PowerPoint

The international video conference I was going to have with the first grade in Chicago was set for Wednesday.  However, since I was going to be transmitted live and commenting on the PowerPoint I had made, we had scheduled a practice run for Monday morning.  I was to have uploaded my PowerPoint to Google Docs and then on Monday I would video call my friend Jenn Harrison (who was Ms. Bewley when she taught first grade my first year at Lockeland, so to me she's always "Bewley") on gmail, skype, or iChat- whichever gave us the best luck.  

She was one of my recommendation letter writers for this exchange and had confidence I would receive the award from the application process.

She teaches at a very cool private school in Chicago.  This is her third year there.  I got to visit the school my first visit to see her almost three years ago.  They have Spanish at their school, so I was of course interested in seeing her in her element.  The first graders there study Mexico and even have a (huge) production called Fiesta in May.  There are songs, dances and food.  As soon as I knew I had gotten the Fulbright, Bewley asked if we could try to do something together.  The whole first grade at her school has written letters to my first graders (in Spanish no less) and we had planned for me to do this video conference.

I ended up throwing the presentation together more than preparing it the way I had intended.  However, I was well aware of my audience and ended up doing a pretty decent, even if rushed, job.  It was mostly pictures that would be accompanied by my verbal explanation.

Of course, when Sunday night rolled around and I tried to upload it to Google Docs, it was too big to fit.  Then I tried to email it.  Obviously too big for that, too.

What's a girl to do at the last minute?

I did the best I could; I sent Bewley an email stating what had happened, offering to break my presentation into pieces to email on Monday.

Lucky for me, she's the level-headed type.