Now Hold on There…

Joe looks like he’s up against it in terms of being able to continue his Web log work, and if I’m reading his post right, his school may be in some trouble as well. Pat has offered 50 students sites, and I’ll throw in another 50 here…not the greatest URL for a Brooklyn based school, but maybe we can do something about that as well. (And by the way, to any others who might want to do some experimenting, space is available.)

This is the kind of DOP that Pat envisions as this network grows. Grass roots, built from the bottom up with that gritty taste of success that comes from rolling up your sleeves and getting into it up to your elbows. It should be easier though, shouldn’t it?

My brain tells me we know what this is; we’re at the point where we can define it’s potential, even though that potential is not yet realized. We have example after example after example of how this disruptive technology works in the classroom, real students, real practice, real success. We have the energy of a small but intensely dedicated group of educators who, besides needing to reintroduce themselves to their families and partners, have a vision and a burning desire to make the fruits of our labors available to all. (Yesterday, after Tom’s presentation of his Web log work to our department, lots of my colleagues were asking serious questions…my appointment book is filling up.)

I mean really, how good is this: (from Pat)

The edBlogNet’s ‘rule of thumb’ is to direct educational funds, time and resources to find and support communities of teachers who have a good chance of advancing the state of digital literacy in k-U settings by an order of magnitude. These communities are edu-techno pioneers, in several ways out ahead of the rest of the educational world:

First, some of their members are computer geeks, even including some programmers and system administrators, who understand the concept of human-computer interaction and the inner workings of various disruptive technologies in school settings.
Second, others of their members are creative people in education and its disciplines who recognize the usefulness and who sense the impact of disruptive technologies upon their work and their students’ learning.
Third, the communities have free (or very cheap), reliable and fast ISP hosting, locally placed hardware and software to access that hosting, and have learned to use disruptive technologies for teaching and learning.
Fourth, their efforts are regenerative.”

If that don’t get your juices going for this stuff, I don’t know what will. (Remember…I need a life.)

My problem is that I’m more impatient than Pat, or maybe by the fortune of my circumstance, I’m still naive enough to want to think there is an easier way. Seems like if we believe in this strongly enough, we should be able to find a benefactor, one with no desire for profit or ego stroking. But someone willing to invest in a rag tag band of…well, you get the idea.

I’m being pulled in that direction. The landscape of my new position isn’t quite clear yet, and I may be able to do more than I think in terms of building and providing. But I think I’m envisioning a more formal plan.