Upon arriving home today I found the photo above on a postcard from my sister- on the back it reads “Couldn’t resist!”
She’s referring to my first dog, Dominoe, who traveled with me out to Arizona in 1987. With some sad irony, yesterday marked the day she passed on to Rainbow Bridge. I have to keep rechecking my math because the chunk of time this memory marks– that was 22 years ago.
That found dog who I lost and found again, still sits center in my being. She fostered the story that was at the core of 50 Web Ways To Tell a Story
I returned to the scene of that story in 2011
These special beings enter our lives as pets, and hopefully never exit. It says right there that a post card triggers the memory for my sister.
Last month on driving home from Colorado, I stopped at the Arizona State line to redo a photo I took of Dominoe when we crossed here in 1987, my first entrance to the state that is now my home. (I remember we even met a couple driving a firetruck, the one photo I have is not very good).
flickr photo shared by cogdogblog under a Creative Commons ( BY ) license
The sign is bigger and more colorful now, moved to a different location. I am much older. Then I was driving a 1973 Ford Maverick. Now I drive a 1998 Ford F-150 pickup truck.
And Dominoe is long gone.
Everywhere but my heart.
flickr photo shared by cogdogblog under a Creative Commons ( BY ) license
flickr photo shared by cogdogblog under a Creative Commons ( BY ) license
Top / Featured image credits: How to attribute? It’s a postcard I got in the mail, photo credit on the back says “Photo bv A Carli” but bears no copyright. This game is dull.
I will never forget Dominoe and your adventure west. You left after my girls were born 28 years ago!! I was so happy that you waited to meet your nieces! It was fun to follow the many adventures that you had with Dominoe. You never forget the special relationship that you have with a dog!
The presentation looks great, and jiugdng from the reactions I saw on Twitter, you opened up some minds and got some important concepts across. Kudos!That said I have a few issues with a statement like we should not feel bounded or limited by the technology tools at hands- it’s easy to yell “PowerPoint is Evil” or “The CMS is a tyrant” but technologies do not inflict their will on us ‘I think I get your point. But it is possible to make legitimate critiques of technologies, on the grounds that their features strongly influence certain practices. An assertion like this one is a little too close to it’s all good for my comfort.Choosing a bicycle or a Hummer as your primary means of transportation is going to have effects. Of course, you can use a bike to smuggle biological weapons, or use a Hummer to transport food to homeless shelters. But the the characteristics of these technologies are not changed, and it is still possible to make distinctions.And when a society chooses to orient itself around the needs/effects of cyclists or those of SUV drivers, the implications cascade quite widely. Similarly, the people you spoke with in Edmonton will make decisions on which technologies to support that will go beyond how some creative people will make the best of what they have.I know good work can be done in an LMS. I work in a unit where great courses are developed every day using this technology, and I have nothing but respect for the people who do that work.But does that mean that the technology they are expected to use is irrelevant?You write: I had hoped to find ways people were doing unusual things inside there– but did not come up with much There’s a reason for that. Because the great work that gets done is not accessible, and that is a feature of the technology and the mindset that surrounds its use. Having teaching, learning and research activity happening in isolation (despite taking place on a network that should promote connection on an unprecedented scale) is very much a result of the technology choices we make. Just like urban sprawl, global warming, oil spills and perpetual war in the Middle East are results of favoring the automobile as our mode of transportation.I applaud you telling people they can make a difference with the tools they have on hand, that even if they are not the ones calling the shots they can find a way to do great things. I bet that inspiring message resonated with people in the audience. But that doesn’t mean that those of us in a position to make judgments and have our voices heard should not make the case when we have the chance. If we had more openness happening in the world of LMS-supported practice, I would have to revise my view. But I fear that the secret’ nature of too much educational work means that the revolution we need will never happen.That quarrel aside, this looks fantastic, I wish I had been in Edmonton for the full show Viva el perro! Viva la revolucif3n!