I just received a post from Ron E. who created this nifty logo in support of Kathy Sierra who posted about her threats in her blog, Creating Passionate Users. I think this is a good step toward soldarity. If we do not take a stand in the blogosphere, it will become just like our F2F world. 

The current Chronicle Review has an interesting article by Cathy Davidson entitled "We Can't Ignore the Influence of Digital Technologies" (that is unfortunately not available, even with a direct permalink, without logging onto their site with an account). While it discusses the Middlebury College History Department banning Wikipedia, her article begins with a very interesting critical analysis of the language used l, so I am quoting the very first paragraph:

When I read the other day that the history department at Middlebury College had "banned Wikipedia," I immediately wrote to the college's president, Ronald D. Kibitz, to express my concern that such a decision would lead to a national trend, one that would not be good for higher education. "Banning" has connotations of evil or heresy. Is Wikipedia really that bad?

I think that is quite interesting — the use of the term "banning" as being equivalent with being "evil." How that sounds like the common approach to anything new, even ironically for an institute of higher education. It is often easier to suppress ideas rather than allow them to challenge us. As I am slowly becoming more liberal in my thinking, I still know that having my ideas challenged tends to make me defensive. What can challenge ideas more than an encyclopedia for and by the masses? I wonder if (when?) Wikipedia itself will eventually become more conservative in protecting its own way of approaching knowledge.

I wonder if what goes around, comes around as liberal and openness lead to power and the desire to conserve it?

I have been thinking more about my changing blog focus, and the more I read of some of the ProBloggers out there and the edubloggers, not to mention those who also discuss organizational power and research and reflective practice (and theoretical and philosophical foundations under all of it!), the more I think I may be trying to bring together interests that defy easy classification.

How postmodern. Ahh Lyotard, Foucault, and Derrida, where have you all gone?  How else can I make sense of:

I wonder how or if other people sometimes feel their interests and abilities do not fit within the standard groupings that other people expect to see? Strange, how such a richness can at times seem so isolating.

I just read Philip's 101 Great Posting Ideas That Will Make Your Blog Sizzle and got some good ieas about creating blog posts. I know that my intentions about why I blog have changed since I started to blog more seriously back in December, so this list and some of the other great idea-farms out there (such as Chris Garrett, who showed me this link in the first place).

I started to blog because I am interested in power issues and how they are manifest within organizations. As an:

• instructional designer
• educator, and
• student

I am also interested in those issues. I also like:

• social media
• online community development
• communications
• qualitative research (especially autoethnography)
• philosophical and theoretical foundations of
• adult education
• social and political philosophy
• aesthetics
• edublogging
• reflective practice
• coaching

to name just a few. While my interests are slowly moving their way into my blog writing, perhaps I may want to review my writing to see what themes are developing. Perhaps I may also want to reframe the categories I use here, as well as the tags I use. This is certainly an interesting endeavor! 

Kathy Sierra really captured and expressed a nagging feeling I have been having about why my experience at Northern Voice was so important for me. While online tools and a Very Real Virtual Community (VRVC) are important for me, I feel completely energized when I meet live those who I read and correspond with online. I really like meeting people whose work I have read for years, as then it gives a new dimension to the community and sense of relationship. Rather than my just repeating what she said, take a look at her post. Thank you, Beth, for pointing it out!

Perhaps this explains why many online degree programs require some F2F time and why blended learning is considered a better learning solution than simple e-learning alone?

There, I said it. Vagina. 

Did anybody see the interesting article in today's New York Times about three female high school students who were suspended for saying the word Vagina? I did not know this word was so bad or demeaning or cause of the corruption of youth, nor did I know that the book it was taken from, The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler, was so controversial that a single word in it should be censored. As an educator, I bristle when learning is closed in the very place it should be safe to be explored.

No, I never read the book. As a gay male, the topic of a vagina does not ordinarily arise in my conversations, but I hate censorship. I hate being told what I can and cannot say. I hate when my voice is silenced, and whatever the three girls did or did not do, I have great trouble seeing how this will somehow make for a better world. Censorship closes minds because it means that some things cannot be discussed or even considered. I wonder who or what feels so threatened that this was worthy of suspension? At least it reminds us the world is not as open as we may wish or suppose.

I started using Twitter, and find it full of possibilities. This is a social media community site where the simple question: "What are you doing?" is given 160 characters (get it? 160 is the texting limit) that in turn sends the comment to anybody entered as a "friend" or "follower." Claimed as a time-waster by some, I have not decided yet, but am intrigued with the idea. BTW, direct texts can be sent to "friends" using the site as well. I have this listed on my site as well to try it out.

I wonder what this may mean for access to information. Isn't knowledge power?

I have been thinking more and more about the work of our committee, and am wondering if definition of a Scholar-Practitioner from the pending committee charter shouldn't be agreed upon and posted to the main website ASAP. I think this will help us further determine the need for and work of our subcommittees for the coming year, as well as help guide potential researchers with S-P work for this year's research proposal submissions for the 2008 conference. 

This may not be a bad idea for all the AHRD committees, as it will help all the committees, members, and potential members know more about what is happening within the organization. Though we as an organization and a field cannot even agree on a definition of HRD, I applaud AHRD for publishing (both to the membership and to the website) the AHRD Newsletter right there on the homepage. Nice communication work there!

Next step, interactivity among the membership and committees throughout the year using blogs, wikis, Moodle, Skype, etc. Nothing like proposing and supporting democratic involvement without having the only collaborative business done at the meeting during the annual conference!

AHRD 2007 is the first conference I ever blogged.

Before I went to the conference, I asked my new colleague Lee LeFever about what he would suggest for blogging a conference. He made some helpful suggestions for me, and now that I have attended a conference as a presenter and participant and blogger, I have learned a few things:

1. Bring the laptop with me EVERYWHERE and to every session.
• Do not leave the laptop in the room and then blog later. Too much running back and forth. This should be easier once I get a new (and smaller) laptop.
2. Bring the camera everywhere as well.
• Same as the laptop. Now at least I have a Flickr account all set up and have nearly figured out how to use it and upload the photos quickly. Of course, don't forget to pack the camera cord!
3. Tell people what I am doing.
• I attend some very academic conferences, and many of my colleagues there do not seem to know much about blogging or social media. I decided to bring the same blog business cards I created for Northern Voice 2007, where it was a bit more understood. 
  

  I also learned something very interesting about using a card like this. After being asked several times what my website is, I realized that many (very bright) people do not immediately recognize a website address without seeing the www at the beginning. I have since added that to my card above. A number of people got interested in what I was doing when they either heard more about it or visited my blog themselves to have a look. This also allows my colleagues to see more about what I do! 

4. Use tags for everything
• How else will people eventually stumble upon my work?

I am sure there is more learning, but this is enough for now to help me prepare for the next conference I am attending and presenting at, AERC, which is coming up in June.