My Thoughts
1. Nobody Cares if You Walked Up Hill Both Ways Barefoot in the Snow and Could Diagram a Sentence.
Scot McLeod wrote his blog not thinking of the people around him, or his family or his friends, just him. He was only thinking of himself. When he wrote the entry “Nobody Cares if You Walked Up Hill Both Ways Barefoot in the Snow and Could Diagram a Sentence.” He is giving the impression that he does not care about anyone else. When he gives a list of what he is going to need to “master your past” he is setting the impression he does not care. All he desires if for you to listen to him. He does not seem to understand that other people need attention. When you read that entry you get a sarcastic vibe, you feel he does not want to be bothered by anyone, and if you’re bothering him he only wants your help. Then leave.
2. Collaboration Ain’t About Holding Hands. It’s About Going Cool Places Fast.
I am going to have to give it to him when he asks the question “How big is my classroom? 4 walls or the horizon line?” I do like that question. I think he is trying to say that you can discover more things in a classroom than just the text book. You also can ask yourself that question in any situation. Again, in the blog, he mentions that his future is more important than your past. Well...he is admitting that he is being self-centered about it...but that’s not the point. It seems like he wants to make you believe that he is conceited…almost too much. But I am still lost about who he is talking to when he tells “you” to stop telling him he needs more math…me…his colleagues… parents…friends…I know I certainly didn’t tell him. Are you helping me in school? Are you helping me become a well-rounded student who gets A’s in all of my classes and moving me up in ranking and helping me become the All-American Student? Are you helping anyone else but yourself? Are you?
3. It Ain’t About the Technology. It’s About the Story.
Well, what is the story? Does everyone have the same story? A different story? Big story? Short story? What I think is that everyone has a different story. Their journey through life. Everybody has one. Mines different from yours, yours is different from hers, and hers is different from his. Everybody is making such a big commotion over technology, and what for? When some people get there, they don’t even know how to operate it. They are sucked in to the technology black hole, where they get lost and are mesmerized by all the pointless things they can do with a computer, mouse, and a flash drive. Good for you, you discovered the internet; it’s been here for some time now. There are other things out in the world today that are much more important. And did you ever think that other people don’t care about it as much as you do?
4. Look It Up or Die.
I don’t understand why he is telling the public or me, for that matter, that I/we have to make sense of what he finds on Google or Wikipedia. He can’t do it for himself? He is big enough to write his own blog, I think he would be big enough to understand what he is finding on Google. “Are you teaching me to think? Or just to take notes?” Well, you should know how to think for yourself. No one can teach you how to think or to alter your way of thinking. You have your own way, I have my own way, and the person next to you has their own way also. And besides, why would you want someone to teach you how to think? Don’t you want to be your own person? 
shelby
Interesting what you do with “story.”
You raise a really interesting point:
““Are you teaching me to think? Or just to take notes?” Well, you should know how to think for yourself. No one can teach you how to think or to alter your way of thinking. You have your own way, I have my own way, and the person next to you has their own way also. And besides, why would you want someone to teach you how to think? Don’t you want to be your own person?”
Are we conflating process and content? Think about that and then blog about it.
I think we are conflating process and content because today people are not thinking before they speak. When people are asked a question, a majority of them do not think before they speak or act. They are thinking while they answer. People are merging process and content. Think first.
I think that we are conflating process and content. When people are asked a question, a majority of people do not think before they answer or act. They are thinking while they answer. Think first.
Shelby-
I agree with you and I believe that you make very good points in your blog. When you say about discovering more in a classroom than a textbook I agree. But what if you are in a computer lab? Should you be able to discover more than just a computer? I think that’s the real question. That brings me to your next point about technology. You say how the internet has been around for quite a while. And I agree, so why all the fuss about it now. Some people aren’t as enthusiastic about technology as others. In my view it’s because technology can not solve everyone’s problems or make people want to learn. As you said we should have our own ways of thinking. We should be inspired. We should want to learn.
Great job on your blog. I really enjoyed reading it. And I knew exactly what you were saying.
“‘How big is my classroom? 4 walls or the horizon line?’ I do like that question. I think he is trying to say that you can discover more things in a classroom than just the text book.”
I agree with you completely, Shelby. Here is my take on his comment… Teachers who choose to solely teach from textbooks are not providing students with beneficial people skills necessary for future jobs. Delevoping such basic skills as teens is incredibly crucial for success. I value any human interaction--I love it and I see its importance. Most jobs out there require human interaction, whether it be consumer-seller, patient-doctor, coworker-coworker, etc. Even if you are going into a private business, you cannot avoid human interaction. It is necessary. So, why teach from a textbook? Yes, I am aware of the education and knowledge a textbook can provide a student. However, those “textbook teachers” are solely concentrating on basic education. Where’s the creativity in that?
I enjoyed reading your blog because we are very opinionated, but we write so differently - very interesting points.
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