In the last couple of days I have shared my excitement over educational wikis and weblogs/klogs in education . Now for a mixture of idealism and cautionary social commentary. (I am still excited; look, for example at the quoted commentary --bottom of this entry-- from weblogg-ed.)
Can Edubloggers facilitate the Maturation of Education? Maturation implies to me a movement away from being an bureaucratic, and relatively ineffective, artifact to a potent and nurturing force in individual and group existence,
For the sake of clarity, here's my view of an Utopian Educational Goal:
Education has been shown to be effective in a deep sense; i.e., educators are repeatedly and enduringly effective in aiding each person to be in contact with self (actual and potential, alone and as a part of social and spiritual wholes) and the most powerful and necessary Idea for Becoming at this given moment in her/his existence.
By working with a the full cross-section of educators, probably one system at a time, edubloggers empower the problem-solving of all educators and schools as they work to make worthy dreams real. With the edublogger(s) giving access to other struggles and a universe of experience and ideas, educators transform themselves and then catalyze the reformation of the institutions that will house their marvelous Idea Shoppes.
I worry that without some ultimate end firmly in hand and mind, those interested in edublogging etc. will preach to the converted (each other), spend much time developing the technology, get marginalized in some kind of tech-heaven subsystem of either a large corporate entity intent only on maximizing profits regardless of utopian relevance or, worse, roaming in the bowels of a bureacracy whose central purpose is cover-your-ass and "make a rule and document it". Edublogging will be potent positive force for change when and if we engineer its insertion into a broad array of social institutions.
Edublogger Wiki?. "Terry" throws out the idea of a Wiki for Edublogging which on it's surface sounds like a pretty interesting idea as opposed to the traditional book format, digital or otherwise. It goes back to that old idea of a collaborative site for all of us, whether it's a discussion board or a Web log. Dunno if anyone else "sees" this with me, but I keep thinking an Edublogging portal designed as a resource for teachers interested in learning about what this stuff is and how to do it. A site where they can benefit from our shared experiences and contribute ideas, ask questions, get support etc. The core group could start it and maintain/edit it, but it could build into more...I guess like an online edblogging magazine? Something like this maybe? [weblogged News]