Kathleen Gilmore at the Otter Group has a post about a simple mix of Web 2.0 type tools that a teacher friend is using to help coordinate learning in her middle-school classroom. All of the tools are easy to use and could be incorporated into a number of Extension programs. For example:
- A 4-H club or event
- Any educational program that is ongoing and involves the need for sharing of information
- Various teams
- Program planning groups
I use basecamp and delicious fairly frequently. All of these can be accessed for free (Basecamp in limited format). Simple ways to use simple tools to connect and empower people. Extension professionals could find many ways to use these tools.
One of the big demographic trends facing the US is the aging of the baby boomers. Arts & Letters Daily has a link to a BBC post that tries to raise some of the cons of the baby boom generation. Don’t just read the article. Read the comments that follow. They are just as interesting and even more illuminating as the article. The comments show some of the intergenerational stresses we have started to experience. Some of the comments also do an excellent job of framing the debate in a bigger picture. One of how families and generations are fluid and always changing.
Extension professionals will continue to face generational issues over the next decade and beyond. Understanding the broader contexts of the issues will help to frame the issues.
Phil Gerbyshak has an interesting site and new book on “making it great”. Scrolling down his posts brought up this interesting post on life long learning resources. I already use most of the tools Phil lists, but two points from the post grabbed my attention. The first was the fact that the Milwaukee public library had a drive through service for patrons to use to pick up materials. I use the Columbus, OH public library system intensively by reserving items online and having them delivered to a specific branch. I then go to the branch, pick-up the books or materials myself from a shelf, then use the automated check-out system. I’ve written before about library systems really taking a lead in using technology and customer service in education and information sharing (see this 2005 post). The fact that Milwaukee is going to the length of providing a drive through to service its busy and time crunched patrons is a good item to ponder. How do Extension systems work to provide the same convenience?
The second neat thing in the post is a link to an article on finding cheaper magazine subscriptions. Given the budget cuts many of us are facing, a little extra digging to save money could pay off.
Ryan Schmiesing (Associate Director, 4-H Youth Development at Ohio State University Extension) and I are in the early stages of developing potential programming about youth using social software. We (Ryan is actually the lead on this) are very interested in curricula for youth, parents and advisors, and how to conduct 4-H related activities on these mediums. The current hot medium is of course myspace. So it was with interest that I found this post by Andy Carvin at learningnow.com. Andy opines about some future trends for the upcoming school year. In particular I find the discussions about the future of myspace and DOPA very interesting. See also the comments that are posted. We need some good, accurate information on social software platforms that youth are using. What are the true risks? What is good public policy (read the Wikipedia article on DOPA and decide for yourself if there is a generation gap)? What do youth need to know about the sites (for example, that anything a youth posts on their or others’ sites will be permanently around in cyberspace. Even if they delete the posting. Imagine a future boss or college admissions officer doing a google search and what can be found.)? How can we use them as tools and resources? Lot’s of opportunities for research, programming and curricula for Extension.
Extension work has always relied on networks and relationships. But then again, Extension workers have always been knowledge workers and knowledge workers rely heavily on networks. For a brief overview, see this Wikipedia article on knowledge workers. The first section on networks provides a good summary of the importance of networks. . Kathleen Gilroy at the Ottergroup found a good article about the increasing relative importance of networks compared to more formal HR types of training. Definitely worth the few minutes it takes to read it. Especially the last paragraph discussing how new tools like blogs and wikis can make big differences in our abilities to collaborate. Extension professionals have just started to scratch the surface of using the newer tools, but I think their use of them will increase exponentially over the next few years.
I blogged earlier this year about the
NETC (National Extension Technology Conference) conference in Florida (see the posts here, here, here, here and here). Next year’s conference is held jointly with ACE (Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Life and Human Sciences) in Albuquerque, NM on June 15-19. I strongly recommend the NETC tracks to anyone interested in current and future technology uses and applications in Extension. I’ve never attended ACE, but would love to see an agenda. The conference site is up and running. Be sure to see the video podcast about the conference. Session and track information has not yet been posted.
Blogs and other media are still growing within Extension. A newer addition from North Carolina State University is
Lead 2020 Visions on Leading. Lead 2020 focuses on leadership posts and will be of interest not only to Extension professionals that specialize in leadership, but also to any Extension professional that relies on leadership skills. So basically all of us. Dip in and look around. Most of the posting are short and easy to digest.
Wow! I took what I thought would be a small break and have not made a post since late June. Time to get back in the swing of things and post a little more regularly. I’ll try to get more posts up over the next few days.