eLearning Technology

Given that I am a fan of all things eLearning, here is a link to a contest to get a free copy of Digital Habitats. Follow this link to go to a website about it. Also, if you are interested in attending a free online conference, LearnTrends2009, this is the website to check out as well.

Online learning and the ways we can share information without leaving home are of great interest to me. No, I am not a hermit who lives in a cave and never wants to leave. Rather, I love to travel but even more I love to connect with people. I think the eLearning Community is one of the most forward thinking groups around and I love the way many folks are wildly experimenting with teaching and learning. What excites me most is the way the K-12 community is getting involved in eLearning.

This is all an exciting ride and I can't wait to see where the next bend in the road goes.

Fear Factor- Social Networking

For people like me who go through withdraw when they aren't next to their Blackberry, the idea that someone is afraid of social networking puzzles me. When you sign up for things like Facebook or Twitter, you can certainly limit the number of friends or followers you have. So I remain puzzled about what is so scary?

Maybe there are a couple of things going on here. First maybe folks are just afraid of the technology. Let's face it, typing on those little keyboards on phones is not for everyone. Even sitting down to use a computer on a regular basis might be scary. Who knows who could be snooping through your computer while you are online? (slight nod here to conspiracy junkies who think home computers get hacked while you are online) A second factor in all of this is that getting involved in social networking can be like opening a fire hose. There is such a flood of information that it can be hard to turn it back off.

But really, if you don't like computers or those fancy phones, then don't buy them. Don't go "online". Rather stay in your little caves or your shells and don't stick your neck out. However, don't be surprised if you get lost in the virtual dust of the rest of the world moving forward.

A Week Away

So I was radio-silent last week during my staycation. OK, so I didn't completely unplug. I still carried and used my Blackberry and logged onto my laptop occasionally to check email. But what was different for me was that I NEVER checked my work email or work phone. I decided that it was all going to be there when I got back, so no need to deal with any of it.

In this age where I practically have my Blackberry implanted on my hip, I think it is getting harder and harder to unplug. Even the most deliberate attempts to put down the electronic devices are met with frosty messages from people trying to get in touch with me. I am always amazed at the number of folks who talk on the phone while they drive despite the fact that it is against the law in California. I am also amazed at the number of people on their phones in grocery stores, at sporting events, and so on.

What I am getting at, is that I think we have lost the ability to turn off the world and be on vacation or staycation. How often during the week do we really turn everything off and just let ourselves be? Take the dog for a walk, go play with someone, even read a book! I think this is something I need to cultivate more going forward. All work and no play makes me uninteresting and not very happy.

The Birther Movement

I am a regular watcher of TRMS and one of the stories she has been following is the whole birther movement. These are the nut jobs who don't think Pres. Obama was born in the U.S. so he can't be President. They keep insisting that his Hawaiian birth certificate is a fake despite the raised seal and the fact that it was verified. The birthers have taken over Republican meetings and are even having reps. in Congress introduce a bill about it in the House. These folks are over the top! Here is a segment from Jon Stewart of the Daily Show via the Huffington Post in which Jon eviscerates the birther movement. Click here to watch.

What I still don't understand is why these folks need this as their pet issue. Obama is the President, so get over it and get on with your lives. If it was a white guy in the WH, would you be asking for his birth certificate? Don't people have enough concerns with the economy and health care? When I hear and read stories about folks like these, I am a whole lot more worried about Homeland Security than the threat from outside the US.

Middle of the Summer

How did the summer get to be half over? Looking at my calendar, I see we have reached past the mid-point in July and I am still working on summer projects at work. Having my six-month goals posted on the wall of my office only goes so far to remind me that these all need to be done by Christmas! (I live in a world with a July-June fiscal year).

Much of my world seems to dwell in time. Time to go to work. Time to eat lunch. Time to pick up the kid from summer camp. Where did the time go? Everything is about time. On Sunday even the pastor preached about time and coming away for a Sabbath. Whether it's leisure or not, it's still all about the time.

So maybe it is time to get back to work and start back on the list of goals and the ongoing to-do list. It is never too late to get something done.

Dinner, or something like that

So we had dinner tonight at In N Out Burger, our favorite local chain. By local I mean California, Arizona and a few other parts of the west coast. What it lacks in ambiance at least the food is fresh, tasty and made to order. I like eating there and find it to be a quick place to grab something that is more than just fast food in a bag, aka a 99 cent heart attack.

When I pulled up to the window to pay, the guy in front of me had not stopped to pay and was trying to drive off without paying. Now I can see doing that if things were free, but no actually he owed them money for his food. We asked the window folks who admitted it happens on occasion. I ask again, what kind of scam is someone trying to pull by making off with a $10.00 bag of burgers? Please, if you are going to try and get away with something at least make it worth while!

All of this comes on the heels of a day where someone tried to blame their negligence on me for a stolen laptop(he went outside and left it on a table not cabled to anything). I cannot account for human stupidity and ignorance. We live in a urban area. Crime happens. There is a reason we have a personal safety brochure. So why did he choose to ignore the safety warnings and leave his stuff unattended? Why did he leave his other stuff like a jacket and backpack unattended while he ran about looking for his laptop? If I solve this riddle, maybe I can take on the Sphinx next!