U-Blog 2

I found an article on computerworld.com written by Mike Elgin that struck my attention with the title,"How Cell Phones Will Replace Learning". The article starts off with the question, Can you find out anything instantly with a cell phone? And the author answers, Not yet. I really like the article because it compares learning and finding out information from your cell phone,to a scene from the original Matrix (one of my favorite movies). He compared his question to the scene where Neo asks Trinity, "Can you fly that thing?, referring to a helicopter. Trinity says "Not yet". Then she takes out her cell, calls Tank (the operator) and says, " I need a pilot program for a B_212 helicopter." Tank sends the data to her phone and it downloads the knowledge to Trinity's brain. Now she knows how to fly a helicopter. Now that's a bit extreme for real life but that is where technology is going where we can use our cell phones for instant information.

The only difference between Trinity's cell phone and ours is the complexity of the information. But the idea of cell phones being the answer to questions or knowledge engine as Elgin describes it. Elgin claims every new advancement in technology is a step closer to where Trinity was in the Matrix.

Microsoft's introduced Bing 411, a competitor to GOOG-411, which is a free service that provides information through a phone call. Put Bing 411 phone number into your phone, call it. But instead of Tank answering the phone, a recorded computer voice guides you through the instructions. You can get directions, traffic conditions, the weather, movies, and can connect to any business. You can teach it where you work and live, so if you say "work" and "home" and it knows what you are referring to.

That doesn't sound to futuristic but Elgin brings up the combination smartphones, free 311 and Web 3.0 (Whatever Web 3.0 is lol). But Elgin explains Web 3.0 as basically the Internet but smarter and more human like. It will understand how facts and ideas are connected, understanding what you're looking for and take that into account. Basically cognitive computing or semantic web. I did a presentation on cognitive radio for Dr. Norris class. Cognitive when referring to electronics basically means the hardware knows what is going on, it has intelligence and can think on its on.

So basically the Internet becomes your personal assistant, adviser, informant and spy. But Web 3.0 isn't just about movies, directions, food and the weather. It's about everything. You can ask it, "who played 'Trinity' in The Matrix?"; "where should I get my car fixed". And you'll be able to make requests like "Pay my tuition with my credit card"; "Send flowers to my girl"; or "Let me know when that new Gucci hit the Web." So in the future when somebody asks you a question you will already have your cell phone in your hand ready!!

U-Blog 1

In the video blog Elliott Massie posted, he made some great points about learning. Much of what he is saying is pretty accurate. The main topic of his video is how learning changes. If done correctly learning can impact and change people and organizations. He believes that learning can be a major tool to help companies increase productivity. He says learning can help individual people and whole organizations reach their goals no matter what it is from better services, improving relationships, or increasing profits. I agree with his beliefs because from personal experience learning new things can open new doors and opportunities. New knowledge leads to more curiosity, more questions, and new innovative ideas.

Massie also believes that learning can help society on a global scale to solve social issues. If people are informed and cognitive they will will react with more intelligence in stressful situations and understand other people's perspectives. A lot of people struggle all over the world just because of a lack of knowledge. They just weren't taught or presented tons of information and there skills lack because of it.

The traditional methods of teaching are not the best methods for instruction anymore. The character of how content is learned has evolved. The content is shorter! People, organizations, and learners are asking for shorter content and faster and swifter ways to learn it. Its pressure on people to gain skills faster and attention spans are shorter so learning must be much quicker than its traditionally known to be. Advancements in technology and the introduction of web 2.0 people want more visuals and interactive tools to help them learn. People still read but not as much. The younger the generation, the shorter readings need to be. So with that said learning must be immersive. The content must be attractive drawing the learner in because the attention span of learners are much shorter than previous years.

So, the traditional methods of teaching are still used today but the roles they play have significantly shifted.