attendance, presence, & GTD

Several students have emailed this morning to ask if we are having class on Zoom today. (All the Zoom info is now here.)

To answer that in a way that makes any kind of sense, it's important to remind ourselves what we're doing all this for in the first place.

Every student who has written me or talked with me so far has indicated that they want to learn new ideas and improve their writing, reading, and speaking skills.

To do that, we need to start GTD (Getting Things Done - this is the title of a great book on the subject and also nicer than the traditional GSD, which I probably shouldn't spell out on a family-style blog :)

I believe very strongly in supporting you as you get started. So, if you haven't created your course blog, or gotten a notebook and started your journal, or started typing "did it" as you complete tasks on your period's Google Sheet, you need to meet with me today during our scheduled time so that I can help you.

If you HAVE created your blog, started your journal, and typed "did it" for at least a few of the tasks on the sheet, and you feel pretty confident that you're off to a good start, today's online meeting is optional.

The word attendance goes back to the 14th century (!) and means, "the act of attending to one's duties." The word attend goes back to the same time and means, "to direct one's mind and energies."

I have no interest in demanding that you sit still on a Zoom meeting while others catch up, any more than I would demand you sit in a classroom while others catch up. I want you to work in a way that prepares you for success, and if you're off to a good start, I want you to continue.

Bottom Line: This is Week 2. If you have questions or need help getting started, please plan on being online during your class period. If you are GTD, I'll see you later in the week. You're always welcome to email or schedule a meeting if you think of something later.