I Am Ready For This

Thrown together, from all over the country (though California is heavily represented, myself included), 16 people are gathered together, all starting their Masters program in Learning Technologies at Pepperdine University, Graduate School of Education and Psychology. They stay in dorms, hang out all day and it turns out, they actually like one another. During the course of the week they are given the following tasks: imagine a yo-yo in space...does it work, make a portrait poster, build lego robots that can make through a Goonies inspired obstacle course while The Goonies plays in the background, build sandcastles, pretend it's 2 years down the road at a party and you are introducing yourself to a friend and handing them your business card, and chop vegetables. And delicious snacks are there for the taking.

Totally what I expected of my grad school orientation. Yeah, not so much. 

Myself and 16 others are preparing to walk together for the next year. It will be hard work. There is no doubt about it. I have spent this last week observing, laughing, listening, absorbing and questioning. I am thinking about brain and what makes them tick. Why do I like editing video but am not so game for coding (no pun intended)? Is this an opportunity to re-invent...to find my 2.0? What future do I want to create? What are my student's brains doing? How does this experience translate to my classroom? Is the Lego robot challenge going to ever work? 

I am supposed to ask the why and find answers.

Right now, I have no answers.

My brain is full. 

I am ready. 

But...maybe remind me 6 months from now.

I am not a gamer

This has been a constant thought since the days of Nintendo. I am not a gamer.  Day 2 of this grad school thing was spent creating a game...coding. Then, I was informed that the first assignments to be completed involved playing video games. Not just one, but multiple video games. I do not find this to be at all appealing. Further more, each group is responsible for building (I'm good with that) and coding a lego robot.

But wait, I play poker and word games on my phone. Does that make me a gamer? And, how about this, I sort of enjoyed the coding we did today. I mean, I could not do it as a job on daily basis, but I didn't hate it.

So I am left with this: Why is it that "I am not a gamer"?
What is my hesitation and discomfort? Why do I have this "eh" feeling. Why is it that when I think of completing the gaming assignments, my first thought is to find a pet shop game intended for children? What is this tech phobia? Not technology, but technical.

Most games today are story based. I love story.

I spend way to much time watching T.V. What is the difference between gaming and T.V.?

One is passive?

Also, I helped make this today. The Hardest Game Ever. You should play.

And so it begins...

I started a Master's Program in Learning Technologies (MALT) at Pepperdine. For reals. Today is day 1. Cadre Camp. A time for "adults" to come together, get to know one another and become oriented. Living at Pepperdine is not a bad way spend the week. Sitting in a room with 15 new friends, exciting and slightly intimidating. Going over the program goals and classes...the winning combination of nausea and excitement. I am going to have to work and work hard. And yet, I feel like I can do this. Why?

I am ready for this, not because I feel like I know enough, but because I am ready. I am ready for this adventure. I am indeed feeling overwhelmed and slightly intimidated. So many different backgrounds are represented in this group. But...I feel like I can do this! After the overview today, I can say there are definitely aspects of the program that I am not looking forward to. Gaming. Not my thing. Never really has been, aside from Mario and Luigi and Duckhunt. But...I can do this. I am doing this.