Comments on: The Community Writing Project http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/08/15/the-community-writing-project/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:03:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Doug http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/08/15/the-community-writing-project/#comment-7229 Doug Thu, 17 Aug 2006 14:29:26 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/08/15/the-community-writing-project/#comment-7229 Graham, This is an interesting turn of conversation, since it brings the possibility of me talking over the heads of people who I know, and who may very well read this. I wouldn't say that nobody listens to me offline, but people take more time to think about what I have to say when they read Borderland. The day to day world is driven by practical needs, and there isn't a social forum at work where we can follow all of the philosophical rabbit trails we might be inclined to run down. I speak up at staff and committee meetings, and my colleagues know where I stand. They listen to me, I think. But in Borderland - and my classroom - I have a microphone and a stage of my own. I like the way you explain the gap between the global and local community with the phrase "reciprocal nature of blogging. The gap may have nothing whatsoever to do with geography. I sometimes wonder if I would read or respond to blogs if I didn't blog myself, and I think that I wouldn't bother. I see blogging as a cultural form, and most people who aren't into it have their reasons. I've been thinking lately about the lack of local impact blogging has because of the way the audience is thinly spread around the world, and I'm considering ways to impact more people locally. I don't want to start spouting off about a bunch of stuff that "I'm gonna do" until I actually start doing it, so we'll see how that goes. It means more time, and a different sort of public engagement. If teacher bloggers want to make a difference in the world, I believe we have to pay attention to opportunities close to home. Taking my little classroom project schoolwide is a start, and I hope it happens. Graham,
This is an interesting turn of conversation, since it brings the possibility of me talking over the heads of people who I know, and who may very well read this. I wouldn’t say that nobody listens to me offline, but people take more time to think about what I have to say when they read Borderland. The day to day world is driven by practical needs, and there isn’t a social forum at work where we can follow all of the philosophical rabbit trails we might be inclined to run down. I speak up at staff and committee meetings, and my colleagues know where I stand. They listen to me, I think. But in Borderland - and my classroom - I have a microphone and a stage of my own.

I like the way you explain the gap between the global and local community with the phrase “reciprocal nature of blogging. The gap may have nothing whatsoever to do with geography. I sometimes wonder if I would read or respond to blogs if I didn’t blog myself, and I think that I wouldn’t bother. I see blogging as a cultural form, and most people who aren’t into it have their reasons.

I’ve been thinking lately about the lack of local impact blogging has because of the way the audience is thinly spread around the world, and I’m considering ways to impact more people locally. I don’t want to start spouting off about a bunch of stuff that “I’m gonna do” until I actually start doing it, so we’ll see how that goes. It means more time, and a different sort of public engagement. If teacher bloggers want to make a difference in the world, I believe we have to pay attention to opportunities close to home. Taking my little classroom project schoolwide is a start, and I hope it happens.

]]> By: Graham Wegner http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/08/15/the-community-writing-project/#comment-7224 Graham Wegner Thu, 17 Aug 2006 05:00:34 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/08/15/the-community-writing-project/#comment-7224 Doug, your writing project shows that online read/write technology doesn't have to wear the tag of blogging to be engaging and authentic to kids. I'm still not sure what to make of the fact that educators scattered all around the globe are far more interested in what I do than my own staff colleagues. It has something to do with the reciprocal nature of blogging that means mutual interest with the far flung readers and responders while my closer staff members are either unaware or disinterested. I still think that most of my staff still view blogging as "that weird thing Graham does" and the one or two who read my blog keep a low profile because they might feel obliged to "deprivatise" their practice and ideas with me. I might comfortable or nonchalant about putting my ideas out in the open but those private people who keep their own teaching methodologies out of the spotlight within their local site might just be scared off by that cavalier attitude and view blogging as the absolute antithesis to the way they operate. I think you have posted in the past also about the Tell Raven site gaining more attention and feedback from beyond your own borders compared with your local community - your own blog (and mine too) mirrors that reality. Does this mean without the web and blogging/read/write technologies that no-one would be listening to either of us!! Doug, your writing project shows that online read/write technology doesn’t have to wear the tag of blogging to be engaging and authentic to kids. I’m still not sure what to make of the fact that educators scattered all around the globe are far more interested in what I do than my own staff colleagues. It has something to do with the reciprocal nature of blogging that means mutual interest with the far flung readers and responders while my closer staff members are either unaware or disinterested. I still think that most of my staff still view blogging as “that weird thing Graham does” and the one or two who read my blog keep a low profile because they might feel obliged to “deprivatise” their practice and ideas with me. I might comfortable or nonchalant about putting my ideas out in the open but those private people who keep their own teaching methodologies out of the spotlight within their local site might just be scared off by that cavalier attitude and view blogging as the absolute antithesis to the way they operate. I think you have posted in the past also about the Tell Raven site gaining more attention and feedback from beyond your own borders compared with your local community - your own blog (and mine too) mirrors that reality. Does this mean without the web and blogging/read/write technologies that no-one would be listening to either of us!!

]]> By: Doug http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/08/15/the-community-writing-project/#comment-7223 Doug Thu, 17 Aug 2006 03:23:01 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/08/15/the-community-writing-project/#comment-7223 Until now, I haven't talked about the Borderland blog with any of the teachers I work with. That's changing, and it should be interesting. It's fascinating to watch students who see each other every day leave written comments on one anothers' Tell the Raven posts. I wonder, will my local colleagues do the same? I'd like that. I think that teachers need to have a basic understanding about the read/write web in order to participate on Tell the Raven - more than I can communicate in a single presentation - so I expect that if there's as much interest as I hope there will be, we'll set up a short course in social software applications. My initial presentation is going to be a brief invitation to the whole group, with a bit of show and tell. It would be a lot of fun to get a big part of the staff creatively working with online media. [Maybe one of them will read this and see me about it...] Until now, I haven’t talked about the Borderland blog with any of the teachers I work with. That’s changing, and it should be interesting. It’s fascinating to watch students who see each other every day leave written comments on one anothers’ Tell the Raven posts. I wonder, will my local colleagues do the same? I’d like that.

I think that teachers need to have a basic understanding about the read/write web in order to participate on Tell the Raven - more than I can communicate in a single presentation - so I expect that if there’s as much interest as I hope there will be, we’ll set up a short course in social software applications. My initial presentation is going to be a brief invitation to the whole group, with a bit of show and tell. It would be a lot of fun to get a big part of the staff creatively working with online media.

[Maybe one of them will read this and see me about it...]

]]> By: Mark Ahlness http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/08/15/the-community-writing-project/#comment-7222 Mark Ahlness Thu, 17 Aug 2006 02:59:44 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/08/15/the-community-writing-project/#comment-7222 Doug, this very uplifting news to hear, thanks for sharing it. Those who go to staff meetings like you, who walk in shoes just like yours, appreciate hearing about your success. Good luck with presenting it to your staff (boy, would I like to be a fly on the wall at that meeting), but mostly, good luck to you with your kids this year! - Mark Doug, this very uplifting news to hear, thanks for sharing it. Those who go to staff meetings like you, who walk in shoes just like yours, appreciate hearing about your success. Good luck with presenting it to your staff (boy, would I like to be a fly on the wall at that meeting), but mostly, good luck to you with your kids this year! - Mark

]]> By: nani http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/08/15/the-community-writing-project/#comment-7217 nani Wed, 16 Aug 2006 21:42:34 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2006/08/15/the-community-writing-project/#comment-7217 Thanks for the link to Mark's blog! I'm putting it in my arsenal. Thanks for the link to Mark’s blog! I’m putting it in my arsenal.

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