I’m reading Everett M. Roger’s book Diffusion of Innovations, a book about the how and why of changing people’s minds. I just read a passage that talks about the categories of people who adopt a new idea – you may know the categories already:
Innovators
Early Adopters
Early Majority
Late Majority
Laggards
(the “Majority” categories are often called “Late Adopters”)
I consider myself an Innovator in many areas, and an Early Adopter in most others. Usually money is the thing that holds me back The interesting thing is that I always pounded my head against a wall when I found the best new way to do something yet no one would listen… but according to Rogers, the Majority and the Laggards (people who only change when they have no other choice) don’t respect innovators. They respect Early Adopters who have waited until they see an idea flourish that seems like its working. Innovators, however, seem too much like people that try things that are off the wall.
So I’m thinking: do we tell the majority “hey – you should see what other people are doing”? It seems like a white lie that will get change on its way.
Of course… Rogers also says that the Majority will only change once they see others using a new idea or method. Oh well… I guess there’s no changing everyone
Here’s a passage from reading I was assigned in my “Management of Technological Change” class at Philadelphia University. I can honestly say this has been the most engaging and rewarding class I’ve taken at PhilaU.
From Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology
Robert Reiser and John Dempsey
An acquaintance of ours shared a story of a vacation trip that she took with her young daughter to a historical settlement such as Williamsburg, where past technologies are actively recreated. The mother spent the day explaining to the child the different functions of the various tools and furnishings in the aged buildings. We imagine the conversation went something like this:
“What’s this place, Mother?”
“Well, this is bakery, dear. Where they made bread.”
Entering another building, the girl asked, “What did they do here, Mother?”
“Well here is where they used this big spinning wheel to make clothes.”
Their tour progressed in a similar fashion until they came to a place where the technology seemed very familiar to the suddenly excited child. “I know what this is, Mother,” she cried out with absolute assurance. “This is a school! It’s set up just like my classroom!”
As the story suggests, education (or training) has for years been the most conservative of fields. Our use of technology has largely been pedestrian, isolated, and uninspired.
I think about this as I see pictures of an elementary classroom recently posted to a colleagues blog. Perhaps the only difference is that the chairs in her classroom were primary colors…
“Viacom’s copyright battle with YouTube took an interesting turn this week, as the company has found itself in the embarrassing position of having highlighted the possibly that it committed a … copyright infringement of its own. Viacom effectively pointed the finger at itself when the company tried to get a Web Junk 2.0 clip removed from YouTube, only to end up exposing the fact that Viacom’s VH1 unit had not obtained permission to use the source video that is featured in the clip.”
Not only that, but it looks as if the entire Web Junk 2.0 series violates copyright because it takes clips from YouTube without permission of the original video owners or of Google, Inc., the owners of YouTube. Hey Viacom: take down yourself!
I plan on using this example in my class as I talk about copyright with students to highlight just why copyright is so confusing and why it really needs to be understood by them.
I was inspired by the YouTube video that Jim Gates linked last week (fantastic 27 minutes – got me teared up). I found another video in the “Related” section – I’m sure you’ve heard the story about a teacher, asked by a guest at a dinner party, “What do you make”… and the setup for a conversation…
Well, here’s a clip from a Toastmaster’s convention. It has the word @$$ in it, and he flips a certain finger, but it is classic, just not safe for work (nsfw).
So I just spent 10 minutes reading Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales in the original… not just in Olde English, but from an 1896 elluminated text… most wonderful:
Brings back fond memories of reading old texts in my undergrad days (B.A. English). Enjoy!
So there is this great story… months ago but still fantastic – and I saw Best Buy had this same idea at NECC:
Dance Dance Revolution being used in gym class. And Joystiq.com reports that West Virginia schools all over the state are going to purchase PS3s and Dance Dance Revolution games for all the gym programs.
Great story today on NPR’s All Things Considered about what inspired teachers do during their Summer break. One woman in particular, Melinda Ross from Moss Point High, Moss Point, Mississippi, is working on becoming an Intel Master Teacher – and she went to NECC this year:
“I love to learn… and I guess that’s why I consider myself a good teacher.” (Ross)
Or can you? Did you know that the father of video games escaped from Nazi Germany? Jewish, his family whisked out of Germany just before Kristallnacht.
Or how about the fact that the first video game was NOT pong!
You can TOO learn something – even about world history – from computer games. Or at least as you have your students conduct research on an INTERESTING subject that ENGAGES THEM!
So I’ve been really loving Mashuptown Radio. On the website (with a nice RSS feed, btw), you’ll catch DJs’ versions of mashed up mp3s. My favorite download (don’t tell) is called “Toxic Love Shack”. I’m a B52’s fan.. not so much a Britney fan… but take the back beat and the synth, nix Britney’s voice and add it to “Love Shack” and you have a fantastic mix.
Immediately upon showing my students this website they opened Audacity and tried to make their own!
If you’re a Adam Curry fan (the Podfather), then I’m not telling you anything new
Note: as per copyright, you should buy BOTH songs that are mixed (or all of them if there are more than two mixed) if you plan to keep the music. No creative commons here
