Reflection of EdL 755

It is hard to believe that the semester is almost done. When I reflect on EDL 755 Technology, Culture and Learning course, I am amazed at all I have learned and adapted into my work and school life. I must admit the first day of class was daunting for me. I didn’t realize that this course was going to be a hands on learning class. My perception was that the course was going to be more theory based. I was a little overwhelmed on that first night of class when I couldn’t even figure out how to turn on my computer! My experience was based on using PCs and relatively no knowledge on how to use an Apple computer. Thankfully, I had a fellow classmate who took pity on me. Sam came to my rescue and never made me feel inferior for not knowing the simplest things on using the computer. After the first class, my comfort level increased significantly. This was due to Dr. Kim posting the video tutorials of what we were going to do in class the night prior. I was able to view these tutorials at my own pace, so when we went through them in class I was able to follow along.

There are several Web 2.0 tools I am now using in my work and school life. The top three that I have utilized are Screencast-O-Matic, website development and survey tool on Google Docs. Screencast-O-Matic was a godsend for me in my EDL 794 Seminar course. The final project was to create a movie reflecting on the Educational Leadership Masters degree program at UW-Oshkosh. I had no idea how to create a movie and how to take different media and combine them into one piece. Thankfully, Dr. Kim showed us how to use Screencast-O-Matic, which integrated all of the parts of the media I had created into one fluid whole. In EDL 755, I learned how to use Prezi, which was an integral part of my project. This Web 2.0 program enabled me to easily upload the documents and video clips into one document. In addition, I am also excited to use Screencast-O-Matic in enhancing the websites I manage at the college. I am a visual learner and know firsthand how helpful it is to have tutorials to facilitate learning. My plan is to use Screencast-O-Matic in making tutorials on the NEW Manufacturing Alliance and North Coast Marine Manufacturing Alliance’s websites, so job seekers are able to understand how to fill out the ‘Network Profile’ form. This application form provides job seeker the opportunity to connect with over 80 employers that have job openings within their companies.

Google Docs was another important tool I learned in the program. I oversee a healthcare alliance that has been struggling to find a low cost website to house their work product. I was relieved to learn that Google Docs has the ability for someone to create their own website at no cost. I looked like a hero to the alliance members when I told them about the free website. In addition, on the North Coast Marine Manufacturing Alliance’s website, I created a Google Doc survey form for companies that are interested in joining the organization. If I had to go to the website developer, it would have cost the organization hundreds of dollars to create a membership form. Google Docs to the rescue again!

I especially enjoyed reading the books that were assigned in the course. Misa (2010) “Leonardo to the Internet” helped me see more holistically the changes in technology over the centuries. At first I thought, “What does Leonardo da Vinci have to do with a class on computers?” Needless to say, he was extremely influential in leading man to great breakthroughs in technology. I also enjoyed the discussion of whether technology caused culture to change. I agree with Misa (2010) statement “It is a mistake to believe that technology by itself ‘causes’ change, because as argued above technology is not only a force for but also a product of social and cultural change” (Misa, 2010, p. 315).

The month of November was pressure-filled with needing to read two books in one month and write reflection papers for both. I was relieved that both books were engaging and made it a pleasure instead of a chore to read. Nicholas Carr’s (2010) book, “The Shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains,” gave me a better insight in how our brains have changed in living in the digital world. As Carr (2010) stated about our brains is “Calm, focused, undistracted, the linear mind is being pushed aside by a new kind of mind that wants and needs to take in and dole out information in short, disjointed, often overlapping bursts the faster the better” (Carr, 2010, p.10). I am similar to Carr in my inability to read for any length of time. I once was vivacious reader and now struggle to read a few chapters in a book. The author reflected that maybe there is a reason why he like myself are not reading books like we once did. Carr (2010) stated, “Because of the ubiquity of text on the Net and our phones, we’re almost certainly reading more words today than we did 20 years ago, but we’re devoting much less time to reading words printed on paper” (Carr, 2010, p. 88). I also liked Carr’s description of how we are ‘skilled hunters’ as we search through the Web. As I read a webpage, I am looking for key words and clicking on hyperlinks to hunt down the topic I am researching. The problem is often this type of hunt causes our learning to be quite ‘shallow.’

Shirky (2010), “Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age” was extremely interesting to read. It discussed the benefits and challenges in living in a participatory age. Before reading this book, I never gave a lot of reflection to the problem we had due to the monopoly the media had in determining who was worthy to be published. Living in the digital age as Shirky (2010) explained “And today, the revolution is centered on the shock of the inclusion of amateurs as producers, where we no longer need to ask for help or permission from professionals to say things in public” (Shirky, 2010, p. 52). We now are free to share our thoughts and knowledge to the entire world. A fun YouTube animated video examines this new age between the internet and print media is found here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRlKol4Usxw


This cognitive surplus as Shirky (2010) describes “allow people to behave in increasingly generous, public, and social ways, relative to their old status as consumers and couch potatoes” (Shirky, 2010, p. 63). One problem is there are still ‘couch potatoes’ or in Shirky’s term ‘freeloaders’ that take from the cognitive surplus without giving back to the group. One last thought that I thought summed up the novel was Shirky’s (2010) description of our new connective tissue “In a historical eye blink, we have gone from a world with two different models of media-public broadcasts by professionals and private conversations between pairs of people-to a world where public and private media blend together, where professional and amateur production blur, and where voluntary public participation has moved from nonexistent to fundamental” (Shirky, 2010, p. 211). It truly is an exciting time to be alive.

The last activity we did in class was to compose a team paper using a Wiki. This was a great opportunity to see how to utilize a Web 2.0 tool in doing a group activity. I work on several committees that could use this tool in working on a project. By having firsthand experience in how to use this tool makes me more confident to use it with others. In conclusion, the EDL 755 Technology, Culture and Learning course has given me numerous Web 2.0 tools to utilize in my personal and work life. It truly was one of the most beneficial classes I took in the Educational Leadership Masters degree program.

Participatory Culture: Benefits & Challenges

      As I read Clay Shirky’s (2010) novel “Cognitive Surplus:  Creativity and Generosity in a Connected Age,” I was excited to think of all of the benefits that are coming out of having a participatory culture that was employing the cognitive surplus it had generated.  However there are challenges also associated with a participatory culture.  This fairly new phenomenon has changed our culture, whereas in past centuries was mostly segregated cultures.  Shirky (2010) explains, “The atomization of social life in the twentieth century left us so far removed from participatory culture that when it came back, we needed the phrase ‘participatory culture’ to describe it” (p. 19).  Some people feel that it is only the young that are engaged in this ‘participatory culture’ and believe as Shirky (2010) states “participatory behavior among the young will go away when they grow up, because work will so exhaust them that they won’t be able to do anything with their free time but ‘slump in front of the TV” (p. 12).  I believe this is not true.  Young and old are increasing being connected by the internet, a movement that is only going to increase in size and scope.  We as a society should consider the challenges also associated with a participatory culture, so we are able to determine how to address these issues.  There are three challenges that seem to be of greatest concern:  educators’ new reality of working with students in a participatory age, media’s new mandate to be more than a one way communication tool, and understanding each person’s role and responsibility in a social network.

     We as educators are in a new world that we need to consider how living in a participatory culture, especially how our students live in this participatory culture impacts how we teach and how our students learn.  I earned my undergraduate degree fifteen years ago.  How I accessed research and learned was very different than how I am doing these same things in my Masters degree.  Attending Northern Michigan University, I spent hours at the library researching and reading textbooks for my classes.  I never thought that one day I could find an answer with just typing it into Google and almost instantaneous get the answer.  In addition, now there are online study groups that bring students together, not only at the school the person is attending, but students from schools from throughout the world.  Students have access to “cognitive surplus” of knowledge, but not truly understanding the answers that magically appear on her of his screen.  As Shirk (2010) explains the “ways of coming up with the right answer that involve simply asking other people, without internalizing the process, don’t actually educate the student” (p. 148).  In the novel, he explains the problem that arose with Ryerson College about this virtual study group.  Shirky (2010) found “The community at Ryerson (and indeed, at all educational institutions) has nothing left but to forge a new bargain, explaining to students which modes of sharing are okay and which aren’t” (p. 150). 

    

     Another example of this participatory learning is a friend of mine’s daughter’s experience as a freshman at a private university in Wisconsin.  Her daughter emailed her reflection paper for one of her classes to a friend, who ended up cutting and pasting a few of the thoughts on her own paper.  Needless to say, fifteen years ago that same student would have had to physically ‘cut and paste,’ which would have been easy to identify which person had the original thought and which person did not.  Both students were reprimanded by their teacher for plagiarism, because the professor could not determine who the author of the thought was.  Fortunately, the young women did confess that she was the person that took the information from her friend.  The amazing thing was that this student did not realize that using her friend’s “cognitive surplus” was wrong.  She agreed with her friends thoughts and believed she could use that information on her paper.  This is another example that we as educators need to be explicit in what sharing is allowed and what sharing it not.

     The media is also finding challenges in living in this participatory age.  The two greatest challenges to the media are no longer having a monopoly on who is or is not published and the public demands to have media have a two way communication with the viewer.  Before the internet and Web 2.0 tools, individuals were at the mercy of media to publish their thoughts.  As Shirky (2010) explains, “Publishing used to be something we had to ask permission to do; the people whose permission we had to ask were publishers.  Not anymore” (p. 46).  There is a concern as Shirky (2010) warns that “Increasing freedom to publish does diminish average quality” (p. 47).  One example of this is ‘Lolcat.’  Lolcat is a website that has a picture of a cat, in which people can put a witty (but unfortunately in most cases a stupid) caption over the cat’s head.  Shirky (2010) explained, “Formed quickly and with a minimum of craft, the average lolcat image has the social value of a whoopee cushion and the cultural life span of a mayfly” (p. 18).  However it is wrong to think that just because we have more outlets of thoughts that there is less quality.  Our society often equates scarcity with quality.  As Shirky (2010) explains, “Scarcity is easier to deal with than abundance, because when something becomes rare, we simply think it more valuable than it was before.”  He added, “When a resource is scarce, the people who manage it often regard it as valuable in itself, without stopping to consider how much of the value is tied to its scarcity” (p. 49-50).  There are differences between professional and amateur media, but we need to note that one is not better than the other, it is only different.  One difference is that professional media is focused on making money for the product, whereas amateur media is often not trying to earn money.  One concern is that there can be as Carr’s defines “digital sharecropping” as found in Shirky (2010).  It states, “With digital sharecropping, the platform owners get the money and the creators of the content don’t, a situation Carr regards as manifestly unfair” (p. 57).  An example found in Shirky (2010) of digital sharecropping is AOL.

     Another problem the public had with the monopoly that the media had was having the ability to mass distribute what the author had created when the media chose it was not worthy of publication.  Shirky (2010) added, “In those days, anyone could produce a photograph, a piece of writing or a song, but they had no way to make it widely available.  Sending messages to the public wasn’t for the public to do, and lacking the ability to easily connect with one another, our motivation to create was subdued” (p. 61).  This new age provides us the ability to bypass the media and mass distribute our thoughts to not only a local or national audience, but a global audience.  There are numerous examples of mass distribution of individual’s creations including YouTube, Flickr and Blogs.  One question I have is YouTube going to have its own “Academy Awards” of the videos that are posted on its website?  This awards show would truly be the everyday man’s award show.  The event should be aired on the computer, not on television.  The trophy could be an old picture tube from a television, symbolizing the end of this media and the movement towards media viewing on the computer.

     Media is starting to understand that many viewers do not want a one way communication with what they are watching, but a two way communication.   The audience is demanding that as Shirky (2010) states “Media that’s targeted at you but doesn’t include you may not be worth sitting still for” (p. 213).  One television show that realized the power of engaging its viewership was “Lost.”  As Dan Hill explained in his essay found in Shirky (2010), “the viewers of that show weren’t just viewers—they collaboratively created a compendium of material related to that show called Lostpedia.  Even when they are engaged in watching TV, in other words, many members of the networked population are engaged with one another, and this engagement correlates with behavior other than passive consumption (p. 11).  YouTube is another example of this interactive media, whereas people can post their comments about the video and rank it.  In the future, it will be ever important for media to evolve from this one way communication medium to one that Shirky (2010) describes as “consuming, producing and sharing side by side, and that those possibilities are open to everyone” (p. 213).  

     The third challenge of living in a participatory culture is having all of the members of that culture understand their role and responsibilities attached to being part of this culture.  Social networking websites have numerous people with different motivations accessing the site.  It truly is a new age where people of common interests can connect not only with one another in their community, but people with common interest from throughout the world.  There are concerns that these specifically created venues need to consider.  Shirky (2010) warns “This ‘go public’ to find people who think like you strategy has created an unprecedented increase in the amount of material that is available to the public but not intended for the public - - its creators are looking not to reach some generic audience but rather to communicate with their soul mates, often within a sense of shared cultural norms that differ from those of the outside world” (p. 90).  These groups must be aware that not all of the participants have the same values as the core group.  There is also the problem of freeloading.  This is the problem of participants not sharing in the discussion, but just taking from the group’s cognitive surplus.  The reason this happens as found in Shirky (2010), “It’s easy to tell in an intimate setting who’s showing up to be part of the event, while in larger groups it’s much easier to be a looky-loo, consume without participating” (p.147). 

     These examples are why these social networking groups should have governance among its members to lessen the possibility of these problems arising in the first place.  Shirky (2010) concurs the value of governance, “unlike personal or communal value, public value requires not just a new opportunities for old motivations; it requires governance, which is to say ways of discouraging or preventing people from wrecking either the process or the product of the group (P. 177).  He adds that “There is no one-size-fits-all set of rules for governing groups that create public value” (p. 178).  EBAY is a good example of how an organization helped its community understand the value of governance by showing long-term value, in which people will continue to buy from that member, because of the establishment of a rating system of the quality of past transactions from consumers that bought from that member.  Surprisingly, it’s often the internal threats and not external threats that have the greatest impact on a social networking group.  The reason as found in Shirky (2010), “Because the biggest threat to group action is internal, voluntary groups need governance so that we can defend ourselves from ourselves; we need governance to create a space we can create in” (p. 179).  In developing these governance rules it is important to have self governance as one of the components.  Shirky (2010) explains “Public or civic value require commitment and hard work among the core group of participants” (p. 180).  Individuals in the community must understand their role and abide in the governance of the social network; if not there will surely be problems.

     I thought the question posed by Dr. Kim on “Will technology lead us to cultural uniformity or diversity” was an interesting question.  I believe that technology will lead us to diversity of thought and not cultural uniformity.  As was noted previously in this reflection paper, the media had a monopoly on thought.  Only what it deemed worthy of mass publication was shared with the public.  As Shirky (2010) states “if you were a citizen of that world, and you had something you needed to say in public, you couldn’t.  Period” (p. 61).  We are now hearing voices from a multitude of people from down the street to around the world that would never have before had the opportunity to communicate their thoughts to the masses.  I believe Shirky (2010) stated it well that “The use of tools that support public expression has gone from narrow to broad in the space of a decade.  What seemed a new channel for traditional media is actually changing it; what seemed threaten cultural uniformity is actually creating diversity” (p. 190).  It is our responsibility to utilize these tools to make our voice known.  One warning, it is also important to check the validity of what is being said, before believing it is truth at face value.  In the past, we had editors that would verify what was published was factual, in many cases we do not have this “fact-checker” on what is being published.  It is important that we as educators explain this to our students that just because it’s on the internet does not mean that it is true.  There are numerous examples on Wikipedia that have included inaccurate information and students have believed it to be true.  Overall, this new age of bringing diverse thoughts is of value to our society; however we do need to be wary of what is being said is in fact true.

     In conclusion, I believe that the connectiveness afforded by technology will lead to expanding consciousness.  Each human being has a need to be connected to other people.  In the past, we often used TV as a means of connecting us with others, namely the reason why soap operas were so popular.  Needless to say, TV is not a true one-on-one connection.  Shirky (2010) explains “We want to be connected to one another, a desire that the social surrogate of television deflects, but one that our use of social media actually engages” (p. 14).  I agree with Shirky’s (2010) novel that “Media is the connective tissue of society” (p. 54).  We want to feel needed and online communities help us feel a part of something bigger than ourselves and broaden our consciousness.  As found in Shirky (2010) “To participate is to act as if your presence matters, as if, when you see something or hear something, your response is part of the event” (p. 21).  The cognitive surplus of knowledge will grow our consciousness as Shirky (2010) found “Knowledge is the most combinable thing we human have, but taking advantage of it requires special conditions” (p. 140).  We are in the dawn of a new age where these conditions are right to increase knowledge as Dominique Foray discussed as found in Shirky (2010) “size of the community, the cost of sharing that knowledge, the clarity of what gets shared, and the cultural norms of the recipients” (p. 140).  In the end as Shirky (2010) explained, “we can now turn massive aggregations of small contributions into things of lasting value” (p. 161).  It truly is an exciting time to be alive and increase our consciousness and knowledge of the world around us. 

Trying not to be "Shallow"

As I started to read Nicholas Carr’s (2010) book, “The Shallows:  What the Internet is doing to our brains,” I was a little concerned that I would have the time needed to read the entire book and write my reflection paper by Sunday.  There was a time, a few years ago, that I was a voracious reader.  Now, reading seems to be more a chore than a luxury.  After I read Carr’s prologue, I realized I wasn’t alone.  Carr (2010) surmised “And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation” (p. 6).  It was liberating to learn that others are also experiencing the same problem as I am in immersing oneself into a book.  Carr’s novel helped explain this phenomenon of how the digital age is changing how we are assembling knowledge.      

      When I consider how knowledge is assembled in the digital age, I realize how very different it is compared to how we learned less than ten years ago.  A study reported in Carr (2010) done with students in 2008 by nGenera found “They don’t necessarily read a page from left to right and from top to bottom.  They might instead skip around, scanning for pertinent information of interest” (p.9).  I know that I am similar to these students.  I am in my last semester for my Master’s degree in Educational Leadership, over the last two years I have spent countless hours researching on the internet for my courses.  As I reflect back, I realize how often I was like Carr’s (2010) “skilled hunter” going through trying to find information; not reading from top to bottom, but scanning for key words and themes.  I agree with Phillip Davis as he surmised in Carr’s (2010) novel, “The internet may have made me a less patient reader, but I think that in many ways, it has made me smarter.  More connections to documents, artifacts, and people means more external influence on my thinking and thus on my writing” (p. 8).  It is amazing how much information can be accessed by only “clicking.”  The ease of obtaining these external sources encourages one to explore more deeply the thoughts of many divergent thoughts.  It wasn’t that long ago that research was done in the library using microfiche and card catalog files; the laborious process deterred one from researching deeply into subject manner.  The library is still the holding house of information; however it is evolving to have more computers available to access information outside the walls of the library instead of only what is inside.  Carr (2010) explained, “The predominant sound in the modern library is the tapping of keys, not the turning of pages” (p. 97).  One does  not have to limit their research to time spent in the library, but with access to a computer and the internet one can do all of the research they need in their pajamas and slippers in their home.

No longer is our knowledge assembled in a linear thought process.  The internet is a dynamic, sidetracking and multisensory experience of learning.  The old way of learning as found in Carr (2010) was “Calm, focused, undistracted, the linear mind is being pushed aside by a new kind of mind that wants and needs to take in and dole out information in short, disjointed, often overlapping bursts the faster the better” (p.10). 

The discussion on hyperlinks in Carr’s book was especially insightful to me.  I know I have spent countless hours doing research and clicking hyperlink after hyperlink.  It always amazes me that it seems like I have only spent an hour doing research, but when I look at the clock hours have gone by.  I have no relation to time when I am clicking from one link to another.  As Carr states, “Links don’t just point us to related or supplemental works; they propel us toward them” (p. 90).  We no longer are engaged into the body of the work that we are reading for a sustained amount of time, but are innumerably diverted from the original text to supporting material that are hyperlinked to the text.  I wonder how often people read an entire article on the internet, without clicking on one of the hyperlinks until after finishing the article?  I know that I often click on a hyperlink when I come to it, if I feel it will add value to what I am researching or reading.  Carr (2010) is correct when he says “hyperlinks are designed to grab our attention” (p. 90).  The problem is as Carr (2010) explains “By combining many different kinds of information on a single screen, the multimedia Net further fragments content and disrupts our concentration” (p. 91).  Another study also found the problems inherent with hypertext.  The findings of the study as found in Carr (2010) report “hypertext readers took longer to read the story, yet in subsequent interviews they also reported more confusion and uncertainty about what they had read” (p. 127).  In fact, “Three-quarters of them said that they had difficulty following the text, while only one in ten of the linear-text readers reported such problems” (p. 127).  Another troubling study by Zhu found that “comprehension declined as the number of links increased” (p. 128).

It is amazing at how the internet is shaping how knowledge is assembled in all different types of mediums.  These medium are changing its format to more closely align with the web.  Articles in newspapers and magazines are shorter.  Even television and movies are modifying its content to add web content.  Authors are also modifying how they write as Carr (2010) found, “Changes in reading style will also bring changes in writing style, as authors and their publishers adapt to readers’ new habits and expectations” (p.104). 

There are new skills needed in living in the digital age.  Thankfully our brains are able to adapt to these new skills.  Carr explains how neuroplasticity is helping us make these changes.  Before reading Carr’s book, I was not aware of “neuroplasticity.”  In Carr’s Chapter Two Vital Paths illustrates the evidence for plasticity.  Carr (2010) explains “Extensive, perpetual plasticity has been documented in healthy, normally functioning nervous systems, leading neuroscientists to conclude that our brains are always in flux, adapting to even small shifts in our circumstances and behavior” (p. 31).  Carr (2010) adds “Our brains are constantly changing in response to our experiences and our behavior, reworking their circuitry with ‘each sensory input, motor act, association, reward signal, action plan and shift of awareness” (p. 31).  There is one problem with neuroplasticity is as Carr (2010) states the “mental flexibility it grants us, it can end up locking us into rigid behaviors” (p. 34).  Being aware of this issue can help us from being stuck in these behaviors. 

      One of the new skills needed in living in the digital ages is the ability to do multi-tasking.  Multi-tasking is in; as Carr (2010) found “we have rejected the intellectual tradition of solitary, single-minded concentration, the ethic that the book bestowed on us.  We have cast our lot with the juggler” (p. 114).  In processing information in the digital age we are on information overload with multiple messages on a single computer screen.  In addition to what is on the web page we are viewing are other multiple distractions.  As Carr (2010) explained “we are plugged into an ‘ecosystem of interruption technologies’ coined by Cory Doctorow. (p. 91) - - Facebook, Twitter, text messages, etc.

      Another critical skill we need to develop in the digital age is lessening the impact as Carr (2010) contends “The web is a technology of forgetfulness” (p. 193).  There are several reasons why the web instills forgetfulness in what we are reading on the computer.  The main reason for this problem of forgetfulness is we are not processing the information into our long-term memory.  As Carr (2010) found “ “We’re able to transfer only a small portion of the information to long-term memory, and what we do transfer is a jumble of drops from different faucets, not a continuous, coherent stream from one source” (p. 125). As we click back and forth from hyperlink to clicking on an ad on the webpage to clicking on an email alert on the page we are reading, we are not allowing our brain to process a linear flow of content.  We are overloading information to our brains.  As Carr (2010) explains “The influx of competing messages that we receive whenever we go online not only overloads our working memory; it makes it much harder for our frontal lobes to concentrate our attention on any one thing” (p. 194). 

The overload in our brains is due to two main sources, according to Sweller, as found in Carr (2010) are ‘extraneous problem-solving and divided attention.  Those also happen to be two of the central features of the Net as an informational medium.” (p. 125).  As we process information we must as Kandel writes as found in Carr (2010), “For a memory to persist the incoming information must be thoroughly and deeply processed” (p. 193).  We as learners must as Wallace stated in Carr (2010), “It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience” (p. 195).  We must realize that plasticity impacts how our brain works.  As Carr (2010) explains “Thanks once again to plasticity of our neuronal pathways, the more we use the Web, the more we train our brain to be distracted—to process information very quickly and very efficiently but without sustained attention” (p. 194).  Needless to say we cannot stop this information overload as we use the internet.  We can control how we utilize the content on the web in order to have a greater long-term understanding of what we learned.  If we take the time to read the entire content of the article we are reading and then use the hyperlinks for additional learning, will facilitate a better understanding of the original content.  If we do not allow ourselves to be drawn away from the content we are reading when we get a new Facebook or email alert, we can remain focused on the content at hand.  I believe Carr’s analogy of the clock is appropriate for the internet.  He contends that once the public started using clocks it dictated to us “In deciding when to eat, to work, to sleep, to wake up, we stopped listening to our senses and started obeying the clock” (p. 211).  The internet has also done this by being our all in all in.  As Carr (2010) explains “The electronic revolution is approaching its culmination as the computer—desktop, laptop, handheld—becomes our constant companion and the Internet becomes our medium of choice for storing, processing, and sharing information in all forms, including text” (p.76).  We are never far from it and feel lost if it is not near.  We need to be mindful that we do not let our technology control us.

One last thought.  The internet is an incredible resource that we are privilege to use.  However, I work with the Bay Area Workforce Development Board (BAWDB).  The BAWDB is a non-profit organization that receives federal tax dollars to fund training for job seekers, along with staffing the job centers in ten counties in northeast Wisconsin.  One of its greatest challenges is to help job seekers who are in their 40s or older learn how to utilize the computer and internet.  Many employers are having all their job listings posted on their webpage.  In order to apply for a position, the job seeker must fill out an online form.  Many of these job seekers are not skilled in even turning on a computer, let alone surf the web and fill out an online job application.  The government needs to consider how to help all of the public be not only reading and math literate, but also computer literate.  Training dollars need to be invested to help all people be able to navigate the technological age that we now live in.  If not, there will be many people left behind that are valuable members of society, but cannot function in this new technological age. 

Leonardo to the World Wide Web

When I consider the question, “Does our world create technology or does technology create our world?” it lends itself to another infamous question, “What came first the chicken or the egg?”  There may not be one definitive answer for either question, however I believe in most instances our world creates technology.  Throughout Misa’s (2011) book, “Leonardo:  Technology & Culture from the Renaissance to the Present” gave numerous examples how the needs of the world caused technology to be created. 

Over the centuries there were different world players that drove technology to meet its needs.  In the age of Leonardo da Vinci it was the courts.  I was surprised to learn that Leonardo da Vinci was seen more in his day as a military engineer and architect than an artist.  He provided the courts the technology to attain victories in battle.  The courts in the Renaissance view of technology were different than industry and commerce’s views in later centuries.  As Misa (2011) states, “Their dreams and desires focused the era’s technologists on warfare, city building, courtly entertainment and dynastic displays” (p. 13).  I saw firsthand one of Leonardo da Vinci’s incredible technological feats, the double spiral staircase in the Chateau de Chambord in France. 

The next age for technology came driven by commerce.  In this era was capitalistic, but it was not industrialists that led the movement.  The expansion for commerce in Europe began in Italy and then spread to Antwerp, Amsterdam and London.  The later cities mentioned flourished primarily due to the trading networks it developed throughout Asia, Africa and the New World.  The technologies developed during this age as Misa (2011) explained “innovative ship designs, import-processing techniques, and a host of financial innovations reflected these commercial impulses, just as attack chariots, court automata, and princely palaces expressed the court vision of Renaissance patrons of technologies” (p. 34).  There was a genuine purpose why these technologies were developed in order to meet the needs of enhancing commerce.  One example of this ingenuity was the design of the Dutch fluyts for the herring industry. 

The first and second industrial revolution also had drivers that created technology to meet the needs for its purposes. For empire building in the mid to late 1800s, as Misa (2011) states “New technologies were critical to both the penetration phase of empire, in which the British deployed steam-powered gunboats and malaria-suppressing quinine to establish settlements inland beyond the coastal trading zones” (p. 98).  The second industrial revolution spawned new technologies in which technologist focused on improving, stabilizing and entrenching existing systems rather than entirely new ones.  This was done by patent laws, corporate ownership, industrial research laboratories and engineering education.  The drivers from this era were industrialists using science and systems.  In 1900 there were hundreds of laboratories.  General Electric was at a period of time where its Edison-era patents were expired.  It employed a significantly important engineer Willis Whitney who conducted research work relevant to the company’s commercial concerns.  His leadership was the driver of GE’s technological breakthrough of the gas-filled light bulb. 

In the twentieth century, technology was born in a great part by the needs of the military.  Misa (2011) called this age “The Means of Destruction” (p. 190).  The many technologies developed including the nuclear bomb, transistors to the Defense Department’s ARPANET.  It is interesting to consider what our world would be like if there weren’t any wars.  Would we have the same technology that we do now? 

            There are examples where through discovery technology creates our world and truly changes the culture.  As Misa (2011) explains “Renaissance-era geometrical perspective and moveable-type printing through to today’s Internet, change how humans communicate” (p. 305).  It immeasurable changed everything.  Each one of these technologies altered the world into a totally different place than it was prior to the discovery.  Just think, how differently our world would look if all of the computers were removed from the earth (including cell phones).  How we work, communicate and learn would be altered significantly. 

            New technologies come from many different agents of change.  These agents include as Misa (2011) describes, “Agents of change, such as inventors, engineers , industrialists, government officials, and even social movements, typically create new demands through marketing or advertising efforts and by enlisting the promotion, procurement, and regulatory activities of government” (p. 306).  Others that were driving new technologies were the modernists, whom spearhead efforts to shape our world into the modern culture.      

            It’s interesting to consider the different geographical regions and why some of these regions spurred and became a breeding ground for innovation.  In the same sense, it is interesting why some geographic regions squelched innovation.  An excellent example of this difference in one region promoting innovation and another stalling innovation is the region of Western Europe and Asia regarding the printing press.  The invention of the printing press was one of the most important discoveries in the history of mankind.  Information could be shared within a region as well as throughout the world.  Moveable type was first developed in China by Pi Sheng in 11^th century and later perfected by Wang Cheng in 1314.  What should

have spread throughout the world was blocked by the Arab world, due to its belief that the words of Allah must only be done by handwriting.  Interestingly, Misa (2011) found “The first Arabic-language book printed in Cairo, Egypt, did not appear until 1825” (p. 20).  Over one hundred years after Cheng’s innovation on moveable type, Johann Gutenberg was recognized in 1450 as being the inventor of moveable type.  The governments in Europe instead of suppressing innovation like the Arab world embraced it. 

Other Western European countries also were breeding grounds, including Holland that developed shipping "traffics,” which led to global dominance.  It needed technological advances in ship building to accommodate the needs of commercial trading vessels.  The British Empire is another example of being a geographic region stronghold of innovation and technology.  England had several things in its favor.  One it had access to raw materials through the settlement of colonies and another place to sell goods.  It also had the resources needed to industrialize including coal, iron and multiple sources of water power.  One can also look at the 20^th century as another time for certain geographic regions having a focus on technology and innovation.  The Cold War brought the USSR and United States in a contest to see who could invent the first spaceship to land on the moon and develop weapons that would protect its country from the other county.  In the 21^st century we now have globalization as the driver of spurring innovation throughout the world, no longer tying this to a specific country or region.

            There are numerous examples of how technology has evolved.  In the Science and Systems age, the evolution of technological systems emerged by now stabilizing large-scale systems rather than inventing new ones.  Leaders in science fought this evolution including Edison and Thomson.  It was industrialists that willed this change like J.P. Morgan and Higginson. It brought on the birth of organized capitalism.  This evolution of technology also evolved society.  As Misa (2004) states “built from science-based technologies, altered merely how goods were produced and consumed but also how industrial society evolved” (p.128).  A breakthrough concept for this time period what was done only in the laboratory, were now transfigured into consumer products. 

Other examples of how technology has evolved are the numerous examples of how the same technology evolved into different purposes for the same product/innovation.  Throughout the centuries, many of the technologies that were developed were specific to fighting wars.  These technologies then evolved for uses for the public.  One example of this is the ARPANET evolved to the worldwide web.   

            In conclusion, Misa (2011) novel “Leonardo Technology & Culture from the Renaissance to the Present” was a very interesting historical perspective about technology.  I must admit when I first started reading the book, I thought “What does Leonardo da Vinci have to do with computers?!”  I realize that I had a very narrow understanding of the definition of “technology,” which doesn’t only mean “computers.”  I now appreciate his broad interpretation of the word “technology.”  As Misa (2011) explains “my underlying goal has been to display the variety of technologies, to describe how they changed across time, and to understand how they interacted with societies and culture” (p. 300).  Technology has impacted all our lives throughout the ages and because of this it is important that we understand the historical perspective.  I cannot imagine what other technological advances will happen in the next five years and how differently our world will change. 

Helping All Learning Styles

Once again, I am amazed at all of the useful Web 2.0 tools that I had no idea existed.  The class on October 4, 2011 gave me so many exciting (new to me) tools that I now have numerous ideas on how to implement them into my daily work life.

I am especially excited about using Screencast-O-Matic.com into my work for the two industry sector partnerships that I help coordinate.  Both the Northeast Wisconsin Manufacturing Alliance (www.newmfgalliance.org) and North Coast Marine Manufacturing Alliance (www.northcoastmma.org) have a section on the website where job seekers can post their resume and fill out an application.  The Alliance manufacturers then review their information and contact the job seeker about occupational opportunities they would be qualified for at that company. 

I was at a Veteran’s Job fair called, “Hiring Our Heroes” at Lambeau Field on Saturday.  I met with over 60 service men and women about job opportunities within the 80 companies I represent.  The Alliances employ over 30 percent of the manufacturing workforce in northeast Wisconsin.  I have numerous job openings in all types of occupational fields in manufacturing.  At the job fair, I was explaining how the Veterans can post their information on the website.  I gave them written instructions on how to go back to the website and post their “network profile.”  I believe the website is not difficult to navigate, but having a video using Screencast-O-Matic.com would provide me the opportunity to post a video tutorial on how job seekers can network with manufacturers by using the online resume/application posting tool.  There are directions written down on the website on how to post the job seekers information, however not everyone learns via written directions.  Using the Screencast-O-Matic.com tool, will provide visual learners the opportunity to understand the process of posting their information in their preferred learning style.  I am also a visual learner and I know that I would prefer watching a tutorial than reading the directions.  I know I have been helped immensely by Dr. Kim’s tutorials that she posts prior to EDL 755’s Tuesday class. 

I also believe that this tutorial video of how job seekers can post their “network profile” will be helpful for Job Center staff.  In Job Centers throughout the Bay Area Workforce Development Board, the Alliances website is a hot link on the computers in the Job Center.  If you have been to a Job Venter in the past year, you know how extremely busy it is in the building.  Job Center staff has not a lot of time to explain how to post a job profile on the Alliances’ websites.  Having a video will alleviate some of the time staff has to take explaining the websites.

I also enjoyed learning about Pixlr.  In my work, I am creating numerous brochures, flyers and presentations.  All of these usually have photographs.  I’m excited about being able to manipulate the photographs I use and modify them more to my needs.  The ease of use was amazing.  Even someone like me who is technology-challenged was able to create some imaginative pictures that without this tool would have been impossible.  I believe I will be able to save a significant amount of time in my work day by being able to take a photograph that isn’t perfect to what I need and modify it to what I do need.  Before I knew about Pixlr, I would have spent a significant amount of time rifling through dozens of photographs to find the perfect image. 

When I consider how visual learning tools impact our learning in society and the college I work for, I realize that we are in a new age to enhance how we communicate with students.  As I had shared earlier in this blog, there are different types of learners:  visual, written and hands-on.  Visual learning tools provide visual learners the opportunity to learn in their preferred learning style.  As educational institutions, it is important to find ways to instruct in different types of methods to meet the different needs of each student.  I also believe that we as educators shouldn’t eliminate our past learning tools, because of the new technology available.  Sometimes in the excitement of having a new high-tech tool, we eliminate past learning tools as being passé.  Educators should try and utilize both, because we are working with different types of learners. 

This week, I plan on using Screencast-O-Matic.com in videotaping my tutorial for the NEW Manufacturing Alliance website and using Pixlr for a brochure I need to create about the North Coast Marine Manufacturing Alliance.  I can’t wait to get started!

Time to Tweet

I am trying to determine how to use Twitter in my profession.  I believe in order for the Twitter site to be valued, you need to keep it current and active on a daily basis.  I just don't know if I have the time to incorporate Twitter into my daily life.  One use for Twitter would be to Tweet on career exploration targeted at students.  However, I know several schools in the area are not allowing students access to social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook.  So I am perplexed on whether the time commitment is worth the work.

I have two Linked In groups that I oversee.  The two groups are the NEW Manufacturing Alliance and North Coast Marine Manufacturing Alliance.  I try and have a weekly update on both Linked In websites.  However, I only share information that I feel is of value to the members who are part of the website.  Recently I saw a post from a person that was complaining that the posts of another social media website were more spam-like than valued information.  This person was going to cancel his membership in the group.  I believe there needs to be a balance of good information, not just posting for the sake of posting. 

I feel that social media websites are a good resource for information.  The concern is having valuable content, so it is worth the readers time.  Each member of a Linked In group probably has many groups they can follow.  It is important to continue to have strong content to keep people coming back to the site.  I believe this form of social media will continue to grow and understanding how to maximize how to use it is imperative.

5 Higher Ed Tech Trends To Watch in 2011 | The Sloan Consortium

In this week's assignment, we learned how to use Diigo.  Before this class, I thought "Diigo" was the name to a song about a dog, but had one extra "i" instead of an "n" (D I N G O).  I know that there are several uses that I can incorporate into my daily work using Diigo. 

One of my job duties is writing grants.  I often need statistical data and other related research in writing a grant proposal.  I have so many websites and articles that I have on my favorites that sorting through them all takes a considerable amount of time.  Using Diigo, I can know sort my library of materials into key words and pull retrieve only focus on what I am currently working on for the grant proposal.  I also need this information when I am writing press releases and needing a few facts for the article I am writing. 

I see other uses for Diigo.  I work on several committees or work groups that sharing research and informative websites is an important function of my job.  I'm excited about sharing Diigo with my team members in how to use Diigo with them.  As they are doing research and finding informative articles and websites, they can in turn share this information with me.  I likewise can do the same for them.  I also like the feature that I do not need to read the entire article, but highlight what is important. 

My first experience in using Diigo was researching topics related to "technology and higher education."  I found two interesting articles on future trends in technology in higher education.  The first article discussed the increasing demand of using The Cloud:  5 Higher Ed Tech Trends To Watch in 2011 | The Sloan Consortium.

"The Cloud Computing Movement Will Continue."  "Investing  in purchase-and-install software is falling by the wayside as institutions catch  onto the value of using "cloud" applications that are housed (and accessed)  online. Not only are these options more affordable and easier to implement, but  they also include vast storage capacity that can be used for, say, portfolio  assessments. "Using cloud computing, schools can create large collections of  loosely-sorted data (such as school records, written documents and even video  recordings)," said Bob Spielvogel, CTO at EDC, a Newton, MA-based nonprofit  that creates programs to address educational challenges, "and then utilize that  information to track project activity and conduct portfolio assessments across the student's entire college career." With these and other uses gaining ground in the higher education space, expect cloud computing's popularity to grow in 2011." 

Unfortunately for me, I do not have a clue about what "The Cloud" is.  This article reinforces the need to have a better understanding of what "The Cloud" is and how to use this tool in higher education.  The second article on trends to watch is the top 12 cool collaborative web tools in higher ed:  12 Cool-laborative Web 2.0 Tools -- Campus Technology.

I was very interested when I was reading this article, because one of the top web tools listed is called, "Join.Me."  I have heard of this web tool and have been meaning to do some research about it for the last four months.  This gave me a great opportunity to link school and work together.  The article stated,

"Enter join.me  in your browser, and you're on your way to sharing your screen with anyone with whom you share the access code. Join.me also allows you to transfer control to allow others to interact with applications running on your screen. A phone conference feature lets everyone looking at your screen dial in to a common call."

I am excited to experiment with this tool to assist those committee members that cannot attend, because of travel time the ability to participate in meetings.

I was also interested in the topic of blended education.  I have really enjoyed the blended education I have had access to at UW Oshkosh.  I know that if the entire program was offered only in a traditional format of on campus instruction, I would not have pursued my degree.  I enjoyed the article in Education.com:  Technology and Higher Education | Education.com."  The article spotlighted the benefits of blended instruction.

"The University of Central Florida has strategically implemented blended learning  into its institutional practice. “They’re really the leader in terms of an  institutional strategy,” Owston says. “They’ve found that students by far and  large tend to prefer this. And it’s cut down on capitol—they’re able to make  better use of existing resources.

”Garrison’s recent research has also focused on blended learning. “There a lot of  evidence to suggest that it’s even more effective than other learning  environments,” he says. “It combines two kinds of communication—face-to-face  verbal communication and online written communication. It’s a more rigorous and  enhanced way to learn, Garrison says." 

I believe blended education will continue to be a preferred learning environment for many students and more colleges will offer this as one of its learning options.

Another interesting article was the importance of incorporating learning into the learning environment for students.  A study found, "38% of College Students Can't Go 10 Minutes Without Tech [STATS]."  The study found:

"Seventy-three percent of them said they would not be able to study without some  form of technology, and 38% said that they could not even go more than 10  minutes without checking their laptop, smartphone, tablet or ereader."

I am now teaching some classes at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College.  I plan on incorporating more technology into what I am doing in the classroom.

The last article I found was related to mobile apps.  I work with the Marketing department at the college and we are exploring purchasing campus mobile app.  The article, "As Mobile Devices Multiply, Some Colleges Turn Away From Building Campus Apps - Technology - The Chronicle of Higher Education" found

"Colleges have been using mobile apps, but there is now a new single mobile web site that can provide the same service for significantly less.  College officials who favor mobile Web sites say that developing apps is  getting too expensive. It can require creating and updating multiple versions of  a single program, one for iPhones and another for Android phones, for instance.  By contrast, a single mobile Web site can work with all kinds of devices,  potentially lowering development costs."

I will be sharing this information at my next meeting with the Marketing Department.

This course has been invaluable at broading my very limited knowledge of technology.  I know that I will be using Diigo on a daily basis in my work.