My Final Project - Please Help

Do you remember your first Friday night class in the Drake adult education program? Were you nervous, scared, excited, or maybe a little bit of everything? I know I was very excited to finally be there while equally convinced that I was only person in the room who didn’t know anything.

What helped me to survive were the friendships that I made with my fellow classmates. Their advice and insights were extremely helpful as we ventured into new subjects and tackled big projects. Together we discovered a website or a book that made a class easier to get through. I learned a few tips like buying my books online instead of at the bookstore that saved me time and money. I’m sure you’ve got a few tips and tricks yourself that could help the next class of students.

Here’s your chance to share with others the resources that you’ve found helpful in your studies. As part of my final project for the class ALOP-298 Using Emerging Technologies for Learning, I’ve created a wiki to collect your insights and advice for the future students of our program.

For those not familiar with what a wiki is, it’s a webpage or collection of web pages designed to enable anyone who accesses it to contribute or modify content – think Wikipedia on a small-scale. I’m asking you to contribute to our wiki. It will be a collection created by Drake adult education graduate students for Drake adult education graduate students.

Instructions:

1. Click on this link to open the ALOP Advice wiki


2. In the navigation panel on the left-hand side, I’ve created some pages to organize the content. Click on a page to view the current material.


3. To add your own material, click on the “Edit This Page” button at the top of the page


4. Add your content. Please start your entry with your name and graduation date.


5. Click Save and you’re done.

Please feel free to forward this to others in the program that I missed.

Thank you for your help with my project; and on behalf of those students who have yet to enjoy their first Friday night, thanks for your advice.

Technology on trial

I was reading one of Nikki's post about a person who lost her cell phone with some photos on them that she'd rather keep quiet. Nikki's post reminded me about a story I recently read on msnbc.com. A guy in Arkansas forget his phone at a McDonald's with some nude pictures of his wife on it. Those photos ended up online so now the guy is filing a lawsuit against McDonalds Corp. This will set an interesting precedent about technology and the expectation of privacy on our personal items.

What's your vote? Do we have a right to keep private items on personal devices such as cell phones?

My Facebook dilema

I found a recent article on msnbc.com about Facebook that touches on a topic I've been struggling with - do I add somebody as a friend or not?

Listen to my podcast and tell me what you think.

The color purple

I found an interesting story on msnbc.com about how our brains process colors once we learn the name of the color. The story explains that our brains process color in the right hemisphere when we're infants, but makes a switch to the left hemisphere once we learn the actual name of the color.

I find this so interesting because it gives us a peak into how the brain stores and processes information. Scientists who are studying this aspect are speculating about how the language we learn affects the way we look at the world.

It really hits home for me as Jared enters the stage in his life when he discovers that words have meaning. I wonder what the world looks like to him now? Is it something different than what I see? Once something has a name and meaning, it has a place and order like a book on a shelf in the library. What a wonderfully bizarre world he must be living in while the shelves are still empty and the books are all around him.

15 new technology predictions

The editors of PC World have made their predictions about 15 hot new technologies. As they put it, "we outline the basics of 15 upcoming technologies, with predictions on what may come of them. Some are breathing down our necks; some advances are still just out of reach. And all have to be reckoned with."

Here's their list, check out the article to read their predictions.

1. Memristor: A groundbreaking new circuit
2. 32-core CPUs from Intel and AMD
3. Nehalem and swift chips spell the end of stand-alone graphics boards
4. USB 3.0 speeds up performance on external devices
5. Wireless power transmission
6. 64-bit computing allows for more RAM
7. Windows 7: It's inevitable
8. Google's desktop OS
9. Gesture-based remote control
10. Radical simplification hits the TV business
11. Curtains for DRM
12. Use any phone on any wireless network
13. Your fingers do even more walking
14. Cell phones are the new paper
15. Where you at? Ask your phone, not your friend

What's even funnier to read is their past predictions. Some were spot on while others were a real swing-and-a-miss.

Things they got right:
1983 - "The mouse will bask in the computer world limelight... Like the joystick before it, though, the mouse will fade someday into familiarity."
1984 - "Microsoft Windows should have a lasting effect on the entire personal computer industry."
1988 - "In the future you'll have this little box containing all your files and programs ... It's very likely that eventually people will always carry their data with them."

A big miss:
1987 - "When you walk into an office in 1998, the PC will sense your presence, switch itself on and promptly deliver your overnight e-mail, sorted in order of importance."
1994 - "Within five years ... batteries that last a year, like watch batteries today, will power [PDAs]."
2000 - "computers that pay attention to you, sensing where you are, what you're doing and even what your vital signs are ... Products incorporating this kind of technology … could hit the market within a year."

The Butterball Blog

A story in the Des Moines Register yesterday caught my eye. It was about the Butterball hotline that's available for stressed cooks who need help with Thanksgiving dinner. The hotline is changing with the times and now answers questions via email and also has a blog that allows you to hear from an expert.

I thought this was a great example of a service that was responding to the different ways their consumers use their service. They've adopted the new technology for a very old tradition of cooking the turkey dinner.

5 common quiz question mistakes

Here's a really interesting post about the five common quiz questions mistakes that eLearning designers usually make. They seem obvious when you read them, but I know that I've fallen prey to creating an obvious distractor or a pointless question.

He's got some great examples and links to some other stuff, but the really good stuff is in the comments section. It's interesting to read what others have done to overcome these pitfalls. One that I'd never thought of is asking the SME for possible distractors that seem plausible.

We learn, sometimes the best, through our failures so the we need to make the quizzes worthwhile and realistic.

The rise of the machine

With our discussion this weekend about cloud technology and the possible label of calling it Skynet, I watched the Terminator again in preparation of the machines taking over the world.

Seriously though, this idea of cloud computing and Microsoft's entry really has the tech world buzzing. Will Microsoft dominate this new domain like they did the operating system and office application world? Can others compete? While it's great for the world to have access to all the servers and computing power, those providing it must have the resources to provide it.

To learn more about the buzz, read Nicholas Carr's blog.

Audio Files

Here is a sample audio file for your listening pleasure.

My friend Kim

The Politics of Learning

I've been fascinated recently with all of the coverage on the campaigns for Obama and McCain. Each side did things right and wrong along the way, but ultimately most agree that Obama ran a near perfect campaign on his way into the White House.

The one thing most people are focusing on is the way Obama stuck to his message and didn't encounter any missteps like McCain's fumble about the fundamentals of our economy.

With that in mind, I wanted to share a post I found that discusses how we can learn from the political world when we communicate our learning.

1. Repetition is worth repeating.

2. Space your repetitions over time.

3. Have powerful messengers repeat the key messages.

4. Authentic messengers are listened to longer and with more engagement.

5. Messengers who lose credibility (or integrity) are doomed.

6. Prioritize your messages. Brand your messages into a potent theme.

7. Vary the delivery of your messages, but stay consistent in the underlying message and theme.

8. Learning messages that are aligned with on-the-ground realities are the most powerful. It is only the rarest of learning messages that can overcome irrelevance or everyday business distractions.

9. When your efforts or credibility are attacked, fight back hard and fast.

Cloud computing

In a recent story on msnbc.com, Microsoft has joined the next generation of computing - cloud computing. Microsoft will offer storage space and computing power across their massive network of computers to anyone who needs access to servers but doesn't want to purchase them.

This is a big step towards the next wave of business models. I could start a business on the web without the need for all of the required servers, support, and space.

Get the Kleenex, this one's a tearjerker

You have to watch this video about little Eliot. He was born with a genetic disorder even though doctors said that he wouldn't make it. He survived for 99 days even though the odds were against him. It's an amazing story about his parent's love. Instead of dreading the inevitable, they celebrated each day they had with Eliot. In fact, they celebrated a birthday each day until the end. Through his father's letters to his son, you can follow their journey until they released 99 balloons at Eliot's funeral in honor of each day he blessed this world.

http://www.oprah.com/media/20081001_tows_99balloons

Tell me a story

We all know that we'd rather hear a story than just a boring lecture of facts. A story is interesting and holds our attention as we invest in the characters and what's happening. On the other hand, a boring lecture just seems endless as fact after fact is droned out.

According to the following article, cognitive science tells us that our brains are wired to learn from stories. In fact there are four basic elements to a story that we can incorporate into our training to help our students become engaged and learn from some of the boring topics we have to train on.

Those four elements are:

1. Causality - there's a connection in how the story builds because the first element causes or initiates the next. For training, this element tells us how the agenda pulls everything together from beginning to end.


2. Conflict - the story identifies an obstacle to overcome. For training, this element identifies the gap and the potential for failure if we don't meet the training objectives.


3. Complications - the story takes us on a journey that isn't just a walk down the yellow brick road, there's elements that can throw us off that have to be addressed. For training, this element identifies the parts that we need to make note of and pay attention to.


4. Character - this is the person that we're following. As the learner, I need to know if it's me or another role. The story tells me how I fit into the surroundings.

One small step for Jared

Jared took his first steps a few days ago!! He's slowly learning that his feet and legs can get him from point A to point B. It's just so amazing to watch him develop. Before we know it, he'll be running around. I just had to share this.

A son's dream and his father's will

This is an amazing true story!

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?' The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'.

They completed the marathon together. In fact, father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together.

One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Ironman together.' To which, his father said 'Yes' too.

For those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile (3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2 kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195 kilometer) marathon along the coast of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Father and son completed this race together. But there's more to the story that you just have to see. View this race at: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cf08faca5dd9ea45513

Also - here is a link to the Team Hoyt webiste: www.teamhoyt.com

Think Strawberries

Here's a little inspiration for the middle of the week. Check out this story about a new way of looking at training and leading people. Remember, think strawberries!

Finally an excuse for screwing off

I was surfing the web at work when I found a little justification for my lack of productivity. According to an article on Msnbc.com, surfing the web could exercise the brain similar to the way crossword puzzles do and can lower the risk of dementia. Well this is promising news for net junkies like myself. The thought of exercising my brain while checking out my favorite websites also got me thinking about brain-based learning and the science of how the brain acquires new information.

I did some searching for a few websites that I've ran across before about the topic and I found one that I really like. Brain-based learning by Funderstanding lists the 12 core principles for how the brain learns. It has some interesting stuff that I feel is legitimate.

So, I continued my search for more sites and ran across an opinionated blog that had a link to a YouTube video that tries to debunk parts of the theory on brain-based learning. While the video doesn't attack any of the core principles, he does have an interesting point about the inferences we make in trying to make connections. One thing I found interesting is how he compared a child's activity to a group of children. One cannot predict the other. It made me think of how we try to predict a person's activities back on the job based upon how a person does in training. The problem is that we can't factor in the work environment during the training. We can't know how the person's boss or co-workers will affect them.

This takes me to another point as thoughts rattle around in my head. Here's a great article about the transfer of training and who really has an impact.

Well my brain is tired and that's enough exercise for one day. Enjoy.

Is training the answer?

I was intrigued by one of Roger's recent posts about corporate training and it's ineffectiveness. He claims to have been one of those guys that tried to cram too much information onto a PowerPoint slide show and made people suffer through the "training." I can relate because I've been that guy too.

Roger's call to action is for a better approach to training. I'd like to add to Roger's call with a few of my own questions people should ask.

1. Is training the solution to my problem?
Check out Gilbert's Behavior Engineering Model to learn more about the 6 factors of influence that affect a person's performance. We've learned in other classes that training is only the solution for one of the factors: Skills & Knowledge. The other influences need to be addressed by other solutions such as better resources or leader accountability.

2. How should I offer training?
According to the following article there are 3 levels of skills & knowledge that we can expect from learners following training. Depending on the level you want, determines the appropriate method of delivery for training. According to the referenced Dopler Decision Matrix there's a range of acceptability for the proper combination of level and method. A mismatch and the training is either ineffective or inefficient.

3. How do I make the training stick?
Finally, here are some websites to check out about enabling the transfer of training.

• The Best Websites about the Transfer of Learning


• Ensure Transfer of Training


• Training Impact Matrix


• Training Transfer and Behavior Change

There's just so much out there to read

I've been following a blog by Tony Karrer about eLearning. He's got some amazing stuff on his site.

Here's just a few of the posts that I found really interesting:

• How do people interact with blogs?


• Time spent on blogging


• Learning and networking with a blog


• The 19 best elearning blogs

The world keeps getting smaller

Principal opened an office in Pune, India a few years ago to outsource some of the basic claims processing and IT application work that needs to happen in our business. The office is growing and the collaboration between our home office and Pune is becoming more important to our success. Pune's success is so important that it justified sending a person from Des Moines over to India for 3-months to help teach them the basics of the retirement industry so that they could better understand what they were processing and working on.

Hearing the story of this person's adventure and time over in India was really amazing. She talked about their culture and how blended it was with the old ways of India and the modernization the West is bringing to the cities.

After her talk, I found this article on msnbc.com about the impact of today's credit crisis on the call centers in India. They've had to adapt their training and approach to dealing with people in America who are at the end of their last penny. I really found a lot of things about this article interesting. The people in India assume more American style names and change their accents to sound more American so that it puts people at ease. They've also updated their training to enlighten those people on the phones about all of the events that have happened recently from the stock crash to the natural disasters. The intention is to help them bond with the person on the other side of the phone.

Simply amazing how the world is connected.

Podcasts Library on the Evolution of Training

Xyleme Voices features some really cool podcasts about new learning trends. Delivered by some well known experts in the field, these podcasts discuss key issues affecting the evolution of training.

I really liked the one by Dr. Ruth Clark about the use of visuals in eLearning. I create a lot of CBTs (computer based training) for my company and we're trying hard to step away from glorified PowerPoints to real elearning using the proper mix of text, visuals and audio.

MapQuest and public toilets - a mashup

Okay, I just had to post this. Diaroogle is a mashup like the authors talked about in the book where somebody created a peer network for people to locate and evaluate public toilets in New York City. How funny is that?! The site says that the next time you're walking around NYC, you can use your web-enabled phone to locate the best public toilet in your vicinity.

When you're done, you can rate your experience.

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Robin has mentioned in other classes about a website where you can watch some really amazing videos. It's http://www.ted.com/.

In the video below, Ken Robinson talks about how schools are killing creativity and that we need to change how we educate children because the world we're trying to prepare them for doesn't exist yet. Okay, I know the future doesn't exist yet but what he's talking about is that we have no idea what technology or innovation is going to change the world next.

I've talked a lot about this in my blog. Check out the Shift Happens post. I want my son to be prepared to take on any kind of world with a fresh perspective and a creative mind. Listening to Ken is inspiring and frightening because it's all so true. Have a look and tell me what you think.

Keeping in touch with the kids

Yesterday at lunch some co-workers and I were talking about how quickly the year was passing by and that Thanksgiving and Christmas were both just around the corner. I asked if anyone could remember a time when life didn't move this fast. One person said that life as a kid seemed to be slower, or at least it seemed that way because he was always waiting for his parents to pick him up. He explained his statement with a story of his daughter calling him from her cell phone for a ride and then minutes later calling to check on his status cause she was waiting "forever" in her terms.

We all could relate to the times of past when none of us had cell phones and we could never just call our parents anytime. Life was different back then. One didn't have instant access to the world like they do today.

The co-worker who started the story went on to say that he's happy his kids have their cell phones now because he can reach them throughout the day. He can text his son about football practice or his daughter's volleyball game and they can text him back during breaks or study hall.

This all made me wonder what life would be like for Jared once he enters school. What technologies will be a part of his life that aren't around now. This thought made me think about a blog from the TechChallenged in our class. She blogged about a seminar where Marc Prensky talked of open phone tests for students as a new way test our students. Basically he proposed letting students use their cell phones to access help during tests.

All of this just makes me wonder, what's next?

Chuck Norris Facts

Need a little time waster? Check out these little known facts about the great Chuck Norris. My favorite is that Chuck Norris sleeps with a pillow under his gun. Or that there is no chin behind Chuck Norris' beard - just another fist.

Training Trends

Check out Tony Karrer's blog about training method trends. He has some interesting statistics from the eLearning Guild about the current trends in the methods for training in the corporate world and government.

What's interesting is the popularity of classroom. It's still king despite all of the other resources available. It is nice to see a rise in other technologies such as blogs and wikis.

Shift Happens

Watch the following video from YouTube about the changes affecting our world today and shaping tomorrow's future. As you watch it, think about the new learners we'll face in the next decade. They will be receiving training on jobs that don't exist yet using technology that's still getting discussed in R&D today.

Did this page help?

If you search for support on the Microsoft website, each response is concluded with a question: Did this article help solve your problem? Microsoft wants to know if the information on the page helped based upon your search criteria. They want the feedback from their customers so that they can refine their support database to be more helpful to the next person.

While the people who use Microsoft support can't update the content, they can at least help guide the information by providing their feedback. I can remember years ago when I worked in tech support and you were left with no discourse when a page was useless. Now I can let them know whether or not if my problem was solved. Plus now, they can help guide me to additional information in case my search criteria was wrong.

I want to add this question to the bottom of some of the online information we have at Principal. We have so much information online for people to reference, but so often we hear from people that the pages weren't referenced for one reason or another. I want to find out if the people don't like the page or if they don't find the page useful. It may be tough to get the question added, but my plan is to start with one page. I've recently updated a page in lieu of offering any formalized training. The project leader is going to send out an email to the audience that the page was updated. Now I need to know if they found the page useful and if the information provided them the answers they were seeking.

Wish me luck. It will be tough because we've never done this before. I'll keep you posted.

New teeth = new baby

I'm amazed by the human body. Certain parts of our body that we take for granted because they've just always been there aren't even created yet when a baby is born. The body is still creating itself as it develops. What's even more amazing is the havoc is wreaks on the body as it creates itself.

Specifically, I'm talking about teeth. Jared is getting some more teeth in and he's just not himself. He's sick and slobbering and very tempermental. Plus, I've changed more dirty diapers than I care to remember. I miss the real Jared. We just haven't played like normal in the past couple of days and I miss that. What is it about new teeth that causes the body to fall apart?

Well, wish me luck as we go through this new round of teething. And hopefully the real Jared will be back soon. I'll keep you posted.

Some other blogs on training in the corporate world to check out

I found some other blogs in class yesterday that deal with training and education in the corporate world.

Check them out and let me know if you find some others worth reading.

eLearning Technology blog
Corporate Training and eLearning blog
Allen Communications Learning Services blog

Emily Post

I am a student at Drake University.

What's a Wiki?

Check out this video to learn about wikis in plain english

Welcome to Des Moines, IA

Click the picture of the Des Moines skyline to learn more.

I can't shop without Amazon

I was shopping for a vacuum last night at Target, but I was really struggling with making a decision because I didn't have enough information. What I really wanted was the reviews from Amazon to help me. I wanted to hear from others on their opinion of the different models and which one is worth the money.

While it's not a peer production of things, it's definitely a shift in the way people shop. Granted such things like Consumer Reports have been around before the Internet, but I was reminded last night of how much I like to read the reviews on Amazon. Scrap that, I was reminded of how much I need the reviews on Amazon.

He has discovered Cheerios

In just the last week Jared has discovered Cheerios. In the past, he would just push them around on his high-chair tray. They'd all end up on the floor or littered around his waist. But one day he finally picked one up and put it in his mouth. What was that? I like that, so another one went in. And then another and another. And then he choked so I jammed my finger in his mouth to fish them all out. But we survived and he's a champ now. He usually has a handful and a mouthful at the same time. And it's so fun to watch him try and gum them and roll them around with his tongue. With four teeth, he's on his way up the food chain. I can't believe that he'll be eating real food in just a few months. He's growing up so fast.

Why didn't I think of that?!

As I read about all of the innovative new ideas that are coming from people who use the successful websites like Amazon or Google maps, I'm just kicking myself and thinking - why didn't I think of that? Some of the ideas that Tapscott talks about in chapter 7 seem so obvious but there's so much else out there that hasn't even been thought of yet that will seem obvious tomorrow.

As I read about these platforms for participation, I'm wondering how all of this applies to adult education? Does it have to be about e-learning? What I think is that it should open our minds about how we guard our content. Just like Amazon who opens up its data to innovators, we too should open up resources to others to create training for their own uses. It happens in some ways today, other departments borrow our material and strip it down for the basic information. But is there more we can do?

I think a lot of where we can help out is in the data we collect on how well people are doing with training. We're working on updating our evaluation service and I think that eventually it will be a huge source for people to determine where training needs exist. The challenge for us is to open our doors versus fortify.

It will be interesting. I'll keep you posted.

Unauthorized hacking is half the fun of it

Tapscott proposes on p. 148 that more companies need to open up their products to allow consumers the ability to hack and modify the product much like the way Wikipedia works. Let the public build the best widget that's possible.

I wonder if more companies opened up there doors and allowed people to hack away, would it be as popular? After all, hacking is as much a rebellion as it is an act of improvement.

However, I'm all for it. Let the everyday user have a say in the 2.0 version. We're the ones who have to live with a cheap zipper on a new coat or a laptop bag that could use more pockets with better access. What I'd like to see is the ability to hack a movie. I just watched Star Wars 3 again last night and I'd love the opportunity to make that movie better! Seriously, Darth Vader screams out for Padame as if he's in a high school play of a Streetcar Named Desire?? WTF George Lucas?

All of us are smarter than each of us?

I'm intrigued by Tapscott's discussion of Wikipedia when talking about peering. In one year, Wikipedia had over 18 thousand articles - all contributed by volunteers who just wanted to share their knowledge with the world. Today the article count is estimated at over four million.

It's an interesting concept that knowledge would be trusted in the hands of anyone. For so long, we've always left knowledge up to the experts and scholars. You didn't know anything unless you had a bunch of letters behind your name like Old McDonald, Eieio.

At Principal we have put all of our knowledge online in the shape of articles and procedures for anyone to access. However, we only have a very small group that can edit the pages. I asked one of our technical writers about opening up eSource to allow others to edit the content. She quickly and adamently said no. She said we'd lose control of the content and no one could trust it. That's the exact same argument used against Wikipedia, but it's one of the most trusted sites on the Internet for information.

In the short time I've worked for Principal I've heard from so many people of work arounds or extra knowledge that isn't documented in eSource. One person is the go-to person for an entire department. So what happens when she leaves? All that knowledge leaves with her. Wouldn't it be nice if she or others that have learned from her the opportunity to document all of this?!

Customize your blog

I haven't tried this yet, but I thought others may find this interesting. Here are instructions on how to customize our blogs.

Antonio Lupetti offers 7 tips to design professional blog layout using Blogger
http://woork.blogspot.com/2008/09/7-tips-to-design-professional-blog.html

Good luck

First observe and then implement

On page 245, Tapscott tells us that one of Robert Stephens' rules for running Geek Squad successfully is, "first observe and then implement." The rule is in reference to Stephens' discovery that his employees were actually using a video game to stay connected instead of a wiki he'd created for employee collaboration. Stephens learned that he needs to observe how his employees are approaching a challenge before he tries to fix it.

At work today, I was talking with a colleague about a Q&A document that we're putting together for a project. It currently has 37 questions that cover 12 pages of questions and answers around the topic of document fees for retirement plans. We both concluded that no one is going to be able to absorb all of the information we assembled. It's a lot of information.

The frustrating thing about it is that Q&As rarely receive any attention. The subject matter experts love them, but that's partially because they help create them. However, for the intended audience, they don't really care for them because they're not that useful when you actually need to find an answer - ironic I know. So what people do when they have a question is they ask their co-worker who also hasn't read the Q&A. Now they go to the SME who reminds that their question is answered in the Q&A and sends them both the link again.

All of this made me think about Stephens rule. We're trying to impose upon the learner a way of learning that they don't want. We need to observe how they search for answers when they have questions and put the information in a medium that meets their needs. WHile I'll probably have a hard time talking people out of creating Q&As, I need to make it a goal of mine to learn how people want to use the document so that it can be sculpted in a way that's useful. I feel there's a way we can meet in the middle to make them useful again.

I'll keep you posted.

Discovering the world with his mouth?

Jared's main investigative tool used for discovering the world is his mouth. He puts everything he picks up in his mouth first; and that which he can't get to his mouth he brings his mouth to it. This morning I found him laying on the floor trying to taste the door stop stuck under the hallway door.

It's just boggles me how he insists on putting everything in his mouth. Our family doctor gave me a little perspective on why. He said, "that's what he trusts the most." So I guess that makes sense when it comes to toys and shiny objects, but a door stop?

But who am I to judge. I gotta admit - I've never tasted a door stop. Maybe I'm missing something. Either way, that's one more thing discovered and checked off his list of discoveries. One can only imagine what he'll try next.

So what do you think?

On page 38, Tapscott talks about the new web and the collaboration that's evolving out of it. No longer are people okay with just reading static pages. They want to add their comments and opinions to build upon one another. I find it interesting how many websites are opening up and asking for feedback. Readers can post comments or edit the content.

What's even more interesting is how this new wave of interacting with one's audience has been handed down to the traditional medias like newspapers. In the recent Juice (Sept 9, 2008), there was a section asking for readers to provide content. They want their audience to help shape the content that gets delivered to others.

With all of this, I think about my son. He's going to grow up in a world where he has the ability to always offer his opinion on just about everything. He'll probably grow up expecting that channel to be open. I just hope that we can raise our kids with something worth saying!

When will he learn fear?

Jared is an active 9-month old little boy. He's pulling himself up on anything and everything. He's found that a whole new world exists two feet off the floor. Our remotes are no longer safe. Our coffee table is a warzone. But he's just so darn cute!!