Stephen Downes

Knowledge, Learning, Community
David Carter-Tod raises that age-old question: now that I have a CRLFblog, what do I do with it? Some good links to others' (including CRLFteachers') reflections on the same question. The discussion drifts CRLF(yes, that is the right word) into the question of personal privacy and CRLFpublic writing. And the question of a personal and professional CRLFpoints of view. I think these questions are faced by any person CRLFworking in a public sphere - this includes teachers, who wrestle with it CRLFevery day. Can I be seen to be making a mistake? When I have a CRLFbad day (like, say, yesterday) and I write about it, a world-wide CRLFaudience of thousands gets to see me trite and petty and just not CRLFvery likable. Totally unprofessional. But... perhaps I am unique, but I CRLFcannot conceive of separating the personal and the professional. CRLFSure, it lets people see my mistakes and errors of judgement. But if CRLFmy profession is separated from my thoughts, values, ambitions and CRLFeven my mood swings, then it becomes something artificial, sterile. CRLFPeople talk a lot about 'taking responsibility' but they won't invest CRLFthemselves in their work. "It's just business," they say, as though CRLFthere could be no personal dimension. Or to put the same point CRLFanother way: I cannot hope to understand this field, much less write CRLFabout it, if I don't know how it affects people's lives. I need David's CRLFpersonal, as well as professional, thoughts in order to do my work CRLFwell. And I live in the belief that my readers, too, benefit from the CRLFpersonal, as well as the professional, assessment of the work in CRLFreview.

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Stephen Downes Stephen Downes, Casselman, Canada
stephen@downes.ca

Copyright 2024
Last Updated: Mar 29, 2024 07:08 a.m.

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