Transcript of the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable: February 15, 2018
Topic: Managing Our Time
We’ll discuss how we do this, and any tools or tips for managing and planning our time well as educators.
Moderator: Sheila Yoshikawa
Sheila Yoshikawa: Hi everyone, and welcome to the Virtual Worlds Education Roundtable. We meet on Thursdays at 12 noon SLT for an hour. 8pm In UK, 3pm EST.
Sheila Yoshikawa: VWER is a forum to educate and inform the community about issues that are important and relevant to education in virtual worlds. This is a public meeting, so we will be keeping a transcript. Please join the VWER group here in SL. If you are on Facebook, or Google+ please join our group there. Our group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/159154226946/, and our Google+ community at https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/101630374387475211030 Also find and post pictures to our Flickr group and follow us on Twitter @VWER. When you blog or tweet, please remember to include the tag #vwer. you can catch up on our tweetchat at #vwer.
Sheila Yoshikawa: I am moderating today. The topic for this week’s meeting will be: “Managing and Planning our time” This is because I felt i wasn’t managing my time very well lol
Wisdomseeker (lissena): smiles
Sheila Yoshikawa: Let’s start as we normally do and introduce ourselves. As usual we will be in text chat for the whole session.
Sheila Yoshikawa: So I teach and research in the Information School at the University of Sheffield, UK
ThinkererSelby Evans (thinkerer.melville): Selby Evans, blogger. Library/Education time in Cybalounge (Mondays 10 to 11 am Pacific time) https://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2018/02/2018-ww-libraryeducation-time-in.html Video from Cybalounge meeting on Library/Education. The meeting time is Mondays 10 to 11 am Pacific time at https://nonprofitvirtualworld.org/
Marly (marly.milena): Niela Miller, www.peoplesystemspotential.com — therapist,coach,multi-artist, facilitator. Octagon:Creative Exploration group
Wisdomseeker (lissena): I am owner of Inspiration Island, CEO of Whole Brain Health brain-training program. FB: Virtual Inspiration Island; website: http://virtualinspirationisland.org.
Fuzz Difference: SL cloud, RL student, here just to listen and kill time
Sheila Yoshikawa: So, as I said, I thought of this topic as I was so pressed for time this week. In fact I had to be fairly well organised .to get a lot done. Still, I wasn’t well organised enough to give advance announcement of this week’s topic (mostly because I hadn’t had time to think of one) and that’s why the topic suggested itself. In fact I now use Google calendar at work, everyone does, as my university uses Google for email, Google Drive, and so forth, and I am trying to use that better as a planning tool. In other words, making sure i put planning and preparation onto the calendar, not just meetings and teaching slots. It helps me realise how I am trying to do too much ;-(
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): My main recommendation for saving time is to focus on the objective and keep on that target
Sheila Yoshikawa: Good advice Selby – though sometimes my enjoyment comes from the byways
Beth Ghostraven: I’ve been putting my planning and prep on my Google calendar too, as a means of being transparent with admin and staff, as I share the calendar with them
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): I use Google Calendar and Gmail
Marly (Marly Milena): I don’t take the time to find Google docs even though I have them as a storage system (also iCloud). Time management works better for me with a large monthly PAPER calendar on my desk plus a smaller paper datebook which I write in pencil in case I have to change appointments, etc. It’s right in front of me all the time
Beth Ghostraven: Marly, I used a paper planner for a long time, but being able to see my calendars on my phone outweighs everything else
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Marly I used to have a paper diary I took everywhere, but I spend almost all my time, when in my office (which is a LOT of time) in front of my computer
Marly (Marly Milena): I do not have a smartphone.
Beth Ghostraven: I do still use a paper wall calendar at home so I can stay synced with my husband
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): I put the time of events — and reminders– on my Google Calendar
Sheila Yoshikawa: and also I have an ipad where I can also access the calendar
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): the syncing among devices is a big plus
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Selby yes reminders are useful too. I was very resistant to giving up my paper diary
Marly (Marly Milena): I have an iPad (my upstairs computer ) and a large desktop one with 27 inch monitor for SL especially!
Sheila Yoshikawa: 27 inch – nice and big!
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): the most important thing for me is to use Pomodoro and/or a kitchen timer to remind me to get up from the computer when I am working on something engrossing
Sheila Yoshikawa: what is Pomodoro?
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): app
Sheila Yoshikawa: what does it do?
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): like a timer
Sheila Yoshikawa: ah
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): with a tomato, lol
Sheila Yoshikawa: I had something that used to nag me in SL if I had been logged on for a long time, but it was too annoying and i switched it off
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): reminds me of whatever I want to be reminded of
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): lol Sheila
Marly (Marly Milena): I vary tasks to stay alert. I have what I want to accomplish in a day on my paper calendar
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): it was supposed to annoy you
Sheila Yoshikawa: So it seems like some people use reminder apps or reminder features on calendars
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol yes but I used my freedom of will to silence it @Liss
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): hahaha
Sheila Yoshikawa: I find I have most difficulty in being realistic about how long something will take, like teaching prep, even after all these years! Sometimes I get too interested, sometimes it just takes longer to review, change and revise or rethink. I think a strength I have is questioning and revising, but also perhaps I should try and quell this urge
Marly (Marly Milena): Oh, that’s interesting, Sheila. Why do you suppose you don’t learn from prior experience?
Sheila Yoshikawa: I am ever hopeful that I can cram 2 hrs work into 1, and also I think also I am expected to do too much…..
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): it’s interesting, because I am a coach mostly for academics and time management is a big issue for many of them — they have so much to do in reality
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): and the women take it more seriously than the men I find
Sheila Yoshikawa: are any of you familiar with “inside out doughnut” concept?
Beth Ghostraven: Sheila, no, what’s that?
Sheila Yoshikawa: the management expert Charles Handy
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): sounds interesting Sheila
Sheila Yoshikawa: the idea that modern work has less identifiable boundaries – the doughnut is to be thought of as one with a hole in the middle
Sheila Yoshikawa: but sort of the hole goes to the outside, you can’t see the boundary between your work and the rest of your life, so it seems like you have never been successful, never “finish”. The idea was from 20 or 30 years ago, but even more relevant now I think, when students will be messaging me on Google+ or email at all times
Marly (Marly Milena): https://www.theguardian.com/business/2005/jan/16/theobserver.observerbusiness22
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): People who teach online complain about this a lot @Sheila
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes thank you Marly that’s it. I haven’t returned to him for a while but i found Charles Handy’s work useful
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): in some ways online classes demand more from teachers
Marly (Marly Milena): There are a number of posts about it. Just google Charles Handy, Inside Out Donut
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes I spend more time on them, also like the class I was teaching this afternoon that is flipped
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): yes, those too
Sheila Yoshikawa: Business Intelligence, first I had to revise the videos for them to view before the session, and then the session is a series of activities, and because it is business, and they are researching companies; everything has to be checked
Marly (Marly Milena): What is difficult for me is dealing with people who are really loosy goosy about time management. It is so frustrating!
Sheila Yoshikawa: in what way loosy goosy?
Marly (Marly Milena): People who just can’t keep track of appointments, double schedule, keep needing to change arrangements, are late for everything, etc
Sheila Yoshikawa: we are talking and managing our time
Sheila Yoshikawa: Hi Stranger
Stranger Nightfire: hello Sheila
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): grins at Marly
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes, people who think their time is the only time that matters and do how they want? @Marly
Stranger Nightfire: I know, obviously I am in need of it
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): lol Stranger
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol no, we were not delaying the start for you ;-)) @Stranger
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): none of us perfect
Sheila Yoshikawa: most certainly I am not perfect!
Marly (Marly Milena): I think what you were talking about before, Sheila, is a key point ie not recognizing how long things really take and accounting for unforseen time needs
Sheila Yoshikawa: In fact I used to be someone who was predictably late for private-life appointments though I think I am better now
Beth Ghostraven: me too, Sheila; I used to look at being early as a waste of valuable time, lol
Sheila Yoshikawa: It doesn’t help if you are working in a situation where those above you are not thinking about how you might manage your time – if you are told everything is urgent and important
Marly (Marly Milena): Also, as Liss and I know well….needing to say no to some requests and projects!
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol Beth exactly
Sheila Yoshikawa: but my husband is someone who will arrive half an hour early, we have had many words about this lol
Sheila Yoshikawa: Yes, that is so important @Liss
Sheila Yoshikawa: I am still not as good as I should be
Sheila Yoshikawa: iI meant @Marly
Beth Ghostraven: Sheila, same here! My father-in-law considered being late not just inconvenient but a sin
Sheila Yoshikawa: Some time management problems I have are a result of NOT saying “no”
Marly (Marly Milena): Sheila, when higher-ups insist you have to get x, y or z done, do you ever feel you can question it?
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): I only go to web meetings — they save much time — But then I am retired
Marly (Marly Milena): Selby, I am also retired from what I did before, but still feel as though I work/play full time, composing, doing art, mentoring, and the stuff here
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Marly yes, but it is not always just to do with higher-ups. For example, I was asked at short notice to coordinate and teach a class for a colleague who was having her knee replaced (in fact it was replaced last week) and I made some restrictions
Sheila Yoshikawa: and i was angry because my head of dept had known about this since early December
Marly (Marly Milena): Yay Sheila!
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Bob Carter > Quotes > Quotable Quote
“Poor planning on your part does not necessitate an emergency on mine.”
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): I love it when people admit to their flaws! So refreshing. My biggest one is going in too many directions at once sometimes
Marly (Marly Milena): Love that quote, Sel
Beth Ghostraven: oh, Selby, that’s the first time I’ve seen that quote attributed! thank you!
Marly (Marly Milena): I join you in that, Liss
Sheila Yoshikawa: but at the end of the day I and my colleagues on this programme wanted to create a good experience for our students and I wanted to support my colleague having surgery
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes I also like that quotation!
Sheila Yoshikawa: “going in too many directions at once “
Sheila Yoshikawa: also exactly me
Sheila Yoshikawa: I think a strength but also a weakness
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): The lead secretary in our department had that quote in a sign on her desk
Sheila Yoshikawa: but part of the fun of life too for me….. going one straight furrow all the time would be so boring, but it is part of what creates time management problems!
Marly (Marly Milena): I am a naturally enthusiastic person who responds to ideas people have for this or that, plus all the possible projects in my head. I have had to learn what my limitations are in responding!
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): fortunately I belong to a mastermind group where I can confess and not exactly get absolved but get some accountability going–which sometimes helps (not often)
Marly (Marly Milena): 🙂 Liss
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol perhaps in another 15 years or so i will have learnt restraint
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Liss how do you confess?
Sheila Yoshikawa: or do I mean what do you confess
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): that I didn’t finish this or that when I said i would
Marly (Marly Milena): Forgive me MMG for I have sinned Hahaha
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): because I had too many things on my plate. I take responsibilities way too seriously
Sheila Yoshikawa: I confess also, I procrastinate and don’t answer emails when I know I should say “no” but I’d like to say “yes”
Marly (Marly Milena): Question: when other people let you down and mismanage time that involves your participation, how do you handle it?>> Anyone?
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): smiles at Sheila and nods
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): The key to effective procrastinating is to start early.
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Marly I try to be assertive and calm – to tell them how I feel about it but not be confrontational
Beth Ghostraven: Marly, your question reminds me of doing group work in school
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): @Marly–I remember that I can do that too and try to work with them on finding a better way to handle things
Sheila Yoshikawa: however, sometimes it seems to much hassle and emotional effort
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): The secret of patience is doing something else in the meantime.
Beth Ghostraven: I hate confronting people, so I usually just do the work myself if I can
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): so true Thinkerer
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Waiting is a choice. Whether you intend to choose it or not.
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): humility helps me put things in perspective
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): What do you plan to do in the next half-hour?
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Do you know the difference between “I can’t do it” and “I can’t do it yet?”
Marly (Marly Milena): I find that I am much more <forgiving> with friends, people I have known for awhile, people who have bigger challenges in their lives than I do.
Sheila Yoshikawa nods
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Think with your mouth closed.
Marly (Marly Milena): We just work around it
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): haha Think
Sheila Yoshikawa: 😉
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): You can always think of what you should have said after you mail the letter.
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): There is a time to plan. A time to act. A time to know what time it is.
Sheila Yoshikawa: I certainly think – don’t text or email before you have had a good think – it can waste time sorting things out after a careless email – not good management
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): The one good thing about doing something you hate is you get it off your to-do list.
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): you are on a roll today, Selby!
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Selby, yes
Sheila Yoshikawa: but I’m not good at delayed gratification
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Missing a deadline is just nature’s way of teaching us how to schedule.
Sheila Yoshikawa is tired and therefore happily admitting to her faults
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): My collection: https://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2012/12/2012-tkr-quick-quotes-about-time.html
Sheila Yoshikawa: thank you Selby!
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): @Sheila–love you for it
Sheila Yoshikawa: 😉
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): no fair, Selby–a cheat sheet!
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): If you don’t want to do it now, schedule it.
Marly (Marly Milena): I was waiting for that. Selby….I imagined you had a whole list of these truisms somewhere!
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): If you don’t want to schedule it, forget about it.
Sheila Yoshikawa: like “God must love procrastinators. He made so many of us.”
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): If you don’t want to forget about it, schedule it.
Marly (Marly Milena): Here’s a thought as well…If you feel resistant to, or dread, a task, break it down to see just which part of it is bothering you. You might ask for help with that part
Sheila Yoshikawa: I also try to find people who I know will prompt me or even nag me a little, but in a constructive way
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Marly yes that is true
Marly (Marly Milena): nudge
Marly (Marly Milena): Haha
Marly (Marly Milena): Combo
Sheila Yoshikawa: though e.g. with marking (grading) I don’t like any of it
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Warning! Dates on calendar are closer than they appear.
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol so true
Beth Ghostraven: sometimes I just need to take a nap first :o)
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): It is never too late to use an idea. It is just too early for the next time you need it
Sheila Yoshikawa: I will just mention https://trello.com/ Trello, which is an application I have found useful for planning little projects
Marly (Marly Milena): @Beth, or get a cup of tea and a piece of dark chocolate (my remedy for everything) LOL
Sheila Yoshikawa: especially with several people involved
Beth Ghostraven: mmm, yes Marly
Sheila Yoshikawa: in that it is comfortingly like post-it notes
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): If you sleep on it, you’ll find out how it looks in the morning.
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): it is good for projects Sheila
Sheila Yoshikawa: not too complex, but helps to break a project into parts and schedule them
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Liss so you have used it too?
Sheila Yoshikawa: @Marly I am addicted to chocolate
Beth Ghostraven: Joyce Bettencourt uses Trello for OSCC planning
Stranger Nightfire: dates are closer… love that one!
Stranger Nightfire: I resemble that remark
Sheila Yoshikawa: BTW just to mention I found my inventory (from last week) – I had to delete my inventory file on my PC and go to a deserted sim and let the inventory compile
Marly (Marly Milena): Me too, the extra dark kind….and word games on my iPad…that eats up time. Can’t decide whether it’s good <food> or not. My brain sure loves it!
Beth Ghostraven: Sheila, I hope it worked!
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): empty cache?
Sheila Yoshikawa: yes it did
Sheila Yoshikawa: just my inventory cache, by deleting the actual file, not the main cache @Liss
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): yes
Sheila Yoshikawa: “If you sleep on it, you’ll find out how it looks in the morning.” I have noticed that a few times lately – I can work into the night, but new insights often seem to pop up in the morning
Sheila Yoshikawa: (was re-quoting from Selby there)
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Your brain keeps working during sleep
Sheila Yoshikawa: Actually taking a break by discussing things in VWER also has a refreshing effect for me!
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): Those sudden insights are so precious, out of the blue
Marly (Marly Milena): Dreams are one main way I have accessed ideas, priorities, etc
Sheila Yoshikawa: I often find my dreams are rather obvious to interpret, at least it seems obvious how they relate
Sheila Yoshikawa: “I didn’t realise that was worrying me so much” for example
Marly (Marly Milena): The thing about dreams is that they have layers. What is obvious is the first layer
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): I suggest thinking about a vexing task just before preparing for bed. You may wake up in the middle of the night with the solution
Sheila Yoshikawa: does that work for you @Selby?
Marly (Marly Milena): Also with the answer to the question, Where did I put x?
Sheila Yoshikawa: I think as often it means I don’t sleep well…..
Sheila Yoshikawa: lol @Marly
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Yes — Has for years — In high school I did that often with proofs in geometry
Sheila Yoshikawa: So just a few minutes left this week
Sheila Yoshikawa: By the way next week Camie is leading an “open forum”
Sheila Yoshikawa: any last tips or wise advice on managing time?
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Val and I have web-world meetings in Cybalounge on Mondays
Marly (Marly Milena): Just want to tell folks I am doing an Immersive session prior to VWBPE on March 12. Watch for announcement – 11am-1230pm SLT
Sheila Yoshikawa: I was just thinking – I have a 20 min walk to work in the morning – that is a good time for thinking! good use of time (walking and letting my mind roam)
Wisdomseeker (Lissena): the shower is good too Sheila
ThinkererSelby Evans (Thinkerer Melville): Or when exercising
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