Those of you who have been following my blog for the last few days, know that there is a pretty healthy/heated conversation going on at the It’s About Acculturation post. The back and forth in the comments section has left me pretty well-spent, but thankfully I have learned some  important lessons about digital citizenship, online communities, writing and most importantly, I have learn a bit about myself. I wish that these ideas were original in some way, they are nothing more than what we tell kids everyday, or that they were better articulated (I toyed with the idea of turning them into Haiku, but Friday afternoon exhaustion vetoed that idea) In the end, I brainstormed a list, in no particular order, of the lessons I feel I have learned after my “review” of #beyondlaptops and the affect my post and the conversation that grew from it, had on others.

• Our words have power.
• Our ideas affect others in ways we may not intend or even recognize.
• We should think about the people in front of our words before, during, and after we write them.
• Don’t write from frustration when what you write about is entwined with other people.
• If something feels negative it is.
• What you feel is explicit may have implicit meaning for others.
• There is a reason why we teach things like tone, intent, and word choice.
• Don’t be snarky or smug unless there is a reason for it.
• Praising something only to follow it with a but, is annoying and not constructive.
• Half-baked ideas can be misunderstood.
• Online communities are complex and made up of people with different view points.
• Passion can burn– sometimes a little time and distance may help objectivity.
• Don’t take it all so personaly.
• It is not always an argument to win, but a path to walk together.
• We are on the same team.
• Blogging (thinking, writing, communicating) can be exhausting.
• We are figuring it out, this take time.
• Being understood takes time and practice.
• It is hard to say what you mean.
• If you are going to engage in conversation with Adrienne bring extra water. (Good example of being snarky)

Thanks to everyone who was involved in the conversation. I hope that we are creating spaces where all of our voices matter. A place where we are not intimidated or made to feel vulnerable to the point of silence. I don’t know about you, but it is Friday and I am ready for the weekend.