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Robert Walls
Folk Hero

by

Ted Nellen

I first heard of Robert Walls when I read the New York Times Op-Ed piece by Peggy Orenstein, Saturday morning of December 7, 1996. My reaction was admiration. I immediately fired up my computer, logged on and went right to the webbed New York Times. I located the Op-Ed piece and sent it to a number of lists to which I subscribe with the Subject: Robert Walls: Folk Hero; and the Message: "If Robert Walls is on this list or if anyone knows him, please send me his email address so I can congratulate him, invite him to dinner and introduce him to my students if he is ever in New York City." Within a half an hour, I had his email address. In another half hour I received email back from Robert Walls. We started a dialogue which set the foundation for this article. Well, as it happens he was coming to New York City in the beginning of February. We will have our dinner, we speak together, and he will meet my students, who have written their own opinions on the Walls situation. Mr Walls read many of their opinions and responded to them. This one incident suggests to me a very powerful connection between the Internet and education.

Mr Walls responded to some initial questions with this reponse:


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