coComments related to Pair-a-dimes for Your Thoughts

We can still watch an old blac

2009-07-25T21:21:56.947+02:00

We can still watch an old black and white movie, but we don’t go out and buy a black & white tv that limits our ability to see what is available to us in colour. Yet we place unnecessary limits on what can happen in our schools and classrooms, “we need to learn how to educate in this media-scape”

a què ens encarem. Dave Truss,

2009-09-12T15:30:19.387+02:00

a què ens encarem. Dave Truss, Pair-a-dimes for Your Thoughts (un cèntim pel teu pensament). [L'enllaç] [etiquetes: Recerca, llibertat de premsa,grups de

things I’ve been reading and l

2009-06-30T07:34:53.382+02:00

things I’ve been reading and listening to lately, starting with Dave Truss’ recent open letter to the Fraser Institute on

I’m going to weigh in here aga

2009-04-16T23:39:27.377+02:00

I’m going to weigh in here again. But first, this is what Stephen Downes had to say about this post: While I agree with David Slocombe’s focus on finding a positive approach, and in the same vein agree with Heidi Hass Gable who says “Let’s Talk”… I also think, like Silvana, that ‘a real paradigm shift is needed’ and I’m not sure that shift is something on the radar with Peter Cowley and the F.I. I was intentionally rude and hurtful in my opening remarks of this post. Why? Because the ranking of schools is hurtful and misleading and insulting. I was intentionally judging the Fraser Institute on narrow paramaters just as they do to schools… I did so to make this point. And then Peter Cowley says, “I am sure you and I could think of other measurables in academics as well as many other aspects of schooling.” But here is the thing, even if I help the F.I. widen the ‘measurable’ parameters, they are still ranking schools and that in and of itself is not healthy or needed. I believe that schools should be held accountable to the communities they serve, and that schools have an obligation to provide a plan to improve themselves, (no matter how good or challenged they may be). I don’t believe that ranking schools achieves these goals. I don’t believe that the ranking is meaningful or informative to parents or educators, and I don’t believe that a better method of ranking will improve anything. I believe, like Dave Maclean and Stephen Downes, that F.I.’s motives are not altruistic and I cannot see myself investing time to work with people who do not share similar goals. When the ranking ends, the conversation can begin.

It is with hesitation that I c

2009-01-30T12:07:32.232+01:00

It is with hesitation that I comment on your post Dave. Not because I disagree, but because of the politically charged atmosphere that I am forced to function within as a result of the irresponsible propaganda that the Fraser Institute (F.I.) puts out.You have correctly pointed out some of the “altruistic” reasons the F.I.(Peter, please feel the drippings of pure sarcasm when I use the term altruistic) completes this inane task. I’d like to suggest a couple more motivations the F.I. has for misleading the public with its poorly formulated rankings.1. The Vancouver Sun newspaper, in which the rankings are published, is the number one purchased edition of the year. The revenue generated by this publication serves as motivation to perpetuate the lies. And don’t confuse its popularity for evidence of its quality. “Mall Cop” was the number one grossing movie last weekend and I can guarantee it won’t be up for “Best Picture”.2. It is in the interest of the F.I. to show that private schools like St. George’s are ranked higher than the public schools because this makes the right leaning supporters of the F.I. feel good about sending their children to these private schools.In addition to shedding some light on to the F.I.’s motivation for continuing to defraud the public’s view of our education system, I’d like to ask Peter some open letter questions. Perhaps he can respond to these questions in another comment here.Are you aware that for the past 5 years (at least) that the way in which you have been interpreting the data you have been collecting is dramatically flawed?I personally know of schools that are ranked near the top of your criteria where more than 80% of the eligible students did not even write the assessment. Your fix last year for this glitch (that you fail to publish as a caveat in any significant way in any of your publications) was to count all students who did not write the exam as a “0″. Therefore, schools who had special needs students, students with learning disabilities and low level ESL students who are unable to participate in an assessment like the FSA in a meaningful way were ranked lower on your scale.Are you consciously saying that schools with special needs students, learning disabled students and ESL students are inferior to schools without these students? (this is what your ranking system would seem to indicate)It is our diversity that makes our schools places of real learning. It is shameful, dare I say discriminatory, to promote homogenous school populations as being ranked higher.Peter, this is NOT a rant. It is a series of concerns that I have about your institution. Please respond directly to my points so that we can continue to have a public discussion about the merits of your work.As a separate point, I’d like to say that the FSA’s, when used appropriately, are a decent tool for shaping provincial initiatives around curriculum, for guiding district resource funding, for shaping school plans and for understanding trends within our education system.This was the intention of the FSA’s when they were first brought into existence. Peter, please tell me why you and your institute are not listening to every voice in education that is saying what you are doing is harmful to our children, teachers and schools?Dave MacLean BC Elementary School Principalps. Thank you for providing your phone number Peter. I look forward to the opportunity to discuss this further with you.

Your points 3 and 4 resonate w

2009-07-26T07:27:21.222+02:00

Your points 3 and 4 resonate with me! I just happened upon this blog, and find it most fascinating… as we are trying to make the leap from a traditional style with computers to more radical e-learning, while at the same time staying experiential/ relationship based…. I’ll be interested in continued dialogue about how to do this…. Look forward to reading more of your blog! ARK

Where’s The Beef?…My brain is

2009-03-26T05:36:36.934+01:00

Where’s The Beef?…My brain is buzzing from so much learning. The combination of Edubloggercon East and BLC is almost too…

I’m thankful that you did thre

2008-11-24T04:45:52.646+01:00

I’m thankful that you did three presentations at BLC08. I was fortunate enough to see both the first and the last, and a colleague of mine attended the second. You made an impact on people at all three, for what it’s worth. Anyway, my brain is full as well. I am challenged to bring what I learned at BLC08 into my life and work. I left BLC08 inspired. I still feel this way, and I am working to put what I’ve learned into action one small step at a time. Thank you for your sharing your thoughts.

Dude…don’t get me started… I w

2009-08-29T22:21:07.804+02:00

Dude…don’t get me started… I wrote a post a year back called the “Futilitarian State” . It was at about this time of year when I was reading a plethora of report cards. I can’t stand grades and everything they stand for. Their purpose is no greater than serving as a comparison tool so that the Jones can say that their kid is learning. They have no real meaning. It is like money. It doesn’t have real value unless the government says it does. Grades give parents an excuse not to participate in children’s learning. THEY SUCK and are the scourge of learning. But other than that they are great.

engagement of each student’s r

2009-05-31T13:53:27.532+02:00

engagement of each student’s role in the group, Dave Truss used as inspiration for his post, Chasing the A, a link to an extensive student blog post: Why our education system is failing. Written in the

what you value about twitter.

2009-03-22T15:43:02.118+01:00

what you value about twitter. • To see what others value about twitter. • To celebrate the power and wisdom of your Personal Learning Network. • To find interesting people to follow on Twitter. • To

Hey David,Just wanted to thank

2009-01-19T04:22:39.832+01:00

Hey David,Just wanted to thank you for cluing me into Diigo Classroom. I’ve been using Diigo for a while now with my students to help them track their online research for sourcing their material.Keep the ideas rolling!TW

to both of you – huge bravo. t

2009-10-28T23:25:17.787+01:00

to both of you – huge bravo. the ipod interview brought me here. well and then after i found her on twitter – with like 2 tweets – one saying…wondering how i can shake my class up. then dave tweets to me…She REALLY has no pre-conceived notions of what a classroom 'should' look like, so she asks herself, What's possible? -Then tries.beautiful. what a role model.

Hey Dave!I’m in the same frame

2009-04-20T08:14:40.475+02:00

Hey Dave!I’m in the same frame of mind, but I spend the first half of the year working on the kids routines, and the second I start integrating their POD’s…

What an excellent example of a

2009-01-24T18:45:41.946+01:00

What an excellent example of a digital teacher. Thanks for highlighting her work here Dave. She will be an exciting teacher to watch and learn from as she moves forward with her career.

Great article, David. Each yea

2008-10-19T16:33:36.126+02:00

Great article, David. Each year I provide lessons on Internet safety to the incoming gr. 8s. I have a Facebook account so that I can walk students through setting up the privacy settings on FB. It concerns me that: - at least 1/2 the class say their parents consider the child to be the computer expert in the family. - at least 1/2 have no idea that the privacy settings exist in FB let alone use them. They truly believe that only their friends can see their pages. They don’t understand how the network works.I also show them the section of the user agreement that states that while you own any content you put on FB, FB asserts the right to using it pretty much any way they see fit.I ask them how they would feel if their grandma were to see their FB page. I stress that ‘what goes online stays online.’One activity I do is to pass out current news articles about Internet safety or cyber bullying and ask the students what the problem in the story is and how they could prevent it from happening to them.For the most part they are eager to hear what I have to say and many comment that they will change the way they present themselves online. I don’t accept students as friends on FB. I really don’t want to put myself in the position of having to do something about an activity a student may reveal online.Last year in our school the counsellors reported that the #1 problem that students came to them about was cyberbullying. Scary!

awwww shucks you are just too

2008-10-17T04:25:25.489+02:00

awwww shucks you are just too nice a guy…….you sure you are Canadian.?…just kidding!ps Classroom 2.0 is not what I thought it would be…funny how you idealise what something will be like only to find the reality is something completely different….I blame that on computers….. it is 7.30 pm here cold and raining…

Having anticipated this respon

2008-10-14T11:48:50.611+02:00

Having anticipated this response( not saying that Canadians are predictable or anything) some issues need to be seperated…firstly are you on face book because you feel you should be there or because your managers tell you not to be….secondly if it is not appropriate for a 40 plus man to be “friends” with a teenage student offline why is it online? If you are claiming that the definition of friends on face book is different from real time, you are out of touch with your studentts After a series of debates online and off teenagers tell me explicitly that its the same thing for them…..so adult reality is not their reality, hence the student sending you what she sent to lots of her friends…she was not making the distinction either. You really think teachers online are role models hmmmmm I think if anyone actually did some research they would probably find that teachers online can only affect the students they know. Technology blurs everything and aids miscommunication of all types. On a personal note I have been on this internet long enough to see plenty of teachers behaving in a far more unpleasant, and inappropriate manner than any student. I do not think you can assume that because one is a teacher one is automatically a “good person” I am not saying teachers should not be on facebook, socialiy networking. I am saying it does not appear prudent to socially network with children, for whatever reason. Finally your examples of teachers tackling cyber bullies occurred after the fact, just as it would in real time….in effect you cannot police facebook…..unless you take total control of the system….. ….I think we will always disagree on this…ps can I also take this opportunity to apologise for my typos on the previous post. I decided quite a while back that I would only ever multi task on here, that is do several other tasks not just sit in front of a screen….so yes my point, I was cooking dinner, doing the laundry and writing class notes, as well as responding to your post so hmmm typos happen!!!!

Hi David, I find myself in dis

2008-10-08T17:24:57.089+02:00

Hi David, I find myself in disagreement with you on this issue, the trouble with technology is it has begun to blur the conventional lines of social acceptability. Facebook is primarily a social networking site….hence somne many young people choosing to have one. Your claim that a teacher presence on these types of sites would prevent bully and inappropriate behaviour etc may be true, but my opinion is this ….if these kids are typing these things openly on their profiles they are in effect, bluffing for the most part. My issue is the subversive stuff that may be bubbling just under the surface that may be pushed way down deep and lead to more extreme behaviour because kids become aware that teachers are policing facebook. Ultimately, whilst the thought of teachers preventing all kinds of ghastly things happening to kids is a great one, eventually responsible for their online bahaviour has to reside with them. In conclusion I believe the biggest threat to children online is not each other,but online adult predators posing as kids, teachers etc on places like facebook and in chat rooms. I would love facebook…which both my children have … to be a place where kids can network freely and responsibly….but until human nature is free of imperfections the incidents you describe will continue happening whether teachers are there or not.

Hi Dave, Great post – and I ha

2008-10-07T23:25:21.020+02:00

Hi Dave, Great post – and I have to agree with your comments on responsibility. Parents are too often saying “I don’t know that stuff” and letting it go at that – or trying to ban their kids from using it (like that works!).The first time Dave Sands did his presentation at our District Parent Advisory Council meeting, I was blown away by the power of his message. The funny thing, though, was that so many parents walked away that night saying “but I didn’t learn how to use facebook!” They get stuck in thinking that they need to be experts and know all about the technology before they can engage with their kids!I’ve seen this kind of “I need to be the expert first” approach in teachers as well. Why do we all get stuck on this? I think we need to get comfortable enough to LEARN WITH our children, instead of thinking we have to TEACH TO! Actually, I’m often amazed at what my children teach ME – and how incredibly empowering that is for them!This is a path we walk together and we just have to keep talking about it, getting the message out and encouraging both parents and teachers to stay involved in children’s lives! Whether it’s face to face, over a telephone, via email or on facebook – it’s still a human relationship that needs to be nurtured!Thanks for the conversation! Heidi

Thanks for your comments!John,

2008-10-06T04:16:06.958+02:00

Thanks for your comments!John, I love this point: It goes well with my point that, “We are thoughtful and intentional in our engagement with students in our schools and our classrooms… and we should be thoughtful and intentional in our engagement with students online.” And it serves as a reminder that we are digitally ‘exposed’, something Elaan comments on as well. Jan, I understand your point about ‘bully’ and ‘victim’ as polarities that may hinder learning, but I also think that it is important to use the same language on and offline. Cyberbullying is a horrible form of bullying because of the permanence of the damage as well as the ability for it to spread. It has active and passive bystanders just like in offline bullying situations too. If you can come up with alternate words that convey that, I’ll be happy to use them! Also, here is a link to the blogging rules Jan referenced.Beth, Thanks for your thoughtful post response. Here is a link to the specific post. As I mention in my comment to you, “I think there are instances where a teacher may have a profile that they don’t want to share with students, but that is their choice and one that I respect. For others such as yourself and I, this is just another digital presence and one where we can meaningfully connect and ultimately teach or at least model appropriate behavior in.”Rozp, (and Cheryl) Thank you for sharing the great advice, and I think you touch on a point John was also touching on: “I am really beginning to wonder how teachers who have an extensive “social” presence online are coping with social media in education?” An excellent question that will make me think more about what advice I would give new teachers! (Teachers like the one Cheryl helped out)… and yes Cheryl, “learning is everywhere, all the time.” What a great point! Elaan, Your final comment really resonates with me, “We live in a world of digital media, like it or not. Instead of focusing on the potential for disaster, we need to be literate in the ways to use these technologies for “good”!” You are so right, the technology isn’t going anywhere, so sticking our heads in the sand won’t accomplish anything!

with individuals outside my da

2009-05-03T11:39:00.488+02:00

with individuals outside my day-to-day work environment, the benefits of being able to find a like-minded colleague without having the fortune of physically sharing a teaching space. But, over the last few years,

Darren began by noting that he

2008-09-22T18:14:56.546+02:00

Darren began by noting that he believed the positive message David Truss had posted in “Who Are the People In Your Neighborhood?“, but then asked

Dave Truss just posted this vi

2008-09-21T11:09:12.429+02:00

Dave Truss just posted this video which tells the story of his journey. He is a valuable part of my network and I wouldn’t know him if I hadn’t first done all of the things I’ve shared above.

second gift came from David Tr

2008-09-20T04:03:28.312+02:00

second gift came from David Truss at Pair-a-Dimes For Your Thoughts, who recently posted his own fantastic presentation. He took time out of his extremely busy schedule to sit down with me, talking through what I

Awesome is an overworked adjec

2008-09-18T20:57:44.195+02:00

Awesome is an overworked adjective….so I won’t use it here…I enjoyed the post it is interesting and at the same time unsettling, maybe because it has made me realise that I deliberately choose not to have a personal blog so I don’t generate an online network …the reason….I am not sure of yet….maybe its too time consuming….maybe what it offers does not replace the time it steals from me….maybe I don’t want to be part of a shadowy world but want to exsist in real time….maybe maybe maybe maybe…yesterday I never even questioned why I don’t ……today I want to know why I shouldn’t…….grrrrrrrLet me close with a question a 6 year old asked me in reading club “will cyber space ever get full ?” Surely the laws of physics demand that eventually if you keep putting stuff in things reach their limit? I told him to google it…..(eek)

Advice for Web 2.0 Newbies…Ang

2008-09-17T07:48:51.220+02:00

Advice for Web 2.0 Newbies…Angela Maiers, in her latest blog post, asked for some suggestions for people starting their Web 2.0 journeys.Here are a just a few:…

Such an awesome video and glad

2008-09-16T16:02:14.113+02:00

Such an awesome video and glad I made it in your video! Great job!Jeff McCord

there are laws and bylaws and

2009-09-24T02:25:54.219+02:00

there are laws and bylaws and rules in place to make sure that we are ‘protected’ from unexpected harm In the western world, common sense is not so common anymore. We’ve got the wrong mix of freedom, negative messages overload and total lack of positive attitudes or examples (or lack of media coverage to be honest, because scientific and humanitarian efforts make way less audience, therefore revenue, than american galdiators, hot babes or reality shows)

Thanks for your comments!Darcy

2009-06-18T11:48:07.989+02:00

Thanks for your comments!Darcy, You reminded me of a quote that I used in my presentation to this group in Louisiana:They can no longer write with a straight pen and nib.We parents must not allow them to wallow in such luxury to the detriment of learning how to cope in the real business world which is not so extravagant. -From PTA Gazette, 1941The ‘technology’ has changed, but the idea that these ‘new’ tools are “to the detriment of learning” hasn’t… at least for some, and it may not until that technology is boring and ‘invisible’ to them. Karenne, It is that sense of community you mention that we, who integrate technology meaningfully into what we do, try so hard get others to understand… keep sharing! Laura, One of the things I often plug is social bookmarking, because it is one area where teachers can see value for themselves, and I think when that happens it is only natural to want to share it with their students.Cindy, It is indeed hard to ‘tone it down’ and not be the technology evangelist! I really like your idea of keeping our own learning transparent! On that note, Jim sent some feedback from the Red group yesterday. It varied from: “…We were not overblown with too much information.” to “…Quite a few times I felt overwhelmed.”…and from “…Not only was he knowledgeable with the various technological ideas presented, but he also possesses a great knowledge of pedagogy.” to “He was very hard to follow and seemed to jump from one thing to the other. I would have benefited more from step by step instructions on some of the things he wanted us to learn about.” A few included requests for hand-outs too.This feedback was the only one to reference my PLN: “…You are so aware of the abundance of resources on the Internet that it makes it easy to see how much is available. Your PLN is awesome and I hope that I can create something similar in time…” I’ll spend more time looking over all the feedback, and I’m thankful for the candidness of some of them. My big picture lessons behind this? *We can’t be everything to everybody.*Be passionate and authentic. Case-in-point: “You really seemed to have a grip on what you were teaching. I also appreciated your openness and honesty about areas you are not an expert in.”*Sloooow down! I allowed people to move ahead, and I provided many places for participants to follow links and explore their own interests, so I should have spent more time with those that needed the step-by-step help. …there is always more to learn

“One of the challenges I face

2009-07-12T16:11:55.603+02:00

“One of the challenges I face is mastering one piece of technology before a newer one is introduced. I feel as though as soon as I become comfortable with one method of technology, I am asked to learn another and incorporate it into my teaching.”This really coincided with something that Elaan Bauder wrote as a guest blogger here on Pairadimes.

Heidi I would say the word ‘ac

2009-10-11T20:02:22.086+02:00

Heidi I would say the word ‘accountability’ pretty much sums up the reasoning that is behind the education system; that and NCLB legislation. It has pretty much tied teacher’s hands in the ability they have to branch out and do more non-traditional approaches to teaching. The academic teachers are too worried that if they try something new and the kids don’t pass the test, where will that leave them? At the school where I teach, one Math teacher had an Algebra student fail the Math portion of the 8th grade CRCT last year. You would not believe the fallout from this. This is a shame, as I worry that we are producing children (and teachers) who are much too concerned on getting the ‘right answer’ at the complete disregard for the thought process behind that answer. Yes, we should allow for individual differences but the question at the higher levels becomes, “How I can prove they’re doing their job if the way they teach doesn’t fit the evaluation tool?” In my district, we have a exiting Technology initiative that produces some great lessons using SMART and Promethean boards but when I suggested creating a county-wide directory for teachers to save these lessons to so that teachers at other schools could use them in their classrooms and use them to foster ideas for their own presentations, the only concern the supervisor had was the question of who was going to decide which ones were allowed to be posted there and who was going to be responsible to check them, Technology or Curriculum. She was worried about incorrect information being posted. When I said it didn’t matter and they didn’t need to be checked, each teacher who viewed or used the material had to be responsible to make sure the information was correct, that was not acceptable so the idea got dropped. So what this means is that dozens of grade level teachers are out there creating notebooks to use with their classes and unless they’ve set up a network to share with others, they’re all duplicating efforts for each and every lesson in each and every subject in each and every grade level. To me, this is a perfect example of how we allow ourselves as educators to get into the ‘inefficient’ mode we began talking about.

Thanks Anita – you’ve given me

2009-08-30T12:25:47.438+02:00

Thanks Anita – you’ve given me some great perspective.It makes me wonder how the education “system” could do more to honor individual styles and needs in order to create greater alignment between job and personal needs. Why does it have to be “one size fits all”?We talk about our children and that there is no “mythical” normal child – so we should have an iep for every student.Why is it any different for teachers?? Shouldn’t we strive for a system that allows differentiation for how teachers do their jobs as well? A system that honours how they learn and what kind of support structures they need in order to grow and change? There is no “mythical” normal or standard or “right” way of teaching either. I sense that the entire system needs to learn how to individualize.No small task, is it?

I agree wholeheartedly with th

2009-07-19T04:49:12.790+02:00

I agree wholeheartedly with the work less/accomplish more idea and love that your company is being able to accomplish this. Yes, the difference between the posts and the idea presented by our host may very well be the differences in approach – entrepreneurial vs education – definitely very different worlds. In business, especially one you own, you do have the ability to focus on one aspect over another, especially if it is more interesting or rewarding to you. In education, this is not the case at all. You are at the mercy of first one faction and then another and many things you are required to take care of have nothing whatsoever to do with what’s best for the students in the classroom. I am returning to the classroom after being out for 6 years. It is amazing the differences I see – the whole field of education has changed in many ways, some good, some not so good. The reason this blog struck me was the fact that I see, daily, the ability of the job to overwhelm the individual. I think that’s what David was trying to show in his overlapping diagram. It may very well be an issue of interpretation.

Hmmm… I feel like you aren’t q

2009-06-06T21:12:38.142+02:00

Hmmm… I feel like you aren’t quite getting what I’m saying – or perhaps I’m missing what you’re saying?? What I’m talking about is NOT finding a better way to fit it all in – but finding a DIFFERENT way of doing it!Perhaps because I’m an entrepreneur and I can morph what I’m doing and how I sell it to match what I WANT to be doing, rather than having to follow someone else’s direction in a workplace or classroom. (Note – for a paper discussing this concept in an employee context, see Job Crafting at http://tinyurl.com/3uecvf)So to me, it’s not about working longer hours – my company’s progression over the last 4 yrs has been all about working LESS for the same money. And it’s certainly not about working harder. Rather, it’s about learning to recognize the part of my current situation that I LOVE doing and then looking for a way to do MORE of that and less of everything else.So by my way of looking at it – if networking is part of what you love, then how could you be doing your work differently so that is PART of it, rather than something else you have to do on the side?And I do all I can to align my work with what I personally value – which is why I quit working for corporate clients and only work with school districts now. I’m not far off including my kids in my work either.Is it easy? No. Is it common? I suspect it’s not. Is it possible? Most definitely YES!

I have to agree with David. I

2009-04-25T13:36:03.494+02:00

I have to agree with David. I believe you have to have a good balance – spiritual, emotional, physical and social – to remain grounded in your everyday life. Too many of us are putting too much emphasis on the work/networking aspect of our life and are leaving the personal aspect to take care of itself (listen to me saying this as I type at nearly 8pm on Sunday evening). I find myself allowing this area of my life to overshadow what is best for me and my family as I struggle to keep abreast of the most up-to-date information for my classroom and for the Master’s program I am working on. Yes, you should integrate these areas as keeping them all completely separate would require a gargantuan amount of time seeing as how we all work harder and for longer hours now that even, say, 5 years ago. But – and it’s a big BUT – you have to keep the focus on what’s most important in your life and guard against becoming one-faceted.

While I agree with both Heidi

2009-03-14T04:59:28.846+01:00

While I agree with both Heidi and Ruth I want to go back to what I said in my first comment, It would be wonderful to have a theory where Figure 6 (slide 4) is the ‘ideal state’, but is it realistically achievable for most of us? Or, is it a model for extending ourselves beyond our capabilities? Perhaps it’s just me trying to put it all together and finding myself wishing that the day had 30 hours. Or perhaps I just haven’t made the necessary connections to make this model work for me?

Please explain your reasoning

2009-01-30T21:22:54.198+01:00

Please explain your reasoning when you created slide 4. Here’s an example of how it could be extremely efficient. You want to network, spend time with the family and get some work done. Seems like you are describing a typical day on a family farm, a family business or in a clergy family. You need to think more like Tom Sawyer having to whitewash the fence. For example, we tell everyone to bring their family, anyone else they’d like to come, a potluck dish and a favourite game and meet in the parish hall for the evening. It feels like family time, you meet the people in your friends’ network and there’s an opportunity to share information in a relaxed atmosphere. Children learn from observation and participate and should grow up with an awareness of what is involved in producing the money for the food on the table.

Yup – I agree that kids are th

2008-12-19T13:46:19.550+01:00

Yup – I agree that kids are the piece that don’t fit into the multi-zone areas.But I think there’s still more to personal than just kids. And I think there are still ways that we can align all three – by doing what we value with people that we care about and learn from.Maybe it’s not a big area to start with, but my greatest success happens when I have a personal investment in what I’m doing – with passion and energy because it MATTERS to me.To me, that is really the area that I strive for because that is when I’m living in complete personal authenticity.Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in complete harmony – GandhiThanks for the conversation! Heidi

Hi Gordon,As I suggest in my m

2008-11-07T06:09:44.902+01:00

Hi Gordon,As I suggest in my minimal post, With ‘Personal’ my thinking wasn’t so much around interests as it was around family and life commitments.…also, in Figure 6: Inefficiency I think that most people who intentionally or unknowingly blend all three areas of their lives would actually end up harming their ability to feel successful or efficient in at least one of these three areas.I’m sure there are some rare hyper-connected exceptions to my rule, who have created meaningful relationships within their network that are satisfying on a personal/family level and a work level… but for the masses, I believe that compromise is what really ends up happening. I think that how this relates to Connectivism is that our Learning and Communication Network is now a conglomeration of nodes outside of our Work and our Personal lives that actually competes with those aspects as well as connects to, and with, them. Alternately, as little as 5 years ago most Learning and Communication came from within our Personal lives and our Work lives.Does that make sense?—— *Heidi’s post was in my spam folder and so I didn’t read it until after responding to Gordon.Heidi, I agree about the “dual zone”(s) but wonder about when we try to put all 3 together. If I were to redraw Figure 5: Balanced Relationships, I’d have those dual zones look bigger (as also suggested by Gordon), but I still don’t think I’d want the middle zone, where all 3 intersect in Figure 6, to be bigger. I don’t think we do that well… at least not those of us with kids

Morning Dave! I’ve been thinki

2008-09-25T23:32:50.254+02:00

Morning Dave! I’ve been thinking about this stuff lately too.Came across a post on Tim Ferriss’ blog recently that gave a different perspective. From his perspective and from Dr. Stewart Friedman’s work – it’s not about balance, because balance implies that you have to take away from one in order to give to the other. So you have to work less to have more personal, etc…Instead, they talk about aligning everything you do so that you actually want MORE of that overlap you show in your final slide – although with a different meaning. Not in a bad way, but because you can create more “dual zone” stuff in your life. What if your work were personal? What if your networking fed your soul? What if you work with your friends?I’ve been thinking about this for a bit – the one part I still find hard to fit into an overlapping section is kids. They are in one of those non-overlapping zones because they just need time – period. Focused, direct, undistracted time. Perhaps I’ll find the ways to include them in work or networking, but I suspect that’s still a part of my life that will need undisturbed, purely focused time – just for them.Interesting perspective to think about though. Links to articles are in my post here: http://www.iwasthinking.ca/2008/08/15/balance-isnt-really-what-were-looking-for/

opportunity to meet once (and

2009-08-29T12:32:22.565+02:00

opportunity to meet once (and a half, counting the November session)). It might seem odd, but to be losing Dave to an administrative post in China is saddening – as our enclave of Coquitlam techies will no doubt miss his influence and

David, I"m a little late to th

2009-05-24T02:18:32.911+02:00

David, I"m a little late to the news, here! (My excuse: Son graduated high school, and then I took off to the mountains for a week without technology.) Anyway, I am so thrilled to hear your news. I do think it is a fantastic opportunity and you would indeed regret it. Bold moves are often necessary in order to grow. Congrats. Bummed that I won't see you at BLC, but I'll be there virtually. Best, Laura

Well done David!I too turned d

2009-05-15T20:34:37.294+02:00

Well done David!I too turned down a new position at a private school and a tenured position here in Montreal for the chance to go teach in England and Africa for a year. But like you said – would I regret it later? Definitely.Cheers and best of luck!TW

2, 2009 by darcymoore David

2009-08-22T17:43:05.525+02:00

2, 2009 by darcymoore David Truss created this great, inspirational video last

2.0 Teaching Posted October

2009-01-22T17:28:57.071+01:00

2.0 Teaching Posted October 5, 2008 Filed under: Uncategorized | David Truss has produced a thought provoking video on teaching in a web 2.0

Hi Glenn, That quote was from

2008-11-23T22:01:29.660+01:00

Hi Glenn, That quote was from a Scott McLeod’s post. This was my comment: - – - – - I’m not sure of the reaction this will get from newbies as a stand-alone video? I can see the fear of ‘too much’ sneaking in, and I can see the ‘competition’ having negative connotations. Can it also excite people, I would like to think so!However, I have to wonder: Does this video just ‘preach to the converted’?In the end, the video is a story of a personal journey, and one where I started to see truly meaningful differentiated, and empowered learning in my class… that excited me as both a teacher and a learner. - – - – - As for not Plurking, I tried it briefly, but it requires too much time. And as for this video… it took hours and hours to convert from ppt to video, something others would have found simple! Maybe I’m not as far as I originally thought;-) So you see, it isn’t a pendulum, it is a continuum and WE are moving in the right direction, at the right speed for us… no comparison needed.

[fonte: davidtruss]

2008-09-23T20:21:50.598+02:00

[fonte: davidtruss]

A Brave New World Wide Web Sep

2008-09-23T04:45:44.774+02:00

A Brave New World Wide Web September 23, 2008 — Janetta The YouTube video below won’t be viewable at school, but is worth watching at home (4.5 minutes long). A Brave New World-Wide-Web is by David Truss.

il noto titolo del romanzo di

2008-09-22T13:09:38.950+02:00

il noto titolo del romanzo di Huxley, l’insegnante ed educatore formativo canadese David Truss ha preparato un ottimo ed efficace PowerPoint sull’importanza della tecnologia nella