eXtension recently announced their April training list. Among the topics is a presentation on April 24 about Web 2.0 tools. I’ve already placed it on my calendar and am looking forward to it. Beth Kanter is the guest teacher. Of course, several of their other offerings have been on Web 2.0 topics. We just tend to see them as individual tools versus part of an overall system of linked tools sharing a common philosophical outlook. I’m also interested in the widget training and it’s applications to Netvibes. I’ve been a very poor user of Netvibes. I keep going to my Feeddemon and Blogbridge readers instead, despite having a personalized Netvibes page as my home page. Still much to learn……
eXtension is Providing Web 2.0 Training
April 3rd, 2007Postive Results from Multi-tasking?
March 15th, 2007Jack Vinson has an interesting post about a Computerworld article that discusses some positive benefits of multi-tasking related to technology tools. One of the articles comments makes a nice point that much of what is being referred to as multi-tasking is simply switching between tasks.
How Many of Me
March 13th, 2007I found this neat little tool on James Robinson’s “new” weblog. James seems to share his name with 11,630 other people in the US. Unfortunately at least one of them is on the TSA watch-list (see his post here). Anyway, I started to play with How Many of Me just for fun. Then the Extension programming wheels started to turn and I began to think about how I could use this tool in my programming. Some initial thoughts include:
- An icebreaker
- An “after break” tool
- A meeting starter (different from an ice breaker in that you know and are familiar with everyone around the table)
- A way to see how many other folk like you are out there in the US…or how few
- A tool to understand the power of large groups
As of 3.13.07 there are 28 other Jerold Thomas’ in the US and 2,066 Jerry Thomas’. Try it. Then try your significant other, parents, friends, etc. Check out the stats page.
Revisiting the Educause Seven Things You Should Know Series
March 13th, 2007Back in August 2005 I wrote this post about Educause’s fact sheet series. I’ve been trying to put together some fact sheets for a blended e-learning project and went back to Educause. Actually, I simply went back to my blog, searched and then re-read my old post with the links. Talk about easy knowledge management. Anyway, the series (actually called The Seven Things You Should Know about ___ series) has continued to grow with subjects like Creative Commons, You Tube, Facebook and others. Each has a tight focus that describes the tool and how it can be used in educational or learning settings. Highly recommended.
Better Ways to Communicate Enterprise 2.0…and the Changes Coming in Extension
March 12th, 2007Rod Boothby at Innovative Creation has a really salient post on communicating Enterprise 2.0. Mainly that we keep talking about what technology does versus the issues or problems that it can solve. Pretty obvious after Rod points it out. And a point that I keep finding myself guilty of falling into!! Here are some quotes from Rod:
“Big companies are slowly starting to adopt Enterprise 2.0 technology. But, selling technology isn’t the answer. And selling technology misses the point.”
And…..
“It is my belief that if you are trying to help people, you need to tell them what problems you are going to solve, and not necessarily how you are going to solve the problems.”
Good points, now I just need to follow Rod’s advice as I put together some of my Extension 2.0 pieces. One key way we are currently doing this is with an internal research project at OSU Extension. More about that program in a few months (We’re currently under IRB review and will distribute the instrument soon, but it’s a system wide census so I don’t want to introduce bias at this point).
I also recommend Rod’s 15 page white paper on Web Office. Here is Rod’s post that contains a link to the PDF of the white paper.
Audio Video on the Knowledge Economy
March 12th, 2007I just added a post to new blog at our OSU Extension Knowledge Economy Website. The site is still under construction, but we hope to have more blog postings soon. The post describes a power point presentation that serves as a good intro to the Knowledge Economy. The whole KE (Knowledge Economy) concept is pretty critical right now but is also hard to describe to people. Hence the neatness of the presentation.
Choices Magazine
March 3rd, 2007The American Agricultural Economics Association publishes a quarterly magazine called Choices that covers a number of topics that are relevant to Extension professionals. The current issue (4th Quarter, 2006) focuses on the following (from the Editor’s page):
In this issue of Choices, we offer two collections of papers. One theme covers the topic of setting the stage for the next farm bill, by updating the justification for farm programs, reviewing policy issues likely to affect the 2007 Farm Bill, projecting the effects of continuing the 2002 Farm Bill with less spending, and examining new program options based on land stewardship programs. The other theme addresses changes in fresh produce marketing and small farms’/firms’ response strategies in order to remain competitive, profitable, and economically viable in this changing market. This issue also contains articles on obesity lessons from Japan and on formula versus grant-based funding for agricultural research.
Click here see past and future content.
A Visual Trip Through the 21st Century
February 27th, 2007George Dvorsky has this interesting post about a ~ 7 minute video posted to You Tube called “A Visual Trip Through the 21st Century”. It’s an interesting, optimistic and quick view. And I now know about Les Claypool (they he does the soundtrack, which I actually liked but seemed to annoy my family as they watched TV). The video is based on Peter Pesti.’s Detailed Roadmap of the 21st Century. A neat little production for people or groups interested in thinking about the future, for example teams that are interested in visioning or scenario development.
2006 Presentation at Epsilon Sigma Phi on Technology and Distributed Teams
February 27th, 2007The power point slides for my November, 2006 National ESP presentation “Using Technology to Improve Communications and Develop Collaborative Teams in Geographically Distributed Extension Work Systems” is online at the National ESP website. Use this post and then cruise to the bottom of the page to the hyperlink that opens the graphics. It was a fun hour presentation with a very engaging crowd (here is one of the session photos).
Reading Science Fiction to Learn More About Diversity
February 25th, 2007One of the most interesting things about reading science fiction is the continued validity that it often tells us more about our current world than future worlds. It is easy to project current norms, styles and mindsets into the future. Cyberpunk has been a relief in pushing this aside, as has the increase in transhumanist sci-fi (I’m still waiting to listen to the CD version of Richard Clarke’s Breakpoint to see if transhumanism has hit mainstream fiction). I just finished reading John Birmingham’s Weapons of Choice, an alternative history sci-fi book focusing on WWII. It is the first in a trilogy (the other titles can be found here and here).
I’m not big at all on alternative history and there seems to be a fair amount of it addressing WWII. I was drawn to Birmingham’s book by a brief review of the third book in the trilogy in the current issue of Wired magazine. The initial driver in the story is the sudden transformation of a US led allied fleet from the year 2021 back to 1942. Right into the middle of the 1942 US fleet at Midway. You can see the novel for the science behind the transformation (it’s really about multiple universes). The real story line is taking a multinational force from 2021 and dropping it into a very homogeneous 1942 American society.
It is very interesting to read about the relationships. A modern Navy and Marine Corps from 2021 with females and several non-white officers and leaders are not necessarily well accepted by 1942 society (roughly 50% of the 2021 forces are non-white and/or female). Violence occurs, as does a lot of intolerant interactions. It made me think both about the past and the future. It is good to see just how much has changed. It also interesting to think about the future and how much more our society will change. Current demographic trends indicate a very different racial and age make up in America. Our future world will be different.
So what are we doing to prepare our communities and clientele to prepare for this? Most of our Extension systems currently do not reflect this trend. Nor do significant chunks of our current clientele. What about future clientele? What about our youth programs that need to be prepared to work in the future? This just adds to Extensions ongoing struggle of expanding into new clientele bases without disenfranchising important existing bases.
It’s not a quick read, but it is relevant to gaining a better understanding of where we’ve been and where we are going. And to realize social change is possible. We already know what much of the US and the world will look like. We just need to start with changing ourselves. If you’re over 30 you can start by watching bits and pieces of MTV.