Alan has been wondering if Weblogs “will fly with the speed and grace of a lead balloon.” Seems the adoption rate of Weblogs by teachers in his network of schools is slow, to be kind, and it’s got him a wonderin’.
“It just takes time or a miracle or some combination for things to take off. And in my position, where I am deeply immersed in this stuff almost 24-7, it is easy to forget that others are just peering over the precipice of new technology, and holding on to the safety rail of powerpoint, WebCT/Blackboard, etc.”
Alan thinks that those of us who can keep up the blogging pace have obsessive compulsive issues, and he might be right. Certainly there are other things in my life (my house and yard, for instance) that could use a bit of my attention. I’ve said before that my least favorite question goes something like “Golly, how much time do you spend on this stuff?” I seldom answer…truthfully, at least. And like Alan, there are plenty of times when I just can’t understand why other people don’t embrace these tools (toys) as fervently (manically) as I have. I mean, what’s not to like?
But even those that were among the trailblazers like Joe and Pam and Pat have either fallen silent or taken different directions in their writing. Why? Why? They may still be using Weblogs in their schools, but their voices are pretty much silent. It’s too bad, because I learned much from them.
I dunno. Those who get subjected to my blogvangelizing seem to be interested and willing and enthusiastic even. But it seems a very few actually take the plunge and start to play. Not even blog, per se, but use the tools. And like Alan, I too “fervently believe in the power of potential of weblogs, for students, teachers, and people in general, as a powerful, expressive platform.” But most people don’t…they haven’t drunk from the blog Kool Aid. And they’re settled in their practice, and they just don’t have a lot of time that they are willing to commit. And that right there probably is the biggest thing. For whatever reason, and there are many, I choose to make time for this. I find it challenging and fun and fresh and, hopefully, important.
So, I just keep throwing up examples, pick my spots, try not to be too obnoxious, and keep hoping that someday, maybe, more will see what I see.
If not, I hope the meds work…
Will,
Your efforts are a great service to the education community. You are blazing a trail that others will, in time, travel; and you are giving them a roadmap to follow.
Keep up the great work,
Regards,
Skip
Ahhh, so maybe I can blame you for getting my butt outa bed in the pre-dawn hours to research and write *grin*. I have actually asked faculty members who have significant voices in their respective fields to start blogging, builing community among their peers, and generally sharing themselves with the world. The commitment that you make here takes time…and there is no hiding that we’re not just talking a few minutes every day. I sense that many see the benefits, but seem to be strangely aware that this is one more layer of tasks added to an already full plate. I do not want to call this a compulsion or addiction, but it comes as close as I want to imagine. The cliche analogy ‘it is like a fly attempting to drink from a firehose’ comes to mind…you recognize that there is so much stuff coming at you, trying to digest and process an ever increasing load of materials is tough. Having fellow bloggers (and blog evangelists such as yourself) ease that load in some respects by sharing your personal thoughts in areas of similar interest, helps more than you can imagine. There is tremendous value in that sharing, and I for one, appreciate the people on my blogroll immensely…(I even worry about some who stop blogging for long periods of time). All this to say, Thank you!
Paul:)
Well, I’ll tell you why I probably won’t be blogging with my class this year. Yet another roadblock has been thrown in my face. Our filter which is managed by a company called ENA (Education Networks of America) has deemed typepad an indecent site and blocked it. However, they never blocked my actual weblog site, only the application. Therefore, I can’t update it at school. Nor can my students post on our class blog at school. Which is rather important for the students who don’t have internet access at home. I’m tired of feeling like a criminal for using blogging as a tool in my class. I’m very frustrated right now.
It takes a great deal of discipline to maintain this kind of effort over time.
It takes a great deal of discipline to maintain this kind of effort over time.