Or, second verse, very much but not exactly like the first. Call it “theme and variations.”

Longtime readers of my blog know how important Jon Udell has been for my thinking and leadership over the last two years. Two years: it’s hard for me to believe I’ve been reading him no longer than that. (In fact, it’s not quite yet two years; the anniversary comes in late February, 2007.) The intensity and scale of what I’ve learned from Jon make me feel as if he’s been my teacher and colleague for much, much longer. Once again I note that when teacher and student meet at the right time and in the right context, the two-way connection doesn’t take long to ramp up to pretty high bandwidth. Perhaps part of the art of learning, for both teacher and student, is to broaden the scope of “right time” and “right context” so those connections occur more frequently–and more effectively.

Now Jon is moving from InfoWorld to Microsoft. I have many, many thoughts on this transition, and on Jon’s continuing role as a free-lance infotech professor. (Question: who will be the first university to give this man an honorary degree?) As I get back into my sadly neglected blogging groove, I want to explore some of Jon’s public statements about teaching and learning, about the academy in which I ply my trades and the businesses in which he plies his. Jon’s devoting his second life (or perhaps he’s on numbers five or six?) to educating millions of netizens about the rich augmentation resources that surround them, resources of which most netizens are completely unaware. Jon’s discovering and creating a whole new set of rich materials for all of us to build with. It’s sandbox time. Fortunately, I already have a golden pail and shovel.

I’ve called Jon an “artist of the possible.” He is indeed a master of that art, and a true doctor of philosophy: a teacher of the love of knowledge. As such, he is on the leading edge not only of practice, but of articulation, itself a kind of practice. Oook and I like to quote Jon whenever possible. Here’s my Udellism of the day, quoted from Jon’s last blog at InfoWorld, a post in which Jon writes a brief apologia pro vita sua, and in doing so, beautifully expresses what I believe to be the calling of all educators:

To me it’s all part of a pattern. I use commonly-available technologies in unexpected ways to tell stories that make connections, distill experience, and transmit knowledge.

The “it” in Jon’s first sentence refers to his own vocations. If Jon doesn’t mind, I’ll claim that pronoun for mine as well. I too hear a pattern in my callings.

In January, I travel back to my post as a Professor of English at the University of Mary Washington, where I look forward to a season of teaching and learning and writing, and to many joyful reunions. That said, there are many difficult partings at hand here in Richmond. There are also many conversations I hope will continue and grow. I’ve learned a great deal here and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have done so.

It will be good to take stock as I move back. Time to trace the patterns of those callings once again.