This entry was revised to reflect a more comprehensive examination of what I believe to be is an act of censorship. It is for you to decide, though. Additional updates will be added as time goes by.

UPDATE 05/20/2006: This conflict was resolved. My recommendations to TCEA include the following:

Publish a joint statement where we both jointly apologize for the confusion and agree to reform the web site and provide increased web publishing access for Board members AND SIG officers to easily share ideas and information (and assign someone like NAME REMOVED, as neutral a gentleman as you will find, to help with the job) and also, We both acknowledge that there are problems in the system that led to the current misunderstanding, and then agree to move forward together according to a set timeline.

As best I can tell, those were accepted and I'm happy to share we appear to be moving forward together. I am grateful to the outpouring of support from TEC-SIG Membership, both what was published on the list, the private emails sent to me, as well as those sent to Area Board members. Use of disruptive technology, civil disobedience do work, but I am more humbled by the support that leads to constructive change in an organization that has been such a wonderful part of my professional career. I have no regrets over my actions and would do them again if they would lead to the conversations that resulted. So, all's well that ends well.

Below is the joint letter that was crafted to reflect the end of dis-union:

Dear TEC-SIG Membership:

Please accept our apologies for the turmoil this past week. Sometimes a seeming crisis can focus us on collaborative problem-solving better than other approaches. As a result, conversations had throughout the week have given us all a clearer perception and livelier impression of the problems we face. We also have developed possible solutions. The feedback and suggestions you sent regarding the form of these solutions is appreciated by all.

Even though we appeared to be on opposite sides of an issue critical to you, we are both committed to meeting the organization's needs and mission. To that end, we have collaborated on recommendations to the TCEA Board of Directors that will facilitate timely resolution of the issues, including web posting policy revision, raised here. Such an effort has already begun and reports on progress made will be available from your Area Board members, as well as TCEA staff.

Your patience, and active guidance, is requested and appreciated as we move forward together.

Committed to supporting leaders in Texas,

ORIGINAL

The last week has been a blur for a variety of reasons, most of which had to do with getting stuff ready for and attending the TCEA TEC-SIG Meeting in Austin, Tx. This is a group I joined a few years ago, and then, was nominated by a former president of the organization to run for office. I felt an obligation to TCEA and TEC-SIG who had shared so much with me over the years...that is, the people that compose those organizations, not the organization itself. With little hope of winning and knowing I was unworthy to follow in the footsteps of so many notable Texas educators, I was surprisingly (to me!) selected as Vice-President/President-Elect, and then went on to organize the October, 2005 meeting and the May, 2006 meetings in line with bylaws. Today, I find myself a sudden leper, exiled, not because of something offensive, vulgar or vile, but because I shared information with the membership I committed myself to serving.

"How long do we have to wait for important information to be shared from these meetings?" I asked myself before I was elected. A review of the TEC-SIG web site will show you little of past meetings, what is there is often posted long after the meeting is over. If information (presentations) were shared, there is no easy, central repository to access...and, I should know.

Often, state leaders and others would share important information at the meetings, but then critical information would have to spread by word of mouth or email. A person who knew how to create web pages, had extensive experience as a webmaster in 1 regional education service center and 4 public school district (two of those among the top 10 largest in the State), I wondered why I had to submit my pages to a central authority...then wait for the information to be linked and reformatted. This authoritarian, top-down approach makes little sense, especially when the group of officers was composed of technology directors and coordinators who were trusted to be responsible in their jobs, and able to maintain their district web sites. Simply, it seemed to be a lack of trust in SIG officers--not only TEC-SIG but also CAMP-SIG. This was especially true, and I blogged about this here:

I've also received--off-list--several requests to update the TECSIG web site. Missing information includes such things as summary of our last meeting minutes/notes, future meetings dates, and other critical details like location, etc. And, I've had two initial contacts with possible sponsors as a result of my reminder email to the membership today.

The truth of this comment was that I received multiple exhortations to ensure timely updates of the web site. In spite of my best efforts with the October 2005 meeting, nothing happened. Content was uploaded but never appeared on the site. So, I did my part...I uploaded the source files, but no one at TCEA did anything with them. A year later, the October meeting materials are not online. I point this out for your information, not to criticize.

When I accepted the office of Vice President in Spring, 2005, I shared my commitment to ensuring a way that we could share best practices among technology education coordinators/directors in Texas. In a rapidly changing world, sharing ideas and information is critical. Every suggestion for using Web 2.0 technologies was rejected as too time-intensive for the one person that manages the web servers at TCEA. And, the word came from on high--don't dare do this on your own servers.

Then, Summer 2005 came around, and I learned about blogging, podcasting, and more. I learned that I could quickly share information with others, solicit opinions, and more. Here are some historic examples, historic because no one had ever done this for the over 800 members, including the parent organization. I was modelling my approach after CogDogBlog's (when at Maricopa) approach, and that of others in sharing information with a wider audience (e.g. David Warlick, Wes Fryer, others).

TEC-SIG Fall 2005 Meeting: Includes links to podcasts and more for both days. Note that no objections were made about this.

and

TEC-SIG Spring 2006 Meeting: Includes links to podcasts and more for both days.

The lesson of sharing? Without podcasting and meeting notes, information shared at a meeting dies after that. If you didn't attend the meeting, it's over. However, if you share the information online, you connect with so many people who wanted to be present but couldn't be there--lack of travel funds, last minute family commitments, etc. I continue to believe that if an organization will not make the means of publishing available to its members--such as blogs and podcasts that enable real time publishing, as TCEA denied when I requested through proper channels--then the membership must step up and share information on its own. The organization exists to serve the membership, not the other way around. In my role, sharing information is an ACT OF SERVICE.

As President of TEC-SIG, I was shocked that my email sharing my blogged reflections and podcasts of the TEC-SIG event resulted in my being banned from the TEC-SIG List by the Executive Director of TCEA. Not only do I question the authority of such a move, not only do I seek to make sure my fellow members of TEC-SIG have access to the information in spite of one person's authoritarian, top-down approach to information dissemination, but also, I intend to actively work to broaden information access by the membership.

For if I can be censored on the very day that I become President of TEC-SIG for sharing information with my membership as quickly as possible, what is to stop the Organization from locking you, or the rest of the membership, out for whatever the reason? And, why should that be done in secret over a phone call?

As a result of this email [quoted below], I have been ordered by Ron to remove your name from the TECSIG list effective immediately. Please contact him for details. His cell is [REMOVED]

I have no intention of walking down to the principal's office. If you wanted me to call you, 'Ron' should have made that request first PRIOR to removing my name from both TEC-SIG AND CAMP-SIG lists.

ON REFLECTION

Reflecting on the events of Friday, May 12th, I admit to shock. I spent 3 hours on Thursday night getting materials ready for sharing. I was shocked when I received the email that announced I was banned. On a day that should have been filled with enthusiasm and excitement, I had that joy robbed by what I perceive as an act of censorship. I sat in the audience listening to the state ed-tech director, listening to her say, "Silence is agreement." How true.

My email response at the time was:

Thank you, Sam, for the notice. I am surprised at the action. As I am a private member of TEC-SIG, I find this censorship objectionable. My blog entries will remain online and will be added to. If this is objectionable, then so be it. I prefer "details" to be expressed in writing. You may share this message with whomever you like.

Wishing you well, Miguel Guhlin
P.S. I've taken the liberty, as you have, of copying a few folks who should be aware of this action.

"What would people think? Would I do this again?" The answer boiled down to, the people have already told me what they think. They want the information in a timely manner. Yes, I would do it again. In fact, I wish I had done more interviews with people, shared more perspectives. Several folks walked up to me (those I'd shared the email with) and demanded I be furious. I could not be...I was shocked. Others walked up to me disbelieving that this action would be taken. I felt the shame of being exiled and banned. I felt the shame of censorship. I will feel it no more.

When the membership writes me and asks, "What happened? What caused this?" I can begin to feel the distancing. The real question they are asking is, "What did YOU do wrong?" Was there anything else that you did that isn't evident in this?

So, I stand accused, guilty, already punished with exile from not only the TEC-SIG list but also the CAMP-SIG list. All for sending this email:

Howdy,
You can find some presentations, photos, and podcasts of the TCEA TEC-SIG Spring Meeting 2006 online at:
http://www.mguhlin.net/blog/archives/2006/05/entry_1493.htm
More will be posted as time goes by...thanks to all!

Read and listen to the materials. There is nothing offensive, vulgar, or vile in them. In fact, I had permission from every person to share the audio interviews, the photos, and the information. If this is the price of communication, then so be it. I'm an American, not Chinese, citizen. As an educator, I had a simple goal...to share ideas and information with others, with as wide an audience as possible.We must all step up and take action we consider appropriate.

I fully accept the consequences of my actions. My inbox will be a little less full, but I encourage members to copy me on all emails they send. Perhaps, I might still be useful.

If you are a TEC-SIG member reading this, and you agree that unjustified, punitive action was taken, then do what you see as appropriate. I only ask that you follow these suggestions, suggestions I truly did not expect to be using so soon. Contact your Area Director and let them know. Do so respectfully, harbouring no anger. I will do my best to adhere to these principles, and this will be my last blog entry on the subject.

Finally, I find these words comforting.

In every single case, the transformational leader had, at least once, broken a state law. To transform the ineffective organization into an effective one, required forms were not turned in, regulations were ignored and directives violated.
Source: Deep Change

and

History is not kind to those who seek to hurry it along.
Source: The Power of One

So, friends, I'm undoubtedly wrong in my actions. I am guilty, punished with exile. The world will not end because of these actions. You can still find me here, if you so choose. I have yet to be impeached.

So be it.

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