West LA College Tech Fair

Yesterday I spoke at the West LA College Tech Fair. They bring in a series of speakers throughout the semester to update faculty on the use of technology. I already did my iPod Generation speech for them at their leadership retreat in November so they asked me to come up with something different. I titled my presentation "Technology is Supposed to Make Our Lives Easier - So Why Doesn't It?".

I think there are two main reasons - one is unrealistic expectations and the other is poor technology design. Technology can help us do some things really well, but it's not the ultimate silver bullet that will solve all problems. Those of us who design technological solutions need to remember that - and need to remember to put the user at the center of the solution.

In the second half I talked about the Getting Things Done (GTD) personal productivity process and demonstrated some cool (and free) web-based tools they could use to stay productive and reduce their stress at work.

I enjoyed the time at West LA, but the timing was unfortunate. Their president preceded my presentation with a discussion about their massive budget cuts - including the cancellation of the entire summer schedule. There were a lot of students in the audience concerned about their ability to maintain their full-time status, which has a big impact for many of them on their financial aid and veteran's benefits. For me it put a very human face on the budget situation and I'm grateful they still extended a warm welcome during a difficult time.

iPod Generation (Reprise)

I did my "iPod Generation" presentation for the Saddleback College High School Guidance Counselors Day today. It's been a while since I did that spiel and it was good to get the slides updated (they are posted under "Recent Presentations" in the right column). Once again I made a pathetic appeal for people to visit my blog, so if you are here because of it, welcome! I'm glad you have joined my two faithful readers and hopefully the server will handle the increased load.

It was a great audience and I got a very positive response. There were a few requests to come visit the high schools for staff development, which I would really enjoy. All of us in education owe it to our students to stay on top of technology trends so we can serve them better. I love being part of that conversation - it's one of the best parts of my job.

I'm also speaking at the IVC HS Counselor Day in March. I did the iPod Generation speech last year for them, so this year I'll be talking about Web 2.0 and doing a demonstration of our new MAP (My Academic Plan) system.