Comments on: I Am Epiphany-less http://msmichetti.edublogs.org/2008/05/10/i-am-epiphany-less/ Good questions outrank easy answers. -Paul A. Samuelson Sat, 11 Oct 2008 20:17:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: mscofino http://msmichetti.edublogs.org/2008/05/10/i-am-epiphany-less/#comment-57 mscofino Wed, 14 May 2008 07:56:10 +0000 http://msmichetti.edublogs.org/2008/05/10/i-am-epiphany-less/#comment-57 @msmichetti And yet, I'm such a bad commenter! This challenge has definitely helped me focus on utilizing the right tools for staying engaged in conversations. I'm <i>always learning</i>, that's for sure :) @msmichetti
And yet, I’m such a bad commenter! This challenge has definitely helped me focus on utilizing the right tools for staying engaged in conversations. I’m always learning, that’s for sure :)

]]> By: MsMichetti http://msmichetti.edublogs.org/2008/05/10/i-am-epiphany-less/#comment-53 MsMichetti Tue, 13 May 2008 10:51:44 +0000 http://msmichetti.edublogs.org/2008/05/10/i-am-epiphany-less/#comment-53 @mscofino That is pretty much what I am doing, I think. :) Making it relevant makes it more of a challenge. Thanks, always, for your thoughts on this. I respect your ideas a lot as I know you've been doing this longer than me! @mscofino
That is pretty much what I am doing, I think. :) Making it relevant makes it more of a challenge. Thanks, always, for your thoughts on this. I respect your ideas a lot as I know you’ve been doing this longer than me!

]]> By: mscofino http://msmichetti.edublogs.org/2008/05/10/i-am-epiphany-less/#comment-51 mscofino Tue, 13 May 2008 10:16:03 +0000 http://msmichetti.edublogs.org/2008/05/10/i-am-epiphany-less/#comment-51 @msmichetti So it sounds like to me that you should only do the activities that are meaningful for you. I don't think there's anything wrong with self-selecting. In fact, I would almost expect you not to waste your time on something that doesn't further your learning. Maybe for you the challenge takes a different form and the activities can be seen as support for those who need it (in the differentiation sense) not as mandatory assignments. @msmichetti

So it sounds like to me that you should only do the activities that are meaningful for you. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with self-selecting. In fact, I would almost expect you not to waste your time on something that doesn’t further your learning. Maybe for you the challenge takes a different form and the activities can be seen as support for those who need it (in the differentiation sense) not as mandatory assignments.

]]> By: MsMichetti http://msmichetti.edublogs.org/2008/05/10/i-am-epiphany-less/#comment-45 MsMichetti Tue, 13 May 2008 04:58:45 +0000 http://msmichetti.edublogs.org/2008/05/10/i-am-epiphany-less/#comment-45 @mscofino I think what you're describing makes sense -- for some. For me it feels contrived, I guess because I think I was doing a lot of those things anyway. Perhaps we're just talking about differentiation here. I do not mean to imply that the challenge itself is not valuable -- it is, and as I mentioned, I am learning new things about the value of commenting. However, for me, many of the daily activities have been too structured and left me feeling like if I'm doing them, it's simply just to say I've done it, rather than to find new meaning. (Makes me sympathize with my students when I give them a task and they think to themselves, "but why do I need to do this?") @mscofino
I think what you’re describing makes sense — for some. For me it feels contrived, I guess because I think I was doing a lot of those things anyway. Perhaps we’re just talking about differentiation here. I do not mean to imply that the challenge itself is not valuable — it is, and as I mentioned, I am learning new things about the value of commenting. However, for me, many of the daily activities have been too structured and left me feeling like if I’m doing them, it’s simply just to say I’ve done it, rather than to find new meaning.

(Makes me sympathize with my students when I give them a task and they think to themselves, “but why do I need to do this?”)

]]> By: mscofino http://msmichetti.edublogs.org/2008/05/10/i-am-epiphany-less/#comment-41 mscofino Mon, 12 May 2008 09:00:49 +0000 http://msmichetti.edublogs.org/2008/05/10/i-am-epiphany-less/#comment-41 @msmichetti To be honest with you, as one of the co-creators of the challenge, the idea is probably the farthest thing from contrived I could imagine. For me it took off because I was/am a bad commenter. Not because I thought other people needed direction, or because we can't all figure it out on our own, but because I needed a focus/timeline/reason to do better. Sue and I had lots of talks about the value of commenting and I genuinely felt I was missing out on the conversation (in favor of posting on my own blog). Perhaps for you commenting was never a challenge, which is why it feels contrived. But I can guarantee, at least from my end, that the whole thing was more spontaneous than it may appear, and always coming from the perspective (at least on my end) of contributing more to conversations and being a part of the connected learning that's going on every day. @christine @sue I totally agree that a huge part of the value in this experience is seeing how others react, what they're learning, and how their changing their practice. It's always interesting to see how others perceive something, especially something that is important to you. I'm also really appreciating seeing the different paths each participant is taking to improving their blogging/commenting. For me this had to be a timelined, themed, event, otherwise I wouldn't do it. Clearly for others, it may not be quite so necessary. Interesting! @Ben I think we're talking about quality and quantity. From all of the activities so far, the focus has been on quality commenting, but leaving quality comments on a few more blogs than you normally would. I definitely would say that the challenge isn't about leaving as many comments as possible, but being an active participant in as many meaningful conversations that help propel your learning as possible. Is that coming through to you from the activities? Or do we need to change it up? @msmichetti

To be honest with you, as one of the co-creators of the challenge, the idea is probably the farthest thing from contrived I could imagine. For me it took off because I was/am a bad commenter. Not because I thought other people needed direction, or because we can’t all figure it out on our own, but because I needed a focus/timeline/reason to do better. Sue and I had lots of talks about the value of commenting and I genuinely felt I was missing out on the conversation (in favor of posting on my own blog).

Perhaps for you commenting was never a challenge, which is why it feels contrived. But I can guarantee, at least from my end, that the whole thing was more spontaneous than it may appear, and always coming from the perspective (at least on my end) of contributing more to conversations and being a part of the connected learning that’s going on every day.

@christine @sue

I totally agree that a huge part of the value in this experience is seeing how others react, what they’re learning, and how their changing their practice. It’s always interesting to see how others perceive something, especially something that is important to you. I’m also really appreciating seeing the different paths each participant is taking to improving their blogging/commenting. For me this had to be a timelined, themed, event, otherwise I wouldn’t do it. Clearly for others, it may not be quite so necessary. Interesting!

@Ben

I think we’re talking about quality and quantity. From all of the activities so far, the focus has been on quality commenting, but leaving quality comments on a few more blogs than you normally would. I definitely would say that the challenge isn’t about leaving as many comments as possible, but being an active participant in as many meaningful conversations that help propel your learning as possible. Is that coming through to you from the activities? Or do we need to change it up?

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