Sue Waters

I have had a good laugh about the fact that my ranting has attracted more attention, than in my view, my great articles on technology. Does this mean that I think people are more interested in others misfortunes? NO. I know many of my audience value my technology posts but they also value learning more about the person who posts because it helps them connect and relate more with that individual; really not different from interacting with a person f2f. Ultimately there needs to be some connection for you to want to social network online with individuals. Which I believe is something Alex has hinted to me for a long time. Always good to get mentoring from the old and the wise (although he may well be younger than me?)

So this morning’s post is more insight into Sue Water’s the individual. As I pointed out in yesterday post people are always interested in how I ended up being an aquaculture (fish farming) lecturer. In fact Sean O’Driscoll even commented in the interview “I was wondering what your real job is?” Luckily enough aquaculture and technology are both my real job! As a result of my work with e-learning/m-learning I work half time as an aquaculture lecturer and half time teaching other lecturers how to use e-learning/m-learning with their students.

Did I plan to end up where I am? Nope! My mum only wanted one thing from me; to get a University education. So I went to University and got a Science degree – did a triple major in botany (study of plants), biochemistry (chemistry of living organisms) and microbiology (study of diseases). Finished Uni and decided I wanted to work as a botanist; my lecturer recommended a company who had just started up and were farming a microalge (a form of fish farming). Not quite the type of botany of was thinking of – but a job is a job. When this company retrenched most its staff, including me, one of the people knew someone who was managing a fish farm. So now I was working on a fish farming doing research and development on farming Mahi Mahi. mmmm fish compared to plants very similar. Eventually this job came to an end and one of my friends was working in Challenger TAFE’s R & D Hatchery, so I was lucky enough to get work doing research in the hatchery (involved in research on lots of different aquaculture species).

Time eventually came to have kids. Working in the hatchery at Challenger TAFE did not fit being a mother so I changed over to their training section and have been an aquaculture lecturer since. I have two kids (boys – 8 and 12), work full time and manage the household full time. Key is effectively coordination and a fantastic ability at multitasking (e.g. a person asked me how I manage to write my posts early in the morning – easy blow drying my hair with one hand – although I wish I was more like Graham who does it on his PDA but when I am at work I am normally multitasking so don’t have any hands free).

Best bits

1. Mahi Mahi is the absolute best fish I have ever worked with
2. Love working with the students – they keep me young and I learn so much from them
3. Love working with technology – always having my ideas/thoughts challenged and networking with others
4. Challenger TAFE is fantastic – I am lucky to work in such a great work environment – can they move the College closer? 45-60 minutes drive each way is too tiring