Flat Classroom ends a chapter, Moving Forward

Flat Classroom didn't make enough for two

This spring I had a little time to evaluate my life and took some time to think. It isn't that what Flat Classroom doing wasn't great, but what we were doing wasn't going to pay the bills for two people. I did the math a thousand ways and it wasn't going to happen. It needed to be sold to someone who had synergy with what was happening or one of us needed to let the other one try to make a living.

A Necessary Ending

As I've read the book Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud – he addresses many of these issues of being stuck and I chose to make a necessary ending and attempt to remove myself from Flat Classroom… not to do it harm but to let it grow under the leadership of my business partner and so I could free myself up to do things to earn money to send my two children to college.

Attempting to move forward

I have tried to move on. I attempted to sell my share, offered to buy her share, and then offered to voluntarily withdraw and just outright give my partner the projects. I'm not going to go into reasons but am now stuck in a situation where the only course of action is a judicial dissolution.

Yesterday, the assets were frozen as the judge prepares to divide the company between me and my business partner. So, you'll see some notices go up to that effect in the next few days. I wanted to tell those of you who follow the Flat Classroom Projects first right here on this blog so you'd hear from me.

I'm still co-owner of Flat Classroom

So, I'm not out of Flat Classroom yet. I'm 50/50 owner in the business although most of it has been taken from me without my consent and it is now over to the courts to determine what is fair and right to do with the websites, Nings, and all of the business. Judicial dissolution was never what I wanted but it is now left as the only choice in a very long, hard road.

The truth is that every email, every distribution list, every website, every single vestige of Flat Classroom was removed from my ownership as an offer was tendered for the business. After I turned over just about everything, the offer was withdrawn. I can't edit wikis, I can't email anyone even if I wanted to who participated on the project because those were mailing lists.

If you want to collaborate, reach out

I'm not done collaborating.  I'm going to start some of my own smaller (free) projects with my students at school. I'm planning a project in January studying the book Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100 next. I'm ready to level up to make the project more collaborative. If you're interested in being one of the five classrooms, fill out this form.

This is why I think that free or very low cost services often do a disfavor to the education industry it is trying to serve. If we love things we should pay for them, because ultimately, every good service costs money to maintain. Flat Classroom will always be a dear project to my life’s work and the memories are amazing. The friends I made are precious and I hope that some of them will reach out in the years to come to collaborate again when the time is right.

Global Collaboration is essential to a modern education

I still say that Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time is the definitive guidebook on collaborating globally in the classroom and a must read for every 21st century teacher. Global collaboration is essential for a modern education.

I’m not done collaborating and am working hard to share with my students the best 21^st century education possible and to share with you the tips, techniques, and pedagogical principles that will help you do it too. I look eagerly forward to collaborating, working, and innovating and learning from you as you (hopefully) do it too. Thank you for responding with empathy as we close one chapter and start writing new ones.