Time Flies By

I can’t believe that it’s already been a week since I went to Shendi. I visited some friends in Shendi last Friday. It’s about a 2.5  hour drive from Khartoum. It’s beautiful in parts. There is a stretch that is particularly green because the crops and trees get irrigation from the Nile River. It provided a stark contrast to the mostly rocky, brown landscape that we drove through most of the way. A series of what I imagine once were mountain ranges that have been ravaged by the wind and sun follow the road on both sides. There are arge potholes and huge speedbumps in some parts of the road; you arrive on them suddenly, without warning. I was riding in a 4WD but it still jolted when we went too quickly over some of them. The effect of the trucks carrying goods and pulling containers from Port Sudan is clear; the side of the road leading to Khartoum is markedly worst with cracks and tears in it.

Professional Relationships

I read many professional blogs, particular in the field of edtech. I participate in several listservs as well. I am often awed by the achievements of my colleagues. I tend to think that what I do is just routine. It must have to do with my general just do it attitude. I had a meeting today that had me thinking.

I had a meeting with a colleague today that reminded me of something that I often tell my students. I tell my students that each of them has something to contribute. I tell them that they should not take their skills and abilities for granted, and should use them to help others. I seem to have forgotten that lesson myself however.

I know that I do many things well. I know that not everyone thinks like me. I know that I am resourceful. Yet I put all these pieces together and get less than the sum of the individual parts. I need to change that. Action plan 1: Take a more active role in participating in listservs. Action plan 2: spend some time organizing resources and thoughts to be better able to share them with colleagues.