We took yesterday off and drove in the countryside looking for fall foliage. The fall colors in North Dakota are probably not as spectacular as you might see in other parts of the country, but you can find pockets of great scenery if you know where to look. We seem to have fewer trees that produce that intense red color.
These images were taken a few miles from the Canadian border near Pembina.
The remoteness is one of the interesting features of North Dakota. You do not have to travel very far to be able to explore areas with few people (the hilly terrain shown below is not typical). However, even the most remote areas were busy this weekends. Trucks and tractors were everywhere as the harvest was in full swing. We pulled off to the side here to take this picture and a few moments later a semi came barreling down the gravel road toward us.
We have now made it through the first presidential candidates’ debate and the only vice presidential candidates’ debate. I watched and listened. I have decided I hear what I want to hear and really don’t learn much. I thought I would learn more than I pick up from the carefully orchestrated 30 second ads. It turns out the debates are about as orchestrated. The candidates seem to resort to their well rehearsed talking points if the question or the last respondent’s answer offers a point of departure. I thought the moderator in the first debate pushed back against this strategy, but I did not have the same reaction last night.
Perhaps our engagement in the process is as important as the outcome. I am not sure I believe this, but I do believe that this is the point in time at which it is important to think carefully about the choice before us. We can no longer coast along relying on what used to be our technological and resource advantages.
In 2004, a nonprofit organization sought to increase the interest of young people in the election process by sponsoring a mock election for students AND their parents. The timing of the election in late October offers some insight into what a national sample of citizens is thinking. The National Mock Election is scheduled for Oct. 30 and educators are offered several levels at which they can involve their students (and parents). Check the web site for elections instructions and curriculum suggestions for those wanting to do more.
This additional recommendation from Cindy – a post on election education from the Infinite Thinking Machine.
In his recent book (Infotopia), Sunstein suggests that we may think we are digging deeply into a topic by participating in an online participatory community, but we must take care that we are not actually echoing and perhaps moving to even more extreme positions by following the premises around which the group is organized (my interpretation).
I have my own remedy. I attempt to purposefully explore contrasting extremes. I have done this in the past sequentially by reading one book and then reading a second book criticized in the book I just finished.
I am now going to try this process in parallel. Two book arrived in a box from Barnes and Noble today.
My next project is to read Palfrey and Gasser’s “Born digital” and Bauerlein’s “The dumbest generation” in parallel. I should have tried this last summer when I had fewer other commitments. Perhaps if I announce my intentions I will make more progress. I am guessing several posts will follow.
I have explored and written about several image storage and sharing sites. LifeSnapz is a new addition to this list. Each time I take the time to experiment with a new service I try out the features and consider what unique role each might serve. If I understand the unique characteristics of LifeSnapz, I would suggest the unique focus is on group collections over time.
By a group image collection, I mean that multiple participants generate a collection. The host invites the participants and as far as I have been able to tell there is no way to offer others “veiwing” priviledges without a specific invite.
The second interesting idea is the focus on “events” that are time-linked. If you imagine a situation in which grandparents might begin to collect images from “family events” (Summer at the lake, 2006; Christmas at home, 2008; etc) over time, you would have some idea where this might be going.
I typically explore by creating a demo. In this case, my demo was based on a collection of images I had from our summer vacation. The events in this collection consist of identifiable activities from each day of the vacation. You see the LifeSnapz timeline below. The timeline is set to the most micro level view because I am exploring events across a week and not years.
A description of each event and related photos can be created and the event can be geotagged.
Of course, viewers are also able to explore the individual images and associated descriptions organized within an event.
Yes, it was a nice fish!
Consider how a classroom teacher might use this tool. First, the controlled registration system might be useful in dealing with the security issues teachers must address. The event option might also be a way to organize collections of photographs added throughout a year.
I must say that I know little about this company or exactly where it is heading. With all new companies, I always wonder about the funding model. No ads were evident during my exploration. So, the company will likely eventually attempt to charge for access or at least offer a premium version of the system (something like Flickr) or perhaps resort to the inclusion of ads. I tend not to invest a huge amount of time in a service until I have a better feel for the “final product” and until the service has been around for a little while.
At this point, I am willing to say LifeSnapz is worth exploring.
The New York Times uses data from a study by Nielson Mobile to conclude that mobile messaging is now a more popular form of communication than even the cell phone.
The average cellphone owner engages in 204 calls a month, but 357 text messages. The numbers are heavily skewed by those in the 13-17 years who send/receive 1742 messages a month. Is this even possible?
I am hoping their parents have an unlimited texting plan.
My university has held an annual technology conference, Beyond Boundaries, for several years. Some of my past blog posts were generated from the perspective of a participant in this event. Working in a fast moving field such as educational technology from North Dakota is challenging. Internet access and all aside, it is hard to be a leader from the periphery. Hosting a conference of this type was a way to bring some folks here instead of us always going there. I liked the vision and the commitment this demonstrated.
Approximately a week ago as a registered attendee at this year’s conference, I received an email indicating that this year’s conference was canceled. The details were sketchy, but some mention was made of limited travel budgets. I was disappointed and upset by the short notice which I think really makes the university look bad (i.e., we might lose a little money on this so we are backing out), but it was kind of one of those things I just let go.
I have since changed my mind. If you believe in something, it is your duty to say something. Such is the responsibility of the participatory web
So ….
I apologize on behalf of my university, whether I have the authority or not, for this cancellation and for the late date on which it was issued. Sometimes you should do things because it is the kind of thing universities take responsibility for doing. Everything should not be about money and everything does not have to be run on a “charge back” model. Universities have tremendous resources (people, space, Internet access) that are available and paid for. While it would be nice to generate some income with these resources, the resources exist and the money is often spent whether the resources are applied to a purpose or not. If we can find millions of dollars to support moving our sports program to division I despite the reality that nearly every team will lose money, we should find a little money to support a conference we have made a commitment to host.
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