Help a 16 Year Old Blogger Catch Fire

If you've swung by here before, you know I love rabbit holes.  Metaphorically, speaking.  The Cheshire Cat once told Alice (who sought directions), "If you don't know where you're headed, any path will get you there." (or something to that effect)  Big-grinnin' cats often say funky things.

Email solicitations are by and far ignored at my computer.  Unless I already have stake in the outcome.  Or am cleverly pulled into the conversation (read:  ego-rub, he smiles).  An email request tonight from "E", however, has added some spike to the punch.  Gettin' me thinking.

At first I told him 'no' -- sort of -- when the polite and well-intentioned email of a new 16 year old  (read: just a kid, right?) blogger came my way tonight.  Actually, I didn't say 'no', but like the many students that I served in the past, I received his spirited request and gave him a challenge in return.  Told him I'd consider linking to him if he answered 2 questions re: the "future of learning" and his 16-year old stake in it.  More on that later.  Hoping that he'll take the bait.  Pony up some blog currency.  Quid pro quo, so to speak. Loved his moxie in asking to be blog-linked.  Could have easily done it in a pat-ya-on-the-head-kid sort of way, to be polite, to be patronizing, to be uninvested beyond a few clicks.  Something about his request, however, suggested I look a little closer.  Here's what caught my eyes when I finally had a chance to read through his blog tonight (snippet from a 10/30 post of his):

Today, I look at black and white photos and I think they are old. They are. But what I ponder is what are going to be the black and white photos of tommorow. What are my kids going to look at and think is old. Will it be online videos and digital photos? Will it be online flash based interaction involving multiple medias? Or will it be some sort of capturing life in a completly different form? We do not know yet.

Indeed, what will the black and white photos of tomorrow be?  Ooooooh!  Give me an inquisitive point of view like that, and I'll hand over the "think:lab" keys in an instant...especially if this kid can combine his interests (he wrote that he's interested in "blogging about the internet, design, ideas, the creativity, life, and more.") and rocket-swing them over the "future of learning" landscape in the process. The possibilities!

So, here I am, caught between waiting to hear back from "E" after giving him 2 challenges that would allow me to blog-link to him (as a mentoring suggestion to help him craft his 'brand' and voice)...and being quite intrigued/impressed by what I actually saw once I clicked his blog link and read a few pages into it.  Very tempted to link to him now.  Just like I do whenever I find something I appreciate, am provoked by, want to share.  But I gave him the challenge.  And I'm hoping "E" takes the bait, sends back more writing, so I can not only offer this hint, but also help him gain some momentum. 'Cause I think what he's doing is something pretty strong...and frankly worth all we adults getting our mind around when we banter back and forth from the safe hilltops of our experience and stakeholder campsites. 

So, "E", are you game?

*****

Psst, if you liked the Alice in Wonderland inspired image above (as I do), check out the link and see the other great work that LiquidSkyArts is putting into the Flickr universe.  I'm a fan!

Comments

[Neil Winton]

I think you should cut the kid his break... I like the snippet you've posted, and in my more cynical mode, think it's good to know the enemy...

Being realistic, I think it's encouraging to hear the views of a younger blogger, especially when they can make us think. We are too quick to put down what they have to say, while trying to find new ways to make them think the way we want them to think...

I hope he takes the bait!

[John Powers]

"What will the black and white photos of tomorrow be?"

Recently I went with a friend to pick up an old Victrola he bought. Amazing device, wind the spring and put the needle on the record and it plays.

My friend is also an artist. Some of the work he's produced is media for which there's appropriate appliance to play it around anymore.

Some of what is produced in digital form will be locked away from view in a way quite different from the stable black and white photographic prints.

A part of the trick of keeping the stories of today for tomorrow will be in negotiating the frantic pace of obsolescence. And maybe in taking some black and white photographs today.

[Ollie]

Hey, I managed to get to E's blog by searching the first line of the quote you posted on Technorati; so in some ways, you have linked to him, just in-directly ;-)