F.R. "Fritz" Nordengren, MPH

Our 12/10 goal is to explore tools to understand what they do and how they shape the current use of web tools in social and learning environments. Not everyone will like, or see a need for, every tool, but this tool represent a cross section of technology in use in student’s lives.

43things.com is a simple idea and a terrific way to learn about two concepts: social networking and tagging.

First, some background on 43 things. If you are a person who makes a list of goals, or dreams, or things you would like to do, 43 things is a place on line where you can do that. What’s gained from the social network is that if your goal is the same, or similar, to someone else’s goal, the you can see who else on the 43 things web site listed that goal.

Unlike other social network sites, like MySpace, or FaceBook, where you are linked by who you know, on 43things you are linked by what you want to do or achieve. For example, if you want to learn to speak Spanish you can add that to your list and instantly see that 1, 851 other 43things member want to do this as well.

You can view their profiles and see what other goals they have, you can send them encouragement, in the form of a “cheer”, and perhaps, you may find someone with a mutual interest you wish to explore together.

The second tool use of 43things lets you explore the concept of “tagging”. Tagging is a current trend in data collation. Unlike folders, or rigid categories imposed by others, as in the Dewey Decimal system, tags allow diverse groups of people to identify with a few works what a subject or photo or item is and how it should be grouped.

For example, I might tag, or categorize, my series to learn to speak Spanish as “personal improvement” and “language skills” or “foreign language” or “travel”. Now, I have a way of searching other goals people have that are similar to “learning to speak Spanish”. Perhaps someone want to “visit Spain”; I might find them while looking at those goals tagged as “travel”. Someone else may want to learn Portuguese, and I might find them by searching “foreign language”…Or perhaps they speak Spanish and want to learn English, and we may be able to pair up as pen pals, with me writing in Spanish and they writing in English.

43things is one way to begin to understand social networking (and the expectations our students have about how they can communicate via the web. (Students wold like to be able to “instant message” each other when they see a familiar person is also on the class web site at the same time)

It also is a visual way to help understand how folksonomy tools like tagging are changing the way we collate our information.

More resources:

http://www.43things.com/about/view/learn_more

My 43 things list:

http://www.43things.com/person/zenbasser

NOTE: Tomorrow’s Lunch and learn at 12:10 is on using RSS in research and the classroom.

Previously, I wrote about the 12/10 conspiracy. You’ll learn more of my thoughts on why 12/10 is a conspiracy as we go along, but to get us started, what is it?

Simply, 12/10 is a challenge and opportunity to you to try 12 new (free) tools in ten months. Tools that are good not because the are new, but can help you be a better researcher and learning partner. The goal and challenge I want to share with you is to try each of these tools, chart your progress, and when you’ve completed 12/10 we’ll reward you with a USB flash drive emblazoned with the 12/10 conspiracy logo. (Heck, it’s better than a “certificate suitable for framing”)

So here is the list and you do not need to complete these in any specific order. and if you have done some already, mark them off. A key here is this, you are welcome to keep your academic hat on and do these in a serious frame of mind — but I encourage you also to have some fun and play. Play is one of the best ways to learn and discover and if it happens to help you be a better researcher, or teacher, well, I won’t tell if you don’t.

1. Learn about RSS feeds and subscribe to at least one feed (And what do you know, tomorrow’s 12/10 lunch and learn is about: ta da RSS feeds!  Link to learn more
2. 43 things …
   1. Explore 43 things web site, You can create an account, and track your 12/10 progress. Share and cheer our learning partners on (You”l see what it is about when you get there: http://www.43things.com Link to learn more
3. Create a FREE Google Account https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount
   1. Use Google documents to share a work in progress with a colleague Once you have your Google account, you’ll see the link to Google Documents. Link to learn more
4. Take that fancy new Google account and create your own blog using Google’s Blogger (Or use WordPress.) Create your first blog entry. https://www.blogger.com/start
5. Page Flakes is a web page aggregator. It uses the RSS feeds and other tools of any number of web sites so that your sites come together in one url to quickly review. http://www.pageflakes.com/ Create your own view of the Web.
6. Search and alerts: use Google Alerts to be updated on content. Want to be notified by email when your favorite research topic in included on a web page or news article? Want to do a little “vanity” surfing? Google alerts will send you an email and a link whenever it finds new information.
7. Tagging .
   1. Use technorati to tag content you read or create. Dewey had a system. The web puts the taxonomy system in the hands of the viewer. Visit technorati www.technorati.com and explore tagging and what it means to the process of categorization.
8. Podcasting what it is and how it is different from streaming media. Use iTunes (installed on my DMU computers and find a list of podcasts on iTunesU.
   1. Subscribe to a podcast, listen to a lecture
9. Social Networking is the trend du jour. But the concepts of social networking web sites do have some influence on designing effective classrooms online.
   1. Make a profile on Facebook http://www.facebook.com
10. Wiki
    1. Create an account on a wiki (Wikipedia or other) and add content
11. Visit flickr. Sharing photos of everything is the purpose of flickr. You can upload and share photos with family, friends, co workers. A group of slides can be shared with a class or colleague. http://www.flickr.com Link to learn more
12. FD labs flickr toys
    1. Make a movie poster, set of trading cards, or another creation. (Many projects are free, some do cost.) http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/

There is it, the 12/10 list. You can do as many or as few as you like, and in any order. But I think if you set your reluctance to try new things aside, and quietly, in the privacy of your home or office, just peek at some of these tools, you might find some new ways to learn, share, and have fun.

As you complete a 12/10 conspiracy item, drop me a note. — OR — send me the link to your 43 things page so I can cheer your progress.

Our goal is to do do these 12 thing in 10 months , the last day of the 12/10 conspiracy is July 31, 2008.

Trivia.quiz

Last week’s question we didn’t have a winner. It was:

According to the Educause study, what percentage of the 2007 report students indicate they prefer a “moderate rather than an extensive” use of IT in courses:

69%

59%

49%

and the right answer was 59%.

This weeks question: What is the 12/10 conspiracy?

a) a chance to better understand some learning tools by trying 12 tools over 10 months

b) figuring our this whole “web 2.0″ thingy

c) a deranged concept by the ed tech strategy guy

d) a way to win a cool USB drive

e) all of the above

Right answers to me

Learning Partners,

As many of you know, this is my first official blog in my new role as Education Technology Strategist. Without a doubt, the longest job title that will physically fit on a business card.

First, what exactly is an Education Technology Strategist?

Let me see if I can answer that by using examples from other practices and work worlds:

The role of a strategist is part architect, part engineer, and at times, part day laborer. Most everyone who reads this has learned and discovered that the rate of change of technology in our learning environments is accelerating…perhaps exponentially. Just like the role of an architect and engineer is to translate the client’s wants and ideas into a plan that can lead to a finished space, the role of an education technology strategist is to translate the clients wants into a virtual learning space.

That makes sense, why is this the best time for an Education Technologist Strategist?

There are hundreds (maybe thousands) of technology solutions marketed to both students and to faculty. Many, if not most, are excellent products….but like people…not all “play well with others”. Equal with the number of solutions is the number of expectations. There are probably as many different technology expectations on campus as there are people.

Those of you who saw my interview presentation saw the Apple® Macintosh® television commercial from 1995 where the presentation won’t load and the audience starts shouting out “tips” (“try typing sysedit.exe”). 12 years later, the audience is still shouting out ideas: “try this software”, “we need to be like Facebook”, “we need more Flash®”…So where do we turn?

This is what I hope to bring to the table ….

my role is to help all of us, as learning partners, choose the path for our use of technology in the learning environment.

Just as Mac® and/or Windows 95® were not the perfect answer in 1995, there are few perfect answers today in 2007. Some learning situations, indeed, should be totally self paced and available on-line. Other learning situations, are difficult if not impossible for most people to learn without one to one in person contact.

So what you can expect from me:

Weekly (or so) I’ll publish a blog covering learning environments and technology. I’ll try to include a tip to two along the way. I can send it to you by email so it arrives in your Outlook. If you want a different way to receive the same information, you can subscribe to the blog as an “RSS” feed (RSS is a way you can have information sent to you when a web site changes.) Many people use RSS to receive updates on news and their favorite sites. If this all sounds like hi-tech mombo jumbo…..no worries….. for now you’ll get this via email. and if you choose later, we can spend some time sharing how RSS works and you can decide it it will make your world any easier.

I’m also working on a series of digital media presentations that help explain the basics of digital media so that you can understand how to make better use of clip art, photos, video, and some common software tools.

I’ll seek your help and guidance on what you are interested in learning and working with. (Seriously, some of it is pretty dull like pixels, and lossless or lossy compression algorithms) but in the end, it helps explain why your photo suddlely looks awful in PowerPoint, or why it takes 12 minutes to download a video that taks 30 seconds to watch.

Trivia.quiz contest question of the week: the first DMU learning parter to email me the correct answer wins this week’s prize: a beverage of their choice delivered to their desk, courtesy of me!

QUESTION: If MySpace was a country, it’s membership population would place it between which two countries in world ranking?

• Between Brazil and Pakistan ( 7 and 8 )
• Between Japan and Mexico ( 12 and 13 )
• Between Turkey and Congo ( 19 and 20 )

Learning Partners,

Many of you have seen my presentation or heard me talk about Robert Putnam’s “Bowling Alone” the excellent meta analysis of social trends, social networking, and social capitol. (On line resources are at: http://www.bowlingalone.com/ ) Also, Putnam interviewed on NPR’s All Things Considered in 2000 ( http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1074874 )

Interestingly, I found the attached Harvard article from 1998 linking Putnam’s work to Charles Handy’s work on trust. It’s a quick read and offers some insight into the vital role trust plays in social capital and why it’s critical in a work team. I think there are some connections to the classroom, too.

If you don’t have time to read, here are 7 concepts from Handy:

• This is no blind trust
• Trust requires boundaries
• Trust calls for constant learning
• Trust is ruthless (those who can not be relied upon to do what is needed must leave)
• Trust is not impersonal
• Trust and touch go hand in hand
• Trust is built the old-fashioned way, you have to earn it