I think that one of the most difficult things in writing a blog is where – or, perhaps, when – to start. After all, there is no particular logical point. So, having accepted that fact, we now begin this journey together . . . at what I hope the success of which will later determine to be, well, the logical starting point
I had the occasion today to attend the 2010 Christa McAuliffe Technology Conference, where the keynote speaker for the day was a gentleman by the name of Wes Fryer, who just happens to hail from my home state of Oklahoma. In his talk today, Wes showed a video from Karl Fisch about convergence and the changing technological world in which we live:
Later in the day, during another session, an educator lamented that much of the recent attention on technology in education has been on Web 2.0, and that little attention has been directed at teaching students the “practical” skills that they will need in the workplace, such as Microsoft Word and Excel.
The concern is certainly a valid one. So-called “Web 2.0 applications” have certainly drawn the attention of the multitudes, and the buzz over them have certainly caused us to move away from traditional applications and towards Web 2.0 applications like a flock of migratory geese. We have, in some real sense, abandoned the software applications that most larger companies still continue to use.
However, as the “Did You Know? 4.0” video clearly illustrates, the world is quickly changing. Moore’s Law has pushed us into that reality, be it by the actual force of some physical law or by our sheer willingness to believe the law into existence. The end result is a fundamental shift in the way that the world communicates, collaborates, and does business.
Perhaps the Heraclitus was spot on about change being central to the universe. For a more recent cultural reference, I’m reminded of “We Didn’t Start the Fire”:
Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have irrevocably altered the way we relate to one another. Video sharing sites like YouTube have changed our frameworks for video distribution. In a nutshell, we didn’t start the fire: the world has already and will continue to be irrevocably changed for our children. To ignore change is to, perhaps, ignore what might be the one true constant in the universe. I’m not sure that a “proper” education can exist for them without leveraging these tools. Nor am I convinced that they are well-prepared with only these tools. I am certain, though, that this is the world both in which we live and in which our children will grow up. Hires will now be determined by a Facebook search.
It’s interesting to note how proverbs change with generations. Take, for instance, “A rolling stone gathers no moss.” To an older generation, it was not good to be a rolling stone. One needed to set down roots, and doing so was impossible if you were a rolling stone. To a younger generation, however, moss is a signature sign of stagnation.
Don’t be buried under a pile of moss, because even moss undergoes change. Resistance is – just like the Star Trek Borg taught us – futile.