Thanks, Dean. Great to meet you and Paula. David had such an enjoyable conversation with her while we tried to change the world. Hope to see you again!

Thanks, Tania. I also find it interesting to think of you all in a different season and place in your school year. Summer is a great time for me to think and plan. I'm looking forward to hearing about your final PLP projects!

Thanks Gardner, Tania, and Debra. I hesitated to post such a personal thought, but if people can generalize this to their own situations,then perhaps they'll see possibilities too. Yes, onward.

Thanks for checking in Curt. Now that I am getting used to the idea, the ideas are beginning to bubble up. And just doing my "own thing" will be a refreshing change!

Thanks, Tania. We are all on this journey together. I feel empowered from this experience and look forward to working with all of you for a long time.

Though some of my ninth-graders still resist using diigo (they say it's too complicated), the poetry annotation was the tipping point for many others. Thanks for your thoughts, Gardner. I look forward to seeing your students' work next fall!

Great examples, Curt. The onus is on us to do this for our kids, isn't it? That handful is problematic, and until we as professionals use these guiding principals, that handful will be allowed to pretend it doesn't matter.

Yes, relationships. As Howard said above--using our social networks to assist us to learn and grown. And, of course, the friendships that are formed in this challenge to do something better for our kids. Absolutely.

Angela, I appreciate what you've said--stepping back to learn from people where they are. And Sheryl is right in her comment below--it's about the relationships for me. I do feel that we may be headed into a future where people will learn and grow online in ways we've never imagined. And we need to prepare our students for that. Right now we are at a divide.

What we value...yes, that's it. And given that teachers are all in very different places in their lives, what people value differs. And I love what you said about your own family--value experience over things.

Howard, that teaching is critical. I wonder, too, how this will play out as those who *do* connect effect change and those who *don't* (or don't do it effectively) are left out. This is the true digital divide, isn't it? And when NOT to mediate our attention....or to use tools for all the wrong reasons--I suppose that's the place to start.Thank for sharing your thoughts. I've been following you for some time...and even jumped into The Well once, oh so many, many years ago.

Thanks for your thoughts, Susanne. You and I have talked about this often, and you know I respect you as a true teacher (and learner). I love what you've pulled from your networking this year, valuable connections for you and your students. You won't hear any easy solutions or answers from me on this one... My brain (gut?) tells me we are, indeed, entering a new world--filled with exciting possibilities but complex, complicated situations which we can't envision yet (could we have ever imagined this <http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/04/07/world/0407-MOLDOVA_3.html>a few years ago? Let's keep the conversations going.

Gardner, you are right, of course. We are at a turning point, and I see the possibilities in my own classes. I take such joy in reading posts from my students like this- http://fablogs.org/ndbfa12/2009/03/28/chap-13-14/ that can be easily shared, responded to, and supported. And, of course, it is not just being "online" that matters. Connectivism changes the student-teacher relationship, the learning environment, and even assessments--everything. Ah, me. Some days it is so unsettling.

Melissa, you are right. Experience will change how people view this--and become a more natural way of learning, as you said. I still wonder if there isn't some kind of a mindset that makes this a more comfortable world for some of us. Thanks for your thoughts...

Don't you love the speedgeeking idea? And time, yes, we need to carve out time to play and think.

I know. After VAIS this weekend, I hit to hit "Mark as Read" and not feel guilty!

Thanks, Gardner. You know our journey, don't you? I hope you are well. So glad we can stay connected this way.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Elizabeth. You are doing great things with your staff and students, and I respect your opinions. Your comment about not teaching the tools--I found that if I didn't "teach" and give time to learn, they just didn't do it. In fact, no one used diigo until we said they had to, that we would check their annotations. Once that happened, they started to see value. But I prefer the idea that they find the tool they need instead of requiring one. You went with delicious, right? Are you finding that some people are using diigo instead? Please plan to visit in May. I won't be teaching, of course, since we'll all be in the PLP, but let's sneak into a class so you can visit with the kids for a few minutes if you want.

What a nice thing to say, Hiram. Thanks. We are all learning together, and the more we help our students do the same, the more success we will all have. My PLN rocks!

Yes, absolutely...it made my day!

Ha! My "white" Mac is brown from his slobber. If I ignore him too long, he just lays his head on my keyboard. Hard to resist.

Yes, Patrick. You are quite right (as is Howard, whom I also respect).The phrase resonates with me, and I am trying to keep it in mind. My diigo account is filled with information I have yet to get back to, and that's a problem. What good is it if I sort and save if that is all I ever do with it? But I am certainly enjoying figuring out how to manage all of this. Thanks for sharing Rheingold's thoughts.

Laura, thanks for your kind and thoughtful reply. Of course, much of my learning comes from you and others in our PLN. This has been an amazing year, and I look forward to seeing what happens next. One day I hope we can meet again! Maybe in Atlanta:)

Thanks Jen. You,too, make school a good place to be. It's been fun to grow and learn with you!

I agree Rhondda. The variety certainly asks them to think about their reading in ways they might not have tried. I know most of mine say they don't like to read, especially anything I assign. But I was delighted to see some of their responses. One boy wrote, "Creon, your ego is getting to you" in the comments. And for many, the shmoop site gave them just what they needed to really understand it. Now on to the comparison-contrast paper!