I think it is easier to change personal experiences than professional ones. It gets so much more complicated. Figure 2-1 from Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody on page 27 illustrates the complexity.
"Three clusters, with all connections drawn. The small cluster has 5 members, and 10 connections; the middle one has 10 members and 45 connections; and the large one has 15 members and 105 connections. A groups complexity grows faster than it's size." What happens then in a school of 40 or more adults? Pretty Complex.
Before reading the book (this far at least) I I would have said that influencing a closed and locked and hidebound school system is very nearly impossible. I feel like I spent my whole career trying to bring fundamental and permanent change to "the system"—all I'm afraid to no avail. But I'm open to it changing and have some ideas I'll put forward during the course of our time together.
Generally I think educators don't see themselves as influecers. They've made the deal not to rock the boat and they've made the Faustian bargain with the students reflected in Horace's Compromise—you pretend to learn and I'll pretend to teach. Not all teachers, of course. They are passive, don't read, don't engage with technology, don't create new possibilities, complain and keep their heads low. And they are pleasant.
On to write my first post.
And thanks again for getting this started and asking some great questions.
