My Father’s Wisdom

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This week, my Dad celebrated his 85th birthday and I was so happy to have spent it with him in Seattle. We had another fabulous conversation (see my earlier blog post) about the exponential changes taking place in the information age. Born in 1926, my Dad can remember a world that is nothing like our world today. Old sayings like, “the more things change, the more they stay the same” or “there’s nothing new under the sun” may still apply to universal human situations; however, the revolutionary changes we are seeing in technology are, in my father’s words, “sometimes frightening”. Perhaps there now IS something new under the sun! Or, perhaps now- the more things change, the more they change again!

I think what impressed me most about our conversation was the wisdom in my father’s eyes. Even though times are uncertain and unlike any before, his acceptance of a higher power brings a calmness to the stormy sea of chaos.

On the flight back home, I was reading The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood. James Gleick points out that technology has caused discomfort throughout the history of communication. For example, when people began sending messages by telegraph in the 1840’s, they worried about privacy. “Compared to handwritten letters, folded and sealed with wax, the whole affair seemed public and insecure– the messages passing along those mysterious conduits, the electric wires” (Gleick, 2011, p. 145). So, both statements seem true– everything has changed yet everything seems the same. Each generation wonders what this world is coming to! We all grow into parents who worry about the future for our children.

I enjoy learning in this new age of information with all the new exciting new media formats. Yet, I also worry. My worries include entering The Shallows (next book on my list- which deals with what the Internet is doing to our brains) and investigating literature about the singularity. When I get to the scary parts, I shall remember the wisdom in my father’s eyes and his acceptance of a higher power.

Wisdom as a Precious Commodity

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“Since we are drowning in an ocean of information, the most precious commodity in modern society is wisdom” (Kaku, 2011 p. 324). Michio Kaku’s predictions for the next century, in Physics of the Future, illustrate how technology impacts all fields. The Internet now provides the opportunity for each and every one of us to share information and knowledge, but that does not guarantee wisdom. He illustrates this point with a quote from Isaac Asimov who said, “The saddest aspect of society right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.”

Kaku discusses the future of the computer, artificial intelligence, medicine, nanotechnology, energy, space travel, wealth and humanity through explanations of quantum physics and the concept of the “singularity” (a hypothetical time when a super intelligence emergences which is greater than human beings). Although Kaku predicts numerous changes in the next century which involve these areas, he believes no computer can compare with a human brain because the brain is “a complex jumble of neurons that constantly rewires itself” (p.75). At this point in history, a computer only acts intelligent based on programming human beings write. Complex programs may be written collaboratively, making a computer seem even more intelligent. But consider this question- at what point, if ever, does knowledge and intelligence add up to wisdom?

As we look for the best practices of technology integration (in any profession but particularly in libraries and education), an underlying philosophy promoting the quest for wisdom seems crucial, yet somehow undervalued by a large majority of the mainstream masses.

At a party recently, the topic of the rapid rise of Smart phones, texting, and geo-based apps was discussed. I casually mentioned that 98% of the population seems to care most about entertainment, while only 2% are on a quest for learning. A guy asked where I got those numbers and I told him that I just made them up! I have been thinking about that concept for quite awhile, ever since I became bombarded with cute photos on Facebook, updates on what people are eating for lunch and silly joke emails.

I asked a few close family members if they agreed with my idea that perhaps a very few individuals value education over entertainment. My husband said, I think your percentages may be off! I mean the average person probably wants to learn something, but not if it is going to scuff their good times!”

Kaku, M. (2011). Physics of the future how science will shape human destiny and our daily lives by the year 2100 Random House Digital, Inc.

Ripples on the Water

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Using my metaphor for information today as a “sea of chaos”, I started thinking about how rarely we get to float on calm smooth water. Within my profession (libraries and information science), the turbulent changes taking place sometimes resemble a storm at sea! I could picture myself as an old sea captain at the helm of a weather-beaten boat. But it is not only the amount of information flooding over us in waves that causes us to feel overwhelmed. Constant upgrades in our computer applications (software and hardware) add to the turmoil.

I could make a list of the most frustrating upgrade “storms” I have had to face! The hours I spent relearning Adobe Premiere when my computer crashed and I had to purchase version CS5. I am reminded of the quote by Alvin Toffler, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.”

With the goal of providing library service to others in all formats, I have become proficient in both Mac and PC platforms. Which means I have traveled the sea of chaos in different vessels!

Last week, on my PC, Windows updated automatically to Internet Explorer 9- which caused some audio problems. It took me three hours of investigation to figure out the cause. I installed and uninstalled programs, went back to an earlier browser, tried Firefox instead, and finally reset my browser to default. (If you got through that sentence you must be a geek!) When I finally got the audio to work (it was working on my computer, just not on the Internet), I felt like I had conquered the storm and pulled into port.

Remember when information was received through simple formats, like a book? Wasn’t it like floating on calm smooth water? We humans love to reminisce.

 

Old Sea Captain Statue

Old Sea Captain Statue

Hey you cyborgs, time to reflect

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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)

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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

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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

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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.

Library Treasure Boxes

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I have a collection of tiny boxes in my library. Some small wooden boxes, some made of stones or shells, a tiny lacquered fairy tale box and some nestled boxes. I don’t remember how I began collecting them- maybe because I also make origami treasure boxes with students.

treasureboxes

I put a quote on the topic of reading or books inside each box. I don’t tell students about the boxes, but quite often a student will discover them and ask about the little notes inside. I explain that the library is like a great big treasure box full of hidden treasures. I tell them they are welcome to open and read all the quotes in the boxes – but to please put them back.

The library as a treasure box may be my favorite metaphor. There are others, such as the garden (Ranganathan says the library is a living organism) which must be cultivated and weeded in order to grow and thrive.

I think what is appealing about the treasure box metaphor is that a surprise is waiting- hidden. At the door of the physical libraries of the past, the patron entered with an understanding that the highest level of understanding was somewhere nearby waiting to be discovered.

As we move toward searching online for our “information treasures”, the metaphor is dissolving. There is no physical container. There is no treasure box. There is a neverending list of hits- some relevant, some surprising- but all fluid and fleeting.

One may argue that the fixed idea (treasure of meaningful information whether fiction or nonfiction) was simply an illusion. Physical treasure boxes (and buildings) decay and disintegrate. Meaningful ideas changes and evolve. While we humans are alive, everything, both concrete and abstract, is in a state of change- being born, growing, withering, dying.

To believe in the meaning inside a treasure box is to believe in the magic of the moment.  I can remember believing in that kind of treasure as child… reading in a library.

If you can’t beat ’em…

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Join ’em! I did. With a new tech-savvy school district superintendent’s blessing, I created a Facebook account for my campus. Due to privacy and security issues, social media sites are blocked at school; however, using FB as a “page” instead of a person is now open.
Some things to consider:

Post current relevant news. (My goal is several posts a week.)
Remember to keep a list of students with parents who DO NOT want students pictures or information online.
Try to avoid trivial posts, but do post upbeat events and pictures.
Model copyright use (no music that is not royalty-free, etc.).
Remember that once you post a certain event (Students of the Month, for example), you have set a precedent! Only post what you plan to maintain.

I am sure we will all make mistakes while learning this new medium. I think it is important that whoever is the “social media” person on a campus (librarian, principal, or other interested educator) be someone who enjoys public relations and has a desire to learn about best practices of social networking.
Today, my email was cluttered with a conversation about a school district that is now banning FB because of some recent problems. Teaching students about user-generated content is new territory. Critical evaluation of who to friend and follow will most likely be a popular and important topic for those interested in education.

Forging through the forest of cyborgs

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When I finished Sherry Turkle’s disturbing new book, Alone Together, I had a strange sensation that was hard to pinpoint in terms of an emotion. We all know the Information Age has changed us. And we all agree that it doesn’t feel quite right to see people glued to their smart phones during meals, while walking down the street, or just about anywhere. Turkle says, “Mobile technology has made each of us pausible (page 186).” Our conversations are interrupted by text messages and we shrug it off without taking offense. Through many examples, she illustrates that “we seem determined to give human qualities to objects and content to treat each other as things (page 14).”

With our networked lives, we are always ON. We are led to believe that technology gives us more. But, Turkle claims, “moments of more may leave us with lives of less (page 178).” A generation of teenagers admits to be uncomfortable without their cell phones. Being connected has become the state of normalcy; yet, even though adolescents have always struggled with their sense of identity, the struggle with “online identity” has added an additional burden. One teenager points out the problem of creating a Facebook persona by saying that “it [self-revelation] loses meaning when it is broadcast as a profile (page 306).” He believes that when he reads what others post on Facebook, he is an “audience to their performance of cool.”

In Turkle’s words, the “experience of living full-time on the net” which has evolved in only a decade means that “we are all cyborgs now” (page 175).

When I closed the book (not literally- I actually turned off the e-reader), I felt this brave sensation of not giving in to fear. I pictured myself forging ahead into this new era carrying respect for the traditions of knowledge from past generations. The human spirit has been challenged by obstacles of every kind, yet there are those who continue on toward higher ideals. Will the novelty of gadgets and constant connection wear off? Will we be able to find a balance between the physical and virtual? The torch I carry through the forest of cyborgs is the idea that meaning and truth are more important that egocentric trivial matters. Those ideals have not changed and perhaps have always been overlooked by the masses.