So many tools...Do we overwhelm folks? Do we need a real purpose and a focused introduction... or do we sometimes just blurt it out? Should the impulsivity stop... Can I learn from mistakes of sharing quickly? ARe there rules about what tools to use and who to share with?? many questions... I have moments of silence on what I do and then I have surges of sharing too much, too fast. Especially when a question is asked or someone looks slightly interested...
Paula, This is my blink response. I’ll add more thoughts later. I do worry about overwhelming folks… but as I share with folks face 2 face or via emails about tools, I always say… find what works for you. Feel free to experiment and learn by playing with some folks that you are comfortable with. I tried doing just that in my school last year and got shut down… (not going into details here) Now.. having said that, I am guilty of being impulsive. Yes, I may share out of excitement… it’s a major flaw I suffer from. “the blurt factor”. I try to model risk-taking and I always say, I’m testing the waters for others to swim… with the hopes that someone will jump in the water!!! The river of knowledge is always flowing and at our fingertips. (love the river of knowledge analogy for twitter)
So… it’s a new school year and I see movement. I see people willing to play with tools and branch out slowly…they are in familiar waters and paddling gently. Not necessarily to the wide world, but beyond their classroom and hallways. Some are connecting with folks across the division that have never done this before. This I perceive is a good forward step. Yeah.. I’m transparent on the http://WWW... but many folks aren’t like me. Some folks think I’m over the top with twitter, facebook, wikis, etc. But… as needs arise in their lives, I see them slowly gravitating toward collaborative tools. They have to have a purpose. In our school district, I see movement toward some things that I’ve been doing and appreciating and learning for a while now. It’s great to have colleagues participating in new tools and sharing in new ways. So… how do we settle on a tool? How do we know what is the right tool? When we commit to something, can we change without overwhelming and confusing everyone? I don’t know. So… maybe mistakes and impulsive behaviors have happened… but we are all thinking adults that need to choose what works for us. I agree that we must explore our tools that we’ve committed to as a district, but we must also not stop looking at all of the possibilities it can offer us a dynamic learning community which is constantly changing. Again… we must model the capabilities of this tool and I believe we have just started ! so much for a “blink”. Wow… school is starting tomorrow. I can’t wait to see how the school climates feel as I move into new buildings as a coach. Thanks, Paula, for asking hard questions.
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