Yama, Your response actually gave me an idea. In the various situations in which I have worked, I have been able to develop students (even at ages 9 and 10) to be real leaders. Perhaps they are the way in to this dilemma. I will find a way to add them to this community. Perhaps, just as in the classroom, when teachers (and others) find the students participating so actively and responsibly, they will be called to join in? What do you think. Gerald <div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, Jan 21, 2011 at 10:44 AM, Yamandu Ploskonka <<a href="mailto:yamaplos@gmail.com">yamaplos@gmail.com</a>> wrote: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"> On 01/21/2011 08:54 AM, Dr. Gerald Ardito wrote originally about something else, but said there: <blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;"> I have been participating in this community for about 2 years. I have received much help and support and encouragement for which I am grateful. But I have been reluctant to have my fellow teachers (who are less technically inclined) to participate because of the frequently highly technical and operational nature of many conversations. </blockquote> I am lost for words. So totally lost for words. What kind of a community you would *not* feel reluctant to have your teachers participate? IAEP is as "common ground" as you possibly can get. Or are you talking about the support gang? There I can understand sort of maybe, though all kinds of people can benefit to lurk there, and even contribute - maybe they just need to be given a chance, and they will flourish! Of course there is a continuum for the choices an education administrator can make, from wholesale advocacy for participating in all and every community (probably not wise), to a complete ban and prohibition leading to termination for those caught connecting with strangers. Somewhere along the middle I suspect most deployments just do not encourage enough nor their leaders model participation (the later not your case, Gerald, you do participate generously of your time and experience). I am amazed that, for example, Ceibal has over 14.000 teachers with connectivity, and apparently less than 3% have ever signed up to a list or open forum. Peru's emails set up for their project often returned a "box full" error. I am convinced that one of the the main lessons to be learned through this Education Project is precisely about remote collaboration. It hasn't taken off yet, and I wonder how we can help it happen. How can we bridge real issues like fear of reprisals, fear to seem dumb? Lack of time (real, or imagined for people that otherwise spend hours by the TV or Faisbuk)? Relevant, interesting communication? The next step: kids collaborating beyond their bailiwick? Yama _______________________________________________ IAEP -- It's An Education Project (not a laptop project!) <a href="mailto:IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org" target="_blank">IAEP@lists.sugarlabs.org</a> <a href="http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep" target="_blank">http://lists.sugarlabs.org/listinfo/iaep</a> </blockquote></div>