Comments on: Clearing a Space to Think http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/11/clearing-a-space-to-think/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:24:44 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Meredith Broderick http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/11/clearing-a-space-to-think/comment-page-1/#comment-48094 Meredith Broderick Sat, 25 Aug 2007 14:04:40 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/11/clearing-a-space-to-think/#comment-48094 Hi Doug, I have been visiting inlaws on the West coast of Florida and did not take a laptop, deliberately. Wow an Alaskan film. I would love that even if we got our kids to interact a little bit on a blog. I would love that. I run a blog, Http://stufffromthelab.wordpress.com. I would love to start with our kids interacting on a blog. I teach 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders. I would love to introduce them to Alaska through your children. We could do it through a wordpress blog. Here is my direct email maitri27@mac.com. Perhaps look at an issue such as global warming or the Presidential election together. Please keep in touch. I am very enthusiastic at the prospect of some colloboration with you and your children share the idea with them and see what they think. School starts here in about 1 week. If you are interested I will introduce my kids to the idea the first couple of days. Hi Doug,
I have been visiting inlaws on the West coast of Florida and did not take a laptop, deliberately.

Wow an Alaskan film. I would love that even if we got our kids to interact a little bit on a blog. I would love that. I run a blog, Http://stufffromthelab.wordpress.com. I would love to start with our kids interacting on a blog. I teach 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders. I would love to introduce them to Alaska through your children. We could do it through a wordpress blog. Here is my direct email maitri27@mac.com. Perhaps look at an issue such as global warming or the Presidential election together. Please keep in touch. I am very enthusiastic at the prospect of some colloboration with you and your children share the idea with them and see what they think. School starts here in about 1 week. If you are interested I will introduce my kids to the idea the first couple of days.

]]> By: Brian Crosby http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/11/clearing-a-space-to-think/comment-page-1/#comment-47975 Brian Crosby Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:29:59 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/11/clearing-a-space-to-think/#comment-47975 Doug - My school had asbestos abatement this summer. This translated is that all the floor tiles had asbestos, so all the floors had to be pulled up and replaced. This lead to the janitorial staff moving one wing of the school at a time to another wing, then back along with the stuff from that wing so those floors could be done and so forth so that my stuff move 3 times. I decided to "pare down" - I got rid of a lot of stuff AND discovered forgotten gems ... like tomato seeds from NASA that floated around in space for 5 years ... a piece of an office building that fell off during the '89 earthquake in San Fancisco that my wife brought me since I was teaching a unit about earthquakes - and some dust from Mt. Saint Helens --- The sad part is that if I had more time I could probably throw out even more ... but what if ...? Doug – My school had asbestos abatement this summer. This translated is that all the floor tiles had asbestos, so all the floors had to be pulled up and replaced. This lead to the janitorial staff moving one wing of the school at a time to another wing, then back along with the stuff from that wing so those floors could be done and so forth so that my stuff move 3 times. I decided to “pare down” – I got rid of a lot of stuff AND discovered forgotten gems … like tomato seeds from NASA that floated around in space for 5 years … a piece of an office building that fell off during the ‘89 earthquake in San Fancisco that my wife brought me since I was teaching a unit about earthquakes – and some dust from Mt. Saint Helens —
The sad part is that if I had more time I could probably throw out even more … but what if …?

]]> By: Doug Noon http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/11/clearing-a-space-to-think/comment-page-1/#comment-47557 Doug Noon Sun, 19 Aug 2007 03:51:02 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/11/clearing-a-space-to-think/#comment-47557 People have been telling me, "If you haven't used it in a year (or two, or three) then you don't need it." This rationale appeals to me, but now that I'm changing grades it doesn't seem like such a good guideline. I traded 3 large boxes of primary picture books for credit at the local used bookstore. I'll use the credit to buy young adult novels. Other than that, I tossed out several bags worth of files that were completely antique. I have a box from my graduate work that should be burned. Oh, and like Wesley, there is so...much...junk in the basement. I dread the idea of ever moving. People have been telling me, “If you haven’t used it in a year (or two, or three) then you don’t need it.” This rationale appeals to me, but now that I’m changing grades it doesn’t seem like such a good guideline. I traded 3 large boxes of primary picture books for credit at the local used bookstore. I’ll use the credit to buy young adult novels. Other than that, I tossed out several bags worth of files that were completely antique. I have a box from my graduate work that should be burned. Oh, and like Wesley, there is so…much…junk in the basement. I dread the idea of ever moving.

]]> By: Wesley Fryer http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/11/clearing-a-space-to-think/comment-page-1/#comment-47554 Wesley Fryer Sun, 19 Aug 2007 03:09:54 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/11/clearing-a-space-to-think/#comment-47554 Like Michaele and others, I have found the act of moving to be an opportunity to throw out the old that is sorely needed. After moving to Oklahoma last year, it's amazing to me to look out in our garage and see all the boxes that are STILL packed, that have stuff we STILL haven't really "needed." When we were packing up to move, I collected a large stack of paper notes I had taken in many of my doctoral classes, and thought to myself that it was probably useless to even pack them... I should just throw them away right then. Somehow I couldn't do that, however, maybe I was emotionally attached to them because of the time and money that they represented. I find that if I don't digitize my thoughts and ideas now, they become relatively useless in many cases. Certainly there are analog things of value, but in terms of notes I take and write to myself, those scrawls on pieces of notebook and scratch paper have a very short half-life. Collecting stuff is easy, getting rid of it is hard. I've even struggled with email for many years-- getting an iPhone has helped, but the #1 thing that's helped is adopting a "clean inbox" policy. Everything gets either deleted or moved into another folder, including an "actionable" folder that includes stuff I need to work on in the short term. Now if I could just make the time and find the courage to throw out all that stuff in the garage..... Like Michaele and others, I have found the act of moving to be an opportunity to throw out the old that is sorely needed. After moving to Oklahoma last year, it’s amazing to me to look out in our garage and see all the boxes that are STILL packed, that have stuff we STILL haven’t really “needed.” When we were packing up to move, I collected a large stack of paper notes I had taken in many of my doctoral classes, and thought to myself that it was probably useless to even pack them… I should just throw them away right then. Somehow I couldn’t do that, however, maybe I was emotionally attached to them because of the time and money that they represented. I find that if I don’t digitize my thoughts and ideas now, they become relatively useless in many cases. Certainly there are analog things of value, but in terms of notes I take and write to myself, those scrawls on pieces of notebook and scratch paper have a very short half-life. Collecting stuff is easy, getting rid of it is hard. I’ve even struggled with email for many years– getting an iPhone has helped, but the #1 thing that’s helped is adopting a “clean inbox” policy. Everything gets either deleted or moved into another folder, including an “actionable” folder that includes stuff I need to work on in the short term. Now if I could just make the time and find the courage to throw out all that stuff in the garage…..

]]> By: Doug Noon http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/11/clearing-a-space-to-think/comment-page-1/#comment-47294 Doug Noon Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:59:59 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2007/08/11/clearing-a-space-to-think/#comment-47294 Meredith, we may be able to generate an Alaskan film, maybe a couple of them, this year. We'll see how it goes. Meredith, we may be able to generate an Alaskan film, maybe a couple of them, this year. We’ll see how it goes.

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