JamesEd.com » change

Into the unknown with technology!

James — Wed, 19 May 2010 12:33:16 +0000

On almost a daily basis I meet students who ask the age old question, “why do we need to learn this anyway?”

The simple answer is we go to school to learn how to act on our curiosity.

We are all curious right?

School provides a means to shape that curiosity, and if the student steps back from credits and grades for a moment, by glimpsing into the unknown and allowing some form of action/reaction to occur the shaping of curiosity can take place.

Take our WEB2.0 technology today as a perfect example.

Writing, art, research, design, economics, business… the full scope of university studies are being recast in the blink of an eye.

Tomorrow is here today and the university is really the only place that almost anyone can engage with this technology pushed change that is just starting to demonstrate tomorrow today.

But to engage students and teachers need to be asking, “how can I use the poetry I am reading” and not “why am I reading this anyway!”

Take Layar for instance. This is the application of all we teach at University.

About Layar
Layar is world’s leading Augmented Reality Platform on mobile. The Layar Reality Browser currently has more than 1.6 million users and comes pre-installed on tens of millions of phones from leading handset manufacturers and carriers by the end of the year. Over 500 layers are published on the Layar Platform with over 2000 in development. These layers are developed by the global community of 3000 Layar publishers and producers, and by leading brands and agencies. Layar is located in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The company is funded and has 32 employees.

The free Layar Reality Browser is available on Android devices and iPhone 3GS. The Layar Platform is available for anyone to create their own Augmented Reality experiences on.

Layar, see the world
http://www.layar.com

Find more information and screen shots at: http://site.layar.com/paid-layer-launching-partners/ and http://site.layar.com/paid-layer-screens

The point is this is a brand new way of applying the thought process that has existed since we could think and the education we are delivering as professors is as relevant to this application’s development as it is to writing press releases!

BUT ,and that is a big but, we need to create an environment that provokes what might simply be called entrepreneurial-applied-education or EAE for short!

In my own college we do it is some places on purposes and by accident in others.

If we work at creating a culture of reaching for the unknown tomorrow and embracing the technology that may help or hinder us in the long run there is no question we are setting ourselves up for good things, even if we stumble along the way.

But we need to start and in many cases jump into a paradigm shift that like where technology is taking us feel like a step into the unknown.

Talk, listen and wonder was it worth it, UAE conversations

James — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 09:50:07 +0000

What is the price of an opinion?

Mishaal Al Gergawi has come on my radio show and spends his day at the Dubai Cultural Authority, he is a switched on Emirati no doubt.

It is always interesting to read what a young Emirati has to say about Dubai, here is his article from the Gulf News.

Dubai’s unwritten social contract

Dubai is not unique because of its world-class infrastructure or business-friendly climate; these things can be replicated. It is unique because of its ability to accept people from around the world with different, and often contradictory values

By Mishaal Al Gergawi, Special to Gulf News
Published: January 24, 2010 http://su.pr/1itm4v

Everyone has heard about the case of the British woman who was celebrating her engagement with her fiancé in a Dubai hotel on New Year’s Eve. The next day the woman claims she was raped by a staff member of the hotel while lying semiconscious in the toilet.

The couple reports the case to the police and, upon questioning, admit to having consumed alcohol and having sex out of wedlock. Since this is illegal in the UAE, the police charge them both with illegal drinking and adultery.

Things become further complicated once it becomes clear that the woman is Muslim and so her actions contravene Sharia law. Of course, the original rape accusation is also recognised as a separate case, but this charge was proven to be false after reviewing CCTV footage.

Law

Are the police wrong to file two separate cases? No, not technically at least. The official statement has made it clear that such admissions to breaking the law cannot be ignored. But is that really what we’re talking about here? No. There is a larger issue at stake here. I have heard that unmarried couples who had vacations to Dubai planned have been reconsidering.

Are they overreacting? No. The rape factor is insignificant here. The message that comes to any tourist’s mind while planning a vacation when considering Dubai is this: There are hotels that are licensed to sell me alcohol but I can be arrested for consuming it. There are hotel rooms that I can check into but I can be arrested for having sexual relations with my partner in them. Is this really the Dubai we know? Is this the city that prides itself on tolerance and harmonious coexistence?

It is one thing, though still controversial in my view, to prosecute unmarried couples who cohabit or have extra-marital relations. After all, they are residents in your city and by choosing to live here they must observe its values. But it is a completely different thing to prosecute tourists, people who are coming to your city for a short vacation, for consuming alcohol in licensed bars and restaurants and having sex privately in their hotel room.

What is the big idea here? Are we telling the world only come if you’re married? Why do we expect people to come to our country and completely abandon their personal values? Yes, these are personal values.

The ability and choice to have a relationship with someone in a private space is an extremely personal value. This is completely different from the now infamous public beach sex case of 2008. This was sex that occurred in the privacy of a legally occupied hotel room.

How did this private action offend anyone? And to demonstrate the inherent contradiction, I wonder why the hotel allowed them to check into the same room in the first place. The same applies to the alcohol situation. That’s akin to Switzerland’s ban of the minarets because it offends the Swiss Christian population and France’s proposed legislation to ban the burqa because it is un-European to cover one’s face.

Tolerance

The issue at hand is much more than the unfortunate application of the UAE’s law. The bedrock of Dubai is an unwritten social contract between the government, its locals and residents where the latter two groups are free to conduct their lives in as liberal or conservative a fashion as they please as long as it doesn’t upset Dubai’s delicate identity; this balancing act is the essence of Dubai’s appeal.

This is why this incident and the message Dubai is sending by prosecuting this couple is more dangerous than the ill-timed and ill-managed debt standstill request by Dubai World just before the holidays.

Dubai is not unique because of its world-class infrastructure or business-friendly climate; these things can be replicated. It is unique because of its ability to accept people from around the world with different, and often contradictory values, provided they adhere to the lifestyle range that Dubai is willing to accept in the public sphere.

It was always understood that this would not be exercised in private spaces and spaces designated for specific activities. If this case is actually the beginning of a campaign to end this understanding then we will be living in a very different city very soon.

Dubai is not a melting pot, it is a tossed salad. No one changes when they come here; they simply apply Dubai’s dressing which makes it work. Now if someone starts changing this salad, removing the tomatoes, citing that cucumber and lettuce are enough, then I’m not sure the salad would taste the same. I like my salad just fine, please don’t reinvent it for me.

As for the police, who remind us that they cannot ignore such offences, I in turn remind them that they, and we, are better off focusing on clamping down on what seems to be an untouchable reality. Yes, I am referring to prostitution. I would like to see the police focus on this before arresting foreigners who do not even live here for simply having different values than their own. Dubai doesn’t need such misguided vigilance. I have no doubt that the couple will receive a pardon because if they don’t then much of what we’ve heard would’ve been rhetoric all along.

Mishaal Al Gergawi is an Emirati commentator on socio-economic and cultural affairs in the UAE.

What I find particularly interesting is a note Mishaal has sent out about his article!

Friends,

My column this week has gone viral faster than anything I’ve ever written before; nothing comes even close. I expect that some controversy will emerge out of my views so let me make my motives very clear: Dubai works because it doesn’t judge. If Dubai starts to judge then it better find itself a new name because it won’t be recognisable to its own people, let alone those who are not. This is a very difficult time for the city that is my hometown. I do not worry about the financial ramifications very much, there are far greater things at risk here. The people who have put it at this risk do not understand the far ramifications of what they are doing; they believe they are performing a long overdue clean and regulate service to it. Make no mistake, I support those two notions very much. However, the execution is completely off target. This weeks’ piece is devoted to what I fear is the beginning of this ‘cleaning’ campaign, next week’s will cover the ‘regulation’ aspect. Regardless of whether you agree with my views or not, it is important that you understand the stimulants of my views.

I expect my views to be received with special reservation from the more conservative demographic of Dubai. I want them to know that I would be just as incensed if the opposite happened (yes, it’s hard to imagine) and private conservative activities were persecuted. This article is not about sex per se, it is about the underlying freedom in one’s own legal private & specific activity spaces that are legally designated. I will write this last part in arabic to ensure that this point comes across very clearly to whoever reads this.

Finally, I have never ever wanted to be so wrong about something as much as this. Ever. Pray that I’m wrong. Pray that I’m over reacting to an ugly horrible yet one-off mistake.

Sincerely,

Mishaal

Everything has a price how much are you willing to spend for what you believe?

The new world of work

James — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 06:32:41 +0000

THE 2009 DALTON CAMP LECTURE IN JOURNALISM

Listen

One of the toughest parts of working in education is knowing that you are teaching a group of students of which some will go into careers that at this exact moment do not exist.

So, the question has to be, am I giving them the skills they need?

Unfortunately, and I do mean unfortunately, there are many academics around the world who really truly have no clue and are prepared to teach what they have been teaching the same way they have been teaching it for the last 2 decades with no care in the world for how their students might use, apply or think about that content.

Of course part of the problem is rapid application change of technology.

Technology itself is not really changing that fast but the way we use and apply it is strapped to a rocket heading for orbit.

So what do our teachers and professors need to do?

Look and listen more actively to their environment, oh and dare to try something newer.

I am particularly interested in the changes coming about in journalism and really see the trade having gone full circle back to the personalized niche content it was way back when.

I stumbled, quite literally, upon the Dalton Camp lecture on journalism being delivered by Sue Gardner executive director of the Wikimedia foundation.

For me, anyway, this talk helps me understand how the study of technology and the application of it might be refocused in the classroom and beyond to at least hint at how students might use old and new tools being delivered in academia for their future.

The lecture was broadcast on Ideas a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation program.

I would love to read your comments!

http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/audio.html is where you can hear more Ideas programs.

Here are the details of the Camp lecture.

November 26
THE 2009 DALTON CAMP LECTURE IN JOURNALISM

Listen

Journalism is facing new challenges as it evolves in the context of online environments. Sue Gardner, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation delivers the Dalton Camp Lecture at St. Thomas University in Fredericton.

New Year’s Day, What I Read.

James — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 12:44:44 +0000

Leading up and out of New Year’s day I was consumed by the book, ‘The Road’.

Give the book a glance.

I think ‘The Road’ might be one of the most personally instructive (by way of reminding me what I have) book’s I have picked up in a long time.

I had not followed this book as an Oprah selection, I just happened upon it and it could not have been a more fitting read to bring in the New Year.

What is 2010 going to be about?

Hope, Innovation, Using what you have, Conversation, Love, Trust, Change, Challenge, New Reality…

And what is ‘the Road’ about, well all of the above!

Sure the context of ‘The Road’ and my 2010 are a bit different, but the goals are really very similar.

What are my goals?

To make sense of the changing environment and take advantage of the opportunity presented to make the environment, the greater living environment both physical and psychological, better for as many people as possible. I think the 1st step is making practical education available to all who want it. Education in a new way!

Get a taste of the movie made from the book, I think it frames the ideas above. Everything needs to be re-thought!

Watch the movie trailer on Vimeo.

Click here to view the embedded video.

So what do we need in 2010?

Hope, Innovation, Using what you have, Conversation, Love, Trust, Change, Challenge, New Reality… and you and I know what we need to do and actually we know how to do it.

So start and don’t be afraid!

When you think it impossible to do what we know needs to be done read ‘The Road’ or watch the movie as many times as it takes for you to just get on with things!

Innovation day

James — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 09:34:19 +0000

I don’t know if you read the blog by Diego Rodriguez called metacool, if not you should.

Look at the list of innovation principles on the right hand side!

Rodriguez puts a nice spin on innovation and maybe, just maybe, adds an element to the thought process that could re-focus what innovation is all about.

I hereby declare December 17 to be Innovating Day.

Innovate. Take action. It’s about the verb — innovating — and not the noun. Personally, I’m tired of talking about the noun innovation and reading books about that noun, and only want to help people and organizations get in better touch with their creative confidence so that they can go out and innovate. Trying to understand how to get to innovative outcomes via a process analyzing the inputs and outputs of innovation is akin to trying to understand love by reading textbooks on biology and genomics. I’d wager that the best lovers in history didn’t read books on the subject. Much better, methinks, to go out and do it in order to understand it. Love, innovate, do, live: you’ll come to understand your own self and process in due time. Which is the whole point.

Today is Innovating Day because December 17 marks the anniversary of Wilbur and Orville Wright completing the first controlled flight of a heavier-than-air machine. The Wrights were nothing if not intuitive innovators, deeply in touch with a personal design process which allowed them to go where no man had gone before. I won’t pretend that the Wrights followed any of the principles of innovating which I’ve been discussing here over the past year, but I will declare that those principles are largely inspired by the lives of the Wrights. In particular, the events of December 17 helped inspire these specific principles:

1. Experience the world instead of talking about experiencing the world.

4. Prototype as if you are right. Listen as if you are wrong.

10. Baby steps often lead to big leaps.

14. Failure sucks, but instructs.

I absolutely love his suggestion that we all need innovate one thing in our lives TODAY! Ad of course if you get stuck, well here is the suggestion!

If you’re stuck, I highly recommend proceeding with Principle 3 as a starting point.

I think the only real barrier to innovation by students, teachers, business people, politicians is not knowing where to start and fear of failure.

Now imagine if Bell, Jobs, Gates… anyone who has made a physical difference in your world said that they were too scared!

Just get to it.

Why education today,ALL of it, gets an F!

James — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 06:25:08 +0000

We are in an education crisis today.

You know it.

Teachers know it.

Students know it.

Governments know it.

So, you ask, if the crisis of education is happening in front of or eyes why are we sitting on our hands and taping our mouths shut?

1. fear of change

2. change = admission of fault

3. new=unknown

4. suggests a complete societal re-think.

By now many of you have seen the TEDtalk by Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining real case for creating an education system that fosters the creativity we need as opposed to the systems of education we now have.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I think the problem is really a HOW-TO issue.

Yes we need more creativity in all levels of education today, but how do we do that without compromising the whole activity?

Maybe we are not listening to our clients the students and their future employers?

Maybe we are not engaging enough with the environment, the changing multifaceted environment we are part of?

Terry Deary, the author of Horrible Histories has a model for revising teaching and engagement worth thinking about, too bad few outside of the UK do!

Click here to view the embedded video.

I had a conversation with the executive producer of the stage plays of Horrible Histories as produced by the Birmingham Stage Compan on Nightline and there is no question that these people are on the front of a wave of education re-conceptualization.

Listen to this interesting conversation about the application of history and the stage in an educationally relevant context, this is also very entertaining.

So, where do we go from here?

I think we all, teachers, parents, business people need to do one (small) thing to change the way we educate and really apply this thing whatever it is now… try the idea.

I am going to help start a little podcasting service at a school close to me to allow the students to promote the things they are learning about.. create radio plays of the content!

Your turn.

It is all about the experience

James — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 05:58:13 +0000

We hear and read a lot about how our social, political and economic environments are in an unprecedented state of change.

As we address the change around us we often think about cuts, re-deployment, product delivery, those things we tend to be able to monetize.

I think we are being distracted from the one thing we can deal with, change and develop, the experience we have in commerce, politics, education our lives in general.

Mark Hurst, the author of Good Experience does a great job of reminding us how important the experience we have is on a weekly basis.

For Mark, this week, creating a good experience on the web, in a shop, at a conference all comes down to listening to those who are consuming what you have to offer.

Now sit back and think, think hard, how well do you listen and when you are listening do you actually use that information to develop the experience you are delivering?

Exactly, we need to listen and we don’t.

Shame on us!

The whatif of Gadgets and Education!

James — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 07:36:21 +0000

The latest installment of GADGET LAB from Wired Magazine has really got me thinking.

The issue is how the iPhone might reboot ENGAGEMENT in education, and in this case we are talking about University education.

The goal was simple!

The initiative’s goal was to explore how the always-connected iPhone might revolutionize the classroom experience with a dash of digital interactivity. Think web apps to turn in homework, look up campus maps, watch lecture podcasts and check class schedules and grades. For classroom participation, there’s even polling software for Abilene students to digitally raise their hand.

And it seems to be working!

Of course the big question is do our schools, globally, want to run ahead and be teaching and living in the manner that students are living?

“For us, it isn’t primarily about the device,” Rankin said. “This is a question of, how do we live and learn in the 21st century now that we have these sorts of connections?…. I think this is the next platform for education.”

Food for Thought.

James — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:47:05 +0000

TEDxDubai and TED.COM in general have provoked me to spend a lot of time thinking about how we communicate about the issues around us that we need to deal with now!

The short and simple answer is we do not communicate well about the micro issues that can/will and do impact upon our very lives.

Maybe we think we cannot change the world?

Maybe we think people do not care?

Maybe we don’t care?

The reality is we need to be slapped with a wet towel to wake up and realize that there are umpteen things we can do to influence our corner of the world today and now if we just communicated with others, and communicated effectively in the process.

I see a lot of ads that have no impact on me, this one made me stop and think!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Imagine, think, now go make some change.

Time to sieze education back…

James — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 10:46:14 +0000

For too long I have been tossing a lot of cold water on the global education establishment.

IB programs do IB but are not IB.

Outcome based learning works to outcomes but doesn’t live the outcomes.

For four years I have been lucky to be able to go to some very expensive conferences that CEO’s and the like attend, as a perk I suspect.

The beuty of these conferences is they are flush with A-level speakers who present really cool stuff that is often tied to books, research, flushed out ideas—generally the stuff that corporations and states use to create their policy.

So why are CEO’s and people who have cash to burn seemingly the only people who get to these conferences? And by the way the people at these conferences are often those that can do the least with the information.

I have this grand idea!

Why not create a university program that is based on going to conferences around the world?

Why not go to the conferences and take in the ideas, talk, experiment, question, read, write, plan and do?

What about having a team of people like me that contextualize the ideas and help focus them around milestones, projects,ventures maybe even some further academic research?

And what to we call this?

World Education! Real Education! Next education! ONEeducation!

Why is nobody doing this?

I want to start!

What we need are a few more global, broadminded people to help be curators.

What we need is backing.

What we need are a handful of people who want to change the way we think and do education!

Here are three conferences to think about!

GEL, IDEAS, LEADERS

Imagine what could happen?

Imagine the output?

Imagine the role the graduate might play in leading the next phase of global development.

Why has this not been done? Too easy to make amazing change I suspect!

Who wants to join me?