Great video - a sequel to the original "Did You Know" video and well worth watching.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
Google Earth and Law Enforcement
More GE news! There is an interesting article on CNET about how law enforcement is using Google Earth in some interesting ways. The images are not timely enough for direct law enforcement, but police have used it to check the terrain around suspected marijuana fields and counties are using it to check for house expansions completed without a permit. This is one way to know when something is a truly transformational technology - people wind up using it in ways that no one could have predicted.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Google Earth in Education
The Google Earth blog has a great article about the uses of Google Earth in education. GE is truly one of the greatest pieces of software ever written and if you are a teacher you should check out the article. It provides links to numerous resources you can use on a wide range of topics.
Friday, September 07, 2007
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
NSBA Study
A very interesting study was released recently from the National School Boards Association called "Creating and Connecting". It deals with the use of social networking tools by teenagers. An amazing 96% of online teens report the use of social networking technology and 9-17 year-olds report spending almost as much time on those networks as they spend watching television. Over 40% post comments at least once a week and over 20% do so every day.
You can get the report here.
This is obviously a very engaging environment and one that I think could be leveraged in an educational setting. This week when I was speaking to a group of K-12 teachers I tried to demonstrate Facebook, yet I was blocked by their network access policies. I understand the concerns about the appropriate use of software while at school, but this seems to be a misguided policy, and several teachers in the audience expressed their frustration to me. They said at home they often come across great educational materials, only to discover that it's blocked when they try to use it in the classroom. How are we going to reach kids if we don't do so using tools that are effective?
You can get the report here.
This is obviously a very engaging environment and one that I think could be leveraged in an educational setting. This week when I was speaking to a group of K-12 teachers I tried to demonstrate Facebook, yet I was blocked by their network access policies. I understand the concerns about the appropriate use of software while at school, but this seems to be a misguided policy, and several teachers in the audience expressed their frustration to me. They said at home they often come across great educational materials, only to discover that it's blocked when they try to use it in the classroom. How are we going to reach kids if we don't do so using tools that are effective?
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Serrano and RSM Intermediate
Today I gave my iPod Generation speech at Serrano and Rancho Santa Margarita Intermediate schools. They were both great audiences and I enjoyed it a lot. RSM was particularly interesting since both my kids went there. You can imagine how thrilled they were that their Dad was speaking to their former teachers (I could almost hear them cringing as I was speaking).
I need to clarify something for anyone reading this who has heard my presentation. I use my kids a lot in the speech to highlight the differences between my generation and theirs. I have some fun with it and I'm concerned that it might come across as me being critical of my kids - instead of poking fun at the differences (which is my intent). I am truly blessed with two remarkable young people and I am exceedingly proud of them and proud to be their Dad. I'm a very fortunate man for many reasons, chief among them being my kids.
I need to clarify something for anyone reading this who has heard my presentation. I use my kids a lot in the speech to highlight the differences between my generation and theirs. I have some fun with it and I'm concerned that it might come across as me being critical of my kids - instead of poking fun at the differences (which is my intent). I am truly blessed with two remarkable young people and I am exceedingly proud of them and proud to be their Dad. I'm a very fortunate man for many reasons, chief among them being my kids.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Social Networking Site for Collegians
CNET has an interesting article about the usage of social networking sites among college students and lists some sites that were new to me. Check it out.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Capo USD Adult Ed
Today I did my "iPod Generation" presentation for the Capistrano Unified School District adult education teacher in-service. It was a really nice group. We were crammed into a hot stuffy room at the end of a long day, yet there was a lot of great energy there. Their facilities were not exactly state-of-the-art (adult ed tends to be at the end of the priority list in a K-12 district), yet their passion for their work was palpable. I was speaking to several of them beforehand and it was great to hear of their love for teaching. Most of them teach ESL students and many of the classes are focused on basic life skills. None of the people in that room are going to get rich doing what they do, but they do it because they love teaching. What an awesome profession!
Afterwards a high school computer instructor pointed out that while students today adapt to technology in ways that are amazing, often that knowledge is not very deep. They may think they know how to use MS Office, but they are still lining up columns by hitting the space bar. This is a great point and one that I am going to incorporate into future presentations. Just because they often learn technology faster than us old fogies, we can't assume that this generations of students is technically proficient. They still need solid technical education.
Afterwards a high school computer instructor pointed out that while students today adapt to technology in ways that are amazing, often that knowledge is not very deep. They may think they know how to use MS Office, but they are still lining up columns by hitting the space bar. This is a great point and one that I am going to incorporate into future presentations. Just because they often learn technology faster than us old fogies, we can't assume that this generations of students is technically proficient. They still need solid technical education.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Jott
I did an in-service presentation called "Geek Report" at each of our colleges this week and had a great time exploring geeky stuff with our faculty. I always appreciate their dedication to students and interest in learning new things.
I ran out of time at the Saddleback presentation and didn't get to mention one of the cool new services that I have been using a lot. You should check out Jott.com - it's an amazing service you can set up to transcribe voice messages into text and then have it sent out to email or a cell phone text message. I have reached that age where I forget things a lot and often remember them when I am driving home or somewhere where it's not convenient to write myself a note. I set up my email address on Jott and have their phone number on speed dial on my cell. I can make a quick call, say something like, "Don't forget to reschedule the design meeting on Thursday", and when I come into work the next day that message is in an email to me.
It's a great service, and for now it's free!
I ran out of time at the Saddleback presentation and didn't get to mention one of the cool new services that I have been using a lot. You should check out Jott.com - it's an amazing service you can set up to transcribe voice messages into text and then have it sent out to email or a cell phone text message. I have reached that age where I forget things a lot and often remember them when I am driving home or somewhere where it's not convenient to write myself a note. I set up my email address on Jott and have their phone number on speed dial on my cell. I can make a quick call, say something like, "Don't forget to reschedule the design meeting on Thursday", and when I come into work the next day that message is in an email to me.
It's a great service, and for now it's free!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Steve Gaston
Today I am going to attend the memorial service for my brother Steve. He died last week one day after his 55th birthday, finally felled by the cruel effects of the Parkinson’s disease he fought so long with an inspiring level of grace and dignity. I have three older brothers and it seems so strange now to think that there are only three “Gaston Boys” around instead of four. My brother Dave and I going to deliver parts of the eulogy and my brother Mike, who is a pastor, will officiate at the service. Steve was the quietest among us and today it’s our turn to turn the spotlight on him.
It’s an impossible task to adequately summarize the life of anyone in a few short words, but I feel compelled to give you a glimpse of my brother, despite the futile task of reducing his life to a brief posting in a seldom read blog.
His life was marked by a series of obstacles. He almost died at birth and had to grapple with a number of neurological and physical ailments his entire life. He did so with his usual manner – quietly and patiently chipping away at the problem until he had it solved. To give you a sense of how he approached these series of obstacles, let me tell you of a conversation we had when I first learned of his Parkinson’s diagnosis. I asked him how he was doing and he said, “Other than learning I have an incurable brain disease, I’m doing OK”. Only Steve could have said that without a trace of irony or sarcasm. He had a new problem to solve and he set about it without a complaint.
Steve was the most helpful person I have ever known and he was always the first person to volunteer and the last person to leave. He derived great joy from helping others and had no desire to receive recognition for this work. The only complaint I heard him make about his disease was how it kept him from helping people – he was the one who now needed assistance and it tore him up inside. If you could have seen his rapidly deteriorating physical condition the last few years, you would have been amazed that this was his primary concern.
I suppose some might say that he didn’t ultimately overcome this last obstacle of his life, but I would disagree. Parkinson’s may have gradually chipped away at his body, but it never robbed him of his dignity or reduced him to self-pity. He may have lost the battle, but he won the war. Because of his faith I believe he is truly in a better place today - standing tall and straight again after years of being trapped in an increasingly constrained shell of a body. He joins my Mom in heaven and I’m sure he immediately set about seeing if there was anyone that needed a helping hand.
It’s an impossible task to adequately summarize the life of anyone in a few short words, but I feel compelled to give you a glimpse of my brother, despite the futile task of reducing his life to a brief posting in a seldom read blog.
His life was marked by a series of obstacles. He almost died at birth and had to grapple with a number of neurological and physical ailments his entire life. He did so with his usual manner – quietly and patiently chipping away at the problem until he had it solved. To give you a sense of how he approached these series of obstacles, let me tell you of a conversation we had when I first learned of his Parkinson’s diagnosis. I asked him how he was doing and he said, “Other than learning I have an incurable brain disease, I’m doing OK”. Only Steve could have said that without a trace of irony or sarcasm. He had a new problem to solve and he set about it without a complaint.
Steve was the most helpful person I have ever known and he was always the first person to volunteer and the last person to leave. He derived great joy from helping others and had no desire to receive recognition for this work. The only complaint I heard him make about his disease was how it kept him from helping people – he was the one who now needed assistance and it tore him up inside. If you could have seen his rapidly deteriorating physical condition the last few years, you would have been amazed that this was his primary concern.
I suppose some might say that he didn’t ultimately overcome this last obstacle of his life, but I would disagree. Parkinson’s may have gradually chipped away at his body, but it never robbed him of his dignity or reduced him to self-pity. He may have lost the battle, but he won the war. Because of his faith I believe he is truly in a better place today - standing tall and straight again after years of being trapped in an increasingly constrained shell of a body. He joins my Mom in heaven and I’m sure he immediately set about seeing if there was anyone that needed a helping hand.
Monday, July 23, 2007
CCULAA Conference
I spoke today at the CCULAA Conference and gave my iPod Generation presentation. It was a great crowd - very engaged and active particularly since it was at 4:00 in the afternoon on a hot muggy day. I plugged my humble little blog, so if you are reading this as a result, welcome!
Friday, July 20, 2007
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Keep it Simple
Pictured to the right is the remote control for my DVD player at home. Why post such a fascinating image for my two faithful readers of DigitalEdu to peruse? It is a great illustration of something I've been thinking of a lot lately. Simplicity.There are 41 buttons on the remote for my DVD player. We use it maybe once or twice a week and we use it to simply play movies. I need buttons to play, stop and pause. I have no idea what the other buttons are supposed to do and I don't have the time or inclination to find out. All I want to do is play movies. I have a button to "Prog" and another one to "A-B". Because there is so much clutter on the device, I rarely hit the right button the first time. It's not like I'm a Luddite - I love technology but I just don't want to change my behavior to match their device. I want their device to adapt to me. Why can't there just be one button? When the DVD isn't playing, the button would start, while it's running it will pause, while it's paused, it would stop. That way I only need to hit one button and the device will change the behavior based on my current context.
It's obvious to me why the device is like this - the engineers were too lazy to put more effort into the user interface and the project manager didn't view it as the end user - he/she viewed it like an engineer.
Compare this kind of device with the iPhone. There's a good reason people become so fanatical over Apple products. Apple puts an enormous amount of work into the user interface (the iPhone has one button on the front and the software adapts to the current activity the person is performing). They make it simple, they make it elegant and they make it fun. I have recently started using a MacBook Pro after being away from a Mac for a long time and it is a beautiful machine to use.I also know why more devices are not like the iPhone. It is a lot of work to make complex activities appear simple. That's true whether it's hardware, software, or a teacher trying to explain a complex problem to her students. Last Monday we went live with a new registration system and we spent a lot of time working on the interface and trying to make it as simple and straightforward as possible. We spent hours going over every form widget and every word to see if we could make it cleaner and simpler. We conducted numerous focus groups with students and staff to find out what was important, and what wasn't. So far, the results look encouraging, but we're keeping a close eye on the statistics to see if students are using it with more accuracy and getting through the process faster.
I would much rather have our systems look like the iPhone than my DVD remote. Keep it simple.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Microsoft Surface
Microsoft announced today a remarkable new interface called Microsoft Surface. It is an entirely touch and gesture based interface and the demos look very impressive. Initially it will be out of the price range of your typical individual, but I'm sure that will come down over time.
At this point it's hard to tell if this is just marketing hype or a truly new innovation in computing. What always impresses me though is when systems adapt to the natural way that people behave. In the demo videos, people shrink and enlarge photographs by squeezing or spreading their fingers together. They download pictures by setting a camera on the surface, and the system automatically connects to the camera and "spreads" the pictures out for viewing.
It doesn't take much imagination to see how a system like this could be used effectively in education. Any time the interface doesn't get in the way, we have a much better opportunity for learning.
It looks very exciting and it's great to see something this innovative come from Microsoft. Check it out!
At this point it's hard to tell if this is just marketing hype or a truly new innovation in computing. What always impresses me though is when systems adapt to the natural way that people behave. In the demo videos, people shrink and enlarge photographs by squeezing or spreading their fingers together. They download pictures by setting a camera on the surface, and the system automatically connects to the camera and "spreads" the pictures out for viewing.It doesn't take much imagination to see how a system like this could be used effectively in education. Any time the interface doesn't get in the way, we have a much better opportunity for learning.
It looks very exciting and it's great to see something this innovative come from Microsoft. Check it out!
Sunday, May 06, 2007
MAP Go-Live
I want to apologize to both of my faithful DigitalEdu readers for the rather sparse blogging of late. Both my professional and personal lives have been incredibly busy lately and it's been tough to to find any time.
Got a few minutes right now and I'm very pleased to announce here that we went live with our "My Academic Plan" project on April 26th. I am very pleased with how it turned out. Our design team did an amazing job on this project, and I can't say enough about them. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had on a project. Their dedication to creating a truly great academic planning tool for our students was amazing. It was a long road, but I believe our students are going to benefit from all the hard work.
MAP is now available for all students through our new MySite 2.0 portal, and available to any staff member by request. If you are not in our district, I created a MAP Information Page that gives you some information which includes a demo login you can use to check it out.
One question any developer always asks is "If we build it, will they come?". No one wants to put a lot of work into a system and then find out that nobody really wants it. That was answered for me when I checked our stats for the first week. We had 840 plans created in the first week of availability, and we have yet to do any promotion. When you count the over 400 plans that were created during the focus groups, it means we are already above 1,200 plans. That is the part I love about my job. When we first made the link live I was watching the stats, seeing students using MAP for the first time and realizing that we were truly helping them make better decisions about their course selection. Very cool!
Got a few minutes right now and I'm very pleased to announce here that we went live with our "My Academic Plan" project on April 26th. I am very pleased with how it turned out. Our design team did an amazing job on this project, and I can't say enough about them. It was one of the best experiences I have ever had on a project. Their dedication to creating a truly great academic planning tool for our students was amazing. It was a long road, but I believe our students are going to benefit from all the hard work.
MAP is now available for all students through our new MySite 2.0 portal, and available to any staff member by request. If you are not in our district, I created a MAP Information Page that gives you some information which includes a demo login you can use to check it out.
One question any developer always asks is "If we build it, will they come?". No one wants to put a lot of work into a system and then find out that nobody really wants it. That was answered for me when I checked our stats for the first week. We had 840 plans created in the first week of availability, and we have yet to do any promotion. When you count the over 400 plans that were created during the focus groups, it means we are already above 1,200 plans. That is the part I love about my job. When we first made the link live I was watching the stats, seeing students using MAP for the first time and realizing that we were truly helping them make better decisions about their course selection. Very cool!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
A Great Week
I got back yesterday with my daughter from our annual trip to Mexico with the high school youth group from my church. This was my third year and each time it is different, and each time it has been an amazing experience. I am never more tired, dirty and fulfilled then during this week. We camp in an area provided by the sponsor - Amor Ministries - but have no running water, electricity, flush toilets or showers. You can imagine what it is like to take 27 middle class kids out of the South Orange County bubble and expose them to what life is like for a majority of the world. If you based your imagination on the image of teenagers on television then you would imagine a nightmare. It was anything but. Every year I am impressed by the quality of these young people. They spent the time digging trenches and leveling ground and sawing wood and hammering nails and mixing cement and framing walls and applying stucco and playing with the neighborhood kids. They did it all with very little complaining and with a sense of purpose that was admirable. It was truly an honor to be working alongside with them.
We have two major goals - one is to build a house in 4 days using nothing but hand tools. The other is to let the family know that God loves them and we are there to provide tangible evidence of that love. I can only imagine what goes through the mind of the family to see three vans pull up, a group of noisy, boisterous teenagers pour out, and in a few days, transform their life. I can't think of a better way to spend a week and coming back to my regular job seems so trivial in comparison.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Amazing Interface
Rob Hartman, the Saddleback College Webmaster, sent me a link to the video below. It shows an interface of the future that is pretty amazing. Imagine how this could be used in the classroom.
http://www.fastcompany.com/video/player.html?bctid=422563006
http://www.fastcompany.com/video/player.html?bctid=422563006
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Immersive Environments
If you want to see what is happening with technology and young people today, then you should read this article that describes what MTV is doing with virtual worlds. I think there is a very exciting trend toward fully immersive environments and it's something that deserves the attention of those of us in higher education. There is a lot of potential here to create some very effective learning environments.
The other day I joined an interesting conference in Second Life. I listened to a live audio feed of an Educause conference that was taking place in Raleigh, North Carolina, but I listened to it while "sitting" in a virtual amphitheater in Second Life with about 20-30 other people, all represented by their avatars. The topic was Immersive Learning Environments so it was a very fitting way to listen in. Frankly, it was not very effective for a couple of reasons. The technology still has a ways to go - there was no live video (only rotating still pictures) and the audio kept dropping out. What was most irritating however was related to human nature (which unfortunately technology has yet to overcome). Just like in real world conferences, a lot of people arrived late, were disruptive, and kept asking stupid questions. I think the potential for creating a very compelling, interactive and immersive environment with this kind of technology is huge. I suppose it's inevitable that we'll have to let real people (with all of their annoying habits) use it.
The other day I joined an interesting conference in Second Life. I listened to a live audio feed of an Educause conference that was taking place in Raleigh, North Carolina, but I listened to it while "sitting" in a virtual amphitheater in Second Life with about 20-30 other people, all represented by their avatars. The topic was Immersive Learning Environments so it was a very fitting way to listen in. Frankly, it was not very effective for a couple of reasons. The technology still has a ways to go - there was no live video (only rotating still pictures) and the audio kept dropping out. What was most irritating however was related to human nature (which unfortunately technology has yet to overcome). Just like in real world conferences, a lot of people arrived late, were disruptive, and kept asking stupid questions. I think the potential for creating a very compelling, interactive and immersive environment with this kind of technology is huge. I suppose it's inevitable that we'll have to let real people (with all of their annoying habits) use it.
Friday, March 23, 2007
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Bringing People Together
Every once in a while, something happens to people I know and love that puts life in perspective. This past week, Katie Holland, the 17 year old daughter of my good friend Dan Holland, was in a horrible accident while working on a horse ranch near their home in Montana. She lost her leg and is facing a long time of recovery - they have been told to expect a two month hospital stay. She was airlifted to a hospital in Seattle that has an excellent reputation for this kind of trauma. If you are the praying type, please pray for her and her entire family. As the parent of two kids, I can't imagine the ordeal this has been and they have a long road ahead of them.
A web site has been set up to keep people updated on her status:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/katieholland
It's a great example of how technology can be used effectively to bring people together during a time like this. The family doesn't have to relive the experience over and over again and get worn out by answering every call and email. Those of us who care about them can get the latest news on her status, and we get to read all of the wonderful comments that are being left by people all over the country.
A web site has been set up to keep people updated on her status:
www.caringbridge.org/visit/katieholland
It's a great example of how technology can be used effectively to bring people together during a time like this. The family doesn't have to relive the experience over and over again and get worn out by answering every call and email. Those of us who care about them can get the latest news on her status, and we get to read all of the wonderful comments that are being left by people all over the country.
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