Monthly Archives: June 2011

Hey you cyborgs, time to reflect

Posted on by

I continue to come across the idea of cyborg anthropology and the fact the we are all now cyborgs, whether we realize it or not. Our technological tools have become an extension of ourselves. We each have two selves- a physical self and a digital self. Anthropologist Amber Case’s Ted Talk is a gentle (or perhaps abrupt but well worth watching to the end) reminder of the importance of reflection in our lives. Some of my best moments of reflection have taken place while hiking, particularly on a trail in some beautiful place (like Big Bend National Park or the Olympic National Rain Forest). After you get into the zone of relaxation…simply placing one foot in front of the other as you continuously inhale and exhale…you sometimes glimpse beyond yourself into infinity. How often do we get to do that as we multi-task, follow, tweet, post, and check our electronic gadgets in between responsibilities?

I am going to take some time to today to reflect and just breathe.

My ALA 2011 PLC (professional learning community)

Posted on by

You just can’t survive in the information age without a personal learning network. You may not have identified yours by that nomenclature (love that word), but I bet you have a PLN. Yours most likely includes someone younger than yourself, such as your children, grandchildren or a student. If you get stuck with a new technology term, you can certainly google it, but it helps to have someone with personal experience who can show you the ropes or tell you why you might want to give that trend (social networking, mobile app, augmented reality app, or cloud computing site) a try.

As a professional, you may also need a PLC (professional learning community) because none of us can learn in isolation any more…maybe we never could. In the past, however, the idea of entering a library and surrounding ourselves in knowledge that we might somehow attain through reading (or osmosis) was common. Today, it is much easier to admit what may have always been true- the more we learn – the more we realize what we do not know.

Tips for choosing your PLC:
1. Think about your own personal passion and try to incorporate that in your learning. I really enjoy storytelling and videoediting (digital storytelling), so machinima was a logical choice to learn. I shared an example at my Virtual Texas presentation for YALSA.
2. Remember- you can’t do everything! You can, however, do ANYTHING. Anything that you set your mind to, you can learn. All it takes is motivation and a good teacher, PLN, or PLC.
3. Be a team player. I think it is ok to be your own biggest fan (secretly hehe) but there is no need to constantly put yourself in the limelight. We learn in collaboration with others and we should acknowledge them and give them credit.

My top ALA 2011 PLC individuals:
It was difficult to decide who to see and hear, but following the blogs and tweets of these individuals helped. I know there were probably tons of great sessions that I missed, but I learned so much from these great library gurus!
First, I heard Buffy Hamilton describe her award winning library project at the Future of Libraries: Cutting-edge Services session. I could barely keep up with all the awesome ideas she shared! I have followed her on twitter, as well as on her blog, and it was super to see her in person. This dynamo was full of contagious enthusiasm. Her high school library programs won the ALA OITP cutting edge technology award.

Next, I was blown away by the Why Transliteracy panel. I’ve been following the Libraries and Transliteracy blog for some time and seeing these fabulous (and hip!) librarians, from a variety of library types, discuss the changes we are undergoing today was exactly what I hoped to hear. The four speakers didn’t tell us they had all the answers! But they are absolutely asking the right questions. The term transliteracy is fairly new and I appreciated the way it was explained. (They were even open to criticism of the word and willing to change it for a better one – if it comes along!)

And last, but definitely NOT least, I got myself up early in the morning (after roaming Bourbon Street in the French Quarter the night before- no kidding!) to hear Joe Murphy. Mobile apps and location-based communication are rapidly-expanding trends. What I liked most about Joe Murphy’s presentation was that he practiced what he preached! This was no typical slideshow. It was SO audio-visual and in real time. I was downloading the “color” app and interacting with other members of the audience, taking pictures, and trying to keep up with his presentation at the same time. He threw in quotes, music, and real life moments (Marvin Gaye lyrics that amplified the meaning of his point). Joe Murphy (@libraryfuture) is not just talking about the changes in our culture, he is immersing himself in them as an academic.

Whew! One can only intake SO much information before reaching that feeling of “overload.” I am a bit proud of myself for my wise choices this year because these speakers (all part of my personal learning community) inspired me to continue on my quest for learning the best practices of librarianship in the information age.

Graduation in a Virtual World

Posted on by

My virtual world graduation from the University of Washington 2010 was just as real as can be. I documented the milestone with a mixed reality machinima. A year later, at the UW Virtual World Graduation for the Class of 2011, I once again recorded machinima shots. As I was recording, the speaker for the graduation class mentioned me by name and it became clear to me how virtual worlds cross time and space. The speaker (Stylianos), who lives halfway around the world in Greece, had been influenced by my machinima the year before! Through watching my Youtube video (then contacting me), he was intrigued with the UW virtual worlds course. He signed up for the intense coursework, even though it meant staying up all night once a week or getting up well before dawn.

The idea that I most want to express here is the revolutionary concept of meeting those with similar ideas and goals across time and space. Never before in our human history has this been possible. Chance encounters ruled our destinies in the past. Wait…chance encounters may still rule. Opportunities are always at the door and that has always been true. The ability to open our eyes to the possibilities is the significant factor.

I wrote a poem once about the seasons… and here’s a line that fits:

Over and over again
The seasons arrive at your door
Open your eyes and you’ll see
What you’ve never seen before.

My father’s intelligence is not artificial

Posted on by

My father is a member of the greatest generation and I have always known him to be a man of high intelligence and integrity. When my Dad said he would do something, you could consider it done. He’s now in his 80’s and one of my favorite mental pictures of him is sitting in his chair working crossword puzzles. He’s a champ at crosswords! I suppose those mental challenges have helped keep his intelligence keen and sharp.

My Dad has followed my journey into technological advancement with interest and I have seen a spark in his eyes as he contemplates how rapidly technology has revolutionized our world. He mastered computer basics easily and uses email and digital photos. Without jumping to conclusions or refusing to consider the possibilities, he even embraced my stories of virtual world tours and presentations.

Recently, in a conversation about search engines and user-generated content (such as wikipedia), he paused for several minutes. I could see in his expression that he was considering future possibilities of artificial intelligence and nano-technology. Then my Dad spoke. “I suppose, before long, people will not need to think.”

We both looked at each other and understood something about the human mind. Something about the joy of discovery…the creative genius of figuring something out on our own, using our own brain. Having every answer at our fingertips may rob of us that joy. Completing a crossword puzzle with the help of google defeats the purpose.

All my life, I have heard that man was created in God’s image. If God is the great Creator, he made us as tiny creators who enjoy thinking and learning, discovering and producing art, story, music, inventions, and everything else we can come up with. The joy that exudes from the soul can never be artificially recreated. I am in awe of my father’s intelligence.