Comments on: Maybe The Wrong Question? http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/ Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:39:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Sarah Puglisi http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/comment-page-1/#comment-8253 Sarah Puglisi Mon, 01 Jan 2007 20:28:48 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/#comment-8253 When I found Borderland I wanted to read it all. And it takes time to do this,and I think it was such fun I may do it again, then I really wanted to watch a person on his del.cious thing.Again its like following a mind. And that is so fascinating. So fun and fascination and discovery...this is a feature of the experience. I'm just a 1st grade teacher grappling with all the questions, what to do in this restrictive time of coping with NCLB driven notions, how to make the children have a technology based learning experience as it's their future, why am I teaching, what's the meaning of everything...what teaching generates is the power of a king and the insecurity of a neurotic. A very artistic connection, as of course this is the mental state of the artist. I realize the importance of this questioning you are doing but I am commenting failing to read your entire site to contextualize my thoughts, I apologize. I am triggered by wonder at these on-line thinking spaces and places. I was activated by Borderland. I could connect it into my work both in my head and in my students. I could percieve that there is a wider community engaged in the art of teaching beyond the local construct. And in my case the local construct inhibits and destroys true learning , in large measure a result of political messes and I suppose in a sense a casuality of war. I think teachers develop on-line work for a variety of reasons, and the why do it question is that self check, that arrival of the cold morning after the night of enjoying the rush of creating. It's the duality of all things we do. I frankly will answer you as I would to kids. I think it's better to be a maker than to be a critic or deconstructor. I truely think this is what at heart gives me the energy to go ahead and learn more, create a blog, read, explore, process and find meaning in this form. I'll come back and read and see if this isn't off-topic or somehow uncontextualized. I'm sure it is....but ..I thought I might share. sarah When I found Borderland I wanted to read it all. And it takes time to do this,and I think it was such fun I may do it again, then I really wanted to watch a person on his del.cious thing.Again its like following a mind. And that is so fascinating. So fun and fascination and discovery…this is a feature of the experience.
I’m just a 1st grade teacher grappling with all the questions, what to do in this restrictive time of coping with NCLB driven notions, how to make the children have a technology based learning experience as it’s their future, why am I teaching, what’s the meaning of everything…what teaching generates is the power of a king and the insecurity of a neurotic. A very artistic connection, as of course this is the mental state of the artist. I realize the importance of this questioning you are doing but I am commenting failing to read your entire site to contextualize my thoughts, I apologize. I am triggered by wonder at these on-line thinking spaces and places. I was activated by Borderland. I could connect it into my work both in my head and in my students. I could percieve that there is a wider community engaged in the art of teaching beyond the local construct. And in my case the local construct inhibits and destroys true learning , in large measure a result of political messes and I suppose in a sense a casuality of war. I think teachers develop on-line work for a variety of reasons, and the why do it question is that self check, that arrival of the cold morning after the night of enjoying the rush of creating. It’s the duality of all things we do. I frankly will answer you as I would to kids. I think it’s better to be a maker than to be a critic or deconstructor. I truely think this is what at heart gives me the energy to go ahead and learn more, create a blog, read, explore, process and find meaning in this form. I’ll come back and read and see if this isn’t off-topic or somehow uncontextualized. I’m sure it is….but ..I thought I might share. sarah

]]> By: Doug Noon http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/comment-page-1/#comment-8242 Doug Noon Sun, 31 Dec 2006 19:16:44 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/#comment-8242 Still thinking about this... Maybe you could find a couple of informants who've been doing it for a while and try to determine what factors have contributed to the practice. If you could find anyone who gave it up, that might be useful, too, in understanding what is gained/lost/risked. It seems to me that a question about "gain" would depend on what a person values. Still thinking about this… Maybe you could find a couple of informants who’ve been doing it for a while and try to determine what factors have contributed to the practice. If you could find anyone who gave it up, that might be useful, too, in understanding what is gained/lost/risked. It seems to me that a question about “gain” would depend on what a person values.

]]> By: Franki http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/comment-page-1/#comment-8235 Franki Sat, 30 Dec 2006 03:53:31 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/#comment-8235 I haven't been following your blog but am interested in this question. As a teacher, I think an online presence could be important in the very near future. For me, it is all about building relationships and becoming part of a bigger community of learners. An online presence give you a larger community to think with that can't happen otherwise. I think your work is critical. I haven’t been following your blog but am interested in this question. As a teacher, I think an online presence could be important in the very near future. For me, it is all about building relationships and becoming part of a bigger community of learners. An online presence give you a larger community to think with that can’t happen otherwise. I think your work is critical.

]]> By: Borderland » My Trail of Breadcrumbs http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/comment-page-1/#comment-8224 Borderland » My Trail of Breadcrumbs Thu, 28 Dec 2006 23:26:47 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/#comment-8224 [...] Graham’s post about e-portfolios for teachers kicked off this rumination. He’s thinking about a research question regarding the sustainability and motivation for teachers to invest their energy into the development of an online presence. Stimulated by this question - I’ve taken it up myself. But not as a research project. Just a thought. What purpose is served by keeping this blog? A little midwinter reflection. [...] [...] Graham’s post about e-portfolios for teachers kicked off this rumination. He’s thinking about a research question regarding the sustainability and motivation for teachers to invest their energy into the development of an online presence. Stimulated by this question – I’ve taken it up myself. But not as a research project. Just a thought. What purpose is served by keeping this blog? A little midwinter reflection. [...]

]]> By: Graham http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/comment-page-1/#comment-8223 Graham Thu, 28 Dec 2006 11:11:02 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/#comment-8223 Well, when I use my blog for "thinking out aloud" then it's great if anyone wants to weigh in with their perspective. Thanks, Stephen, Nancy and Joost, for giving yours. I think another blog post will be needed to sort out the next step and address your questions, Stephen. I would just point put that I am definitely not a researcher by trade (Stephen, you might say that was pretty obvious!!) and I probably need to refer back to my action research notes before attempting to refine or reject my question. This is a small scale project and I only got the grant (I think) because there was a perceived need for someone at the grassroots level to explore the teacher e-portfolio concept following Dr.Helen Barrett's visit to Adelaide in 2005. Because I have invested a lot of my own time in developing my online presence and I've reapt many tangible and intangible benefits from that presence, I think that I've projected that in my new question. I will go back through the post and sort out my assumptions and see what unfolds. Nancy, I appreciate your empathy with my ideas. Linking across to <a href="http://namckeand.blogspot.com/2006/12/e-portfolios-and-online-presence.html" rel="nofollow">your blog post</a> shows that you can relate to my question even if your follow on question is better. Joost, I hear what you are saying in regards to pedagogy but this grant was specifically related to exploring the ICT facet. Maybe, the easy way out is go way, way back to my very first question for this grant, "Can Web 2.0 tools be used to construct teacher e-portfolios?", build my own and then just answer, "Yes!" HA!! I'd hardly be blogging if I was looking for the easy way. Well, when I use my blog for “thinking out aloud” then it’s great if anyone wants to weigh in with their perspective. Thanks, Stephen, Nancy and Joost, for giving yours. I think another blog post will be needed to sort out the next step and address your questions, Stephen. I would just point put that I am definitely not a researcher by trade (Stephen, you might say that was pretty obvious!!) and I probably need to refer back to my action research notes before attempting to refine or reject my question. This is a small scale project and I only got the grant (I think) because there was a perceived need for someone at the grassroots level to explore the teacher e-portfolio concept following Dr.Helen Barrett’s visit to Adelaide in 2005. Because I have invested a lot of my own time in developing my online presence and I’ve reapt many tangible and intangible benefits from that presence, I think that I’ve projected that in my new question. I will go back through the post and sort out my assumptions and see what unfolds.
Nancy, I appreciate your empathy with my ideas. Linking across to your blog post shows that you can relate to my question even if your follow on question is better.
Joost, I hear what you are saying in regards to pedagogy but this grant was specifically related to exploring the ICT facet.

Maybe, the easy way out is go way, way back to my very first question for this grant, “Can Web 2.0 tools be used to construct teacher e-portfolios?”, build my own and then just answer, “Yes!” HA!! I’d hardly be blogging if I was looking for the easy way.

]]> By: Joost Robben http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/comment-page-1/#comment-8220 Joost Robben Thu, 28 Dec 2006 08:41:05 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/#comment-8220 lots of teachers still haven't caught up with todays online life. But instead of focussing on the technology part, I'd suggest to focus on the pedagocial issues. Lots of teachers, tech savvy or not, still want to be instructors and bring out there knowledge to the students instead of guiding students with their journey of learning. Once teachers have made that mindshift and learn that portfolios can be usefull instrument in that process I'm sure that technology isn't an obstacle anymore. lots of teachers still haven’t caught up with todays online life. But instead of focussing on the technology part, I’d suggest to focus on the pedagocial issues. Lots of teachers, tech savvy or not, still want to be instructors and bring out there knowledge to the students instead of guiding students with their journey of learning. Once teachers have made that mindshift and learn that portfolios can be usefull instrument in that process I’m sure that technology isn’t an obstacle anymore.

]]> By: Nancy McKeand http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/comment-page-1/#comment-8215 Nancy McKeand Wed, 27 Dec 2006 15:00:44 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/#comment-8215 That mental shift is a hard one. I have worked with a colleague for about a year trying to help her use Moodle to give students an online component to our classes. I thought she got it when she used Moodle this past semester, but as the semester wore on, she questioned it more and more. At the end of the semester, she asked if we had to use it again next semester. I explained all the reasons for using Moodle again and talked about my own struggles to find the right online activities for my students. She told me she thought she got it - again. My colleague hasn't made that mental shift. Moodle and email are the extent of her online activities. I have tried to get her to see beyond that, but I guess I will be happy if she really gets Moodle. I don't think she will ever really have an online presence. But I have to remind myself that she doesn't see a need for one, either. That mental shift is a hard one. I have worked with a colleague for about a year trying to help her use Moodle to give students an online component to our classes. I thought she got it when she used Moodle this past semester, but as the semester wore on, she questioned it more and more. At the end of the semester, she asked if we had to use it again next semester. I explained all the reasons for using Moodle again and talked about my own struggles to find the right online activities for my students. She told me she thought she got it – again.

My colleague hasn’t made that mental shift. Moodle and email are the extent of her online activities. I have tried to get her to see beyond that, but I guess I will be happy if she really gets Moodle. I don’t think she will ever really have an online presence. But I have to remind myself that she doesn’t see a need for one, either.

]]> By: Stephen Downes http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/comment-page-1/#comment-8214 Stephen Downes Wed, 27 Dec 2006 14:46:16 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/12/27/maybe-the-wrong-question/#comment-8214 Still the wrong question, and for the same reason. Why is it important to get teachers to develop an online presence? What do we gain from that? What do teachers gain from that? Still the wrong question, and for the same reason. Why is it important to get teachers to develop an online presence? What do we gain from that? What do teachers gain from that?

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