Comments on: “So Off I Flew to Seek a Newer Land” - Notes Beyond Schoolteaching

By: Clay Burell

Clay Burell — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 12:50:28 +0000

@Diane, the Dude is trying.

@Harold, I hope you’ll still be around on Twitter and so forth. Since I’ve only quit school, not teaching, I’ll still be writing about teaching here. (And I’ll look you up if ever I’m in Maine )

@Dean, you’re a lucky man. And I plan to podcasting again real soon, so expect a tug.

@Chris - Interesting comment. I look forward to exploring all sorts of stuff in the coming months along the lines you’re talking about. As Shirky puts it, “Failure is cheap” now, so it’s good to have time to try a lot of things and see which ones don’t fail.

@Jenny, it’s been so cool working with you. I’ve already told you I’ll still be involved with some of the students from Project Global Cooling next year - from home, on Skype and so forth - and as for the rest, fate’s leaving the story hanging, not me

Thanks all.

By: Jenny Luca

Jenny Luca — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:15:07 +0000

Hi Clay,
I had wondered if you’d noticed my probing question. couldn’t resist putting it in because I did think of you straight away when I saw the question David Warlick had posed. Thanks for the update -I am interested in your plans; you have helped me immeasurably in navigating this new landscape and I would like to see you do something that you find fulfilling. Once again though, the writer in you leaves us hanging for the next chapter!

Jenny Lucas last blog post..The friend, the presenter, the bridge and the blogger!

By: Three from Craigslist | Taylor the Teacher

Three from Craigslist | Taylor the Teacher — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:27:35 +0000

[...] Comments “So Off I Flew to Seek a Newer Land” - Notes Beyond Schoolteaching | Beyond School on Guest Post: Three Young TeachersKate on Three from CraigslistTaylor on The Sexiest Shoes I Ever [...]

By: Chris Watson

Chris Watson — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:39:51 +0000

Clay, I can’t wait to see (or be involved with:)) your new explorations. I’m in a school leadership masters program this summer, and we were having a conversation yesterday in our action research methods class about the nature of knowledge, who owns it, how it is generated, etc. I used the metaphor of schools as oil companies/car manufacturers to wonder about the tipping point at which schools, to maintain business-as-usual and government funding, will start strong arming students and teachers, keeping them away from online/hybrid, alternative, free-lanced learning. There’s a school here that’s sort of a model of I think what the future will be (how far away?) called Elite Academy (can’t find their website, but here’s a news article: http://tinyurl.com/67ysvp). They’re getting press because of surfing, but I can imagine a group of parents and kids interested in some particular experiential learning activity or apprenticeship and hiring a team of free-lance educators to put together individualized programs that blend online work, experiential opportunities, real-world experience, community involvement, etc.

Chris Watsons last blog post..My Wife Wrote The Post I’d Been Working On. And I Had A Blogger Format Blowout

By: Harold Shaw

Harold Shaw — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:05:07 +0000

Clay - Like you I left teaching this summer, but for different reasons, I had to think what I would be doing and would be able to do in 10 years at age 61. I strongly believe that Teaching is a younger person’s “gig”. Teaching requires drive, stamina and a lot of patience. As I get older I find that I have less of each and wouldn’t have been doing anything all that different in the next 10 years. Some individuals may be able to function at a high level as a teacher as they get “old and decrepit” as one student called me last year, but most can’t.

But I am glad that you will have the opportunity to keep teaching students and who knows maybe you will start earning the big bucks as an Educational Consultant and “travel the world” espousing the “word” according to Clay. If you ever get up to Maine, look me up and I will buy dinner & grape.

I wish you the best, as you have been a great “twitter and flock” mentor for me. I am able to use Flock at my new job as my primary browser - so thank you again.

Harold

By: Dean Shareski

Dean Shareski — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 03:29:31 +0000

Your hesitancy about the job resonates with me. I’m extremely fortunate not to have to deal with administrative stuff; at least to too much. As I usually state, “I don’t do boxes and wires. I do teaching and learning with the boxes and wires”. I’ve been fortunate to write much of my job description and even the parts I haven’t been able to write focus on students learning. It’s not perfect but for the most part I’m satisfied with it. That’s not true for all these positions outside the classroom.

You’re influence and contributions as a classroom teacher are invaluable. Your work inspires me and provides clear context for what good teaching and learning looks like.

BTW, we should do another podcast.

By: diane

diane — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:17:32 +0000

You’ve chosen your path. There are still ties to earth that drag you down, but also glimpses of sky and intimations of freedom.

The students will find you, you’ll interact with eager learners of all ages. There are compromises and disappointments ahead, but, also, satisfactions and triumphs.

And the Dude abides
dianes last blog post..Truthville