Chasing the Dragon's Tale

Every day that the presidential campaigns stumble along, it becomes clearer to me that we're not likely to hear/see substantive debate on national issues. The internet may become THE place where positions and details see daylight and, as long as the mainstream media continues to binge on sound bites, that isn't likely to change.

Which brings me to an article in Inc. magazine that looks a little deeper into what we might expect from the two major candidates in the area of technology: Read the article. It may be one of the best definitions of the generational differences between a digital native and a digital immigrant.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

There is some interesting commentary floating around the blogosphere regarding connected/disconnected vacations. This one, directed more at students, suggests that summer is a great time for, "From exploring a potential career field through volunteering or interning, to making valuable contacts, the more meaningful your summer experiences, 'the more confident you’ll become in both your own abilities and your career choices'.” I agree with that scenario...it worked decades ago for me and more recently for my daughter.

Oddly, my wife and I have talked at length about a similar approach to explore options for post-normal-working-career years (often referred to as retirement) to discover what the world has to offer in the way of an active, productive, satisfying, and fun engagement..say at age 67. I don't suppose it hurts that many of those conversations happened while lounging around a pool or on the beach.

And just for the record, porcelain clay dries extremely fast on the beach in warm gulf breezes (image on left)...that misting bottle for keeping cool is a necessary tool to keep your clay workable (my high tech advice of the day).

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We are encouraged to take the alloted days of vacation provided in the terms of our employment. I support that idea but admit that I (along with many other IT professionals) prefer to define vacation as a period of time when being connected to the office is defined by me rather than an administrative clock. A recent eweek.com article asks, "Has the Disconnected Vacation Become Extinct" suggests that 80% of IT workers check in with work while they are on vacation. Here is the kicker in the article:

More and more workers are lately stepping forward and suggesting that being able to unshackle themselves from their PDAs and laptops while on vacation is actually a sign that they're doing their job well.

According to the article, "The clear demarcation that once existed between work and personal life has all but dissolved." That is me and I am OK with that. It does bring some pause to ask what happens if one or the other is no longer fun. Can a disconnected vacation be resurrected from the entanglement of today's technology?

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The Daily Mail (UK) offers up Silver surfers beat the young as Web wizards:

So-called "silver surfers" dedicate an average of 42 hours a month to the World Wide Web, compared with 37.9 hours among 18 to 24-year-olds.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

The people over at go.funpic.hu posted the image on the left. A close Nashville geek friend alerted me via email (thanks, Bob). If ever an image defined "generational technology gap", I believe this one comes closer than anything I have ever seen. This one will show up in a presentation slide/video, I guarantee it. So many metaphors, so much sarcasm, and a touch of irony...this is irresistible!

I am off to ponder, "How shall I best use this image". Microsoft, fasten your seatbelt!


(Warning: some other images on go.funpic.hu are not suitable for children or General office audiences...and I know you'll rush over there in spite of the warning *grin*).

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Blame that prediction on a quip by Bruce Sterling at this year's South-by-Southwest conference. It is a translation of:

"I don't think there will be that many around in 10 years"

Although I believe the failure rate for blogs is a good indicator that the "coolness" of having a blog fades for about 60% of those who start blogging, there are notable exceptions of success that may be indicators that blogs will survive adolescence and will mature into something even better than a one-to-many publishing tool. If I could re-purpose Bruce Sterling's quip, I would say that blogs as we know them now will evolve into something (or multiple 'things') far more powerful in 10 years and will bear little resemblance to the current delivery system.

Blogs have been able to accomplish a level of online community building (even learning community building) that discussion boards, list-serves, and chat rooms have struggled to achieve. And no, I do not have hard evidence to back that statement. I have observed a serendipitous trend in some blogging communities where individuals who may never have met in-person actually choose to meet-up as a result of connections made via aggregated blogging communities. Oddly enough, many of these individuals (and groups) may rake each other over ithe coals via posts and comments but manage to demonstrate a friendly (or at least civil) level of respect and understanding when meeting in-person. For me, that is encouraging and I see it as a positive model for community discourse.

More on this later...

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:25 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

From one of my favorite movies:

Smee: I've just had an apostrophe.
Captain Hook: I think you mean an epiphany.
Smee: No... lightning has just struck my brain.
Captain Hook: Well, that must hurt.

The lightning strike came from conversations that followed my presentation on Belmont's recent experience in preparing an online, electronic exhibit room/web site for NCATE accreditation. My definition of technology in education has been fractured. I dare to generalize that most of the TACTE members are not assimilated into the world of online communities, blogs, social networks, or Twitter*. On the other hand, I sensed a keen desire to know how technology can facilitate the jobs of teachers and administrators. Of the approximately 40 higher education institutions represented in the room, only two have experienced an electronic accreditation process...but the concensus is that electronic assessments are a reality. The questions that I fielded following my presentation revealed a huge gap between those who are frightened by the idea that they might have to create an online assessment and those who embrace the idea as an arena for personal growth.

Let me get back to my fractured definition of technology in education. Echoing through my brain (no doubt due to a Smee-like lightning strike) is something that one of the speakers said about students. His comment was something like ,"students are distracted...they are wired-up with little headphones...they are anxious to talk on their cell phones...they are text messaging each other on hand-held devices...and they are telling their teachers that they are bored." I believe every word from this speaker and I believe the students as well. For me, these comments expose a generational gap in the diffusion of technologies between current teacher educators and the students in the classroom. While my generation is still trying to figure out how to use technology to improve the quality of their professional lives (and indirectly improve the education of students), students are integrating technology into their lives at a much faster pace and in ways that are foreign to their teachers. Closing that gap and venturing into the world of online transparency is scary, uncomfortable, and requires a commitment of time that most teachers (and teacher educators) can not justify. Although I stand on the extreme perimeter believing that we should be teaching future educators how to teach their students to use technology for more than word processing, spreadsheets, and PowerPoint; I understand the disparities between socio-economic situations well enough to know that many students would be left behind. Somehow, feeling that a generation of students who are left behind matches up well with a generation of teacher educators who are not keeping up technologically, does not give me much comfort...nor does it help me with my technology in education definition.

I am not done yet. That is just as far as I can process for the moment. My head hurts...I may be having an apostrophe.

*At the bottom of the TACTE home page is a link to Google Groups where there is a TACTE forum...3 posts (two of which are spam), total, since October 27, 2007 2005

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This may not be a first of its kind, but Announcing The Blogging Scholarship - Scholarships Around the US looks legitimate and would be a terrific opportunity for a college student blogger to pick up an extra $1,000 just for blogging. There are a few rules and requirements, but nothing that looks out of the ordinary. If you know of a candidate, the requirements and nomination form are available on the bottom of this page.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

I am trying hard not to be offended by the flippant title of Stephanie Rosenbloom's article: I Spy; Doesn't Everyone?:

"There was a time when unearthing someone’s private thoughts and deeds required sliding a hand beneath a mattress, fishing out a diary and hurriedly skimming its pages. The process was tactile, deliberate and fraught with anxiety: Will I be caught? Is this ethical? What will it do to my relationship with my child or partner? But digital technology has made uncovering secrets such a painless, antiseptic process that the boundary delineating what is permissible in a relationship appears to be shifting."

She is right. The boundaries are not as clearly defined as they were a generation ago. I do not recall every asking my children to share the contents of a note that may have been passed across a school room full of desks or worrying about the early days of AOL's instant messaging. Unfortunately, today, there is considerable room for concern over who might be sending messages to children across various electronic media... and I believe it is important for parents to monitor what children are doing via IM, cell phone text messaging, and email. I am not so sure that it should be done without the child knowing that electronic communications might be monitored, rather than spying or snooping in a more covert fashion. That trust, however, that monitoring is about security and safety only, is a sacred trust...and if violated can be disasterous.

Continue reading "Spying, Snooping, and Monitoring" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There is a trend/prediction worth noting: all fifty year-olds aren't looking toward a sit-down retirement and many are headed Back to College. You might take a look at some of the comments that follow the story...some students are enjoying the age diversity that results from older generations appearing in the classroom.

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"For years, the one-hour photo shop was at the cutting edge of photo developing and printing technology. But that gradually changed with the advent of digital cameras and printers. As prices for digital cameras and equipment have come down, consumers chucked their old film cameras for the new technology. And that in turn has meant a sharp decline in business for many traditional photo developing shops."

I remember the days of paying a font shop to do typesetting for camera ready copy...good grief, am I a dinosaur, or what?

'just thinking about businesses that have not been able to evolve into something else and wondering how that might apply to education. Any thoughts??

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Mention facebook.com to a univerity student and be prepared for instant conversation...mention the term facebook to a faculty member (or a mom or dad) and be prepared for a deer-in-the-headlights look. Last week, I did just that with my Media Studies students at Belmont and what I gleaned from the discussion is that facebook is not a fad, but a phenomena that has spread like wildfire across US college campuses...and as one student explained, it is apparently "useless to resist". Everyone eventually signs up.

Continue reading "The Facebook Generation and How We View One Another" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (3)

Charlie over at Charlie411 is hopeful that 2006 will see an increase in the number of seniors who join the blogosphere...and his assessment of the generational gap is on target:

"One reason for this may lie in the fact that youngsters have grown up with rapidly advancing technology, as opposed to experiences of their elders. Or, maybe people of my era just don't feel the need to express themselves endlessly on a plethora of topics."

Handwritten letters and diaries were the order of the day for Charlie's generation and personal expression tended to be, well, personal and not something that was broadcast.

Since joining the Ageless Project a year or so ago. I have noticed a major jump in the number of bloggers who claim birthdays in the 1950's. The number has swelled to 16 or so from the 4 or 5 when I first discovered the listing...and I suspect that there are many more who simply are not aware (or particularly interested) that there is such a site. I'm with Charlie on this, I would like to see more seniors listed (and that would include Charlie as well).

Continue reading "Charlie 411 and the Search for Ageless Bloggers" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 03:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

I find it interesting when newspapers fill the empty spaces between political punditry and crime news with stories about technology in the classroom (insert snark). Two such articles appeared recently: an IndyStar.com article, Teachers' new pet is today's technology and The Gainesville Sun article, Keeping up with Tech-Savy College Students. In all fairness, both artcle provide a fair assessment of where technology use is today, but I sense generational differences between the two perspectives.

Here's what I am talking about...

Continue reading "Generational Perspectives on Adopting Classroom Technology" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)

A west Georgia man gets high school diploma...and should be honored for not giving up his dream...

"Thurman Barnes, clad in his graduation robes, walked a little slowly to get his diploma Monday. He needed some help - he's 96 years old."

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 12:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

They may be banned from the classroom, however, iPods are coming (insert echo: iPods are coming)...'just wait until college students return from Christmas break! I am predicting that those little white wires dangling from ears will be the new symbolic tattoo, piercing, or exposed mid-section. There is hope. Some educators believe that the technology has possibilities:

A survey of more than 70 public and private high schools in the Indianapolis metro area showed that most do not allow electronics of any kind to be used during the school day. Rather than trying to beat it, though, some educators are joining the hand-held technology boom, allowing certain personal electronics to come to class. "Part of our professional responsibility is to understand what each generation brings into our school building," said Robert Albano, principal at Hamilton Southeastern, a high school of 2,400 in Fishers (IN) which this fall began allowing limited use of iPods and other portable music devices. "Utilizing electronic devices (is) appealing to this generation," Albano said. "Our responsibility is to be on the edge, to take risks."

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Some of the best videos I have seen on Internet safety are available online from NetSmartz...check 'em out! Be sure to view Tracking Teresa (about mid-way down the page). A wag of the tale to Daily News Tribune (Waltham, MA) - and Carrie Simmons for a good introduction to Internet safety and an extended commercial for NetSmartz.

Of the 30 million children in the United States who use the Internet, one in five received a sexual solicitation or approach over the Internet, according to a 2000 report by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, while one in 17 was threatened or harassed... An increasing number of after-school relationships are maintained through instant messenger and chat rooms, according to Sandra Roby, the district's director of educational technology. "It is really how kids communicate," she said. "It is so fascinating for them."

Parents and teachers alike would benefit from a visit to the NetSmartz web site.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

I feel so much younger today after reading the USAToday.com article, " Senior citizen bloggers defy stereotypes":

"It's too easy to sit in your own cave (good grief, they have seen my office - PMC) and let the world go by, eh?" said Vancouver's Ray Sutton, the 73-year-old Oldest Living Blogger. "It keeps the old head working a little bit so you're not just sitting there gawking at TV."...Bloggers say their hobby keeps them thinking about current events, makes them friends to strangers around the globe and gives them a voice in a society that often neglects the wisdom of the elderly.

I'm pretty sure this select group of seniors are exceptions within their respective generations, but they definitely get it, just as well as our own John Jay Hooker (bless his heart).

Joe Jenett, a Detroit-area Web designer who has been tracking the age of bloggers for a personal project called the Ageless Project, said he has noticed more older bloggers in the past two years. "Isn't that phenomenal? And their writing is vibrant," Jenett said. "The Web is diverse and it breaks across generational lines."

" In the two years since 92-year-old Ray White started Dad's Tomato Garden Journal, the blog has been viewed more than 45,000 times. Some of those who click on the site are regular readers who know they can rely on White six days a week." Even 80-year-young, Millie at My Mom's Blog received mention in the article...we exchanged emails a few month ago (I can attest to the fact that she's a sweetheart).

For anyone who want to 'pooh-pooh' a bunch of old fogeys who are writing cute stories, be aware that the AARP Blog is rapidly approaching it's first anniversary and from the looks of their Issues and Elections section, they realize the power of citizen journalism. The AARP crowd may be aging, but they will not be silent.

The quote of the day comes from Ray White: "It's just like one big family."

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Excuse me. I need to whine. This new US Census Bureau Internet Use report (16 page PDF) came out this month... it is well written and interesting, but the data is from 2003. I feel like I just opened a newly purchased box of Ritz crackers, expecting something crunchy and tasty, but ended up with stale mush sticking to my teeth. Akkk!

Whine continued: the above mentioned report is presented in a British PCpro article as NEWS:

"New figures from the US Census Bureau show that the digital divide is still alive and well across the Atlantic. While the figures are the most up to date released so far by the organisation, they are for the period 2003. But they throw up some interesting statistics nonetheless."

I believe the key words here are: throw. up.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Senator Edward Kennedy's floor statement on the death of 2000 American soldiers includes a long shopping list of items comparing the $195 million spent each day in Iraq to how that money might be spent domestically. Since one of those items involves information and communication technology, I quote it here:

One day in Iraq could close the financing gap for interoperable communications in 41 small cities, 36 mid-sized cities, or 6 large cities so that federal, state and local first responders can talk to one another during an emergency. Source: U.S. Conference Of Mayors, June 2004 Interoperability Report (PDF). (Cities under 100,000 in population needed $4.7 million on average, cities between 100,000 and 400,000 needed $5.4 million on average, and cities over 400,000 needed $30 million on average.)

In all of the reports over the last year or so from countries struggling to overcome the Digital Divide, the numbers, often quoted in the billions of dollars are difficult to comprehend. Numbers like those quoted in the Conference of Mayors study, although large, are at least digestible. The digital divide cannot be overcome with money alone, however, understanding that many of the pieces of the solution have price tags and determining those costs is a worthy endeavor.

Please do not construe my posting of this speech or this particular report as an endorsement of the Senator from Massachusetts...I have an unpleasant personal memory of an encounter with his organization that dates back to a 1972 (or '73) visit to Auburn University. Unfortunately, that memory still shades my opinions of the man's fiscal realities...ask me about it sometime.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (2)

A San Bernardino County Sun article, Seniors learn to get wired , speaks of an interesting technology gap between older senior adults and the baby boomer generation :

As Web users of the baby-boomer generation age, experts predict they won't give up their savvy ways. Governments and businesses are bracing for this so-called "silver tsunami" by making their Web pages more user-friendly.

Earlier this week, industry leaders gathered for a conference in Massachusetts called Aging By Design to discuss the impact of the elderly population on Web page design and technology. Participants, including representatives from Fidelity Investments and the Social Security Administration, presented research on the needs of older Web users.

I have been reading though the PowerPoint presentations from the Aging by Design conference and there were a couple of statistics that surprised me: First, there is mention that the fastest growing segment of internet users is over 60; Second, by 2008 over 27% of the workforce wil be over the age of 50. There are implications in higher education for both of those statistics, but I am not sure what exactly they are. For certain, baby boomers will need support and encouragement to adapt (and adopt) technologies that they did not use in college and earlier career positions.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

Back in the technology dark ages (translation: last year), before the really good email filters were commonplace, I received tons of what is known as Nigerian Fraud (419) Email. If you follow the previous link, there are some 540 different examples to choose from. My personal collection of 50+ email texts rests quietly in a scams folder on my laptop awaiting an Ig Nobel Prize worthy, qualitative research project that would wear out my soon-to-expire-copy of N6 (formerly NU*DIST)! I am confident that with research in hand, I could create a software application to generate countless variations that could spoof the fraud bearing spam...and perhaps acquire a hefty grant for doing so...ah, the delusion of it all.

Every such delusional project requires a logo (those of you who know me should not be shocked). Here's my thinking: the 419 number, so chosen for the Nigerian law identifying fraud, has already been used and the perpetrators are considered an evil, ruthless bunch. This new software would be pretty evil (probably comical), not quite as sinister (It's ME for cryin-out-loud), and created with far less (i.e. non-existent) criminal intent. So, how about 665, just shy of the devil himself? Introducing: Scam-O-Meter 665... Can't you just envision the infomercial already??

Paul's Rx: Reduce coffee intake immediately!

UPDATE: After months of not receiving one scam 419 email, today I heard from Miss Sonia Kone (Ivory Coast..yea, right) who wants to split $12.5 Million

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

OK, so I have said this before...We are fooling ourselves to believe that a student's highest priority in acquiring new technology is something educational rather than social. There. I said it. It IS a generational thing!:

For kids, technology isn’t just a productivity tool. It’s a way of expressing themselves. If they’re buying a computer, they’re more likely to care about what it looks like on the outside or if it is beefy enough to run the newest computer games.

“There is a huge generation gap on technology,” said Kathleen Gasperini, senior vice president at Label Networks, a Los Angeles youth culture marketing intelligence and research company. “Kids are growing up with electronics in every aspect of their lives, and parents just don’t understand that culture.”

Now, that doesn't mean that the "educational tool" argument won't be used against a parent for the purpose of acquiring some new technology nor does it mean that students will never use technology for learning. But watch your BS Meter peg-the-limits when something like this comes out of your student's mouth, "There are so many great lectures available on podcasts...IF I ONLY HAD AN I-POD, I could download and listen to them while working out in the gym." I would challenge anyone to count the times that overheard IPod conversations include something like, "you'll never believe how many lectures I can store on this thing!" (insert sarcasm here)

Software developers have known for years that users will do things with their creations that were never anticipated...sometimes that is good news and sometimes that is bad. So, too, goes the perspective of technology between generations, we hope for the best. It does make me wonder if the reverse psychology might work..."son, here's your new Ipod. I hope you can get all of your CD's on there...but be extremely careful about storing any lectures on it, ok?" (and try not to wink)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (3)

I am ready for real 'news' about the Digital Divide...the same studies from the Pew Internet and American Life Project keep popping up in newspapers (as filler, I suppose). One of the more recent comes from IndyStar.com: "Many hurt by digital divide want to be there, study says". If we depend solely upon the Pew statistics, "32% of american adults remain unconnected from the Internet (narrowly defining what digital divide means)." Let's expand that 32% of americans to see who is missing out:
1. 15% of non-internet users live in a household with an internet connection
2. 78% of people 70 years old and older are not using the internet
3. Blacks and those without high school education seem to lag behind
4. There is a group that is simply not interested (too busy)
5. Approximately 30% of the non-connected simply do not have access available to them.

Continue reading "Is one third of a 'divide' still a 'divide'?" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

With all due respect to the Soup Nazi, technology can now help parents control what their child may purchase (and when) in the school lunch room via MealPay. I am scratching my head on this one, remembering back when lunch money was a last minute panic as my children walked out the door headed for school each day...without the least concern over what they might actually do with that money. MealPay allows a parent to monitor what foods (i.e. how many desserts, drinks, pizza) that are purchased at school and actually reject that second dessert at the cash register.

Three thoughts:
1. What does this teach a child about responsibility?
2. What does this say about the food that is available in the lunch line?
3. Aren't there more important things to monitor in a child's education that what he/she has for lunch?

Honestly, I do not have a problem with a technology that will help a child monitor spending habits (that sounds like something in the real world)...I do have issues with Big Brother scenarios in cases like this. I'll be quiet now...it is too early in the week to vent.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Leading Educational and Blog Search Companies Launch Safe Blogging Tool for Schools "Schools demand a safe, collaborative environment for their communication and Web browsing needs," said Tim DiScipio, chairman and co-founder of ePALS Classroom Exchange. "The combination of ePALS's large global classroom community and collaboration technologies and PubSub's unique prospective search capabilities allow us to bring safe, secure blogging to teachers, students, and schools worldwide for international cross-cultural collaboration and project sharing. More than 80,000 new blogs are created every day; for education to ignore this phenomenon would be to risk putting our kids behind the technological times. Blogs enable deeper, richer interaction among community members and encourage students to explore, express, and collaborate."

There are so many positives for students in this project...writing, thinking, global communications, collaboration. I do hope that there is fun in there somewhere...students who enjoy blogging at earlier ages will be the ones more likely to view it as a tool for other ideas, news, and commentary. It is perhaps an attitudinal change, a paradigm shift from: "Junior, go do your blog!" to something like, "Have you hugged your ePal today?"

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A proposed "Study (that) evaluates kids, technology" caught my attention with the phrase, "it will not look only at the impact of different technologies on intelligence and psychological development, but also at how they affect children's morality and social lives."

Yong Zhao, director of MSU's Center for Teaching & Technology, said many schools aren't doing a particularly good job of teaching kids how to survive in the "new world" of information technology.

"If you look at most schools, they are trying to teach kids how to use technology, but they do not help kids understand the dangers and the complexity of this environment."

"Hopefully this research can shed some light on what we can teach, how we can teach, what are the exact problems with gaming, online chatting, the whole technology environment."

I wish this team of researchers the best of luck and would love to see how they will adapt to introductions of new technology, existing technology that evolves into something different than anticipated, and older technology that takes on sub-culture characteristics from abandonment by the mainstream. I will be watching for reports from this group, this is much needed research.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Back in the dark ages when I attended an unnamed, southern, public university, the grey-haired-matriarch-dean-of-women ruled over her chaste flock, protected them from the aggressive, amorous male species, and reprimanded any associated public displays of affection (PDA's) via strenuous rules of what was acceptable behavior and what was not. Today at Wake Forest University, we witness a similar, non-sexual-revolution, 'Little' Experiment in the world of (PDA's), Personal Digital Assistants.

There are behavioral patterns here. My generation and newer generations will agree on these, regardless of PDA definition (with a small dose of sarcastic irony on my part):
1. PDA is acceptable in specific locations
2. Faculty find too much PDA to be distracting and/or annoying
3. PDA remains a method for one gender to connect with another
4. Those new to PDA can find it perplexing

Without getting all Freudian over this, I believe that PDA (the term) has carved it's historical niche across generational lines...with room for varying cross-generational interpretation definitions of the role of digits in the definition (ahem).

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Perhaps some people are completely fooled by the idea that they can buy their child's way into being smarter, making better grades, scoring better on standardized tests, and becoming a responsible Netizen. However, "Gizmos do not a Hemingway or a Copernicus make", writes Greg Sandoval, AP Technology Writer. I would suggest that we take to heart what Mr. Sandoval has to say. The good news: parents are still an essential 'plug-in' for a child's venture down the technology trail...the bad news: there are viruses of the 'over-zealous-marketing' variety that can lead an unsuspecting parent into spinning a child's technology compass:

The Internet age has ushered in some valuable digital learning tools, some educational experts say. But parents must be choosy to find truly useful software programs, handheld devices or educational Web sites.

Parents should consider whether a product really addresses a child's weaknesses and strengths, and be sure the software is compatible with their computer, says Warren Buckleitner, editor of Children's Technology Review.

"The biggest problem that students have is that technology often ends up being a distraction," says Robin Raskin, the founder and former editor of FamilyPC magazine (which, strangely enough, doesn't seem to have a web site - my note). "In an information society the smart person will be the one who can shut out all the distractions (my emphasis)."

Note to self: how are you doing on shutting out distractions? Hmmm, 'not feeling very smart at the moment.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Reaching technology goals for schools systems is an incessant task. There is at least a recognition of the task, without the incessant aspects in Kinston, North Carolina...via the Kingston Free Press:

"We have to put the teacher on the same wavelength as the students," Sharon Kimrey, Banks Elementary School Principal, said. "Technology helps us to do this."

Lenoir County Schools has no plans to change curriculum yet. Individual schools initially will be responsible for using new ways of teaching. The county would look at more advanced technological programs within five to seven years.

FIVE TO SEVEN YEARS? Wow. Let's see (stay with me for a moment). If one calendar year equals three years in technological time (it's really not linear, it's exponential), Kingston will only be 15 to 20 years behind the curve once the school system looks at more advanced technological programs. OK, I am not being fair to Principal Kimrey, there are other ways to advance technology without the school system's support and I wish her great success in achieving her goals. If indeed the 5 to 7 year portion of the article is true, that's pretty sad. Go ahead and tell Lenoir's 8th graders not to expect too much more in the way of technology until they are off to college...but the next class will be looking at something more advanced (whatever that means).

Maybe this IS a tortoise-and-hare kind of chase...but if the technology Dragon wins, someone will be asking, "Do want fries with your Hasenpfeffer and Turtle Steaks Marchand de Vin?"

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

This is worth the read, "Is technology in schools the future or just a fad?"

But most studies conclude that for computers and other technology to have much effect on student performance, a number of conditions are necessary: Teachers have to be technologically adept; classroom assignments have to allow for exploration; and curricula have to abandon breadth for depth.

Although schools have made changes in some of those areas, particularly increasing teachers' technical proficiency, the predominant uses of computers remain word processing, heavily filtered Internet searches and the occasional PowerPoint presentation. In addition, with pressure rising to improve test scores, more schools have embraced skill-drilling software that contributes little to long-term student learning, observers say.

Let's grade ourselves on the three conditions identified in the rubric above:

1. teachers have to be technologically adept: C- (spotty areas of expertise, but generally under-trained; barely passing)
2. classroom assignments have to allow for exploration: C (accessibility still falls short)
3. curricula have to abandon breadth for depth: F (standardized test scores rule)

My total lack of optimism stems from what I am seeing now. Overwhelmed teachers are using computers and technology to meet reporting and administrative needs...and that is all they have time to do in the area of technology. I disagree totally that educational technology is a fad...but neither teachers, administrators, or politicians have embraced what it means to integrate technology into a child's learning experience.

Disagree with me, please...I'm feeling the need for encouraging words

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (1)

Generation Gap Exists Between Kids, Parents Over Back-to-School Technology - what is it going to be, something 'cool' or something 'productive':

For the kids, technology isn't just a productivity tool. It's a way of expressing themselves. If they're buying a laptop, they're more likely to care about what it looks like on the outside or if it is beefy enough to run the newest computer games.

"There is a huge generation gap on technology," said Kathleen Gasperini, senior vice president at Label Networks, a Los Angeles youth culture marketing intelligence and research company. "A lot of tension can build up. Kids are growing up with electronics in every aspect of their lives, and parents just don't understand that culture."

Parents have the easiest time buying multipurpose devices that satisfy everyone. Just as technology used to be tagged as "dual use" for military or commercial purposes, today gadgets can be viewed as useful for education and entertainment.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

There are five things in the St. Petersburg Times article, Tampabay: Blogging classroom connects to parents, that I believe to be noteworthy:

• Teachers are recognizing that blogs are not exclusively the domain of teenage diaries/journals and that there are genuine benefits to personal web publishing for younger students
• Security concerns/issues surrounding blogs for pre-teens can be addressed
• Blog and discussion board technology is not something that a teacher or parent or student should fear
• "teacher-run blogs can also be instructive about the use of technology"...meaning that constructive and well moderated direction can make a difference in how a child views technology (I would add that teacher run blogs can have an entrepreneurial effect on generations who have been slow to embrace it...IMHO)
• Will Richardson is appropriately identified as an expert in educational blogging. Someone may have added that to his credentials previously, but this is the first affirmation that I have seen in print...and I agree completely

You can get a peek at what is going on in the Polar Bear blog from Mr. Roemer's 5th grade class..but you will note that only members are allowed beyond the surface. Interesting enough, the web site with the blog also includes a discussion board, a class calendar (assignment dates included and accessible to parents), a practice test area, and a news and information home page. The code supporting this venture is vBulletin and is PHP based using MySQL...'interesting package!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The Pew Internet and American Life Project has just recently published information that directly impacts college campuses. Teens, technology and school (PDF) is a good indicator that this year's incoming class is an Internet savy bunch. Here are a few of the highlights from the report:

• Teen use of the internet at school has grown 45% since 2000
• 68% of teenagers have used the internet at school
• 18% of teen who use th e internet from multiple locations list school as the location where they go online most
• 86% of teens (and 88% of online teens) believe that internet helps teens do better in school
• 37% of teens feel that "too many" teens use the internet to cheat on schoolwork
• 75% of teens use Instant Messaging - girls ages 15 to 17 are most likely to use IM
• 57% of all teens have gone online to get information about a college, university, or other school they were thinking about attending.
• 85% of 17 year olds have used the internet to get information on schools of interest

Ray Schroeder and Anne Collier have a few thoughts on the same report. Randy Ziegenfuss raises the question, "How are schools meeting the needs of the tech savvy teen? How will our unwillingness to ‘catch up’ impact the future of schools?"

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The jury of experts is still out on whether or not computers give kids a leg up in technology before they start school. But quotes like the following make me wonder how parents and teachers define technology:

"We are rapidly entering the time when students will be at risk if they don't have knowledge of or are active users of technology before they enter school (my emphasis)," said Frank Bensinger, principal of the Forest Edge Elementary School for Communications and Technology in Fairfax County, Va.

Just so we are clear, the emphasis on "before they enter school" in this context means pre-school and/or kindergarden and not high school and/or college.

My children entered pre-school and kindergarten back in the dark ages when computers were found mainly in the computer science buildings on the college campus. They both survived and are active computer users in work and college. But if I had to write myself a letter today on the early childhood, computer use subject, here is what I would say:

Dear Mom and Dad,
No. It is not necessary for your child to understand how to use, maintain, or build a computer before entering pre-school. There is a good chance that you will have a better computer in your home than in the school your child is about to attend. Take it upon yourself to learn everything imaginable about what appropriate use of technology means for your child before placing a mouse in your child's hand...then, and only then, add that to their diet just as you might sparingly add desert to a meal or two each week.

If you must find something to babysit your child, start with something like a real-life baby sitter who still knows how to color, read stories aloud, assemble puzzles, make paper dolls/origami, build forts/castles from pillows, and stay focused on your child's wellbeing. Expecting an educational computer game or the television to have the same effect is folly.

If your child shows an interest in the computer, then make sure that YOU are the monitor, gatekeeper, guide, active participant, and controller of the P Chip (the on/off switch). Forget about leaving your preschool or kindergaren-prep child alone with possible access to the Internet.

With love,
your technology conscience

There are great games for vocabulary development, learning colors, understanding numbers, etc. (and several of those games are identified here). Should you chose to go this route, learn the game yourself, first...but again, understand that there is a difference between constructivist learning for a child and what a computer program can deliver...the computer is not a replacement for parent, teacher, or babysitter...EVER! And making the computer your first choice for getting a leg up on preschool and kindergarten is not a well considered decision.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (2)

Once upon a time (this month)....The Children’s Internet Inc. was created. All the bad Internet sites were no longer accessible to children and only the good sites were viewable. And the children lived happily ever after.

"The Children’s Internet provides a child with the tools they need to succeed in life; a rich array of easy to use applications, including secure e-mail, homework help, games, news, learning activities and virtually limitless educational resources all within its safe, protected online community!"

I must apologize up front for being cynical of this. The phrase from the quote above, "provides a child with the tools they need to succeed in life", sent my hype meter into the red zone. The challenge The Children's Internet Inc. faces, to deliver what every parent with Internet access wants for their children, is huge. The touted Safe Zone Technology (r), sounds too much (to me) like the silver-bullet-security-software plot from the movie, The Net (I did warn you of my cynicism).

I do wish them well. Having alternative portals for children is a good idea and TCI may be a great product for many families...but it comes with the understanding that someone else will be deciding for you (as a parent) what is appropriate for your child and what is not. We'll not even explore the idea that Internet-savy, curious children and teens will figure out some way to circumvent the "protected online communiuty". I lean a little more toward AOL's Online Safety recommendations, even though they require more sophistication on the parent's side...and it pains me so to actually agree with something that AOL recommends.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 09:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

As a card carrying AARP member, it still feels strange to hear that "Seniors struggle to cross the digital divide". Oh, I understand the image. Blue hair-ed, bi-focal-ed, bald-ed, and wrinkl-ed people simply do not fit the image of today's geek or today's techno-savy generation. But there are some common frustrations of both the young and the aging:

"As they reach 60, the number of people who use the Internet declines. And according to a consumer satisfaction study, 52 percent of seniors would rather speak to an operator than listen to menu options (my emphasis).

OK, so when it comes to complicated phone trees, are seniors the only generation that gets frustrated? If you believe that, hit the 'any key' on your computer keyboard. As to the 48% who evidently don't mind the menu options, there are days that I fall into that category. You should try this sometime, snark back at the recorded messages on the phone tree, it is very thereputic!

Seniors reading postings at job placement centers, nonprofit agencies or via word of mouth are increasingly shrugging off their frustration with the wired world to apply for jobs online.

We see that technology is there for the younger generation but has left seniors behind..., Trevino-Garcia said ( Eva Trevino-Garcia runs the senior community service employment program at an AARP office in San Antonio.)"

In defense of the seniors...at least they are honest about not understanding the alphabet soup of technical acronyms associated with many job postings...not to mention the slang that gets tossed around in email, message boards, and SMS. I keep waiting to see a job posting that simply states, "Must Make 15% on Geek Test". For the record, I scored a 23.07692%, just shy of the Total Geek ranking (if only I knew more about Star Trek...*sigh*).

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Henry Jenkins, director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Comparative Media Studies Program and co-founder of The Education Arcade, is quoted in the article, PoughkeepsieJournal.com - Video games open portals to learning:

One thing that stands in the way of video games gaining acceptance in secondary schools is the stigma attached to them...images of the Columbine school shootings and other violent acts still linger in people's minds when the topic of video games is brought up.

Nobody is talking about using educational games to put violence into schools. The video-game medium shouldn't be reduced to the issue of violence.

There is also an anxiety that occurs when some teachers are forced to deal with new technology. But this has become less of a concern over the years.

On the positive side, the generation of teachers who are in their late 20s to early 30s were children at the point when video games began to become a central point in media and culture. They grew up playing Super Mario Bros.

Dr. Jenkins had me right up to the Super Mario Bros. reference...it would have been nice to have associated those younger teachers with a video game that is more educational (not that I have a clue as to what that might be), but his point is well made. There is an incoming generation of teachers who had fun with video games. If armed with appropriate resources, this generation of teachers could take the lead in making games a viable tool in education.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 10:43 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (1)

I see this as a new definition of the Digital Divide...those who are willing to constantly battle the nuisance of spyware and updates, and those who are throwing in the towel and simply purchasing new machines. Corrupted PC's Find New Home in the Dumpster - New York Times chronicles one such instance (yes it is a subscription - visualize yankees, yankees and maybe you can log in *grin*).

In the face of a constant stream of pop-up ads, malfunctioning programs and performance slowed to a crawl or a crash - the hallmarks of spyware and adware - throwing out a computer "is a rational response," said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, a Washington-based research group that studies the Internet's social impact.

Allow me to walk around this one a little:

Personally, I thought the Google Print announcement was an awesome concept...imagine having the text of thousands of books searchable online, wow! Evidently, reaction in parts of Europe was more like awful rather than awesome: Escargot? Oui. Google? Sacre Bleu

"There is a growing awareness in continental Europe of the technology gap, even with some of the very good technologies they have had, of companies like Google, like Microsoft, like Apple ... which are presented as almost technology imperialists at the forefront," said Jonathan Fenby, a former Observer editor and author of France on the Brink. "There is this defensive reaction: 'We have to defend what we've got. We mustn't let the Americans and the British get into this.'"

You don't suppose this has anything to do with the 'french war victories' googlebomb, do you?

(Try this: go to www.google.com, type 'french war victories' into the search box...then hit the 'I'm Feeling Lucky' button below the search box).

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

(There is a hook for a country song in that title, I am certain). Call it the Interpersonal Divide: One professor suggests that technology threatens face-to-face communication. Excuse me, but the sky is not falling ... ok, so I admit to pondering if cell phones here on campus aren't equipped with some sort of OCDS (Out of Classroom Detection System): Once out the door, the unit flips open, gets two hits with the thumb, and immediately attaches itself to the ear of the student who then begins the common 'whatzup' litany.

"Rapidly, we are believing that someone somewhere else is more important than the person that we are with," said Michael Bugeja, professor and director of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University. "You see this all the time with cell phones." Only eight of the 116 students polled by The Daily said they did not own a cell phone. The extensive use of electronic devices has many people concerned that the value in person-to-person communications is nearly lost, Bugeja said. In his book, "Interpersonal Divide: The Search for Community in a Technological Age," Bugeja argues that the overuse of these devices has created an "interpersonal divide" between people.

There may be something to what Bugeja has to say...However, remember that radio did not replace newspapers, television did not replace radio, the Internet has not replaced television, and literally 'reaching out and touching someone' has not been replaced by cell phones. Communication (interpersonal or otherwise) is different with cell phones...it was different when a distant generation embraced the telephone for the first time, however, people will still connect in face-to-face and online communities...and please, let's abandon the phrase 'virtual community'..."virtuals" don't talk to one another, people do!

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

There is encouraging news regarding a mix of technology and mentoring in public schools that grabbed my attention recently: Online "Mentoring Stimulates D.C. Students (washingtonpost.com - subscription)". Although not the emphasis of the article, I identify three interesting patterns: First of all, the program began organically, using available tools, a few interested adults, and a teacher who wanted to improve the reading skills of her classes. Secondly, the program achieved results...and then, sought/received larger scaled financial support (front-end accountability). And finally, the connection between mentors and child, and the collection of mentors and children form a great example of generation-spanning learning communities. These three patterns are worth repeating in the world of educational technology...in part, because the technology is not the focus.

Nearly 6,000 D.C. elementary school students are discussing specially selected books through correspondence with nearly 3,000 adult pen pals whom they never have met. And the accompanying lessons designed by the nonprofit In2Books have been followed by higher test scores for those students.

The Child Trends study estimates that a quality mentoring program costs $1,000 per student per year. In2Books is spending about $500 per student, using $1.5 million in private contributions and seeking $1.5 million from the school system. An independent analysis of scale score results on the Stanford Achievement Test-Ninth Edition shows that students in In2Books classes are about 9 points ahead of other students in reading.

I am sure that there are more stories/programs like this floating around...but it sure feels good to see a teacher taking the lead with a seed-of-an-idea and watching it grow into something powerfully rewarding.

Continue reading "Online Mentoring Bridging the Generational Gap" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:34 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (1)

As a ninth grader at Lanier Junior High School for Boys, there were three things I feared in Mr. George Phillips' pre-calculus class: being called on to solve a problem on the chalk board, his ten question tests, and his ability to stop someone running down the hall by launching his prosthetic lower leg at the offending party with great accuracy. The first fear is something I never conquered, the second I conquered with better preparation, and the third...well, there are some traumatic events that I can now laugh about.

Several months ago, I did some reading on the fear of test taking...asking myself, is there not some way to reduce the trauma from hearing the words, "Please clear your desk, take out a single sheet of paper and pencil, and number alternate lines from 1 to 10...we're taking a test!". Now enter the vision of this classroom: Final answer? County students using remote controls instead of raising hands. Each student holds a remote control-type device while the teacher roams the room and poses a question from a tablet PC. The question is projected on a large screen at the front of the class. When the teacher asks. "Are your ready?" students select the correct answer from the menu choices (true/false or multiple choice) on their personal remotes. Answer choices are (anonymously) diplayed instantaneously on a screen in front of the class and simultaneously posted in the teacher's electronic grade book. The teacher identifies the correct answer and the class cheers...Wow!, Look what happened!!

Continue reading "Instant Assessment - From Fear to Fun by Remote Control" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:37 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (1)

For those of us who consider ourselves techno-politically neutral, Alyssa Ford's article in today's UTNE: "The Next Digital Divide" may come as a shock. Are you a transhumanist or a technophobe?

"Biopolitics, a term coined by Trinity College professor James Hughes, places pro-technology transhumanists on one pole and people who are suspicious of technology on the other. According to Hughes, transhumanists are members of "an emergent philosophical movement which says that humans can and should become more than human through technological enhancements." The term transhuman is shorthand for transitional human -- people who are in the process of becoming "posthuman" or "cyborgs."

The article makes some interesting points on how divergent groups have become strange political bedfellows as a result of technology.

Continue reading "Biopolitics - the Next Digital Divide (really?)" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:33 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (1)

The CSM is not one of my favorite sources for information on technology in education, however, the shear size of the international sample (175,000) in this poll makes it hard to ignore:
Contrarian finding: Computers are a drag on learning

"It seems if you overuse computers and trade them for other [types of] teaching, it actually harms the student," says lead researcher Ludger Woessmann in a telephone interview from Munich. "At least we should be cautious in stating that increasing [access to] computers in the home and school will improve students' math and reading performance."

Is this where I am suppossed to insert a "Well....duhhh" comment?

From a sample of 175,000 15-year-old students in 31 countries, researchers at the University of Munich announced in November that performance in math and reading had suffered significantly among students who have more than one computer at home [my emphasis].

Continue reading "Too many computers, too much use for 15 year olds?" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:58 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (1)

Today may be the first day that I actually looked over my shoulder and spotted a personal generational gap in technology. I have known for sometime that there are significant gaps between me and older generations...but I have never considered myself as part of any sort of older generation, I see my self more as an integrated spy within the (much) younger university community...well, in the immortal words of Homer Simpson: "DOH!"! Here is is my confession: I am not a gamer, I am a boomer. And here is the catalyst for this revelation: 'Halo 2' shows new generation gap: Boomers vs. gamers.

"Games are only one part of the digital experience that changes the way (the next generation) learns, plays, interacts, spends their time and probably even thinks," says Don Tapscott, author of an earlier book, Growing Up Digital. Computers, the Internet and cell phones are all part of the new generation's powerful mix. "Rather than a generation gap, we have a generation lap — where kids are lapping their parents," Tapscott says.

But whether it's because of games or broader technology, the new generation is different. And we boomers better understand these gol durn young people."

With my confession aside, I will be seeking counsel from an expert, my son, the 24-year old gamer, artist, semi-retired skateboarder, and perennial college student.

...more on this Generational Lap discussion later, I may have to resort to a glass of warm milk or something...(*older generation sigh goes here*)

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:38 AM | Permalink

Via TTLB, The word Blog is the most looked up word for the year.

"Merriam-Webster Inc. said on Tuesday that blog, defined as "a Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections, comments and often hyperlinks," was one of the most looked-up words on its Internet sites this year..."

In the overall timeline of technology history, blogging is still an infant, but it joins the ranks of computer mediated communication tools (CMC's) in such a furor that it may eventually compete with email as the one-to-many communication tool of choice. The power of RSS will likely speed up the process of acceptance and dominance over email as tool...and I am wondering how long it will be before RSS makes the Merriam-Webster list.

Continue reading "Is the lack of Blog the digital divide of the future?" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:10 AM | Permalink

Surfing around Technorati this morning, I stumbled upon an October post from a classroom teacher who is facing her own battle(s) with the Technology Dragon: Am I a Part of Generation Dummies? Looking beyond her own struggles is an interesting reflection on what I continue to assert is part of Chasing the Dragon's Tale:

"But now, technology is so much a part of a teenagers' life that it seems abnormal to talk about it. It's like making a big deal out of being able to watch "Friends" or "Real World." You can't make yourself look cool by talking about the same thing that everyone else is talking about. Sometime soon, kids are going to have to find something new to be obsessed with. Maybe it will be a new branch of technology, or maybe it won't have anything to do with technology at all."

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:31 AM | Permalink

Tech-savvy schools struggle to keep their edge I consider this school a success story, starting with the courage to explore the Internet back in 1995... great article!

"If you embrace the beast, you have to feed it," says Lee (Bruce Lee, King Middle School technology coordinator). "If you don't feed it, the beast will consume you. Like everything that is not properly maintained, computers at this school are in danger of becoming glorified doorstops and expensive paperweights."

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 06:20 AM | Permalink

Computer games can motivate young people to learn says new research"

The research found that computer games, used as learning tools, can:

• engage young people (and adults) who may lack interest or confidence in learning


• deal with different levels of challenges that allow learners to progress.

They can also:
• reduce the time spent by teachers in training or instruction by offering opportunities for practice


• give instant feedback in a safe environment


• help to teach manipulation of objects


• help to improve skills in literacy and numeracy - educational games have been produced that have had positive results in helping poor readers to make progress


• help to develop skills in visualisation, experimentation, creativity, manual dexterity, strategic and tactical decision making


• help to develop critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills (applies to more complex games)
"

Continue reading "Gaming Reseach Study - Using Generationally Focused Tools" »

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:33 AM | Permalink

Research by handset maker Nokia shows that more and more people are using their mobile phone for every call they make or take. According to the study, more than 45 million people in the UK, Germany, US and South Korea now only use a mobile. It showed that people keep their fixed line phone because call charges are lower, but most of those questioned said the future was definitely mobile."

"In all the countries where interviews were carried out, older people were more likely to use a fixed line phone more than a mobile. Women aged 50 or above almost never use a mobile phone, the research found."

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 05:28 AM | Permalink

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 08:09 AM | Permalink

Some rural communities have used the Internet as an economic development strategy but other rural residents just want to keep in touch with friends and relatives living far away, said Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Internet & American Life Project.

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 04:53 AM | Permalink

Gee makes his case and concludes "I should stress: I’m not anti-laptops. I think that they are a useful tool, if used appropriately, and my experience is that most university students really don’t need one. Those who find they need one can buy one for about the price of a three-hour graduate course."

There are certainly issues in moving to a wireless and laptop campus:
• Virus protection - the potential that someone at a Starbucks picks up a computer virus and later infects the campus network
• Hardware Costs - even with increasingly lower priced laptops, the devices are still more expensive than traditional desktop PC's
• Labs - there is an undercurrent of thought running around that argues a move to laptops will eliminate the need for computer labs... specialized propriety software with per seat licenses may be a serious problem in that regard
• Connectivity - just how connected do our students need to be? Is there an expectation that with a laptop in hand that a professor will welcome after hours Instant Messages...or the use of IM's during class? Will a laptop replace the cell phone on campus?
• Damage and Theft - arguably, any computer can be stolen or damaged... but a small, portable, and expensive device makes for a good target... and Desktop PC's are rarely dropped or stepped on in a backpack.
• Laptop Business - Is there an expectation that the university will support a laptop program (maintenance, software support, replacement, loaners)?

Posted by Paul Chenoweth at 07:43 AM | Permalink

"Even in rooms without computers or Internet access, students have other devices to draw their attention away from academics. Cellphones may be prohibited at many schools, but that doesn't stop students from putting them on vibrate and trading text messages under their desks. That is, when they aren't fiddling with their organizers or music players. Teachers have started to fight back. All agree that the best weapon against attention deficit is the same one that worked before the dawn of computers: strong teaching."

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"Respondents from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology ...pointed out that the key to e-learning doesn?t lie in any particular technology but in finding the right balance between the different delivery channels, or the ?blended learning? approach. (Only)About ten per cent of the students preferred to study completely online and the rest felt that face-to-face or a combination of both was more effective."

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"The tension over MyDoom underscores a growing friction between technophiles and what they see as a breed of technophobe who want to enjoy the benefits of digital technology without making the effort to use it responsibly...Some in the techno camp imagine requiring a license to operate a computer, just as for driving a car. Others are calling for a punishment that fits a careless crime. People who click on virus attachments, for instance, could automatically be cut off by their Internet service providers until they proved that their machines had been disinfected. And some, tired of being treated like free help lines, are telling friends, relatives and random acquaintances to figure it out on their own. "

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