Remote Participative Parenting Continued

My daughter took this picture during one of our VTCs. Only the digital generation will take pictures of their parents and post them on their social networks to let their friends know mom is just a click away.

I enjoy our communication through email, text, and VTC. We say what mean and we mean what we say. Even grandma enjoys the VTC and "blowing me up to full screen".



I went back for a visit and we had a couple of meals together but she had to work and of course her college social life has her committed with friends.

While my daughter didn't have this type of technology in her public school education, at least she has participative family members who incorporate technology to stay connected. I am proud to call her a gadget girl.

While I am enjoying the empty nest status, blogging has fallen down the list of priorities as I explore new interests and enjoy getting outdoors and exploring the different parks in NC.

I do not miss all of the negative press about our students from the media sources in Augusta, GA. I could return to Augusta and not read the local news about students being arrested, suspended, or harangued. It doesn't mean it didn't happen, I just chose not to view any of the local media.

Any one else out there practicing remote participative parenting as the child moves off to college, the parent moves on for career progression, or deploys in support of our country? Your comments are always welcome.

Remote Participative Parenting

So I haven't posted a blog entry in three weeks. With the move from GA to NC, the job transition, and continuing with my graduate work, blog posts and tweets just fell down the list of things to do.

I have left the proverbial nest and with email, GMail's v-chat, text, Facebook, MySpace, and cell phones the connections are still there and my participative parent status has migrated from F2F to virtual.

I am contemplating on what to do with the blog because my participative parent status has moved from F2F to virtual and the child is a college student. One more specialty course in the Educational Technology Management graduate program before the thesis courses coupled with the security involved in my new position I am not sure I have enough time and relevant information to continue posting valuable posts. Part of the blog serves as an audit trail so I may start a new one focusing on the Ed Tech side as I adapt to the empty nest status.

The transition is interesting, apartment hunting, learning new state laws, seeing old friends, making new ones, saying hello and goodbye to those who do not use technology.

My ties to Georgia are not cut with my daughter and mother still residing in the house which I still pay property taxes for in GA. I have not lost contact with those who still reside there but where do the blog posts tie into this transition?

I will make the decision this weekend and keep everyone posted.
As always comments are always welcome.

Shadow Issues

One reading assignment describes shadow issues that can be experienced in the online learning environment.

For those of you who teach or attend school online...how do you deal with shadow issues? For those who use an personal learning network for personal and professional growth...how do you deal with shadow issues?

I know that everyone has some type of agenda when they enter a learning environment, online or F2F. This sentence caught my attention from the text book: "But speaking from the Jungian perspective, community also has a shadow side-elements that are buried and unconscious-elements that we do not want to face" (Palloff & Pratt, 2007, p 53).

Coming from a military background and a committment to mission accomplishment, ground rules are established up front, best and worst case scenarios are discussed, and AARs provide information for lessons learned. The old soldier adage, "Adapt, Implement, and Overcome" is ingrained.

How do you deal with shadow issues?