My How Technology has Changed

In high school, I had one computer class.  I remember using the Apple IIe with the black screen and the green letters.  In college, I also only had one computer class, “Apple for Teachers.”  My first cell phone was in a bag, and it was larger than my current handbag.  I remember cassette tapes and VHS.  Some times when I stop and think, I am simply amazed with how much has changed in such a relatively short period of time.  David Pouge, for The New York Times in “The Lessons of 10 Years of Talking Tech,” wrote in amazement of the addition of things such as HDTV, Blu-ray, GPS, WiFi, iPods to our vocabulary.  However, most individuals tend to think of the advancements as something negative (replacing) instead of something more positive (branching).  In reality, all of these changes are just an “add on” to what we already know and love.  Why fight it?  Mr. Pogue suggested embracing change by understanding that the object we are purchasing can and will be outdated soon. 

Social Media vs. Proper Behavior

We have all heard the Facebook horror stories . . . someone was tagged in a provocative photo or an employee had a bad day and made a derogatory post.  Either way, the end result is the same . . . the individual faces at least public criticism or even possibly unemployment. 

For example, there was a teacher in a local school district who attended a bachelorette party.  While at the party, she enjoyed an alcoholic beverage while watching male performers.  What was intended to be a girls’ night out turned into a local scandal.  Is Facebook really to blame?  After all, how many of us have Facebook profiles?  I do. I am friends with my daughter, and I am friends with my directors and my students.  Is the problem what magically appears on my page?  Absolutely not!  Nothing that appears on Facebook truly happens by accident.  As professionals, can we honestly blame the media for delivering indiscretions in our behavior?  No.  Advanced technology has just made it easier to be caught.  Employers must focus on the true culprit—inappropriate behavior. 

The bottom line is if individuals were consistently behaving in a respectable manner, there would be nothing of concern to post.  So employers or school districts who spend much time (and money) developing policies and procedures for proper Internet activities, should simply get back to the basics . . . focus on what is considered appropriate behavior.

Raising Distracted Children

Who can argue, technology is everywhere.  When you look around your home, how much technology do you see?  Although, I am not any more distracted by technology than I would be by anything, our children are a much different story. 

In an article written by Matt Richtel for The New York Times entitled “Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction,” a much different picture is painted for our youth.  In his article, Mr. Richtel points out that computers and cellphones offer a continuous stream of distraction, and youth are rewarded for shifting from task to task.  A child moves from homework to texting and eventually back to homework (hopefully).  Many of these young individuals are provided with technology with little (if any) parental supervision; however, that is not entirely the fault of the parents.  Parents are able to monitor computer use, but they are not able to monitor cell phone use as easily.  Social children are faced with texting, instant messaging, and Facebook; less social children are dealing with YouTube and gaming.  Regardless of the type of technology, the distraction is there.  My daughter is no different; she will carry on an actual conversation while maintaining a text conversation.  In a study done by the German Sport University in Cologne has proven that children are more distracted by the computer than by the television.  The scientists have found that video game disrupt sleep and patterns and possible reduce vocabulary retention. 

All of this is probably nothing we did not already know; however, what I would love to know is where we go from here.  Obviously technology is here to stay, so how do we help our children maintain focus? 

The Attention-Span Myth

I will be the first to say I have an undiagnosed attention deficit.  As I sit here attempting to write this blog, I am switching my attention from a movie (which I have seen 20 times) to texting, and back again to the computer screen.  However, I cannot blame technology for my distraction.  Without being surrounded by all this technology, I would simply find something else to do until I could adequately compose my thoughts.  Virginia Heffernan wrote a fascinating article for The New York Times called “The Attention-Span Myth.”  In her article, she referenced a gentleman named Nicholas Carr who argued that all of the technology is causing brain damage by “pushing even more distractions and interruptions on us.”   But the true point of her article was not to support views such as Mr. Carr’s, but to elaborate on the fact that typically there are other factors involved—lack of interest, lack of understanding, etc.  Also in the article, Jonah Lehrer brought gamers and Web users into the equation.  For them, technology is not a distraction, it is simply a tool. 

Perhaps I would have different choices for my time off task, but I absolutely believe that the lack of technology would not make me more focused.

Finally an Idea to Meet the Needs on Both Sides of the Desk

It is a never-ending battle . . .  Students are habitually late;   somehow only one or two manage to at least pretend to be paying attention.  It can be so frustrating.  I used to try to develop policies in my syllabi to combat such actions, but nothing really seemed to get to the heart of the issue—the students just were not engaged.  There is a solution.

According to Jacques Steinberg in the article “More Professors Give Out Hand-Held Devices to Monitor Students and Engage Them” found in The New York Times, this does not have to be any longer.  Professor Bill White at Northwestern University has started using clickers (similar to a television remote control).  But how does he use them?  The clickers are used by the students to sign in to class, to answer questions, or to indicate  (anonymously) lack of understanding.  What has be found is that with the clickers, it is harder for students to nap or to respond to texts or emails since they are frequently asked to provide some sort of feedback. 

As an instructor, I find this tool solution to be ingenious.  In my opinion, this is a win-win situation.  My benefits are obvious to any educator, but the students will also benefit by hopefully feeling more of a commitment to the course because they will be accountable for actively participating.   

Using Cell Phones in the Classroom?

My daughter is thirteen, and it appears her cell phone is physically attached to her—anywhere she goes, so does the phone.  It annoys me, but it is just how things have evolved.  According to the article “Cellphones in the Classroom:  Distraction or Tool?” by Audrey Walters at ReadWriteWeb.com,  more that 75 % of children between the ages of 12 to 17 possess cell phones, and they use them as their preferred method of communication.  It was not surprise to read that this same age group does not use cell phones for their voice features.  Interestingly enough, one of my daughter’s friends sent over 14,000 text messages in just one month.  Is this something we, as educators, can ignore anymore?

The National Education Technology Plan states support for “efforts to ensure that all students and educators have 24/7 access to the Internet via devices . . . leveraging the technology that students already have.”  What is more accessible (and affordable) to most children than a cell phone?  As educators, perhaps we should consider playing into what our children are already so comfortable using.  I read this, and it all seemed to make sense, but I still had a hard time thinking out of the box.  I know how I use my cell phone, so I could not image how such a device could become a classroom tool.  Ms. Walters went on to point out that not only is the phones are available at a low cost, and they can be used as cameras, audio recorders, calculators, and calendars (just to name a few options).  Think of the money school districts can save in equipment, or even in the paper planners some invest in just to help keep our kids more organized. 

In addition to savings, we will be bringing technology into the classroom that is so much a part of their lives outside of the classroom.  How valuable is that?

A New Web Browser.

For years, I used Internet Explorer, not really because I preferred it; I used it simply because it was the default browser.  I did not like it nor did I dislike it.  Then, a few months ago, I began to use Mozilla Firefox.  What I found was ease of access to links, so now Firefox is my preference. 

Soon there is going to be yet another more social option, RockMelt.  According to Miguel Helft in the New York Times’ article “Web Browsing Takes a Social Turn,” Mr. Helft labels this browser as the one for the “Facebook era.”  The article details the appearance:  on the surface, it does not look much different from what we are already used to, but the side rails hold the key to our friends and our favorite social sites.  From this browser you can complete all of your social networking functions:  update your status, add or remove friends, chat.  The browsing is also attempting to make RockMelt more competitive since it retrieves entire pages while searching, which will allow you to preview pages first. 

All of this sounds great, and the timing could be perfect since social networking is taking off, but we are still creatures of habit.  My question is will we remember to give it a try or will it become just a newer version of Flock?

Finally, You May Not Need to Sue to Get Your Way

large portion our course has focused on the importance of documenting sources.  Although plagiarism has been a concern for many years, the Internet has made it so much easier to take the work of another. 

Think back to Napster.  The first instinct to combat this was to sue.  Now, there is another, less time consuming and less expensive, option—ask nicely!  Who would have thought?  According to the article “New Study-Newspapers Don’t Have to Sue to Get Pirated Content Removed” by Frederic Lardinois on readwriteweb.com, there is a more effective solution.  His article stated the following:  Attributer found 400,000 unlicensed copies of 70,101 articles on 45,000 sites.  With this information, 107 of those sites were randomly selected.  The selected sites were contacted, and they were asked to remove the content.  If the sites did not respond, they were given a second notice.  The sites were given two weeks.  After two weeks, more drastic measures were taken.  At that point, the site’s advertisers were contacted and alerted and the search engines were asked to block the sites.  The study concluded that 75 % of the sites either removed the content or pursued licensing agreements.  This option seems like a winner to me.

I do not like to see anyone out of work, but I must say that I favor the thought of fewer lawsuits in world.

Are Textbooks Fading Away?

Most are familiar with the Kindle; certainly, the majority has heard of the iPad, and maybe there are even those more familiar with the Nook.  If you are not, these are all varieties (on one level or another) of e-readers (electronic books).  But, have you heard of the Kno Tablet?  This new technology promises to revolutionize the textbook market.  According to article “Can the Kno Tablet Make the E-Textbook Grade?” by Audrey Walters on readwriteweb.com, this version is an educational tablet.  According to Ms. Walters, for under $1000 the academic world will have access to a tool to change the face of the traditional textbook.  In the article, the developers promise that the savings from purchasing traditional textbooks  will enable this device to pay for itself in just three years.  Interested?  The perks continue!  Although, digital textbooks are currently available for some texts, this one stands out from the others on several levels.  Some of the additional benefits are as follows:  the tablet will have a 6-hour battery life, allowing extended class use without an outlet; it will collaborate with various school learning systems; it will be able to deliver course content; and it will have social networking capabilities.  As a non-traditional student, I may continue to use the paper versions of my textbooks, but I can only imagine how this will alter my daughter’s education.  Wait, before you run out to purchase one, it will not be available until December 20, and it still has its share of challenges ahead of it. After all, It may readily appeal to students, but the target group has to include parents, teachers, and administration, and we all know how much that entails.

Saying Goodbye to My Pen? Yikes!

I am still a “pen and paper kind of girl.  In fact, as I was reading the article “12 Reasons to Ditch the Pen—Why It’s No Longer Mightiest Against the Sword” on techlearing.com, I was forced to face the reality that I have been avoiding for so long . . . my pen needs to be given last rites.  I have seen this coming.  Then again, who hasn’t, but I have been slow to concede.  After all, I just finished taking notes on this topic using my favorite blue pen and 4 by 6 index cards. 

Did I learn anything new from this article?  Not necessarily, but I finally start to realize ALL the ways my life could be easier if I would just give in to technology.  So many of the justifications are obvious, such as a few of the following:  it is faster, it is easily editable; it is easily sharable; it is more efficient; it is with you where ever you go.  At this point, I knew all this; I just never bought into it.  Then I found the clinchers:  it can get rid of the clutter and it is searchable.  Wow!  The organizational obsessive-compulsive part of my existence leaped for joy.   First, I will minimize clutter—Electronic files do not require physical file folders in a physical file cabinet (i.e. I will have extra room in my office.).  Second, the information will be searchable—no more trying to remember where I put something. 

Now I am sold; it must be worth a try.  Will it make a permanent difference?  I guess, only time will tell.  For now,  I am definitely convinced that my pen and index card should be allowed to retire. 

Wow! Another Search Engine

I must admit, I am still a Google-girl.  I have tried Bing, but I keep going back to what seems most familiar and most effective. 

According to an article in the New York Times by Claire Cain Miller, “A New Search Engine, Where Less is More,” there is now another option.  At first, I was a little skeptical.  If Google is working, why should I venture out of my comfort zone?  So, I decided to do two things:  First, I read the article; then I tried it myself.

The article talked about the new search engine, Blekko, available to the public on November 1.  As I started to read the article, I could not help but wonder why this one would be different.  According to Ms. Miller, this search engine is geared to show only those results deems as most useful or trustworthy.  Rich Skrenta, Blekko co-founder, had one goal in mind:  to clean up the Web.  Now, I am thinking how much of a difference this could make in my academic career, so I continued to read.  This search engine is going to use “slashtags” to access more refined lists which will eliminate what Mr. Skrenta called “content farms” like eHow.  So far, so good, so I read further.  This engine promises to execute vertical searches to provide the most complete list possible.  Ms. Miller used the following example:  if you search for “pregnancy tips” using both Blekko and Google, the results will be very different; in Blekko, your results will focus on government sites, nonprofit sites, and well-know parenting sites; however, in Google, your results will connect you will some similar sites, but will also bring to OfficialDating Resource.com.  I have been there before.  For a prior position, I did a search looking for statistics for teen pregnancy.  In addition to the valuable information, I was given several sites offering nude photos of naked pregnant teens.  With that said, I decided to try Blekko.

For this week’s Wiki, I decided to give Blekko a whirl.  Although the list was short, and by some standards considered concise, I found it to be a little lacking completeness; I was even given a few eHow sites. Although, I found some interesting information, but I still retreated to Google to finish my search. 

I am going to attribute this to youth; I will check back shortly, and give Blekko it another try.  Let me know what you think.

Is Windows Fading Away?

I have been using Microsoft Windows for years; for me, it all started with Window 95.  Recently, I just upgraded to Windows 7, and so far, I am enjoying the transition.  Although, I must confess that I am also a fan of the Apple iMac—using Apple OS (Leopard.) as well.  However, for most projects or assignments, I always seem to gravitate to the PC.  On ComputerWeekly.com, (http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2010/11/03/243746/Has-the-Windows-based-business-desktop-had-its-day.htm) Cliff Saran revealed something which I was not prepared to hear.  According to Mr. Saran, many businesses and individuals will soon be saying goodbye to the traditional operating system (and the traditional desktop PC) to select something more versatile—smart phones and cloud computing.  In fact, he reported that Windows 7 is likely the last Windows.  I can certainly understand the flexibility offered by the Internet option, but it is hard to let go of something which has become so familiar.