I try to be scrupulous about giving credit where it is due and yet I messed up big time. This happened over a year ago and to my dismay I did not think about it or realize it till this moment.

A year or so ago we received the 2008 MSU-AT&T Instructional Technology Awards Competition for our course TE150: Reflections on Learning. In my first blog posting on this I tried to give credit to each and every person who had worked on the design of this course… and guess what I missed one of the most important people who had helped us get started: Ken Dirkin.

If this had been anybody other than Ken I think I would not feel as bad. Ken, you see, is the most amazing guy. Ken is always been available, whether in thinking of TE150, or the design of this website, or any of the classes I have taught. He is way more than the typical technology person. He is a film-maker, designer, and all around smart guy. He has a wonderful sense of the potentials of technology, a keen taste in design and a wicked sense of humor. I have felt comfortable calling him at home, at any odd hour, for any technical problems I face. And he has always stepped up, above and beyond the call of duty (in fact I think that all the help he provides is outside his immediate official responsibilities). Most importantly I consider him a friend. And then to completely forget his contribution… How could I do that!

To say that I feel terrible for this lapse is an understatement.

In the case of TE150, Ken was the guy who helped us make concrete some of our initial thoughts and visions. He was the person who suggested we use Moodle, helped set it up, created the specs for our server and in many, many ways helped make this course a reality. To have forgotten to thank him, official is a terrible lapse on my part. (I take little solace from the fact that Matt Koehler, my partner in crime, seemed to have made the same mistake.)

It is too late now to go back and place his name on the official list, but I have changed our original posting to add his name at the rightful place.

I hope have learned something from this. I know Matt and I have received a great many accolades for the work we do. It is easy for us to forget just how many people have helped make all this possible.

Ken, this is my public apology for having missed your contribution to TE150. I am truly sorry. I know this may be a case of too little, too late… but again better late than never. Thank you and I owe you one (actually a lot). Big time.