Here it is in a nutshell: Just as one person did it wrong and got us in all this trouble with sin and death, another person did it right and got us out of it. But more than just getting us out of trouble, he got us into life! One man said no to God and put many people in the wrong; one man said yes to God and put many in the right.
On 01/16/2015,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
On 01/06/2015,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, attention, communications, communities of practice, convergence, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, Daniel S. Christian, digital learning, digital storytelling, education, education technology, engagement / engaging students, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, global / globalization, Google, heutagogy, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, ideas, internet, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, lifelong learning, media/film, MOOCs -- Massive Open Online Courses, multimedia, new business models, online learning, online media, smart/connected TV, social learning / networks, telepresence, television, training / L&D, transmedia, trends, web-based collaboration, youth,
by Daniel Christian
YouTube’s Chief, Hitting a New ‘Play’ Button — from nytimes.com by Jonathan Mahler
Excerpt (emphasis DSC):
At one point, the moderator asked Ms. Wojcicki if she thought cable television would still be around in 10 years. She paused for a moment before answering, with a bit of a sly smile, “Maybe.” The crowd laughed, even though just about everyone in the packed auditorium knew she was only half-joking.
If cable TV is gone in a decade, Ms. Wojcicki and the global digital video empire over which she presides will be one of the main causes. YouTube, founded in 2005 as a do-it-yourself platform for video hobbyists — its original motto was “Broadcast Yourself” — now produces more hit programming than any Hollywood studio.
Smosh, a pair of 20-something lip-syncing comedians, have roughly 30 million subscribers to their various YouTube channels. PewDiePie, a 24-year-old Swede who provides humorous commentary while he plays video games, has a following of similar size. The list goes on and on. For the sake of perspective, successful network television shows like “NCIS: New Orleans” or “The Big Bang Theory” average a little more than half that in weekly viewership. The 46-year-old Ms. Wojcicki — who will soon give birth to her fifth child — has quietly become one of the most powerful media executives in the world.
![The Living [Class] Room -- by Daniel Christian -- July 2012 -- a second device used in conjunction with a Smart/Connected TV](http://danielschristian.com/learning-ecosystems/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/The-Living-Class-Room-Daniel-S-Christian-July-2012.jpg)
Also see:
- Smart TV Alliance serves 58 million TV sets — from broadbandtvnews.com by The Smart TV Alliance development platform is now compatible with one-third of the global smart TV market. App developers who use the Alliance’s common developer portal can reach 58 million smart TVs in a single, integrated process. The brands served include LG Electronics, Panasonic, TP Vision and Toshiba
- Roku-Connected Televisions And The Future Of The Smart TV Wars — from fastcompany.com by Chris Gayomali
At CES, Roku announced new partnerships that will cram its platform inside more televisions. Built-in is the new box.
.
- Netflix Launches Smart TV Seal of Approval Program — from variety.com by Todd Spangler
Sony, LG, Sharp, Vizo and makers of Roku TVs are expected to be first certified under ‘Netflix Recommended TV’ program
Excerpt:
Netflix — in a smart bid to get its brand affixed onto smart TVs — has announced the “Netflix Recommended TV” certification program under which it will give the thumbs up to Internet-connected television sets that deliver the best possible video-streaming experience for its service.
From DSC:
As you can see, BBBBBIIIIIGGGGG players are getting into this game. And there will be BBBBBIIIIIGGGGG opportunities that open up via what occurs in our living rooms. Such affordances won’t be limited to the future of entertainment only.
On 12/23/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
Merry Christmas all!
The Birth of Jesus
2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
Jesus Presented in the Temple
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and the glory of your people Israel.”
33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38 Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.
On 12/23/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay them?”
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
On 12/15/2014,
in art, creativity, faith, global / globalization, relationships, religion, society,
by Daniel Christian
iPad Art: The Majestic Forgiver — from ipadinsight.com
Excerpt:
It’s titled ‘The majestic forgiver’ and is the work of Woon Tien David Chong. Here are the artist’s own words on this iPad painting:
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
On 12/02/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
5 For to which of the angels did God ever say,
“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father”[a]?
Or again,
“I will be his Father,
and he will be my Son”[b]?
6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says,
“Let all God’s angels worship him.”[c]
7 In speaking of the angels he says,
“He makes his angels spirits,
and his servants flames of fire.”[d]
8 But about the Son he says,
“Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever;
a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
by anointing you with the oil of joy.”[e]
10 He also says,
“In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
11 They will perish, but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
12 You will roll them up like a robe;
like a garment they will be changed.
But you remain the same,
and your years will never end.”[f]
13 To which of the angels did God ever say,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet”[g]?
On 11/13/2014,
in 21st century, career development, change, Daniel S. Christian, future, game-changing environment, global / globalization, higher education, history, ideas, leadership, lifelong learning, pace of change, reinvent, society, staying relevant, strategy, student-related, surviving,
by Daniel Christian
Introduction (emphasis DSC)
Futures Studies as it has evolved since the early 1970s is both a discipline and a meta-discipline. It is a set of skills and applied methodologies that can be learned—in impressively diverse ways—and it is a dynamic way of coming to understand the world that is practical and empowering. As Alvin Toffler wrote in 1974, “A focus on the future is relevant to all learners, regardless of age.”
For this special report, we called for essays from futurists who have experienced futures education, be it in a K-12 class project, a professional certificate program, a workshop, or a full degree program. We received an overwhelming response from students, educators, and several people who have been on both sides of the learning and teaching experience.
We hope readers will continue to share their experiences with us—and with tomorrow’s futures learners.
—THE EDITORS
From DSC:
I can’t stress enough the importance of helping students learn more about how to see what might be coming down the pike — to be able to pulse check a variety of environments. This is not “fluff”, gazing into a crystal ball, or pie-in-the-sky type of thinking. There are numerous techniques being used within futurism today*, with real and practical applications.
For me, futures studies have strong ties in with developing strategy and vision as well as identifying opportunities and threats.
Students need access to many more of these *futures studies* programs! (teachthefuture.org may be helpful here). We can’t start building these programs out too soon. Enrollments should be strong once people understand how helpful and practical these skills and methodologies can be. In fact, given the exponential pace we are currently experiencing, these skills become critical not only for corporations/businesses and for higher education, but for individuals as well — especially seeing as more of us are becoming contingent workers (freelancers, independent professionals, temporary contract workers, independent contractors or consultants).
When we’re moving at 180 mph, we can’t be looking at the front of our hoods. We need to be scanning the horizons.
* As Haven Allahar stated in the item “Futures Education in the Caribbean”:
…the common techniques utilized in the practice of futuring:
- Scanning.
- DEGEST (demography, economics, governance, environment, society, technology).
- Trend analysis.
- Scenarios.
- Delphi polling.
- Modeling.
- Simulation and games.
- Brainstorming.
- Visioning.
- Anticipating wild cards.
On 11/10/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”
On 10/22/2014,
in experimentation, generational differences, global / globalization, ideas, innovation, youth,
by Daniel Christian
Excerpt:
They’ve been called slackers and the “Me Me Me Generation.” But these millennials, who are creating solutions to some of the world’s biggest problems, prove the naysayers wrong.
Even President Obama is impressed. At a recent town hall meeting in Santa Monica, Calif., he said, “We’ve got a rising generation of talented, striving, innovative young people. I know that there’s a few of us here who are only young at heart, but a lot of you are part of the millennial generation that’s going to change how we do things.”
Here are 10 cool products made by people under 35.
On 10/13/2014,
in business, corporate / business world, Daniel S. Christian, economics, entrepreneurship, global / globalization, ideas, society, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
The following article from McKinsey would be a source of a great assignment for students and faculty members who are studying Economics (and I could also add those studying Social Work, Healthcare, Political Science, and some other fields):
- Redefining capitalism — from mckinsey.com by Eric Beinhocker and Nick Hanauer | September 2014
Despite its ability to generate prosperity, capitalism is under attack. By shaking up our long-held assumptions about how and why the system works, we can improve it.
Potential questions:
- What are the basic tenets of capitalism?
- How is it taught?
- What are the main points that the authors want you to grapple with?
- Do you agree or disagree with their main points? If so, why? Do you have some resources that back up your viewpoints?
- What are your views on capitalism and what it should achieve?
- Do robotics, algorithms, and automation impact any of your arguments/perspectives?
Excerpt:
What problems do you solve?
Once we understand that the solutions capitalism produces are what creates real prosperity in people’s lives, and that the rate at which we create solutions is true economic growth, then it becomes obvious that entrepreneurs and business leaders bear a major part of both the credit and the responsibility for creating societal prosperity. But standard measures of business’s contribution—profits, growth rates, and shareholder value—are poor proxies. Businesses contribute to society by creating and making available products and services that improve people’s lives in tangible ways, while simultaneously providing employment that enables people to afford the products and services of other businesses. It sounds basic, and it is, but our economic theories and metrics don’t frame things this way.
Today our culture celebrates money and wealth as the benchmarks of success. This has been reinforced by the prevailing theory. Suppose that instead we celebrated innovative solutions to human problems. Imagine being at a party and rather than being asked, “What do you do?”—code for how much money do you make and what status do you have—you were asked, “What problems do you solve?” Both capitalism and our society would be the better for it.
On 10/09/2014,
in 21st century, 3D, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, corporate / business world, global / globalization, human-computer interaction (HCI), intelligent systems, internet, IT in HE, society, technology (general), workplace,
by Daniel Christian
Gartner: Top 10 Strategic IT Trends For 2015 — from forbes.com by Peter High
Summary:
- Computing Everywhere
- The Internet of Things (IoT)
- 3D Printing
- Advanced, Pervasive, Invisible Analytics
- Context-Rich Systems
- Smart Machines
- Cloud/Client Architecture
- Software-Defined Infrastructure and Applications
- Web-Scale IT
- Risk-Based Security and Self-Protection
On 09/05/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
Here are two really interesting pieces of scripture. Seldomly do I read where the LORD Himself is amazed by something. But note His being amazed in these cases — and they both involve the topic of faith (one on the negative side of things and one on the positive side of things; emphasis mine):
4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” 5 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. 6 He was amazed at their lack of faith.
8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel.” 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.
Other examples from scripture:
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.
So again I ask, does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you by the works of the law, or by your believing what you heard?
Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”
31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.
On 08/21/2014,
in career development, faith, future, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, society, student-related,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
This posting has a spectrum of perspectives/content on it. First some faith-based items:
Description
Is it possible to know the world and still love the world? Of all the questions we ask about our calling, this is the most difficult. From marriages to international relations, the more we know, the harder it is to love. We become cynics or stoics, protecting our hearts from the implications of what we know. But what if the vision of vocation can be recovered—allowing us to step into the wounds of the world and for love’s sake take up our responsibility for the way the world turns out? For decades Steve Garber has come alongside a wide range of people as they seek to make sense of the world and their lives. With him we meet leaders from the Tiananmen Square protest who want a good reason to still care about China. We also meet with many ordinary people in ordinary places who long for their lives to matter:
- Jonathan who learned he would rather build houses than study history
- Todd and Maria who adopted creative schedules so they could parent better and practice medicine
- D.J. who helped Congress move into the Internet Age
- Robin who spends her life on behalf of urban justice
- Hans who makes hamburgers the way they are meant to be made
- Susan who built a home business of hand-printing stationary using a letterpress
- Santiago who works with majority-world nations in need of capital
- George who has given years to teaching students to learn things that matter most
- Claudius and Deirdre whose openhearted home has always been a place for people
- Dan who loves Wyoming, the place, its people and its cows
Vocation is when we come to know the world in all its joy and pain and still love it. Vocation is following our calling to seek the welfare of the world we live in. And in helping the world to flourish, strangely, mysteriously, we find that we flourish too. Garber offers a book for everyone everywhere—for students, for parents, for those in the arts, in the academy, in public service, in the trades and in commerce—for all who want to discover the virtue of vocation.
From DSC:
Some quotes from the book:
“It is possible to get all A’s and still flunk life.”
“From mime artists in Paris, to attorneys walking the killing fields of Rwanda, to young, eager human rights activists in Washington, to graduate students at at Yale, how does one learn to see with the eyes of the heart, to see oneself as responsible for the way the world is and isn’t? Not a cheap question, and there are no cheap answers.”
From DSC:
The above book was recommended to me by the Director of CIC NetVUE, Dr. Shirley Roels. For more information about CIC NetVUE, see the items below:
NetVUE is a nationwide network of colleges and universities committed to enriching the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation among undergraduate students.
The purposes of NetVUE are to:
- Deepen the understanding of the intellectual and theological dimensions of vocational exploration;
- Examine the role of vocational exploration in a variety of institutional contexts;
- Share knowledge, best practices, and reflection on experiences across participating campuses;
- Develop a network for sustaining an extended program in the intellectual and theological exploration of vocation; and
- Facilitate the incorporation of additional colleges and universities into this enterprise.
Now, for some items that are not (necessarily) faith-related:
Blackboard Debuts Free College and Career Guidance App — from thejournal.com by Joshua Bolkan
Excerpt:
Blackboard has a released a free mobile app, Job Genie, designed to help students explore career paths and college options.”The app is a result of qualitative research with students that indicated a large amount of apprehension around key academic decisions, such as picking a school, major or career path,” according to a news release. “Designed to be a non-threatening way to explore various education and job options, the app uses casual language and aesthetics to reinforce that these choices are part of a journey and that students should not feel locked into a single recommendation.”
Be Employed When You Gradate –a book by Jonathan Blake Huer (2014)
Excerpt:
College isn’t about getting a job; it’s about earning a degree. So, when do students learn how to find meaningful employment? From choosing a major to negotiating a job offer, author and educator, Jonathan Blake Huer, offers his perspective to finding your way through today’s job market in his first book, Be Employed When You Graduate.
The advice and exercises in each chapter offer an honest and practical guide to setting measurable professional goals in college, and how to transform those experiences into internships, freelance positions and post-graduate jobs.
On 08/19/2014,
in curriculum, Daniel S. Christian, future, global / globalization, higher education, ideas, K-12 related, organizational change, pace of change,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
Given the pace of change, thinking like a futurist is quickly becoming a necessary skill. You don’t want to be the person they come up to and tap on the shoulder…telling you that your services are no longer needed here. I wish more colleges and universities had such programs — or at least integrating more of this way of thinking into all of the disciplines.
Addendum on 8/23/14:
- WFS CEO Amy Zalman speaks to London futurists and others during UK tour — from WFS
Excerpt:
Dr. Zalman’s tour concluded with an address to the London Futurists, where she spoke to an audience of 70 about the future of futurism. She stressed the need for “now futurism,” a call to action for foresight professionals to take active, incremental steps today to shape the future.”The need for ‘now futurism’ is immense. It’s partly why I think that networks like the one I now have the privilege of leading are so crucial,” said Zalman. “We are home to an important professional community, but also a very wide span of others who feel some stake in the future… Small insertions into the system will, through the wonder of network effects, create feedback loops that should reach into the society that lies beyond the boundaries of our membership and network.”To listen to the speech, click here.
.
- Futurism – Profession, Art or Science?
Excerpt:
To put this into context, futurism is different from strategy, our own prime concern – instead of juggling knowledge of the past, current realities and future expectations into a plan of action and reaction against fast-moving opponents, the futurist is looking ahead to the probabilities and possibilities that might affect strategy beyond the immediate struggle. Many of the audience were engineers and scientists used to hypotheses that had to be tested against evidenced data so some may have been surprised to hear Amy refer to professional futurism in terms that were more humanistic and the futurist, amongst many other analogues, as an artist.
Futurism – Profession, Art or Science?
This last Saturday, August 16th, Dr. Amy Zalman, only in the job of President and CEO of the World Future Society a matter of weeks, gave a talk, followed by a very stimulating discussion, to a growing group of London-based futurists convened by David Wood.
To put this into context, futurism is different from strategy, our own prime concern – instead of juggling knowledge of the past, current realities and future expectations into a plan of action and reaction against fast-moving opponents, the futurist is looking ahead to the probabilities and possibilities that might affect strategy beyond the immediate struggle.
Many of the audience were engineers and scientists used to hypotheses that had to be tested against evidenced data so some may have been surprised to hear Amy refer to professional futurism in terms that were more humanistic and the futurist, amongst many other analogues, as an artist.
– See more at: http://blog.tppr.co.uk/24-futurism-profession-art-or-science#sthash.qz5Ckq5c.dpuf
On 08/06/2014,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, society,
by Daniel Christian
“This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name: ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear* God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
* Respect, hold in awe, obey, revere, seek, love
He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”**
** For me, to consistently obey the word of God is not at all easy.
I mess up frequently. So I greatly appreciate that the LORD
extends His grace and forgiveness to me.