European Tribune - Community, Politics & Progress.

A Thanks to EuroTribbers

by gradinski chai
Tue May 30th, 2006 at 04:34:27 AM EST

As some of you know, we had a group of students become part of the Eurotrib community over the past four months. Classmembers posted comments and diaries as part of a course entitled, "Politics and the Fifth Estate." Well, the class has finished, and I just wanted to thank the ET community members for making the students feel welcome and making the overall experience a success.

I would like to thank the site gnomes and Jerome for supporting our idea. I would particularly like to thank Agnes a Paris for an early diary on the Bulgarian banking system. Her attention to the issue really demonstrated to the class that EuroTrib was a live place where people shared information and ideas. It helped to show us all what a community does. Kudos to DoDo, Migeru, Izzy, Alex in Toulouse, the stormy present, kcurie, PeWi, dvx, Drew J Jones and everyone else who for their many comments and conversations.

As I expected, you in the ET community were great. All of the responses were educational. Nearly all of the responses to the diaries and other posts were positive. All in all, I believe that the classmembers came away with a respect for this community and an appreciation of how average citizens can participate in political discussion.

I hope also that the students' dairies brought some news and views from some places in the seldom heard southeast corner of the continent...and one or two places from further away.

Several of the classmembers are now regular commentators and/or readers. A few others will return once their summer jobs (mostly in the US) finish. As for me, I'll work on the course over the next year and offer it again after a few alterations.

Once again...thanks.

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A Thanks to EuroTribbers | 64 comments (64 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Re: A Thanks to EuroTribbers (4.00 / 8)

I am happy to hear that this class project worked out well. I can only add, thank you for initiating it. To me your students were an enrichment of this site, I learned a lot from reading their diaries and comments. And I am looking forward to a repeat, if that is possible.

by Fran (fran at eurotrib dot com) on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 04:55:15 AM EST

Re: A Thanks to EuroTribbers (4.00 / 8)

Yes, I agree with Fran! Thanks so much...to you and your students!!

Half the population is under the age of 18. Tanzania's future is NOW...join the 50% campaign!

by whataboutbob on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 05:13:18 AM EST
[ Parent ]

A few things (4.00 / 11)

I hope the group sticks around and will see their participation to the site as something to do anyway, and not just a school assignment!
we need to find a way for you to keep on participating while your students are around! You haven't been around much in the past months and that was a pity!
it was a welcome diversification of point of views and topics, and I can only encourage more of the same.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (jeromeguillet@yahoo.fr) on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 05:02:18 AM EST

Re: A few things (none / 1)

So thanks to you for starting this, and the vote of confidence in ET!

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (jeromeguillet@yahoo.fr) on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 05:02:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Oh - one more thing (4.00 / 2)

I hope there will be one or more post mortem diary(ies)about the lessons learnt from that experiment - by individual students, by the class - and by their professor!

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (jeromeguillet@yahoo.fr) on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 05:56:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A few things (4.00 / 8)

Yes, I made a conscious decision not to post much during the semester.

As an educator, I think that one has to be seen by one's students as true to one's convictions and to be seen as involved in the world. Seeing that real people can be meaningfully involved in political discussions helps students better understand politics....politics is real people discussing real problems from really different perspectives. Politics is not just something for a few people called politicians to worry about. That's what was so great about this exercise, you all were teaching through your concern and comments.

However, it's not the educator's role to push a particular philosophical or political viewpoint on his/her students. My concern was that if I commented frequently on ET that some might feel under pressure to adopt positions that they, themselves, did not hold.

So now that things are over for the semester, I'll be around more frequently.

by gradinski chai on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 05:48:47 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A few things (none / 0)

I know, and I don't see a way around this particular problem, unless you start using another screen name.

In the long run, we're all dead. John Maynard Keynes

by Jerome a Paris (jeromeguillet@yahoo.fr) on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 05:55:03 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A Thanks to EuroTribbers (4.00 / 9)

I can only say I wish professors teaching in other countries did the same. It lowered the average age of the regular users, and raised the representation of Bulgaria. We now know much more about BG than we do about Romania, for instance.

A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 05:07:46 AM EST

Re: A Thanks to EuroTribbers (none / 1)

Unfortunately, there were no Romanians in the class this semester. We did get some diaries about Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, and Kazhakstan. This semester was a little experimental so a number of students didn't want to try it. I think that next time will be different.

by gradinski chai on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 05:52:16 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A Thanks to EuroTribbers (none / 0)

Did everyone at least lurk?

It would be interesting to know what proportion of the students progressed from lurking to commenting to writing diaries.

A vivid image of what should exist acts as a surrogate for reality. Pursuit of the image then prevents pursuit of the reality -- John K. Galbraith

by Migeru (migeru at eurotrib dot com) on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 07:43:39 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A Thanks to EuroTribbers (none / 0)

Everyone was required to post two diaries over the course of the semester...either on ET or on another political blog of their choice. I think that all but two of the 40 diaries were posted on ET.

by gradinski chai on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 11:17:01 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: A Thanks to EuroTribbers (4.00 / 10)

I, and I believe I am speaking on behalf of the whole class who took part in the experiment, would like to say a big THANK YOU, too.

First of all, thanks, gradinski chai, first for your brilliant screen name :-), then for organizing the course, and third, and most important thing, for linking us to ET. Of course we were all extremely curious to read your comments, but I understand your choice to abstain from active participation.

Secondly, I would like to say how grateful I am for all the support we got from the members of this community, and I will not mention names, because I am afraid I might miss somebody. Your feedback is always an asset. I feel so respected by everybody here.

Third, thanks also to my classmates, for they all added a lot of spice with their diaries and comments.

Always a a pleasure to be on the ET!

I can resist anything but temptation.- Oscar Wilde

by Little L (ljolito (at) gmail (dot) com) on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 06:56:28 AM EST

Gradinski? (none / 0)

Please share that brilliance with us ;-9

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Tue May 30th, 2006 at 12:11:39 PM EST
[ Parent ]