What is it now?

What is it now?

There is a syndrome that I see from many of the people that I work
with, and at many times, it I can be guilty as well. It happens when
someone asks a question or has a request of you. They have a simple
thought that they would like to discuss with you, but instead of
answering, you put it off or say that you don’t have time for their
tangent. You talk about all of the other things that you have to do
and you just don’t have time for their little project.
 
While this may be strictly true, you are shutting any opportunity to
advance your relationships with those people who ask or your skills
with the tools that are required for the request.
 
I know this sounds that I am advocating for dropping everything you
are working on to fix other’s problems, and I guess I kind of am.
 
If we have programs in schools that are called drop everything and
read for kids, I think we may as well have programs in schools called
drop everything and help for adults. I believe that if the culture
within a school or online space is based upon helping others to be
better or to know more, it is the only way to truly institutionalize
life-long learning.
 
When I shut people and their unique requests for help out (or put them
off indefinitely) I find that I stagnate. It take some going out to
help someone else in order to truly lean something new about what I
need to work upon.
 
I guess that I learn more and more that all learning is connected.
Even if I am not researching online schools when I am helping someone
to forward their email, it doesn’t mean that it won’t eventually end
up helping in the long run.
 
I guess all of the things in my brain really do have a long tail, and
it isn’t until it wraps around something important that I notice.

Posted via email from olco5’s posterous

0 Comments

  1. Right on! Cool Cat mentioned something similar to this today or yesterday and I can’t agree more. Yes it’s exhausting, and yes it feels like you’re pulled in hundreds of directions, but if you can seize every moment and BE HERE NOW then you are relevant, productive, and changing traditional roles and structures.
    The teachers working with you are lucky to have such a forward thinking guide and peer to bounce ideas off of.
    I answer numerous emails daily about seemingly pointless tasks related to voicethreads, wikis, etc, but if I can ignite a passion for forward thinking in a teacher then I’m igniting that passion in other teachers in their building and countless students this year and possibly next!
    I love to think that way…am I that impactful (not a word, I know) probably not, but it helps me make time and BE HERE NOW!

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