A Sigh of Relief...

Finals are over! This semester was much busier than I expected. ITEC 830 was a great learning experience. I've always thought of myself as being 'tech savvy' but after this course in web 2.0 and all it has to offer, I feel like a tech newbie again. 15 weeks later, I am now blogging, creating wiki books for projects and learning about a bunch of other collaboration software. It's really cool.

The more I talk about these new technologies, my friends become more interested and suddenly I've got people buying me dim sum on Facebook!

I thought I had it all planned out...leave my post in corporate America, head back to school and get my MA in Education (quickly) and then re-enter the workforce to 'do training' somewhere. Pretty easy plan to execute.

1 year later, I am engaging in conversations on how to use web 2.0 technologies to solve common problems in the office, launching a social networking site for ITEC, designing and developing collaboration and wiki tools for a high school forensics team and...the list goes on.

The doors are wide open...and as I said after completing my undergrad degree, "the future is bright, so I gotta wear my shades!"

I had a blast with my colleagues in all my classes. This summer will be busy with projects, a consulting gig and an internship. So I wish everyone a great summer break and see y'all on campus in the fall!

And...
Don't forget to sign-up on myITEC!

Just 2 Weeks to Go!

This week we discussed our experiences at the Web 2.0 Expo. While Jing was the highlight of my visit, I was excited to learn about Octopz. I've collaborating with other Flash students and the instructor using email and chat to troubleshoot issues with our projects when not in class. How great would it be if we could use this application to further enhance our collaboration? Thanks Gigi!

We also had a course wrap-up. I can hardly believe the semester is almost over?! Just think 12 short weeks ago we were just beginning adventure into Web 2.0! And now we're all "experts" on innovative technology. As Kim mentioned, it is up to us, as Instructional Technologists, to figure out how we will use these tools to enable meaningful, collaborative, educational experiences.

I remember when I first started my career in IT, I always said I sat at the corner of business and technology. I solved business issues with technology enablers. Well now the same could be said with my newly acquired knowledge in web 2.0. It's exciting really.

With 2 weeks to go...we still have to finish the proposal and get the ITEC social networking site working. So back to the laptop I go!

Jing Me Baby!

The Web 2.0 Expo was in town last week at the Moscone Center. The scene was reminiscent of tech trade shows I attended over the years. Animated salespeople with a story to tell. It also reminded me a lot of the Swap Meet at the Aloha Stadium on Oahu!

It was a crazy scene...free pens! free t-shirts! free erasers! free beer and wine! free champagne! Was it a party or a conference? After 30 minutes wandering aimlessly from booth to booth. It became obvious that there was more than just drinking and eating going on that evening. Salespeople and their admirers were engaged in the latest techno babble hitting the web 2.0 scene.

Personally, I was drawn in by the Jing Project from TechSmith (the makers of SnagIt and Camtasia, both popular screen capture applications (still and video respectively). Through the Jing Project, TechSmith is inviting people to download and test-drive Jing and provide feedback (likes, dislikes, hates, and loves) via their blog...or wiki. But let's be clear, Jing is 'not really a product' according to the sales people. Based on the response and feedback from the public, TechSmith will determine if they will move forward with the project.

But what exactly is Jing? Jing works a lot like their other screen capture products (see above), but instead of having your images or videos captured on your computer, the content is stored at Screencast.com (a video hosting site owned by Techsmith). You have the ability to edit your content before storing it on Screencast.com. Once saved, Jing places a URL on a clipboard that you can use to share with others via email or embed on your blog.

During this initial project run, the membership fees associated with Screencast.com have been waived. And if/when TechSmith decides to pull Jing off the web, users will have ample time to pull their videos off Screencast.com before they are removed.

The web teaser on their sites, talks about the developer tired of talking to people about what he did...he wanted to show people what he did. And that is how Jing was born!

So go ahead and Jing...you know you want to!

Welcome Home!

During our discussion this week, I was pleasantly surprised to see screen shots of the Williams-Sonoma, Inc. corporate website. It brings me back to the golden age of the internet (circa 1999) when the company launched its first e-commerce website during a time when all the retailers were getting out of the 'bricks and mortar' and onto The Net!
I spent about a year working on launching and improving the functionality of the sites- facilitating the 'voice of the customer'. It was a crazy time.

Our sites were very successful. Our e-commerce team was the focus of a 2000 Harvard Business School case study. We won a Webbie in 2000. Hit first million in less than first 6 months of being online.

A fun time...a stressful time...the gold rush we have yet to see again...

Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away!

Below is a review of the Sesame Street online learning site. It is designed to complement the popular television series.


Learning Audience
Preschool children aged 3-5, with a direct aim at 4 year olds. The site is a learning complement to the popular television show. Site navigation requires the assistance of an adult.

Gain Attention
As a page loads, colorful numbers appear to simulate the counting exercises seen on television. Each page opens with colorful cartoon graphics, audio and sound effects like the popular television show. The target audience can relate to their favorite characters seen on the show.

Inform Learners of Objectives
Through interactive games and activities, the learner is immersed in Sesame Street. The learning objective is not explicitly stated for any of the activities, but rather it uses the underlying principle, “learning is fun!”

Stimulate Recall of Prior Activity
The site is designed to complement the PBS television show. There is heavy use of the show’s characters and games that simulate the on-air content.

Present Content
The games and activities are designed to make learning fun. The activities are organized in four child friendly categories:

1. Games: Within this category, there are games about letters, phonics, numbers, shapes, etc.
2. Stories: Virtual storybooks are presented in this category. Some are ‘page flippers’ while others are interactive, requiring the learner to make decisions throughout the story and resulting in different endings each time.
3. Art: Virtual coloring books allow the learner to paint a picture of their favorite Sesame Street character (coloring between the lines has never been so easy). In addition, coloring book sheets can be printed so the learner can create their own art for their walls.
4. Mail: The Learner can send emails to their favorite Sesame Street characters or an E-card to friends and family.

Provide Learning Guidance
All activities are engaging and positively reinforce the learner. Examples are audience appropriate. Learners are instantly comfortable with the online experience, as they recognize the characters from television.

Elicit Performance
Most of the activities include multiple rounds of the same exercise using different elements (e.g. matching exercises repeat the exercise using different letter or phonics). The repetition helps ensure the information is retained.

Provide Feedback
The characters provide immediate feedback- praise if the answer is correct; encouragement if the wrong answer is selected. True to its character on television, Oscar the Grouch is less patient and provides hints after three unsuccessful tries in his activities.

Assess Performance
In some cases, the activities utilize a ‘test and tell’ model. Here, the Learner is asked to perform a task without knowing the content. It is through this exploration, that the learning occurs.

Enhance Retention and Transfer to the Job
Game based and fun, the Sesame Street has created an interactive site that should promote further learning beyond the sixty-minute television program. It can be a powerful tool that enhances the learning experience for its intended audience.

Site Pros

• Site utilizes, ‘test and tell’ learning concept
• A great representation of Sesame Street and its main characters
• Language is written in an audience appropriate tone and context
• Navigation for children makes sense- click on a character to learn what activities they ‘host’
• Employs self-direction learning skills in some activities

Site Cons

• Some activity pages require some time to load
• Navigation can be confusing and over stimulating for adults

830 Mash-Up

This week's class was a mash-up in it's own right...A Whole New Mind presentations...5 panel stories...updated class syllabus...Design of Everyday Things...and final project ideas! Let's face it, the semester is coming quickly to an end. So I guess it's time to buckle up and enjoy the ride. Are there any Web 2.0 applications that can help me cope with the next 5 weeks?

The Design of Everyday Things

In his book, The Design of Everyday Things, Donald Norman provides the Mercedes Benz seat controls as "an excellent example of natural mapping." If you look closely at the picture on page 24, you will see that the headrest adjustment is placed behind the seatback adjustment. Logical given the real estate on the door panel- perhaps? Fast forward to 2002 and look at the following picture taken of a Mercedes Benz seat control.

The controls really mimic the shapes of the headrest, seat, and steering wheel. Push the headrest button up and the headrest moves up. Pulling the steering wheel button closer to the seat and it move closer to the driver; move it up and down and the steering wheel moves up and down. Excellent just got even better!





In the same car, the HVAC controls are less clear. The user can expect these controls will operate the air conditioning, heating, etc. (affordance). The buttons to produce warmer (red) and cooler (blue) air are clearly marked with the added bonus of temperature readings in the digital display (visibility).

If you inspect the air flow controls (Can you tell where they are?) There are arrows and icons that make little to no sense. If you want to engage the air conditioning, which button do you use? Can you tell what happens if you push the button on the left next to the digital display? The mapping of many of these controls is less clear. The owners manual dedicates 8 pages to the operation of the HVAC system. By the way, when you purchase a Mercedes Benz, there is an orientation (30 minutes) given on the car before you drive it off the lot. If you have questions, There is a 384 page manual provided. And if you don't want to carry it in your car, you can keep the quick reference manual (18 pages, spiral bound) with you instead.

So now fast forward to 2008 and look at the "improved" HVAC controls. The user can expect this set of controls to operate the air conditioning, heating, etc. Affordance, check! The controls are clearly marked and it is obvious what each of the buttons and dials will do. Visibility, check! Turn the dial up to increase the heat or down for lower cabin temperature. Mapping, check!

Empathy

Godley and Creme's 1985 Top-40 hit Cry can be a lesson on empathy. Check it out.

Enterprise 2.0

This week Eugene Lee, CEO of Socialtext.com visited us yesterday. From the company website:

"Socialtext Incorporated is the first wiki company and leading provider of Enterprise 2.0 solutions. Socialtext captures the best features of web-native tools called "wikis" and "weblogs" and brings them inside your enterprise to create a collaboration and knowledge tool that works the way people do."

Wikis in the workplace? I think it's brilliant. After spending years in large corporations, I can think of the many instances where a wiki would come in handy: project team calendaring, project documentation repositories, open forums for Q&A, meeting notes/parking lots and the list goes on! Document version control would nearly be eliminated. And email servers would no longer suffer from overload (no more auto-deleted emails from your inbox).

As I have said in our classes in the past, the 'holy trinity' of 'people, process, and technology' still applies to implementing Socialtext. In order for a Socialtext implementation to be successful, the company will require people to use it (opportunity: change management) and the processes to support its use (opportunity: re-engineered, streamlined business processes). Without these 2 bases covered, the technology (this case Socialtext) is vulnerable.

A new workforce is beginning to penetrate the walls of corporate America. This new workforce thrives on web 2.0 technology. If companies are not careful, they stand to lose talent because they were unable to adopt these new technologies. And adopting the new technology is no easy feat. M.R. Rangaswami, from the Sand Hill Group writes,

"Enterprise 2.0 is more than just Web 2.0 for business. Enterprise computing is far more complex than personal computing. It includes legacy environments, innumerable vendors, mismatched data sources, stringent regulations and far flung users. While Web 2.0 can deliver genuine advantages for both business users and consumers, the real "Enterprise 2.0" will encompass a far broader and more complex vision."

With all this said, I am very hopeful that corporations will soon embrace these technologies. The future is bright...so I gotta wear shades!

A Whole New Mind

I once again used Visio (and its brainstorming templates) to create this concept map. Less tinker toy in design this time...more like a Harvey Levin's scribbles on TMZ!

In Good Company

I've been an avid fan and subscriber of Fast Company from my dot-com days. What I have always enjoyed about the magazine is it's appeal to the right-brain thinkers in business and technology.

In the April issue, there were 2 articles that I found appropriate for us in ITEC 830. The first article touches upon the new technologist born out of web 2.0. The second article, discusses how to get good press for your blog.

Where in the World are Arrugas and Zoe?

I used VoiceThread to create my story. Can you guess where we are?

Week 8- Spring Has Sprung!

Last week when Team KYM met after class, Yu-Fen gave us a preview of her Skype presentation. It's nifty and I think I would be more inclined to use it if I had more international calling- the rates were so inexpensive! Using Skype in the educational context is still a stretch for me. After all, isn't it really just a different type of 'phone'?

Actually...since our class has had issues with the voice component in Elluminate, perhaps we try using Skype for the voice and the screen share /collaboration functions in Elluminate? Just a thought.

The WizIQ product was quite impressive. A free application that allows students and teachers to connect online! More importantly, it appears a learning community is beginning to build on their site. This tool can be quite useful for students and teachers- enabling sick students get the lecture and notes; enabling teachers an opportunity to further extend the 'learning experience' past the physical classroom. I can see many applications for this tool.

And finally, we viewed our 'teens and technology' movies this week. The greatest thing about interpretive art is that there are no mistakes. It's all good. We all did great jobs. I get the sense that so long as we are allowed to continue to tap into our creativity, we will continue to stretch ourselves in ways we haven't been able to in a long time. How refreshing is that?

Collaboration Revealed

Here's Team KYM's presentation> Teens and Technology.

Collaboration!

I have to admit that our work group had some really great ideas for the 'teens and technology' article. Collaborating with Yu-Fen and Kurt in Google docs, Gmail and Google Talk has shed new light on just exactly how web 2.0 can impact the learning experience outside the classroom.

Suffice to say, a deeper level of collaboration occurred when we met in person. Ideas flowed from one another effortlessly and seamlessly (hmmm terms from 'the new economy'). With our final edit in sight, I hope our peers will enjoy the fruit of our efforts.

And like Kurt, I am not a betting man per se, but our final product is something to be reckoned with!

This week we saw presentations on Voicethread, Diigo, and SecondLife. I've always been fascinaed with the SecondLife concept but am still not finding any real attraction to creating a virtual me to live in a virtual world- I think I need to work on my real home and vacation home before a virtual home! Voicethread, looks promising, I've added it to my growing list of web 2.0 sites that I need to check out. Diigo...I'll leave it alone.

Follow the Delicious Twits

Giovanna did a presentation on Twitter. I'm still not convinced that I have a use for it in my life. Besides who wants to be 'followed'? Stalking is a crime isn't it?

Kim asked us how the Twitter could be used in the classroom. She came up with cheating on exams.

Admittedly, that is the first thing that came to my mind. There was a story in the Atlanta local news last year about cell phones in school and how students would text one another in a class for answers during an exam! Perhaps they used Twitter to communicate?

Heidi did a presentation on Del.icio.us.com. Have read alot about and even saw the icons on my favorite websites. Still haven't signed up for an account. I see the value in creating one and will need to do so...much later tonight. I'll also need to contribute to the class 'delicious' site with some web 2.0 material for corporate America. Ever since being a part of the 'new economy' (aka. dot bombs) I've tried to keep up on what's hot in business. Web2.0 is not new to tech companies, but unfortunately most traditional companies are stuck in web 1.0 (thanks Josh!)

Learning in the 21st Century

After reading the article and creating a 'mind map' for Learning in the21st Century, I did not find any new or significantly noteworthy concepts in the article.

We already know that technology will enable the classroom of 'the future'. I believe it will be more of a financial constraint to keep technology current in schools. Budget cuts people! As schools become populated with teachers fresh from college, I think we will see a natural infusion of technology in the classroom.

The subjects haven't really changed over the years- Trigonometry, English Lit, Biology, French, Phys Ed...still there! I believe educators have a grasp on how to execute these courses today.

Based on the article, the 'electives' that are offered today will become a new focus and factor for success for the 21st Century Learner. It is in these courses where educators will need to become more proficient in order to teach the 21st Century Learner.

Web design, Journalism, Yearbook, Leadership, CAD, Drama, Ceramics. Electives in many schools, allow students to tap into the right brain. The under appreciated side. It's the side with the brilliant ideas.

In the upcoming weeks we are going to cover The Whole New Mind. I've skimmed it a bit and am excited to learn 'why right brainers will rule the future'. I'm a right brainer...And I want to rule the world!

Bloggin Bout Blogs (Say it 3 times Fast)

I have to admit that I am very new to this blog thing. So when we were asked to create a learning journal online, I was a bit hesitant. After all this reflection is personal isn't it? Why would I want to have my classmates read my thoughts and then comment on them? I didn't get it.

Fast forward to 5 weeks into the semester and I've got this blog, and more importantly, I've created a personal blog. The blogging experience is addicting (much like the rest of the Web 2.0 technology). Throughout the week, I look for topics, videos, and the like to post on my blog. I've directed my friends to it over the past weeks. Unfortunately, instead of posting a comment, they send me email (I guess I can be thankful that they don't call me!).

During our discussion this week, we brainstormed on what kind of blogs are out there and their characteristics. Personal blogs. Political blogs. Commercial blogs. Scholastic blogs. Food blogs. How-to blogs. The list goes on! Everyone has voice. Blogs let it be 'heard'.

When I left corporate America last year, I told my colleagues to be on the lookout for a blog chronicling my adventures in graduate school. This is my 2nd semester. Better late than never.

Mosaic News

Today I had a chance to review Nick Floro's What does Web 2.0 Mean to Education? Lots of innovative technology covered in a mere 65 minutes. Of particular note was the Marmushi Newsmap site.



If you didn't get a chance to explore this site from Marumushi, check it out. News stories appear in a mosaic on the screen. The news feed is from Google news. The stories are color coded by topic; older stories appear in darker shades so you can easily determine the age of the story. Each tile in the mosaic is a hyper link to a story on a news site. It is really quite nifty.

Of similar note was the term "mash-up". For me, a "mash-up" represents the new term for music mixes. Djs are taking elements from 2 or more songs and melding them together to create some really awesome music. Floro describes a 'mash-up' as "bits of information from several sites to create a new application." Very cool!

Graham Glass' EDU 2.0

I have to say all this Web 2.0 technology is becoming a blur! Do I write it in my blog? My wiki? Or my twitter? Maybe I should take pictures of everything I do during the week related to class and post it to my Flickr account. Oh wait I need to sign up for one (check out my wiki for more on Flickr and its features). Or maybe I will use GarageBand to create a reflection Podcast and post it on my blog for people to download?

Graham Glass visited our class this week and spoke about "An Ideal Education System" and what he has termed EDU 2.0. The overall concepts surrounding this system included:

• Self paced and adaptive learning environment
• Curriculum covers a wide variety of topics
• Students can delve deeply as necessary
• System is available to everyone, rich or poor

While the concept is novel, there is nothing genuinely new. Kim noted that Graham has a strong foundation in all the technology to drive the concept, however, still needs ground his solution in learning theory.

As I think about my 3rd grade curriculum, it possessed all of the characteristics Graham outlined. It was a class of about 24 students comprised of 2nd and 3rd graders in a public school (system available to everyone). We were broken up into different learning pods each with a specific theme- math, english, current events, art and games, etc. (curriculum covers a wide variety of topics). Each day we had rotations and went to different pods to learn the subject matter on our own and turn in assignments each night for review (self-paced/deep diving).

Definitely a unique classroom environment and curriculum for its time. While there was no such thing as a computer...we did have our share of film strips, cassette players, and phonographs!

830 Reviews 2.0 Tech in 170 on 2/12

Yesterday we reviewed our wikis in class. We also learned that there my be a technical glitch with the NetVibes site preventing us from publishing a link to the class site. In the interim, we need to link our wikis to our blogs.

Yu-Fen wondered how to add a comment to a wiki. I have learned that a discussion thread can be used on the wiki for this. To learn more about the discussion thread functionality on Wetpaint, click here.

We had a brief introduction and demo of Elluminate- a web meeting/collaboration tool. Kim indicated that we will try this technology out during the semester. Having used similar tools at work, these tools can be very effective for teaching and collaborating in a virtual space.

A few suggestions for the moderator to make the experience positive for all:

• Sign up for a meeting window that is 15 minutes prior to the start time- so participants have a chance to log in ahead of time
• Enable collaboration tools as appropriate during the session
• Be conscious of the chat windows as questions or comments regularly appear while in session
  
• Ask for feedback (questions/comments) often- it can be challenging to present when you cannot see your participants' faces
• Use a conference call (if possible) for the voice component- some participants may not have a mic
  

For our last hour, we had 2 former students (Yolanda and ?) present their final projects from last semester. Yolanda presented her Podcast program for her 5th grade students. The other presenter was a discussion surrounding a mindmap for Web2.o and how she uses Google and gmail to communicate with her students.

Learning in the Digital Age

In the article, Learning in the Digital Age, John Seely writes, “Learning is a remarkably social process.” I would agree that all of us have had some learning experience outside of the traditional classroom environment. Be it learning to make a traditional Chinese New Year dish that our grandmothers made or just reviewing material covered in class with a classmate. These learning instances are very social in nature. They tap into the knowledge of the individual teaching us not just information being shared. Meaning, their experiences add context to the information creating their knowledge they share with us.

The article outlines several learning solutions utilizing technology as an enabler for new learning strategies. In many of these models, the technology does not replace the need for personal human interaction; rather it supplements or replaces some of the in-class time.

The digital age has also brought about a new phenomenon, “edutainment” (the article calls this “infotainment”. Surfing the web is not just leisure activity, but also an educational activity. When we surf the web, we seek information and in the process learn as well.

For the digital native, technology “is not a tool as much as way of life.” Thus, their expectations for their learning environment will also need to incorporate technology. Today, we have only started to embrace technology in the classroom. We still have a long way to go to meet the needs and expectations of the new students in the digital age.

Wiki...Who Knew?

This week continued our discussion of Web 2.0 and Connectivism. 2 former 830 students presented the wikis they designed last semester. While I have had exposure to Wikipedia and various E-books, it wasn't until we viewed these examples that I gained a better understanding of the power of the wiki. Collaboration on a wiki was a no brainer. What was most interesting to me was the ability to use it for an LMS.

Today, I created my wiki site for this course using Wetpaint. The functionality on this tool is very user friendly. I originally had my mind set on using a blog to capture my thoughts for the course. However, after setting up a template in Wetpaint and discovering it's functionality, I just may be switching over.

This initial wiki authoring experience has enabled me to start thinking about a wiki enabled solution for the Lowell High School Forensic Society. My initial discussion with the coach has sparked a lot of interest and enthusiasm. I believe I may have found my topic for my 830 final project. Woo! Hoo!

Connecting the Dots- Connectivism (Week 2)

Today, information is readily available at our fingertips. It’s not unusual for us to ‘google’ something only to find us heading to Wikipedia first. When did we all agree that the web was going to be the subject matter expert for everything we didn’t know? And for that matter, when did we start trusting strangers on the web to help us with a problem? How do we know they aren’t misleading us?

We all have opinions and experiences that we share with one another. In the past, we would share our thoughts with our family, friends and acquaintances. Today, more and more individuals are sharing their thoughts via blogs, wikis and forums on the web. Their knowledge is now being shared with unknown faces from all over; Creating a unique and personal learning experience for everyone.

As an information seeker (a.k.a. ‘learner’) I find solace when I can find a forum addressing an issue I’m experiencing and am just too lazy to look for the answers in the online manual or manufacturer’s web site. It seems they always have the solutions when I need it (‘now’) and where I need it (at my fingertips)

I believe that with technology being so accessible in our homes and offices (even our pockets), we become very impatient with people when we talk to them. When was the last time you called customer support for an issue? Like the rest of us, you probably exhausted yourself on the web before looking up the phone number- on the web- and called.

Today’s learner, no matter what generation, who is comfortable with a computer and the web, will look for information using new technology when they can. Today’s learner is active and eager. They want their answers when they want it and how they want it. Think ordering at Burger King, “Have it your way.”

The Web 2.0 technologies are enabling the new Learner to tap into others, many times strangers we will never meet but for the web. It is this ability to connect with one another in various channels that makes the next wave of learning exciting and challenging for the Instructional Designer. We will face new challenges to create and deliver materials in ways that will take advantage of the technology and benefit the new learner.

Familiar Faces...New Jive

We had our first class session and it was good to see familiar faces in the room and the halls. Kim’s review of the course and syllabus didn’t seem to phase anyone in the crowd. There is a definite energy in this group as we embark on our journey into Web 2.0.

What is Web 2.0?
I like to call it Web Two Dot DOH! It’s technology and enablers moving at light speed influencing how we work, learn and play. Key buzzwords for me? Collaboration. Social Networking. Podcasting. SMS. 3G. UI, User Adoption. From the mind map to the left, there's a lot more. So buckle-up and enjoy the ride!