I saw the world go flat and didn't even notice......

Currently I am taking a course at the University of Northern Iowa, Emerging Instructional Technologies, and we have been talking about the concept of a Flat Classroom. For those of you reading who may not be in the same class the idea of a flat classroom is one that through connectivity and technology can exist with students from all areas of the world. Students from India can work with students in the United States on projects because the barriers that once prevented this from happening have been removed due to technology. For additional information on the flat classroom click here Flat classroom Project for a more in-depth look. The concept of flattening that is going on in the world was articulated by Thomas Friedman, see his in depth discussion on flattening here The World is Flat.

Friedman identifies ten items that he calls flatteners, or things that have happened to bring down thee barriers of distance and accessibility for the people of the world. During this video and reading up on this flat concept I realized that I was a part of, or merely a cog in the wheel of a part of, flattening. I had a front row seat to some of his observations and I did not even know it.

From 2003 until 2009 I was employed by a company called Pindar in the Cedar Rapids area. OK in reality it was called many things during that time but for consistency in the story we will call it Pindar. Pindar was the ad design and prepress division of YellowBook USA. The same YellowBook USA that once a year delivers a phone book to your doorstep that you can use for a beverage coaster, paperweight, or in some rare cases to locate local business and personal addresses and phone numbers although I hear this internet thing does the same thing without the hassle of physically turning pages. While working there a couple things happened that, at the time, didn't mean all that much. First off in 2003 when I started the company had just started to send work to the UK (Pindar was based in the UK) for the artists to complete the ads. Later on the company began sending more work overseas. Eventually the majority of the work was being sent out to be completed, Bangalore, The Philippines, and areas of Peru. At the time it was happening I never fully grasped the idea that was underlying, the world was getting flat. According to Friedman "Offshoring: Running with the Gazelles, Eating with Lions" is one of the flatteners that he describes. The fact that during the dot-com era everyone was laying the groundwork for connectivity, and that these countries that were once so far were now only a click away.

I was watching it all go down and I never truly grasped what was happening. I never looked at it in the way Friedman explains. I wonder in all of my time so far, what else did I miss? Anyone else see this happen but not see it happen in a similar way? I hope I'm not the only one, I always thought I was fairly perceptive.

High School Exit Exams in 21st century Iowa

So it is the eve of the state of Iowa's Gov. Terry Bransted to announce the details of his plans for educational reform. None of the details have been officially delivered, however there have been some reports prognosticating the details of this "blueprint" for the future of education in Iowa. So as I was reading some of these items I got to thinking about some of the recent "hot" topics on education including  cuts in preschool funding, see "Iowa House approves preschool funding cut, scholarships" story for more details on that, and the newly formed science and technology council (see "Branstad names members to science, technology council" for some background)just to name a few. After tomorrow I am sure that many of the details will provide for much debate from everyone, however I wanted to get the jump on one of the items that was mentioned, high school exit exams. Now it should be noted that there is no guarantee that this will even make it's way into the final plan, and I have no prior knowledge of any kind in relation to this, but the idea got me thinking, is this the 21st century student should be leaving high school? Another standardized test?

As a student in educational technology the idea of exit exams is a little discouraging. The thought of additional  testing dose not fit with the changing landscape of technology and education, nor does it fit with the knowledge and skills students will need for today's jobs or post secondary schooling. Some of the questions that came to mind about this topic:

• Will these tests really help the students, and show what they have learned?
• Will the teachers teach to the test, and will what they teach be valuable outside of that?
• What 21st century skills will be included, and how will they test for those?

These questions all came  up and got me thinking about a topic in my recent studies. In "Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change The Way The World Learns" the author, Clayton Christensen, point out that schools today are not designed for today's student. They are designed for a mass produced student with a set of skills that can be taught to a large group of similarly skilled individuals at the same time. The future of education he points out, and I would agree with, is though customized learning. Maybe students will need more than just the core competencies to succeed post high school.

So I am curious, what does everyone think on this? Dose the idea of exit exams meet the needs of today's students? If exit exams were to be used could they test for the needs of the 21st century student? If so how would they look? If not what could be done instead?

Sharing Resources

I think that my favorite sites to visit are the ones that have links. Not just any links but links to the things that make me smarter and happier. Links that show me the latest and greatest apps for my iPad, pathways to blogs that show people who are innovating in education with technology, doors that tell me who to sit or start in my fantasy football league for the best chance of winning. All of this great information shares a common trait, someone shared them with me. Not all directly to just me but it feels like it since I'm the only one at my computer when I take a look at them. Nicely wrapped up and delivered for my viewing edification. So this post is an effort to repay the favor, I would like to share some of my favorite links with everyone out there. Oh and yes they are especially for you. 

• Classroom 2.0 - sort through the great information, stay for a webinar or two.
• SmartBrief on EdTech - Sign up for email notification of the latest and greatest happenings in educational Technology
•  iPads in Education - the name says it all.
•   Scott Kelby - Photoshop and photographer extraordinaire.

So there are a few of mine, please visit and enjoy. No I have to ask everyone out there, what are some of yours?

Share any site that you would recommend for edtech or just a really cool site to visit with us (PG-13 is the rating here please). 

Apple leading the way in.....Happy?

So it is well documented that Apple as a company has done some things to poke the proverbial beehive of technology, but always get off without any real consequences. Two big ones come to mind, the final cut pro debacle of 2011 (see here for the FCP mistake for the video editors out there) and why Apple and Adobe can't just work out  this Flash thing like adults, perhaps a duel of proprietary input/output devices or something equally as eloquent for the IT aristocracy.
So all of that aside and my bitterness out in the open about it, I have to say I love my iPad. Everything about it get's cooler and cooler every day (I'm a nerd when it comes to tech and this is the coolest tech I've had in years) and studies show that I am not alone in my Apple product satisfaction. According to a yearly satisfaction survey of personal computer owners Apple is the clear ruler of the personal computer "Happiness" landscape. No surprise that they have been for the last 8 years as well, Apple keeps em Happy.

I admit it, compared to the Apple computers I use my PC is a pretty big let down, and I am happier when I use the Apple devices. What about you? Anyone feel the same way? Anyone feel different? I'm curious if they polled the right people, or only those at macmall.com.

My iPad to replace all of my textbooks......are you sure?

So there I was on a Monday afternoon, almost afternoon, 11:50am to be precise and the class I teach starts at noon. I get to my computer and the KTS system (I teach over the fiber-optic network and it is broadcast out to several classrooms in the eastern Iowa area) and I was just getting my iPad warmed up with my textbook to teach from. On a side note I thought that the iPad was going to revolutionize the way I was able to carry materials for my class. No more large textbooks or instructor manuals, just this sleek, elegant, and lightweight device "to rule them all". In it's defense so far it has, as long as the textbooks are in an e-version and the publishers are willing to impart them to a lowly adjunct instructor like myself. OK, so my story for today is right before class and warming up the iPad, and low and behold no network. It was not my iPad fault by any means but I had placed all of my faith, relied on the well being of my lesson for the day, to an electronic version of a perfectly good textbook that was laying on my desk at home gathering dust. A sudden thought of panic came over me, what to do if I could not use the book from my iPad. I thought about it and decided that I could go online and grab some of the backup files I had stored on Drop box. It wasn't what I was planning but I could make due.....but alas no network. So it was about this time that my decision to go paperless for this semester started looking a little less progressive than I had envisioned and a little more cautionary tale about the pitfalls of technology. What ever could I do, well luckily the network came back on about a minute into class and all was again right with my world. However my students almost had to sit through the most impromptu game of computers terminology charades in the history of Linn county. I guess this is a cautionary tail for all of those out there who are looking for the new tech to change the way we prepare for our classrooms. It's still a good idea, i have not lost faith in altogether, I just carry all of my textbooks in the car with me from now on.

A lack of prior planning on your part, does not constitute an emergency on mine.

H

ere we are again at the beginning of the semester. Everyone is getting the feel of their classes (yours truly included) and the nuances therein. Important things such as finding assignments, turning in assignments, procrastinating until the last minute to turn in an assignment and then frantically emailing the instructor to tell them there's a problem........

OK maybe that last one is not happening for everyone but there is always the tendency to wait until the last minute to attempt an assignment, then if something goes wrong (usually at 11:30pm and the assignment is due by 11:50pm) an email is sent to the instructor explaining the problem and asking for leniency

There are two important things I want to point out here, things you have heard all of your life I would imagine, before my soapbox gets kicked out from under me.

1. I can't help myself on the first one, I have to say it. COMPLETE YOUR HOMEWORK AHEAD OF TIME! Did you get that, I caps locked it not out of anger but so everyone in the back can hear me. If you wait until the last minute to turn in an assignment and you run into a problem, as an instructor I cannot help you. My mantra here is as the title states "A lack of prior planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine."
2.  Ok this one is not so much about assignments but more a general life lesson. Speel Chck everithig!!! Anyone else with me? One more time, SPELL CHECK EVERYTHING!! Everyone still hear me in the back? Notes, assignments, emails, grocery lists, absolutely everything should be spell checked.

So there it is, planning ahead (and spell checking your work) will benefit you in school and in life so getting to it early, or in some cases late, is never a bad thing. Now if you'll excuse me I have an assignment due in the next hour so I should totally get started on it. Wait, what? "Site not available" what does that mean? Down for maintenance for the next two hours.......where's my instructors e-mail again?

Zombie Mania

I was floating around the world wide web tonight procrastinating from the things I should be doing and I cam across this listing on cafe press. In no way am I implying directly or indirectly that I was the originator of this idea, I just thought it was slick...and let's be honest, so true.