empowerment through education creating the 21st century extension professional: current technologies...
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EMPOWERMENT THROUGH EDUCATION
Creating the 21st Century Extension Professional: Current Technologies and Their Role in
Extension
Contact information
Jerold R. ThomasLeader, Innovation & ChangeOhio State University Leadership Center2120 Fyffe RoadColumbus, OH 43210Ph: 419.306.9400Email: [email protected]: http://extensiontrends.ag.ohio-state.eduTwitter: http://twitter.com/thomas69osu
Confession
• I am not a techie
• I am an Extension professional that likes to use tools to improve my effectiveness and efficiency
• But it really does not start with the technology
Li & Bernoff’s POST planning method
• People – who will use your product
• Objectives – what is your purpose for engagement
• Strategy – what is the relationship with your customer
• Technology – what tools fit your needs?
Learner objectives
• Briefly cover trends in technology and its impacts on Extension
• Demonstrate some technology tools that can help you
• Engage in dialogue about technology tools and systems we can develop to create a better future
• Share generational information where appropriate
Philosophical/Pedagogical mumbo-jumbo
• My goal is to focus on what you’re interested in learning or seeing
• Breadth versus depth
• Experiential learning and dialogue are strongly encouraged
• Focus is on cheap or low cost tools.
• Parking lot is available
A quote to get us started
• “Our Age of Anxiety is, in part, the result of trying to do today’s jobs with yesterday’s tools”– Marshall McLuhan
Major technology trends
• Connectivity
• Collaborative environments
• Ease/Convenience
• Economics
• Increased clientele access
• Personal Development
Web 2.0
• Move to more dynamic platforms instead of top-down portals
• User directed
• Ease of use
• Interactive and engagement
Technological change can lead to…
• Disintermediation
• Commoditization
The Woodpecker Has To Go!
Internet usage in the U.S.
• 1995-96: ~ 15% of adults
• Jan. 2005: 66% of adults
• April 2006: 73% of adults
• From Jan. 2005 to April 2006 the percent of Americans with broadband increased from 29% to 42%
Tools we can discuss
• Blogs• Podcasts• Social networks• Aggregators
• Collaborative Writing • Collaborative Project
Management• Other?
Quiz time!!
• What is ….
1.A wiki?
2.A blog?
3.Instant Messaging?
4.An aggregator (or News Reader)?
Alternative quiz
Would you use tools that let you….
• Create documents with geographically dispersed peers?
• Develop a way to post info to the web and receive feedback?
• Communicate online asynchronously?
• Have information organized for your retrieval?
Tool requirements
1. Easy to use
2. Cheap or free
3. Impact the way we work and live
Blogs
• Let’s take a peak and then try to define or describe
A blog (Weblog) is…
• Dynamic website with chronological layout
• Often collaborative– Wright’s idea of transmission vs.
engagement
• Community relationships (blogosphere) – linkages & comments!
• Examples
What Can A Blog do for Me?
• Empowered conversation
• Link resources
• Introduce topics, information, opportunities
• Provide opinion or commentary
• Explain things (ie, policy, articles, etc.)
• Must add value in some way
Why is a blog important?
• Branding– Niche – think clientele, peers and future
opportunities– Power rule – long tail concept (Anderson)
• Ease of use• Knowledge Management (Wright)• Information (Wright)• Relationships (Wright)
– Consider academic analogy of small network of peers
Some numbers…
• From July 2006– 8% of adult internet users kept a blog– 19% of 12-17 year olds– 39% read blogs – 95% of blog users get news from internet
vs. 73% of all internet users– Even division between men & women;
mostly urban/suburban– Less likely than internet users to be white
Blog examples
• External blog - http://www.aces.edu/department/extcomm/npa/daily//
• As program update– http://ohioforages.blogspot.com/– Economic Development
http://edpro-weblog.net/news
Blog examples
• Programmatic– http://agvanwert.wordpress.com/
• Coordinate volunteers– http://azmasternaturalist.arizona.edu/
• Personal and organizational knowledge management– http://www.extension.iastate.edu/
technews/
How do I create a blog?
• Several vendors
• Popular web-based option is Blogger
• Go to www.blogger.com
• Requires google account
• Follow Directions to create a blog in about 5 minutes
Collaborative writing tools
• Collaborative tools
• Web sites that can be edited by those with access
• Used to accumulate knowledge & information
• Think of them as repositories of knowledge
Tool examples
• Wikis
• Google Docs
• Other write boards
Wikis
• Collaborative tools
• Web sites that can be edited by those with access
• Used to accumulate knowledge & information
• Think of them as repositories of knowledge
Wikis
• Can be password protected
• Editing and other changes are saved
• Collaborating to– Create programming– Develop resource materials– Examples include agendas, documents,
etc.
Wiki examples
• Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
• eXtension Wiki– CoP-
http://cop.extension.org/wiki/Main_Page
• Flu Wiki - http://www.fluwikie.com/
Another wiki use
• http://theshiftedlibrarian.pbwiki.com/
Wiki software examples
• Mediawiki is free and used by eXtension and Wikipedia– http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki
• Peanut Butter Wiki– http://pbwiki.com/
Google docs
• Allows you to create online documents and spreadsheets
• Can edit and track changes
• Great for distributed work teams
• Can be done in close to real time
• Allows import & export of documents
Google docs
• Free & easy
• Requires Google account
• Can edit anywhere and from any computer
• Can use to compose documents for a blog
• docs.google.com
Google docs
• Allows you to create online documents and spreadsheets
• Can edit and track changes
• Great for distributed work teams
• Can be done in close to real time
• Allows import & export of documents
Podcasting
• Audio or video downloads (MP3)– Different than streaming – time shifting
and portability!
• Can be accessed on computer or mobile player
• iPod has major market share, but other brands are available
• Most podcasts are free
iTunes installation
• iTunes is an aggregator and music store
• www.apple.com/ipod/start
• Download, then connect iPod. Follow guidelines
Podcasts – consumer side
• Same professional development reasons as blogs, but greater time shifting!
• Many ‘casts are tied to a blog
• Wide variety of topics– Let’s search iTunes
• Other resources
Using iTunes
• Go to iTunes• Search via music store• Download or subscribe to podcast
– Download = one time– Subscribe = con’t receiving of podcast
• Can find on other websites and subscribe – Example: Business Week CEO Guide:
http://www.businessweek.com/mediacenter/podcasts/guide_to_tech/current.html
Podcasts – production side
• Can be recorded on computer, with portable devices, or in studio
• Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Professional development examples
• Manager tools: http://www.manager-tools.com/
• HBR Idea Cast
• Bit Bucket
• Books at iTunes or Audible.com
• Most major media outlets
• Rip materials from CD’s
• Libraries have digital check-outs
Collaborative management software
• Ability to share documents, messages and other information
• Sharepoint by Microsoft
• Basecamp by 37 signals
Basecamp example
• Collaborative Project Management Tool
• Offsite, independent server
• Scaled price depending on number of projects
• Some examples
Basecamp benefit
• Share files
• Message/comment
• Writeboard
• To do’s or milestones
• Time tracking
Aggregators
• Compile information from several sites into one, unified reader
• Uses syndication feeds
• Drives content to the user vs. the user going to content
• Can provide “smart searches”
Aggregator examples
• Blogbridge (desktop): http://www.blogbridge.com/
• Google reader (might also want to look at iGoogle): www.google.com/reader
Other tools
• Second Life
• Social networking
• Microblogging
• Instant messaging
• Moving content to mobile devices
Closing quote
• “We change our tools, and our tools change us.”– Marshall McLuhan
Conclusion
• There are many tools out there…pick one based on need and function and just try it
• Learn something and teach someone else
• Questions or comments?