As a leader in educational technology it is imperative to build a climate where emerging technologies are accepted, expected and explored while including gender, cultural and socioeconomic sensitivity. Schools, workplaces, and community centers are the places where climate must thrive. Starting early to teach students to think outside of the box for solutions to common situations and to look with new eyes at old problems that can be solved with technological ingenuity, will help to close the technological divide and give impetus to a new wave of emerging technology that will change the way we do many things. New jobs, new innovations, new services are all the outcomes of such thinking.
As technology leaders we must be about changing the mind-set of educators to accept emerging technology as tools for their use and not one more thing to trouble their day, will give their classrooms and themselves a sense of wonder to explore the possibilities.Expecting and looking for something new and innovative will certainly keep boredom out of the classroom, workplace and community centers. While many of our students have access to technology, we must always be aware of those who do not and make resources available to them. This may mean opening up the school's computer labs earlier before school and allowing them to remain open after school and on Saturdays. Allowing our libraries and community centers to remain open later than the regular nine-to-five workday would give more people more access to these resources. Mr. William Gibson's quote of "The future arrived, it just wasn't equally distributed."is a challenge for us to look for those ways that will help that distribution.
Some articles I found interesting:
Education Cuts: The Haves and the Have Nots. Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/inalameda/detail?entry_id=69622
A Nation of "Haves and "Have Nots"? Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/593/haves-Ahave-nots
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
DVDs and Videos-Where to Now?
When I first learned that we had to watch a Philip K. Dick book-based movie, I immediately searched the shelves in my TV room. I knew I had the Minority Report as I had purchased it some time ago and I have watched it occasionally. While I am familiar with Netflix and have video on demand through DISH Network, I like having choices for selecting movies to watch.
Dr. Thornberg tells us that the idea of the Red Queen is when two competing companies drive other competition out of business by vying with each other for business. In the not so distant past, video rental companies like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video competed with each other for this niche of the economy. Other smaller video companies could not compete with them and went out of business. This is the example of the Red Queen. In my area of the country, neither of these companies exists any longer. The current competition between DVDs is between Redbox and Netflix. Netflix can be streamed on your computer, broadband, or you can order a disc. Redbox locations are everywhere and you can get a movie for a dollar. Video on demand is available through satellite companies, and in my area of the two main companies are Dish Network and Comcast. They compete with each other and other companies have very little if any of this market; another example of the Red Queen.
DVDs and videos are fast approaching the obsolete phase of MeLuhan's tetrad. The cost and demand of videos have driven this market to the point where people are looking for the next way movie companies will distribute their wares to the public. Streaming video over the airwaves or bandwidth may be the wave of the future. This may help with the cost and the demand along with the quality of the product. I think we are ready for an innovation.
References:
Thornburg, D.D. (2008) Emerging technologies and McLuhan's Laws of Media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornberg Center for Space Exploration.
Redbox Automated Retail. http://www.redbox.com
Let's Watch TV. http://www.dishnetwork.com
Dr. Thornberg tells us that the idea of the Red Queen is when two competing companies drive other competition out of business by vying with each other for business. In the not so distant past, video rental companies like Blockbuster and Hollywood Video competed with each other for this niche of the economy. Other smaller video companies could not compete with them and went out of business. This is the example of the Red Queen. In my area of the country, neither of these companies exists any longer. The current competition between DVDs is between Redbox and Netflix. Netflix can be streamed on your computer, broadband, or you can order a disc. Redbox locations are everywhere and you can get a movie for a dollar. Video on demand is available through satellite companies, and in my area of the two main companies are Dish Network and Comcast. They compete with each other and other companies have very little if any of this market; another example of the Red Queen.
DVDs and videos are fast approaching the obsolete phase of MeLuhan's tetrad. The cost and demand of videos have driven this market to the point where people are looking for the next way movie companies will distribute their wares to the public. Streaming video over the airwaves or bandwidth may be the wave of the future. This may help with the cost and the demand along with the quality of the product. I think we are ready for an innovation.
References:
Thornburg, D.D. (2008) Emerging technologies and McLuhan's Laws of Media. Lake Barrington, IL: Thornberg Center for Space Exploration.
Redbox Automated Retail. http://www.redbox.com
Let's Watch TV. http://www.dishnetwork.com
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