Nov

8

Overanalysis has it’s problems…

November 8, 2007 | |

Do you sometimes feel misunderstood? Feel like people read too much into something you wrote or said? Well, I saw this when I picked up a post from Kelly Christopherson in my reader, which led me to this…

Please don’t vote for this blog! at teaching.mrbelshaw.co.uk which was full of old conflicts, new misunderstandings, and in my opinion, a lot of hot air.

But some of it started here with this interesting comment from Doug Belshaw
Infinite Thinking Machine

Sorry to say, but I’d like to reinforce your point that this is not your typical student. In fact, it sounds a lot like the kind of smart-ass, loner kid you get in each year group who doesn’t make many friends.Remember that learning’s about making connections in the real world as well! :-)

Okay, before I drag out the violins and plead, “Can’t we all just get along?” take a look at this…

» Is diversity a waste of time? In Practice where I make the gross error of ascribing motive, when I should have kept my mouth shut…

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve been pretty chipper online. In the face-to-face world, however, I’m crankier than a teething 1 year old. People are seriously getting on my last nerve. I wonder if it’s a seasonal thing? The school year has settled in, there is no more vacation, and October is one long vacation free month, with a candy holiday at the end unless you live somewhere with a historic Italian population and get Columbus Day off. I think I’m suffering from the mean reds. I’m not going to guess what is going on with everyone else online. At the risk of provoking more acrimony, and dissent let me wade in with the sharks…

lifeobrian.jpg

That comment about Arthus, in ITM from Doug Belshaw was really not necessary. It wasn’t just what he said, but how he said it. That being said, I have my own concerns about Arthus, but frankly I’m not concerned about him, it’s how adults are behaving about him. He seems fine, and certainly deserves a seat at the table discussing education, since he is a participant. When I see statements like, “I wish I had a class full of Arthuses” it sets up my hackles. I want a class with a kid like Arthus in it, but not a whole darn class of the same kid. We need to “develop” other students like Arthus, because as Steve H. points out in the ITM post, he is not typical, and that means that we will be lacking a broad view of students and their use/views/etc. of technology relying on this one source. I liked seeing that Chris Lehman is promising to bring some students to an education conference. My advice (worthless, I’m sure) Arthus should keep it up, and teachers need to try to find the Arthuses in our own classrooms. Isn’t that part of what we’re paid for?

I’ll end with Linda H.’s comment on Mr. Belshaw’s blog which comprised the most thoughtful, and mature part of that whole exchange (although there were a couple more souls there making a decent point). I liked how she made a good, but altruistic argument for the “eddie” awards:

Hi Doug, my Classroom Displays blog was nominated in the Audio Visual category last year. It did not win. It came 3rd but it still did the blog some good. More people got to hear about the blog, people who had a bit more influence than ordinary teachers and TAs (my blog’s normal audience). This meant that some LEAs and Colleges started to link to the blog and they in turn told more teachers, education students and TAs.
Winning, for me simply wasn’t much of an issue. My blog was never going to win pitched against some brilliant edupodcasters (is that even a word?)My usual audience had never even heard of the Eddies and only a few took the time to vote.
For myself I found some interesting stuff in the nominees, some of whom I still have in my feed reader. I couldn’t tell you who won so I do find myself drawn to your argument that it might be better to not make it a competition.

As for subscribing to your feed, as a good action researcher I was taught to seek out dissonant voices. It’s engaging there that we find the most learning -) So I’m here to stay! You’ve got me thinking about the Eddie’s and I’ll probably do a post about it. A good moment for a bit of reflection.

Thanks Linda for a welcome voice of maturity! May it be a lesson to me, and others…


Comments

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1 Comment so far

  1.    kwhobbes on November 8, 2007 8:58 pm

    Great points! I’m glad you pointed what Linda said. I’ve been having a good discussion with others about how we sometimes get when in the online environment. I know that, like you, in real life I’m not like I am when commenting. October wasn’t that bad and, with 7 kids, I can’t but like Halloween - my boys looked too cute! I enjoy having the kids from school drop by and chat. Besides, the house wasn’t egged this year!!! I wasn’t too crazy about the next two days but there done.
    I’m glad you mentioned Artus - I, too, will have a comment or two about this.
    Keep up the great writing, read you on twitter!

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