Shadow Issues

One reading assignment describes shadow issues that can be experienced in the online learning environment.

For those of you who teach or attend school online...how do you deal with shadow issues? For those who use an personal learning network for personal and professional growth...how do you deal with shadow issues?

I know that everyone has some type of agenda when they enter a learning environment, online or F2F. This sentence caught my attention from the text book: "But speaking from the Jungian perspective, community also has a shadow side-elements that are buried and unconscious-elements that we do not want to face" (Palloff & Pratt, 2007, p 53).

Coming from a military background and a committment to mission accomplishment, ground rules are established up front, best and worst case scenarios are discussed, and AARs provide information for lessons learned. The old soldier adage, "Adapt, Implement, and Overcome" is ingrained.

How do you deal with shadow issues?

7 Things Meme

I have been tagged by Penny Lindballe in the " 7 Things you did not know about me" meme.

I will post 7 things that you won't find out about me through my blog, without threatening national security, or my security clearance. If this was an email, I would be the one listed as least likely to respond.

1. 20 years ago this year, I was in the middle of my best assignment with the US Army. I was a Basic Training Drill Sergeant. The best two years of my military life and so busy that I didn't realize I was 2 years older than when I started "On the Trail".

2. My mother subscribes to my blog and my daughter does not.

3. I obtained a $5000 Lowe's Toolbox for Education grant for Butler HS. I spent more time at my daughter's high school than I did any of her middle or elementary schools. Not because she needed me too...but for so many other reasons. I did this without ruining her "coolness" factor.

4. I have driven through or visited 35 of the 50 United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. I have also been outside of the US to Thailand, Korea, Japan, Germany, Spain, France, Holland, and Iraq.

5. I have always been a lifelong learner. I learn something from everyone and everything I do. I view life through various perspectives such as the Six blind men and the Elephant.

6. One of my top wishes: That everyone spend as much time in resolving an issue as they do griping, groaning, and complaining about an issue.

7. I floundered as a college freshman straight out of high school but I have flourished as a non traditional adult student through the BSIT (Information Technology), MAEd (Adult Ed & Distance Learning) programs, and now in the Ed.D program for Educational Technology Management.

Seven people I tag for participate in this 7 Things Meme are:

Darren Draper
Dr. Scott McLeod
Vicki Davis
Eric Tremblay
@USArmy Twitterer
@AFPAA Twitterer
@schools4me

What is a meme?

Gentleman's Agreement - Does your administration have one?

The local school board met to elect the President and Vice President of the board on Saturday 1/3/2009. The local newpaper article is titled, "Barnes elected President" and subtitled "Members protest role of race in vote".

The Augusta Chronicle article, written by Mr. Greg Gelpi, states, "Since the early 1990s, the board has alternated between electing a black president and a white president. The "gentleman's agreement" also dictates the board select a vice president of a different race than the president.
Joe Scott proposed ending the agreement Saturday".

Does your school board, local administration, or any other group have a "gentleman's agreement" that the people are not aware of? What message does this send to our students?

Gentleman's agreement issues came up in July 2005 when the Mayor of Augusta resigned to take a position with the Housing and Urban Development.

So how many of you are aware that your local school boards, city and/or county commissions have "gentleman's agreements"?

If other people are aware, does it prevent them from moving to Augusta, GA unless you are a part of the "gentleman's agreement? Do these agreements factor into the community apathy?

Not growing up here and not being aware of the "Who's Who" except during Masters Week , I can see why Augusta, GA continues to have issues, has a nickname like "Disgusta", and a school system that continues to teach with Passive Acceptance as a guideline.

Some of the above questions are rhetorical, but I cannot put into words how this issue irritates me on many levels. I was raised to believe that we are all part of the human race. If we are cut open, we all bleed red. As a female veteran, as a successful single parent of a multiracial child, and as a nontraditional student I have battled "good old boy" systems and a variety of biases and stereotypes.

So now what?