Second Life: A Disruptive Technology

Christensen, author of
The Innovators Dilemma

Clayton M. Christensen coined the phrase disruptive technology in his 1997 book The Innovator’s Dilemma.  The term disruptive technology refers to a technology that "the process by which a product or service takes root initially in simple applications at the bottom of a market and then relentlessly moves ‘up market’, eventually displacing established competitors" ("Clayton Christensen," 2009).  It is important to recognize with disruptive technologies that it is not the technology itself that makes it disruptive, but rather the impact that it has that makes it a disruptive technology.  PC World listed the ten most disruptive technologies as of 2008 as: entertainment on demand, inexpensive digital camcorders and YouTube, open source software, MP3 files, blogs, inexpensive portable file storage, cloud computing with mobile devices, high speed wireless internet, the Internet, and smart phones.  It is critical to understand that just because the word disruptive has a negative connotation, disruptive technologies do not have a negative impact.  A disruptive technology simply shifts how we do a task, or interact with media. 

Second Life is a virtual world filled that is populated and created by its users, and was created in 2003 by Linden Lab.  Second Life allows users to create a virtual character that interacts in a virtual world.  The founder of Lotus 1-2-3, Mitch Kapor stated “Second Life is a disruptive technology on the level of the personal computer or the internet” (As quoted by Nuthall, 2008).  The reason why people are claiming that Second Life has such potential at being a disruptive technology is that it radically shifts how and where people can interact socially.

Second Life replaces that traditional environment for people to interact in.  Through the Second Life world people can attend classes, meetings, stores, and parties.  Now people from all over the globe can get together in a virtual environment to interact.  In a 2008 TED Talk, Philip Rosedale (founder of Second Life) summarized the popularity of Second Life with two aspects: it is a new way to socially interact with information, and since it is a virtual world with images language becomes less of a barrier. 

There seems to be a lot of hype about Second Life in the technology world, but in the real world Second Life does not seem that popular.  Personally, I know very few people who have heard of Second Life, never mind use it on a regular basis.  It is going to take a many years before Second Life is a fully adopted technology.  Once Second Life is a fully adopted technology it is at this point that a new technology could be developed that disrupts Second Life. 

In the academic world Second Life has the potential to offer courses to students who live in rural areas with limited academic offerings.  With deep budget cuts affecting academic offerings at many high schools across the country Second Life is an inexpensive option for students to take a larger variety of courses.   

Enjoy ~SJ

Wish Books to Wish Lists!

The Sears and Roebuck company began as a mail order catalog in 1888.  Since at that time people bought must of their goods from the local general store they were required to pay inflated prices.  Sears and Roebuck were able to offer lower prices through their mail order catalog which featured farm supplies, toys, sewing machines, cars, houses, and just about anything that a person could need.  This business expanded until 1993 when it stopped producing its large catalog.  Today it prints fewer and smaller catalogs due to the interest in online shopping.

The Sears and Roebuck catalog and transitions to online shopping is an example of what Dr. Thornburg described as a Rhyme of History.  Someone once said that "The future will be like the past, only with cooler toys."  Although new technologies are invented, these new technologies allow us to go tasks that we used to do, but easier.  One example that Dr. Thornburg used in his Rhymes of History vodcast was social networking.  Social networking is a rhyme of history because it brings back the concept of a watering hole.  The watering hole was a place in a community used by people to not only gather water, but to also exchange news and stories.  Social networking sites hold the same purpose today, they allow people to share news and stories in the digital age.

Online shopping at mega stores such as Amazon.com allow people to accomplish the same task as the Sears and Roebuck catalog did.  People can log onto Amazon and browse until their hearts are content.  They can read about an endless variety of items, read descriptions as well as reviews from customers.  Once a customer finds an item that they are interested in they can either place it in their virtual cart, or my personal favorite place it on your wish list.  Placing something on your wish list is the same as turning the corner down on a page that has an item you are interested in.

It isn't that the idea of dream shopping has died with the lack of print catalogs, it is simply the way that people interact with the catalog has changed.  Gone is the thrill of receiving the Sears catalog in the mail, instead we receive email updates on family members growing wishlists!

As a side note, according to a Boston Globe article if you are interested in viewing all of the Sears catalog pages since 1896 they can be viewed at ancestry.com 

Enjoy ~SJ 

The Reality of Virtual Reality

Early flight simulato

Virtual reality (VR) has advanced dramatically since the days of flight simulators used by the military.  VR is currently available in three different types: by placing a helmet over your head to experience a 3-d reality, BOOM - binocular omni-oriented monitor, and a VR theater that the user moves through.   

Below is my tetrad on virtual reality.

Looking at a technology through the lens of McLuhan’s tetrad lens allows me to understand where a technology came from and where it was headed. By understanding this one technology it allows you to see how it fits into the history of other technologies like it. New technologies are created because there is a need for them. By looking at technologies through the tetrad lens it becomes more apparent what the technology needs of society are.

By understanding this four areas of McLuhan’s tetrad then it can aid in technology decisions in the future. If the technology does not make another technology obsolete then it may not be a wise technology to invest in. If a technology does not enhance a technology already available, then it may not be wise to invest in. If the technology does not enhance old ideas, then it may not be wise to invest in. Lastly, if it does not set the stage for future technology, then it may not be a wise investment.

Enjoy ~SJ

You Twit Face!

 No, it isn't the lasted slang word from urban dictionary floating around the halls of your local high school.  YouTwitFace is the result of a joke at a dinner party reaching the mouth of Conan O'Brian and then going viral in the summer of 2009.  YouTwitFace will be a website where all of the great aspects of YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook are all rolled into one website.  According to Conan in the year 3000 these three webistes will combine to create one giant time wasting website known as YouTwitFace. 

There is no question that YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook are three of the largest wasters of employees time.  The question is, what is it about these three websites that people enjoy so much?  The ability to watch entertaining short videos?  The ability to follow friends and celebrities in 140 characters or less?  The ability to update the entire world on the fact that you are wasting your employers time while tending your virtual farm?  Yes, these are three reasons why people are drawn to these three websites, the question now is how to get YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook to be a part of students time while being on task at the same time.

David Thornburg, an award winning futurists, stated (2009) "If we who care about education truly take the time to examine emergent technologies, we can perhaps anticipate some of the changes that can take place in our schools to help students learn more effectively.  The sooner we know what may be coming down the line, the more time we have to think about the implications of these technologies, and to plan on their eventual adoption when they do come to the market" (p. 2).  It is clear that YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook have emerged and become a regular part of our daily interactions with technology.  The challenge with these three websites is not figuring out educational aspects that can be included in the classroom, the challenge is the fear of coming across material that is not appropriate for students.  In response to coming across inappropriate material on these three very public websites, similar services have been created that offer social interaction with an educational focus.  Edmodo is a social media website that looks and feels similar to Facebook, but with the protections that a teacher needs.  TeacherTube is a educationally focused video website that is similar to YouTube, but again with the safety protections that a classroom needs.  Twitter can be an educationally safe resource as long as the students create accounts specifically for class and are only subscribed to each others tweets.

Between TeacherTube, Edmodo, and Twitter a teacher can create a safe environment where students can interact using social media.  Through including these three websites into the daily classroom a teacher can demonstrate to students that these types of websites are not just for entertainment, but can also be used to collaborate and interact in way educational ways.  It also demonstrates a unique way to stay connected with each other, as well as provide a different way to share ideas with each other.  These types of connections through the Internet are the types of connections that businesses are trying to create and want their future employees to be able to participate in. 

There are several ways that these technologies could be improved.  One improvement would if these three services all being replaced by one website, like the fictitious YouTwitFace.  One website would mean one username and password that the students would need to remember, as well as the ability to access all of the resources in one place.  

Enjoy ~SJ

Cloud Computing

Here is my final project for my most recent course, Diffusion and Integration of Technology on cloud computing.  The project required us to create a presentation to convince the board to integrate any technology that we wanted into their daily business.



Enjoy ~SJ

Tech NO to Tech YES!

Teaching in a state where laptops are in the hands of all 7th and 8th grade students results in a variety of technology comfort with the teachers.  Since the integration of the Maine Learning Technology Initiative many models of technology education have been used to create teachers who are comfortable with regular technology integration in their classrooms. 

The model of technology education that I have found the most beneficial with teachers follows Keller's ARCS model.  Although I did not know about the ARCS model when implementing it, upon reflection it fits.  In the early 80's John Keller developed a four step model to increase motivation.
A - attention
R - relevance
C - confidence
S - satisfaction

The successful technology education model that I have found with teachers starts with a small group of teachers who want to improve their technoloogy integration.  I then sit around with them in an informal and comfortable setting and ask them what types of technology they would like to learn more about.  This is the attention stage.

Once we have decided on a few topics that they want to learn more about I start be doing a simple introduction to the topic.  During this initial introductions I try to relate how the technology can be used in both their classroom as well as their personal life.  Through this connection to both aspects of their lives I am showing the relevance stage.  This shows the teacher that the technology can not only enhance their classroom but also their own life.  By getting the teachers comfortable with technology outside of the classroom, I have found that they are more comfortable with integrating it into their own classroom.

Once they know a few basics about the technology skill we then brainstorm was that it can be used both in their classroom and their personal life.  Once we have brainstormed a few each teacher, or small group picks a project that they want to work on.  They then have several work sessions where I help them develop their ideas into a tool that they can use either in their classroom or in their personal life.  through this process they are working on the third step, confidence.  Once they know that they can successfully work the technology in our sessions they are ready to apply it either in their classroom or personal life.

The final stage, satisfaction through further meetings.  I try to check back in with the teacher in a few days or weeks to see how the integration of their new technology skills has gone.  At this point it is expected that they are trying the technology independently.  At this point I can answer further questions if necessary.

Through this model, inadvertently designed after Keller's ARCS motivational model I have fond that teachers get more comfortable with new technology skills.  They go from Tech NO, to Tech YES teachers!

Enjoy ~SJ

Diigo To Blog In One Click!

Diigo has a simple feature that allows you to blog about any website that you come across without needing to copy and paste links.  If you are a user of Diigo and you like to blog this is a must use feature.  Below is a link to the directions in how to set up your blog with Diigo.  Once configured (all you need to do is enter your blog address), you can blog about any website by simply clicking send to blog in your Diigo toolbar.  This is just yet another priceless feature of Diigo. 


https://secure.diigo.com/blog_this/config

This second link is in case you want Diigo to automatically blog for you.  

https://secure.diigo.com/blog_this/daily_blog


How do you think that you could utilize this feature in your classroom or personal life?


Enjoy ~SJ