My Technological Timeline #edcmooc

I’m still working on this and probably will have more comments on this subject, but as I was watching all the ‘utopian’ videos I thought about Arthur C. Clarke’s third law & wondered how advanced does technology have to be for it to appear to be magic to me. This started me thinking: how much has technology developed since I was born.

By the way I admit, I’m no graphic artist and I put this together  in less than 30 minutes using Google Docs. It’s my way of sketching because I can’t draw 🙂 Also, I’m not claiming that this timeline is historically precise or accurate, after all it’s based from my memory.

 

Click on the image to see an easier to read version

Future Think for Educators

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ILQrUrEWe8]

Great film that helps us envision education and learning in transition. Some things educators, policy makers, parents, teacher, curriculum developers should all be getting excited about…

• Cloud Computing – In many cases you don’t need to have software installed on your computers.  Content development tools such as Google Docs and many others make it possible to create and share documents, materials, etc. on the web. Students can track changes, add notes or comments and truly author pieces together.
• Mobile Devices – Mobile devices and smart phones are definitely here to stay. Yesterday I realized that I only use my laptop if I’m working on something complex or lengthy. All other materials for reading or immediate access are funneled through my mobile. Educators can search out or even design learning enhanced by or using Mobile Devices – Why not create or develop learning activities where students can enhance their learning by connecting to materials and resources while they’re learning, or on a field trip? In a previous post I shared a number of different possible learning applications for cellphones. Several are quite ingenious and fun. You can view a detailed mind map of the lecture notes from the presentation where I got those ideas.
• Leveraging Social Networking and Media Sharing Tools – Students and educators can learn from social networks that have pods or communities built around the topics they are interested in.  I found this great community on Learning Physics Online. You could even find or start communities on Ning or other similar networking site. Students (and or their teachers) can create videos, film projects, and presentations to put up on ‘safe’ sharing sites such as TeacherTube or YouTube. Check out this group of student’s retelling of the Boxer Rebellion. Love how they cleverly used recognizable styles and characterizations from Hong Kong  & martial arts cinema. I shared this some time ago, but I never get tired of watching it.
• Alternatives to Written Papers – While I still think this skill is absolutely necessary to have. I don’t think the essay is the only way to test someone’s knowledge and grasp of content anymore. Students can put together podcasts. Writing the content and putting together the interview questions for the podcast as well as engaging in the discussion and interviews can help reinforce the content they are learning. Sometimes writing a script for a film, story boarding, and coordinating the filming is way more labor intensive than writing a term paper. Plus you’re actually using far more skills that can transfer to real jobs and life (… outlining, drafting, planning, writing, coordination, directing, … ummmm project management. I actually heard somewhere that film school is the new MBA :))
• Ethics & Security Education for Parents and Students – yes the web can be a scary place, but so is the street. If we train students  (and parents) to be aware of the dangers and learn guidelines for avoiding them then that’s half the battle. It would also be in our best interests if we teach the younger generation appropriate netiquette.

More resources:

• Pew Internet Research on Cloud Computing
• Are You Ready for Mobile Learning?
• Safe and Ethical Use of Technology
• Is Cinema Studies the new MBA?

Notes from the TCC – Learning Times Conference Day 1

TCC Worldwide Online Conference is a virtual conference for online educators. The global team that puts this conference together has proven yet again that it is possible to effectively run a virtual conference. Each year their preparation and translation of face to face activities into rich virtual experiences improves. I highly recommend this conference to anyone in education who wishes to glean from the pioneering experience of those in online distance learning. For the next few days, I will try to include my notes from the talks, papers, experiences and demonstrations that I thought were most valuable.

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PAPER: Videoblogging in Education: The new wave of interactive educational television

Rebecca Meeder, Educational Technology, University of Hawai’i at Manoa, USA,

This was an excellent presentation/sharing. Rebecca Meeder provided a terrific introduction into the world of video blogging and how educators from elementary, secondary and higher education.

Importance of Video Blogging- Rise in educators who are using this medium.

<My note: students are using this medium to interact and communicate with each other>

Some Questions for Research

• How does video blogging influence students with diverse background?
• Connect learning in and outside of the classroom

Some resources with data:

• Cofield, J.L. “Effectiveness of streaming video in web based instruction”
• Sawa, S.K. Online vs. traditional: A comparative analysis of student grads in an online and traditional f2f environment
• Le Blanc, G. Student and faculty survey reveals attitudes to streaming video.

Examples of Educational Video Blogging:

http://room132.com

Teacher gave weekly updates on what his students were doing in the classroom. Teacher shot from ‘nose-down’ to help students maintain their privacy.

http://speakingofhistory.blogspot.com/

Teacher has students to set up audio blogs where he podcasts on class materials. Students can comment on podcasts and interact. Note: this method can be applied to video blogs as well.

Privacy and Identity à Teacher made sure that students used pen names.

Http://bicycle-sidewalk.com/

Video blogging for ESL students in Japan. Uses videos from himself and other video bloggers to instruct students in English language… exposes the students to what English speakers sound like and also expose students to American culture.

Johnny Goldstein: http://jonnygoldstein.info/bx21

Another prominent video blogger. Taught over 100 Bronx highschool students how to video blog and share things from their varied perspectives.

http://www.youtube.com/user/mwesch

Mwesch (Mike Wesch). Had his students create video blogs… do an ethnography. They got a lot of responses from other on their experiences with video blogging.

Check out the video from this site “A vision of students.”

Good Practices for Video Blogging:

1. Video length – average video length should be 5-7 minutes. Human attention span. <my note: also video size should be a consideration>
2. Addressing Accessibility – Need to make sure video is available in a variety of formats (DVDs, or provide alternate way to access via library or school computer labs.) One teacher used subtitles in videos for some students
3. Video blogs address differentiated learning styles: Auditory, Visual, Textual, Media Richness Theory (Need to learn more about this-> A variety of media works better for certain tasks than others). Some videoblogs can help students keep up with learning in class.
4. Addressing multicultural education: Allows students to share different perspectives based on their own experience and background. Allows all participants to compare viewpoints and cultural perspectives.
5. Identity vs. Privacy –
   1. Langhurst – Virtual Book Club discussed content in text communication/chat they can participate in active learning.
   2. Use Pen/Screen names so students can remain anonymous
   3. (Use consent forms)
   4. Comment moderation from teacher is necessary – view students comments before it is posted/ prevents flaming.
   5. Film students from nose down.
   6. Make posting optional (do not force)

Invasion of the Video Mashup

An internet video mashup is just a re-mix of of video and audio content which is shared on the web.

Future tense has a great brief podcast on the trends of video mashups (1/3/2008). Notably it features the idea that much of the re-mix of content from films and music may eligible for ‘fair use‘ law protection. This makes sense since re-mixing content to express a new or different interpretation doesn’t mean that people are using the content as it is for ones own gain. This is a potentially touchy topic because on one hand we want people to re-mix and re-interpret content because it facillitates change and progress; on the other hand, taking and using content from those who worked hard to create it doesn’t seem right if someone else profits from it. Though I doubt that anyone has made any money re-mixing Soprano episodes.

Though I wonder how many legal departments and copyright lawyers must have their wheels running on overdrive right now trying to figure out how to nip this movement in the bud. Is it too late to do that? Large numbers of teens have made re-mixing of content to their own interpretations a way of life. This is simply how they react to the content they see. I think it’s exciting… because you can interact with this content in ways that you could not in the past.*What does this mean for copyright law in the future?

2007 Statistics on Technology Users in the US

I’ve been looking for a better snapshot of what technology consumership look like. The Pew Institute released an interesting study which identified 10 different types of consumers of internet and technology. These types were determined by the possession, use and activity of technology assets (mobile devices, computers, cell phones, internet connection, etc.). At the top of the list “Omnivores” (8% of the surveyed) could be characterized by having a lot of gadgets and subscribing to many services. These individuals frequently participate on online social networking and expressing themselves via blogs, website authorship, etc. In contrast, the “Off the Network” people did not have cell phones or internet connectivity (15%)

These types were labeled as follows:

Elite Tech Users ( 31%)

• Omnivores
• Connectors
• Lackluster Veterans
• Productivity Enhancers

Middle of the Road Tech Users (20%)

• Mobile Centrics
• Connected But Hassled

Few Tech Assets (49%)

• Inexperienced Experimenters
• Light But Satisfied
• Indifferents
• Off the Network

More on technology and internet usage:

• Pew/Internet – Reports on Internet Evolution
• Digital Divide.org

Notes from Karl Kapp’s Talk on Games and Gizmos for Learning

http://karlkapp.blogspot.com/

Digital Natives want electronics….

Kaybee, FAO Schwartz and Toys R US have all declared bankrupcy (NL: That’s sad…having manipulative toys is a key part of childhood, not to mention developing hand-eye coordination and motorskills)

Information and knowledge are the thermonuclear weapons of our time.

Era of Baby Boomers and their technology

• Color Television….
• Disney’s wild world of color… technology that drove things… 1 way broadcasting
• Passive ways of absorbing tech

Need for War Stories in the Workplace (Knowledge Management)

• Lockheed Martin hiring 14,000 in a year
• US Defense department will loose 500,000 people
• Average age of retirement is going down (59)

Learning Styles

• Characteristics of Baby Boomers… formal learners
• Gamer Generation… informal learners

Games, games, games

• Casual games à Example you don’t know jack
• Girls play games
• 43% of gamers are female.
• Play PC games a lot more.
• Women over 40 fastest growing segment
• 70% use of Sims users are women under 25 (I am)
• Grounding kids – don’t send them to the room… Say…No Screens.

Multitasking and Absorbing all that information

• They like to think that they can multi-task… we don’t think so but they can…
• ADD??
• Kids can wipe out background distraction? Is this true?
• They have to deal with massive amounts of information. They’ve always had a lot of information.

Net-gen communication preferences

• Kids go to instant messaging from e-mail.
• E-mail is too SLOW. Again… e-mail is for old people
• Generation wants to share all the time and be virtual. Example: Twittr
• 85% of the kids have a media device
• 44% have two.
• 15% of 2-5 year olds have a cell phone.
• This kids are linked in…
• Internet has been around for 14 years

Gamers Characteristics

• Problem solver à can solve problems in game… some cases can apply outside of game
• Confident
• Resilient
• Social à Online social via games and electronica
• World of Warcraft make Clans of people
• Multitasking
• Informal Learners
• Don’t want to sit through 45 minutes of class when they can google to get the answer.
• 3D world where you get your own stuff.

My thoughts….There’s a diy movement right now I think that there’s no coincidence that this is happening as technology is moving us more into a virtual world.

People want to make physical things.

More games examples

• Laundering money in Second Life… Hey, vinny don’t forget the virtual cannoli…..
  Protosphere… 3D business environment.
• Kids are getting into these games earlier.
• Disney.com… kids get involved in games where they build their own business.
• Nobelprize.org… learn about history via games

What the teacher should be today…

• More of a guide rather than a lecturer
• Not my best friend
• Socrates was a really great example of a guide
• We should Teach young people to be observant.

Mobile Learning Examples:

• Example settting up a display in a store
• Taking SOP’s and putting them in a video with audio that can be viewed on a hand-held device
• Note some things translate better to video than others
• Flight simulator game…
  • Demonstration mode
  • Practice
  • Test
• Sales rep game
  • Teach a doctor how to sell pharmaceuticals
  • Choose your strategy

Our presentation on wikis and podcasts

The official abstract… of my presentation with Celeste Spencer.

Podcasting and wikis provide a vehicle for corporations to explore social and collaborative learning in a non-traditional manner, while including the major principles of adult learning theories. Wikis make an excellent collaborative tool for project communication allowing a team to conduct real-time content development with subject matter experts. Some of the benefits of using wikis this way include asynchronous collaboration between global teams and an easily accessible way for training developers and subject matter experts to work on content together. As a living project knowledge base, wikis provide a way for teams to collect and track collaboration from project inception to deployment and beyond. Podcasting is a convenient, easy, on-demand media tool that allows learners to find solutions or learn from the experience of others across the global divide. With minimal time and financial investment, podcasting allows for a rapid training deployment, experiential learning and the passing on of tribal knowledge.

This presentation will discuss examples of how a training team designed and applied wiki usage to collaborate and communicate during a project. Emphasis will be on how to leverage the features and the ‘informal’ nature of wikis to both the training team and subject matter expert’s advantage. This presentation will also recount how an instructional designer utilized podcasting to leverage U.S. based management and technical leadership expertise. Experiences and key learnings of senior leaders were captured and provided in a ‘pull’ format to employees in 2 international sites. Emphasis will be on the benefits of collecting leadership expertise and broadcasting it to a wider audience allowing the listeners an opportunity to learn from leaders regardless of their physical location.

podsandwikis.pdf

(Ideally I’d like to post and .swf with audio of this presentation- considering my time and project constraints, I won’t be able to do this for a little bit)

Some other clever things I overheard at the SALT Conference

Some of these things we all know or are familiar with… but it’s good to hear them again:

• Don’t call it “Mobile Learning”… (sotto voce) call it Distributed Performance Improvement
• The people who are blocking technological change often hold the purse-strings in companies and organizations (some Baby Boomers… not all)
• When trying to get people to adopt new technologies start SMALL… small groups, smaller nugget-like projects
• Give people choices… if they don’t want mobile, podcasting, video, audio… let them print things etc

I hate my laptop

It gets too hot on my lap… I mean that’s great in these over-airconditioned conference rooms, but still, unless I’m having knee problems, I don’t want a heating pad on my lap.

Also, this keyboard typing thing… I officially feel like I’m done with this. Keyboard shortcuts are so 90’s.

I want to be able to easily draw, mind maps, diagrams.

I miss writing things out.

And I want to interact with the web interface. Isn’t Ajax making this possible?

Stop making me fill in forms.

The other thing… I want this thing to fit in my purse, my sweat-shirt pocket. This 5 lb thing… it’s not cutting it. I mean when I need a big screen and I’m not away from my desk, I will watch or use any web interface you develop that requires me to pay more attention to content, writing and details… but in terms of being a tool that helps me in the field or when I’m networking with people in person. This laptop sucks.

Is anyone out there developing a tool for me?

A tablet PC might be nice, but even that is too big and clumsy. I don’t want to read tiny print. I just want to be able to skim the internet and find what I need when I’m away from my office. I aslo want to listen to stories case studies with simple visuals and share these with my colleagues. If they (and I) want details, we’ll go back to the website for the company or organization later and check out the details.

SALT Conference Lecture – Mobile Training Multimedia Training

I will be posting my notes periodically to the lectures that I attend at the SALT conference. Please note, I do not attend conferences for a living I just happened to be presenting at this one. I will post my lecture slides to this site as well as post and ‘audio-enhanced’ version later when I get the chance. Please note: as with the Distance Learning Conference notes, I will post my initial impressions and then later edit the post with a more detailed reflection.

Mobile Training

Presenters: Tom Held and Daniel Mika Govar

MetaMedia http://www.metamediausa.com

Terrific presentation!

These guys did a wonderful job of presenting a few examples of training application for both podcasting and mobile hand-held devices. Essentially, they had more experienced workers share stories (on video/audio) of accidents that happened as part of safety education. This delivery method embodies two things about mobile learning which are important to me:

1.) The content has to be real/and delivered from people/peers in the industry who are explaining real-life experience

2.)The content is reviewable when I have the time to access it.

The second example they shared was of a employee customer-service training program for a hotel company they contracted with which they shared with employees using the Sony PSP. Luckily the had the budget and were able purchase 200 PSPs. Here’s the wonderful thing about this training. They were able to deliver it to employees nationwide, without requiring them to travel to a face to face training. As the presenters noted this actually can help your training budget if you’re having to train to an audience that doesn’t stay in positions too long, therefore, the ROI for having them travel to face to face training is not so good.

I didn’t get to ask them this, but I would like to know if live-mentoring from more experienced employees was actually part of this training process. It’s one thing to provide the video and training via video but how can you get actually people with experience providing feedback.