The Flipped Classroom

Flipping the classroom, or reverse instruction, has been quite trendy lately.  For those new to the topic, it means giving lectures or instruction to students over the internet and using the in class time to actually do work, discuss, or solve problems.  Teachers often accomplish this via podcasting of lectures or screencasting sample problems for students to use as a model. You can see examples of it on many educational blog posts and Youtube is increasely filled with more academic content than just Angry Birds tutorials.  I've been watching this trend and seeing some of our teachers begin engaging in it.





Salman Khan has a great TED talk on what has eventually developed into Khan Academy.  He has some interesting insight and thoughts that are fantastic for reflection.  He has found strategies to gather data to impact what is being presented back to students.  Take some time to watch the video if you haven't.

As I've watched the application of these ideas and concepts to the classroom, some educators have really used this with tremendous benefit to students.  Research has shown the benefits for students to be able to pause, rewind, and carefully take notes on a lecture.  Some teachers have given students a lecture to view at home and then use the in class time for discussion or to practice solving problems.  Aside from increasing the class time available for working with teacher assistance and student to student interaction, sending these lectures home gives students a finite time of homework.

On the other side of the coin, I have seen teachers put a lot of extra time on students because they now put every lecture up on Youtube.    It is important for teachers to retain balance in the work they send home.  I also think the art of the interactive lecture can be lost in this format.  At times, lecture is an appropriate way to deliver instruction (despite what I would call myths that this is never appropriate).  However, interactive lectures engage students and flex the content around the responses and reactions of the participants.  And I do mean participants.  To relinquish a presentation to one way video can leave out the interactive nature of teaching.  It's not all bad but something to consider within a flipped classroom context.

We need to be careful that we don't misapply the flipped classroom methodology so it overburdens students and removes an important element of personal interaction from students that is the learning and dialogue we desire in our classrooms.  As with so many things in life, we need balance.   I have seen some applications that take and mistakenly apply it in ways that just aren't helpful and really don't embody the same type of online education that Khan and others advocate.   I've approached this idea with caution because extremism can be dangerous in any trendy fad.

What do you think?  What do you see as the pros of the flipped classroom and the pitfalls to avoid?

Fighting Back the Chaos

Today's world is full of information overload.  Perhaps it would be accurate to say application overload in some cases.  As we move from device to device or application to application, maintaining some semblance of organization is critical.  Yes, critical.  I'm not an organization freak as those around me will attest, but having some idea of how to organize information and resources is important.  We constantly run across websites we want to refer back to later.  We identify resources that are useful to share with others.  We also access certain information from different browsers or applications.  For example, I have about 3 different applications for twitter just on my laptop which I use interchangeably.  Then we move from our laptops to our iPhones to iPads etc.

CC Information Overload by Jorge Franganillo (Flickr)

We are not always on the same device so how do we make the "cloud" (internet based applications and storage of resources) work for us?  If we do not have a plan, chaos will take over and we will just miss out on resources buried in an overwhelming pile of stuff.  We need to help students with this skill too. I'll outline some of my own personal strategy to fight back the chaos.

I am always surprised how many people don't use bookmarks (see my previous post for more on bookmarking).  I have all my common sites in my toolbar.  This makes them easy to access anywhere.  I use Xmarks to sync all my bookmarks across all my devices.  This also makes them accessible by logging into the Xmarks site when on a public computer.  Although Xmarks can do other things like sync passwords and such, I use it solely for syncing bookmarks across devices and browsers.  It has an install plugin for almost any browser on any platform.  I have upgraded to the premium and find it worth every penny but a free version is available.

I also use Dropbox.  Lots of different applications allow you to use Dropbox to access information across devices (see more info here).  I find this is a valuable tool for having files and information easily synced across multiple devices.  It also makes a backup always available in case a device is lost or stolen.

I like Instapaper for reading articles later.

For example, I typically check my twitter network on my phone which regularly gives me useful links and information.  I have several methods to deal with this information.

1. I have created a free account with Instapaper.  I have added this bookmark applet to my toolbar on my browser which allows me to just click on "Read Later" and it is saved to my account.  Instapaper can be accessed on my iPhone or laptop easily.  It tracks what I have read and I just archive after I have finished.  I always know what articles are yet to be read.  
2. I often just skim my Twitter and don't do extensive reading.  So I email myself a tweet at my gmail account.  I have setup a filter that automatically removes it from the inbox and labels it so I can review it later.  Filters are powerful and often underused email feature.  This also makes it easy to search tweets I want to find later.
3. I can use my Diigo account to bookmark certain links right in my phone.
4. Xmarks makes a lot of this simply because it syncs my bookmark applet for Diigo and Instapaper across browsers and my phone.

Lastly, I also highly recommend RSS feeds.  I use Google Reader to keep up with blogs that I follow.  It is easy and accessible on my phone or laptop.  

How do you keep your life organized between browsers, applications, and devices?  Do you have other recommendations to share?

Bookmarking

I am always surprised how few people use bookmarks and I believe we need to be more proactive in teaching students to use this effectively. I use 2 tools to meet my bookmarking needs.

First, I use my local laptop to bookmark items that are private to me.  That might range from financial institutions to travel resources.  These are things that I save for my own personal reference.  I do use Xmarks to sync bookmarks across browsers and devices (I'll write more about this in my next post).

Secondly, I use Diigo to bookmark a fair amount of material that I want to find later.  It seems the bookmarks on my computer are more static and ones I use over and over.  The ones on Diigo are usually things I want to reference and search out later.  The other aspect of Diigo is the social bookmarking aspect. Although I can choose what is public and private, most of my bookmarks are public.  I have created several lists where I just add links.  I am pretty diligent about tagging so I can effectively search for these resources later.  Adding links to Diigo is easy on both my iPhone and my laptop.  It is also my way to share some of what I find for those that want to follow the list.

I have the following Diigo lists to which I actively add links as I come across them:

• 21C Libraries: I place links to how libraries are changing and adapting to a 21st century context here.  This is a relatively new list for me.
• 21st Century Schools & Education: This is a broad category that relates to a lot of topics that I write about on my blog.  It is probably my most active list.  I like to bookmark good articles and such I find here.  I don't necessary agree with everything I bookmark, but it allows me to archive stuff in one place.
• Cool Tools: This is just for software and applications I find that seem neat.  Some are for me to look up later and pursue further reviews.  These aren't always ones I would recommend.  It is like a brainstorming space or a post-it note to check out later.
• Japan Earthquake Links:  I created this one to compile some resources I found and that might benefit students on the recend natural disaster.
• Leadership: I like to post general leadership links here.

Diigo has some other cool features like posting highlights and sticky notes onto websites.  Some teachers find this valuable to help students as they are reading and research information.  I personally don't use that as it isn't my purpose.  It might be useful for some classroom teachers, particularly in conducting some webquests.

Do you use bookmarks?  Do you use different apps to accomplish your goals?  Feel free to share your ideas in the comments.

The Future of the Publishing Industry

I mentioned in my last post how Apple is changing the publishing industry. Dr. Bill Rankin has blogged about the future of the publishing industry and also spoke at the recent Apple Leadership Summit. He compares the current information revolution to the advent of the printing press. If current trends continue, the information on the internet will double every 15 minutes by 2020. It is critical that students be literate on how to filter and find relevant and accurate information when they need it.

Rankin goes on to talk about the future of books on mobile devices. He says that books will be social, customized for the reader, augmented (know where I am with location-based info), and collaborative works that are interactive and media rich. He goes on to describe them as mobile in our pockets and portable between multiple devices that remembers what you have read, even on different devices. It is a transformation of reading and literacy as we know it. Some people disagree or just don’t like it. Many of these things are already in development. I’m not sure it is much of a choice at this point. Ready or not, here it comes.  All that said, I'm not sure it is a zero sum game, meaning that just because reading may transform, the current traditional book will disappear.  I see it more as additive at this point.

I like this video from IDEO on the Future of Books as it describes what could be in the future. What do you think? Is this something that excites you or scares you?




The Future of the Book. from IDEO on Vimeo.
Meet Nelson, Coupland, and Alice — the faces of tomorrow’s book. Watch global design and innovation consultancy IDEO’s vision for the future of the book. What new experiences might be created by linking diverse discussions, what additional value could be created by connected readers to one another, and what innovative ways we might use to tell our favorite stories and build community around books?

The Why

Do you know the why of your organization?

I had the privilege of attending the Apple Leadership Summit in Singapore this past weekend.  The first keynote was from Simon Sinek.  He described the ordinary process of pitching ideas or products as starting with the what, progressing to the how, and the why last.  In his study of exceptional people and organizations, he found that they approach it backwards.  They start with the why.  The why inspires people to follow.  The why creates followers that might never engage with the what or the how.

For this inspiration to happen, Sinek says we must have clarity in the why.  It must be clear to us and communicated clearly.  We have to be consistent in the how, and lastly, we have to be authentic in the what.  Vision and communication must accompany each other with the why or else it won’t be conveyed to others effectively.  Do you have people in your organization that get the vision and communicate it well?  Identify them and give them opportunities to convey the why to your parents, faculty and students.  It doesn't matter what official "position" they have.  It is about tapping into the right people, regardless of the position.

When people share the why, a community develops and within the community, we have trust.  As we trust, we can collaborate.  The power of the community can be actualized.  When new faculty come to your school, do they know the why of your organization? Perhaps we should be more personal.  Is your presence transactional in that it just fills a spot in a job?  Do you know the why of your organization and does it motivate you to be a part of something bigger than yourself? 

Sinek says statistically, approximately 80% of people do not “love” their jobs.  He envisions a world where 80% of people “love” their job.  What would that do to your organization if people loved their jobs?  Tell them why.

Effective Presentations

If you have the opportunity to connect with people face to face on a topic, take advantage of it.  

Engage your audience and make them interact with the content and topic.  It's not about you...it is about your audience.  Know why you are there and be clear on what you want to accomplish in the time you have.  If you don't know what you are presenting, it's doubtful others will figure it out either.

What makes a presentation effective?  First, think back to the presentations you remember.  If you remember it, something about it must have been effective, right?  Too many of us have sat through boring presentations that could have been half the time or involved someone reading to us.  Don't make your audience leave thinking they could have picked up your handout.

Speaking of handouts, think of presentations in 3 parts: my presentation "script," slides/visuals, and handouts.  Don't just print your slides as a handout.  I like to include additional information or sources of information on handouts.  I also add content that I want them to take away...or they will try to scribble down so furiously that they miss what I'm saying.

Know your content.  I like to have a few notes and ideas when I speak to keep me on track and make sure I hit what is important.  However, powerful presenters know what they want to say.  Many of them can do it entirely without notes.  I find this impressive and something I need to improve upon.  Nothing can lose an audience like an awkward pause as you fumble your notes or squint to see the tiny writing on the screen to jog your memory.

I could say more but Jesse Desjardins may say it more emphatically and articulately with his presentations than I can.  If you communicate with an audience regularly, or even occasionally, you should really take a look.  (Hint:  All educators do this regularly.)

You Suck At PowerPoint!

View more presentations from @JESSEDEE.

STEAL THIS PRESENTATION!

View more presentations from @JESSEDEE.

Any tips you want to share with others?

Videoconferencing

Bangalore, India. Yes, check out the people passing by. This is a new Polycom unit donated as a thank you gift from Simpson University. GSIS is a host to their Master's program for international educators. I have found that although I am very comfortable participating from a distance via phone or skype, others in meetings are often less comfortable and as a result, the meeting is not as effective. As videoconferencing grows in popularity even through common programs such as Skype, comfort levels are increasing.

This Polycom unit will open doors for us to connect to various locations around the world and access resources in a very clear and effective communication method. We have already talked to colleagues and partner schools around the world about ways we can use it to increase collaboration and expose students to new learning. It is exciting to see this technology reachable for our PK-12 students. We look forward to expanding this implementation to include more collaboration between TCIS and GSIS in the future. It is exciting to implement new tools that we know will enhance our learning environment.

If you have resources to suggest or want to connect with our school, please leave a comment...

Marketing on Facebook & Schools

Screenshots from Nike Facebook page (above) and Adidas Facebook page (below on right).

While in the US over the summer, I was a bit surprised to see so many companies promoting their brands on Facebook. Perhaps I'm behind the times in US trends because I rarely watch US TV. Companies used to put their website up. Now, it seems that Facebook is where the masses are so that is where companies are seeking consumers. By all appearances, they are right. Social media continues to grow and Facebook is a one-stop shop for so many users to access communication. So why not market there? It makes sense. A Mashable article entitled Top 5 Emerging Brand Trends on Facebook just highlights some of this marketing taking place on Facebook.

The promotion of causes and charities is nothing new on Facebook and has been going on for some time. The marketing of products has been going on there as well, but the scale of use has gone well beyond grassroots efforts to become a high priority in major brands.

How many schools have sites on Facebook? The image on Facebook may likely be the public image of the school and viewed more often than the website. We often spend a lot of time on our websites and these are important, but I wonder if public relations and branding of schools (particularly internationally) needs to give more attention to the social media component. My guess is that most schools have a presence on a Facebook. And it's not limited to Facebook...check Wikipedia among others to see what it says about your school. The real question is whether that publicity comes from the school and promotes the school in the best and most accurate light...or, does the Facebook presence rest in the opinions of Facebook users with no official connection, some of which may have axes to grind?

Maybe it is time to reevaluate our priorities...

Top 5 iPhone Apps

Many people at our schools are getting iPhones. I see them much more frequently among our students and out in the community. It was recently reported that in Korea, over 110,000 iPhone 4s had been pre-ordered. I would guess that number has continued to increase.I have gotten a many queries about all kinds of things on the iPhone. I thought I would make mention of my Top 5 apps in no particular order:

Things

For me and my workflow, my t0-do list and scheduling items that need to be addressed is critical. I have found Things to be a fantastic tool to organize and prioritize my to-do list. It is very powerful and based on the Getting Things Done principles. I particularly like that I can create steps within projects and schedule certain items on certain days easily. I sync this app with Things on my laptop via the wireless. It is a little pricey compared to most apps $9.99 but well worth every penny for me.

WhatsApp

WhatsApp uses wi-fi or your data plan to send text messages, photos, video, etc. to your contacts. Your phone number is your unique identifier so you have to have the right phone number in, inclusive of country code. It allows you to text anywhere in the world without international charges. It is now available on other smartphones besides just the iPhone which expands its use. It seems like several chat/texting apps are out there and probably work similarly. The trick is to get one and sell your friends on it so you don't have to pay for SMS messages. WhatsApp is a great bargain at .99.

Personal Finance by Pageonce

Personal Finance allows me to track all my credit cards, frequent flyer miles, and bills from a variety of sources in one place. It notifies me if too many credit card transactions occur in a day and notifies me of big charges. It consolidates utilities bills for a home in another location all in one place that is easy to view and keep abreast of what is going on. It saves me logging into many different sites. I really like being able to log in via the web on Pageonce and setup the accounts. Then I just view everything via the iPhone app. For this one, there is a premium version and a free one.

IM+: All in One Messenger

IM+ consolidates all my chats into 1 app. I can set it to stay logged in and receive push notifications for up to 18 hours. It is easy to use. Again, there are others out there but this is one I found that works well and meets my needs. There is a Lite version which is free. It has some limitations and I have found the normal paid version worth it although a little pricey at $9.99.

Dragon Dictation

Dragon Dictation is from the makers of Dragon Naturally Speaking, a popular software package. This app converts your voice into text. It's very accurate and great for recording longer emails that I don't want to type on the phone or text messages when I can't type and need to send a quick note. This app is free.

If you look at the pictures in this post, you can see screenshots of my first 2 pages of apps which are the ones I use the most. For the most part, I like free or very cheap apps. I've listed some of the pricier ones here which is probably good my most expensive apps are the best. It means I chose well. Be strategic on your apps and try to read user reviews. And there does seem to be an app for nearly everything.

What your favorite apps? Add them to the comments...

Grace Amidst Transparency

We live in a transparent world. We know a lot about each other. Not only do the people I hang out with know me, but people that I email, Facebook, Skype, and readers of blog know many things about me. It is not just our interests that are transparent; it is also our emotional ups and downs. Technology is not the only culprit although it is one that definitely increases our openness to each other.

As we look at each other, the title of a popular book comes to mind: Everybody's Normal Till You Get to Know Them. As we see more of each other, it is easy to make judgments and write people off for their shortcomings. In a transparent world, we need more grace. We need to forgive people for being themselves...for being imperfect. That’s all of us. We just see others' imperfections more easily than our own.

I fear that our grace has not grown proportionately to our transparency. We could use a substantial dose of humility. I've come to enjoy and embrace transparency. In the midst of transparency, may we extend more grace in a world that needs more kindness and forgiveness than judgment and critiques.

A Container for your Classroom

What's your container for your classroom? Now, let me first say that I think Jeff Utecht writes articulately about this with examples in his Thinking Stick blog post titled What's your container? That being said, he has probably helped popularize this terminology and idea in the region more recently but the concept and term has been used for some time.

I've been in many conversations here at the beginning of the year with teachers trying to decide what they are going to use as a container for their classroom. The meaning of container is how they are going to contain or hold together the content for their classes. This idea of a container brings coherency to instruction that may point to links all over the web, Google App files, or digital interaction just to name a few. It becomes one place where important materials related to instruction can be located.

CC Sealand Florida by Louis Vest

For some people, I think the term hub is more fitting. A hub is a centerpiece where other things spiral out. For some, all they need is one place to get students and then they point them all over the web to other resources. They need a location to store and organize all their links. They have no "stuff" because everything is on the web somewhere else with various Web 2.0 sites. Containers can act as hubs but in some ways imply more substantial content being posted on them.

To give an example, Moodle could be a container. It can link to whatever you like on the web but it is extremely useful for interaction such as discussion forums, dividing the class into groups, and posting files. Google sites or one of the wiki services can act as a container to hold files and "stuff" in a similar way. At the same time, a wiki can just be a hub with links and embedded code from other sites. A diigo list or a Google doc with hyperlinks might just act as a hub. A blog may act as either one.

So why is it important to distinguish the difference between a hub and a container? It's probably not. It is important is to clearly know your purpose and what you want to accomplish before you select a tool. Doing a blog because "everybody's doing a blog" is hardly a good reason. How will your container enhance, support, and engage students in learning? Think through what you want to do with your container/hub and consider how it can interactively engage students in your content. Then, select the best tool for the job.

Do you have suggestions for a container that you'd like to share? Post them in the comments.

Gamechanger or Hype?

Yes, I'm sticking my neck out and weighing in. Why not? It seems like everyone else has. I'm not sure how anyone that reads the news could miss the articles on the introduction of the iPad. Many critics and many advocates have voiced their perspectives. So my perspective...

It's a gamechanger. I've read Michael Hyatt's post which he talks about it being a luxury. A colleague commented the same thing this week. This comment is spot on. If one thinks the iPad will replace their laptop, s/he is dead wrong. It's not just an iPhone with a big screen either. Yes, it's a great ebook reader but that's not gamechanging. So what, it's color. That's just an upgrade from some of the others.

As I have read so many of the comments and articles both pro and con, I have drawn the conclusion that many people on both sides of the product reviews have missed it. When asked about it, a professional presenter at a recent conference said people just don't get it. I think he's right. I'm not sure I really get it either, but maybe this falls in the category of knowing what I don't know. When I was debating between an iPhone and a Blackberry, I read a review that said the individual using the iPhone felt like he was using a phone for 2012 or 2014 rather than a phone for 2010 with the Blackberry. I think this offhanded comment may hold a lot of truth. Apple has historically ignored some of the criticism and negative feedback on products they put out initially. Some speculation for this and my personal belief is that these products are designed for what people will want/need in the future--2-3 years down the road. The success of their products in recent years may well prove that they are producing valid products that do meet consumer approval. The current paradigm doesn't always fit this product they put out, regardless of whether it is an iPhone or iPad or whatever. And they are okay with that because they are working into the future and pushing the envelop of what's possible, feasible, and useful. It is an edgy and provocative place to release products and be a successful company. Ultimately, much of Apple's success comes from their ability to get the user interface right in these products.

People commonly translate what they know to a new gadget or tool. I believe the iPad opens the door to transformation. It is a total paradigm shift that goes beyond simple tweaks. It's a new way of thinking. The iPhone was a stepping stone. However, a new generation of apps will open up that the iPhone could never handle. The gamechanging power of the iPad is not in the gadget but rather the platform that opens a new world of opportunity. I remember seeing a TV advertisement for the iPhone that said there was an app for everything. I kind of laughed at the exaggeration. However, an app does appears to exist for nearly everything. You can scan barcodes to find the cheapest prices of products while at the grocery store, wake up at the best time according to your sleep patterns, and even plan your family based on the most likely times of the month to conceive a child. It is absurd how many apps are out there.

The iPad taps into a mobile device market that is just blossoming right now and provides the platform for...well...whatever you want to do. (If you want more info on this subject, read the NMC's Horizon Report.) Don't get me wrong; it's not the end all. However, it is a gamechanging device which embraces transformation, not just a translation. Just a couple examples...by embracing media in a new way, I predict will begin seeing ebooks produced for the iPad that go beyond text on a screen. It may be text, images, videos, hyperlinked text, etc. that extends well beyond the current paradigm of book reading. If embraced by publishers, it could hugely impact digital textbooks which in my opinion have struggled to find great success and widespread use. The uses in classrooms are numerous. As a matter of fact, that again reinforces the point...it provides the platform for transformation. Ultimately, we will see uses that we never imagined for it. So, right or wrong...gamechanger.

Inspiration from Joseph Linaschke

As we journey through life, we come in contact with phenomenal people from time to time. From my experience during the Apple Asia Distingushed Educator (ADE) training (#ade2010), I found Joseph Linaschke (@travel_junkie) to be one of those people. He is super-talented in a highly competitive and high skill field. During his time at Apple, he worked extensively with the development of Aperture, the professional grade of iPhoto, among his other projects. He currently runs Apertureexpert.com and appears regularly on the This Week in Photography (TWiP) podcast.

He spent several days with our group, giving us photography tips, Aperture tips, and just generally spoke about many of his experiences. He has had a camera on his shoulder as long as he could remember and his experience and expertise shows. As I watched him interact with members of our group, he was unassuming and easily engaged in conversation. He engaged in the experience with us and helped us meet some of our project goals during the week. Some people that are at the top of their field come off as in a way that makes their work seem untouchable--never attainable. Joseph made it reachable for us...he encouraged us to give it a shot. I love photography and it is a growing interest. My level is low and interacting with someone at this high level could have easily discouraged me. My experience this past week inspired my creativity and motivated me to remove any limits I may have placed on myself.

As educators and leaders, we want to do this daily. Whether it is our students or colleagues, it is not about us. We want to inspire others to dream bigger and be better as a result of their interaction with us. I would venture to say that many ADEs will take away thoughts and tips that Joseph never intended to impart to us. That is part of phenomenal people--one walks away from the interaction getting much more than intended and the impact of the interaction lasts much longer than the time frame in which it actually occurred. For me, the 5 days will continue to extend by my reflection on how my interactions will impact others on a daily basis and how I can inspire the creativity I desire in others. And the beauty of a 2.0 world means that this may be done in person or in tools such as this blog. How about you? Do you inspire those around you to greater things?

Joseph took some of us on an optional photowalk around our hotel near the Singapore Merlion. Although I didn't have my Nikon SLR with me, I did take these with my older Sony H2. Thanks, Joseph, for the tips and inspiration!

Relevant Learning

School must find ways to engage students in relevant ways. A colleague recently pointed out this website which turns a variety of topics among many core subjects into rap music. It is called Rhythm Rhyme Results. Not only does it take concepts and information and put it to lyrics that can be recalled more easily, but it actually has different versions of songs at different paces and with blanks to allow the learning process and scaffolding to occur. You do have to pay for the service but the website says much of the music is available for download via iTunes or Amazon. I didn't listen to all the music but it seemed like a neat concept and innovative way to engage students. Perhaps it is worth checking out for something you are teaching...

Collaboration is hard...

Collaboration is hard. We throw this word around all the time as important and we speak of the need for it and yet it is extremely hard to attain. Sometimes we confuse it with cooperation. Cooperation means working together to achieve the same goal or end. Cooperation tends to lead to compromise depending on the situation. You work out what you can live with in order to achieve your goal.

Collaboration is a bit more complex. It requires true dialogue. We could define dialogue as exchanges or conversations between 2 people. In the original Greek context, it was an intellectual debate and exchange that developed discussion and led to rational, intellectual conclusions. The conclusion was not set at the beginning of the dialogue but the conclusion was reached through a journey of logic and rational arguments.

As we apply dialogue to the verb collaborate, it is not compromising a position. It is a sharing of ideas to create a position together. The process is a key ingredient to the outcome.

Within collaboration, an element of sacrifice is present. It is not about giving up an idea. It is about giving up some control. It means extending trust and faith to the person you are working with. It means it is okay to not have all the answers and to walk in with ideas that need to be molded. This is difficult. And it is much of what Web 2.0 is about. Web 2.0 allows, facilitates, and promotes collaboration, and content is seen in process. The transparency can be messy and unpredictable. Additionally, the content is frequently added to the conversation. My observation is that it is rarely taken away. For example, many Google docs become messy with time because people don't want to delete others' ideas. It is meant well and signifies respect for others' ideas. However, deleting some content is necessary to get to the final conclusion. This is where trust plays into engaging collaboration and the value placed on others.

Collaboration takes effort. It is not easy but as we practice and strive for it, it can become more a part of how we operate and our everyday interactions.

Automatic Captions

I recently saw this new feature discussed on the Google blog. It takes Youtube videos and automatically adds captions to them. The obvious application is the assistance to the hearing impaired. However, I think the potential of this type of technology is pretty cool, especially when applied to searching content without user effort to tag media.

Google also claims the captions can be downloaded into text. If you want to quote someone from a video, this makes it significantly easier. The use of captions can also be tied to certain cues in the video so you can skip to particular sections with ease.

Google translation tools can also translate video captions to other languages. Talk about crossing languages and making videos global...

A small blurb on the news but I see huge potential impacts and uses.

Twitter Followup

At the beginning of May this year, I posted about Twitter. At the time, I was debating whether or not to sign up. Over the summer, I decided to sign up for both Facebook and Twitter. If you really want to evaluate something, you have to give it a try. I have very few followers, barely double digits and I follow about 20 people.

After using it for nearly 2 months, I have found it useful for getting links to other resources. I follow key people and have gotten some great tips for good links and resources. After a month or so of use, I found that I didn't like following people that post too much. It becomes too much to filter through for the casual user. So I edited who I was following as a result. I also protected my profile. Although being a fan of open use and transparency, I had a few sketchy people start following me. I will say that Twitter quickly disabled some of these questionable accounts before I could even view who they were.

I'm still not an avid Twitter user but I check it a few times a week and post blog updates and an occasional thought to share there. Overall, the jury is still out for me but I do see some definite benefits of Twitter for professional growth and links. I also see how it can be a grand waste of time if you don't filter your lists and keep its uses intentional and focused.

It is similar to many of the tools that our students use. It's not about the tool, but how it can be leveraged to benefit our learning.

The Void of Digital Communication

Shane Hipps, in his book Flickering Pixels, talks about anonymous intimacy in regard to electronic communication. He says,

This anonymous intimacy has a strange effect. It provides just enough connection to keep us from pursuing real intimacy. In a virtual community, our contacts involve very little real risk and demand even less of us personally. Vulnerability is optional. A community that promises freedom from rejection and makes authentic emotional investment optional can be extremely appealing, remarkably efficient, and a lot more convenient (p. 113-114).

Hipps points out that social networking and electronic communication can be attractive for many reasons. However, authentic investment on a social and emotional scale is needed for genuine relationships. We need to embrace the technological opportunities in front of us but we cannot get into the trap of having it as our only means of communication. In many instances, email and chatting might be very effective. However, in others, it lacks the richness that embodies the totality of human communication and therefore impacts the messages sent and received.

Hipps goes on to say...

Given the limitations of email, the chances of miscommunication are near certain...Using email to mediate conflict is like baking a cake without a mixing bowl or an oven. The very ingredients that make reconciliation possible are absent. Reconciliation comes in the context of clear communication, meaningful listening, shared understandings, civility, openness, and a lot of patience. The medium of email inevitably removes these delicate ingredients...Electronic text as a medium stunts our best efforts to resolve conflict (p. 118-119).

Whether it is conflict or just daily communication, I think Hipps articulates an important value of not getting sucked into a shallow world. As in so many areas of our life, balance is not just desired, but desperately needed. Embrace electronic communication and tools in certain areas but be intentional to retain, promote, and sustain the vibrancy of authentic intimacy in our communication and relationships. Don't settle for something that ultimately leave you empty.

Did you know 4.0?

The latest "Did you know 4.0?" was recently published on Youtube. The original was started by Karl Fisch, who maintains a instructional technology blog. Some people love it while others hate it, mostly probably due to its overuse and exposure. Several versions have come out and this is the latest one for 2009. I like things that expose people and raise awareness to the changing digital landscape that impact our students. So here it is. Check it out.

Youtube Monetized

Social media has powerful influences. I recently read this article from the Google blog. It talks about Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz's wedding party. Their wedding party danced into a song which became a huge hit. Their little Youtube video spread across the net and a musical artist capitalized tremendously. It is an interesting story of how Youtube and social media have significant impacts. Who are you influencing? What is your web presence?