Posted by S.

Change is afoot. We are gradually heading into a media-centric society. Though we are well into the information age and the digital age, we have not yet transformed completely into dutiful robots, tuned in only to our hand-held devices.

Chang is a-coming, however. Watch for social networking feeds and status updates to appear in Google searches. Watch for changes in the way Facebook and Twitter are used. Watch out to not lose yourself in the midst of the uploading, downloading, posting, updating and texting. There may be more to life than pixels. Maybe. Maybe not.

It could be the revolution we’ve all been waiting for.

Free tool to download YouTube High Definition Videos

You can now download videos from YouTube and save it to your computer with YouTube Downloader HD which is a free tool. The videos can be converted to avi video format or to mp4 (compatible with iPod, iPhone). It has the ability to download High Quality videos and High Definition videos from YouTube.

Key Features:

- Easy to use: just copy video URL from your web browser and paste to YouTube Downloader HD. No need to use scripts or browser plug-ins.

- Convert downloaded video to various formats.

- Download YouTube High Definition videos (available on certain videos).

- Unicode support: YouTube Downloader HD can save moves whose names have non-standard characters i.e. Chinese, Japanese, Cyrillic, etc.

When we launch the Notepad program in Windows, the program executes inside of a container known as a process. We can launch multiple instances of Notepad, and each instance will run in a dedicated process. Using the Task Manager application, we can see a list of all processes currently executing in the system.

A process contains the executable code and data of a program inside memory it has reserved from the operating system. There will be at least one thread executing instructions inside of the process, and in most cases there are multiple threads. If the program opens any files or other resources, those resources will belong to the process.

A process is also boundary. Erroneous code inside of a process cannot corrupt areas outside of the current process. It is easy to communicate inside of a process, but special techniques are required to communicate from one process to another. Each process also runs under a specific security context which can dictate what the process can do on the machine and network.  

A process is the smallest unit of isolation available on the Windows operating system. This could pose a problem for an ISP who wants to host hundreds of ASP.NET applications on a single server. The ISP will want to isolate each ASP.NET application to prevent one application from interfering with another company’s application on the same server, but the relative cost of launching and executing a process for hundreds of applications may be prohibitive.

Introducing the Application Domain

.NET introduces the concept of an application domain, or AppDomain. Like a process, the AppDomain is both a container and a boundary. The .NET runtime uses an AppDomain as a container for code and data, just like the operating system uses a process as a container for code and data. As the operating system uses a process to isolate misbehaving code, the .NET runtime uses an AppDomain to isolate code inside of a secure boundary.

Note, however, that the application domain is not a secure boundary when the application runs with full trust. Applications running with full trust can execute native code and circumvent all security checks by the .NET runtime. ASP.NET applications run with full trust by default.

An AppDomain belongs to only a single process, but single process can hold multiple AppDomains. An AppDomain is relatively cheap to create (compared to a process), and has relatively less overhead to maintain than a process. For these reasons, an AppDomain is a great solution for the ISP who is hosting hundreds of applications. Each application can exist inside an isolated AppDomain, and many of these AppDomains can exist inside of a single process – a cost savings.

AppDomains And You

You’ve created two ASP.NET applications on the same server, and have not done any special configuration. What is happening?

A single ASP.NET worker process will host both of the ASP.NET applications. On Windows XP and Windows 2000 this process is named aspnet_wp.exe, and the process runs under the security context of the local ASPNET account. On Windows 2003 the worker process has the name w3wp.exe and runs under the NETWORK SERVICE account by default.

An object lives in one AppDomain. Each ASP.NET application will have it’s own set of global variables: Cache, Application, and Session objects are not shared. Even though the code for both of the applications resides inside the same process, the unit of isolation is the .NET AppDomain. If there are classes with shared or static members, and those classes exist in both applications, each AppDomain will have it’s own copy of the static fields – the data is not shared. The code and data for each application is safely isolated and inside of a boundary provided by the AppDomain

In order to communicate or pass objects between AppDomains, you’ll need to look at techniques in .NET for communication across boundaries, such as .NET remoting or web services.

Note again: the one caveat to the idea of an AppDomain as a boundary is that ASP.NET applications will run with full trust by default. Fully trusted code can execute native code, and native code can essentially have access to anything inside the process. You’ll need to run applications with partial trust to restrict access to unmanged code and verify all managed code to secure AppDomains.

Shadow Copies and Restarts

Once an assembly is loaded into an AppDomain, there is no way to remove the assembly from the AppDomain. It is possible, however, to remove an AppDomain from a process.

If you copy an updated dll into an application’s bin subdirectory, the ASP.NET runtime recognizes there is new code to execute. Since ASP.NET cannot swap the dll into the existing AppDomain , it starts a new AppDomain. The old application domain is “drain stopped”, that is, existing requests are allowed to finish executing, and once they are all finished the AppDomain can unload. The new AppDomain starts with the new code and begins taking all new requests.

Typically, when a dll loads into a process, the process locks the dll and you cannot overwrite the file on disk. However, AppDomains have a feature known as Shadow Copy that allows assemblies to remain unlocked and replaceable on disk.

The runtime initializes ASP.NET with Shadow Copy enabled for the bin directory. The AppDomain will copy any dll it needs from the bin directory to a temporary location before locking and loading the dll into memory. Shadow Copy allows us to overwrite any dll in the bin directory during an update without taking the web application offline.

Master Of Your Domain

Application domains replace the OS process as the unit of isolation for .NET code. An understanding of application domains will give you an idea of the work taking place behind the scenes of an ASP.NET application. Using the CurrentDomain property of the AppDomain class you can inspect properties about the AppDomain your code is executing in, including the Shadow Copy settings we discussed in this article.

When I bought my first house, I remember I had no choice but to use a Realtor. When we hired one, she carried her big thick MLS book and she got a key to every listing to view it.. not the MLS Key, the front door key! Keys to homes today are shared with every potential buyer via the internet. Realtors can literally show listings, using photos, slide shows, videos and internet pages. We also expose listings to not just local Realtors, but Realtors anywhere in the world with the click of a mouse.

Gen X and Gen Y sellers and buyers opened the doors for Realtors by asking the right questions, asking for information and sharing their desires to have information readily accessible. If Realtors want to work with these buyers.. we had to meet their demands, and fit into their schedules. We not only learned their language, but we are virtually sharing technology, opening doors for communicating on a much more consistent basis.
These same buyers and sellers want to know a little more about their agents as well. Interactions, sharing lifestyle interests, and joining in social and business networks help create loyalty and confidence as consumers now put faces with names long before they meet on a professional level.
I attended a social media conference this week with real estate agents from across the country. Reports, statistics of successful transactions poured in. Social networking seems to be working. Buyers are finding properties from internet marketing efforts and enjoying communications with their Realtors via internet, mobile technology and social media groups. Sellers seem happy too. Their properties are featured on multiple websites, they are accessible in multiple MLS search sites and virtual showings are being viewed by more people, literally like daily open houses. Realtors are thrilled because for once we can track marketing results and maximize advertising dollars.
I think it’s working.. my bet is on the consumers who are using the agents who have added social media and the internet to their tool boxes!

Connect with me on Facebook, Twitter or subscribe to this feed for more real estate and market news from Tallahassee, FL

Debbie Kirkland at REBarCamp-Miami - Social Media Networking

A Survey of Technology Professionals”, commissioned by systems management appliance company KACE and conducted by market research firm Dimensional Research, surveyed 1,100 IT professionals via e-mail.

This survey is likely to be demoralizing news for Microsoft that 84% of the respondents do not plan to upgrade their machines to Windows 7 in the next year. This could cause delays in the software giant’s strategy to get users off the eight year old Windows XP and the embattled Windows Vista and on to
Windows 7.

Diane Hagglund, Senior Research Analyst for Dimensional Research and author of the survey said that the leading reason for resistance to Windows 7 adoption is Vista compatibility problems as well as “a negative public perception of Vista that seems to have helped build the layer of distrust with Windows 7.

The IT professionals other concerns were also listed in the survey about moving to Windows 7 – software compatibility, cost of implementation and the economic downturn.

Another piece mentioned that a strong majority, 83%, said that they would likely skip Vista altogether and eventually migrate directly from XP to Windows 7.

User’s do not seemed bothered about the age of XP, as 72% said they are more concerned about upgrading to Windows 7 than staying with the outdated XP.

The most surprising information on the survey was the number of IT professionals who are considering moving from Windows to alternatives such as Mac OS and Linux is on the rise. Fifty percent of respondents say they are considering such a move; that’s up almost 10 percent from a similar survey conducted last July.

Microsoft received alot of criticism from numerous sources following the Vista launch.

What really wounded Microsoft was the number of businesses, both small and large, that refused to upgrade to Vista.

The pattern didn’t change following compatibility updates and the service pack and at the beginning of this year Vista was still showing poor adoption rates in the enterprise. One recent study shows that a significant number of businesses are not planning on upgrading to Windows 7.

The figure is high, at an estimated of 83% of businesses planning not to upgrade – at least not right away, in the first year.

That’s understandable on the surface, with businesses wanting plenty of time to ensure application compatibility. But how long will businesses delay the adoption of a new operating system?

Some companies reported they will wait upwards of three years before deploying Windows 7, sticking instead with Windows XP. And could this mean big trouble for Redmond?

Windows 7 build 7105 Milestone reached?

Windows 7 has finally reached build 7105 and in addition to that, a Windows 7 RC could possibly be available soon.

Russian site, WZor reported that it’s expected for 7105 to be leaked shortly, although it’s hoped a public announcement will be made soon.

So what are the changes being reported so far?

1. Improved networking support, the work in the local network.
2. Added support for some previously incompatible programs.
3. Extras in the LP and small cosmetic interface improvements.
4. Added support for new drivers for various devices.
5. Extended support sensory displays.
6. A small optimization and changes in the kernel.

Windows 7 development is definitely drawing to a close, as now the only changes are bug fixes and optimizations; no new major features are being added.

Achieve Windows 7 Explorer look in Firefox Browswer

There are so many users who like Windows 7 and its polished user interface. If you are one of them, here is a cool style for Firefox that exactly matches with the Windows 7 explorer look.

How to install:

1. Download the style file and extract the file to desktop to get a file named userChrome.css.
2. Open Firefox’s profiles folder by typing %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ in Start menu search field.
3. Copy userChrome.css file to %APPDATA%\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\ <Your Profile>\Chrome folder and restart Firefox browser.
4. Then install the Glasser add-on and restart Firefox browser to get the exact Aero Glass effect.

Woe to those few individuals that continue to make our online experience one filled with second guessing and skepticism.

Why – you may ask? Well, for anyone who makes use of the online community on a regular basis, it is clear that the state of one’s computer security is questioned on a daily basis – due to the millions of nefarious applications out there – so again I say woe to those few individuals that design and implement these dubious tactics and applications.

The latest of such applications is the rogue anti-spyware: AVCare also referred to as AV Care.

AVCare is installed onto a computer system via a Trojan infection, or might even enter into the system when the user visits malicious and dubious websites, which contain the virus in scripts embedded within.
And no – this application will not be able to assist you any way, shape or form. This program is dubious and was designed to have harmful functionality.

As mentioned before, AVCare enters into a computer system via a Trojan application, which sneaks into the system via security exploits, such as spam emails or it can be installed by other malware.

AVCare will generate fictitious system warning alert messages, fake scan reports and fake error messages about the “infection” on the computer system.

The AVCare error reports that pops up, are as follows:

“Remote Attack Alert!
Unknown host tries to establish connection to your PC using restricted ports. This may be internet virus or other type of malicious or spyware program. If antivirus protection is disabled your computer remains vulnerable to different types of network attacks such as…”

Or

“Your system is infected!
AVCare detected 10 system security threats on your PC. Detected malicious programs can damage your PC and compromise your privacy. It is strongly recommended to remove these threats immediately.”

These notifications are very similar to Microsoft’s Windows Security Center alerts, so the user can be easily confused.

AVCare then suggests purchasing the full version of the software in order to remove those infections. But as you could already understand, AVCare cannot remove any infections.

AVCare only steals money from inexperienced users. That’s why we strongly recommend you to use removal instructions stated below and to remove AVCare from the system immediately after detection.

All of this is aimed at ensuring the user of the computer system user is coerced and tricked into purchasing the “full” version of AVCare.

AVCare should not be trusted or purchased as it is rogue optimization tool that should be deleted immediately upon detection!

Now, what do you do if you suspect you have this nefarious application embedded within your system?

Although Manual Removal is probably best, to ensure all components of AVCare is eradicated from the infected system, it is best left to those individuals who know their way around the registry files of a computer system.

To avoid unnecessary damage and risk to a computer system, as a computer novice, your best option would be to perform an Automatic removal process.

Simply make use of an up-to-date, fully functional legitimate antispyware application. This way you will be able to rid the computer system of all traces of AVCare.

Should you feel your system has been infiltrated by this parasite, to be sure, you should check out:

http://www.pcthreat.com/parasitebyid-8176en.html

The NYPD made unfortunate news this week when the New York Post reported that New York City had signed a nearly $1 million contract with a vendor to purchase thousands of new manual and electronic typewriters during the next three years.

According to the article, NYPD cops “still use typewriters to fill out property and evidence vouchers which are printer on carbon-paper forms.  There are typewriters in every police precinct, including one in every detective squad.”  (The NYPD  “is working on software to eliminate the old machines” a police representative told the Post.

In truth there are probably a lot of bossiness’s and government agencies that have stashes of typewriters in their office just like the NYPD does.  But until everything digitized, there will be a seemingly mind-blogging need for type writers..

Its not yet safe for us computer users! There is a war to fight, and as the rogue security tools mount and grow daily, along with malware and infections of all sorts – one needs to be sure which application is on which side? The legitimate security side versus the rogue and dubious natured side?

Well, let me attempt to make that discernment a little easier for you. WiniFighter, also known Wini Fighter, as is one of the many rogue and dubious applications, which is batting for the rogue team – and scoring many hits!

WiniFighter is the latest in scams! Pretending to be a legitimate spyware remover, this application has one primary objective: to coerce its victims into purchasing its licensed version.

WiniFighter doesn’t deviate much from the typical and widely practiced tactics of PC parasite infiltration. WiniFighter tends to use affiliated backdoor Trojan infections, or via a fake codec the user has installed onto their system.

Once inside the designated system, WiniFighter will obscurely create hundreds of fake malware entities in the infiltrated system.

Once this is done, WiniFighter will then “detect” these dummy files and ensure the unsuspecting user, you, think it’s high time you removed all the reported malware.

WiniFighter malicious trialware usually runs each time you log onto Windows and will display its fake system scanner that claims to find a variety of corrupted dangerous files.

As a well-practiced tactic, WiniFighter will have you believe that in order to protect your Operating System against these “detections”, you will need to install WiniFighter’s full commercial version which demands payment.

Should you install WiniFighter licensed software, you will soon realize that it’s not only worthless in terms of malware removal, but it compromises any computer systems’ performance and will eventually slow down the computer considerably.

One should remove the WiniFighter rogue anti-spyware application as soon as it has been detected.

So, how would you know if your system has been infected with WiniFighter or not?

Well, this is simple enough.

Check out:

http://www.pcthreat.com/parasitebyid-8156en.html

Here you will be able to download the FREE WiniFighter infection scanner. Once you have scanned your PC for this parasite, should it be embedded within your system, you will then be able to follow the detailed removal instructions provided.

Remember, computer safety, first!

Here’s a quick, but valuable suggestion.  I recently started monitoring Google Alerts for my name and industry.  Simply go to www.google.com/alerts  and setup keyword alerts for any words you wish.  I have two setup that I monitor daily.  I focus on one for my name and one for business coaching.  This allows me to see any news posted about me or my industry. 

Very handy for many reasons.  One big reason is to see if someone is posting good or bad press about you on the web.  If they are posting good things about you, you can thank them.  If they are posting bad things about you, you can work with them to resolve these things.  And don’t kid yourself, no matter how great your service is, people are going to complain about you.  And here’s an insider tip:  They almost never complain to you if something is wrong.  So be smart and monitor your personal profile and your industry keywords.

On the industry side, it’s great to see some of the press that happens in your industry.  For example, Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt just posted a video on how everyone needs a coach.  It’s a great video and it shows how he didn’t think he needed a coach until he got one.  Here’s the video so you can check it out.  http://money.cnn.com/video/fortune/2009/06/19/f_ba_schmidt_google.fortune/

Dell’s shares experience – Testing of Windows 7

One of the largest computer makers in the world, Dell, shared briefly some of its experience from its internal testing of Windows 7.

Dell found noticeable improvements in boot to desktop times compared to Windows Vista.

Microsoft is not only fine tuning boot speed, but also working with OEMs to reduce boot-slowing bloatware.

Dell also reported that almost all existing Vista drivers are working and testers say application compatibility is promising as well, including the IE8 compatibility mode.

The overall performance is upgraded, with tests trans-coding media files being faster than the latest Windows Vista builds.

Are the findings reported by Dell enough to make you upgrade from Vista or even XP?

Pick of the week:
The Chronicles of Riddick –Assault on Dark Athena (PC, PS3, 360).

One of the great sleeper hits for the original Xbox, The Chronicles of Riddick was a perfect example of how to do a licensed game right. It featured plenty first-person action and garnered somewhat of a cult following.

Other notable games this week include a sequel to The Godfather videogame which adds in some strategy elements; Tales of Valor, the second expansion for the RTS Company of Heroes and the quick-time-event heavy action game Ninja Blade. Here’s the complete list:

PC
The Godfather 2
DCS: Black Shark
Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor
Elven Legacy
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

Nintendo DS
Gravity
Hannah Montana: The Movie

Wii
Gravity
Deer Drive
Escape the Museum
Hannah Montana: The Movie

PlayStation Portable
Air Conflicts: Aces of World War II
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus
Hammerin’ Hero
Dragonball Evolution

PlayStation 2
Guilty Gear XX Accent Core Plus

PlayStation 3
The Godfather 2
Hannah Montana: The Movie
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena

Xbox 360
The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena
The Godfather 2
Hannah Montana: The Movie
Ninja Blade

While efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of these lists, release dates are always subject to change.

Capcom has finally given Resident Evil 5 Versus mode a date: start shooting your friends and enemies online.

The multiplayer versus update for Resident Evil 5 has been given an official date, with the for-pay addition hitting both Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network on, April 7.

The add-on will cost you $5 on the PlayStation and 400 Microsoft points on the 360.

Versus allows up to four players to match wits in online battles across two very different game types.

Are you going to be spending that $5?

On Monday, Google announced a major expansion, a venture capital fund with full Google branding: Google Ventures.

These investments will be all about profit and the company is taking pains to ensure potential investees that the money will come with no strings attached.

Bay and Boston will be the new investments group offices, both hubs of emerging software and biotech companies.

The Bay Area gets someone in the Internet start-ups background who previously managed healthcare/biotech investments.

The Boston branch will be headed by someone who came to Google when it purchased Android. Google assure anyone who might be considering pitching to them that Google’s money won’t come with any strings attached.

It notes that the venture arm will not apply any sort of litmust test on the company, such as a prior commercial arrangement with Google or the use of Google services.

It also states that the investment will in no way involve any management decisions that prepare the company for takeover.

Google itself indicates that being a profitable company during the trying economic times may provide it a great opportunity to go value hunting.

We do not have any doubt that Acer’s producing a few laptops based on Intel’s forthcoming consumer ultra low voltage (CULV) platform.

We last heard that the platform was still on track for a summer release.

Taiwan Economic News is reporting that Acer is looking to launch 11.6-,13-,14- and 15-inch machines with CULV processors within.

If these rumours are true, at least some of them will make their debut next month.

Increasing population and the stress of work would eventually disorient the economy, but technology has allowed the economy to reach beneficial limits. Effective technology in e-commerce and internet business has increased potential business and shopping over the internet, boosting the economy worldwide.  The technology of internet has undoubtedly been a useful achievement, but has now become a serious issue for all groups of ages. Pornographic content over the internet has gotten many parents concerned and in fact is considered a psychological hazard especially for the young people. A controversial technological drawback is the invention of the arms and ammunition. From the primitive arrows to nuclear weapons, these inventions have caused the loss of innocent lives. The tragedies such as the atomic bomb blasts in Hiroshima and Nagasaki demonstrate the results of such destructive inventions. In overall, the investment in weapons causes billions of dollars and over a long period of time can become one of the reasons for an economic recession.

Related Links

Econ and Gov

Science and Technology

Here is my Facebook link which also shares information on the same topic.

ZDNet’s Ed Bott made a discovery while looking through the files in the leaked Windows 7 beta builds.

It’s come into view that the next version of Microsoft Office, currently codenamed Office 14, will be arriving in 32-bit and 64-bit flavours, assuming that an XML file (Migwiz.xml) used by Windows Easy Transfer in Windows 7 is revealing what many have been hoping for.

As you can see below, the file now includes detection for x64 versions of the nine Office programs.

Windows Server 2008 R2 will be the first operating system from Microsoft to be a 64-bit-only release. Windows 7, on other hand, will be available in 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

The suggestion that Microsoft Office, easily the most important software suite Microsoft produces, will be available in 32-bit and 64-bit flavours is a huge deal.

Assuming that the change for Office 14, which is slated for release next year sometime after Windows 7 arrives, will come to pass, it will be one of the main pivots for 64-bit adoption.

Senior Vice President of iPhone Software Engineering, Scott Forstall spoke about some of the features and the over 1,000 new APIs available to developers.

Developers now have a sanctioned way to sell additional content directly from an app, such as additional levels for a game or e-books for a reader app. Like the App Store, Apple handles all the logistics and keeps a 30 percent cut.

iPhone OS will now be able to use Bluetooth for connectivity to other iPhones. Apple has implemented Bonjour auto-discovery and peer-to-peer networking via Bluetooth with no complicated pairing required. This will allow apps to communicate to each other and transfer data.

Devices will also be able to communicate with external peripherals plugged in to the dock connecter via a standard protocol. Several examples were given, such as controlling an external speaker set’s EQ, or communicating with a medical device to gather data. Further, the communication is also enabled via Bluetooth as well.

Finally, the push notification feature that was supposed to appear in the iPhone OS 2.0 update will be making its debut in 3.0.

Third-party servers can send text or sound notifications to Apple’s server, which then pushes them to a user’s iPhone.

Forstall also mentioned some other API additions, including giving developers access to the iPhone’s proximity sensor, a user’s iPod library, streaming video and audio via HTTP (even through firewalls), system-wide Data Detectors  and even built-in VoIP APIs. A particularly useful new API allows developers to call up a drop-down sheet for sending an email without having to quit the current app and launch the Mail app.

A beta of the iPhone OS 3.0 SDK is available today for all developers in the iPhone Dev Program. iPhone OS 3.0 will ship with summer and be available as a free update for all iPhones, including the original, however, some features, such as stereo Bluetooth won’t work on the older hardware. iPod touch users will again have to pay $9.95 to upgrade.

I would like to respond to Jenny’s interesting post on reflecting in practice - where I would start with some of my interpretation of Learning Theories.

She writes:

I think it’s helpful once in a while to make our implicit ways of working explicit both for ourselves and for others. As teachers, it can prevent us from making assumptions – a problem that was highlighted all those years ago by Stephen Brookfield.Brookfield S D (1995) The Getting of Wisdom. What Critically Reflective Teaching is and Why It’s Important. http://www.nl.edu/academics/cas/ace/facultypapers/StephenBrookfield_Wisdom.cfm

Learning Theories

When I reflected on the learning theories, I found something in common:
1. Most theories were based on a psychological, cognitive, and constructive perspectives. Connectivism is based on a connective perspective.
2. All learning theories are trying to explain how learning occurs, and to some extent try to explain why learning occurs, especially under different circumstances.
3. Most theories have made basic assumptions – which were centred around teaching and learning pedagogy – the science of teaching and human nature, with some consideration of the impact of technology in the learning process.

Can we look at these theories and re-think about what all these mean?
1. Do we want to clone another educator (expert) into another learner (who could become another teacher)?
2. What do the theories show us in the learning process? Would these theories help us in better understanding how learning occurs?
3. Are we on the verge of holding all the theories to our heart and proclaim that it could explain how learning occurs for EVERYONE?
4. How about a theory on learning development?
5. Are we experiencing such a learning development in our pursuit of life-long learning?
6. What works for us in our learning journey?

We are all different, and so our learning are all different. Can we settle by first building and repairing our house (our learning) first in the learning development?
Can we support our fellow educators and learners through interaction, collaboration, cooperation, with technology as enablers where necessary? Is that what learning is all about?
Learning – a continuous development journey where each of us have our own route, own pace and own destiny.
Is that the essence of connectivism?

Thinking

This Quiet Leadership by David Rock reveals the importance of thinking amongst employees in improving performance. 

I would like to reflect on that:

As educators, we want to improve our learner’s performance (learning) and think we know what we should do in our teaching or facilitation.  Unfortunately, improving human performance (learning) involves one of the hardest challenges in the known universe: changing the way people think.

Quiet leaders (teachers) are masters who could bring out the best performance (learning) in others.  They improve the thinking of people  (learners) around them – literally improving the way their brains process information – without telling anyone (learners) what to do.  They empower the learners to pursue their learning journey, with encouragement and support.

Given how many people (educators and learners) in today’s companies (schools, universities) are being “paid” or “urged” to think and analyse, improving our thinking is one of the fastest ways to improve performance (learning).

Would “thinking” be the theory of learning development that we are looking for?

What does thinking mean to you – in your pursuit of life-long learning?

How would transformational thinking be valued in our learning journey?

Would this take into account the critical thinking process, the critical reflection as an educator and learner?

In this Technology impact on Learning Outcomes: Can It be Be Measured?  Ruth says:

Additionally, misconceptions exist around the direct role of technology in the learning process, and, often, the technology is regarded as the teacher rather than a tool used by teachers and students to support the dynamic process of learning. As such, teachers sometimes distance themselves from these tools in the hopes that their jobs will remain secure. (If everything is being painfully scrutinized and you simply do what you do as a teacher because that is how you learned and were taught, then it is very probable that your outlook is threatened and that you would become insecure.) Why do you grade the way you do? Why do you create assignments the way you do? How do you know that the learning outcomes of the course you are currently teaching truly reflect student needs and global application requirements?

Is that the major challenge that some teachers are facing, even in Higher Education?  Instead of using technology as an enabler, would teachers be hesitant in embracing them as a tool in teaching and learning in their classroom practice?  How could teachers make better use of technology in the instructional design?

The following are three characteristics of process-based instructional design:

• Focus on how rather than what. Teachers who encourage students to focus on “how” something works or happens are more likely to develop students who can think beyond what is currently happening to what might happen more efficiently and effectively.
• Focus on why rather than when. Additionally, teachers who encourage students to ask “why” questions are more likely to develop thinking skills that help students to move beyond the understanding of simple tasks and the fulfillment/completion of simple tasks toward the more complex skills of problem solving.
• Focus on future trends rather than current practices. The ultimate result of these kinds of approaches to learning is that we will see students who can move toward future trends and progressive organizations and methods, who can move toward change rather than stagnate within existing practices that may or may not meet the demands or the needs of clients and participants.

Has technology become the teacher that would render the redundancy of the teacher?  Enjoy this Web 2.0

Learning can be DIY (do it yourself) under the Web 2.0, while the learner would become peer teachers to each other, especially under networked learning environment.

It is common to have police officers teaching police officers, military officers teaching military officers and teachers teaching teachers.  So, would it be feasible for  learners teaching learners under the Web 2.0 mediated learning ecology?  Given the vast open learning course ware freely available on web – like MIT course ware, many people are already exploiting its use in their learning process. 

Learning is no longer restricted to the traditional class-room based face to face teaching. E -learning in the form of video classroom and recorded Elluminate sessions could provide learners with added choices of whom, when, where, what and how they would like to learn from.  These forms of learning and education could be obtained often for free, except the price paid for the broadband or cable internet connection fees by the learners. 

Teachers may still be required in Higher Education, but would they be playing different roles in this technology mediated education and learning environment?  How about teachers as creators of resources, creators of learning space, co-creators and co-designers of courses and instructions with the learners, collaborators with learners, and co-assessor with learners?