Flexknowlogy - Jared Stein » twitter

Weekly Notes for 2010-02-28

Jared Stein — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 20:49:00 +0000

Twitter posts for the week

@qadmon People I've talked to at #ITC10 loved your insights into the open course you taught. Thanks again for the interview! in reply to qadmon #
Hacked away at 5 postcards tonight for my #motleyread friends. #
@diamond_mind Sorry man, wish you'd stayed over another night for #ITC10. in reply to diamond_mind #
@fncll Where are you at? Some alien world with bizarre but pleasantly catalystic recipes? in reply to fncll #
With the possibility of snow in Fort Worth overnight, I'm risking my safety to skate these Texas streets One Last Time. #
@fncll My uncle Rock-N-Ron lives in Anchorage. in reply to fncll #
@fncll But (I meant to type) I've never had a chance to visit. Cool city? #
@fncll I probably mentioned it in a past conversation; you know, I have very little to reference re. Alaska! in reply to fncll #
@BryanAlexander Ugetsu is so brilliant–and creepy! in reply to BryanAlexander #
Because I know I won't blog about it: places I ate in Ft Worth: Risky's BBQ, Cowtown Diner, Flying Saucer, Corner Bakery, and Jakes. #
Too dark and too cold to skate safely tonight! Looking forward to some early a.m. breakfast before @nancywhite's #ITC10 keynote. #
I love the narrative approach in presentations–it's almost always captivating. Go @nancywhite! #ITC10 #
@BryanAlexander Ooh, thanks for the recommendation. I will look into it. in reply to BryanAlexander #
@jonmott Amen. in reply to jonmott #
Hi mom! #ITC10 #
To manage "through technology or through process"? (Applies to netiquette, cheating, and more.) #ITC10 #
I dig that PowerPoint Auto Tweet. #
As an undergrad a forward-thinking English lit prof complemented class discussions with threaded discussions back in 1998. #ITC10 #
"Don't invest in something so big that if it fails, it's catastrophic." @nancywhite #ITC10 (LMS, anyone?) #
I think this intermittent showing of the Twitter backchannel stirs audience attention, refocuses. #ITC10 #
Though the emphasis has been on Twitter, great that @nancywhite stll asks for spontaneous oral feedback from the audience. #ITC10 #
.@richardleslie It's an app for Windows PPT called SAP http://www.sapweb20.com/blog/powerpoint-twitter-tools/ #
Love the reminder to go kinesthetic–even if you're not a so-called kinesthetic learner. Thanks, @nancywhite #ITC10 #
Some great /and/s rather than /or/s, e.g. "perform /and/ 'on the side'" @nancywhite #ITC10 #
I want to advance the use of tools to foster deep, reflective thinking rather than quick, reactionary thinking. #ITC10 #
@fncll You'll be happy to know that @nancywhite is modeling the practice _well_. #ITC10 All these great models emerging stokes me. in reply to fncll #
"I would never /not/ show up for a walk with my friend, but when she was out of town I wouldn't walk." @nancywhite on power of social #ITC10 #
@fncll I gotta say I think the Boyd example is still important by comparison. The more models–good /and/ foul–the better! #ITC10 in reply to fncll #
Also dig @nancywhite's consistent use of yoga imagery. What a great theme for a great talk! Thanks #ITC10 #
@fncll OK, OK, I was /just/ thinking the same thing! But you know as I do, reactionary thinking can be embarrassing. It does feed the fire.. in reply to fncll #
Too much in-fighting, backstabbing, nitpicking–general negativity amongst certain people… grumble>grumble #
@busynessgirl Check out, at least, slow-blogging. And couldn't that also be the impetus for ideas of performance-based progression in K12? in reply to busynessgirl #
@cogdog Here in Ft Worth it's already around 20*F–yesterday I couldn't wear a jacket. Here's hoping my flight escapes the storm. in reply to cogdog #
Any #ITC10 folks heading out to the airport today between 4 and 5pm? #
@sleslie I'm testing Instructure out this semester with one of my online courses. in reply to sleslie #
@sleslie Yeah, I've made one post so far on an interesting feature. in reply to sleslie #
@mweisman Add another $5 for a photo op and flickr upload. #
Had one #ITC10 attendee tell me @diamond_mind and I were too hard on Bb and the LMS; another that we weren't hard enough! #
5 higher ed Q's from @jonmott: Who do we serve? What do we provide? How do we self-assess? Best way to provide? Best way to organize? #
@fncll Quote of the day, my friend, qotd. in reply to fncll #
RT @fncll Err on side of caution. There's no danger of too LITTLE LMS use and a lot of danger in how it retards Instructional Design #itc10 #
"You can only Daniel Larusso the students for so long." @opencontent #byu2sigma #
@kylemathews Grab me a couple stickers! in reply to kylemathews #
Persisting question: is Bloom's 2 sigma problem/challenge still critical, or is it futile? #byu2sigma #
Persisting q2: has tech morphed and culture changed so radically that we have to discard/rethink our perspectives on learning? #byu2sigma #
@kenwoodward Because you know I'm going to ask you to brainstorm html template changes with me. in reply to kenwoodward #
@opencontent If we had no designated parties, would that help? Or hurt? in reply to opencontent #
@jonmott Surprised at the limits of some of the choices. No libertarian or socialist options for politics? in reply to jonmott #
I scored 63/100 on the Pew Research Center How Millennial Are You? Quiz http://pewresearch.org/millennials/quiz #
Debriefing after simulations accentuates learning through reflection as objectives are solidified. #iptseminar #
@jonmott Me? I just made up the answers and looked confident… in reply to jonmott #
@sleslie Thanks for posting this; it makes me feel like my day is not so confused after all… in reply to sleslie #
RT @sleslie this is really funny, sort of like the Abbott & Costello of Ontology http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2ujpzdeolA #
2nd semester in a row where I've been asked to take over a class for another instructor mid-semester. #
@fncll Sounds like my kinda day! If you're unlucky, you'll be back to strike mode by 10pm. in reply to fncll #
@mikhailg That's actually what got me into the Pixies in college (that and a fanatic girlfriend). in reply to mikhailg #
I thought I misheard NPR referring to Charles Dodgson as "Arthur". Guess not: http://bit.ly/dc5hvd #
@davecormier Hey, I /wish/ my French was anywhere near as good as yours. in reply to davecormier #
RT @ttix Don't forget: #TTIX 2010 call for proposals is now open at http://ttix.org TTIX 2010 runs June 9-11 in Salt Lake City. #
With no other classes to take this Spring, looks like I've got to bite the bullet and get into remedial stats. #
@diamond_mind I still don't think I'd make The Dude's team. in reply to diamond_mind #
Watching $JST like a hawk… (didn't realize $ was for stocks!) #
Working in an old PHP/MySQL system that I'd built (probably 10 yrs ago). It's not good, but it still works. #
IRS sent me a letter saying I made an error on my return by refusing a govmt handout. Deposited it in my account anyway. #
Fridays always end up a gruesome battle against the Dark Reinforcement Troops of Email. #
Jumping in as teacher for someone else's course mid-stream is chaotic, but forces me to consider weird ways to assess. #
Hard to admit it, but @kenwoodward and I spent an hour going in circles over a basic misunderstanding of SRC. #

Weekly Notes for 2010-02-21

Jared Stein — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:49:00 +0000

Twitter posts for the week

@fncll Lenovo is infamous for that. But I love my Lenovos. in reply to fncll #
Grabbing music clips for pres segment interludes: Man? or Astroman, The Lillingtons, Groovie Ghoulies, etc. #
@mikhailg Yeah, it's a security "feature". You can get a number of different plug-ins to "fix" this. in reply to mikhailg #
Ugh! Couldn't get Audacity to find stereo mix in Ubuntu. Rebooted into Windows (sorry for the delay, @qadmon) #
Thanks again, @qadmon, for the interview. The last puzzle piece for my #ITC10 pres, and it fits perfectly! #
@mikhailg Love Memento as a selection in this genre. in reply to mikhailg #
Just creating mind-destroying audio file. NOT for your listening pleasure. #ITC10 #
Big Thanks to @dlwalker for Late Night Learning LIVE announcer voice work #ITC10 #
@barrydahl Hey, that happened to me today, too! in reply to barrydahl #
Oh Prezi you did NOT just undo all my work then crash. #
I guess 160 pathed images is just too much for Prezi. #
Funny, my phony keynote intro script actually sounds pretty good. #
@johnhiltoniii Hey, it's DOCTOR Hilton! in reply to johnhiltoniii #
Cutting a final 2 minutes of an interview. It's painful to leave out good stuff. #
@diamond_mind Did that last msg mean you are offering crack to your taskmaster? If so, that's sorta like a bribe… I prefer cash in reply to diamond_mind #
RT @courosa Regular DVD vs. pirated DVD http://i.imgur.com/GxzeV.jpg #
One last edit of interview with @jonmott for #ITC10 As they say, when you want something done right… #
FT instructional designer position now open in my unit at UVU: http://www.uvu.jobs/applicants/Central?quickFind=54932 #
Marc and I strolled through the Fort Worth Library tonight. That's like no library I've been to. #ITC10 #
Now someone slap me with a killer joke about opencourseware before I fall asleep! #
Good skating in Fort Worth. Breakfast at Corner Bakery chain. #ITC10 #
Irfan Mithani 4 President. #
@barrydahl @diamond_mind and I are going to print our note cards and grab some lunch. Ready to rehearse whenever room is open. #
Good times @ #ITC10; warm reception for Late Night Learning LIVE. Fab skating downtown, then hanging out with @jimgroom, @busynessgirl et al #
@NancyWhite I finally can take a breath and send out some #motleyread postcards. I have a dozen that need to be written and mailed. in reply to NancyWhite #
@fncll You're there in spirit, though we cut my Descartes bit that was inspired by your #TTIX talk. in reply to fncll #
Before I forget, a big Texas thanks to @jonmott, @jimgroom, @twoodwar, and @qadmon for really making the substance of our #ITC10 pres. #
At #ITC10 @jimgroom takes the stage. It's an early a.m. sermon; hope the congregation is alert. #
Listening in on their conversation explains why there's only one other person sitting at @diamond_mind and @johnkrutsch's table… #ITC10 #
"In the beginning… we had centralized IT….on the 4th day, the LMS" –@jimgroom #ITC10 #
Oh man, STEAMROLLED by an impromptu choir of @jimgroom fans! #ITC10 #
It's true: academia is pretty arrogant if we think students come to us for their identity. #
"We don't need an institution; we just need a website" (@jimgroom re. http://www.khanacademy.org/) #ITC10 #
We need more great Wikipedia class projects, more people modeling what's possible. #ITC10 #
Glad @jimgroom's explaining the feed syndication/aggregation method–lots of people still don't fully understand the power of FEED #ITC10 #
"When you do things on the open web, a certain number of things happen that you can't predict." @jimgroom #ITC10 #
"Open by default…really makes a big difference in how faculty understand their work" @jimgroom #
Funny: @jimgroom talking about dept's running a blog–at #UVU IT was pretty scared of WPMU for this reason, replacing campus CMS. #ITC10 #
Yeah, @jimgroom and I both wonder why it seems to be that students (w/out blogs) choose the institutional blog over options on the open web. #
@twoodwar You /were/ here! Everyone loved your part! But yeah, looking forward to meeting in person some time. in reply to twoodwar #
You know it's a good keynote when you're inspired to escape the session–just to start working on the stuff @jimgroom's talking about #ITC10 #
"That we have a direct impact on our community … is a key part of being an institution" @jimgroom #ITC10 #
"A domain of one's own" re. personal web sites to revitalize, /reclaim/ one's own liberty. Go, @jimgroom, go! #
Right! One of the best things about a system like UMW Blogs it showcases and it /features/ teacher, student work. #ITC10 #
Part of what makes @jimgroom an engaging presenter is he doesn't rely on notes (like I do)–it just flows out like body heat! #
"Twitter is great for visualizing the network." @jimgroom #ITC10 #
@busynessgirl Yes. But hopefully it's a transmittable disease. in reply to busynessgirl #
The UMW Literary Jounals course is fascinating–one of the few instances of an English dept. linking academics to outworld work. #ITC10 #
@mikhailg How could @jimgroom be on stage AND be overseeing his vast empire of the Internet at the same time? in reply to mikhailg #
@jimgroom Great job at #ITC10–fascinating content, enlightening insights, engaging presence. #

Weekly notes through 2010-01-31

Jared Stein — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:49:00 +0000

Twitter posts for the week

@diamond_mind @mikhailg Second that. in reply to diamond_mind #
I've been reading "The Hobbit" to my son for the past week; his interest grows each night. I'm hoping he'll illustrate his favorite scenes. #
Call for proposals now open for 2010's Teaching with Technology Idea Exchange (TTIX) in SLC, UT June 9-11: http://ttix.org/ttix-propose.php #
I can imagine @jimgroom doing a mean impersonation of Mojo Nixon. #
@michaelcjohnson Your notes are better than those on the whiteboard (for folks like me who came in late)! #
"Netbooks will be the next Trapper Keeper." — @fncll http://chrislott.org/story/responding-to-a-few-education-predictions-braddo/ #
Anyone use a RSVP reading app on their browser or mobile device? #
@fncll You forgot to add: "plz RT" in reply to fncll #
@jonmott With empirical evidence! (Got any?) in reply to jonmott #
RT @grantpotter The Apple Tablet emerges … http://bit.ly/90BoWi — I gotta say, that's a slick looking device. #
@jonmott Really? I'd be happy even with just a survey of users… in reply to jonmott #
@tom4cam My prediction: No SD slot ever. in reply to tom4cam #
Wow. After what I thought was a lively half-hour phone interview with a Chronicle reporter, the one quote used is a self-deprecating one. #
@fncll That quote was from an off-topic discussion, even. Not a word on the meat of the matter… Guess I'll keep responses to 140 char in reply to fncll #
@fncll Makes one wonder why one invests time and energy in that crap. From hereon out I'll politely decline. in reply to fncll #
@fncll I suppose if one keeps rolling the dice, even a 20d, one'll score a critical hit eventually… in reply to fncll #
@fncll One does what one can. in reply to fncll #
Loading up another disc of Peter Gunn, cause the brain is too fried for La passion de Jeanne d'Arc. #
New Tindersticks album is out today: http://www.fallingdownamountain.com/ #
(Zombie) Dwarfs in Space: Colonization, "Phantasm" and Transhumanism http://bit.ly/9T06WZ #
More paper edits for #ITC10 pres. I hate this part, but love seeing decreasingly rough cuts… #
OH @kenwoodward "Should we guess what she wants or should we ask her?" #
I've cut 28 minutes of interview down to 12. Now to cut below ten. It's like amputating perfectly good limbs. #
@courosa Any live feed of that session? Based on @craft184's tweets, this baits my curiosity… in reply to courosa #
@courosa QUOI!!! OK, I'm switching to a Mac. in reply to courosa #
Leaving another inaudible #educon Elluminate session. I think one person's registration fee would cover the price of decent mics… #
1 set of projects scored; 1 letter written to a friend; finances in order; time for a late Saturday brunch with my son. #

Defining “Creepy Treehouse”

Jared Stein — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 21:33:56 +0000

This article is an attempt to objectively define the phrase “creepy treehouse” as coined by Chris Lott, and in current usage by ed tech folks such as Scott Leslie, Marc Hugentobler, John Krutsch, and others. I plan to follow up with a post on my perspective on CTH in the field of educational technology.

creepy treehouse

see also creepy treehouse effect

n. A place, physical or virtual (e.g. online), built by adults with the intention of luring in kids.

Example: “Kids … can see a [creepy treehouse] a mile away and generally do a good job in avoiding them.” John Krutsch in Are You Building a Creepy Treehouse?”

n. Any institutionally-created, operated, or controlled environment in which participants are lured in either by mimicking pre-existing open or naturally formed environments, or by force, through a system of punishments or rewards.

Such institutional environments are often seen as more artificial in their construction and usage, and typically compete with pre-existing systems, environments, or applications. creepy treehouses also have an aspect of closed-ness, where activity within is hidden from the outside world, and may not be easily transferred from the environment by the participants.

n. Any system or environment that repulses a target user due to it’s closeness to or representation of an oppressive or overbearing institution.

n. A situation in which an authority figure or an institutional power forces those below him/her into social or quasi-social situations.

With respect to education, Utah Valley University student Tyrel Kelsey describes, “creepy treehouse is what a professor can create by requiring his students to interact with him on a medium other than the class room tools. [E.g.] requiring students to follow him/her on peer networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook.”

adj. Repulsiveness arising from institutional mimicry or emulation of pre-existing community-driven environments or systems.

Example: “Blackboard Sync is soooo creepy treehouse.” Marc Hugentobler

In the field of educational technology a creepy treehouse is an institutionally controlled technology/tool that emulates or mimics pre-existing technologies or tools that may already be in use by the learners, or by learners’ peer groups. Though such systems may be seen as innovative or problem-solving to the institution, they may repulse some users who see them as infringement on the sanctity of their peer groups, or as having the potential for institutional violations of their privacy, liberty, ownership, or creativity. Some users may simply object to the influence of the institution.

I’ve been observing this phenomena increasingly, as instructors push down hot Web 2.0 technologies, while students push back with vocal objections or passive resistance. I call this the creepy treehouse effect.

More directly, any move to integrate or aggregate new institutional tools or systems with pre-existing tools or systems already embraced by the community may be seen as creepy treehouse, in as much as it may be construed as institutional infringement upon the social or professional community of it’s participants.

For example, the Blackboard family of learning management system products are often seen as creepy treehouses, as they provide e-learning tools in a very rigid, closed environment that is institutionally controlled in an attempt to “engage” students through technological novelty or mimicry of existing Web-based tools for social engagement. Increasingly, learning management systems are incorporating what educators assess as being potentially valuable learning tools such as blogs, wikis, social bookmarking, instant messaging, etc., not recognizing that these tools may be seen as artificial, meaningless, tiresome, temporary, or simply another aspect of The Man by the institution’s target participant group: the students.

At the same time, other LMS tools that are more exclusively related to the traditional activity of teaching (e.g. gradebooks, online quizzing, material posting, etc) are not viewed as inherently creepy treehouse. Tyrel Kelsey suggests:

Students reject creepy treehouses for one reason: they are creepy. I think a better approach to education is the idea of a Personal Learning Environment (PLE) … which [students] can invite the professor into when they feel comfortable doing so.

In Students should build their own tree house

Creepy treehouses are not limited to the realm of education or educational technology. In the computer software environment, for instance, Microsoft Office Live is likely to be judged as creepy treehouse relative to Google Docs & Spreadsheets and Zoho, not due entirely to it’s competitiveness or the relative similarities of the products, but more to the origination of the software: Microsoft is often seen as a controlling, soulless, self-centered institution, whereas Zoho and Google are seen as not only preceding Microsoft Live, but also open, user-centered, community-driven, or alternative.

Opinions in the community as to the creepy treehouse-ness of a given system or environment may vary greatly due to the subjectiveness of individual experiences. I expect that newly introduced tools, systems, or environments are more likely to be suspect and labeled “creepy treehouse”, though over time such systems may prove to have more salient long-term value to the community than anticipated.

TweetClouds.com is Getting Press

Jared Stein — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 16:43:38 +0000

There is a not-too-surprising amount of buzz surrounding John Krutsch’s TweetClouds.com script. I’m proud to be playing a relatively minor role in this project, and so here are a few links to this week’s articles on TweetClouds:

This is great press, and encourages me to come up with additional funding for a stronger server.

Update: more postings and articles:

Twitter as a Tool of Cognitive Apprenticeship?

Jared Stein — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:06:00 +0000

Twitter is a microblogging|instant messaging|social networking tool that asks users “What are you doing?” By selecting folks to “follow” you can find out what they are “doing” any time they deem it worthy to post a (140 character or less) “update”.

As I was wrestling with the privacy of my own Twitter account yesterday I found that marking one’s updates as private did not prevent those whom I follow from following me.

My frustration prompted me to think about if and why I would want to follow people whom I wouldn’t necessarily want to follow me. I looked at my list of followers, which is more than double my list of following, and I had a tiny epiphany: there are some whom I follow not for social reasons, but for professional reasons. I want to know what they are talking about. I want to know what they are thinking about. I want to know what they, as experts in their field, are doing.

Based on that knowing I can reshape my behavior to emulate the practices of the experts.

Of course, in the best case scenario, one gets only infrequent updates that are related to one’s fields of interest, but when they do come it can be affirming, when it matches one’s own practice, or correcting, when it exceeds or is more complete than one’s own practice. I’ve begun to monitor my incoming updates more carefully for this small realization.

I’ve begun monitoring my own reaction to the updates of those who I am curious about or interested in, and I have reflected on some my reactions that have been positive.

Examples:

ddraper, an edtech guy from right here in Utah, projects constant enthusiasm and energy for his work and his field. Coupled with his zealous blogging (I swear, he averages 4 blog entries a day!) ddraper keeps me alert and on my toes. If I see another blog post from him, I’ll have to conclude that he in fact just an AI script on a Mac.
johnkrutsch, skydiamond, sleslie, diamond_mind, brlamb, and others are often posting up new or obscured technology, or commentary thereon. The big payoff for me of course is finding an application for it in edtech that I hadn’t thought about before. Or getting inspiration for new ideas that help push me forward. Or making new contacts by referral (I added this in because right after posting this entry I got an update referring me to someone I’d never heard of who is “thinking along similar lines”). Twitterers that provide this kind of relevant news or information are like mini-blog, but more without all those words and symbols surrounding the good stuff.
While zeldman’s updates are primarily concerned with the mundane, when he comments on his involvment in Web design and development, from consulting to speaking to just working with publishers and clients, his presence exudes expertise; one can gain bits of web professional wisdom from these glimpses into his daily life.
fncll for me reflects the on-going saga of an edtech trapped in an artist’s body (or is it an artist trapped in an edtech’s body). His updates are (probably unconsciously) balanced between those that look to the cutting edge of educational technology, and those that reflect on the world around us from behind an artist’s lens. That’s food for the soul; that’s what keeps us going.

These examples suggest that there is some real learning potential for the cognitive apprentice in following experts or even colleagues on Twitter. But if you look at my actual update history the “good stuff” illustrated in these examples is frankly few and far between. At any rate, at best my argument could only conclude by suggesting that following encourages continual practice, inspires new ideas, and fosters currency.

Yet I want it to extend further. I wondered how I might apply this idea of cognitive apprenticeshop via Twitter to my Web design students. Having taught Web design for many years I am convinced that in addition to needing all those good basics of visual design theory, accessibility, usability, and of course XHTML and CSS my students really need to embed themselves in the community of web designers. They need to watch and observe the experts as they work, and unless there’s some secret hotbed of constant chatter focused on Web design and development I think Twitter will fall short for this particular audience of learners (beginner to intermediate).

Certainly the social aspects of professional practice can be fostered through Twitter (what those exactly are and how they could be measured I can’t say), though I wouldn’t encourage them to start sending direct messages to folks they’ve never met. And it’s possible that some of the question and answer type stuff could be accomodated by Twitter. It may be that simply through Twitter-mediated contact with their peers–primarily within class or within the program–they can stay motivated and learn together. They’ll have similar questions, they’ll be able to swap war stories, they can share new information, contacts, and even jobs.

I am optimistic that the “stickiness” of Twitter (or the addictiveness, as Kathy Sierra argues) may sustain a community of peers, whereas forced, in-class, creepy-treehouse style social networking usually fails. If students carry on with Twitter as their skills develop, as they graduate from the program, and as they gain experience and greater proficiency in their professions, the community that was germinated in Twitter may end up containing the very luminaries, experts, and professional colleagues that Twitterers like myself so appreciate following daily.