Comments on: Presenter Responsibility http://blog.mrbassonline.com/2010/03/responsibility/ Musings on Technology and Education Fri, 13 Jan 2012 18:38:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Angela Stockman http://blog.mrbassonline.com/2010/03/responsibility/comment-page-1/#comment-274 Angela Stockman Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:56:59 +0000 http://blog.mrbassonline.com/?p=268#comment-274 I can't thank you enough for this post. I am an independent consultant, but most of my work happens inside of classrooms as a literacy coach or a facilitator of writing community work with teachers and kids. Sometimes, I get so caught up in what is possible and in all of the spectacular things that others advocate for that I begin to feel discouraged about the difference I might possibly make, given the reality that most of the teachers that I work with live in. The fact is that MOST of them contend with filters, few resources, and capacity that is just beginning to build. I think it's so important to embrace what we have, be grateful for where we are, and meet people where they are at too. This is the only way that real change will happen. It's respectful and inclusive too. Great post. I can’t thank you enough for this post. I am an independent consultant, but most of my work happens inside of classrooms as a literacy coach or a facilitator of writing community work with teachers and kids.

Sometimes, I get so caught up in what is possible and in all of the spectacular things that others advocate for that I begin to feel discouraged about the difference I might possibly make, given the reality that most of the teachers that I work with live in.

The fact is that MOST of them contend with filters, few resources, and capacity that is just beginning to build. I think it’s so important to embrace what we have, be grateful for where we are, and meet people where they are at too. This is the only way that real change will happen. It’s respectful and inclusive too.

Great post.

]]> By: Kyle Pace http://blog.mrbassonline.com/2010/03/responsibility/comment-page-1/#comment-272 Kyle Pace Thu, 25 Mar 2010 20:20:00 +0000 http://blog.mrbassonline.com/?p=268#comment-272 Bill, Great post. We do have a great responsibility as presenters to understand our audience(s). To connect with our audience. They need to know that "we know" what they're facing in the classroom. I had the same point brought up this week in a presentation I made at the MOFCCLA Conference in Columbia. A teacher stopped me and asked, "How do we get some of these tools unblocked?" It did catch me off guard momentarily, but it ended up fostering a great discussion among members of my audience. Teachers want to know how to "make their case" for certain tools/websites to be unblocked in their district. Or at least get them unblocked for teacher use. There are content filters out there that allow for this. As the presenter, I had to hand the reigns over for a bit to teachers who are in the classroom facing this every day. I think all presenters should be willing to do this when necessary/appropriate. As a presenter, I love it when the audience engages me in a small sidebar, or better yet they engage themselves. When the teacher I mentioned earlier asked the question about how to get sites unblocked in her district, I shared what I would do, but she also got responses from other teachers who have done "xyz" and had success. It didn't take away from the presentation, I think it built upon what I was already sharing. That made it valuable. Bill,
Great post. We do have a great responsibility as presenters to understand our audience(s). To connect with our audience. They need to know that “we know” what they’re facing in the classroom. I had the same point brought up this week in a presentation I made at the MOFCCLA Conference in Columbia. A teacher stopped me and asked, “How do we get some of these tools unblocked?” It did catch me off guard momentarily, but it ended up fostering a great discussion among members of my audience. Teachers want to know how to “make their case” for certain tools/websites to be unblocked in their district. Or at least get them unblocked for teacher use. There are content filters out there that allow for this.
As the presenter, I had to hand the reigns over for a bit to teachers who are in the classroom facing this every day. I think all presenters should be willing to do this when necessary/appropriate. As a presenter, I love it when the audience engages me in a small sidebar, or better yet they engage themselves. When the teacher I mentioned earlier asked the question about how to get sites unblocked in her district, I shared what I would do, but she also got responses from other teachers who have done “xyz” and had success.
It didn’t take away from the presentation, I think it built upon what I was already sharing. That made it valuable.

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