PhD Update

In case anyone is on the edge of your seat about my PhD plans, I thought I should post again to say that I've decided not to apply at this time. Most of my reasons are listed in the previous post, but I also had a good talk with my mom about it on Monday. One of the things she suggested was that if I were supposed to be pursuing it at this time, I would probably feel more at peace about it and be more sure that it was God's plan. She reminded me that I really have been thinking about it and praying about it for over a year and a half, and I never have felt confident that it was the best choice for me. I also think that not applying now doesn't mean I won't ever decide to go for it. Knowing it may be more complicated later for a variety of reasons, I still think that if I ever choose to pursue the PhD, one of the most important factors will be that I know that I know that it's what I want to be doing. That sure-ness is really important to me, and I definitely don't have it now. So, instead of working on that application, I can start gathering information about the kinds of jobs that might be available in the places Mark is applying, and working on my resume.

Other than that, I have now started one of my two classes for EL/L, the Internet Technology for Language Teaching class. The professor is really into this area, and I've heard lots of great things about the class from people who took it last year. I know I'll learn a lot, and I think it will be good for me. I'm not necessarily the type who readily embraces new technology, and I often have a hard time thinking about how to apply it in teaching. But, already, I'm adapting an in-class activity he did with us yesterday to use with my class on Friday. Also, he's asked us to start a blog where we are supposed to write weekly posts related to the class. If that sounds interesting to you (I'll be telling more about the in-class activity after I try it out), you can find it here.