Comments on: In this world http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/ tales of swimming upstream Sat, 22 Nov 2008 11:11:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: Martha http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-20150 Martha Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:54:44 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-20150 @Patia Welcome back from spam purgatory -- glad you could join us! At Faculty Academy here at UMW a few years ago, Rachel Smith (from the NMC) spoke about gaming in education. She said one thing in particular that has really stuck with me (to be clear, she said a lot of great things, but this one really resonated). In response to parents/teachers/critics who worry that kids will get into these games or go online and "be something they are not," Rachel responded that it is *impossible* for someone to be what they are *not.* Even if the persona someone chooses to adopt is dramatically (even uncomfortably) different then his/her RL persona, that doesn't make it any less real. And, as you point out, sometimes it may be far more real than our RL skin. @Patia Welcome back from spam purgatory — glad you could join us!

At Faculty Academy here at UMW a few years ago, Rachel Smith (from the NMC) spoke about gaming in education. She said one thing in particular that has really stuck with me (to be clear, she said a lot of great things, but this one really resonated).

In response to parents/teachers/critics who worry that kids will get into these games or go online and “be something they are not,” Rachel responded that it is *impossible* for someone to be what they are *not.*

Even if the persona someone chooses to adopt is dramatically (even uncomfortably) different then his/her RL persona, that doesn’t make it any less real. And, as you point out, sometimes it may be far more real than our RL skin.

]]> By: Faculty Academy 2007 » Blog Archive » Wholly Unfit, But Willing http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-19474 Faculty Academy 2007 » Blog Archive » Wholly Unfit, But Willing Sat, 15 Sep 2007 12:40:52 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-19474 [...] for some (or most, probably) but for whatever reason I’m rarely the kind of person that fears loosing connections with people or rather I’m rarely hurt by loosing a connection with someone. So, it was [...] […] for some (or most, probably) but for whatever reason I’m rarely the kind of person that fears loosing connections with people or rather I’m rarely hurt by loosing a connection with someone. So, it was […]

]]> By: Wholly Unfit, But Willing « Loaded Learning http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-19330 Wholly Unfit, But Willing « Loaded Learning Thu, 13 Sep 2007 02:10:38 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-19330 [...] for some (or most, probably) but for whatever reason I’m rarely the kind of person that fears loosing connections with people or rather I’m rarely hurt by loosing a connection with someone. So, it was [...] […] for some (or most, probably) but for whatever reason I’m rarely the kind of person that fears loosing connections with people or rather I’m rarely hurt by loosing a connection with someone. So, it was […]

]]> By: Martha http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-19261 Martha Wed, 12 Sep 2007 01:26:24 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-19261 Gardner--Funny, for me it's like dance (or movement). I actually think that's really interesting. I've mentioned before that I often can imagine ideas in the form of a kind of dance before I can put words to them. It wouldn't be surprising that for others, a kind of music emerges. What I find fascinating is that we don't really talk about that level on which our brains work. What would happen if we did? Jeff--The pundits don't get it. I'm more deeply connected with people now than I've ever been. It's profound and it is real. Gardner–Funny, for me it’s like dance (or movement). I actually think that’s really interesting. I’ve mentioned before that I often can imagine ideas in the form of a kind of dance before I can put words to them. It wouldn’t be surprising that for others, a kind of music emerges. What I find fascinating is that we don’t really talk about that level on which our brains work. What would happen if we did?

Jeff–The pundits don’t get it. I’m more deeply connected with people now than I’ve ever been. It’s profound and it is real.

]]> By: Patia http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-19246 Patia Tue, 11 Sep 2007 16:08:23 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-19246 What a lovely post. (Cute video, too.) I agree, this stuff is first and foremost about connection. For me, it's connection without complication -- as an introvert, it's so much easier for me to connect on the level of thoughts and ideas and feelings than in person when all our tiny judgments get in the way. I feel that, in some way, connecting online is almost more "real" than connecting IRL, because online, we put our true selves forward -- even when that true self is a persona. It is who we feel we are on the deepest level, not who we are forced to be by our outer appearances. What a lovely post. (Cute video, too.) I agree, this stuff is first and foremost about connection. For me, it’s connection without complication — as an introvert, it’s so much easier for me to connect on the level of thoughts and ideas and feelings than in person when all our tiny judgments get in the way.

I feel that, in some way, connecting online is almost more “real” than connecting IRL, because online, we put our true selves forward — even when that true self is a persona. It is who we feel we are on the deepest level, not who we are forced to be by our outer appearances.

]]> By: Jeff http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-19240 Jeff Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:36:24 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-19240 I too found this video (actually Jen sent it to me) and found it moving and right on the mark about so much of my life. [Got to love the little girl creeping into the video at the end....] But of course your post is about so much more than this video. It's about the way that the fears that so many of us have about connecting with people and then the even greater fears about losing those connections. Such fears can indeed be paralyzing and can create awkwardness in those connections we do have. Yet I'm struck by your point about the connections that are enabled by the technology. [It seems to me that's part of what you were trying to tap into with the notion of a beeper for Erik all those years ago.] There continues to be a lot of complaints in the media and among pundits and politicians about the way that online interaction isn't the same as face-to-face interaction. They're right, to a point. Yet, "not the same" simply means online interactions are different, not inferior. And what gets overlooked is exactly what your post illuminates: First, that such technologies allowed an old friend (one that you might not have kept up with without online communication) to send you something created by a stranger that touched you in a profound way. Second, online communication then provided you with another way to connect (more or less instantly) with people you've had little face-to-face interaction with. How cool is that? I too found this video (actually Jen sent it to me) and found it moving and right on the mark about so much of my life. [Got to love the little girl creeping into the video at the end….]

But of course your post is about so much more than this video. It’s about the way that the fears that so many of us have about connecting with people and then the even greater fears about losing those connections. Such fears can indeed be paralyzing and can create awkwardness in those connections we do have.

Yet I’m struck by your point about the connections that are enabled by the technology. [It seems to me that’s part of what you were trying to tap into with the notion of a beeper for Erik all those years ago.] There continues to be a lot of complaints in the media and among pundits and politicians about the way that online interaction isn’t the same as face-to-face interaction. They’re right, to a point. Yet, “not the same” simply means online interactions are different, not inferior. And what gets overlooked is exactly what your post illuminates: First, that such technologies allowed an old friend (one that you might not have kept up with without online communication) to send you something created by a stranger that touched you in a profound way. Second, online communication then provided you with another way to connect (more or less instantly) with people you’ve had little face-to-face interaction with.

How cool is that?

]]> By: Gardner http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-19233 Gardner Tue, 11 Sep 2007 11:09:26 +0000 http://www.marthaburtis.net/wrapping/2007/09/11/in-this-world/#comment-19233 Remember the old Peanuts moment when someone would light on an answer or insight and the listener would shout "That's it!" and bowl the speaker over? Well, not to set you spinning or anything, but "That's it!" I'm struck again by how close some of this (all of this "this" in all its "thisness" over all these wires and fiber and through these keyboards and screens) is to music, on some level, at least for me. I feel movement in the same areas of my brain.... Thank you for posting--this. Remember the old Peanuts moment when someone would light on an answer or insight and the listener would shout “That’s it!” and bowl the speaker over?

Well, not to set you spinning or anything, but “That’s it!”

I’m struck again by how close some of this (all of this “this” in all its “thisness” over all these wires and fiber and through these keyboards and screens) is to music, on some level, at least for me. I feel movement in the same areas of my brain….

Thank you for posting–this.

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