It's About Learning
Putting Learning First
Lost Generation – Its A Matter of Perspective
Aug 17th
This video demonstrates that how we look at the world or the matter of perspective is very important to how we understand the messages we see and hear.
Stratford Institute – Canada’s First Digital Media Think Tank
Aug 16th
A Campus Force for Canada’s Digital Future – International – The Chronicle of Higher Education via kwout
University of Waterloo’s Stratford Institute is a think-tank, integrator and training institute devoted to collaboration between digital media, international commerce and culture. When the institute opens the are plans to have 20 students enrolled in a master’s program in business, entrepreneurship, and technology with hopes that the number will increase to 2000 within 10 years. Ian Wilson the director of this new institute boldly points Canadian universities lack of ability to graduate students prepared for a digital economy with the following statement:
A few recognize it. But many of the students are doing it themselves. They are far more adept at using this technology than most faculty are. I’ve been known to criticize governments for … working in narrow, subject-based silos. They don’t exchange information with each other. Then I come to one of Canada’s high-tech universities, and it is as siloed as government ever is, and the communication across the disciplines is not there.
While it is good to see a university in my home country finally responding re-actively to the need for preparing students for a digital world it is even better to acknowledge the work that has been going on at ACU for the past several years and the development of the Digital Media Center and its evolution into the AT&T Learning Studio. These types of articles and press releases confirm ACU’s proactive vision and leadership in the digital and mobile learning.
Read the full article…
Read the University of Waterloo Press release…
Blackberry Torch – Sustaining Innovation
Aug 6th
BlackBerry Torch 9800: ‘Best BlackBerry ever’ fails to create buzz | Tech Sanity Check | TechRepublic.com via kwout
Back in 2008 I wrote about the Blackberry Storm RIM initial response to the iPhone as an example of RIM missing the boat and only offering an example sustaining innovation in response to Apple disruptive innovation – the iPhone. Two years later and RIM’s latest response to the iPhone (4 this time) is yet another example of sustaining innovation. Don’t just take my word for it this time. The following authors offer their comments:
We still feel like this device is a generation behind the market. Instead of meeting the rising stars of the smartphone world (Apple and Google) head-on, RIM has taken something more like baby steps toward innovation…For all the improvements in the browser, the more upscale fit-and-finish of the UI, and the thoughtful changes in basic functionality, we still feel like this device is a generation behind the market. Instead of meeting the rising stars of the smartphone world (Apple and Google) head-on, RIM has taken something more like baby steps toward innovation… Joshua Topolsky – Engadget
Overall, the phone feels like the result of an array of decisions made to keep current BlackBerry owners comfortable… Harry McCraken – Technologzier
While RIM met the bar, they didn’t do much to raise it higher or push the envelope in either hardware or software design. In world where every vendor is working to up their game, raise the bar and drive new innovation in hardware and software, it felt RIM barely stepped up. Michael Gartenberg – Slashgear
The Torch and BlackBerry OS 6 take what BlackBerry’s already doing and move it forward slightly-they’re not reinventing, overturning, or blowing up things. Gizmodo
While the Torch does address some of the needs of existing Blackberry users and could give cause for some to upgrade RIM really hasn’t done much to move itself back into the innovators realm. Time will tell just how much of the market share RIM will continue to loose.
Anthologize – Bits to Bookshelf
Aug 4th
While I haven’t had a chance to work with this just yet (I need to upgrade my blog to Wordpress 3.0) the concept of taking blog content and putting it into a book format is wonderful.
Anthologize is a Wordpress plugin that allows one to use existing Wordpress blog content and content from other electronic sources and then outline, order, and edit the work, crafting it into a single volume for export in several formats, including PDF, ePUB and TEI.
Go to the Anthologize website…
High School Students Want More Technology in College
Aug 3rd
The 21st-Century Campus Report: Campus 2.0 by CDW-G reveals that high school students expect a high degree of technology in the College classrooms they hope to attend. The key findings by CDW-G reveal:
- Higher education faculty and IT staff value technology as an essential tool for student success
- Institutions are incorporating newer technology tools that are connecting and resonating with students, who grew up using technology. This technology empowers students and faculty to personalize and expand the learning experience
- Institutions say that defining – and supporting – the new learning environment is a challenge. Many IT professionals report that their IT infrastructure needs to be updated to ensure future success
- Incoming college students have even higher expectations for technology than today’s college students
While there appears to be a gap between high school student’s expectations and what colleges are able to deliver this is an even more significant gab between what college IT staffs are able to deliver and what faculty expect. Perhaps the most sobering aspect of the report is that the classroom is still viewed as the primary location of learning and learning outside of the classroom is viewed as access to online learning tools.
