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Mary G
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| Posted: July 23 2008 at 8:34am | IP Logged
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Mare posed this question on the thread about journaling our plans/actual work:
Mare wrote:
Could you and the other ladies please share when you post on your blog? Do you work on it in bits and pieces and save it in draft? How do you handle interruptions? I need help thinking outside the box on getting in computer time.
Peace |
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Well, I for one do my blog posting at night or early before anyone gets up. I too have the computer in the living/great room so can't really write too much when all are around.
Becuase I'm a print journalism major, one of my skills I learned in undergrad was to type/compose at the typewriter/computer screen and to get it out ... I do the same with my blog posts. I am thinking about it, composing it in my head (drafting in my head, if you will) and so when I sit down to type, I've already got most of it "done".
That said, I often go back and edit or add/delete to the post .... that's one thing I REALLY like about doing things on the computer -- it's so easy to fix errors (unlike the old days of "liquid paper" or that tape stuff that lifted the ink/covered the ink  )
Anyone else want to share how they blog or journal on the computer?
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Willa
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| Posted: July 23 2008 at 9:24am | IP Logged
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All last year, I would log the day right around lunchtime. The kids were ready to eat and play a bit. Then, as Mary G said, if I wanted to edit later on I could. My other "good" times tend to be late afternoon or after dinner, -- in my house those were the times when the kids were most likely to be playing happily and nothing much to be done. You might want to try keeping track of a couple of days in your house to see where the natural lulls are.
I type fast so the logs would only take 15-20 minutes especially once I had a routine going.
I hate reading my own handwriting so the blog format worked just great for me -- plus I could easily search back and see what we did on a particular month or day.
Sometimes I would jot notes in a spiral during the day to help me remember what had happened.
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AMDG
Willa
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Cay Gibson
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| Posted: July 23 2008 at 9:27am | IP Logged
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I use to always do my writing at night. Then 40 hit...  I haven't been staying up as late as I use to. Most writing is done in the morning now.
Of course, it's summer and the children have been allowed to sleep in. Not sure that's a good thing to start at all but...hey! it's summer!  In three weeks our summer vacation will be over and there's going to have to be lots of self-discipline on my end and lots of obedience on theirs.
I usually find computer time in the afternoons if the kids are playing outside or at the neighbors. In the evening I've made it a point not to get on the computer once dh gets home from work. But often he works late or comes home, eats supper, we sit on sofa and talk awhile, and he ends up going out to tinker in his shop. Reminds me of Almanzo Wilder. 
Interruptions? Oh, dear, a slew. Like Mary, my computer is in the living area. No door to hide behind. When dh comes in from "tinkering in his shop" he'll sit and laugh at me as I try to write and one child after the other (the two older ones are home by now) come to talk and ask me questions.
And their DADDY is SITTING in the SAME ROOM in the RECLINER! HELLO!
Ah, well, I resigned myself to the fact that I have many children, they love to come to me to talk, and writing is what I do. I'm blessed. And the older ones will seek their father out at times and he never denies the little ones a storybook read-aloud if they bring him a book.
I find my best editing is done after I've published the blog post. That's when I see all the boo-boos. If the edit is a biggie, I change it. Sometimes I do add-ons. But, generally, I can start a post and, due to the interruptions and wanting to proof-read before sending, I don't finish it until later. I have a handful of draft posts sitting in my box. I might never finish those or the muse just hasn't entered that room yet.
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Cay Gibson
"There are 49 states, then there is Louisiana." ~ Chef Emeril
wife to Mark '86
mom to 5
Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: July 23 2008 at 12:48pm | IP Logged
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Interesting topic!
I usually break up the computer time by preparing blog posts in stages because I rarely have a single block of time long enough to get a post written, unless it is a very simple post.
First, I transfer all of the pictures from my camera, sort and edit them, decide which ones I am going to use, and upload them to Photobucket. That can be pretty time consuming.
Then, I leave the computer (by then someone usually wants my undivided attention) and I think about what I am going to say in my post (like Mary, I compose in my head).
At another time I come back and write the post, adding the pics from Photobucket and any links I may want to insert, and publish it.
My most productive times are usually late afternoon (after school but before dinner prep), or late at night. This summer it has been any old time because like Cay, we are on vacation, the kids are sleeping in (and so am I) and things are more flexible, time-wise.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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Mare
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| Posted: July 23 2008 at 3:31pm | IP Logged
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Mary G wrote:
| …one of my skills I learned in undergrad was to type/compose at the typewriter/computer screen and to get it out ... I do the same with my blog posts. I am thinking about it, composing it in my head (drafting in my head, if you will) and so when I sit down to type, I've already got most of it "done". |
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Brilliant! It seems so obvious but I never even thought of that.
Willa wrote:
| My other "good" times tend to be late afternoon or after dinner, -- in my house those were the times when the kids were most likely to be playing happily and nothing much to be done. |
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My older girls are just getting to that point where they don’t want me around as much during free play. I can now see using that time to journal out the day.
Willa wrote:
| You might want to try keeping track of a couple of days in your house to see where the natural lulls are. |
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<THWACK> I never thought that there were lulls in my day. Now that I think of it, you are right. Why did that never occur to me?
Cay Gibson wrote:
| Interruptions? Oh, dear, a slew. |
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Ok, this makes me feel a whole lot better.
lapazfarm wrote:
| I usually break up the computer time by preparing blog posts in stages because I rarely have a single block of time long enough to get a post written, unless it is a very simple post. First, I transfer all of the pictures from my camera, sort and edit them, decide which ones I am going to use, and upload them to Photobucket. That can be pretty time consuming. |
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The photos are my downfall. I take pictures but I don't download onto the computer. I think this is one habit I need to work on.
I appreciate your help. Just reading how each of you works on a post makes sense to me. You have given me a lot of food for thought. If I can get a grip on this online journal/planner now, then I think it will be the easiest way to hand in the portfolios.
Peace,
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Mary G
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| Posted: July 23 2008 at 8:38pm | IP Logged
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Mare wrote:
The photos are my downfall. I take pictures but I don't download onto the computer. I think this is one habit I need to work on.
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Mare,
I have a Kodak digital with the docking station that is always hooked to the computer ... that way as soon as we get home or I've taken pictures, I immediately download them to the computer while also recharging the battery (very slick tool!), if I have time then, I make sure they've loaded fine and erase from the camera, else I just leave them on the camera too till I'm sure they'll work. This way I always have a fully charged battery and usually have an empty card to hold all those pix I'll take the next time out.
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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sunny
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| Posted: July 24 2008 at 1:11pm | IP Logged
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I really dont want to offend anyone so PLEASE dont misunderstand my question but for the most part, I just dont understand blogging and journaling online? Can someone tell me why they do it? i feel like I am missing out on something.
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Mary G
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| Posted: July 24 2008 at 1:34pm | IP Logged
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sunny wrote:
| I really dont want to offend anyone so PLEASE dont misunderstand my question but for the most part, I just dont understand blogging and journaling online? Can someone tell me why they do it? i feel like I am missing out on something. |
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First, this is not an offensive question at all -- it's a very good one.
Here's my take on it: since I tend to be pretty techy, and love to do things on the computer (can type faster than I can hand-write), I tend to think of the tech solution first. None of the hard-copy planners/journals work for how I work.
Also, having it online, I can edit it easily, sort it or search past posts, link to online info (like field trip sites or book resources).
With my plans/hs journaling on a private blog, I can copy a post to answer a 4real question or send someone that link (or copy the post to/from my "public" blog).
It's kind of like the reason I love 4real forum -- this is a great way for me to cathch up folks, search for information, answer questions, etc. Yes, I could do it by hand, IRL, but this format makes it doable.
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MaryG
3 boys (22, 12, 8)2 girls (20, 11)
my website that combines my schooling, hand-knits work, writing and everything else in one spot!
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Willa
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| Posted: July 24 2008 at 2:14pm | IP Logged
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sunny wrote:
| I really dont want to offend anyone so PLEASE dont misunderstand my question but for the most part, I just dont understand blogging and journaling online? Can someone tell me why they do it? i feel like I am missing out on something. |
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With blogger, you can arrange the settings so no one can see the blog but you, or chosen people like family members. So it can be completely private, which is the kind of journalling I think that Mary G is talking about.
As for "why journal online" -- the reason it makes sense to me is that it is more private than documents on my computer or handwritten spirals around the house. Not that I am really worried about snoopers, but I do sometimes worry about fires or computer crashes that kill everything I have physically in the house or on the computer.
So I have tended to try to back most important things up online. ( I learned this the hard way when my old laptop died with quite a few things on it I wish I still had )
The other thing for me is that when I'm travelling, or my little one is in the hospital, I can still access my journals -- I bring my passwords with me.
Like Mary G, I type SO much faster than I write, and enjoy a low-grade type techy-ness. Blogs can be formatted to be so much prettier than a Word doc.
So those are the reasons for me -- hope this helped a bit!
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AMDG
Willa
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lapazfarm
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| Posted: July 24 2008 at 3:50pm | IP Logged
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sunny wrote:
| I really dont want to offend anyone so PLEASE dont misunderstand my question but for the most part, I just dont understand blogging and journaling online? Can someone tell me why they do it? i feel like I am missing out on something. |
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No offense.
For me it is more about sharing, getting feedback, and the whole "teachers lounge" type of conversations that happen through comments and visiting other blogs. I don't have anyone IRL I can share and chat with about all of this stuff, so blogging opens up the social networking aspects for me that others may find in their neighborhoods, homeschool groups, or mom's groups.
It is also a tool for helping me think things through. I have never been one for hand-written journaling. It just has never worked for me. So blogging is my way of putting my thoughts to paper, so to speak, which forces me to actually "think" in the first place.It's the first form of journaling (other than nature journaling) that I have actually been able to follow through with for more than a few days. And I am sure it is due to the feedback aspect, the ability to be creative adding pictures, etc.
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Theresa
us-schooling in beautiful Fairbanks, Alaska.
LaPaz Home Learning
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sunny
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| Posted: July 25 2008 at 2:20pm | IP Logged
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Well I just want to say that I began my own blog last nite. It has 2 entries that I made private for now. I think I will practice for awhile and decide later if I want to make it public. My dc are not in school yet so I dont need to make a portfolio. It will be more of a diary. thx for the inspiration.
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Mary G
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| Posted: July 25 2008 at 5:27pm | IP Logged
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OOOO, another convert to blogging ... let us know how it goes and be sure and post when you do it make it public so we can add it to our list of blogs to check ....
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MaryG
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4Real Forums : Living Learning
Topic: Journaling online -- when, how?
