Comments on: Question 26 of 365: Is treading water dangerous? http://learningischange.com/2010/01/27/question-26-of-365-is-treading-water-dangerous/ Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:44:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Ben Wilkoff http://learningischange.com/2010/01/27/question-26-of-365-is-treading-water-dangerous/comment-page-1/#comment-2166 Ben Wilkoff Mon, 22 Mar 2010 19:32:00 +0000 http://learningischange.com/?p=896#comment-2166 Yeah. I do ignore people who are not working toward my goals. I work aroundrnthem, rather than with them. I lose their buy-in by doing this, but as longrnas I am transparent about my intentions and try to offer olive branches asrnmuch as possible, I will garner support elsewhere. The major problem I seernis when we underestimate the people are actively working against us. If werndiscount their force on the process or their ability to entangle us in theirrndebates, we are fooling ourselves. The only thing we can do, though, is tornprove that our network produces better results. While our network may makernus feel great about direction and the change we are creating, the only thingrnthat will prove skeptics wrong is results. I understand that results canrnlook like a lot of things, but I believe that working out in the open andrngarnering support from other "experts" allows us to both have personal andrnprofessional validation.rnrnI was at a conference last Thursday and they kept bringing up the idea thatrn"other countries" were ahead of us in Online Learning. It kept on strikingrnme as really funny because I haven't felt like I was competing with "otherrncountries." I have worked with people from other places for as long as Irnhave been in the online space. While they may have the official systems,rnthey are still a part of the conversation and a part of making my systemrnbetter because I am choosing to learn from their insights and not blindlyrncompete with them.rnrnI feel like there is still a cold-war of information going on. Those who seernsides of the argument and those who just see the value proposition of everyrnperson involved. I want to see value, wherever it exists and convince othersrnto see that value too. And then I want to pursue the creation of more valuernwith everyone who wants to take part. Yep. That's what I want. Yeah. I do ignore people who are not working toward my goals. I work aroundrnthem, rather than with them. I lose their buy-in by doing this, but as longrnas I am transparent about my intentions and try to offer olive branches asrnmuch as possible, I will garner support elsewhere. The major problem I seernis when we underestimate the people are actively working against us. If werndiscount their force on the process or their ability to entangle us in theirrndebates, we are fooling ourselves. The only thing we can do, though, is tornprove that our network produces better results. While our network may makernus feel great about direction and the change we are creating, the only thingrnthat will prove skeptics wrong is results. I understand that results canrnlook like a lot of things, but I believe that working out in the open andrngarnering support from other “experts” allows us to both have personal andrnprofessional validation.rnrnI was at a conference last Thursday and they kept bringing up the idea thatrn”other countries” were ahead of us in Online Learning. It kept on strikingrnme as really funny because I haven’t felt like I was competing with “otherrncountries.” I have worked with people from other places for as long as Irnhave been in the online space. While they may have the official systems,rnthey are still a part of the conversation and a part of making my systemrnbetter because I am choosing to learn from their insights and not blindlyrncompete with them.rnrnI feel like there is still a cold-war of information going on. Those who seernsides of the argument and those who just see the value proposition of everyrnperson involved. I want to see value, wherever it exists and convince othersrnto see that value too. And then I want to pursue the creation of more valuernwith everyone who wants to take part. Yep. That’s what I want.

]]> By: Ben Wilkoff http://learningischange.com/2010/01/27/question-26-of-365-is-treading-water-dangerous/comment-page-1/#comment-1751 Ben Wilkoff Mon, 22 Mar 2010 17:32:30 +0000 http://learningischange.com/?p=896#comment-1751 Yeah. I do ignore people who are not working toward my goals. I work around<br>them, rather than with them. I lose their buy-in by doing this, but as long<br>as I am transparent about my intentions and try to offer olive branches as<br>much as possible, I will garner support elsewhere. The major problem I see<br>is when we underestimate the people are actively working against us. If we<br>discount their force on the process or their ability to entangle us in their<br>debates, we are fooling ourselves. The only thing we can do, though, is to<br>prove that our network produces better results. While our network may make<br>us feel great about direction and the change we are creating, the only thing<br>that will prove skeptics wrong is results. I understand that results can<br>look like a lot of things, but I believe that working out in the open and<br>garnering support from other "experts" allows us to both have personal and<br>professional validation.<br><br>I was at a conference last Thursday and they kept bringing up the idea that<br>"other countries" were ahead of us in Online Learning. It kept on striking<br>me as really funny because I haven't felt like I was competing with "other<br>countries." I have worked with people from other places for as long as I<br>have been in the online space. While they may have the official systems,<br>they are still a part of the conversation and a part of making my system<br>better because I am choosing to learn from their insights and not blindly<br>compete with them.<br><br>I feel like there is still a cold-war of information going on. Those who see<br>sides of the argument and those who just see the value proposition of every<br>person involved. I want to see value, wherever it exists and convince others<br>to see that value too. And then I want to pursue the creation of more value<br>with everyone who wants to take part. Yep. That's what I want. Yeah. I do ignore people who are not working toward my goals. I work around
them, rather than with them. I lose their buy-in by doing this, but as long
as I am transparent about my intentions and try to offer olive branches as
much as possible, I will garner support elsewhere. The major problem I see
is when we underestimate the people are actively working against us. If we
discount their force on the process or their ability to entangle us in their
debates, we are fooling ourselves. The only thing we can do, though, is to
prove that our network produces better results. While our network may make
us feel great about direction and the change we are creating, the only thing
that will prove skeptics wrong is results. I understand that results can
look like a lot of things, but I believe that working out in the open and
garnering support from other “experts” allows us to both have personal and
professional validation.

I was at a conference last Thursday and they kept bringing up the idea that
“other countries” were ahead of us in Online Learning. It kept on striking
me as really funny because I haven't felt like I was competing with “other
countries.” I have worked with people from other places for as long as I
have been in the online space. While they may have the official systems,
they are still a part of the conversation and a part of making my system
better because I am choosing to learn from their insights and not blindly
compete with them.

I feel like there is still a cold-war of information going on. Those who see
sides of the argument and those who just see the value proposition of every
person involved. I want to see value, wherever it exists and convince others
to see that value too. And then I want to pursue the creation of more value
with everyone who wants to take part. Yep. That's what I want.

]]> By: Zac Chase http://learningischange.com/2010/01/27/question-26-of-365-is-treading-water-dangerous/comment-page-1/#comment-1708 Zac Chase Sun, 14 Mar 2010 19:47:33 +0000 http://learningischange.com/?p=896#comment-1708 Is it the self-selecting in to your network that accounts for the success<br>you feel there? Our districts are composed mainly of people who were there<br>before we were and who we likely would not have chosen to work with. Is<br>there something to the idea that selecting our networks leads us to feeling<br>greater success? Probably, right?<br><br>The question that raises is what to do with the people we don't mesh with.<br>If my district is in danger of failing, but I feel more successful with my<br>network, what's to keep me bound to my district? Why care if I feel like the<br>mercurial nature of the district works contrary to the goals at which I'm<br>aiming?<br><br>Taking that a step further, how far are we from ignoring or avoiding people<br>we don't particularly mesh with? Once we get there, what have we lost? Is it the self-selecting in to your network that accounts for the success
you feel there? Our districts are composed mainly of people who were there
before we were and who we likely would not have chosen to work with. Is
there something to the idea that selecting our networks leads us to feeling
greater success? Probably, right?

The question that raises is what to do with the people we don't mesh with.
If my district is in danger of failing, but I feel more successful with my
network, what's to keep me bound to my district? Why care if I feel like the
mercurial nature of the district works contrary to the goals at which I'm
aiming?

Taking that a step further, how far are we from ignoring or avoiding people
we don't particularly mesh with? Once we get there, what have we lost?

]]> By: Ben Wilkoff http://learningischange.com/2010/01/27/question-26-of-365-is-treading-water-dangerous/comment-page-1/#comment-1685 Ben Wilkoff Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:45:24 +0000 http://learningischange.com/?p=896#comment-1685 I'm pretty sure that we could probably just come up with a book of metaphors<br>about networks, education, and learning. I'm pretty sure it would sell quite<br>well.<br><br>Anyway, I like your point about leveraging a network (or cloud, in your<br>cases) for something greater. I have always thought that the most important<br>things I have ever done are with my network and not with my district. My<br>district has vacillated back and forth between a lot of different<br>priorities, but remarkably, my network has really stayed focused on<br>authentic learning (usually) with technology. I think that having that force<br>driving me to work against the competition out in the network rather than<br>the competition in my own district has made me a better employee and a<br>resource for my district.<br><br>If we want to stretch the metaphor even further, it is entirely possible<br>that having a good network is like being pulled along by a motor boat on<br>water skis. We are not treading water, we are riding on top of it. I'm pretty sure that we could probably just come up with a book of metaphors
about networks, education, and learning. I'm pretty sure it would sell quite
well.

Anyway, I like your point about leveraging a network (or cloud, in your
cases) for something greater. I have always thought that the most important
things I have ever done are with my network and not with my district. My
district has vacillated back and forth between a lot of different
priorities, but remarkably, my network has really stayed focused on
authentic learning (usually) with technology. I think that having that force
driving me to work against the competition out in the network rather than
the competition in my own district has made me a better employee and a
resource for my district.

If we want to stretch the metaphor even further, it is entirely possible
that having a good network is like being pulled along by a motor boat on
water skis. We are not treading water, we are riding on top of it.

]]> By: Zac Chase http://learningischange.com/2010/01/27/question-26-of-365-is-treading-water-dangerous/comment-page-1/#comment-1684 Zac Chase Fri, 12 Mar 2010 01:49:51 +0000 http://learningischange.com/?p=896#comment-1684 I like this very much. Then again, I'm partial to metaphorical thinking. Well, real thinking in a metaphorical way. Nevermind.<br>My question, though, surrounds the second person. Her online presence doesn't give me a sense she's running. Her online presence gives me a sense she's in a bigger office than person 1.<br>The key difference between the two is person two has personally staffed her larger office. She's going in the same direction as person one, but swimming in a much larger pool. Yes, I've now mixed my metaphorical thought.<br>Having the network without leveraging it toward a goal undervalues what we can be doing with it.<br>I like the image here. I also like the idea that person one is not just in danger, but dangerous as well. Inaction, ignorance, they harm those nearby.<br>nice I like this very much. Then again, I'm partial to metaphorical thinking. Well, real thinking in a metaphorical way. Nevermind.
My question, though, surrounds the second person. Her online presence doesn't give me a sense she's running. Her online presence gives me a sense she's in a bigger office than person 1.
The key difference between the two is person two has personally staffed her larger office. She's going in the same direction as person one, but swimming in a much larger pool. Yes, I've now mixed my metaphorical thought.
Having the network without leveraging it toward a goal undervalues what we can be doing with it.
I like the image here. I also like the idea that person one is not just in danger, but dangerous as well. Inaction, ignorance, they harm those nearby.
nice

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