Two weeks ago I was my Masters at Royal Roads University. June 10th. I have an assignment to keep a daily learning journal, and choose to post it on this blog. I hope it is of interest to some of you, and intend on expanding my communications as an environmental educator more through blogging.
Journal Entries of Jamie Black
June 10th, 2013
Eeeeeh! Today is the first day of the rest of my life! I have been so excited to start my program, and yet for some reason, I am not receiving any emails, there must be something wrong. I am going to call RRU right away, because I might miss something!
It turns out that my forwarding email address wasn’t working, and although I didn’t miss much, I had also missed a few things. Time to review what I missed.
June 11th, 2013
This distance education is kind of fun, and yet, I am still getting used to the RRU framework. I wonder if I am missing something. I wonder how I am supposed to interact with my fellow peers. Maybe I will send in a post, just to see if anyone responds?
June 12th, 2013
I absolutely love that I get to sit having tea in my pajamas and I’m already in my classroom. What a novel concept this technology business. As much as us environmentalists hate technology, it sure allows us to do more of what we love! I ordered my book for my other class, and look forward to getting started. I have been waiting to dive into some great research, and everything that I have been reading is RIGHT up my alley!
June 13th, 2013
I hope I am writing about the right stuff. The assignment says “Mixed Media Learning Journal” I wonder if I’m supposed to add photos and video here? I think using my blog is a great start! I started this blog back in 2012, and it was initially for a Nature Based Leader Ship, but that didn’t fly, so now I’m turning it back into SoLe Adventure, my community enterprise.
June 14th, 2013
I feel like I have come to be in the best place in my life. A lot of doors are closing, and a lot of new doors are opening. Just two weeks ago I was hired for RLC Park Services as a manager interpreter. I am SO privileged! I was hired because of my skills, my background and my knowledge. I feel like I am on top of my game, and that I am exactly where I am supposed to be! Now I get to teach Canoeing again, and Wilderness Skills. I LOVE MY LIFE!!! When I had my interview with my new Manager Alli, and Rick the owner of the company, I felt so powerful and ready for this position. When I told them that I had a residency in the middle of the busiest part of the year, I thought they wouldn’t hire me. Look at my now, starting to plan my residency, AND have this great job! I get my cake and eat it too!
June 15th, 2013
Things really are shifting in my life, and I am making massive changes toward Mastery. What an empowering word. MY MASTERS. I have enjoyed mastering skills my whole life, now I am mastering the power of my mind through Environmental Education. Gosh, this conversation starter really is an amazing thing! People are in awe of my plan. I’m going for my Masters. “In what?” they would ask. “Environmental Education and Communication” and they would say “Of course you are, that’s perfect for you!” I feel so privileged to have this opportunity!
June 16th, 2013
I am starting to feel like Ann Frank. Who would have thought that writing a public journal could be so influential and rewarding at the same time. Maybe some day a young environmentalist will come across my words and be inspired to DO SOMETHING, even if it’s wrong!
June 17th, 2013
I am having to move back into the Motor home, which is kind of perfect because I get to stay in my mommy’s motor home at Gold Stream Park in Victoria. One of my co-workers (with RLC Park Services at Gold Stream) lives through the park and out on the ocean, and I get to park there for the 3 weeks of residency. I AM SO STOKED!!! I am packing my bags now, I wonder if I should bring my climbing gear?
June 18th, 2013
It is amazing how lucky I am to be doing what I love, getting ready to go to a castle for schooling, and lining up my life! I am currently training a staff member to take my place, and ensuring that he has all the tools and resources that he needs to get things underway!
We are starting a new Tour Van with our company offering tours to Horne Lake for Canoeing and Caving, and another Tour to Cathedral Grove for an interp. tour. Gosh, I couldn’t be more perfectly placed!
June 19th, 2013
Wow, what am I learning now… I am learning that I really need to remind myself to do my homework. I need to schedule and set aside time to get things done! No wonder my manager would prefer that I do work at work, rather than at home because there are so many distractions here!
I am curious as to whether or not I am doing the right thing with these two courses. I don’t really know when things are due, or what I am meant to read, and I find myself flipping between documents, notes on my computer in Word, and the online course description to make sense of it all. I could just ask for help hahaaaa!
June 20th, 2013
Whew, in the flux of moving and shifting. I love that first question that was asked “When bringing things to an end in my life, how do I cope.” Hahahaa, I lose sleep, burn what I don’t need, give away the useful things, change everything around, tell all my friends, and intentionally make time for self care, because I know I’m burning the candle at both ends!
June 21st, 2013
I have been doing some readings, and wonder if I’m supposed to be writing about these readings. I don’t think I will yet, because I have a lot to review, and am not sure what I want to focus on yet. I have to write an autobiography of hope. I am very excited about where this will take me! Gosh I feel like I am in the right place!
June 22nd, 2013
My work is incredibly busy, and I am doing my best to juggle making time for studying and interacting (I haven’t really seen where I am supposed to communicate with others) aside from the forums, but I don’t really see what is going on there. I am almost packed… that reminds me of a song I wrote
“Pack my life in a closet, close the door
Cast a glance on my past, take a step forward
Seeing all I am, and what I wanna be
Smiling to the faces that smile back at me.”
June 23rd, 2013
There is a lot to be said about how easy technology has allowed us to manifest our lives and communicate our world. People say they get overwhelmed, but I find that I just search for what I want, and block out all the rest. I don’t watch tv, or listen to the radio. I don’t read the newspaper (unless someone tells me I’m in it). I don’t go searching news online. I simply research what I want when I want it, and have a handy dandy laptop that goes real fast. Even all the extra emails in my inbox, I just delete them. I don’t feel overwhelmed… I just feel whelmed!
I handed in my Autobiography of hope tonight. I hope it is what I’m supposed to do. I think I was supposed to reference my photos though… and I don’t know if I’m allowed to have a colored background… but it looks way better that way!
June 24th, 2013
Another busy day… whew! Mondays are such a powerful, get’er done day. I feel like I’m really procrastinating on my homework though. I think I’ll do that now!
June 25th, 2013
I am so excited that this program encourages me to blog. I have been studying the power of blogging through www.empowernetwork.com I have SO much to learn, and yet feel like I am WAY ahead of the game, because a few years ago, I decided that Social Media was a fabulous tool, and researched it, then started to teach it. I think that Blogging is one of the best ways to share your story, it incorporates my writing style and caters to those who prefer good old fashion words, then pictures say a thousand words, and then youtube, what a fabulous tool, and it’s the 2nd highest search engine aside from Google. People want to connect and experience more than just reading, and videos are as close to reality as you can get! Envoking emotions and using more senses! What a wonderful world we live in!