just read these two pieces – seeking more insight from you all. aren’t these two conversations similar? interestingly similar? two different eras – but aren’t they saying the same thing… about boxes….
@danah boyd I desperately, desperately want my colleagues to be on IM or IRC or some channel of real-time conversation during meetings. While I will fully admit that there are times when the only thing I have to contribute to such dialogue is snark, there are many more times when I really want clarifications, a quick question answered, or the ability to ask someone in the room to put the mic closer to the speaker without interrupting the speaker in the process.
I have become a “bad student.” I can no longer wander an art museum without asking a bazillion questions that the docent doesn’t know or won’t answer or desperately wanting access to information that goes beyond what’s on the brochure (like did you know that Rafael died from having too much sex!?!?!). I can’t pay attention in a lecture without looking up relevant content. And, in my world, every meeting and talk is enhanced through a backchannel of communication.
@richard feyman This man also speaks about a new institution, in a talk in which he was resigning as Director of the Institute of Parapsychology. And, in telling people what to do next, he says that one of the things they have to do is be sure they only train students who have shown their ability to get PSI results to an acceptable extent— not to waste their time on those ambitious and interested students who get only chance results. It is very dangerous to have such a policy in teaching—to teach students only how to get certain results, rather than how to do an experiment with scientific integrity.
two fears i get from the topics of this post - not from the people commenting or the content - just of the topics. (and by fears – i don’t mean – gosh what if i can’t answer the questions my kids pose, or fears like tim ferriss addresses – but rather – fears of claustrophobia a box brings.)
1) mandates: any use of the word mandate in education. if – because we are an institution, we are mandated to use the word mandate, then let’s use it like this – let’s mandate that kids learn how to learn. isn't any other mandate is building a box?
2) division: any talk of division, separating “us.” the blue sweater by jacqueline novogratz, is steeped in insight for ed. especially ch 5, the blue bakery. from my take on newbies – very similar to the impoverished rwandans. she writes: “the story of the bakery was one of human transformation that comes w/being seen, being held accountable, succeeding.”
i’ve spent so much time in the classroom trying to get the “impoverished/newbies” to let their voice be heard. to convince them that every voice is key to our journey. it makes me cringe to think we aren’t modeling that. @dean @bengrey – dan meyer is a great example.
unboxed. together. we are more.