Comments on: Two Why’s (but not very wise) http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/ International Education Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:55:03 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Adam http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Adam Wed, 07 May 2008 05:42:30 +0000 http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/#comment-12 Hey James, Great to see your site. It looks very good and will absolutely turn into a good resource for you and those of us that work with you. Thinking back to your comment about the min "60 hour work week" in my view is exactly the reason to use it. As the demands on our time increase we need efficient ways of getting the message out but perhaps even more so, of reminding people that we are still the same even if we haven't had time to get out for a coffee recently. The value of that connection is one of the topics I have been thinking about a lot this year. Tools like this will help supplement the time you are able to spend with colleagues and sustain the personal approach you bring to your work through the dry spells of all work and little play. This is one step in the direction of not only improving the quality of education for the learners but for the teachers as well. I look forward to the future connection sustained this way. Hey James,

Great to see your site. It looks very good and will absolutely turn into a good resource for you and those of us that work with you.

Thinking back to your comment about the min “60 hour work week” in my view is exactly the reason to use it. As the demands on our time increase we need efficient ways of getting the message out but perhaps even more so, of reminding people that we are still the same even if we haven’t had time to get out for a coffee recently. The value of that connection is one of the topics I have been thinking about a lot this year. Tools like this will help supplement the time you are able to spend with colleagues and sustain the personal approach you bring to your work through the dry spells of all work and little play.

This is one step in the direction of not only improving the quality of education for the learners but for the teachers as well. I look forward to the future connection sustained this way.

]]> By: Carolyn Foote http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Carolyn Foote Sun, 04 May 2008 12:31:49 +0000 http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/#comment-9 It's all relative isn't it? I think one of the real issues in measuring quality is that it is so subjective to an extent-- I fall into the camp that believes teaching is both an art and a science, but more of an art. Love your Hitchhiker's Guide analogy. Welcome to the blogosphere. It's so important for school leaders to be part of this conversation. It’s all relative isn’t it? I think one of the real issues in measuring quality is that it is so subjective to an extent– I fall into the camp that believes teaching is both an art and a science, but more of an art.
Love your Hitchhiker’s Guide analogy.

Welcome to the blogosphere. It’s so important for school leaders to be part of this conversation.

]]> By: Ben Bleckley http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/comment-page-1/#comment-8 Ben Bleckley Sat, 03 May 2008 08:07:06 +0000 http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/#comment-8 I'm glad you've joined the conversation. I began blogging as a university student to get me in touch with emerging technologies in ed-tech. What I've discovered, however, is blogging is <a href="http://pedagogypractice.blogspot.com/2008/01/its-about-teaching.html" rel="nofollow">making me a better teacher</a>. Looks like you have more than one reader. Keep writing! I’m glad you’ve joined the conversation. I began blogging as a university student to get me in touch with emerging technologies in ed-tech. What I’ve discovered, however, is blogging is making me a better teacher.

Looks like you have more than one reader. Keep writing!

]]> By: Intrepidteacher http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/comment-page-1/#comment-7 Intrepidteacher Fri, 02 May 2008 18:38:01 +0000 http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/#comment-7 Hello James, Brian is someone who I have "met" online and with whom I am starting to build a professional relationship. I share this tidbit of information with you because as online relationships become more common and at the same time more complex, I think it is important for administrators to play an active role in developing them. I envision a future when school directors or principals will already know a lot about new incoming staff based on online relationships. Or perhaps the whole art of recruiting will be different, because a director will "know" teachers before they even recruit. Having said that, I hope that you maintain this blog and branch out a bit. I invite you to start with mine and read a bit about what we, teachers, are doing out here! Hello James,

Brian is someone who I have “met” online and with whom I am starting to build a professional relationship. I share this tidbit of information with you because as online relationships become more common and at the same time more complex, I think it is important for administrators to play an active role in developing them.

I envision a future when school directors or principals will already know a lot about new incoming staff based on online relationships. Or perhaps the whole art of recruiting will be different, because a director will “know” teachers before they even recruit.

Having said that, I hope that you maintain this blog and branch out a bit. I invite you to start with mine and read a bit about what we, teachers, are doing out here!

]]> By: Miss W. http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/comment-page-1/#comment-6 Miss W. Fri, 02 May 2008 10:54:25 +0000 http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/#comment-6 G'day James, Great first post. Statistics can tell us anything but personally if feel back in the 60's and 70's when 10% was mentioned, parents generally sent their students to the local school and weren't too worried about the 'quality'. But in the 90's and the 21st century, parents now began feeling the greater the quality of the curriculum in the school, the better the education for their kids. G’day James,
Great first post. Statistics can tell us anything but personally if feel back in the 60’s and 70’s when 10% was mentioned, parents generally sent their students to the local school and weren’t too worried about the ‘quality’. But in the 90’s and the 21st century, parents now began feeling the greater the quality of the curriculum in the school, the better the education for their kids.

]]> By: Genki U. http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Genki U. Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:13:36 +0000 http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/#comment-5 Heya James, Looking good. I'm impressed you got some tagging in too. I started doing that for the first time with my new blog... And I've been blogging for 5 years! And it's an interesting thought about the 'quality' of education. Statistics are great, but when you can't literally count the beans, it makes it difficult to get anything of worth out of a bunch of numbers and questions. Heya James,

Looking good. I’m impressed you got some tagging in too.

I started doing that for the first time with my new blog… And I’ve been blogging for 5 years!

And it’s an interesting thought about the ‘quality’ of education. Statistics are great, but when you can’t literally count the beans, it makes it difficult to get anything of worth out of a bunch of numbers and questions.

]]> By: Glenda Baker http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Glenda Baker Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:54:21 +0000 http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/#comment-4 I appreciated reading your first post. I liked that you are pondering the rational for blogging. I am part of the Organizational Development Cadre at ASIJ, and last summer our team was challenged on just this point at a summer institute. 'Adults learn by reflecting' so the disciple of writing a web blog about learning ultimately benefits the blogger. Good luck with your reflecting - I will look forward to reading your updates. I appreciated reading your first post. I liked that you are pondering the rational for blogging. I am part of the Organizational Development Cadre at ASIJ, and last summer our team was challenged on just this point at a summer institute. ‘Adults learn by reflecting’ so the disciple of writing a web blog about learning ultimately benefits the blogger.

Good luck with your reflecting – I will look forward to reading your updates.

]]> By: MsMichetti http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/comment-page-1/#comment-3 MsMichetti Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:48:04 +0000 http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/#comment-3 Welcome to the blogosphere, James. :-) I think your decision to blog (Why #1) has an effect on the quality of your school (Why #2). As a school leader, you are sharing your thoughts and ideas in an open forum by blogging, which shows that you are a risk-taker. It also shows that you care enough about the school community to share and communicate with a wider audience to facilitate growth within that community. And really, don't both those things -- sharing and communicating -- help school quality? I haven't read the research but something tells me it does! Welcome to the blogosphere, James. :-) I think your decision to blog (Why #1) has an effect on the quality of your school (Why #2). As a school leader, you are sharing your thoughts and ideas in an open forum by blogging, which shows that you are a risk-taker. It also shows that you care enough about the school community to share and communicate with a wider audience to facilitate growth within that community. And really, don’t both those things — sharing and communicating — help school quality? I haven’t read the research but something tells me it does!

]]> By: howhat http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/comment-page-1/#comment-2 howhat Wed, 30 Apr 2008 01:41:18 +0000 http://jamesmacdonald.edublogs.org/2008/04/29/two-why%e2%80%99s-but-not-very-wise/#comment-2 Congratulation James on your first blog, it'll be interesting in seeing how the comments come in. I've tweeted your blog and I am placing this comment into the the 2008 Comment Challenge! http://commentchallenge.wikispaces.com/ All the best, Congratulation James on your first blog, it’ll be interesting in seeing how the comments come in. I’ve tweeted your blog and I am placing this comment into the the 2008 Comment Challenge! http://commentchallenge.wikispaces.com/

All the best,

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