society

World Future Society –> WorldFuture 2011: Moving from Vision to Action

On 05/03/2011, in career development, corporate / business world, education, future, future of higher education, global / globalization, K-12 related, professional development, society, sociology, vision/possibilities, workplace, by Daniel Christian

WorldFuture 2011: Moving from Vision to Action
…promises to be a fun, fast, and information-packed weekend, but have you considered taking a “deeper dive” into a particular futurist area at a preconference course. These sessions, held on the Thursday and Friday before the opening General Session, take an in-depth view of important topics. Follow the links below to learn more and register for these sessions or luncheons.

Preconference Courses
Thursday, July 7

Friday, July 8

Education Summit | Thursday and Friday, July 7-8
Education and the New Normal

Don’t forget to register for luncheon sessions before these special events sell out. Register online.

Tagged with: career development • corporate / business world • economics/business • education • future • future of higher education • global • K-12 • professional development • society • sociology • vision

The “Pedagogy of Poverty” in the Learning Age [NCTAF]

On 04/29/2011, in economics, education, education reform, K-12 related, leadership, reinvent, relationships, society, strategy, student-related, teaching & learning, United States, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

The “Pedagogy of Poverty” in the Learning Age — from NCTAF

Excerpt:

Test results. Student achievement. These are mainstays of the conversation about what education “reform” is trying to achieve. But are they useful proxies for teaching and learning?

Testing cannot be the sole aim of education because test scores don’t tell the whole story of what is going on in classrooms around the nation. Higher test scores do not equate to deeper learning, which goes beyond “competence” to synthesis and analysis across disciplines. And deeper learning is not a luxury in the learning age; it’s a necessity and a right.

From DSC:
We are all in this together – let’s find ways to help each other and to learn from each other.

Tagged with: economics/business • education • education reform • K-12 • leadership • reinvent • relationships • society • strategy • student-related • teaching & learning • United States • vision

Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2-6) and All Year Long — Thank a Teacher!

On 04/29/2011, in relationships, society, teachers, by Daniel Christian

Thank a Teacher — from ed.gov by Laurie Calvert
During Teacher Appreciation Week (May 2-6) and All Year Long

Excerpt:

We owe so much to our nation’s teachers. Teachers have lit a spark in us, brought us into comfortable and challenging learning communities, and helped us to see who we could be. They have believed in us, and in so doing, teachers have changed the trajectory of our lives.

From DSC:
Amen to that!

Tagged with: relationships • society • teachers

Awesome 12’x40′ mural that glorifies the LORD! A truly beautiful work of art.

On 04/25/2011, in art, creativity, faith, future, global / globalization, history, society, by Daniel Christian

About the mural:
“The Resurrection” is a 12’ x 40’ mural, oil on canvas. It is a depiction of the moment of Jesus emerging from the tomb, with waiting angels, fainted roman guards, and a crowd of Biblical notables excitedly waiting for His exit. They include, on right of Christ, Moses, David, Isaiah & Abraham. On the left of Christ are, Elijah, Noah, Esther, John the Baptist & Daniel. These are part of the ones referred to in Hebrews 12:1 as “the great cloud of witnesses.” On the upper right of the painting is the remnants of the place Jesus was earlier crucified, namely Mt. Calvary, also known as Golgotha, the place of the skull.

Addendum -4/26:

What happened after the Resurrection? — from Bible Gateway Blog

Christians around the world have spent a lot of time over the last few weeks pondering the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ death and resurrection (and here at the Bible Gateway blog, we spent plenty of time discussing them too). During Easter week, we read the familiar stories of the Triumphal Entry, the Last Supper, the crucifixion… and then with the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, the story ends. Right?

Not quite. While the Gospels of Matthew and Mark end shortly after the Resurrection, Luke and John provide extra detail about what Jesus did during the time between his resurrection and his ascent into heaven. If your Gospel reading stopped at the Resurrection, you’re missing out on several interesting stories…

Tagged with: art • creativity • faith-wisdom • future • global • history • relationships • society

Some items re: educating homeless children

On 04/20/2011, in budgets, education, future, K-12 related, society, student-related, by Daniel Christian

Also see:

Homelessness Hits Home
“I’m seeing interest [in the plight of homeless families] from people that I’ve not seen interest from before,” said Christina Endres, Indiana’s homeless education coordinator. “It’s not just the liaison who wants to know anymore. It’s the principals. It’s the administrators. It’s not something that people in Indiana can say, ‘Oh, well that’s a New York problem.’ It’s very real for them.”

Tagged with: budgetary • education • future • K-12 • society • student-related

1 Corinthians 15:20-22

On 04/19/2011, in faith, global / globalization, relationships, society, by Daniel Christian

1 Corinthians 15:20-22 (NIV)

²⁰ But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹ For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. ²² For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Tagged with: faith-wisdom • global • relationships • society

For Business, Economics, & Political Science Students/Faculty: Your mission, if you decide to accept it…

On 04/18/2011, in business, economics, legislatures / government / legal, political science, project-based learning, real-world assignments, society, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Here is an idea for a project-based learning assignment for Business, Economics, & Political Science Students/Faculty:

Your mission, if you decide to accept it, is to investigate and answer the following questions:

Can people on Wall Street affect the price of a gallon of gasoline?
If so:
- How? How could they do that?
- How much could they increase the price of a gallon of gasoline?
- When do they make their move?
- Are their any limits to what the folks on Wall Street can do?
- How much are we paying — not to the companies actually producing and selling the gas — but possibly to those who work on Wall Street? (Who is making the $$?)

Find out. That’s your assignment. Then…

Once you determine those things and IF there should be a change in our systems…what are your recommendations for change?
Who would be involved in making this change? i.e. How could the average citizen get involved to help make positive changes?

This tape will self-destruct in 30 seconds…

Tagged with: business • corporate / business world • economics/business • legislation • political science • real-world assignments • society

On track for $1 trillion: Student loan debt greater than credit card debt

On 04/13/2011, in budgets, cost of getting a degree, economics, society, student-related, by Daniel Christian

On track for $1 trillion: Student loan debt greater than credit card debt — from GOOD Education by Liz Dwyer

Last June, for the first time in history, Americans owed more on their student loans, a record $833 billion, than on their credit cards, $826.5 billion. The amount owed on student loans increases at a rate of about $2,853.88 per second, meaning we’re on track for total student debt to cross the $1 trillion mark sometime this year.

According to Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of FinAid.org and Fastweb.com, this increasing student debt has long term, macroeconomic implications for our society. He told NPR’s Marketplace that the amount of money students owe—on average, $24,000—is usually repaid over a 20-year time frame, which means

more and more students are going to still be repaying their own student loans when their children enroll in college. That may make those families less willing to borrow to pay for their children’s educations. It also means that they aren’t going to be as capable of saving for their children’s education or even for their own retirement.

…

The other insidious consequence of the debt is that students are less likely to purse nonprofit careers or work they truly enjoy.

Tagged with: budgetary • cost of getting an education • economics/business • financial aid • society • student-related • Walmart of Education

Japan crisis showcases social media’s muscle

On 04/13/2011, in global / globalization, Google, internet, social media, society, tools, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

Japan crisis showcases social media’s muscle — from USAToday.com by Steve Sternberg; my thanks to Mr. Steven Chevalia for this resource

Japan’s disaster has spotlighted the critical role that social media websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Google, YouTube and Skype increasingly are playing in responses to crises around the world. They may have been designed largely for online socializing and fun, but such sites and others have empowered people caught up in crises and others wanting to help to share vivid, unfiltered images, audio and text reports before governments or more traditional media can do so.

“Often, it’s not the experts who know something, it’s someone in the crowd,” says Sree Sreenivasan, a social media specialist at the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism.

Tagged with: global • Google • internet • Skype • social media • society • tools • web-based collaboration

Berners-Lee calls for higher purpose of Web

On 04/13/2011, in computer science, ethics, internet, leadership, legislatures / government / legal, platforms, programming, society, sociology, by Daniel Christian

Berners-Lee calls for higher purpose of Web — from cnet.com by Martin LaMonica

CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–Tim Berners-Lee, who invented the underpinnings of the World Wide Web, isn’t just concerned about getting browsers on more mobile devices. Architects of the Web need to consider how it will affect all humanity as it evolves.

…

But even as engineers hammer out the next version of HTML, they have a duty to fulfill a weighty social purpose of the Web, he said. As the way that people connect in society, the Web supports justice, government transparency, and human rights to freedom, he said.

Tagged with: computer science • ethics • internet • leadership • legislation • platforms • programming • society • sociology

Video conference project sparks meaningful learning

On 04/12/2011, in global / globalization, ideas, K-12 related, society, teachers, teaching & learning, telepresence, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

Video conference project sparks meaningful learning — from ConvergeMag.com by Tanya Roscorla

Also see:

A Taste for Telepresence — from The Journal by Dian Schaffhauser
Although high-end videoconferencing is still new to this Maryland school district, it’s a sensible next step on a well-planned path to location-free communication.

Tagged with: global • Global learning • ideas • K-12 • society • telepresence • videoconferencing • virtual field trips

Tagged with: education • K-12 • society

A hugely powerful vision: A potent addition to our learning ecosystems of the future

On 04/09/2011, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, change, colleges, convergence, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, distance education, e-books, e-readers, education, education reform, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, entrepreneurship, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, global / globalization, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), hybrid learning, immersion, informal learning, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, interaction design, interactivity, interface design, internet, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning agents, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, lifelong learning, marketplaces, mobile learning, mobile technologies, multi-touch, multimedia, new business models, new media literacies, online learning, online media, online tutoring, pace of change, personalized/customized learning, platforms, play, podcasting, professional development, reinvent, RSS, simulations, smart classrooms, social learning / networks, social media, society, storytelling, strategy, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, surviving, tablets, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, technology (general), telecommunications, telepresence, television, transmedia, trends, ubiquitous learning, universities, user experience (UX), using teams, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration, webinars, by Daniel Christian

Daniel Christian:
A Vision of Our Future Learning Ecosystems

In the near future, as the computer, the television, the telephone (and more) continues to converge, we will most likely enjoy even more powerful capabilities to conveniently create and share our content as well as participate in a global learning ecosystem — whether that be from within our homes and/or from within our schools, colleges, universities and businesses throughout the world.

We will be teachers and students at the same time — even within the same hour — with online-based learning exchanges taking place all over the virtual and physical world. Subject Matter Experts (SME’s) — in the form of online-based tutors, instructors, teachers, and professors — will be available on demand. Even more powerful/accurate/helpful learning engines will be involved behind the scenes in delivering up personalized, customized learning — available 24x7x365. Cloud-based learner profiles may enter the equation as well.

The chances for creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship that are coming will be mind-blowing! What employers will be looking for — and where they can look for it — may change as well.

What we know today as the “television” will most likely play a significant role in this learning ecosystem of the future. But it won’t be like the TV we’ve come to know. It will be much more interactive and will be aware of who is using it — and what that person is interested in learning about. Technologies/applications like Apple’s AirPlay will become more standard, allowing a person to move from device to device without missing a beat. Transmedia storytellers will thrive in this environment!

Much of the professionally done content will be created by teams of specialists, including the publishers of educational content, and the in-house teams of specialists within colleges, universities, and corporations around the globe. Perhaps consortiums of colleges/universities will each contribute some of the content — more readily accepting previous coursework that was delivered via their consortium’s membership.

An additional thought regarding higher education and K-12 and their Smart Classrooms/Spaces:
For input devices…
The “chalkboards” of the future may be transparent, or they may be on top of a drawing board-sized table or they may be tablet-based. But whatever form they take and whatever is displayed upon them, the ability to annotate will be there; with the resulting graphics saved and instantly distributed. (Eventually, we may get to voice-controlled Smart Classrooms, but we have a ways to go in that area…)

Below are some of the graphics that capture a bit of what I’m seeing in my mind…and in our futures.

Alternatively available as a PowerPoint Presentation (audio forthcoming in a future version)