Comments on: Transparency = Leadership

By: David Walker

David Walker — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:34:44 +0000

Thanks Ruth. The answer, at least in part, is to start somewhere, anywhere. I found another article I had saved several months ago that gives suggestions about how to do so. Previously I fell into a trap Will had warned against, which was to start up with students before I had a network of my own that would lead me to my answers through activity rather, as you suggest, than thought. The good news that it works best when you are doing it with others.

By: Brendan

Brendan — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 21:02:17 +0000

I was checking out the Facebook groups of my old high school a while back. In the description on group advised members not to friend teachers because then they would have the ability to see their wall posts.

By: Margie Rogers

Margie Rogers — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:49:46 +0000

As I read your post, I appreciate your wanting to help your students and staff to witness their beliefs to others. I believe that all students need to be taught that their presence online is something that they need to cultivate, and we need to be able to step out of our “we’ve always done it this way” comfort zone to help our kids see that every little piece they place out on the web can follow them with either good or bad results. My daughters looked at me like I had an extra nose when I tried to explain to them that employers are beginning to review kids’ MySpace and Facebook accounts prior to hiring, and that they need to choose carefully what they set out into the public realm. (favorite mom quote, “what are you advertising?–what might this say about you, good or bad, to a potential employer? Is this online posting something you’d be comfortable having a future boss or even your grandmother seeing?!)

By: flatchulance

flatchulance — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 16:49:18 +0000

Transparency would be seeing the socioeconomic break down of your clientele added to the “About/Disclosures” page. Otherwise, “disclosure” in the title is code for “The tail that wags the dog.”

I have not followed your work, so allow me to share my persona by admitting the impression of you that I formed from this one piece. Please remember that as you read this. It is a first impression…

I really think the pony tail was enough. If the prolific writing doesn’t tell everyone how vanguard you think you are, that will.

The back and forth between you and “Inlandia” was repulsive. I’m going to assume that you will completely dismiss my comments with a self righteous laugh at my abuses of grammar, spelling and sentence construction. Thanks for that inviting approach toward broad based public content production. Why would anyone want to put their heart into representing themselves on the web only to be swept off the tracks by a completely off point criticism?

Having said that, I placed you on a shelf of a pompous, self-absorbed elitists. I picture you on the speaking circuit, away from your family two or three weeks out of every month. While you tell others how they should be raising their children, you prefer going out to dinner with academia types that speak loud of how the world would benefit by being more like you.

The fact is, we are not all gifted in ways that transform into digital content worth viewing. A small percentage of people worldwide afford the technology and resources necessary to publish content. Public access resources are for “access,” not publishing. The web heaves of content that never should have seen the light of day. But at least we can be certain, it is purely the product of the worlds upper class.

I’ve only done business on the web since 1993. In that short amount of time, I’ve watched it become less a productive community and more a dark ally where stalking and abuse is a billion dollar industry. The more people expose themselves on the web, the more viable target they become to the abuses.

I’m not even assured you wrote this article. For all I know, someone that wants others to think you are an elitist published this using a rogue patch embedded on your server.

By: Ruth Howard

Ruth Howard — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 12:51:01 +0000

http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/04/george-siemens-social-learning-with-emerging-technologies.html
George Siemens “When we learn in a transparent way we become teachers”

David Walker it’s beautiful that you/I dont know, it’s perfect that education is (pretending its not)obsolete, its wonderful that youth are driving the change. Like in parenting I get overwhelmed too. (That’s usually a signal that I’m in my head trying too hard!) All I have to do is follow my child. He will guide me he shows me everyday what/how/which/who/where/when he prefers and what he doesn’t enjoy.

I’m not currently teaching, I’m emerging from home duties, so I sincerely dont pretend to assume your role/situation.I totally believe that it really is humungously challenging.I respect your listening to all points of view. Academics are even considering listening to amateurs!(see above link).I love your vulnerability, it exposes you to learning and exposes me too.It is haphazard this rabbit hole of endless connections but exponentially the dots will join. Pioneering is not a thankful road, a bit like parenting!

By: Ruth Howard

Ruth Howard — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 11:38:47 +0000

Transparency of leadership shows accessibility and relevance (connected applicable).Currently schools are irrelevant unless they are 1.engaging learners 2.engaging learning technology 3.engaging the world 4. engaging real world applications.

Below the University of Maine sets out academic criteria for new media stating that “promotion and tenure guidelines must be revised to encourage the creative and innovative use of technology if universities are to remain competitive in the 21st century…”

http://newmedia.umaine.edu/interarchive/new_criteria_for_new_media.html

6. Impact in the real world

While magazine columns and newspaper editorials may have little standing in traditional academic subjects, one of the strengths of new media are their relevance to a daily life that is increasingly inflected by the relentless proliferation of technologies. Even counting Google search returns on the author’s name or statistically improbable phrases can be a measure of real-world impact[16]. By privileging new media research with direct effect on local or global communities, the university can remain relevant in an age where much research takes place outside the ivory tower.

By: David Walker

David Walker — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 23:16:58 +0000

I’m with Cynthia. Even though I’ve been at this a while – student blogs, wikis, rss feeds, web searches of various sorts – I feel far behind. I had a conversation today with colleagues, smart, engaged, inspiring teachers who see a really different side of the web. It began with a Time/CNN article talking about how facebook users have lower GPA’s. What most teachers see is very narrow web use on the part of their students – games and chat. Most adults believe these students tend to use technology for entertainment and simply do not care about its potential for scholarship, whatever that happens to mean. What we all agreed is that out district needs on-going media instruction that teaches the technologies and provides opportunities for those of us who are interested to model our practice. I suppose another issue is my practice. It is limited,by time, by not being sure where to go beyond following the blog trail, by not being sure how much is enough, by being a little miffed by the idea that being googleable is “the” measure of ongoing learning (I think my students would say that my ongoing learning is evident to them – I’m feeling touchy because we have been afflicted lately with a lot of administrative walk throughs that are superficial and kind of misdirected), by not knowing what methods will hook my students and keep them hooked. We have a crucial opportunity/responsibility here, and it is already so huge that I, an interested party, am overwhelmed. I work in a district whose administrators want to pretend that the web is email, wikipedia, and facebook. So I guess what I am asking is what is the essential starting point? What’s the hook? Why would my students want to go beyond games and chat? What’s in it for them? Where should I start with my students on Monday?

By: Will Richardson

Will Richardson — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:25:24 +0000

Thanks so much for commenting, Cynthia. Really appreciate the effort. Take it slowly and build your confidence, but do keep trying to share your ideas as you have here. We all have contributions to make to this conversation. And, thanks for the reminder on that patience part. After eight years out here in the wilderness, I forget that not everyone is as geeky as I am!

By: Steve Ransom

Steve Ransom — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:04:45 +0000

Thanks for sharing that, Cynthia. All too often we overlook or forget the numerous contexts that others have to operate under or from. My preservice teaching students remind me of this all the time as I introduce many new possibilities that for one reason or another become quite problematic back in their own classrooms. I know they are trying to get their heads around it all, but it’s hard work, for sure… but well worth it in the end. Persist and surround yourself with those who are passionate, creative, and visionary, both in this virtual world and in the physical spaces you work in.
If you are interested, I wrote a post somewhat related to this last week.
http://ransomtech.edublogs.org/2009/04/04/it/

By: Cynthia Van Dam

Cynthia Van Dam — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:54:16 +0000

I think many educators and leaders are busy trying to accomplish your first suggestion (building an online learning community). We are just beginning to think about having an online presence. We are trying to learn to use blackboard, moodle, promethean boards. At our school most of us discovored wikis this year, but they are still blocked in school. We have to learn to use a webcam before we can upload something to utube(That is blocked, too.). For myself, I am still learning the vocabulary and the technology. What is a pingback? I have an idea what it means, but I have never used an RSS feed. I lost track of the technologies mentioned that I have never heard of.(Diigo, Mogulus, USTream). I think this is the first time I have posted a response on a blog. Be patient. We are learning. I suppose what I am saying is that first we have to learn what the tools are. Then we learn to use them as consumers. Sometimes we have to overcome hurdles from our IT departments to be able to use some technology. Finally, we can be producers. As I listen in faculty meeting, there are teachers who aren’t interested and don’t want to learn more. There are also many who are learning as fast as they can. I can’t tell what the second priority should be. Many of us are spending all our energy on the first priorities of discovering and then developing an online learning community.

By: Steve Ransom

Steve Ransom — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:33:56 +0000

I think all of those skills do deepen because of the transparency of conversation. However, this transparent vetting process becomes problematic when there is no challenge/vetting and simply affirmation/echo chamber type of commenting. I think one needs to consider this at every turn, as blogging “groupies” (I am one of them, btw) tend to follow those they admire. There seems to be somewhat of a “star” element to many blogs and I think the real vetting of ideas still has some challenges and barriers to conquer in an open, transparent virtual world. So in that sense, it is urgent that we get an “all hands on deck” response to these changes. If those who are respected or authorities in the traditional sense are not actively participating in these virtual communities and knowledge sharing/creating circles, then there is a huge potential imbalance. Until they buy in to why they should be present (or are forced due to cultural/knowledge shifts), there is little incentive to break out of the traditional mold of expert knowledge sharing.

By: Will Richardson

Will Richardson — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:08:30 +0000

Sincere thanks for the comment Mary. So let me push back a bit. First, would you agree that your comment as well as many others in this thread add “rigor” to my learning as they make me revisit ideas, examine different perspectives, articulate responses, think critically, etc.? And second, would that conversation have occurred had I not shared it publicly, made it transparent? I’m struck by how you are engaged in the vetting process yet dismissing your efforts as in some way un-respectable or lacking in value because this is not a traditional journal. Why bother commenting? You are exhibiting the exact skills that I want my kids to exhibit, which is to be willing to engage in ideas and conversations, to push back respectfully, and to edit or “curate” their worlds. Don’t those skills deepen because of the transparency of the conversation?

By: Mary Merkle

Mary Merkle — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:25:04 +0000

I will speak heresy, then, in stating that living a “transparent” life is not essential for being a leader in educational technology. I would argue the opposite is true. The one thing “transparency” does not bring is rigor to a learning community. Professional journals are refereed, and we choose our professional communities in some large part based on the quality of those communities. My argument is, and always has been, that applications of technology do not in themselves create either more effective learning environments.
“Transparency” seems to be a key word with no real definition, here. The old axiom “Nothing is as it seems,” is particulary applicable to a person’s web presence. Where is the vetting, the research, and the peer review one would find in journals or at respectable conferences? I can have a plethora of collaborations and blogs and articles on the web which would look quite impressive if Googled but all of which have only one credential; they show up on the results page of a search engine.

By: Transparency and Leadership | EdTekZone - Musings on Educational Technology

Transparency and Leadership | EdTekZone - Musings on Educational Technology — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:02:04 +0000

[...] http://weblogg-ed.com/2009/leadership-transparency/ [...]

By: Jackie

Jackie — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 21:50:06 +0000

this is so true. But the problem about nurturing ideas in such infant state is you get a much much higher signal to noise ration than you would from more platforms that demand users apply more development into the propositioning of their ideas.