What was I thinking?

This past week I received a tweet from RashKath telling me she had rewared this blog with the Thinking Blogger Award. Rashmi Kathuria has been a mathematiques teacher since 1994. She created Passionate Teacher’s Ning and has been doing some great work connecting and sharing with teachers all over the world. She has a great site for anyone teaching math.

I am very honoured that someone like Rashmi would think that highly of what I am doing here on my blog. Rashmi says

  Kelly Christopherson, a principal in a K - 12 school in Saskatchewan. He is a great administrator , educator helping and guiding teachers to use techology in classrooms . His posts are inspiring and very close to our daily life routine realities. He is guiding many teachers all across this globe on Passionate teachers ning also. Read his discussions, you will surely experience a new thing.

I am very honoured that Rashmi would pass this on to me.

About the award
The participation rules are simple:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think,
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote. (I couldn’t get the badges or the link to work!)
In addition there is a note: “Please, remember to tag blogs with real merits, i.e. relative content, and above all - blogs that really get you thinking! “

Five bloggers

This was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in a while. To pick only 5 bloggers that make me think was not an easy task since all the bloggers on my RSS Feed do that. In no particular order:

 Dean Shareski - I ran into Dean’s blog when I first began blogging. Since that time, I’ve had the pleasure of attending a few of his workshops, participating in a few online connections and learning from his vast experience with technology. Dean writes about a wide variety of things, has a great sense of humour and great knowledge about technology tools. He is one of my “must read” bloggers (he has some great dessert recipes and pictures of beautiful golf courses!)

Alec Courosa - Alec is a professor at the University of Regina. Through the various networks that Alec and I inhabit, I’ve found Alec’s technological expertise and his willingness to try new technologies to be a great help. Because Alec teaches a Master’s class that one of my colleagues is taking, I’ve been able to have a sneak peak into his classes and his teaching and he is one that walks the talk.

Susan Funk - Susan is a classroom teacher in Saskatoon. I met Susan through her blog and then f2f at a conference. Susan has just returned to the classroom after taking time off to do graduate work and it is great to have her perspective on school life as someone who is working daily with students in a setting that isn’t really condusive to technology use. The great thing about Susan’s writing is that it doesn’t just focus on technology but on many other aspects of teaching, particularly reading. It is great to travel along with her as she struggles with the different issues that she has in her class.

Principal’s Page - micsmith is listed in his biography for those who have nothing to do. All I can say is that if it every happens that micsmith becomes unemployed, he could write comedy. (Gaging from his one entry, this is not a far off possiblity - being unemployed)  I visit his page regularly because of his humour, wit and uncanny ability to make me feel like a small kid again (I only wet my pants once!) For me, he captures the administrator’s life with comedic accuracy. Laughter is good for the soul - this site does my soul good!

Glenn Moses - Glenn is a vice-principal in a charter school and is responsible for the e-learning of the school. I really don’t remember when or where we crossed paths but it sure has been great for me. Glenn discusses a variety of things on his blog with some of the topics focusing on technology while others examine a variety of educational issues.  As Glenn states in his short bio

 Glenn Moses is an assistant principal and teacher. He is trying to turn high school into something meaningful, figure out the best ways to teach students online, and make sure that all students have access to online content. It’s a takeover, not a makeover.

I appreciate Glenn’s honesty and his desire to do what is best for students. Great reading.

Each of these educators has had an effect on me as an educational administrator and are important people in my network. Give them a read!

Finding a balance - mentoring an online life?

This evening I was spending time do other things besides being online - parent things like going to hockey practice, reading stories, playing mini-sticks and yucking it up with my teenage daughters. It was one of those evenings of which I’ve spent plenty just being “home”. I didn’t have to rush off to a meeting or feel the need to check in with the online world.

Later on, once children were in bed and studying, I sat down to check in and see what was happening. Now dropping in on Twitter can be a bit of a shock as you may have to search to see what the conversations are all about. Because there are so many different things happening on mine, it sometimes takes me a little bit to familiarize myself with what is happening. As I was looking at the conversations, this one from jepcke jumped out at me:

How do you balance an insanely busy day/week & keeping up with Twitter?

I’m not sure. I know that there is part of me that wants to stay “up-to-date” with what is happening in the Twitterverse. Just like when I first began with my RSS reader. I was reading and reading, trying to stay caught up with all the things that were going on, trying to write on my blog and trying to do all the other things. I finally realized that keeping caught up wasn’t going to happen, not for a person like myself with children, community commitments, coaching commitments plus all the things that are related to be an administrator at a school.

The same thing started to happen with Twitter. I wanted to keep caught up with all that was happening, all the new ideas and tools that people were using and the things that were going on. It was the whole RSS reader thing over again. Fortunately, it has taken me much less time this go around to realize that I’m can’t be one of those people who seems to be on twitter and the internet all the time. In fact, I’m not sure that is the kind of impression that I want to give. As kolson29 twitted:

have to come to terms with my addiction to online world vs not wanting my kids there.

This isn’t the first time I’ve run across this. Seems it happens to many of us who are trying to find a balance between online and inlife. This can be very difficult for many of us. As we build our networks and PLN’s, we are seeing how important such things are for us and our growth. We are dedicated to what the net and the networks have to offer and are seeking out new experiences and new ideas. (Sounds like StarTrek should be playing in the background!)

There comes a time, however, that we run into the problem of balance. Late nights tweeting with cross-continent colleagues, early mornings trying to get things together for a podcast, a quick check-in on twitter to see who’s on and what’s happening. Evenings are full of all kinds of happenings with some new tool being shared, tried and discussed. All this time eventually affects other parts of our lives. Well, it did my life. Like many new things, I became distracted with the one while not paying attention to the many.

For the first time in weeks, I went for a run today during my son’s hockey practice. It felt great. Sure, I listened to a podcast but I was just listening to it, allowing the information to be part of my run (treadmill of course! It’s like -38C with a wind here!) Like I mentioned earlier, I spent time doing different things with my children. When I’m done this, I’ll be doing a bit of reading and then off to an early bed - a habit that I would really like to continue! I find that it is good to have regular sleep.

For so many of us, the work we do each day is not just a job; it’s a passion. We believe what we do is important and we are dedicated professionals. That’s why so many of us eat lunch while catching up on email or twits, spend a great amount of time online and search within our network for ways to improve what is we are doing. Because things are changing at a break-neck speed, many are working at a break-neck speed. But is this good for us? Is this a good example? If we were mentoring someone, would this be good mentorship? I’m not sure. I do know that I’ve noticed that my children need to given an example regarding appropriate use of many things and I’m not sure that, in my overzealous pursuit of “keeping up” I haven’t really applied the “walk the walk”. Yes my online PLN is important and I really do enjoy the discussions with other educators. However, it needs to be in balance with the other areas of life. If it begins taking time that should be used to keep that balance, then it’s time to take stock, reflect and shift accordingly.

And maybe, by doing this, I can be better at discussing various tools with my colleagues. Because I know the time it takes to find and learn and incorporate, I can provide an example of balance for them. Now, I know that many people comment that we need to “work with the willing.” Well, I don’t always get the willing with which to work. In fact, as a middle years teacher, most of my students fell in the “un” category. I didn’t give up on them - couldn’t. As a teacher leader - administrator - my role is work with all. So, somehow, someway I need to find ways to draw all people in. The willing are always so nice with which to work - I liked them as a teacher too! It was the students with whom I spend recesses and after school that, eventually, I really got to know and whom developed in ways beyond what we were studying.

As I search for that balance, I realize that I am a mentor - to my children, my colleagues and the other administrators with whom I work - as well as the people in my PLN. I’d like to spend more time online but my RSS experience has taught me that it will come with a cost in many parts of my life. My wife may not need a WOW widow t-shirt but she was thinking of getting a RSS widow badge and I don’t want her to go looking for a Twitter widow hat.

These are times of enormous and rapid change for educators and students.  As a teacher, I still don’t want to give up on the ones who aren’t easy. While being an administrator in a Catholic school, one of the teachers I worked with commented about the number of students  we were receiving that needed extra help and adaptations. The teacher, jokingly, wanted to know if I had put an add in the paper asking for all students with problems to apply. If so, could I stop running the ad. I laughed. Then, somewhat seriously I said “The ad we have is the cross on our front entrance - it symbolizes what we stand for and who we are. So, no, I’m not going to take down the ad. And it should remind us of what we are called to do.” I often reflect on that conversation when I meet up with a difficult student or family or … If I had wanted to work with only the willing, I guess I wouldn’t have decided to become a teacher and, if I had wanted to work with only the willing staff, I definitely wouldn’t have become a principal. But they all deserve my best - which means that having balance and being a mentor is very important - especially during times of change.

Time for something else.

Never a dull moment

Things have not been going quite as I had planned. In fact, if I were to plan how they could go awry Monday , today would have been pretty much bang on. Okay. I arrived at school at my usual time, went to grab a coffee but it wasn’t ready yet so I go down to my office and began my morning looking at paperwork that I had ignored yesterday. (that was my first mistake, looking at paperwork so early) I proceeded to go talk with some of the teachers, stopped in the hall to talk to a few students and then back to my office to look at email. My normal Tuesday morning ended. What do I find but a reply to my email about a meeting today that I figured was in the afternoon. Nope - 9:30. Location - an hour away. Time now - 8:35. I didn’t panic but I also didn’t get my cup of coffee.

For the  next 20 minutes, I’m dashing around trying to get someone to cover my supervision, cover my class, be acting-principal (never have figured that one out. How come someone else who takes my place is acting? What does that mean when I’m there?) Then there is the phone call home to make arrangements for hockey practice and a few other after school activities. By the time I leave town it’s now 9:10 and I’m driving in fog so thick you can cut with a knife.

Why am I doing this? Oh, yeah, it’s for the kids and I love my job and I have payments.

The meeting was ….. - it was about technology use in the division. The coffee, when I finally got there, was pretty good and lunch was great - lasagna. I figured that things were turning out not to bad and I was going to get home in time for hockey pick-up. Wrong, wrong, wrong. I made a fatal error at that moment. Something that usually only rookie principals make. Something that I should have remembered. It’s Tuesday. Go home. Nope, not me. Not today.

I went back to the school. For some reason I do this when I’ve been at a meeting out of town. Even though I kept telling myself to just go home and go in early tomorrow.

We had 7 new students register in school. One who will need a full-time aide and others with some learning difficulties. Teachers are going on breaks already and the substitutes aren’t really ready to come in yet. I have a request for semester 2 timetable for a distance ed class and, well, I’m not even close to being done. And to make things really interesting, my office is now the football equipment room and old computer dumping ground for the moment. It’s only Tuesday!!!

See, if I’d gone home, I wouldn’t have known any of this until Wednesday and you kind of expect this kind of stuff on a Wednesday. I mean, it’s the day when many things take place because everyone is finally fully awake and recovered from the weekend. People are finally realizing that the paperwork isn’t in or they’re missing a form. Parents feel that all kids need to be back at school because, well, it’s Wednesday and they were feeling okay this morning. (especially after they threw up. Really. They did.) Teachers are realizing you had said you’d do something and are reminding you that you said you’d do something. (Thank goodness that by Thursday afternoon they forget because neither of you can remember what it is you said you were going to do.) Kids have been aggravating one another for two days and someone is going to get it and you might have to figure out who got what and who was really aggravating whom (even though this has been going on for longer than they have been in school and will only end with, well, probably old age and death) but you still have to work through things to make sure that everyone knows that you actually did something this week.

But oh no. I figured I’d just drop by and see what went on during the day. Thus I began my Wednesday work today and I’m not really ready for it. My body and mind are still in Tuesday and what I’m needing to do is really in need of Wednesday thinking. But I’m here so I’d better do something besides write this post. Post writing doesn’t really have a day. You can write on any day it’s just the content will be different depending on the day. Like if this had been tomorrow, I would have written about it being a typical Wednesday with all that was going on and what had happened.

All this has really messed me up but, as I work through this, I realize that if I’m already doing Wednesday work that means that Friday can be partly Saturday so I can leave early and begin my weekend Friday at noon. Hey, that’s sounding not bad. Wait, I have to go to a basketball tournament with my boys team which will not only make it impossible to leave early Friday but I have to spend Saturday with students so it really won’t feel like a Saturday.  Now I’m really down. I don’t think even an Aero bar is going to get me over this. What was I thinking when I booked that? It was probably in early November when all those stupid tournament requests come out and you figure “Hey, that’s sounds good. What’s the worst that can happen? What, will Tuesday really become Wednesday?” and you laugh it off. Every year the same thing happens and yet I don’t remember. I think that when they took out my heart and my sense of humour (you have to have those removed to be an administrator. True story. Mine are in a jar on my desk so I can show the kids when they come in.) they also removed also done a bit of a nip and tuck on my longterm memory so that I only recall things after I’ve committed to them. (Probably why I sit on so many committees.)

I was blocking it out and not thinking about it but now I end up thinking about it all because my Tuesday ended up being a Wednesday.

Better get at planning semester 2 and figuring out where I’m going to put all this stuff stacked in my office. And to think, I’m the guy supposedly in charge around here. Can you imagine what Thursday must be like

Resolutions

My resolutions for this year are pretty straightforward because I’ve decided that I need to focus on a few things and do them well instead of the usual list of 10 that I don’t really do at all. My #1 resolution is to take care of my health. I’m reading RealAge by Michael F. Roizen and looking at how my “habits” are affecting my body and my life. I not promoting this. Instead, it is a read that is giving my ideas about my health and the choices I make. #2 resolution is to blog/write frequently even if it is a short post. Sometimes I have so many ideas I want to discuss that I am not sure which to follow and end up doing none. Since joining Passionate Teachers and Fireside Conversations - both educator Ning sites, I have decided to dedicate a portion of my morning to writing/commenting. #3 is spending more time with my family. To do this, I will have to prioritize what I am doing and learn to really stick to my schedule. #4 - the last one - quit talking about web2.0 and starting implementing it with my staff, students and other administrators. First step, setting up sessions with teachers to explore. Second, putting teachers in contact with other teachers. Finally, begin doing presentations to others about the everyday uses of the technologies.

That’s it. 4. Each one requires that I pay attention to details - something that isn’t a strong trait for me but will be essential if the use of technology is to become a norm for our students. It will require teachers overcoming their fears about technology and doing things a bit differently but, unless these steps are taken, things will continue at the glacial pace they are moving. I want my daughters to be exposed and use the skills they have developed outside of school in their daily school lives.

People often have goals/resolutions but they don’t take the time to get to the specifics which undermines their goals. So, for me, each of the goals above will be fleshed out and be broken down into smaller, achievable goals. As my friends, I hope that some of you will call me on these goals and help me to keep them. I’ll share my specific goals using google docs if that helps.

2008 is indeed my year!

Why do we have school?

Years back, when I was trying to figure out what to do with my life, I decided that I needed some money to pay for bills, food and rent because I didn’t want to move home and live with my parents. I was 18 you know and that would have been a real blow to my independence and self-esteem if I had had to move back home. After doing a few odd things, I happened upon someone who needed some painting. The rest, as they say, is history. I liked the job and, after a few summer working for someone else, I decided to work for myself. With a partner, a company was born that proved to be quite successful, employing 20 odd university students during its peak operations. I was also attending university and this “summer” job provided me with the opportunity to  earn enough money to put myself through school plus pay the bills. At one point, I decided that I should really take this a bit more seriously and took some classes in the craft moving toward my journeyman status.

I’ve been reflecting on this over the past few weeks. I’ve been finding it rather difficult to write these past few weeks because of a ho-hum that has settled in. Now this could partly be due to the fact that my candle has finally reached the point where two ends cannot burn at once. Another important impact is that I’m neck deep in various projects that are requiring my time. A third possible reason for my lack of ideas is that I’m not really sure where I’m going right now. That whole “being adrift” feeling and not having a focus. I’m lacking enthusiasm right now and I really don’t know why.

However, while cruising through some posts the other day, I watched a video Digital Students @ Analog Schools. As I listened to the students speak, I was reminded of the movie Teachers with good ol’ Nick Nolty.

The issues that are raised in that movie regarding teacher/student relations, the incredible tensions teachers find themselves under and the ways they deal with that stress, are similar to those we are still facing today. The schools didn’t work for those students, or the teachers for that matter,  why should we expect them to work now? I mean, the best teacher is an escapee from a mental institute who makes history come alive for the students. Students are depicted as entering and exiting a world of ditto worksheets and any teacher who is reaching out to students and using whatever technological methods available is still an outsider. Now there is more going on in the movie than this but the whole idea that the schools weren’t working.

As for what students are saying in the video about what they expect when going to school, I’d venture to guess that it was no different than some previous generations. I mean, my university experience didn’t prepare me a lick for what I do today. In fact, other than the skills of reading, writing and math, I really question all the other things that were covered in my schooling. Very little, if any, gave me the skills that I needed when I entered the work force, started a company, did a variety of other things and then entered my present profession.  Not to mention the skills I have found that I need as a parent and a community member. Holly macaroni! Where was I during those classes? No amount of “real world” experience or problem solving could have prepared me for that.

However, I didn’t have the means to express that frustration or angst that today’s youth are being provided and it has given them a voice unlike any voice they have had in the past. As I’ve discussed with students a few times, having a voice is one thing but expecting that you will get what you want is another. As I watch the different presentations about schools and read the discussions, I wonder if there is any way we can bring the two sides together? Can schools ever hope to provide what the youth want when it comes to education? Did schools ever really provide students with skills for society? Or do we just pay homage to a system by saying “it worked for past students but wont’ for these students.” when in fact it didn’t work and, from my brief survey of people around me, didn’t really prepare them for the lives they are living. Could it be the whole idea of “preparing the youth future society” won’t really take place at school? Instead, it will take place like it did for many, during the day-to-day of actually living and dealing with what is taking place at that time.

As I ponder what people say about schools, students, technology and the future,  I wonder if we are any different from what has taken place before? Sure there is greater access to global partnerships but we still need to take care of what is happening in our own backyard. Sure we can communicate with people all over the world via a multitude of methods but it’s the daily face-to-face encounters that move us and affect us far greater. Yes we can work and collaborate in incredible ways but the sharing of duties within a house still impacts people in deeply rooted ways.

I don’t think we stop using and working with the technologies and helping students to use them to broaden their learning and sort through their  understandings. Technologies do give us access to things we didn’t have before in a number of areas. But, when we really get down to it, did schools really prepare students for the future? Or does school play another role in our societal design besides the preparation for the future? Should we be looking at things from a different perspective?  I’m not sure. But as I work through quite a few different “real world” problems with students, parents, teachers and staff, I wonder if we need to reconsider how we label the role schools have in our society.

Blogging Addiction - is it real?

People often joke about the “addictions” that they have and make light of the time they spend doing certain things. I know that I have often done the same thing with the time I was spending on my computer, rationalizing that I was learning new things and exploring new ideas. So, when I ran across this quiz on the blog of Blue Skunk, I figured I’d see how I faired. In truth, I was surprised at the high score (80% addicted)  given that I haven’t been blogging regularly in the past few weeks. Now that I’m getting back to routine and not trying to squeeze the most work out of every minute (one tends to do this when trying to get renovations completed during holidays), I’m hoping that my blogging will again become regular. The thing is, I don’t want it to become an addiction!

Addictions - They’re everywhere!

I subscribe to a popular men’s health magazine and a few issues ago one of the articles was discussing this whole area of addictions. As I read the article, I began to realize that besides many obviously unhealthy addictions that we find around us, many people have addictions that aren’t as obvious but are still unhealthy. Any time we take something beyond moderation, we run the risk of it becoming an addiction or we pursue activities that put ourselves at risk in order to obtain a “high”, we could be suffering from an addiction.

For years I was a smoker. Although I told myself and others I could quit anytime, that was a lie. I was addicted. In fact, it took many tries to break the addiction and even today, I still get the craving every so often. I’ve had other addictions, like work. I’m not sure that there is a difference between someone who is a workaholic and a work addict. I would put in more time at work than was really necessary and it caused other parts of my life to suffer.

In this light, I’m not sure I was a full blown blog addict as much as I was a techno addict. I would often sit at my computer into the wee hours of the morning looking at new tools, trying them out to see how they worked and generally just trying to stay abreast of all that was going on. At one time I must have had 10 to 12 “To Do Lists” as I tried out all the different types. I had 8 blogs as I was trying out all the different types of hosting available. I have used 4 different types of online desktops and have tried a variety of different online documents and notebooks. I was so caught up in exploring the technology and trying all the different types out that I became unproductive and unorganized instead of the opposite. I would sit for hours just moving things from one notebook to another just to see how they looked and functioned. I would check things hourly seeing how many visitors I’d had or if anyone had commented. As I look back, I was an addict. I enjoyed the high of using new tools and trying new things.

Withdrawal - it isn’t easy

I often wonder if anyone who figures someone can just “quit” a habit has ever done so. I don’t know how many times I tried to quit smoking and, really, it was not me trying to quit that got me to quit. I had a horrible cold and didn’t want to go outside so I just stopped. The cold, one of the worst I’ve ever experienced, lasted almost 3 weeks. I figured that I had suffered the withdrawal symptoms and it was probably the best time to quit. Surprisingly, once I made that decision, the cravings started and it wasn’t easy by any means. But I stuck it out and was successful.

The same thing happened with a few other “addictions” that I had. It wasn’t necessarily me trying to quit but rather something that prompted me to stop the addictive behaviour. This was definitely true of my techno habit. I didn’t consciously decide to cut back or anything but the summer work I was doing prevented me from accessing my computer as I had been doing and, I realized after a few weeks, that I had been addicted. I could actually go days without checking email and twitter and I didn’t need to update my Facebook every hour. My blogging was reduced and I didn’t feel “guilty” at all.

Where to go?

I’m back at the blogging and using my computer again daily. I’ve realized that I need to be very careful about getting caught up in the technology and again letting myself become addicted. I’ve realized that, although I need to use the technology, I don’t have to spend nearly the amount of time at it as I was doing. I have to find that balance which will allow me to use the technology to be productive, teach better and be a better leader without it be such a dominating thing. I think that I will be able to do this because I am becoming better at realizing when I’m not using something to help me save time or improve myself. This doesn’t mean that I won’t allow myself some time to play around but it does mean that I’ll be very conscience of how I use my time. I have also become much more comfortable with not being completely on the “technology” edge. As a principal, I spend enough time on a ledge that I can afford to forgo a few! It’s not that I don’t want to know what is going on but I don’t need to see how it works or begin tinkering with all the new tools. As I need them, I’ll try them.

Are we creating a society of techno addicts? Are we aware of the consequences of an addiction and how it can affect our lives? The whole debate on banning the use of cellphones in vehicles might be more about addiction that about connectedness. Are we prepared to seriously look at the use of technology in a way that might suggest that it has become an addiction for some and it is affecting their social and physical well being. Can the obesity discussion be one of the results of a society that is suffering in technology addiction en masse? Have we become societies of extremes where “addictions” are seen as being part and parcel of being successful? Are you addicted?

In from the dark!

Ahhh! This looks like a familiar place. It seems I’ve been here before although it has been a long time and I do feel somewhat of a stranger to this place. I know that, like riding a unicycle, it will take some time to regain my balance and sense of place but once I do, I’ll be able to get back to my usual writing.  Oh, welcome visitor. You are a very persistent one aren’t you. I wasn’t sure that anyone would be able to find the place with all this dust and spider webs, concealed here in a corner of blogosphere.

Welcome.

Come. Sit. I’ll try not to bore you with meaningless tales of what I’ve been doing with my time or such things (although I have been doing some amazing things, completely changing the environment in which I live!) That’s for another time. Why I’ve returned to this special space is to recount a discovery I’ve made that I think might be somewhat helpful for some others. Before I start, are you comfortable? Need a drink or a small snack? Ah, well. Probably better, I’m not sure that you’d want to eat or drink any of what I’ve left here anyway. (Although that wine and ale might have aged just nicely. Again, for another time!)

You see, I’ve made an interesting discovery about myself and, maybe, just maybe,  some of you might just be able to take something away from this.

You see, as I was crossing the plains of my mind, just examining the various experiences and interesting implications of these, I began to notice a very noticeable pattern of battle scars that pocked the surface. Around these battle areas, each one with a black flag that showed the person(s) with whom I was battling, were dead grass areas probably a result of the awful toxins that resulted from these battles. Now, some of them seemed to still be raw and sore, like there were still festering even though the person(s) were no longer in my life. I was confused because, unlike other events or emotions that had left their marks on the plain, many of these were evenly spaced, with a similar  growth pattern between them.

The growth between them was amazing, consisting of wonderful memory flowers of great colours and variety. The flowers increase in intensity until about halfway between the two was an incredibly brilliant growth. As I approached, I could feel the joy and calmness radiating from them, like an oasis in the dessert. Each one also had a flag that identified the event and the people involved. As I wandered from one to the other, I noticed that those which involved my wife and children were of the greatest intensity, followed by those with my family and friends.

As I scanned the landscape, I began to see the pattern emerge.

What? You need to go. Okay.

I’ll finish at another time - but please come back to visit. I enjoy your company. And, if I’m out, leave me a message to let me know you were here. Since returning, I realize I have neglected visiting many of my dear friends around the blogosphere and I plan to do some of that in the near future. I ‘ll check in daily and reply to your messages.

I know not when I’ll be able to finish the tale and divulge to the world my discovery that, I believe, is going to assist me to become a much better person and, hopefully, a much better teacher and leader.

No, sorry, no time for the ale or wine. But come back and we’ll share one on your next visit and I’ll let you know what I’ve discovered.

Human Relations

Human relations are so important as an educator. Each day we are required to interact with many different people in a variety of different ways. As an administrator, I’ve learned that what I say is not always what the other person hears and, I am responsible for what it is I have said/written. If I offend someone, I have two choices. This entry is about this very fact.

This week, while my edublogs account was down, I’ve been involved in a heated discussion about the role tv in an educators life. It all started when I visited Chris’s blog Crucial Thought where an interesting discussion about tv was taking place. What caught my attention right off the bat was Chris’s opening comment:

So Dan Meyer has got me on the defensive a bit.

So I read on with interest and then followed the comments. Wow. Dan sure had some “interesting” things to say about this topic and other bloggers. This led to a comment there and things evolved to where I write this post.

First off, I must apologize to Dean Shareski as he ended up taking a bit more of a rant from me than he deserved. Dean is a wonderful person who demonstrated that he understood that he needed to clarify his comments which really showed me how much he understands about human relationships and people. After a cool down, I totally accept his explanation and his stance, with which I agree.

Dan Meyer, he doesn’t get it at all. Now, Dan has made a few bold statements about tv, teachers and ability to engage students. I won’t go into details, you can check them out. Now, what he doesn’t get is that it doesn’t matter what you intended - it matters what you actually say and how what you say is interpreted.  I believe that the saying is “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” Now there were a few things that began to concern me about what was happening with this. First, the comment Dan left about another commentor over at Chris’s site.

Durff is a teacher I have got to know over the past several months through Classroom2.0, The Horizon Project, where she worked with Vicki Davis and her own blog. Now, she left a comment on Chris’ post about tv. A comment to which Dan replied with a somewhat sarcastic and demeaning tone to it. That piqued my interest. So I went reading to see what exactly was the take with this whole thing.

        But in the classroom, I worry about any teacher who just casts off t.v. as blithely as both Chris and Mrs. Durff do in their personal lives. When Mrs. Durff drops the double exclamation point after “I don’t even own a tv,” I read it exactly the same as:

“I don’t even own a DVD player!!”
“I don’t even own an iPod!!”
“I don’t even own a computer!!”

Dan posted two posts about tv. The first was really neutral. The second, however, was not. Now, what Dan just doesn’t get is that when you offend someone with what you say, it doesn’t matter what your intent was or what you thought you had said. You are the one responsible for what you said. If someone is offeneded, you have but two choices: try to figure out why they are offended and work toward a solution or brush off the person because you consider them igonorant.

In my work as an administrator, I don’t know how many times what I intended is not what was received and to brush off the other person as not worth the time just isn’t an option. I’ve done this in a few situations early in my career. For example, when discussing working and dealing with students, I made the comment that you really can’t know and teach kids until you actually have some of your own. Well, in our group were four people who were either single or married and without children.  I offended them. I tried to explain that it wasn’t them, that it wasn’t their lifestyle, that it wasn’t what I meant. Didn’t matter. It wasn’t until I realized that I had offended them because I had disregarded their lifestyle choices and their life experiences and reduced teaching to a one dimensional act. Now, One was a elementary principal who had 28 years of experience, another was our Special Education Consultant, the third a very superb teacher of about 15 years and the last a married teacher who was one of the few men I know who taught lower level elementary and was awesome.  Now, in my youthful ignorance, I believed I was right and, thankfully, they didn’t hold it against me. Which allowed me to work through the incident, realize my error and humbly seek their forgiveness for my ignorance, my error in judgement and my need to consider what I say and then be responsible for what it is I said.

In a world filled with a variety of lifestyle choices, it is okay to voice your opinion about what you believe. It is great when people challenge us about our beliefs because it allows us to strengthen our beliefs while being exposed to new ideas and thoughts. With Dan’s first post, that was the case. I saw it as a challenge to explain that one could be a great teacher, engage students in a lively discussion and really push students to examine their own thoughts and ideas given a different viewpoint. In fact, from Dan’s last set of comments Tony Lucchese uses my drug analogy to say the following:

Some of the most successful programs to keep kids off drugs are run by or involve people whose own lives have been severely affected by drugs. Their experience gives them a certain credibility and makes them better, oh what’s the word, teachers.

So, being someone who has successfully gone without television, wouldn’t that give me some credibility and make me better at, oh, teaching! You see, it’s easy to say “You have to be able to talk kids about tv and to be credible, you have to watch the same programs so you can have meaningful conversation.” but to actually say, “You know, you don’t need tv as much as you watch as there many different things for you to do.” and actually provide the options for the students to do instead of watching tv. So, if you’re walking the talk and living the life, you have to provide the options. To do that, you have participate in your community, push people to listen to the youth and the options that they would like in order to get away from the tv, seek and organize things for them to do and give up your time so that there are the options for the students. That’s what I do. I don’t want recognition or fame or fortune from this. I want youth to avoid the pitfalls of a lifestyle that is now causing concern among many social groups; obesity among the youth. You’re right, Tony, tv is not the direct cause of problems like drugs but it is a cause, along with other lifestyle choices, that is creating a huge medical concern across age groups, adults included. Sedintary lifestyle choices, of which tv viewing is one, is a leading concern regarding type II diabetes and heart disease and, if what I gather from reading and listening to interviews, is almost an epidemic in our Western civilization.

Now, if you had read my comments and my last post carefully, you would have know that, as an administrator of a school, I take seriously my professional obligations to my parents, students and staff. I continue to grow and look for ways to improve what I do as a professional. However, when the following is said:

    This whole t.v. thing felt like a one-off, one last digression before the start of summer, but it’s offered up a nifty personality test for teachers. From my vantage point, this thing really defines you.  blog

Two things bothered me with this. First, how is the world is this a personality test? Secondly, isn’t the whole statement “From my vantage point, this thing really defines you.” personal? I mean, if my decision about tv defines me, isn’t that a comment that my personal lifestyle choices affect my abilities as a professional? In taking exception, I asked for clarification of the above in two comments and my own post only to be told:

 I’m not belittling or insulting anyone. It concerns me that teachers think this way. (And, really, it’s impossible for me to know what you or anyone else thinks. Speculation has been pretty easy in some cases, though.) This issue isn’t a career-breaker but I do think it’s a poor way to go about this job.

and finally ends with the last comment on my blog:

The point which eludes you, the point which I’ve repeated so often that I’m bored with it is that, yes, you can talk about a medium you don’t personally engage but it’s difficult — nigh impossible — to have any meaningful discussion about moderation & discernment (to speak nothing about more proactive approaches to television) if, in the back of your head, all you’d really like to see is the extermination of the medium. Essentially, this comes down to the underlying motivations for your lifestyle choice and not the lifestyle choice itself.

Really interesting, so now it’s the underlying motivations for a lifestyle choice and not the lifestyle choice that define you. Then, finally Dan puts the icing on the cake, something that I’ve seen done by many a person who don’t understand that, having been offended by your remark, regardless of what lifestyle choice I am making, it is not my responsibility to change my lifestyle or say sorry because I am offended.

    After every comment you’ve left me, I’ve tracked back here, opened your “All About Me” page, and become alarmed all over again that this intellectually inflexible position, that these digressive, dismissive, and snide posts, come not just from a teacher, but from a principal.

Yours has not been a proud moment for blogging. But what’s utterly great and completely poignant about this situation is, just as there are edifying & unedifying blogs on the Internet, so there are unedifying & edifying books, songs, movies, speech, and t.v. These empty vessels are what we make of them. As teachers, we’ve been graanted more control over that process than the average citizen. That’s really special. That’s not a privilige I’ll ever take lightly.

What struck me here is that Dan didn’t figure out I was an administrator until he came here even though there were references to my position on my comments and posts. How did that happen? Now, for the rest, this is the usual progression you see from someone who has offended another and then blames them for being “intellectually inflexible” (I was only joking when I comment about her breasts. Well, his eyes are slanted. Well, having kids does make you a better teacher. Well, watching tv does make you better at talking about it. Well, doing drugs will make you able to understand them  better.) I could continue but it is not the responsibility of the person offended. I’ve asked Dan, over and over, to clarify himself about what he means. Instead

The point which eludes you, the point which I’ve repeated so often that I’m bored with it is that, yes, you can talk about a medium you don’t personally engage but it’s difficult — nigh impossible — to have any meaningful discussion about moderation & discernment (to speak nothing about more proactive approaches to television)

Dan’s grown bored. He’s upset

I’m done with this conversation on my blog. You’ve become flagrantly abusive there (but just in a teasing way, right?) and I refuse to host a meleé. This is also my last reply to you here.

Well, this just made me laugh. Obviously, the blog he had referred to as part of his defence, he has not visited again otherwise he’d get the reference to “in a teasing way” much like he’d have know to make comments like:

But in the classroom, I worry about any teacher who just casts off t.v. as blithely as both Chris and Mrs. Durff do in their personal lives. When Mrs. Durff drops the double exclamation point after “I don’t even own a tv,” I read it exactly the same as:

“I don’t even own a DVD player!!”
“I don’t even own an iPod!!”
“I don’t even own a computer!!”

is, I don’t even know what to call it.

Dean made a very good point on his blog.

I don’t believe you have to watch tv or that if you don’t you’re missing out.  You don’t need tv to be a well educated person.  What television does best is tell good stories (movies, sit-coms, dramas) , showcase live events (news and sports) and inform (discovery channel, how to shows, etc….)  You can get all these things in other formats but television provides a good format for this type of media.

from what I’ve read of your view, it’s not that you think it’s bad. But many do. Many view TV as destroying our kids minds just as they view video games doing the same thing and my point is that it’s about choice and not to blame the medium. These are the snobs. Those that think all TV is bad and they proudly brag to others about how “enlighten” they are because they do not succumb to the level of TV watching but spend time reading great literature. I have met people who when you admit you watch “Survivor” they look at you like you must only have a grade 8 education. These are the ones I’m addressing. I’m challenging that attitude.

Darn right, that needs to be challenged. I play video games, as Dean says. I take time to indulge myself in various otherworld dramas and challenges. I visit SL, not as much as I’d like and am interested in its development as an educational tool. However, I do not think that either of these

offered up a nifty personality test for teachers. From my vantage point, this thing really defines you.

I could but I realize that what some people view as a waste of time, others find quite educational and enthralling. I don’t believe that any of these are “nifty peronality tests for teachers.” or “really defines you.” or me or anyone else and to draw conclusions about “personality and you” as a person really, really offends me. I want a rationale or explanation  but continued with the “That’s not what I meant mantra.” which does not cut the mustard. I know you’re bored with the whole thing just as I’m tired of asking the questions only to be brushed off.

Why did I spend time on this whole thing again? Well, because the comment of Andrew Keen continues to hang in the back of my head. To offend someone and then dismiss their objections is unexcuseable. I doubt I will ever get a more of a response than I have. I  have been rather caustic and indignant which can’t be excused just because someone has offended me. However, to even suggest that in any way I am less able to do my job as a teacher or a principal - that it “defines me” or is a “personality test”  and, because I won’t give up and go along with you is, is, is ….

is a sad day in blogging as Dan suggested. Several retorts flew through my head. However, the only thing that I can say is that I’m saddened by how I’ve been dismissed as intellectually inflexible and other people who have great reputations as educators  have been dismissed and degraded for their thoughts while support was garnered by linking to someone who, after a careful read, doesn’t have the same beliefs. My hope is that, in time and through experience, you get it. This time, well,  …..