Ed. Techies May Not Have a Chance with Mark Cuban

If you truly understand your topic its really easy to stand behind your position with facts and well thought concepts. If you have no idea what you are talking about, the other side "just doesn't get it"

You Just Dont Get It - Blog Maverick

Mark Cuban - owner of the Dallas Mavericks (Check out their Wiki)- says if you use the phrase "[you] just don't get it" means that the speaker is really the one who doesn't get it.

If you can't make your topic easy to understand for others, then YOU don't understand your topic well enough. He even says you're "lazy."

It is easy to disagree with Cuban, and the first few commenters do. But he makes a great point. It's really the point behind The Back of the Napkin (which I received yesterday, and am nearly finished reading through the first time). Dan Roam makes it clear that there is a lot of work that goes on behind the simplistic stick figures in order to use images that solve problems, sell ideas, and make things clear for the uninitiated.

To say "you don't get it" is the epitome of arrogance on the part of the speaker. If the hearer doesn't get it, it's not their fault...it is the fault of the one trying to explain the point.

How many times have you (and I) read (or written) those words. Perhaps in our ed tech "empire" we are the naked emperor.

How many times have you (and I) said about (or to) our students those words. Perhaps in our classroom empire we are the emperor found wanting.

Image: Public Domain - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Emperor_Clothes_01.jpg

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Sticklers

Can't view in Feed Readers.  Must click link.  Sorry.

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Sticklers

Do teacher-bloggers have a reason to be afraid? Is it worth the risk to implement web2 in the classroom?

Risk is a subjective thing --What is risky to one, may be habit to another. When "the boss" or the parent or the governing bodies view something as a risk to the chilllldren, but it is a habit to me, what is my true risk? It is my livlihood. As much as I want to do the right thing for my students, I have to do even more right by my family.

I wish I could find where I read, "More teachers will be fired for trying something new with technology in the classroom, than will be fired for their students not passing high-stakes tests."  Whoever said it, I agree.  What a shame.

Based on:
http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2008/03/23/selfish-generousity/  Graham Wegner (great entry, Graham)

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Is It Just a Joke?

As you can tell, I have taken a liking to BitStrips.  It's easy, fun, and believe it or not, more difficult to edit than a Twitter post.  140 characters is a bunch compared to a single-panel comic.

My dad printed comic books for years.  I learned to read by reading comics.  Every Friday, dad (and other people from his work place) would bring home the overruns and errors as they printed the DC Comics, Marvels, and Archie comic books.  The hindsight thing comes to mind.  When I finished reading a comic, we usually just threw them away.  So I suspect I disposed of probably $100,000 dollars worth of comics from age 4-13.

I am a fan of Dilbert.  Scott Adams makes great observations about the business workplace in just a few panels a day.  I'm not claiming that I have the skill of Adams, but I plan to address EdTech issues with the use of Sticklers.  I used to do this in the 80s in the church world, and my characters were stick figures who discussed "sticky" issues.

So, I hope you enjoy the comic, based on the collective information from the edublogospere and perhaps some personal experiences as well.

To answer the title question...no I do not think that education is a joke, but if I don't laugh at some things I may have to cry.

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Sticklers

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Playing With BitStrip - Very Fun

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