It was only a matter of time!!

A woman was arrested for killing her virtual husband.  Well.... ex-husband.  He divorced her with no warning on the online game MapleStory so she hijacked a password, hacked the system and killed his virtual persona

5 years jail time is possible

See the full article on Wired: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/10/woman-arrested.html

Touch through Tech

I have heard a lot in the news lately about people disconnecting or tuning out because of Tech. The Daily Herald recently published an article entitled Toys creating distance.

The ideas in the article certainly can be true, but it isn't always so. I recently took a new job and was introduced to twitter. Twitter allows me to follow friends and recieve text message updates. It also allows me to send a 'tweet' to all my followers (sometimes referred to as tweeple or tweeps) One thing that has happened is I have been able to reconnect with a colleague Darren Draper. He has a lot of good things to say and last weekend I commiserated with him during his Stats test. I couldn't actually help him since I don't know a 't score' from a tea cozy, but this demonstrates what I think also happens with tech. People are learning to touch through tech. We follow each other. We listen to each other. We know each other. I have recently also added some Facebook buddies friends folks. People I hadn't seen since high school. I honestly was reluctant because my memories of high school were of these people largely ignoring me or worse .... but it has not only been painless it has actually been more rewarding than I imagined.

Students are doing this. They touch through tech. Our community may not include only people we know and see face to face but the people we interact with online. With more and more tech available the formation of online communities will only get bigger and more important to the members of that community. The 'toys' actually can encourage interaction. In one study adolescents were shown to switch from asynchronous text messaging to synchronous methods like instant messaging and f2f discussions:

To study the communicative
purposes of text messaging, one study asked
ten adolescents (five boys and five girls) to
keep a detailed log of the text messages that
they sent and received for seven consecutive
days. Analysis of the message logs revealed
three primary conversation threads: chatting
(discussing activities and events, gossip,
and homework help), planning (coordinating
meeting arrangements), and coordinating
communication (having conversations about
having conversations). The teens ended most
text conversations by switching to another
setting such as phone, instant messaging, or
face-to-face.

The article was talking specifically about consuming media while walking, commuting or being out in public. I actually agree with one comment strongly. By being involved in my iPod I can maintain my personal space and privacy even when I have to be out with others. This is a defense mechanism that protects us when we are nervous or even slightly afraid in an unfamiliar or uncomfortable space.

I do advocate unplugging, at least once in awhile, but for the most part tech allows us to touch, to create new relationships and strengthen others. I txt my wife regularly now and when our schedules were off I would often talk to her on the phone while I drove to work and she drove home from work Tech can help us touch, connect and relate to both our bigger community and our f2f friends. Now if you will excuse me I need to tweet my tweeps esp my wife.

Reference nod:
Title: Online Communication and Adolescent Relationships
Author: Subrahmanyam, Kaveri; Greenfield, Patricia
Journal: Future of Children
Publication Date: 20080101
Pages: 119(28)
Subject: Internet; Adolescents; Interpersonal Relationship; Anxiety; Time; Privacy; Computer Mediated Communication; Telecommunications; Electronic Equipment; Word Processing; Electronic Mail; Social Networks; Context Effect
ISSN: 10548289
Source: Future of Children, v18 n1 p119-146 Spr 2008
Volume: 18
Issue: 1
Abstract: Publication Type : EJ Language : English AN : EJ795861

Studio4Learning

There's YouTube, there's TeacherTube, Theres eMedia (for Utah Teachers) and now there's Studio4learning. This free site allows teachers to create a user account, where they can bookmark videos. Once registered the videos can be downloaded to an iPod with video capabilities. More fun in my opinion though is the fact that you can "get code" and embed videos directly on your own page.



There are on page ads that could be a concern in the classroom, but with your own site you can embed the videos so only you see the ads as you find videos.

Comment on Drape's Takes: Hacking the Curriculum

Hey, one thing folks are not recognizing is the fact that they already tried this. Getting rid of the teacher by creating one expert driven course was how text books were invented. That didn't remove the teacher from the classroom. Another key element to this is that no matter how well a course is created online there is still a need for f2f. I not only know my students but what they are dealing with outside of my subject area. What sports they are involved in, what books they are reading. The f2f or even the social aspect of online interactions are highly valuable. People learn from people they know care.

Interesting side note In a book entitled The Next Fifty Years: Science in the first half of the 21st Century. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0375713425/ref...) One of the contributors describes a world where place doesn't matter anymore. Where I work becomes about who I want to be around and work with more than the company I work for. He then has a tiny blurb just a paragraph about the idea that schools could be the same way. We no longer need a content expert, what we need is a responsible adult to be present with a group of kids (he is describing elementary schools) to help facilitate their online learning experience. Interesting idea anyway.

Originally posted as a comment by Jorgie on Drape's Takes using Disqus.

The truth of the matter we call education!

I have for the first time seen someone state succintly the definition of true education:

Response to Drape's Takes

My response to Drape's Takes: Invisible Political Forces... 

What you are saying is that the system is self creating! I know I came into education partly to "fix" it and partly because I was so good at it. Many of us are successful teachers in part because we were such successful students. We fit the system and worked it.

Another conflict is that there is a very real pressure against innovation. New ideas have to be approved, checked, research based, data driven...... the reality is there is very little motivation for most people to innovate and a very big incentive not to. No one wants to be the one to get 'that call' from the principal and deal with the fall-out. The system itself has a very hard time reforming itself because it is designed to self-perpetuate. Microsoft, banking, the automotive industry so much of it is that way

Originally posted as a comment by Jorgie on Drape's Takes using Disqus.

The irony is biting!!!

Ok, so I thought I had blogged about this, but I couldn't find the post. I love the irony of this screen capture. I was at a school district and sat down and logged in as a guest. Because I was a guest everything was blocked. Including as you will note: education and literature.

Now, at first, I chalked it up to just kind of funny that it was blocked and said literature and education, but now that I think about it more it is particularly ironic that they even have that option on the filter. Do people really block for education and literature? Maybe we should?

Training Broadcasts #8

Gabcast! Training Broadcasts #8

Training Broadcasts #7

Gabcast! Training Broadcasts #7

Training Broadcasts #6

Gabcast! Training Broadcasts #6

Training Broadcasts #5

Gabcast! Training Broadcasts #5

Training Broadcasts #4

Gabcast! Training Broadcasts #4

Tools for Social Studies Teachers

Thanks for your participation in the presentation today.  If you want to leave a comment please do. 

Below is my google presentation.