Olio

       Olio is a word that I'm not sure I've ever seen anywhere except a crossword puzzle. It means a mixture, a hodgepodge; a dish of many ingredients. I think it would make a great title for a blog. But rather than start a whole new blog, I'm using it as the title and structure for this post, in which I plan to just share a bunch of random musings that have been running through my mind but aren't growing into full posts. Perhaps I can't corral them well enough. Perhaps I simply need a brain dump. Anyway it will be similar to previous posts "Scattershooting," "Classic Whateverness," and "Classic Whateverness #3."
       Before I trigger the randomness, I wonder why I'm doing this on my blog. Really, each point probably could be a Tweet; maybe should be a Tweet. For some reason, however, I'm feeling drawn to blogging these days, more than I have for a while. I think it may be because of how much writing helps me to make sense of things. Maybe I finally feel as if I have some new things to share after a relatively dry spell. The medium feels more purposeful. I've also been trying to figure out if I want to keep this blog going, or if I want to move on to another type of writing project. Yes, that might mean a book. With that daunting thought...

When/how did we reach what seems an assumed agreement all young people should be budding entrepreneurs? ... Also, will everyone really need to know how to code? ... Someone recently chided school heads for being too fearful of litigation. In this day and age, you better believe it ... Probably not matter of if but when regarding some form of litigation for any school ... Perspective changes when you have ultimate responsibility for your school ... Conversation other day made me wonder what work I'd be doing if not education and in a school. Can't imagine anything else ... But I do think I would make a heck of a consultant, workshop leader, etc. ... If you won PowerBall, would you keep working? .... People love to post pictures of work done with Post-It notes. I love Post-It notes and use them all the time. But a mass of Post-It notes means nothing. It's what might be on each one that matters. That and any subsequent meaningful action ... Sometimes I'm reminded of a student who studies more or writes a longer paper, then assumes it means a higher grade ... Arm teachers? Anyone ask most of the teachers I know? .... Recently someone challenged people to define "future ready." Of course no one knows for sure. But I combined it with popular one-word challenge. Chose nimble ... I love that so much of what is held out as enabling people to be future ready calls for celebration of the unique gifts of humans ... Interesting exercise. Spend some time thinking of different ways that schools could be organized than they are now. Think about "What if?" for each of them. So why do almost all of us do it the same way? ... I love that we have easier access to more data. But one ultimately frustrating by-product is that it seems every professional organization feels compelled to put out a long, comprehensive, data-crammed report. And then we feel compelled to review each of them. You know, just in case ... I don't claim, by any means, to be an expert on design thinking. But I'm really glad to finally have a term for the way my mind has worked for as long as I can recall. And that it's actually desirable! ... Hypothetically, what if you're a head of school and one of your alums is running for a high public office but you disagree with stands and loathe the behavior? Has to be weird mix of pride and disappointment ... Bit hard to understand all the outrage about violence in football when ultimate fighting keeps growing in popularity ... Sometimes professional athletes make it really hard to teach sportsmanship. Some politicians make it really hard to help kids see meaning and value of public service ... Always an amazing feeling when a former student, sometimes from over 25 years ago, comments on a blog or follows on Twitter...