Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The Centenial Man

Wow. This post makes 100 posts (and 3000 views). I never stick with anything this long. I want to thank both of my readers for taking part in the conversation. I guess that I am now obliged to review some of my best/favorite/most talked about posts.


It all started September 25, 2007 with this post. Donna DesRoches got me started at a PD session she put on. I decided to use my real grown up name on the internet. (Or as real and grown up as I could manage!) You can actually Google my name now.


While my first post was not very memorable here are some others that are remarkable either because I liked them or they generated some conversation.


This early post wasn't anything special but it did spark discussion. It showed me the possibilities of blogging. Did I mention that I love when people argue intellegently with me?


According to Google Analytics this page still accounts for 20% of the traffic to my blog. Who would have figured?

Time Lapse Holiday Cheer
This post was about creating time lapse videos. I had initially posted the video directly from YouTube - then I went into Blogger to add more information. In the time between posting from YouTube and going back and editing the post (About 30 minutes) Dean Shareski had already found the post and commented. The really funny part is that I was going back into the post to add a link to his blog where he had done something similar.

A post about copyright and education. I got some good responses with this one. I am still thinking about the issue and when I get time I will get back to it.

This one was fun. The best part is that the people involved still haven't gotten the joke.

I took a bit of a risk on this one. I talked about things that are usually swept under the table. I keep expecting to get in a little hot water over it. Nobody has been willing to touch it in the comments either.

In lots of my posts you will find me complaining that teachers don't have enough time. Here I think I found part of the reason I don't have enough time.

My Rants
Turns out my carpool was right. I do rant a lot. Here are some of my favorites.

Yep - got kinda mad here.


No this post was not about quitting. I was just plain mad (again). This post is interesting because it was picked up and quoted out of context by Dan Meyer. Here was my response to him.



So What Have I Learned?

I have learned to complain a little less - (or at least a little more constructively).

I have learned to write more posts that actually add to the conversation - not to just repost what somebody else has said.

I find that part of the value of writing is just for me to make my thoughts just a little more concrete. Writing it down just helps me work through the ideas. This blog also helps me archive my writing.

I have also learned to just write. Many posts where I waited until I had the time to get them just right never got written. One paragraph just in time is way more valuable than an essay too late.

Lastly, I have learned that just because I think I have something worth saying doesn't mean people will read it. Damn. Because I do. Really. Honest.......

6 comments:

pcone said...

Hey Gary

I likes your blog. I reads most of the posts. I even understand a few of them. Keeps up the good work, eh!

Dean Shareski said...

You should be proud of your work. It would be great to see a ground swell of Saskatchewan teachers embrace the concept of sharing.

I love this quote
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shareski/3630170818/

This is the work. You also need to remember that people do read your work. Whether they comment or not, your reflections are valuable to many. Thanks.

ehud42 said...

interested in a TGIMBOEJ? (I came here from the TGIMBOEJ wiki) reply before 9AM Saturday July 4 with an address and I'll drop one off around July 17/18....

Real Gary Ball said...

Ehud42 I am definately interested. Respond back quickly so I can delete this commment. I am not quite so excited about putting my address out there (not that I am that hard to find).

1751 Centennial Cres
North Battleford, SK
S9A3J2

email mr.ball.ip10 at gmail.com

For those of you wondering what the heck this is all about you can go to tgimboej.org to find out more. I will blog about it when I finish.

Morag Riddell said...

Congrats on 100 posts. I need to step up my game obviously. ;) Actually I have no idea how many posts I've made. Now I'll have to find out. Cheers!

Morag Riddell said...

Congrats on 100 posts. I need to step up my game obviously. ;) Actually I have no idea how many posts I've made. Now I'll have to find out. Cheers!