Comments on: Everything is Miscellaneous

By: Everything is Miscellaneous » Blog Archive » Weblogg-ed writes about the book

Wed, 09 May 2007 11:43:23 +0000

[...] Weblogg-ed writes about the book from the point of view of an educator, disappointed that there isn’t more in the book on that topic. There’s a useful discussion in the comments… [...]

By: tom

tom — Tue, 08 May 2007 02:32:29 +0000

Will: learn to be patient. The book was there waiting for you. It would have been worth the wait.

By: Gary Stager

Gary Stager — Sun, 06 May 2007 15:01:28 +0000

I don’t think that the next generation of teachers will rebel against standardized testing. Their teacher education programs are more vocational and conservative. They have no experience or knowledge of more humane sensible approaches.

Plus, the current generation is quite happy to deploy the Nuremberg Defense and do to children what they know to be destructive. How do you explain such compliance?

Check out:
http://www.districtadministration.com/pulse/commentpost.aspx?news=no&postid=18059

By: Vicki Davis

Vicki Davis — Sun, 06 May 2007 00:08:44 +0000

Unfortunately, much of what is being done in public schools is not because it is the right thing but it is because of the funding mechanism and a short term mentality.

Just as a short term “day trading” mentality in the stock market is a recipe for disaster — the “day trading” mentality in school systems causes administrators (and teachers) to sacrifice the long term well being of a student’s educational repertoire for the short term hope of a good test score for the school and teacher.

Funding is forcing this mentality and it is in places that are either already succeeding or where real visionaries lie that teachers are allowed to innovate and do the right thing.

I doubt this generation will advocate the bubbling of boxes but it may take this generation entering into the political scene to make it happen.

By: Gary Stager

Gary Stager — Sat, 05 May 2007 21:30:56 +0000

I meant to type, “drama of life,” in my above post.

By: Gary Stager

Gary Stager — Sat, 05 May 2007 21:25:34 +0000

Hi Will,

I too am about 1/2 through Weinberger’s book. I feel like I’ve heard it all before (ie… Wikipedia is amazing). However, conflating information access and learning is troublesome.

As for the quote from the young person you shared, I know it’s dramatic (see teenager), but what does it mean? Does it have an intellectual value?

I LOVE instant messaging because it’s a quick elegant cheap way to share digital resources. Chat seems LOTS less interesting or purposeful.

Were schools getting all excited about giving every child a telephone (or a street corner) because “that’s where the drama of live plays out?”

By: Learning Enhanced Technology

Learning Enhanced Technology — Sat, 05 May 2007 19:53:59 +0000

[...] Will Richardson recently wrote a blog discussing what he has read so far in Everything is Miscellaneous: The Power of the New Digital Disorder and he presented a quote which I felt deserved “insight from the front lines” as it were. Here is the the quote reprinted: The implicit lesson is unmistakable: Knowing is something done by individuals. It is something that happens inside of your brain. The mark of knowing is being able to fill in a paper with the right answers. Knowledge could not get any less social. In fact, in those circumstances when knowledge is social we call it cheating. [...]

By: Weblogg-ed...another review of Everything is Miscellaneous « Identity Unknown

Sat, 05 May 2007 17:50:25 +0000

[...] May 5th, 2007 by Ryan Lanham Everything is Miscellaneous [...]

By: Ewan McIntosh

Ewan McIntosh — Sat, 05 May 2007 16:44:33 +0000

He makes some connections with education in his speech at the Scottish Learning Festival last year. Video and transcript right here:
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/sett/previousconferences/2006/seminarsandkeynotes/seminars/ministerialaddressandeverythingismiscellaneous.asp

By: Rob Paterson

Rob Paterson — Sat, 05 May 2007 13:31:43 +0000

On the IM front Will – I am finding Twitter especially wonderful – I see that you have a Twitter acount but have not used it much. Twitterific for Apple or Twitteroo for Windows brings its value alive
All the best Rob

By: Mrs. Durff

Mrs. Durff — Sat, 05 May 2007 13:04:33 +0000

I can’t listen to your blog like I could before…is something amiss with the Talkr site?

By: Sylvia Martinez

Sylvia Martinez — Sat, 05 May 2007 12:12:52 +0000

I don’t know if these tools will change the way kids will look at schools when they grow up and become the ones in charge. The concept of “school” is a powerful meme in our society.

By: Bryan Alexander

Bryan Alexander — Sat, 05 May 2007 11:52:45 +0000

Heh – I had exactly the same thing happen, with the book arriving the day I left for a series of talk and workshops.

One reviewer noted that the book is dedicated to librarians. I wonder if that shapes the entire approach, with a specific way of getting at teaching.