Classroom III

Here are a couple of ideas that were tossed out to participants at the NC Science Blogging Conference.  The ideas are courtesy of Janet Stemwedel, scientist, blogger, and global thinker.

• Conversations we need to have, and how blogging can help us have them.

• Community and communication as key ingredients for human flourishing.

Image yourself at a open house or a social event in your town.  Educators and non-educators are invited.  Standing near the back wall, is Sarah B, an teacher with four years experience.  Up walks a another party goer and it happens: The spinach dip blow-off.  “What exactly is it you do?” Sarah says hello nice to meet you, my name is Sarah and I a science teacher … with …, which we prepare citizens with the skills for the 21st Century …”

“Oh.  Hey, is that spinach dip?”

Real communication: a conversation

• What do the others know already vs. what do I have to explain?
• What do they want to know, and why is it important to them?
• What do I want them to understand, and why is it important to me?
• What can they help me figure out?

Traditional educator communication:

• Peer reviewed literature (back and forth, long timescale)
• Conference presentations, workshops (back and forth, ephemeral)
• Press releases, newsletters (not much back and forth)

Teaching is a process, not just a product!
Knowledge production requires good communication with other educators.
(adapted from H.E. Longino, Science as Social Knowledge, 1990)

• Helping non-scientists understand what educators know and how they come to know it is a good thing (and also requires good communication).

This sets up a big question: Why would an educator blog?

• Back and forth on a short timescale (through comments, discussions on other blogs).
• Less ephemeral than non-virtual conversations.
• Potential to involve people from many backgrounds and many places.

Conversations in the blogosphere in edublogs that might not be happening otherwise:  I call this topics to blog about…

Educational conversations

• Cool new findings
• Dispelling common misunderstandings
• Sharing of pedagogical strategies

Political conversations

• How literacy bears on political choices
• How politics influences conditions for the practice and teaching of the curriculum

Conversations about education literature (scholarly and popular)

• Educator-to-educator “educanese”
• Explanation of scholarly papers for non-educators
• Commentary on school issues in the news

The virtual teachers meeting (or virtual teachers lounge)

• Discussion of projects in progress
• Sharing Lesson Plans and strategies
• Commentary on recently presented test scores

Conversations about the tribe

• What is it like to be a teacher in a particular subject or grade level, work setting, extracurricular duties, geographical location, etc.?
• Is there anyone else like me?
• How could things be different?

What makes blogging a different kind of conversation?

• Ability to build a virtual community in the absence of critical mass for a “real” community.
• Audience of the willing.
• Option to control disclosure of personal details.

What makes blogging a different kind of conversation?

• How do I deal with my “real” environment?
• Who’ll read this?
• Echo chamber vs. pitched battle
• Who’s an authority?
• What if I get dooced?

A real conversation gives you room to grow.

• Learn something new.
• Understand someone else’s point of view.
• Change your mind.

A real conversation gives you room to grow.

• Change how non-educators understand today’s schools.
• Change how non-educators understand educators.
• Change how teachers understand their own tribe.
• Expand our sense of community.

Get the ball rolling.

• Blog about something you know and are passionate about.
• Invite people you trust (from online or the meat-world) to read and comment.
• If you’re not ready for your own blog, participate in the conversations on blogs in your area of interest.

After listening and reflecting on these points, and looking at my blog posts, my blog really is a bunch of junk.  I need to refocus my blogging efforts.  Thanks Science Blogging Conference.  What do you think?

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