Friday Frivolity #pencilchat

It is always refreshing when someone can poke fun at the things we, as educators, do and say.   Today, it came via Twitter with the hashtag #pencilchat.  You can see some of the fun here.  And, I have to say that I have been laughing out loud reading the tweets coming through by twitter stream with #pencilchat. So, in case you missed it, yes, this is for fun and it is an allegory or metaphor or irony (depending on your persective) for the many issues we deal with – especially in the use of technology, online learning and education.  So join in and laugh along!

Then across my Twitter feed came from:  @JohnTSpencer “Do you know how crazy it is to start a chat and then watch one of my favorite former teachers on it? #howfun #pencilchat”.  Yes, John was in my 8th grade Academic Block class many years ago in Clovis, Ca.  I don’t recall his sense of humor and clever wit from his 8th grade year in the same way that is revealed in his blogposts, his tweets, and his books.  Way to go John – you have become a master of the allegory (but I don’t think I taught that in 8th grade English, but I do remember you were a good writer)!  It is fun to see an idea take off like this #pencilchat hash tag and it is good to laugh at and with ourselves!  Now, following the tweets are  the blogposts.  John started it and Iowa Tranformed continued it and now there as entire blog dedicated to it.

Here are some of my favorite #pencilchat tweets!

johntspencerJohn T. Spencer: Learn to see the world in shades of gray. #pencilchat

@jpatten John Patten: THIS JUST OUT! LIST OF COMPANIES JONESING TO TAKE OVER PUBLIC EDUCATION!, pencilpages.com/mfg/index.htm #pencilchat

fredbartelsFred Bartels: Christianson’s book “Disruptive Disrupters” explores how schools that fail to embrace pencils will disintegrate. #pencilchat

anotherschwabAndrew T. Schwab: If we wait for the research, we’ll still be using sticks and drawing in the dirt.

InukshukBill Belsey: Our old Superintendent would have never supported a BYOP policy. He always told our students & staff to “Get the lead out!” #pencilchat

jcorippojcorippo:  “@markbrumley: In heart of Silicon Valley, school succeeds with no-tech education bit.ly/t3pLHJ #edtech #teachers” see #Pencilchat

timbuckteethSteve Wheeler: I’m resisting pencils at present. If I adopt them, I’ll have to change the way I teach. #pencilchat

delta_dcDavid Coffey: Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Give him a pencil and he can draw a fish. #pencilchat

pgowPeter Gow: Won’t the kids from affluent families have all the really nice pencils? I worry about a Graphite Divide.

@jbellsd60 Jarrod Bell: Pencils – “this too shall pass” #pencilchat

And I added a few as well:

robdarrowRob Darrow, Ed.D.: We need to teach students that what they write will be their “graphite footprint” and may be found by future generations. #pencilchat

robdarrowRob Darrow, Ed.D.: What does the research say about the use of pencils? We really shouldn’t be using them until we know for sure that they work. #pencilchat

Happy Friday!