Comments on: Where did all my old habits go? http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/ Education and Technology by Steve Dembo Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:23:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: Teach42 » Blog Archive » Obligated to blog? I don’t think so. http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23210 Teach42 » Blog Archive » Obligated to blog? I don’t think so. Wed, 31 Aug 2005 04:04:10 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23210 [...] Google Talk Obligated to blog? I don’t think so. Yesterday’s post generated a bit of discussion, so I thought that I might [...] […] Google Talk

Obligated to blog? I don’t think so.

Yesterday’s post generated a bit of discussion, so I thought that I might […]

]]> By: Jack MacLeod http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23193 Jack MacLeod Wed, 31 Aug 2005 02:12:36 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23193 <strong>The new school year rapidly approaches</strong> The new school year rapidly approaches

]]> By: Ewan McIntosh http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23140 Ewan McIntosh Tue, 30 Aug 2005 18:32:11 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23140 Looks like we're singing from the same song sheet after all, Terry! I think you're right about the pressure to blog, but in some cases I apply pressure on people to blog because what they are doing at the moment doesn't encourage <i>any</i> writing at all, not even on paper, where writing one's thoughts would be of huge advantage to the learning of students. Learning logs, for example, are perfectly useful on paper and needn't be blogged. There are advantages to blogging them, of course - peers can comment and help. But that's as far as I would hope an established blogger would take his/her blogvangelisation to that individual. Does that make sense? It's getting late here in Scotland. Time for dinner... Looks like we’re singing from the same song sheet after all, Terry!

I think you’re right about the pressure to blog, but in some cases I apply pressure on people to blog because what they are doing at the moment doesn’t encourage any writing at all, not even on paper, where writing one’s thoughts would be of huge advantage to the learning of students. Learning logs, for example, are perfectly useful on paper and needn’t be blogged. There are advantages to blogging them, of course - peers can comment and help. But that’s as far as I would hope an established blogger would take his/her blogvangelisation to that individual.

Does that make sense? It’s getting late here in Scotland. Time for dinner…

]]> By: Terry http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23120 Terry Tue, 30 Aug 2005 17:16:03 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23120 OK, sorry, I should have explained, Ewan. I read a document a couple of days ago in which the writer said that it was important to blog every day, even if what you write is rubbish, ie it's the act of blogging itself that's important, not the quality. My view is that kind of viewpoint can have the effect of laying a guilt trip on someone, for no good reason in my opinion. I love writing, and because of that I won't write/publish anything which I consider to be crap, because I don't want to be associated with it. So, apologies if I gave the wrong impression. I would never have the arrogance to judge someone else's writing by dismissing it as crap, only my own! By the same token, I don't think anyone should feel obliged to write if they "know" that they are just going to produce utter drivel in their own opinion. Relating it back to Steve's original post, I don't think Steve should feel bad in any way about not blogging for a while. There are only 24 hours in a day, and he's just started a new job etc etc. A wider point, which I actually mentioned to <a href="http://www.weblogg-ed.com/" rel="nofollow"> Will Richardson </a> at the <a href="http://www.novemberlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=29B" rel="nofollow"> Building Learning Communities conference </a> is that there seems to be a lot of social pressure these days (a) to blog (as opposed 2 indulging in other forms of writing) and (b) to blog incessantly! Anyway, hope that ramble has cleared things up. Terry OK, sorry, I should have explained, Ewan. I read a document a couple of days ago in which the writer said that it was important to blog every day, even if what you write is rubbish, ie it’s the act of blogging itself that’s important, not the quality. My view is that kind of viewpoint can have the effect of laying a guilt trip on someone, for no good reason in my opinion. I love writing, and because of that I won’t write/publish anything which I consider to be crap, because I don’t want to be associated with it.

So, apologies if I gave the wrong impression. I would never have the arrogance to judge someone else’s writing by dismissing it as crap, only my own! By the same token, I don’t think anyone should feel obliged to write if they “know” that they are just going to produce utter drivel in their own opinion.

Relating it back to Steve’s original post, I don’t think Steve should feel bad in any way about not blogging for a while. There are only 24 hours in a day, and he’s just started a new job etc etc.

A wider point, which I actually mentioned to Will Richardson at the Building Learning Communities conference is that there seems to be a lot of social pressure these days (a) to blog (as opposed 2 indulging in other forms of writing) and (b) to blog incessantly!

Anyway, hope that ramble has cleared things up.

Terry

]]> By: Ewan McIntosh http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23116 Ewan McIntosh Tue, 30 Aug 2005 16:37:10 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23116 Terry, I don't think anyone is saying that on a blog you have to write <i>every</i> day (even if it's crap). Blogging is all about saying what you *have* to say, and if you don't have anything, you don't say it. It's simple. Note that blogs are also useful tools in learning how to phrase one's language. By referring to the blogs of others as 'crap', without explaining what you find 'crap' and why, you're not really taking advantage of the medium yourself. Nor are you inviting a conversation on the matter, because you're not bringing any support into your argument. Understand blogs first, criticise constructively when you have. Terry, I don’t think anyone is saying that on a blog you have to write every day (even if it’s crap). Blogging is all about saying what you *have* to say, and if you don’t have anything, you don’t say it. It’s simple.

Note that blogs are also useful tools in learning how to phrase one’s language. By referring to the blogs of others as ‘crap’, without explaining what you find ‘crap’ and why, you’re not really taking advantage of the medium yourself. Nor are you inviting a conversation on the matter, because you’re not bringing any support into your argument. Understand blogs first, criticise constructively when you have.

]]> By: Terry http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23114 Terry Tue, 30 Aug 2005 16:30:02 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23114 Read Ecclesiastes (or listen to the Byrds): For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. Basically, things go in cycles, and you need to recognise that it isn't always appropriate to do something. Lack of time may be an excuse, but it can also be your subconscious's way of telling you to do something different for a while. Personally, I don't go along with this business of blogging (or writing) every day even if it's crap. My view, in the words of the old disco song: if it feels good, do it! And the obvious corollary is: if it doesn't, don't! Read Ecclesiastes (or listen to the Byrds): For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven. Basically, things go in cycles, and you need to recognise that it isn’t always appropriate to do something. Lack of time may be an excuse, but it can also be your subconscious’s way of telling you to do something different for a while. Personally, I don’t go along with this business of blogging (or writing) every day even if it’s crap. My view, in the words of the old disco song: if it feels good, do it! And the obvious corollary is: if it doesn’t, don’t!

]]> By: Ewan McIntosh http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23072 Ewan McIntosh Tue, 30 Aug 2005 07:16:46 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23072 Your predicament is the same as many teachers around the world. Just yesterday I was writing a post about how we should maybe be ditching those curriculum planners at the beginning of the year and, instead, think about having <a href="http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2005/08/scratch_those_i.html" rel="nofollow">scratchathons</a> and creative programmes to get the kids motivated from day one. What do you think? Your predicament is the same as many teachers around the world. Just yesterday I was writing a post about how we should maybe be ditching those curriculum planners at the beginning of the year and, instead, think about having scratchathons and creative programmes to get the kids motivated from day one. What do you think?

]]> By: Ewan McIntosh http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23071 Ewan McIntosh Tue, 30 Aug 2005 07:15:39 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23071 Your predicament is the same as many teachers around the world. Just yesterday I was writing <a href="http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2005/08/yes_they_get_go.html" rel="nofollow">a post</a> about how we should maybe be ditching those curriculum planners at the beginning of the year and, instead, think about having <a href="http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2005/08/scratch_those_i.html" rel="nofollow">scratchathons</a> and creative programmes to get the kids motivated from day one. What do you think? Your predicament is the same as many teachers around the world. Just yesterday I was writing a post about how we should maybe be ditching those curriculum planners at the beginning of the year and, instead, think about having scratchathons and creative programmes to get the kids motivated from day one. What do you think?

]]> By: Jack MacLeod http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23030 Jack MacLeod Tue, 30 Aug 2005 00:30:10 +0000 http://www.teach42.com/2005/08/29/where-did-all-my-old-habits-go/#comment-23030 Don't sweat it too much Steve. There's lots of change going on in your life. I look forward to your return to, hopefully, regular blogging and podcasting. I've been having the same problem with blogging since I got back from Boston - too many other things going on. Hope your year goes well. Don’t sweat it too much Steve. There’s lots of change going on in your life. I look forward to your return to, hopefully, regular blogging and podcasting. I’ve been having the same problem with blogging since I got back from Boston - too many other things going on.

Hope your year goes well.

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