Increaslingly we are trying to define and create acronyms for technology users. For example the word Newbie or Newb has been use for some time. I have taken the liberty of coining new terms to describe those who use uqiquitous devices.

Uud (u-ud)– skilled daily user of ubiquitous devices. Either grew up using devices or gravitated towards their use. Age independent.
NUud (nu-ud) – someone new to ubiquitous devices, a newbie. Still learning or not very good at using the devices.
GUud (gu-ud) – someone who is a power user and has to have all of the latest ubiquitous devices. An early adopter, or geek.
RUud (Ru-ud) – someone who in non-techie, avoids or refuses to use digital ubiquitous devices. Out of the loop, or a luddite.

Going to Silence is Costly to an Organization

In these days of less financial support in the form of tax monies, higher education institutions are scrambling to deal with an ever shrinking pool of available funds. The bottom line is that there have to be cuts in the budget in order to remain solvent. The question is just where the cuts will be.
For institutions that follow a Top Down management style, many costly mistakes will be made. Top down managment is one in which those higher up in the chain of command only listen or speak to their own supervisor or the one/s directly below them. The problem is that this style, while making it easier for the one in charge, fosters silence. Silence or the inability of those lower managers and employees to get critical information to the right person. Information that might not otherwise be relayed any other way. New research says 90% of employees know far in advance when projects are doomed but feel incapable of speaking up. According to the survey, only 10 percent feel they can effectively speak up about the problems. More than 71 percent say they try to speak up to key decision makers but don't feel they are heard, and 19 percent don't even attempt to have the conversation. (For more information click on the link: "Silence and Project Failure" in the right bar.)

No open doors, no communication.
A culture of silence can also be felt in the morale of employees. If a manager will not listen or talk to anyone except their direct reports it gives the clear message of "What you have to say is not important". Some good employees may try and circumvent the problem by speaking with another person higher up in the organization, but this is a very risky move. The person they speak to must be someone they trust..If that person does not either care, or keep confidences, it can spell disaster for an employees career. Silence breeds dysfunction in an organization. After a while under top down management, employees just won't care. They adopt a "If they don't ask me, they are on their own" attitude.

Silence keeps the power of collectively and intelligently solving problems from taking place. Upper management is left with information that direct reports give them, however erroneous. Valuable programs and people will be lost and their importance will not be realized until it is too late. In the long run the task of rebuilding programs and finding talented and dedicated staff costs more in terms of time and financial resources.

The destructive phase is when something goes terribly wrong. Upper management wonders why they weren't apprised of problems and now face a crisis. It could result in damage to the university's image, downsizing, reorganization, or at worst the collapse of an institution. All of which could have been avoided by actively listening to all involved and practicing good communication.

One would think that those institutions that survive a crisis caused by a culture of silence would recognize the problem and make changes in the management style. Unfortunatly unless the people who are in places of power adopt this style, model it and ingrain it into the culture, the dysfunction of silence will again take root.

University managment that practice the healthy skills of listening and communication will find that in times of budget cuts a greater spirit of cooperation will be demonstrated and more effective ways of saving money will be found as there can be a collective discussion on the proper course of action.

My thoughts on the future direction for the use of academic technologies in academia

The next five years will see an increase in pervasiveness of new media and technologies in academia. Ubiquitous computing will also play an important part in the learning process allowing anywhere, anytime portable learning which will better meet the learning styles of students.

The trend towards more simple and intuitive interfaces will make it even easier for almost anyone to use technology and create classroom media. However, time constrains, technology skills, and interest will still play a part in faculty’s adoption of new media and technologies. To help, more campuses will form technology enhanced support centers whose job it will be to tutor faculty in the use of technologies and software, and aid in the creation of media for traditional and online classes. These support centers will be a rich resource for faculty and promote learning communities, collaboration, and mentoring. In addition, technology support centers will also be a place for students to enhance their technology and software skills.

Faculty now have suitable tools to present difficult concepts in understandable ways. The learning process can become more engaging and meaningful for students, thereby enhancing the assimilation and retention of knowledge, and having a real impact on retention rates. While great sales pitches and ads tempt us to be premature adopters, I am hoping that judicious use and application of good pedagogical principles will persist. Technologies and multimedia used for their own sake initially may have a wow factor, but in the end do not enhance the educational experience. Appropriate, thoughtful use of new media and technologies impacts the effectiveness of curriculum and instruction.

The omnipresence of technology will become more prevalent in our lives and new technologies and media will continue to enhance education. As long as sound pedagogical principles are at the foundation the next five years will bring positive enhancements to instruction.

iPhone - from Apple

Cingular is the only wireless company who will be selling the iPhone. In our locale Cingular does not have very good coverage, however hat might change once the iPhone is released and subscribers to their service increases. I can see great potential for this device as an aid to instruction.
My TECS program has been creating Videocasts for faculty here at BGSU and I use my iPod video player daily to watch videocasts that instruct and entertain. If I could replace my iPod, phone, and Palm Pilot (which can't use Mac apps) with an all in one device that is actually easy to use I would be elated. I'm a Mac and PC user and would like to be able to use the progams of my choice on my portable devices. Unfortunately, not always possible on either platfom.

Hidden Details from the iPhone Keynote

If you watched Steve Jobs Keynote address, here are more details that weren't covered.

A Closer Look At The iPhone

The world is abuzz about Apples new product, the iPhone. Leave it to Apple to come up with an "all in one" device. Let's hope it lives up to all the hype. Here's a bit more about how the iPhone works.

A Few Words of Wisdom on Management

Going to silence:
When you do nothing about wrongs or injustice, you are part of the problem.

Beware:
Top down management fosters silence. Silence breeds dysfunction. Dysfunction destroys organizations.

On Selfishness:
If you sacrifice someone just to save your behind, keep looking over your shoulder because you will probably be next.

On Managing:
Want to get somewhere in your career without sacrificing your principles?
• Take the time to listen. When you do speak, communicate with a caring attitude.
• Remember to give timely praise for a job well done and mentor those under you.
• As a manager your main job is to run interference and remove roadblocks for your employees. This makes their jobs do-able, boosts morale, fosters cooperation, increases productivity, and creates allies.

Do schools today kill creativity? (Ken Robinson, TEDTalks)

Are we educating people out of creativity? This video is a must-see for every parent and teacher. Education guru Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining (and profoundly moving) case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. Sir Ken Robinson is author of "Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative," and a leading expert on innovation in education and business. (Recorded February, 2006 in Monterey, CA.)

Online Video: A great resource

Video plays a major role now and in the future of ubiquitious devices in education.Vvideo can help faculty to convey hard to grasp concepts, engage students and enhance the educational experience. Meeting the varied learning styles of students can aid in the assimilation and retention of information.
This website covers video compression size, copyright, sharing, and hosting to name a few.

Follow this link to find out more: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/online_video_index.php

It covers the following:

- Video Sharing
- Intermediaries
- Video Search
- Video eCommerce
- Video Editing & Creation
- Rich Media Advertising
- P2P (Peer To Peer)
- Video Streaming
- Vlogosphere

iPod use as a personal learning device

An interesting video on mobile learning and iPod use as a ubiquitous learning device.