Expert Schmexpert

I have learned from this fine university that I was raised in an archaic academia which taught me that there are such things as reality, truth, and experts. Not so, my friends. This is a world built on overlapping interpretations in which one can easily get swallowed up trying to understand (and evidently in vain) other interpretations.

The one aspect where this bites me in the buttocks is when you have to write a paper. I don't like to think of myself as an expert on anything. Except perhaps on how to make the perfect afternoon (soup, rolls, butter, tea, good book, followed by more tea, knitting and great movie). Still, I am starting to understand why people think they can speak authoritatively on things. After reading heaps and heaps of articles on collaboration and its uses in professional development of teachers, I gotta say I think I know what I'm talking about. I am finding it less and less necessary to rely on quotes because Good Lord! It would take me ages to write down what they all think individually. I have to summarize, analyze (hmm.. could it be? write a paper!!) which takes up a lot of room and comes out of my fingertips pretty friggin' quickly. It's like someone asked me, "So, Annika... how do you feel about using collaboration as professional development?" (I know, no one in their right mind would ask me to elaborate on anything. I supply enough information unprovoked.) I would leap into it: "Well, funny you should ask! Let me tell you a thing or two!"

So this is what it's like to research and write about something you're actually interested in. If only I could suddenly develop a keen interest in qualitative research and its philosophical movements. Blast.

And another PS - Happy Birthday, Lisa! (Again, technically, it is the day after here, but in the US, Lisa is celebrating right now and we should too.) Does anyone else think of the music from the Simpsons where Bart gets the crazy guy who thinks he's Michael Jackson to sing Lisa a birthday song? I bet you do now. :)