New Perspective

A friend of mine introduced me to a web-site that gives you a whole new view on the world we live in (http://www.worldmapper.org). They morph a map of the world's land area (such as that above) based on 366 (so far) individual variables, such as maternal mortality, cigarette usage, cell phone subscribers, and number of McDonalds outlets, bloating and shrinking various land masses accordingly. One example is shown below. This approach makes differences between the various parts of the world very "graphic."

GDP Wealth per person
"This wealth map shows which territories have the greatest wealth when Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is compared using currency exchange rates. This indicates international purchasing power - what someone’s money would be worth if they wanted to spend it in another territory."

Synergy or Weakest Link

As we come together in a shared virtual space, I wonder if our collective intelligence is greater than the sum of its parts or whether it disintegrates to the lowest common denominator?? As I reflect on the evolution of the web and its social spaces, I am disturbed in some ways how this medium gives equal authority to all voices without credentials or identity. While, without question, opinions belong to each of us, we are not all equally versed in the various aspects of human knowledge and thinking. How then can we believe what we read on Wikipedia? -- yet many seem to look to it as a reliable reference source. While I think it would tend to self-correct over time, at any instant a Wikipedia entry may be full of rumors and misinterpretations that would be perpetuated in the thinking of its users.

I am a firm believer in the value of discussion to solidify one's understanding and as a springboard to a higher level of thinking. Thus, I like the notion of being able to converse asynchronously (in a virtual discussion group or forum). I am not sure I am so enamored yet of blogging. While I enjoy vicariously sharing experiences (e.g., travel, life challenges etc) this way, it seems to me that blogging can become a cyber-soapbox where someone can rant without challenge.

That said, I would like to add that I have enjoyed the opportunity to explore 23-things this summer. It reminds me of how much I enjoy learning new things and how much I really do enjoy reflective practice. It amazes me how quickly time flies when I am immersed in writing.

Collective Wisdom

It is funny ... I used to LOVE to read for fun as a kid, but then as my school work began to require more and more detail-oriented studies, reading gradually lost its appeal. The last thing I wanted to do after studying for hours was to read something else. Television only made matters worse; it made escapism effortless and made me mentally lazy. Middle age didn't help either; having to wear "magnifiers" and have bright light to see the words robbed me of any remaining pleasure. As someone with a Ph.D. from an Ivy League institution, I am rather embarrassed to admit this aversion to reading but sadly it is all too true.

One of the things I find most frustrating about reading is finding a novel that I will enjoy. There is nothing I hate more than wandering through the library stacks aimlessly. It is rare that I stumble upon a winner that way. Thus, the LibraryThing "suggestions" feature appealed to me tremendously; I found that among the other works listed were those of other authors I like or books I had read but forgotten. With this correlation demonstrated, I am inclined to think that other titles named might be ones worth a look.

It does not surprise me that common threads of our psyche, genes and/or experiences would tend to make certain people share preferences of author, genre and subject. I guess the question is how good a job does the LibraryThing's algorithm do at finding those critical common characteristics. So far, I have been impressed with their picks; maybe I'll take a trip to the library this weekend!

Generating a New Reality

I am having great fun with the image generating sites! So far I have put a screenwriting friend on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and her movies on a couple of marquees, and made my newly graduated nephew's day by putting his announcement on Disneyland marquee.

No need to create my own street sign, however. There already is a Conzelman Road on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

Here is a a map, a review from CitySearch

" Avoid the traffic-jammed "vista point" to the North of Golden Gate Bridge by heading to this lovely alternative. With the entirety of the Bay Area on one side and the Golden Gate Bridge and the Pacific Ocean on the other, the view from Conzelman Road is one of the most dramatic in the world. Night or day, summer, winter, spring or fall--this is literally a vista for all seasons. Go when there's a full moon, and watch it rise while the sun sets simultaneously. During the fall months, Conzelman Road is an ideal place to observe the annual raptor migration."

and a link with a nearly 360 degree panoramic view.

Time to Spare

I tried to use the suggested Blogline but for some reason I could never get the system to e-mail me the confirmation information necessary to use it; therefore, I tried out GoogleReader instead. I don't know if there is an advantage of one over another.

I do have a question. I can see that the RSS alerts me when someone posts a new comment on a particular page of a "23 things" page, but does it alert me when you activate a link to a new page (e.g., Week 5's thing)? I guess I'll find out next time a new link is activated. If I am understanding all of this correctly, "23 things" is really a website rather than a blog; therefore, I would need to subscribe separately to the comments for each page to be alerted to new postings. Wonder if I've got it or not.

I appreciate having my own private place to put down my thoughts that can't be trompled by anyone else but I am also feeling kind of lonely in my blogspace. The comments are rare (I don't have the time to comment on everyone else's either). I would like to have a common blog "playground" where multiple authors could post entries. Would it be okay if I set something like that up?

Painting Words with Pictures

Our students live in a very visual world so I guess pictures help to engage their interest (a critical first step in the learning process) and in some cases illustrate concepts in ways that words alone cannot. Nonetheless I wonder where this technological revolution and resulting evolution of learning and thinking is taking us. In my mind, technology has made our lives easier but it has also made most of us lazier mentally, physically and creatively. What happened to painting pictures with words ... reading books, imagining characters and fanciful worlds? Now good stories are brought to life on the big screen before the book is out in paperback, and the special effects are hard to compete with in the classroom. Spelling and grammar checkers have made for lazy writers, "googling" has replaced research, the calculator has undermined mathematical literacy, and "cutting and pasting" has taken the place of composition. Has e-mail made us more meaningfully connected with loved ones far away or addicted to a box? It is a sad world when family members text message across the dining room table. Is this connectedness or social isolation? Do more meaningful conversations occur because we are never away from our phones? Don't we need time to be quiet with our thoughts? Difficult in the din of continual stimulation.

Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying technology is inherently "bad;" it is certainly necessary for us to stay competitive in the global economy, but I wonder if it is a bit of a "runaway horse" as it infiltrates education. Is the pervasive use of PowerPoint really better than traditional lectures and notetaking? While I can see the benefit that Flickr Speller, Flickr Sudoku, or other mash-ups have for the individuals who wrote the programs, what is it beyond a novelty for those of us who play with them?

I try to think about all this in terms of scientific research and evolutionary theory. In pure or basic research, scientists investigate phenomena just to understand why things are the way they are; there is no necessary practical applications for this type of study although what is learned may serendipitously help to improve our quality of life. In much the same way, technology is developed "because we can" and then how it is applied depends on the results. I just wonder if we are doing the same kind of risk/benefit analysis with the application of technological tools in education that we do in clinical trials of new pharmaceuticals. Is technology really making learning better or are we being confounded by all the bells and whistles?

Technology is clearly a product of human creativity. It can only change with our input. However, I wonder if we have become intellectually one with our technology. As our computers get smarter do the minds and thinking skills of the average human devolve since there no longer is selective pressure on us alone to perform these tasks?

Metacognitive Musings

The whole notion of blogging is difficult for me. I guess putting my ideas and values out in the world leaves me feeling very exposed and vulnerable. I enjoy participating in discussions but a blog feels more like a "soapbox" than a conversation.

That said, I'll forge on. For me, the elements of effective learning are a genuine desire to know (motivation), the tools to be successful (mentors to guide the way, information, resources), and a context in which to learn in a meaningful way (often that is in discussing the concepts with others, by applying the ideas to solve a problem or execute a project, or by explaining it to others). I don't usually set specific goals (at least not consciously) because I think my life and learning goals are in constant evolution. I find myself seiziing opportunities as they present themselves rather than looking for them. I could never have planned all the places that my life has taken me and all that I have learned along the way. I think if I had been "hell-bent" on pursuing specific goals, I might well have not made time for other tangential adventures that appeared along the way.

What is hard for me is to maintain a curious mindset. I don't like learning alone so without the artificial structure of being in school, my mind tends to stagnate. I have never had confidence in myself as a learner; as a student this "fear of failure" helped to motivate me to really work hard at my studies, but as a lifelong learner, this quality tends to make me avoid venturing very far from my comfort zone. Without a community of learners (to discuss things and commiserate with) I tend to "stay put" intellectually.

The notion of being a playful learner is foreign too. To be playful, one has to be willing to look foolish at times and laugh at oneself. While this has gotten easier with age, I still find that I don't want to try things that I can't be sure I'll be good at. This view certainly limits the scope of my experiences since I can't be sure whether I will be good at something that I have never tried.

Continuing the comparison of learning and play, infants start out with solitary play, but they advance to parallel play (playing alone but in the company of others) and finally to cooperative play; in a similar fashion my most meaningful learning happens not when I am alone but rather when I am discussing ideas with others. Conversation helps me to articulate, refine and solidify my understanding and/or beliefs. I guess that's why I am grateful for this "play group."