog due date on Tuesday. I didn't check Wednesday. Nope, I waited until before class on Thursday (9/21). I found the blogging rules file on blackboard, read, nodding as I went along as most of the information is common sense, and then I frowned. It turns out I needed to make an entry by 9/15. I believe that means -1 point for me.

The nice thing about the blog is that it does work around my schedule; I can make time and not be forced to complete it. But the bad thing is that I need to manage my time to work it in (already starting with -1 point off is a good example of this). Keeping a blog seems like such a small thing--get online, write a few sentences and be done--but it needs to be thought out, coherent and have a point to it. While convenient, I can't slack on my time management or writing skills if I want to get a good grade.

As logical as it seemed to work hard to get the memo done, I do think the blog is the better long-term decision. It's a free form assignment that involves observations, critical thinking, relativity, assessment, grammar and--what I feel is most important--I have to get it done myself. No one is going to be asking me if I have my blogs done or if they make sense or anything about them. I can either do my entries as I can and make them good, or I can wait till the last minute and reach for concepts and examples from class that I don't remember.

If I haven't matured at all, this will be horrendous.

I'm ready to see how things go. And even if at the start it's not very good, I hope I learn.

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Comments

Posted by: Jordan Schoenfeld
Posted on: September 21, 2006 07:12 PM

I have to agree that blogging does give you more freedom, and that's one reason why I chose to do it. However, I also like the fact that it's pretty much just a long term conversation. I also like blogging even though I don't do much of it. I'm still doing 2 memos though, and it looks like they're graded tough. I didn't do the first one since I knew I wasn’t prepared to write something on the topic yet.

Posted by: Tina
Posted on: September 23, 2006 04:12 PM

I blogged about my experiences in the Case MPOD program. (I graduated May 2006.)

In my view, it's easiest and most productive if you choose a time of day every day and commit to writing *something.* (For me, early morning was quiet and best for reflection, but it might be 1:00 a.m. for you!) The daily commitment usually meant that I had a number of not-so-wonderful entries, but usually after 3 or 4 of those I would discover a latent theme and something significant or insightful would "appear."

Keep writing! You'll only get out of it what you put into it.

Posted by: Meredith
Posted on: September 23, 2006 09:12 PM

Hi, Chris,
While it's true that you won't get credit for the first piece of the blogging assignment, I am glad you have posted an entry about the process. Please see my "ps" for an important note, though.
Secondly, and before I actually say what I was planning on saying, WOW, on getting a comment from a non-MGMT 250 student! I am going to post a trackback to her comment because Tina's reaching out to you strikes me as a blogging epiphany of sorts. But I digress.
What I had planned on typing to you was a comment on our conversation after class on Thursday. I know that you came up to me to tell me that you had started blogging and to see if you would, in fact, lose points for the first part of the assignment. Noble intentions. I also know that you did not mean for the conversation to wind up with you feeling like you had to assure me that you wouldn't change the dates on your postings, which, as a gesture in and of itself, might imply guilt.
I am writing about the episode now to clarify my impression of the exchange, which is that our conversation was one of those whacky evolutions of dialogue that ended in a place where neither of us wanted to be. I look at the situation as a comedic skit and a conversation that would have made a good one for analysis, if someone had the time and the recording device. :)
I look forward to your future posts, Chris,
Meredith

ps: While this blog cannot be counted towards the first deadline, it could be counted towards your quota for 10/13. However, in its current state, this post would only earn half-credit, due to grammatical errors. Please see my blog (and the Blogging Guidelines on Bb) for additional details and suggestions for appropriate blogs: http://blog.case.edu/myers/mt-tb.cgi/9857
You might want to consider the following: (1)keep this post as is, and make 5 additional posts, (2) revise this post before 10/13, and it won't cost you points.

Posted by: Andrew Dotta
Posted on: October 12, 2006 07:06 PM

Chris,
I agree with your comments on blogging. Blogging gives you the freedom to post your thoughts about in class discussion and more, without the physical in-your-face criticism of other classmates. I find the amount of read-worthy blogs out there staggering, from celebrity-gossip blogs to political blogs. However, I do get discourage whenever I encounter someone's 'high school' blog about their everyday lives.

What do you think about a management class...entirely done through blogs??

Posted by: Brian Gray
Posted on: October 12, 2006 07:54 PM

Since anyone reading this is familiar with Case, I don't need to go into details about how it feels like there's never enough time accomplish everything that needs to be finished; how every worry-free, stress-free, second I have is bliss.

A couple of warnings from an outside observer. The Case blogs are well indexed by Google and easy to watch thanks to Planet Case and RSS feeds. They are often read by outsiders to Case, and you never know who might find your writings. Blogs are available to a worldwide audience, including future students, potential employers, other professors, family, and friends.

RSS feeds can be subscribed to by anyone without your knowledge. The items in RSS feeds are created immediately upon you clicking "publish". It does not matter what date you submitted into the interface or if you were actually ready for the world to read your entry.

Good luck on your blog entries!