Comments on Time for knowledge and wisdomTypePad2006-01-11T07:20:00ZEwan McIntoshhttps://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/tag:typepad.com,2003:https://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2006/01/time_for_knowle/comments/atom.xml/Geoff Dellow commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200e55409071888342008-08-17T22:55:28Z2008-08-17T22:55:29ZGeoff Dellowhttp://inquisitivity.blogspot.comKnowledge and Wisdom. Is the Brain of Britain wise? Does the acquiring of knowledge help us to become wise? Too...<p>Knowledge and Wisdom.</p>
<p>Is the Brain of Britain wise?</p>
<p>Does the acquiring of knowledge help us to become wise?</p>
<p>Too much of the mass of writing that occupies the internet is to do with knowledge or information.</p>
<p>Some devote their lives to it.</p>
<p>Some blog writers spend all their time digesting, understanding, reviewing and commenting on information or the newest tools that have just been created.</p>
<p>I would rate a wise and computer illiterate teacher one hundred (think of any number) times more effective a teacher than the most up to date wizz on what's going on with the internet who has little time to stand back and ask "What real use to me is all this?".</p>
<p>We need to develop the skills of reflection and experience to guide us through the very complex world we live in. Most of the information available is pointless unless it is relevant to what we ourselves (not our bosses) are trying to achieve.</p>
<p>Wisdom first - after long reflection choose a clear goal that satisfies our (and the people around us) emotional wellbeing.</p>
<p>Then carefully assess what tools help us get there. Sometimes the usefulness of a tool is far overstated when we analyse not only what it is designed to do but whether it achieves this goal.</p>Miguel GUhlin commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200d834b872dc69e22006-04-09T20:48:12Z2007-04-26T06:33:15ZMiguel GUhlinhttp://www.mguhlin.net/blogEwan, any chance you can release the full article in your RSS feed? Miguel<p>Ewan, any chance you can release the full article in your RSS feed?</p>
<p>Miguel</p>Ewan McIntosh commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200d834aacbe569e22006-01-15T17:18:50Z2007-04-26T00:00:27ZEwan McIntoshhttp://edu.blogs.comI don't really get this idea of internet of ideas and internet of information, which comes across as if the...<p>I don't really get this idea of internet of ideas and internet of information, which comes across as if the former is less credible than the latter. It is people's interpretation of information that is interesting - if people don't get it what does that tell you about the information? Is there a case for you, as a potential blogger, to put them right if you think they've got the wrong end of the information stick?</p>
<p>The idea that blogs and podcasts contain mostly unreliable information has been widely disproved. It goes to the trust that I was talking about in the lecture - or rather the false trust that we have for 'official' sources. We should ALWAYS check out the reliability of a source, whether that is the BBC or the Guardian or a blog. Incidentally, the Guardian is THE newspaper of blogs and I reckon they would argue heavily that they are not part of the establishment. At the end of the day, your students (and you) will probably only ever read blogs that are recommended to you. I've never read one blog that has not been recommended through the blog of someone I trust. As your personal web grows you gain more and more reliable sources of information.</p>
<p>As for the existence of an 'establishment internet' - that's a legacy of the time when specialists made up websites. Now that anyone can, and that anyone can subvert a large company with their blog, that era is dying (http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2005/12/educators_dell_.html)</p>
<p>And wikipedia is almost as accurate as the Brittanica (3 errors on average for Britannica, with 4 for Wikipedia) but the wikipedia entries are SIX times longer on average, giving a wider and more up-to-date breadth of knowledge.</p>Duncan_ commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200d834aacf8a69e22006-01-13T17:31:49Z2007-04-26T00:00:53ZDuncan_Thanks for the reply, Ewan. I was thinking about this all afternoon (while I was supposed to be learning about...<p>Thanks for the reply, Ewan. <br /><br />
I was thinking about this all afternoon (while I was supposed to be learning about Media Education ...), and it seems to me that there are really two internets. An internet of ideas (this is your Web 2.0) and an internet of information (usually established print sources using the internet as a supplementary medium).<br /><br />
The internet of ideas is completely unregulated and may contain wildly off-the-wall stuff that you wouldn't want your pupils coming within bargepole-poking distance of -- this is the world of blogs and podcasts (and, of course, homepages). <br /><br />
Then (it seems to me) there's the "establishment" internet, the <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Guardian Unlimited</a>, <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Independent Online</a>, <a href="http://www.britannica.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">Encyclopedia Britannica</a> internet, where you mostly pay money to guarantee that you're getting accurate information. <br /><br />
Resources like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org" rel="nofollow">Wikipedia</a> are fantastic, and (from my limited experience) pretty trustworthy -- anybody who can be bothered to write an article on the "fetch-execute cycle" probably knows it inside-out -- , but there's no guarantee. We're essentially relying on other expert users spotting errors <b>and taking the trouble to correct them</b>. (That last bit doesn't necessarily follow.) <br /><br />
That's just my pessimistic view. Maybe others are more sanguine. (That's a good word for a Friday afternoon!)</p>Ewan McIntosh commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200d834aac96c69e22006-01-13T14:06:15Z2007-04-26T00:00:11ZEwan McIntoshhttp://edu.blogs.comI think we are. I love a good book that tells a story or relates facts about something which is...<p>I think we are. I love a good book that tells a story or relates facts about something which is relatively static. I find it difficult to conceive of a book, though, that talks about the things I read on others' blogs because in the last six months alone things have changed so much. In fact, in talking about anything that has appeared on the internet first one would run the risk of being completely out of date by documenting it, although now that you have got me thinking, I'm sure the blogs from schools that I have seen so far will provide useful case studies for years to come.</p>
<p>Yup, OK. You've got me convinced. A book of information is not intended to be disputed and almost certainly the authors put in more effort to make sure it stays that way.</p>Duncan_ commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200d83475557253ef2006-01-13T12:27:56Z2007-04-25T23:59:58ZDuncan_Dear Ewan, As a "print" author, I disagree with your comment that "Information which would have been interesting in a...<p>Dear Ewan,<br />
As a "print" author, I disagree with your comment that "Information which would have been interesting in a book two years ago would now be of more interest in a blog, defunct in days or hours as it is reinterpreted by scores, hundreds or thousands of others around the globe". <br />
Maybe you were thinking of a different kind of book from the ones I'm thinking of. Personally, I have never had internet feedback that altered my opinion, or added to my knowledge, <b>of material that I presented in book form</b>. (The last part of that sentence is important.) As an "academic" author, I find that I get more perceptive feedback from peer reviews and colleagues' e-mails.<br />
Maybe we're talking about different things?</p>Aaron Nelson commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200d83475555a53ef2006-01-11T14:35:35Z2007-04-25T23:59:57ZAaron Nelsonhttp://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.comManual Trackback: Teacher In Development: Portfolio Reflections<p>Manual Trackback:</p>
<p><a href="http://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.com/2006/01/11/more-reflections-around-pd-and-portfolios/trackback/" rel="nofollow">Teacher In Development: Portfolio Reflections</a></p>Ewan McIntosh commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200d834755a4853ef2006-01-11T08:05:55Z2007-04-26T00:00:31ZEwan McIntoshhttp://edu.blogs.comI had to turn off Trackbacks after some uncontrollable spam. Better turn those off and have open comments than to...<p>I had to turn off Trackbacks after some uncontrollable spam. Better turn those off and have open comments than to have to premoderate everything. Hope it's not too much of a pain. I use Technorati to follow all the links. That should keep me on the straight and narrow. Cheers,<br />
--E.<br />
(Oh, and the irony... "not enough time to do it justice" ;-)</p>John commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200d834aac76569e22006-01-10T22:19:25Z2007-04-25T23:59:57ZJohnhttp://www.sandaigprimary.co.uk/pivot/johnjohnston.phpHi Ewan, Great post, I've not got enough time to really do it justice, but I posted some knee jerks....<p>Hi Ewan,<br />
Great post, I've not got enough time to really do it justice, but I posted some <a href="http://www.sandaigprimary.co.uk/pivot/pivot/entry.php?id=508" rel="nofollow"> knee jerks</a>. BTW where did the trackback link go?</p>Ewan McIntosh commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200d83475570753ef2006-01-10T16:55:30Z2007-04-26T00:00:10ZEwan McIntoshhttp://edu.blogs.comI see where you're coming from clearer now, Aaron, and I share every one of your views on knowledge and...<p>I see where you're coming from clearer now, Aaron, and I share every one of your views on knowledge and the ever-changing nature of it. That's why wisdom is so vital to make sense of it and change previous knowledge wisely.</p>
<p>I think the realist in me, though, says that most educators and, particularly, examination bodies do not see a portfolio as something that should be changed. We speak of 'final drafts', 'final exams' or simply 'finals'. Of course, this is ridiculous. The most ridiculous 'final exam' I ever sat was for my Honours year when I sat European Law. Two weeks afterwards, and I knew this was going to happen as I sat the exam, all the Treaty numbers of the EU were changed as part of the Amsterdam Treaty. 'Final exam'? My eye! But those attitudes haven't changed at any stage in the education system.</p>
<p>Unless someone can tell me otherwise...</p>Aaron commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200d834aac79269e22006-01-10T16:47:47Z2007-04-25T23:59:58ZAaronhttp://teacherindevelopment.blogsome.comHi Ewen, First of all, great to read you. I really enjoyed reading this post. You sure dive into a...<p>Hi Ewen,</p>
<p>First of all, great to read you. I really enjoyed reading this post. You sure dive into a lot of meat, and have left me with a great deal of things to sift through and think about. </p>
<p>But to focus a little on the blogfolio side of things, you said:<br />
"This is why the concept of a blog as a portfolio of work is such a bizarre thought for me: it’s setting your work up to be reinterpreted when, with the finished products of a portfolio, you want to present, for better or for worse, a final version of your thoughts. But I digress…)"</p>
<p>As I read your comment, I had this thought: in today's world, knowledge is never static. I would also suggest that development that is real, is also never static. </p>
<p>I once read somewhere that a blog is, or can never be, or should never be, taken as a PERIOD. A final thought. Blogs are open, living creatures that provide snapshots of growth, thought, development etc. </p>
<p>To me, development should never stop. That's why I think a blog is a great place to store a portfolio...or atleast grow one. The possibilities of interaction around portfolio artefacts is just amazing - the chance for continual feedback and improvement. </p>
<p>I think Stephen Downes...if bloglines ever comes up again I'll pass you his link, has a really interesting outlook on the knowledge of today..that it's dynamic and growing...ever changing, where the concept of knowledge long ago is like reading a book, and putting it on your shelf - there, you've learned what you need to know. Not today. Today you need to take down that book, rip off the end cover, open the binding so you can add to, and alter previous pages. And the book is never put on the shelf...a finished product. It's an ongoing product. </p>
<p>That's my view of a portfolio. An ongoing conversation with yourself, your peers, your market, your employer (future or present.) </p>
<p><br />
I don't know. Perhaps I ramble. These are just my ideas, and I would really love to learn more about yours...</p>Ewan McIntosh commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200d834aac83269e22006-01-10T16:47:14Z2007-04-26T00:00:03ZEwan McIntoshhttp://edu.blogs.comI don't think so at all, no. A teacher should be showing their students how to learn. Most are very...<p>I don't think so at all, no. A teacher should be showing their students how to learn. Most are very strong on meta-cognition now, better than they were 15 years ago. However, they are ignoring tools that allow meta-cognition, learning how to learn, happen in real time, with more influencing experts and peers. The danger is that we lose the progress made through knowing more about the way we learn. I think, at least... ;-)</p>Paul Lawler commented on 'Time for knowledge and wisdom'tag:typepad.com,2003:6a00d83451f00f69e200d8347556a053ef2006-01-10T16:42:56Z2007-04-26T00:00:07ZPaul Lawlerhttp://paul.betterclassroom.comI found this post via Will Richardson's blog. I just wrote briefly about the potential irrelevancy of today's classroom because...<p>I found this post via Will Richardson's blog. I just wrote briefly about the potential irrelevancy of today's classroom because of the painfully slow adoption of the information tools by teachers. Young people, on the other hand, are operating in this environment with skill and ease. If the teacher does not catch on to the same information gathering tools that are indispensable to her students, can she be an effective authority on learning?</p>