Continuums of Learning

Continuums: How well do you know technology? How well can you use it? Rate yourself on a scale of one to ten. Go ahead….I’ll wait. If you are realistic about your answer, and you gave any thought at all to an obviously rhetorical question (by the way speakers – rhetorical questions are horrible attention getting devices!), you probably gave yourself a 6 or a 7. Why? Because the word “technology” is HUGE. It could mean the Internet, computers, hardware, software, and a plethora of other things. Or, if you looked at technology in a literal fashion, it could include use of the pencil, a stapler, or the wheel. After all, these things were technological breakthroughs at one point.

I have genuinely come to appreciate the work of Chris Dede at Harvard. He suggests that learning today takes place on a technology continuum of sorts. He calls it media based learning. (Side: I heard Generation M at a conference recently, defining children born today as “Generation Media” or “Generation Multitasker.” I like that.) The great thing about his learning theory is that it isn’t about differences like audio, visual, or kinesthetic, but is more about similarities. We all have common themes to our paradigms, to our understanding, and in ways to make sense of our world. This common ground in learning is typically facilitated using technology of one sort or another and that becomes media based learning.

But to me, this concept of a continuum really applies to life in general. When I answer the question of how well I know technology or how well I use it, I think along this continuum. If Jobs and Gates are near the 10 mark of the continuum and my grandpa is at the opposite side, I think I fall somewhere near the 7 mark. Of course, the disparity (in my head) between 7 and 8 is pretty substantial. And it goes without saying that use of technology is highly contextual. I’m not programming databases because I have no need or use for one (that I know of anyway…perhaps if I were more tech savvy, I’d know differently?).

So I have been thinking about this continuum notion for a while now. Specifically since a conference session I attended by a person really “e”-vangelizing Web 2.0. The session was essentially full of ideas, with no recommendations around how or why. It was interesting for sure, exciting to some because the ideas were new, but for others, this demonstration was challenging…almost threatening to how they operate today. The crowd was full of educators, many of who would answer my original question about technological ability as a “3”.

One instructor at this session was concerned enough to ask a question: “How do you make sure your students do not use this technology to cheat?” I think this is a fair question. It shows where on the continuum this professor was. And without missing a beat, the session facilitator replied, “You can stop students from using technology, clamp down on quizzes and tests, use low levels of Bloom’s, or you can teach. It’s your call.” The crowd wasn’t sure what to do with that. The questioning professor was a bit stunned. And the presenter moved on.

Now, I will admit, as an advocate for technology in the classroom, I do get tired of what may seem to be paranoia by some educators regarding this question. It’s hard to remember that not everyone has evolved to the same place technologically as I have. As the son of a preacher, I understand the fallacy of tradition all too well. I heard once that only 10% of people embrace change. I think it’s more like 1% – everyone else is only willing to change things that are safe or they don’t care about. But most educators care about teaching. This may take various forms and displays, but they do care. It may be hard to see how a teacher who lectures all day and gives only rote memorization “cares” about education, but they could articulate it if they had to.

And change along the continuum is really what we’re talking about here. I was speaking at a national K-12 last year and I heard that there are 3 million K-12 educators in the U.S. and only 100,000 are using the Internet to teach. I don’t know if that’s true, or where the research came from, but I believe it. And if it is true, that means less than 3% of K-12 educators use a powerful, important, and highly usable medium to help students learn. And if it’s that few with the generation who expects technology, what is it in colleges and universities???

After the conference, I started checking in with this session presenter’s blog. He’s all over the place – twitter, a blog, member of various Web 2.0 boards and sites. But I also started noticing this lack of care about the continuum. A lot of boards were posted in what I describe as the “angry young man” syndrome. He doesn’t have time to deal with people who are behind the curve. He won’t acknowledge legitimate concerns by people with less understanding or evolution in thought regarding Web 2.0. He questions anything traditional with little regard for why it exists in the first place.

But people need more credit than that, don’t they? If we want a revolution of thought, don’t we need more than 3% in order to achieve any kind of legitimate tipping point? Should those of us who are leading the charge help people along the same continuum we had to traverse even if they are slower than we are? Sure, there will be some stubborn heel-diggers who exude the fallacy of tradition from their pores. But won’t average people want to weigh the pros and cons, the costs and the rewards, to see if it’s worthwhile to learn and use? Isn’t that ultimately how all technology works? I’m reminded of a Milton Berle quote, “The guy who invented the wheel was an idiot. The guy who invented the other 3 was a genius.” Aren’t people looking to move along the continuum because technology helps make things easier, helps make us faster, or for educators, helps our students learn better? And essentially isn’t that the only litmus test we need? Using technology for technologies sake is silly. At that point it’s for the teacher, not the learner. But, when it is used with purpose and strategy, that’s when we can start to measure the benefits. Higher retention, better foundation of knowledge, stronger test scores, more satisfaction in the learning environment, and the list goes on…

Where are you on the continuum? You’ll never be as high as you’d like, but let me ask you this. Can you get to the next level? Do you have biases that you “know” to be true whether you’ve really researched them or not? Are you basing your beliefs on how your own life experience works, even though an entire generation of people has a different paradigm? That is how we deal with change along the continuum. For some of you it’s time to move up that mountain. For others, it’s time to stop, dig in, and reach your hand back to help others up to where you are. That’s the continuum of learning as a paradigm. Now get out there and start a wiki, post a blog, or use Google Docs….or whatever is the next level for you.

(Want to move along the continuum a bit further?  Need someone to speak to your organization about the future of technology, education, or communication?  Contact Jeff at jborden@jeffpresents.com)

Downward Communication

Downward Communication:  There are essentially 5 communication patterns for most organizations.  There is a chain (most common), a Y (second most common), a wheel, a star, and all-channel.  Essentially, each of these represent a “point” of communication within the company or group.  And each has its rightful place in organizational communication for sure!  Some are better for quick decisions (Chain & Y) whereas others are much better for holistic or long term solutions (star or all-channel).  But, there is a fairly significant drawback when it comes to member satisfaction if the communication culture does not allow the pattern to function properly.

Ok…that was a lot of professor speak.  Let’s see if we can demystify that a bit.  You likely work in a company or organization that uses one of these approaches.  If you are in education, trust me when I say that you are in a chain.  Your department or team may function as all-channel, but the collective organization is upward and downward communication from one point to the next.  If you work at a fortune 500 company, you probably work in a similar environment.  You have a boss, who reports to his/her boss, etc.  Any information you get from your boss has come down the chain, like a game of telephone.  (Hopefully with better results, but not often.) 

Now, if you’re lucky enough to work at a really progressive company like Google or Qualcomm, congratulations!  These top 10 “best places to work” winners from Fortune are certainly deserving.  And it’s not just because of fantastic benefits (100% health insurance, iPod give-aways, cruises, etc.) – it’s often because of the culture of downward communication.  Think about it.  When was the last time you got asked for your opinion regarding an important company decision?  Isn’t it more likely that you heard about the decision after the fact?  Or, even greater is the possibility that you found out about the decision because you were told to implement it!  Why?  Because (unfortunately) most organizations using a chain or Y pattern of organizational communication have leaders who don’t understand the importance of the downward message. 

How refreshing would it have been to have worked at GE under Jack Welch when he implemented the retreats asking EVERY employee for his or her opinion, ideas, and suggestions?  How great would it be to work at Kinko’s and hear about potential business moves well in advance as they come down from “corporate” only to work back up with additions or quality questions about merit?  Your satisfaction as an employee, contributing to something greater than yourself would be significantly higher than the average employee.  Why?  Because the average employee does not believe they are valued.  Their ideas and suggestions are never asked for.  Even if they see trouble on the horizon, often times upper management doesn’t “have time” to deal with communication in a downward fashion.  (And unfortunately, often times they don’t seem to care…)

Do you want to improve your company, your group, or your organization using simple communication?  Focus on a culture of downward communication.  What messages are going down?  When do they reach “bottom”?  What happens after people hear about new ideas, suggestions, or implementations?  Once the top down culture of communication begins to change, I guarantee you’ll also see change start to occur horizontally.  Suddenly, other departments realize their dependency on peers and co-workers.  Thoughts and ideas begin to exchange naturally.  It really does start a systemic change to your organization.  You will also find that your employees are much happier in their position.  After all…it becomes their company too.

(Want to hear other suggestions for organizational improvement and efficiency?  Need someone to speak to your organization’s event?  Contact Jeff at jborden@jeffpresents.com)

Audience Analysis

I was in an airport heading to a consulting engagement when a horrible thought raced through my mind. I was sitting at a table, eating a plate of hummus and veggies when I noticed a boy of ten or eleven. He was a very typical boy – gangly, unconcerned with the world around him, and in a constant fog. However, he was extremely proud of his clothing, specifically one accessory. It seems that he and his family had just come from Disneyworld and he was sporting a pair of blue, Mickey “ears” for all to see. As I bit into a tiny carrot, my first thought was, “How his parents must be embarrassed!”

The orange root lodged in my throat. What a horrible thought for me to have! This young boy, brimming with excitement over a trip with his family, wanted the world to know that he had been to the Magic Kingdom and he loved it. Who am I to belittle the excitement of a pre-teen over the happiest place on Earth? (Although there still is no alcohol at Disneyland making me wonder about that moniker, but I digress…) I HOPE that my daughter feels that kind of excitement for any number of things throughout her life. Heck, she already gets pretty jazzed about our soup ladle, so I’m assuming it will happen.

But it got me thinking about audience analysis. (Yes, I am really that geeky…) I wonder if it is SO very difficult for a teacher, speaker, or presenter to think about the audience’s point of view because they feel somehow that their audience isn’t entitled to think what they think?! I hear this from my Public Speaking students all the time. When we get to persuasive speeches, they want to present on abortion, gun control, and prayer in schools. These are some of the BIG GUNS of persuasive topics today and they think these would make for fantastic beginning speeches. Ugh. But, these same students can get pretty mad at me when I start talking to them about audience predisposition. For example, my abortion students often want to use Biblical references to defend one position. However, when I point out that much of their audience isn’t religious and therefore won’t give any credence to the Bible, they get quite upset with me. But as angry as they may get…it doesn’t make the audience any more religious. And so, audience analysis is lost for that student.

I’m also reminded of this when I speak at education conferences. Undoubtedly, someone approaches me and explains the dire situation that is education because students can’t focus, they like games too much, and they can’t learn correctly. If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know that I teach for a community college. So, I use TONS of examples of things my students do and how they learn when I speak to other faculty at community colleges. However, during my last presentation, I had a teacher approach me after a session to tell me that there was no way his students were capable of the kind of learning that my students were. They were “too dumb for anything creative” (his words, not mine…) Wow.

Do you want to be a great presenter? Do you want to be one of the best teachers on campus? Then know your audience. Students today learn and think differently than I did, and completely opposite of how my parents learned. Does that make them inferior to me? How ridiculous. Your speech audience is filled with diverse backgrounds, complex thought patterns, multiple learning styles, and varied attention spans. Speak to them appropriately – not like you would have someone talk to you. You are not representative of the whole world…as much as my wife might disagree. (But that’s another blog…or at least some counseling.)

To that young boy who loved Mickey enough to don his ears, I say good for you! I need to find some stuff that I’m willing to show the whole world I’m excited about. My passions are for my family, disc golf, communication, guitars, trumpets, novels, and good movies. It’s time to find some good marketing clothes I think! Just remember that your audience, whether they are six or sixty are much more important than you are and you’ll be ok. Their time is more valuable, their opinions are more important, and their thought processes are what matters if you really want to reach them. 
 

(Need to learn more about how to evaluate an audience?  Want someone to show you how it’s done for your next conference or event?  Contact Jeff at jborden@jeffpresents.com)

Vacations

So, I’m not going to blog much this week….I’m on vacation!  I’ll just leave you with a few thoughts that I can’t get out of my head.  In the hotel chain game (I’m a Hilton guy by the way…) why do the expensive hotels seem like they nickel & dime you whereas the discount chains give you every immenity?  Don’t believe me?  How about this:

 

1. Want an actual shower curtain liner?  You know, the kind that doesn’t leak water like a sieve all over the floor, doesn’t cling to your body throughout the shower, and keeps the blinding light from over the mirror off you during your stress free water time?  If so, avoid the high end Hyatt, Sheraton, Hilton, and many more.  The low end places like the Garden Inn, the Holiday Inn, and the Super 8 is what you’re after…
2. Want to pay for Internet?  Then by all means, go to the hotel where they charge you a premium for service and quality!  While you’re paying extra, let them charge you for Internet too.  It’s only fitting.
3. Want to pay for parking?  Check out the best hotels for a good chance at getting to give them more money to put your car to bed.  I just paid $25 / night at a Hyatt…
4. How would you like a nice, hot, basic breakfast?  Don’t go to the expensive chains, unless you want to pay for it.  (Plus 21% gratuity if it’s room service…)  Try the cheap guys for the free breakfast – especially ones with eggs, bacon, pancakes, etc.
5. Want a bottle of water?  If it’s in your room at an expensive hotel, it’s likely you’ll pay $5.00 or more.  At a Motel 6, it’s probably free…

 

I guess I don’t get the whole thing…but it hasn’t changed in 10 years since I’ve done serious traveling, so I’m betting it won’t change anytime soon.  Luckily there are plenty of people who shell out the extra bucks for a “nicer” hotel.  My only problem is trying to figure out what “nicer” gets you.  I can stay at a 4 Points Sheraton or a Hampton Inn, get the same bed, the same pillows, and the same service as at the Marriott or an Omni, except I get a bunch of other stuff free and my room is 1/2 as much.  Plus, I still get Hilton points at any Hilton property, regardless of whether I’m paying through the nose.  I guess “nicer” gets you a bill that they feel is a lot “nicer” for them…

 

(Need a speaker for your next event?  Jeff will travel to you and NOT stay at an expenseive place, saving you money!  Contact Jeff at jborden@jeffpresents.com)