The thing about Twitter...many of you may have seen Cogdog's presentation at the MCLI conference at Mesa in May. He mentioned and discussed the Twitter Curve which I have to say I chuckled at because while I was still at the "Hmm...D'Arcy [substitute Cogdog] says its cool" I could imagine this curve to be true because we've seen it with so many other new applications really - you could substitute many programs that have taken hold.
But here's the thing about Twitter itself...now that I've progressed up the curve to just below the "I cannot stop" level I can share with you what I've discovered about this application.
In May we heard from Dr. Wesch and he discussed the "us" factor that moves a great deal of the technology shifts we are experiencing and I think it directly relates to programs like Twitter. Cogdog touches on it also his is blog posting "No Reason to Be Plain White Background iGoogle." What Dr. Wesch [and similarly Cogdog] explains is that our identity is constantly mediated through our interactions and in our culture a great deal of that occurs through technology - our interaction with technology and with people through technology. Twitter is the epitome of this concept.
Twitter allows you to become a member of a community that would not physically be possible. Through Twitter you can connect with individuals that bring you together originally for some common purpose but then through the "tweets" allows other connections to be made. I find myself when I'm out and about quickly logging into Twitter and commenting on where I am, what I'm doing, or reaching out to someone in my Twitter community. At the same time I'm noticing a change in my habits. I used to turn on my computer, check my email, log onto my IM programs, & check my blog for comments. Now the first place I go is Twitter and IM. My email is becoming last on my list - my first preference is Twitter or IM because there is immediacy there. Over the weekend I'm connecting with people on an ongoing basis through Twitter - so while I'm sitting in my car at 1:00 in the morning at the drive in movies and my son is asleep in the back and my husband asleep next too me - I can open my phone - log into Twitter and suddenly there are people around me [albeit virtually]. Of course being "too plugged in" is a whole other conversation but in terms of Twitter and the permeation of technology into our lives and our construction of "self" it is very fascinating. Follow us - join us on Twitter to check it out yourself!
Jen = windygap96, Sam = hypnotoadaz, & Brian = brianh431
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
New Version of Adobe Acrobat with Flash!
Adobe announced that it will releasing it's new version of Acrobat which will allow users to package Flash based videos inside the PDF. This is an amazing feature that will change the way we deliver and collaborate materials with all of our users, clients, or coworkers.
The way we send presentations or collaborative work among our colleges will be much easier using this feature. The professional version can package powerpoint presentations along with audio.
Kevin M. Lynch at Adobe says, "You can now send someone a presentation that speaks on its own all through a PDF." This is great news since Adobe hasn't released a new version for about 2 years.
Sam Fraulino
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Its old but new
I was working with a new online faculty member the other day discussing some of the things to consider when designing an online class when we wondered into the discussion board conversations. Discussion boards...I won't get into my theory on discussion boards in this posting other than suffice it to say I do consider them "so 20th Century" - but given we use Blackboard - its what we have and in an online course it is a crucial teaching and learning component so embrace it we do! No what I am pondering at the moment is netiquette...another old "20th Century" term that I'm thinking still is crucial - maybe even more so now - than when it was first coined in 1988. (yes that is '88 according to wikipedia!)
Why so crucial still? Is it me or are students more and more casual today? This can be a good thing and this can be a bad thing. Good casual is when it translate into students feeling they can approach me and engage in a real conversation with me - that would be my definition of a good casual. Bad casual would be...let me give you an example...a student email:
Why so crucial still? Is it me or are students more and more casual today? This can be a good thing and this can be a bad thing. Good casual is when it translate into students feeling they can approach me and engage in a real conversation with me - that would be my definition of a good casual. Bad casual would be...let me give you an example...a student email:
xosweetsugarxo@emailname.com wrote: [slightly changed for anonymity]I'm sure you have received many, many emails of similar nature or let's be honest - far worse! So in my conversation I found myself recommending she consider establishing netiquette or Etiquette rules from the start. Then - like always - I started to reflect on this and think about other perspectives...is this a good idea? I've always held to the idea that it is our job, as educators, to teach students that they need to know how to address people appropriately given their situation - its a life skill. Technology- given its now transparent existance in our relationships is no different. Addressing a prospective employer demands certain context, a best friend another, a teacher another, and so on. When you get down to it - its not even a technology skill per se - its a communication skill its just that the technology is beginning to consume a great deal of our communication and yet there is a presumed casualness about it that needs to be considered. Also, in my defense of why its our job to teach our students these things - its in our mission statement - is one of our colleges core values.
i can't get my username and password to work.
We acknowledge that accurate, clear, concise, respectful and transparent communication is fundamental to enhancing relationships, developing shared understanding and assuring the long-term success of our college.So then why do I wonder if its the right thing to do? In gathering resources for this faculty member I came across an article and a student asks...are we in fact hindering students from contacting us? Are we putting up barriers to communication? This is a good question. What do you think? Is there a happy medium? Can we have guidelines without barriers? What would that look like?
Friday, May 23, 2008
Who defines usefulness?
Ever since I read the article posted in the Chronicle's Wired Campus the other day, about a faculty member considering banning laptops in his classroom because it is distracting to students who bring them (and even to those that don't bring them but can lurk on the screens from behind) I've been pondering and debating with anyone who will take the bait about this concept. (Poor husband loves to play devils advocate with me - we had a heated dinner conversation)
When I consider such positions I really do try my best to see both perspectives because I believe that whats good for one isn't necessarily good for everyone. While I have my beliefs, I do not for a minute believe - that everyone else should embrace that which I do. I also adhere to the idea that culture plays a crucial factor in so many perspectives and beliefs and no one person has the same cultural framework. My current thinking is that in this specific situation culture may play a big role. I was struck by a comment this very faculty member wrote in the comment section of this site, he wrote:
I have to admit I was really struck by this...it echoed in my mind for hours... "classroom...legitimate authority"... and I'll be truthful I was struck by how "direct instruction" it is....how...."20th Century Ivy League" it seemed to me, I'll even go so far as to say, how far removed it is from what constructivist learning research has taught us over these many years about how to really engage a student.
Then I had a thought. I'm throwing this out there - maybe, just maybe, a learning-centered community college might not embodied the same culture say...the University of Virginia Law School might?
It makes me grateful for my career in the community college where we believe that faculty are content matter experts and, yes, do have legitimate authority in their classrooms but not to the extent where they do not see their students as their customers. Students, in our culture, have a great deal to contribute to the classroom learning and what empowers them empowers everyones learning.
Of course I'm an avid laptop user and I use it for so many things. Do I multi-task on it? Absolutely. Truth be told, I did that before laptops - heck before the internet, I graduated college with a 3.9 while listening to lectures, taking notes, as well as, writing notes, letters, drawing, reading, staring out the window, and more. I admire the faculty who can embrace the technology, who can take that which "distracts" our students and embraces it to help take their learning forward.
Cogdog said it very eloquently recently in his posting about iGoogle themes, he wrote:
So I say...don't "ignore" the desire to use laptops...embrace it! It may be messy at first - but I'd be willing to bet that you might be shocked by the value added through student interaction, student engagement, and content acquisition, critical thinking, collaboration, and life long learning.
When I consider such positions I really do try my best to see both perspectives because I believe that whats good for one isn't necessarily good for everyone. While I have my beliefs, I do not for a minute believe - that everyone else should embrace that which I do. I also adhere to the idea that culture plays a crucial factor in so many perspectives and beliefs and no one person has the same cultural framework. My current thinking is that in this specific situation culture may play a big role. I was struck by a comment this very faculty member wrote in the comment section of this site, he wrote:
However, I must assert that the classroom is an environment in which I have a tremendous amount of legitimate authority. My students are not my customers. I reserve the right to eject someone for sleeping (and have, on several occasions), being rude and disruptive, or for answering mobile phones in class (which happens more than you might think).So I also reserve the right to require that they do not stare at screens instead of me.
I have to admit I was really struck by this...it echoed in my mind for hours... "classroom...legitimate authority"... and I'll be truthful I was struck by how "direct instruction" it is....how...."20th Century Ivy League" it seemed to me, I'll even go so far as to say, how far removed it is from what constructivist learning research has taught us over these many years about how to really engage a student.
Then I had a thought. I'm throwing this out there - maybe, just maybe, a learning-centered community college might not embodied the same culture say...the University of Virginia Law School might?
It makes me grateful for my career in the community college where we believe that faculty are content matter experts and, yes, do have legitimate authority in their classrooms but not to the extent where they do not see their students as their customers. Students, in our culture, have a great deal to contribute to the classroom learning and what empowers them empowers everyones learning.
Of course I'm an avid laptop user and I use it for so many things. Do I multi-task on it? Absolutely. Truth be told, I did that before laptops - heck before the internet, I graduated college with a 3.9 while listening to lectures, taking notes, as well as, writing notes, letters, drawing, reading, staring out the window, and more. I admire the faculty who can embrace the technology, who can take that which "distracts" our students and embraces it to help take their learning forward.
Cogdog said it very eloquently recently in his posting about iGoogle themes, he wrote:
“How does this promote student learning? Isn’t this more of what in the old days of those mac applications were called “fritterware” - ways to fritter away your time?
...
but there would not be all of those iGoogle themes (and all of those delectable MySpace web designs) if our personal expression of who we are, or want to be, is not a core value. It’s not trivial, and any software, project that ignores the desire to personalize a technology experience is.. well.. maybe a macdink."
So I say...don't "ignore" the desire to use laptops...embrace it! It may be messy at first - but I'd be willing to bet that you might be shocked by the value added through student interaction, student engagement, and content acquisition, critical thinking, collaboration, and life long learning.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Go Green! Go 2.0
This is my new thought for the day. Go Green; Go 2.0
I got the dreaded "your mailbox is almost full" message and low and behold I looked and had 453 emails in my inbox and 566 in my sent - that pesky sent folder - I always forget to watch that too. Needless to say I started cleaning it out at 7:30 this morning and its now almost 1:00 and I'm down to....445 in my inbox that is right 453 to 445! As much as I cleaned out came back at me in that same time period - although I'm down to 42 in my sent so I'm making progress there. This caused me to tweet about how much I hate cleaning out my inbox - for those not following me - my twit read:
windygap96 Cleaning out my inbox & wondering how to reduce email waste. I'm thinking of starting a Go Green initiative for email-how does Go 2.0 sound?
I got the dreaded "your mailbox is almost full" message and low and behold I looked and had 453 emails in my inbox and 566 in my sent - that pesky sent folder - I always forget to watch that too. Needless to say I started cleaning it out at 7:30 this morning and its now almost 1:00 and I'm down to....445 in my inbox that is right 453 to 445! As much as I cleaned out came back at me in that same time period - although I'm down to 42 in my sent so I'm making progress there. This caused me to tweet about how much I hate cleaning out my inbox - for those not following me - my twit read:
windygap96 Cleaning out my inbox & wondering how to reduce email waste. I'm thinking of starting a Go Green initiative for email-how does Go 2.0 sound?
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
When is it too much?
One of the reasons I've not been too successful at maintaining a work blog when I have been fervently keeping a personal blog for over 2 years now is the blurring of the lines between personal and professional. When I first approached blogging in 2006 it was around the same time a faculty member in California had been fired over a blog post she wrote on her own personal blog that somehow came into her professional life - so I was pretty tentative. I can't avoid it though! Why? Blogging by its nature is a way to engage the community in conversation. Since it is my goal as an Instructional Technologist to have ongoing conversations with our campus/district community about the effects of technology in teaching and learning then blogging it will be!
A recent increase in the use of Twitter really has blurred the lines a lot more for me. If you aren't familiar with Twitter it is a microblogging program (which means you only 160 characters to speak). This has been used at Ed Tech conferences, it allows individuals to start micro-conversations about the presentations - usually during the actual presentations being discussed. Although you'll find the nature of Twitter lends itself to personal microblogging a lot. To tweett or not to Tweet - that is the question? I really liked cogdog's Twitter Life Cycle so where do you fall in the life cycle? Who at PV tweets? I know of 4 see if you can spot us in the Twitter gadget here on the right. Explore Twitter - even some on the presidential campaign trail tweet.
A recent increase in the use of Twitter really has blurred the lines a lot more for me. If you aren't familiar with Twitter it is a microblogging program (which means you only 160 characters to speak). This has been used at Ed Tech conferences, it allows individuals to start micro-conversations about the presentations - usually during the actual presentations being discussed. Although you'll find the nature of Twitter lends itself to personal microblogging a lot. To tweett or not to Tweet - that is the question? I really liked cogdog's Twitter Life Cycle so where do you fall in the life cycle? Who at PV tweets? I know of 4 see if you can spot us in the Twitter gadget here on the right. Explore Twitter - even some on the presidential campaign trail tweet.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Apple Store Comes to Glendale
Good News! Apple is building a new store at the Arrowhead Mall in the north west valley!
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