Maybe my personality as a young professional has grown away from technology. But, isn't it still important to know it and recognize its importance? I say, yes.
The Planning IT Enhanced Projects course opened my eyes to the world of cyberspace. I know the internet. I understand how it works. But I was lost to the fact of wiki's and shared internet space, away from facebook.com.
It showed me that many more people spend so much of their lives, even live their lives, online, via a virtual profile and blogspot. That fact scares me a bit.
Throughout my blogging I've mentioned, through media befitting these internet junkies (a personal blog) that personalization and individualism was being threatened by online communities. I see the benefit of saving time by not needing to meet in a physical location, but online somewhere via cables. However, it threatens human emotion and life. It is too easy to tell someone you love them, or how to do something online. But doesn't emotion get lost?
The answer from me is a resounding YES! Inflection, charisma, and body language tell more than half of every tale. By me typing that I really enjoy blogging completely misses the sarcasm in my voice, or the rolling of my eyes. Yes, the IT course opened my sight to this culture, one of which I do not think I'll ever be a huge part.
Overall, the course work and weekly assignments kept me updated to the setting trends in the online world. It helped me to undestand the capabilities simple internet surfers now have. The question now is whether I'll be able to survive for long without succumbing to the need to be online all the time. I predict it will be no problem at all.
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
The Busier, the More IT Suffers
Call me old fashioned. Call me technologically unsavvy. Because the more crammed my schedule gets, the more IT suffers. Technology can be fanstastic. It can save lives. It can increase efficiency. It can also completely erradicate normal human interaction. This is my biggest argument against a technology boom that might be out of control.
A decade ago, cell phones boomed. Everyone had one. Elementary schoolers were calling each other during reading time. But now, why call when one can text message? Well, the human eradication of the human element to a phone call might be one reason. No longer can people pick up the phone and spend five minutes chatting becasue they would rather send an undefined text message since it's easier and less personal. Speaking through words has eliminated human emotion.
For me personally, I like technogoly. I will not pretend like I do not watch a humongous TV at home, while blogging away on a laptop, all while talking on my cell phone and jamming along on my iPod. But, how far is too far? Is the iPhone the answer, the next step in technology, or contributing to the downfall of societal emotions on a whole? I would issue a world warning to be careful of the acceptance of too much of these tools.
Follow my lead. The busier I get, the less and less I rely on technology, because I would rather speak face to face with people than send a text or instant message. Yes, call me old school, but I think a return to a more personal lifestyle, with a bit less communication technology will save human kind from the tailspin we are on to rely completely on a mechanized system of technology.
A decade ago, cell phones boomed. Everyone had one. Elementary schoolers were calling each other during reading time. But now, why call when one can text message? Well, the human eradication of the human element to a phone call might be one reason. No longer can people pick up the phone and spend five minutes chatting becasue they would rather send an undefined text message since it's easier and less personal. Speaking through words has eliminated human emotion.
For me personally, I like technogoly. I will not pretend like I do not watch a humongous TV at home, while blogging away on a laptop, all while talking on my cell phone and jamming along on my iPod. But, how far is too far? Is the iPhone the answer, the next step in technology, or contributing to the downfall of societal emotions on a whole? I would issue a world warning to be careful of the acceptance of too much of these tools.
Follow my lead. The busier I get, the less and less I rely on technology, because I would rather speak face to face with people than send a text or instant message. Yes, call me old school, but I think a return to a more personal lifestyle, with a bit less communication technology will save human kind from the tailspin we are on to rely completely on a mechanized system of technology.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Plan Strategically UD, IT's Your Future
The University of Delaware's new president Patrick Harker wants to make a splash. He also wants to make a difference, hopefully. Through his administration's strategic planning, he is encouraging his entire student body, his entire university staff, his own office to suggest ideas for the future of the campus and curriculum. I say, start with your administration itself for its strategic planning.
Currently working with the university's First Year Experience, I've dealt directly with the administration too much, too recently and have come to realize, many of them are sticks in the mud, ready to appease the next man up the ladder, ready in turn to smash creativty.
The First Year Experience's LIFE Program employs over eighty of the most creative, most over involved, outgoing students as their Peer Mentors. It was these elite students who dreamed up a new, creative way to end their first semester with they clusters of freshmen. It was then the administration, five steps up the ladder who smashed the idea, slammed it back into my face (the pitch man to the boss' boss' boss, who tossed the idea in honor and on behalf of those amazing eighty something students).
Frustration brewed over my long last week. I heard nothing from above aside from excuses and "board agendas" injected into this outstanding new idea. So, what's the problem with Delaware? Too many people are too quick to assume their roles behind the scenes and continue to pull the curtain cords. Instead, I choose to step onto the stage and speak out. The idea the Peer Mentors developed had nothing to do with challenging the university's mission, its values, or its general public relations. However, it was smashed because its agenda, its own, personal, program specific agenda was too creative.
Mind you, the fight is not over. In fact, our idea might still float. It was the initial rejection without question that bugged me. Thus, I urge you, as I will do, to speak out, step onto the stage, make your own splash. If you have a problem, this is your chance. Send your own ideas to our own strategic plan and let that administration know if you want that mud to get watery and a bit more flexible or even harder.
The University of Delaware's Strategic Planning
Currently working with the university's First Year Experience, I've dealt directly with the administration too much, too recently and have come to realize, many of them are sticks in the mud, ready to appease the next man up the ladder, ready in turn to smash creativty.
The First Year Experience's LIFE Program employs over eighty of the most creative, most over involved, outgoing students as their Peer Mentors. It was these elite students who dreamed up a new, creative way to end their first semester with they clusters of freshmen. It was then the administration, five steps up the ladder who smashed the idea, slammed it back into my face (the pitch man to the boss' boss' boss, who tossed the idea in honor and on behalf of those amazing eighty something students).
Frustration brewed over my long last week. I heard nothing from above aside from excuses and "board agendas" injected into this outstanding new idea. So, what's the problem with Delaware? Too many people are too quick to assume their roles behind the scenes and continue to pull the curtain cords. Instead, I choose to step onto the stage and speak out. The idea the Peer Mentors developed had nothing to do with challenging the university's mission, its values, or its general public relations. However, it was smashed because its agenda, its own, personal, program specific agenda was too creative.
Mind you, the fight is not over. In fact, our idea might still float. It was the initial rejection without question that bugged me. Thus, I urge you, as I will do, to speak out, step onto the stage, make your own splash. If you have a problem, this is your chance. Send your own ideas to our own strategic plan and let that administration know if you want that mud to get watery and a bit more flexible or even harder.
The University of Delaware's Strategic Planning
Google Tony Measley
If you're bored at work on Monday, Google the name "Tony Measley". In fact, let me do it for you. "Google"
What you'll find will include a complete, retired career in elementary education. You'll see projects, programs and agendas from his home area, Lower Dauphin School District.
What you might not see, until later this week, is his named next to USA Triathlon's page, compliments of his finish in the September 29th, 2007 Lewes Triathlon. He swam. He biked. He ran. It was this former teacher's latest brush with IT and new technology as every race competitor was required to wear an anklet to track their course.
As the race was begun, their anklets beepd as they passed the starting line. When they came back to the transition area to hop their bikes, it beeped again. Before the race was over, the tracking devise would tick four times, including the finish line, a mark Tony would hit in just under two hours.
And though his time of 1:55:00 (one hour, fifty five minutes) might not make the leader board on the USA Triathlon's website, making his name no more "Google'able", I'm typing this quick blog in hopes someone checks it out, Google's Tony Measley and sees how proud I am as his son and teammate for his next Triathlon, hopefully soon.
What you'll find will include a complete, retired career in elementary education. You'll see projects, programs and agendas from his home area, Lower Dauphin School District.
What you might not see, until later this week, is his named next to USA Triathlon's page, compliments of his finish in the September 29th, 2007 Lewes Triathlon. He swam. He biked. He ran. It was this former teacher's latest brush with IT and new technology as every race competitor was required to wear an anklet to track their course.
As the race was begun, their anklets beepd as they passed the starting line. When they came back to the transition area to hop their bikes, it beeped again. Before the race was over, the tracking devise would tick four times, including the finish line, a mark Tony would hit in just under two hours.
And though his time of 1:55:00 (one hour, fifty five minutes) might not make the leader board on the USA Triathlon's website, making his name no more "Google'able", I'm typing this quick blog in hopes someone checks it out, Google's Tony Measley and sees how proud I am as his son and teammate for his next Triathlon, hopefully soon.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Forget IT... Society's Regressin'
On the occasional weekday I pick up a Wilmington News Journal. On the other occasion of a weekday, I'll grab a USA Today. I do this for a few reasons. One, I look way cool sitting at Dunkin' Donuts with a newspaper instead of nothing. And two, I like to sometimes catch up on the world and explore humanity at its best and most recently innovative state. But, was I shocked today when the two news media outlets I chose to skim (ESPN.com, and Larry King Live), had nothing but stories of old, of race riots and divides! Didn't we, a long time ago, decide all men were created equal? Was it this country or another that has over the past century deemed everyone, leprechauns, aliens, women, men, gays, straights, blacks, whites, purples, and greens the right to vote? Pretty sure it was. It was shocking for me to learn of the Jena 6 via the news feed from Larry King's desk, and even scarier to see the exact same thing happening here, in our small wonder, our home of tax free shopping.
I encourage any and all to check out these two articles as they relate. My stance on them should be clear by now. I just needed my own media outlet to state it!
University Versus State; Delaware's Racial Divide
The Jena Six
I encourage any and all to check out these two articles as they relate. My stance on them should be clear by now. I just needed my own media outlet to state it!
University Versus State; Delaware's Racial Divide
The Jena Six
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The Pew Research Center
The Pew Research Center, as reviewed for the UAPP 677 course stands as a central resource for anyone interested in numbers surrounding current public issues. The Pew website is full of numbers, facts, and information to inform any surfer of the trends of the day. Over the past week, I reviewed two articles from the site, one dealing directly with numbers of people using streaming videos every day a second about the belief of religious zeal of political candidates and its impact on elections.
Check out your own articles, survey results, and numbers at The Pew Research Center Online.
The first article I reviewed dealt directly with the numbers of people who, throughout a normal day use streaming video. The article, "Online Video", touches on trends in people using and gaining access to online videos. Here, I see a personal trend towards more and more people abandoning televisions all together. My apologies to Comcast and Verizon, but, the future is the internet. One can stream live feeds from news networks, comedy stations, and educational videos right from the internet. Why add another cable to the household and another dollar on a monthly statement?
Secondly, I looked at the "Religion in Campaign '08" Article. Apparently, times and numbers have changed in the past few years, showing now that religion is no longer as big a factor as it was only a short time period earlier. The two presidential candidates now who lead the democratic and republican parties' races respectively, Hillary Clinton and Rudy Guiliani, are both seen as having the lowest affiliation to political ties as well.
To me, a younger generation liberally viewed individual, religion does not stand in the way of someones ability or inability to accomplish their goals and tasks they set forth. Equally, I think our generation of young, budding professionals will in a short time see higher trends in apathy towards candidates based on race, sexual preference, or gender.
Check out your own articles, survey results, and numbers at The Pew Research Center Online.
The first article I reviewed dealt directly with the numbers of people who, throughout a normal day use streaming video. The article, "Online Video", touches on trends in people using and gaining access to online videos. Here, I see a personal trend towards more and more people abandoning televisions all together. My apologies to Comcast and Verizon, but, the future is the internet. One can stream live feeds from news networks, comedy stations, and educational videos right from the internet. Why add another cable to the household and another dollar on a monthly statement?
Secondly, I looked at the "Religion in Campaign '08" Article. Apparently, times and numbers have changed in the past few years, showing now that religion is no longer as big a factor as it was only a short time period earlier. The two presidential candidates now who lead the democratic and republican parties' races respectively, Hillary Clinton and Rudy Guiliani, are both seen as having the lowest affiliation to political ties as well.
To me, a younger generation liberally viewed individual, religion does not stand in the way of someones ability or inability to accomplish their goals and tasks they set forth. Equally, I think our generation of young, budding professionals will in a short time see higher trends in apathy towards candidates based on race, sexual preference, or gender.
LIFE As Unusual
The University of Delaware's LIFE Program has a tradition of success, success measured of course in ability to see each Blue Hen freshman class through their first semester and set a base for a rewarding education in Newark or other branch location. Traditionally, at the end of every first semester of the school year, the LIFE Program, with the backing from the university's First Year Experience and Center for Teaching Effectiveness hosts LIFE Fest, a comprehensive first semester review of freshman made projects and presentations, at the Big Bob. But, this year, forget tradition. A change is needed and we at the LIFE Office are in charge of making it work.
Instead of an over glorified high school science fair, as LIFE Fest had become in the past, we, as the staff of the program needed something more interactive, more professional, and more rewarding for the hoards of bored first year students. Thus, enter the LIFE Fest Conference.
LIFE Fest as it was was long, boring, and difficult to attend for all freshmen, as it was held all the way over the bridge, past the farm, in "The Bob". But, this year, with a more professional undertone, and as scary as this may sound, me and the rest of the staff running the show, it will be my hope that the LIFE Fest Conference becomes not only a comprehensive end-of-the-semester event for all freshmen to advocate, but the entire university community as well. Cross your fingers.
Instead of an over glorified high school science fair, as LIFE Fest had become in the past, we, as the staff of the program needed something more interactive, more professional, and more rewarding for the hoards of bored first year students. Thus, enter the LIFE Fest Conference.
LIFE Fest as it was was long, boring, and difficult to attend for all freshmen, as it was held all the way over the bridge, past the farm, in "The Bob". But, this year, with a more professional undertone, and as scary as this may sound, me and the rest of the staff running the show, it will be my hope that the LIFE Fest Conference becomes not only a comprehensive end-of-the-semester event for all freshmen to advocate, but the entire university community as well. Cross your fingers.
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