Out of my Mind

So I just finished reading the first section of Daniel Pink's book, A Whole New Mind- why right brianers will rule the world. Can you believe 10 minutes after I finished reading the darn thing in the office break room- I lost it. I mean it completely disappeared, as in vanished into thin air.

This makes me question if right brained people will actually rule the world. I'm sure if I were left brained I would have intensely focused my energy on returning the book to it's rightful place in my backpack. Instead I was so inspired with the thought of ruling the world, I started gazing out the window again dreaming of this brave new world where artists and creative types could finally have our revenge on the people who make money. Only to rush back to my cube and presumably leave my book behind for some opportunistic late lunch taker- no doubt a fellow right brainer.

So as I try to recall my readings from memory, I want to reflect a bit on Automation, Asia, and Abundance. It was such a treat to read in print a thought that had been on my mind for a while but never quite organized. As someone who's profession has been phased out in this new automated world ( I was a travel agent for 10 years), I am especially thoughtful of skills of the future that can't be automated- yet. Hence, my new foray into education. I have met countless others, under 40 years old who have met similar automated job phase-outs. ; a mapmaker, an accountant, and a candlestick maker. Just joking on the last one.

Which brings us around to design. In theory, I agree with Daniel Pink that our design is becoming a much more critical requirement of our workplace skill set. His examples of how high end designers are now selling merchandise in stores like Target is a fair example of people's demand for meaning and feeling in their purchases. As our abundance has grown, our need for cheap utilitarian functionality has diminished and instead 0f needing a couch and coffee table, we need a designer living room set that defines who we are as a person. (This reminds me of Fight Club)

Yet I couldn't help wondering how the watering down of design is effecting our quality. If everyone is a designer, than does design mean anything? Sure you can plan your own honeymoon, design your own living room, do your own taxes, make your own website, but how effective will you be? What kind of quality can you expect? What happens when you take out the expert and are relying on your instincts? How does this effect instructional design?

When everyone thinks they can make an on-line tutorial, I can see where some may question the need for an instructional designer. Just like any other industry we must continue to prove ourselves show our results, and highlight expert advice, quality and results rather than mere functionality.

Class 4 -Comment on Beta Article

Our group discussed some of the changes occurring in the ways the new "millennial generation" communicate as opposed to their parents or the previous generation. For the first time in my life I'm starting to understand how my parents must feel about technology. It just keeps on going but unless you grow up with using it, it's easy to get left behind.

It also got me thinking about this new interconnected world and how it differs from past experiments, like the 60's generation. Wasn't that generation also looking to transcend barriers and rules? Didn't they attempt to promote choice and show the interconnection of man? I suppose a major difference now is the availability of technology. There was talk in class of the book 1984 and how we can now be watched by Big Brother. However, I heard an interview with Peter Gabriel the other day in which he was discussing a human rights organization he started. He brought up the scenario of a reverse Big Brother, where all the little people being"watched" are equipped with their own video cameras, text messages, and other hand held devices so that they are actually watching the Big Brother right back- a stand off of cameras and media. It of course reminded me of recent developments in Iran.

Anyway further information about my groups discussion on our brave new world can be found at the link below:

http://itec830wiki.wetpaint.com/?WPC-action=invite

The Peacock's feathers

So many different shades, colors, hues, and sizes-creating a magnificently simple rainbow or a Jackson Pollock? Even though I read the Economist's issue A world of connections in black and white, I could still see the bright colors of the new world of connectivism struggling to jump off the page.

But where is it all going for me? As I've mentioned before, I'm not much of a social collaborator on-line. I use Facebook occasionally, have dabbled with Twitter and constantly make fun of my wife for playing Farmville. However, when it comes to problem solving I find the potential for collaborative tools endless. Two heads are better than one? Try 350 million (Facebook's current estimate of users)

Many of the issues' articles dealt with how these social media companies are expanding , using some pretty effective marketing tools like the Network Effect. Even after reading the issue, I am still curious about how a company like Twitter makes a profit. Facebook, Ning, MySpace, etc.. create virtual venues, rooms and areas for like minded people to gather, share, collaborate and ultimately click on conveniently placed ads. I don't see this same model with Twitter but to be honest, I don't really care that much.

My aim is how these tools can be used to help me. I think this is why I'm drawn more to what is called Enterprise 2.0 or how social media can be used in the workplace. Here's an example of a challenge I faced today:

I'm working for the University of California which consists of 10 ten campuses across the state. We are trying to create , that's right , create! on-line resources for employees to use at the office. My task was to create a job -aid to assist in time management. Now, I haven't been here long, but I can't imagine I'm the first person to tackle time management at UC. And yet, I have no way to know what that previous person read, thought, or created because their work is probably in a drawer somewhere at their desk or saved to a personal folder.

Why can't I find who that person is? Find out what resources they designed? How was it received? Continue using and modifying their work. The answer is simply because collaborative/social sharing tools do not exist across campuses for my department. Imagine if I went to a UC Twitter and and all HR members were followers, and I posted.... "anyone have resources for job aids?" -- Or if I could search a database to look for previously created HR lesson plans and job aids. Imagine how much TIME I would have saved creating this time management piece. How ironic.

That's where social media meets my needs and I'm interested to review some of the Enterprise 2.0 sites the article mentioned such as Yammer and Chatter.

Week 3 Class Reflection

What an interesting conversation in class last week about privacy concerns associated with the advancement of technology. Spurred on by a video presentation in which a High School teacher, who provided school computers to students, also "spied" on those student to see what content they were viewing and what they were doing (using the video camera).

The video did not state whether or not the students were aware they could be watched but I somehow think they were warned. Regardless, with web 2.0 or emerging technologies and more advance tracking tools also comes the burden of less anonymity.

Or is it a burden. Does a video in the classroom spy on you- or keep you safe from the threat of impropriety?

Are tools that track your spending habits used to brand you and possibly incriminate you, or are they useful for helping you find what you want in the web of confusion?

As James asked, is there anything wrong with losing some privacy if it means no one has any more secrets?

Personally, I wonder where our modern, Western idea of privacy came from. I was watching a bit of a show on PBS the other day tracking the concept of individual truth in philosophy. Which in some ways seems contradictory to the idea of connectivism -or group truth- that is being espoused in learning today. I can see where the conflict arises. I also know that there surely must be common ground.

There's the old saying, your freedom ends where mine begins. This line is not always easy to find however in my opinion it can be applied to privacy rights. Personally, I don't mind technology tracking my purchases or choices as long as those choices aren't used to send me to jail, discriminate against me or infringe on my rights. I think this is where the law comes in to play and so far, I haven't heard of many of these kinds of cases. Though I admit I'm probably not as aware as others and I'd love to hear some specific examples of this sort of discrimination.

Emerging Technologies in E-Learning Comments

This article was a pretty good synopsis of many of the tools that are currently being used to accentuate Learning 2.0 and the scope was a bit breathtaking. How great that one of S.F. State's own was a contributor.

The forward looking aspects of the article, I found particularly exciting: using one's imagination to foresee how some of these new technologies can be used awakens the Star Trek nerd in me.

Of special interest was the idea of the "longtail". Let me see if I can summarize: by increasing the resources (material, knowledge, tools) in the digital world, a more specific audience can be reached that may have been marginalized before. Examples included the disabled, ESL, and gifted students.

I think in our own way, we are all a bit marginalized by mainstream media, entertainment, learning or whatever information we consume. I generally have to sort through multiple resources, skipping things I don't find relevant to meet my specific needs. Which I'm sure are different than yours. Finding the information you want, when you want it, in an easy way is an exciting vision for the future of learning technology.

Unfortunately, right now I often feel inundated with too much information and the more I try seek out useful stuff, the more I feel washed away. These challenges were also mentioned in the article and I'd look forward to exploring some of the filter, gatekeepers, or learning tools that can help me manage the wild-west feel I get sometimes searching the web.

Class Two

Great job by Lom presenting his 830 project from last year. I did a much scaled down version of this idea for my introduction to learning theory class last year and it was very useful to see a more in depth version of using personalized and collaborative tools to influence learning.

Some key ideas that I took from his project:

1. He intended to measure success by transference, the highest level of Evaluation. Did these students achieve the desired outcomes of the program- not just a smile sheet.

2. How great is it to show your marketing director that you've got X number of students still actively involved and promoting your product, months or years after their experience. The best kind of advertising.

3. The focus on proper communication and scaffolding. Though still a work in progress, the idea was certainly to provide a level of tiered support to assist students with using their new tools. This is a case where if you simply build "it", they may not come. Support and scaffolding are key.

4. His bullet points at the end of thing he learned to be wary about during the process:
a)easy navigation
b)reduce redundancy
c)keep a unifying brand identity
d)teach with multimedia/interactive tools - not just words.

Things to keep in mind as I go forward.

Selling Learning Communities

I was just reading a response to Tony Karrer's most recent blog post entitled, Selling Learning Communities- not everyone wants a group hug. While the post itself centered on practical ways of selling the importance of learning communities to your school/company. It was a particular response that caught my eye:

Written by Tim Tynan:

Imagine the worker in any field who forgets the protocol for a particular process. Like an administrative assistant who forgets how to use the new copier or coffee pot. Or a sales exec who is confused about new software. The correct information is available in many places: the website, the manual, even a little bulleted 'how-to' on the wall, but the first place he/she will turn is to a friendly co-worker. We all do it. This is where we should go. Read more: http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2009/11/selling-learning-communities-not.html#ixzz0ebA4TRGn

I find this very true in the workplace, but also very annoying. Why can't more individuals take the initiative to solve their own problems, charting their own way through problem solving, rather than use up the time of a fellow co-worker? Does replacing a "cubical drop-by question" with an on-line community question, really solve the problem? How far is too far in designing learning communities that encourage laziness or decrease self-motivation to problem solve?

If someone asks me about how to use the copier without first trying to use the bulleted "how to" posted on their cubical wall, I will most likely tell them to refer to their "how to" posted on their cubical wall and come back if it doesn't work.