Creation Activity ~ Twitter

A few months ago, I thought of the Twitter tool as a teen fad. Searching for a credible Twitter use, I joked that teachers could “tweet” students their homework, overlooking that fact that millions of users were already using Twitter to inform, to learn, and to connect. With his Blackberry at hand throughout the 2008 Presidential campaign, Barack Obama showed the world that Twitter might have a greater use.

Often thought of as a “stripped-down” version of a blog, Twitter shares many of the same advantages of blogging. Ideally, in an educational setting, Twitter might be utilized to keep parents informed of classroom and field trip activities; it might be used to promote, as well as to provide news and information. Students who travel throughout the school year may be able to “tweet” their class to their journeys. Less preferable are trivial tweets or those containing TMI (too much information). Will Twitter eventually impact the way we think? At the very least, with a limitation of 140 characters, Twitter encourages us to focus on the “Big Idea”.

My Twitter username: DetroitWilliams

More Twitter thoughts. . .

We are pioneers, searching the best uses of each new technology. Perhaps even the Twitter founders have failed to realize the full potential of this tool. One could build a professional learning community by following selective tweeters. While many corporations and individuals using the technology for promotion there are also tweeters that provide tweets of educational value. The “What are you doing?” question, as wonderfully simple as it is, obscures Twitter’s usefulness. Imagine how quickly Twitter could move from the current social network to a more professional learning network simply by asking a different question.

Creation Activity ~ Podcasts

As a society we have come to expect technologically advanced, on-demand products; the field of education is not exempt from change and innovation. With low cost, ease-of-entry, podcasts ride on the existing infrastructure of the web. The ability to create or access a podcast repeatedly, at any hour, fits a 21st century lifestyle. Podcasts may be played on an increasingly large number of devices: computers, laptops, netbooks, iPods, to name a few. Although these devices have not saturated all households, the price of technology tends to decrease and such technologies are becoming increasingly available. For example, flip video cameras and webcams may be purchased for well under $150.00, many laptops come with webcams installed, and editing programs such as Windows Movie Maker and Audacity are available for free.

Is Podcasting merely another toy or can it advance learning? Again, let’s refer to Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy and note that creativity is a higher level thinking skill; podcasts may engage students in ways that handouts and worksheets cannot. Podcasts address many educational problems today including: student absenteeism, slower learners, and bored learners. They are great for classroom review, further study by slower learners, and a supplement to note-taking. Recently, with concerns over the H1N1 virus schools are encouraging students to take an extended period of time to recover at home and are encouraging teachers to place as much educational classroom content as possible on the web; podcasting may offer one solution.

The November 2nd entry (below) contains a discussion about getting started in podcasting. The blog entry also contains a link to download “The Benefits of Podcasting” podcast.

Creation Activity ~ RSS Feeds

My collection of favorites seems to have mirrored the exponential growth of the Internet; I easily have over 100 websites and blogs which I look at intermittently. Organizing favorites into folders is suddenly a feeble approach to the wave of internet publishing. Browsing through favorites at one’s leisure is a “hit and miss” approach to gathering information and one which often leads to expired links and outdated information.

“The new killer app for educators” should be greatly appreciated for I, too, have needed to set up feeds from my favorite websites for some time now (Richardson, 2009).

For this assignment, I utilized Google’s FeedBurner and placed a subscription “chicklet” on my this blog site as well. You may subscribe from both this blog or the following link:

http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/WilliamsWeblog

You might be interested in the October 27th blog entry titled "RSS Feeds and Information Overload".

Creation Activity ~ Wikis

Getting Started

I'm getting started on my first Wiki. So far I've been able to create a WikiSpaces.com account, and begin using the Editor. As you can see from the screen snapshot above, the Editor toolbar is similar to other blogging tools and word processing icons. If you have ever uploaded files, that process will also be familiar. The "Manage Wiki" button allows additional options such as changing the theme and the logo; the first few steps of the wiki walk do not appear too difficult.

Wikis in Education

While educators value technology, concern over student safety has shifted the educational use of technology so that it is far removed from actual business practice. As is America’s educational tradition, students often spend much of their time quietly working alone on projects and worksheets. Control issues or learning new tools are other reasons that blogs or other collaborative technologies are seldom utilized by K – 12 educators. Richardson thinks that we need to teach wiki skills to our students because that empowering process “can help our students become better learners” (Richardson, p. 58, 2009).

Wikis certainly provide opportunities for educators wishing to start small. An educator might begin by creating an “in-house” wiki for a small group or classroom. Those involved may acquire improved collaboration, negotiation, reading, writing, and thinking skills. On a larger scale, teachers may have their students collaborate with others outside of the school environment or contribute new information to the world’s body of knowledge. As educators we have much to do if we are to create an educational environment that mirrors the world of work.

The following is the URL to my WikiSpaces page:

http://wiki-walk.wikispaces.com/

References:

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.

Creation Activity ~ Blogs

A web log, also known as a blog, is another example of a powerful Web 2.0 teaching and learning tool. I’ve been reading blogs for the past several years and have discovered that there are blogs that fill virtually every niche. The ability to publish effortlessly, at little or no cost, has certainly contributed to recent interest in creating blogs. Blog readers are often treated to topical postings which frequently include multimedia, comments, and links to similar sites.

Although I have not used blogs with my students, I see several benefits to using them. First, students should be aware of the potential world-wide audience when blogging. Ideally, students integrate a high degree of excellence into their web work, and hopefully, this excellence transfers into their daily lives. Second, blogs are authentic projects which give students both a voice and recognition. Blogs may also serve to promote critical thinking, collaboration, and reflection. While I am skeptical of my own ability to manage the large amount of blog content, I look forward to having my students blog within this school year.

Creation Activity ~ Social Bookmarking

I created a del.icio.us account this spring while taking graduate classes. Although the account was easy enough to set up, I felt that I initially included too many all-purpose tags. Tags such as “technology”, “education”, and “internet” are simply not as useful to the reader as specific tags such as “IPod” or “Wi-Fi”. For readability, I also began to capitalize the first letter of each word in a tag consisting of several words ex: “CyberSafety”.

This summer, during our frequent family travels, I was conducting research and often found myself utilizing whatever computers were available. The Delicious website proved to be a particularly useful Web 2.0 tool which permitted the necessary “portability” of my growing collection of bookmarks. In addition, I frequently found myself following users’ tags and reading in areas of interest. By nature of this folksonomy, I easily connected with individuals who had similar interests. Viewing “Fresh Bookmarks” also served as a type of personal professional development as the latest technology trends appear on this hotlist.

In addition to my own learning, I intend to incorporate Delicious.com into my own classroom use. During the course of a year, I’ll mention numerous websites that students will wish to visit; how convenient to have them available and in one spot. In any class there are always a few students who complete their work quickly and are looking for something else to do; Delicious can solve that problem as well. Since I have recently changed classrooms, I am building a delicious site for my students as well.

The following is the link for my professional delicious site:

http://delicious.com/tags/mrwilliams232

and one for my students:
http://delicious.com/tags/mrwilliams213

Getting Started in Podcasting

The Benefits of Podcasting - Download Link

"How to" Video

RSS Feeds and Information Overload

Web 2.0 tools are permitting an abundance of information to be placed on the web. Currently there are any number of devices which can be utilized to create text, images, and video; all of which can be published to the internet without using computer code. With a low-cost barrier to entry, nearly everyone can publish to the web; the challenge to readers is to “collect potentially relevant information for their lives and careers and quickly discern what of that information is most useful” (Richardson, p. 73, 2009).

RSS (Real Simple Syndication) offer several solutions. Subscribing to an RSS feed means that content is delivered to your blog so that you no longer need to visit the original website. Individuals may narrow content by focusing on keywords such as “H1N1 Pennsylvania” or “Jodi Picoult”. Either approach means the rapid delivery of up-to-date and usually meaningful content. RSS feeds allow for groups of individuals to communicate and share information quickly and easily.

Reference:

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin Press.

Learning and Social Interaction

“You wouldn't have a match by any chance would you?”

~ Chuck Nolan talking to Wilson

In Zemeckis’s film Cast Away, the main character, Chuck Nolan, finds himself isolated on a remote desert island. While the film may be studied by any number of disciplines, I recently watched a TV re-run and related Chuck’s adventure to my graduate school studies of knowledge, learning, communication, and social interaction.

Chuck “knows” how to make fire, catch fish, and harvest coconut milk; however, the audience is entertained watching Chuck “learn” these tasks. Although he appears to be adapting well, Chuck engages in one-sided conversations with a volleyball named Wilson through which the audience is quickly made aware of the importance of communication and social interaction. While odd at first, within a few moments most audience members accept Chuck’s dilemma and complete the other half of the conversation; perhaps, it is entirely natural to include others in the learning process.

References:
Egbert, J. (2009). Supporting Learning with Technology: Essentials of Classroom Practice. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson.
Zemeckis, R., (2000). Cast Away. United States: Universal Studios.

Wilson: The Life and Death of A Hollywood Extra

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDOzgWZttEE

"Aha. Look what I've created. I have made FIRE."

~Chuck Nolan, played by Tom Hanks

Although the film contains no dialog for Wilson, both Chuck and the audience can easily provide the imagined dialog. The following film clip is a humorous look at what Wilson might have said:

LEADERSHIP CAPACITIES

"Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren't used to an environment where excellence is expected." ~ Steve Jobs

It is unquestionably wiser to have a trade character, rather than an individual represent a corporation. (For example, Geico’s gecko can symbolize with little chance of a scandal.) At a time when many corporate, political and athletic figures have destroyed their careers, Jobs’ public persona remains unblemished. A public technology guru and “cheerleader” for almost 40 years, he symbolizes persistence, creativity and vision; there are many who worship Jobs.

While publically charming, stories abound about Jobs abusing his employees. (It is rumored that he once fired someone in a crowded elevator.) A meticulous micro-manager, one who desires total control, Jobs informally visits people at all levels of Apple and Pixar and asks the difficult questions. A perfectionist who works at pushing people to create great things, he is un-accepting of anything less. Jobs’ control allows both Apple and Pixar to deliver products that consumers love, but did not realize they wanted.

Job’s capacity to continuously engineer great products in the ever-changing technology industry for almost forty years is truly remarkable. As a leader, Jobs has attempted to do much more than just sell computer hardware; he encourages people to “do great things”. Apple’s “Think Different” campaign encourages change and potential. In fact, there is no product reference. The following text is read over the video while we see images of prominent historical figures (Maria Callas, Bob Dylan, and Frank Lloyd Wright, to name a few):

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

References:

Levy, S. (1994). Insanely Great: The Life and Times of Macintosh, the Computer That Changed Everything. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Price, D. A. (2008). The PIXAR Touch: The Making of a Company. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP

"I want to put a ding in the universe." ~ Steve Jobs

One needs to listen to Jobs for only a few moments to realize that his most prominent characteristic is that of “promoter”. He is one of the few CEOs today who can speak with insight, imagination, enthusiasm, and persuasion. Andy Hertzfeld, an Apple Mcintosh engineer, notes that Jobs is famous for his “reality distortion field”, a ring of charisma so strong that it bends reality for anyone under its influence. (Kahney, 2008). Jobs speaks not about the music, the movies, or the mouse; he speaks about a mission, he speaks about changing the world. As evidence of his vision and creativity one need only look to the design of an Apple store, iPod, iPhone, or Pixar movie (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, A Bug’s Life, to name a few).

Jobs had the insight to begin the mass marketing of Apple computers and, in particular, with its ease of use, the Macintosh computer. Using his persuasive personality, he was able to astonishingly recruit the best consumer marketer in the country, John Sculley. At the time, Sculley was president of PepsiCo and was most widely known for the “Pepsi Challenge”. It is rumored that Jobs asked Sculley, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?” Eventually, in a clash of corporate cultures, Sculley, the new CEO of Apple, publically ousted Jobs.

Now at a surprisingly low point in his career, and at a time when he could have retired, Jobs went on to found the NeXT computer company. He also purchased a struggling computer graphics company, which eventually became known as PIXAR. Although developing revolutionary technologies, in eight years NeXT never took off, and Jobs spent almost 100 million of his own money keeping PIXAR afloat. In what has been called “the second greatest act in the history of business”, Jobs returned as CEO to the now struggling Apple, after an eleven year hiatus.



References:

Kahney, L. (2008). Inside Steve’s Brain. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Young, J. (1988). Steve Jobs: The Journey is the Reward. Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman and Company.

GOOD LUCK OR GOOD LEADERSHIP?

Under the category of “Steves”, Jeopardy recently asked for contestants to name one of the Steves who co-founded Apple Computer. Most “pop culture” fans recognize Steve Jobs as the young visionary who started a successful computer company in his California garage. Jobs had the wisdom, and the persistence, to hire and cultivate talented people, even as Apple employee Number 1. (The other Steve, Steve Wozniak, is most credited with being the engineer behind Apple’s first computers, the Apple I and the Apple II. As Apple employee Number 2, “The Woz” admits that he is the guy that likes to build “cool things”, and credits Jobs with having the true business mind.)

As the head of Apple Computer, Jobs challenged the dominant players in the computer business. At a time when most computer companies were focusing on building computers for business and government contracts, Jobs saw a niche in the personal and educational markets. With innovations such as a sleek looking case, expansion slots and a price of just $1298, the Apple II became the first commercially successful personal computer. In a quest to build “insanely great” products, Apple developed a much different computer, the Macintosh, the first computer with radical design considerations such as a mouse and a graphical user interface (as opposed to text). “The Mac” was introduced to the public during the now famous “1984” Super Bowl ad; Jobs brought technology to the masses.

In the book Outliers, Gladwell suggests that individual success is often much more than we believe; Americans, in general, tend to like Horatio Alger “rags-to-riches” stories. Gladwell however, finds it more than an interesting coincidence that numerous Silicon Valley billionaires were born in the early 1950’s. For example, MicroSoft founders: Bill Gates, Paul Allen and Steve Ballmer, along with the Apple co-founders: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were all born between 1950 and 1955. Was it simply Jobs’s good fortune to be born at a historically beneficial place and time, or was it his vision, persistence, enthusiasm and other traits that were the main contributors of his enormous success?

References:

Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The Story of Success. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Young, J. & Simon, W. (2005). iCon Steve Jobs: The Greatest Second Act in the History of Business. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.