Seth Godin posted 10 points on how to be remarkable. I would argue that “remarkable” defined as notably or conspicuously unusual, extraordinary and “innovative” defined as being or producing something like nothing done or experienced or created before are so closely related that Seth’s list title could be modified to ” How to be remarkable/innovative”
There are several keys aspects to understanding social networking. The first priority is to understand today’s learner and grasp what is really significant to them. This is followed very closely by understanding where and how our learners are networking. The following resources are not meant to be an exhaustive list, but should serve as a starting point.
Who is
For example, in the book Online Social Networking on Campus: Understanding What Matters in Student Culture authors Ana M. Martínez Alemán, chair of educational administration and higher education at Boston College, and Katherine Lynk Wartman, resident director at Simmons College and a Ph.D. candidate at Boston College offer advice on how to use Facebook and other social networking tools in academia.
What higher education professional should know about Facebook,
Understanding what students practices on Facebook are worrisome;
The issues of looking at Facebook profiles as part of the application process;
Whether administration and faculty should “Friend” student and the need for a code of Facebook ethics.
The following statement emphasizes the need to be proactive with respect to social networking systems in academia:
Computer mediated communication technologies have already made it necessary for academic faculty to modify or simply transfer traditional modes and norms of real-life academic and pedagogical communication online. It’s just a matter of time before we see a SNS as a classroom experience.
“Kids’ Informal Learning with Digital Media: An Ethnographic Investigation of Innovative Knowledge Cultures”
http://digitalyouth.ischool.berkeley.edu/report
From Knowledgable to Knowledge-able: Learning in New Media Environments
http://www.academiccommons.org/commons/essay/knowledgable-knowledge-able
Michael Wesch, “Anti-Teaching: Confronting the Crisis of Significance”
http://www.cea-ace.ca/media/en/AntiTeaching_Spring08.pdf
The above article followed this video:
The 21st-Century Digital Learner
http://www.edutopia.org/ikid-digital-learner-technology-2008
The author of the above article is Mark Prensky and you may find his writings useful. You can access the above article and many more from:
http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/
Educational Benefits Of Social Networking Sites Uncovered
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/06/080620133907.htm
The phrase “snow day” is lost to most Canadians who have grown up in places like Northern Alberta and who have lived through countless snowfalls and blizzards. Waking up to 6-8-12 or more inches of snow to the average Albertan means they will need to leave a bit more time to shovel the snow before they leave for work or school. In Abilene Texas a couple of inches of snow or more is enough to shut down the entire city and this means most schools and universities are closed. So a “snow day” in Abilene means most students will get the day off from classes. So what does a Texas blizzard look like that is ferocious enough to shut down schools.
To be fair I have also taken a close up (see below) which reveals that there may be as much as 3-4 inches of snow on the ground. Because it is just below freezing by just a degree or two it is very slushy and this is what scares most people. Furthermore, if the temperature drops even more this slush will freeze and the city may have to issue a state of emergency. OK I am kidding about the state of emergency but if you listen to the News shows they can make you believe that conditions are very bad.
In the Gizmodo article The iPad will rule the world Jesus Diaz points to the Alan Kay quote regarding the iPad. While the size is one of the key factors to this prediction so is the fact that Kay envisioned a universally accessible wireless connected device–when you combine the size with the access the iPad may just be the start to a whole new future.
