Today's question...

 I'm just about finished reading the Steve Jobs biography. The current chapter highlights an encounter Jobs had with a blogger about Apple's attempt to control which apps could be on the iPhone and iPad. Jobs had an opinion about digital life that he argued "vigorously" "bluntly" "publicly." 

That leads me to today's question..."What would you be willing to argue "vigorously, bluntly, publicly?"

Thoughts about my daily practice...

 We all belong to groups...membership is voluntary sometimes...by default at other times. We all have an identity that is the sum of all of the experiences that we engage in and surround us...that identity is always changing. I'm spending time currently thinking about how the groups we are members of by default contribute to our always evolving identities.

Affinity groups...

I've been thinking about what affinity groups are for the past 4 days since reading a really interesting article by James Paul Gee. Loosely defined, an affinity group is comprised of people with similar interests. These groups can span massive distances...for example...I am in an affinity group called "educators" and this group includes individuals from all over the world...many of whom I do not know at all. However, that larger group includes a group of "educators" much closer to me...(for example)...my colleagues at the elementary school. We work with other affinity groups...groups we help create. We even give them "names" or "labels"...groups like "at risk children", "LD students", "ADHD students." Gee talks about how affinity groups seem to be groups that individuals want to be a part of yet the groups I mention in the previous sentence don't seem to be the type of group kids would stand in line to become members of. Still...they exist.  Reading Gee's article has me interested in how these groups form and why. I'm also interested in how the formation of these groups contributes to the socialization of children into the insitution of school and if (at all) opens up space for possible moments of liberation within that institution. Is there a way for affinity groups to work in such a way that the socialization that takes place in schools is not solely reproductive in nature? Is there a way for affinity groups to work alongside one another in such a way that produces liberating moments for each group? I'm not sure the questions are coming out the way I want them right now and welcome your thoughts.

Zen of being un-attachment...

Who knew that de-cluttering could be so emotionally draining? This morning I decided to get rid of some things I'd been keeping for awhile. Old doctoral papers I no longer need a hard copy of, old gradebooks from my last school, old student work and old teacher evaluations from my old school. As I went through this stuff...I got very emotional!! Looking back at this stuff brought up very bad memories and very happy memories...so much that I could not hold it all in! I love teaching more than life itself and the things I decided to "let go" of today are like extensions of that love! It has been hours since I've "let it all go" and I'm still drained!

Quick Write...01-12-12

Been a few days since I've posted to the blog...went to my first class session of the last class I need to take for my doctoral program last night. It's going to be a great class for many reasons. My mentor is teaching it and we've conceptualized the space as a place for me to continue with my "Think Forward" mantra! I already have some ideas for one of the papers I need to write...it's going to be an article that I intend to publish in an amazing magazine called Rethinking Schools. Here's a link to their website...

http://www.rethinkingschools.org/index.shtml

Writing this article is going to help me start to think how the topics I am interested in (Assessment, Technology and Error) link up with each other. I know there is a connection and I know this article will help me begin to see it!

TBC

Dialing it back...just a little...01-09-12

Trying to figure out...how much is too much?! I made a promise to myself that I would blog more this year...in an attempt to "Think Forward." So far, I'm rockin' it!!

Doing some reading earlier today (see FB post) I noticed that it may not be such a good idea to post to my blog everyday. I mean think about it, what are the chances that I will have something to say EVERYDAY? Ok...maybe I could...actually I am!

I am re-reading a book that will be integral to my dissertation titled: Identity and Agency in Cultural Worlds by: Holland et al. It's an amazing book! After re-reading chapter 1 I did some thinking about identity and how we think about it. Holland et al tell us that our identities are lived in and through activity. As I re-read this chapter at 4:30 am (yeah...I'm insane) I couldn't help but think of my own identity...or my self-understanding of my identity. For 23 years (just about 1/2 of my life here on Earth...yeah I'm that old) my identity has been "lived in and through" the activity of teaching...an activity that brings me more happiness than just about anything else!! Holland et al tell us that identities are improvised and I think that that's what causes me the most friction with my daily experiences in the classroom. What I mean is that I've always known inherently (I didn't need Holland et al to "tell me this") that the act of teaching is an improvisation. However, the way in which school is structured or more accurately surveilled...both for teachers and students goes against this...which is interesting...we are "told" that we need to be structured...we need to write lesson plans...schedules...post objectives so that when administrators come to observe they can point at things and say, "Yes...school is happening here." However, those of us that "get it" that understand that the act of teaching...and learning for that matter is an act of improvisation realize the insanity of writing these lesson plans, posting schedules and objectives. We are dealing with humans here...right?

At any rate...back to what I was saying earlier...I may not be posting to my blog everyday...that's a pressure I don't need to put on myself...I will post when I have something to say...whatever that means. Re-posting ideas that I am reading about with short commentary...that's writing too. I wouldn't be re-posting it if I didn't think there was some value to it.

Feel free to post a comment...either on my blog or via FB/Twitter/Google +. I'm pushing all of my thinking forward because I want to engage my audience. I know you're reading...lurking. That's cool too...it's actually a part of the social media experience.

Well...that's it for now. Won't be posting tomorrow...it's my birthday! I heard this awesome quote today that Steven Tyler (Areosmith) said...I'm paraphrasing here..."I'm so old that when I was born, the Dead Sea was just sick." HA!!

What do I impute??!!

While reading the Jobs biography this morning, I came across a quote that got me thinking about "my thinking" and the many forms it takes...this blog being one form. The quote basically says (I'm paraphrasing) that, "great companies impute their values and importance in everything they do." So, that got me thinking about what I'm imputing when I write on this blog. I'm imputing an ethos...a way that I want to be seen...thought of, etc. My "move" to push my thinking forward to both my Twitter and FB audience is a calculated one...which I think adds to what I'm attempting to impute. How does one know whether (in this case my efforts to impute) are working? In Jobs' world, it's pretty simple...but what about the world of a writer like me struggling to move his thinking forward? 

"Oh, and one more thing...Think Forward!"

Steve Jobs' signature coda at his big meetings gets me thinking about my goals for the Spring semester. Just when I think everything is getting done, just when I think that I cannot move another thing forward...I'm going to think of this coda...it will force me to realize that there is always something else that I can be doing to move my thinking forward! Jobs also has signature phrases like "Think Different." My riff on that is going to be "Think Forward!!"

The Joshua Tree...

No poetry this evening...I'm sitting here after a long but very productive week listening to Pandora and like it knew what I was looking for...BAM!!! Bono and the boys come on with, "Where the Streets Have No Name." I love this whole album!!! I actually saw them on this tour while some of you were still in diapers or sucking your thumb...yeah I'm that old!! This album has an energy to it that mere words cannot do justice so I will stop and just say, thank you boys!!!

Today's haiku...01-05-12

Finished Cintron's book this morning at 5:35 am...yeah...I'm insane! This book is really going to be helpful in terms of showing me possibilities as it relates to the type of ethnography I would like to write for my dissertation. I have one more haiku to share with you...my attempt to make meaning out of significant moments from each chapter. Check it out...



Symbolic dirt
     Swept away
By neat and clean electrically dependent gadgetry

As I put this haiku together, I couldn't help but think of technologies like Reading 3D, DIBELS and the antiquated Palm Pilots teachers like myself have to use to track reading comprehension progress with regards to our students. Spend a few minutes checking out Reading 3D's website and let me know whether or not my haiku makes sense.

Today's haiku...01-04-12

Public sphere

    Constrained

By its collective fear

How many times do we let this happen to ourselves during the day? I'm guilty of this every time a supervisor "walks by." I could be doing the most amazing things in that moment and as soon as s/he "walks by", I feel that I need to "perform"...provide a narrative of what is happening in that moment and why. What makes me slide into this performance? Fear! Fear of what though? These are questions that won't be answered tonight however...I feel that it's important to throw them out there. 

How do we break this collective fear? One word...Solidarity...sticking together...supporting each other. It's something the people I work with are very good at...yet the fear still constrains...why?

The power of "IS" 01-03-12

If you've spent any time reading my recent posts...you know that I can't get my head out of the book Angels' Town by, Ralph Cintron. In an effort to synthesize information I'm reading and thinking about from each chapter, I'm trying to compose haiku-like poetry that centers around some that caught my attention while reading. That said, here's today's haiku...


This IS right and this IS wrong
     validated
By the discourse of power

How many times during the day do we use the word "IS" without thinking about the impact it has on the conversation?

A haiku...

Wrote this haiku after reading a mind-blowing chapter in Angels' Town...

Reality 

    Constructed

By collision of messiness and exactness

What do you think? I initially used "moments" in place of "collision." I switched to collision because I think that's the relationship messiness and exactness have...they just don't meet or coexist.

Blogging into the New Year...

First blog post of the New Year and thought I'd share a pic (still playing around with the Blogsy app on my iPad 2) of the latest geeky-toy...the Logitech fold up keyboard. I wrote about it the other day but didn't give you a chance to "see it" in action! Here she is...waiting for me to use her! HA!!!

I spent some time today prepping for the school...which starts back up tomorrow. Won't lie...wish I had more time home to chill but again...I really cannot complain...had a great (almost) 2 weeks off!! Spent lots of time with Steph...went on amazing walks...read 1/2 of the Steve Jobs biography (which is awesome)...went for two great drives in my Beetle...with the top down baby...and even began to wrap my head around what I intend to do with my research this Spring!

So...I'm re-charged and ready to move forward!!!

That's all I've got...for now!