Those thrilling posts of yesteryear

"Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear." The Lone Ranger television program

I've been tagged by Joyce Valenza for a meme. She writes...

Meme rules:

1. Scan your posts for your own personal favorites.
2. Choose one post in any/each of the four categories:

• Rants
• Resources
• Reflections
• Revelations

I leave it to you folks to define these terms, but my instinct is that we could treat these loosely. You are welcome to suggest new categories if these don't fit.

3. In a blog post, list those posts and very briefly describe

• why it was important,
• why it had lasting value or impact,
• how you would update it for today.

4. Select five (or so) other bloggers to tap with this meme.

5. Tag all of your post with #postsofthepast

I will do my best to honor the spirit of the endeavor. Quite a number of my entries have been expanded and polished and turned into columns, articles and presentations, but most I have forgotten. Unlike Joyce, I tend to enjoy re-reading my writing - I am so easily amused. A future project for me is turning the best posts from the Blue Skunk into a Lulu published book. It already has a title - Common Scents.

Back to the meme:

Rant: The Subversive View of Copyright, April 1, 2008. This was my first stab at forming a different view of how we approach copyright instruction in our profession - and it is still the basis for the writing and speaking I do on the topic.

Resource: Emotional reactions to the Kindle, November 23, 2007. One of a number of posts about e-books, especially my Kindle. I suspect we can't even imagine the impact these devices will have on education, libraries and culture once they are truly mainstream. It's not the tech here that's fascinating, but people's reaction to the change it may precipitate.

Reflection: The Illusion of Change, March 14, 2007. IMHO this is still the funniest, most cynical and most honest post I've written. And nobody likes it but me - at least judging by the number of print publishers who've rejected some version of it. I don't think blog-readin' educators like to admit that "change" is not a charge placed on schools by society.

Revelation: Libraries and Committment, May 19, 2009. Perhaps the realizations you have as you get older are the most difficult to accept. Writing this recent post made me realize that there are schools that just don't need libraries because of their intractable and outmoded goals and philosophies. As a life-long proponent of effective school libraries, this is tough to admit. But it does feel good to stop beating one's head against a wall.

Ok, consider yourself tagged:

1. Chris Harris
2. Paul Cornies
3. Shannon Wham
4. M A Bell
5. Jim Randolph

"Hi-yo, Silver away!"

Comments

[Paul C]

It's your posts about Kindle which have me saying that they mark a sea change for education:they are paperless, portable, user friendly, environmentally wise, and educationally and economically strategic. I also note a theme of change in your posts: positive, empowering change. Thanks for the nod.

[Doug Johnson]

Thanks, Paul. I often feel like the biggest cynic writing. I sense too much "change" for the sake of change - not for making the world and especially the world of kids a better place. I guess the only thing to do is keep writing!

As to the nod, I am not always sure how much people like getting passed these "memes." But this one seemed suited to you since you've been blogging for a bit. Good to reflect!

Doug