Trends and Issues in Extension

Here are the contents of an email post from Judy Rude at CSREES.

Hurricane Katrina is a much greater disaster than was expected.  We all want to know how we can help.

CSREES supports Extension’s Disaster Education Network (EDEN) which includes 48 states and several territories. Pat Skinner, the EDEN contact for Louisiana, has been at the Emergency Operations Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, since the weekend.  She has developed hurricane materials, which are posted on the EDEN Web site at www.eden.lsu.edu.  The last we heard from her, she and her family were fine and their home was safe.

 An excellent resource on this site addresses how you can help.  Briefly it suggests:

• Financial contributions are often the best kind of donation to make.
• DO NOT send clothes, goods, or other items.
• Donate through an organization such as the American Red Cross or other national voluntary organizations active in disaster.   

 Another useful resource is “Talking About Disaster: Guide for Standard Messages” guide.  Hard copies were sent last summer to each state, and this guide is also available on the Web site.  This guide was developed by the National Disaster Education coalition of which CSREES is a member. There are a number of brief fact sheets in this guide on topics such as food and water safety, generators, talking to children about disasters, etc.

 Once people are able to return to their homes, a major clean-up will be necessary. Mold will be a major issue for homes that are still standing.  For mold and other related issues, visit www.healthyindoorair.org.  Again, EDEN is in a position to help with this effort and will remain in the affected communities as long as necessary.  For more information, contact Joe Wysocki, CSREES National Program Leader.

Today’s NY Times has a section devoted to college football (American). I’m a big fan of college football, but one article in particular caught my attention. A brief piece about Dan Hawkins, the head coach at Boise State (the place with the smurf turf).  An interesting case study in the development of a leader. We tend to think of football as a both a sport to develop leadership in a tough, top down fashion. Successful coaches rule their players military style.

This is different. It is very humanistic and reflective about how someone in power can influence others to their potential. Some people seem to have the ability to move others to great things. This is an example. Here are some quotes from the article.

 He had learned that a life dedicated to football wasn’t much of a life, and that a coach focused on three-technique linemen, zone blitzes and punt protection could not quite engage a team as well as one who mixed the minutiae with egg tosses, human pyramids and water-balloon fights.

 He realized a team that fosters democracy and trust is better than one that relies on fear and bullying.

 With a 44-7 record in his current job as the coach at Boise State, Hawkins has posted more victories in his first four seasons than any other coach in major college football in the last century.

 Hawkins and his wife knew sacrifice. They had paid their way though college and spent their honeymoon at Bodega Bay in Northern California, sleeping outdoors on a three-inch foam mattress until they bumped into Foster, who lent them a pup tent.

 Hawkins still treats his players like peers, as his mentors did, and most of the players call him "Hawk" instead of "Coach."

 But he treats his assistants like family, making sure they are well compensated and comfortable in their jobs. And Hawkins stays true to the Davis principle that players and coaches should not be afraid to make mistakes.

Implications: A great case study in how to be a leader. When you look around, there are lot’s of "how to’s" on becoming a leader, but few examples on the actual being a leader. Here is someone that has done it.

Honesty statement: I hope BGSU (my BA and MA’s alma mater’s key rival) will beat Boise State on September 21 (ESPN 2). Be aware that our current System Specialist’s nephew, Cory Lichtensteiger, is a potential All-American at BGSU.

More good things on Manager Tools weekly podcast. This one is on delegating. Everytime I see the subject of their podcasts I think it will cover stuff I already know. Once again, more new or different ways to approach management. With a focus on doing - on things that you can implement right away. Take a look at the worksheet from their site that supplements the delegating podcast. I"ve posted about this site before (here and here). Implications: A weekly must hear for anyone that manages or works with people. Whether they are direct reports, peers or volunteers. I subscribe via iTunes.

I just started to read the Virtual Handshake, and have been poking around the book’s website. One posting that caught my attention was on reasons why the author might miss emails. I can really relate to it, although I still feel guilty when I miss messages. Hopefully the book will have some solutions. I’ve tried to review my emails once a week, but it has not been a very successful strategy. Here are some steps to keep your inbox under control (via lifehack.org).

Over at BiblioTech Web there is post on how libraries can use blogs and other technologies (including RSS feeds). A short read with some ideas. I think many of the ideas are relevant to Extension and Extension Professionals. I’ve been adding several library blogs to my RSS feeds. Libraries face some of the same issues as Extension. How to continue to be relevant as the mediums for information evolve and change.

Walt Mossberg has a nice review of both Google Talk and Google Desktop. Summary: Google talk worked well for text messaging and voice,  but does not have all the features of its competitors. Google Desktop is becoming more of an information management system for your computer. Good, quick review. I’m desperately looking for a data management/personal information management tool. Any suggestions? See the post below for more information on Google Talk and VoIP.

The Guardian has a brief overview of free VoIP services in a Q&A format. Geared for a British readership, it is still a good, brief overview and includes information on Google’s new service (restricted to current G-Mail, which is also restricted) and Skype. Our Extension Center is just now testing Gizmo.

More commercial services are also available through cable companies and other carriers. We are exploring VoIP as a way to stay in touch in a network of both virtual and spatially dispersed offices. The perfect solution would be for an Extension system to have a common VoIP system that could be used with no effort as teams and projects are developed. All systems require broadband connections, a headset, and the fee/infrastructure costs to get started. Skype, Gizmo, and Google have no current fee for in system calls.  Link found via this Lifehacker post.

A common theme and hope is to have one device that can serve as our phone, mp3 player, personal organizer, etc., etc., etc. While I would love to see this, I am skeptical that it will happen soon. Most multi-purpose devices seem to water down functions. So I still have an iPod, PDA and cell phone to carry around.

Wired News has an interesting article about a potential new device from Amp’d Mobile that intends to bridge this gap.  What I find interesting about the article is not the product, but the changing environment that is driving the product. A neat discussion on the an emerging generation of users of media. They can be thought of as:

…18- to 34-year-olds as generation WHOIS. They live on e-mail, communicate via instant messaging, change ringtones on their cell phones at the drop of a baseball cap (turned backward, naturally), play video games, download music (sometimes they’ll even pay for it), get more of their news from the net than TV and print, experiment with podcasting, read and write their own blogs and access RSS feeds.

The article discusses how the WHOIS group wants to create their entertainment experience. And how the growing wireless infrastructure allows for continual use of media. Think about the changes in how people want information. Twenty four hour accessibility, or the ability to download and access at any time. It all affects how we package our information and services and our distribution methods (can someone easily purchase and/or download the materials, video, etc.). See this earlier post about teens and their use of information systems.

Today’s Columbus Dispatch (subscription required) has an article about a study of the Columbus City Schools. Or rather a study of the students that break the rules in the school district. The executive summary by kidsohio.org has this paragraph that succinctly explains the study:

 This data highlights three key facts: (1) The 7 percent of students who commit half of the
violations need special attention from the schools as well as community groups to improve their
behavior; (2) a lot of very young children also need help to improve their behavior; and (3) the 57
percent of students who are keeping the rules deserve our positive support.

The report and executive summary can be found at the kidsohio site . Interesting reading for Extension Professionals involved in youth development.

The Appalachian Regional Commission has several online resources, including this post on proposal writing tips. As Extension Professionals move more towards cost-recovery and social entrepreneurship the ability to secure external funding will be critical.