Here we go then:

@Dan: Love the metaphor, but I doubt I’m ‘burning bridges’. One is, after all, to have a different opinion to everyone else! :D

@Arthus: Since when were you a ‘customer’? I thought what you were advocating, like most others in the edublogosphere, is co-learning and voyages of discovery. Cold business practice has no place in education, as far as I’m concerned.

As regards being free to discuss anything you want on the Internet: absolutely! What I take issue with is not you but those who hold you up as a paradigm. Have your voice, along with everyone else on the Internet, but don’t expect that voice to be privileged. :p

But on the other I’m fairly tired of the assumption that bringing young people into what is essentially an adult arena (the edublogosphere) is a good idea.

Who’s bringing us in? What makes it an adult area? It’s not some closed door meeting where you can decide who gets to participate. It’s a free web… anyone can participate who wants to.
In no other sector would it be acceptable to not listen to your customers. In education, students (and society) are the customers. We deserve to have a voice in our own education. ( We certainly have the strongest feelings about it)
Nobody brought me in, and nobody’s pushing me out.

As for me becoming a “awkward; un-co-operative; bad tempered; whiney; aloof; terse or abrupt of speech” Stephen Downes… there could be worse fates. :P

Wow, did you ever precipitate a “dialog”!

I’ll have to go back in tonight and re-read the entire conversation.

Is it adults vs. kids; teachers vs. teachers; experts vs. novices…or some strange and fearsome Halloween witches’ brew with equal parts of each?

diane