EMPOWERMENT THROUGH EDUCATION

Creating the 21st Century Extension Professional: Current Technologies and Their Role in

Extension

Contact information

Jerold R. ThomasLeader, Innovation & ChangeOhio State University Leadership Center2120 Fyffe RoadColumbus, OH 43210Ph: 419.306.9400Email: thomas.69@osu.eduBlog: http://extensiontrends.ag.ohio-state.eduTwitter: http://twitter.com/thomas69osu

Confession

• I am not a techie

• I am an Extension professional that likes to use tools to improve my effectiveness and efficiency

• But it really does not start with the technology

Li & Bernoff’s POST planning method

• People – who will use your product

• Objectives – what is your purpose for engagement

• Strategy – what is the relationship with your customer

• Technology – what tools fit your needs?

Learner objectives

• Briefly cover trends in technology and its impacts on Extension

• Demonstrate some technology tools that can help you

• Engage in dialogue about technology tools and systems we can develop to create a better future

• Share generational information where appropriate

Philosophical/Pedagogical mumbo-jumbo

• My goal is to focus on what you’re interested in learning or seeing

• Breadth versus depth

• Experiential learning and dialogue are strongly encouraged

• Focus is on cheap or low cost tools.

• Parking lot is available

A quote to get us started

• “Our Age of Anxiety is, in part, the result of trying to do today’s jobs with yesterday’s tools”– Marshall McLuhan

Major technology trends

• Connectivity

• Collaborative environments

• Ease/Convenience

• Economics

• Increased clientele access

• Personal Development

Web 2.0

• Move to more dynamic platforms instead of top-down portals

• User directed

• Ease of use

• Interactive and engagement

Technological change can lead to…

• Disintermediation

• Commoditization

The Woodpecker Has To Go!

Internet usage in the U.S.

• 1995-96: ~ 15% of adults

• Jan. 2005: 66% of adults

• April 2006: 73% of adults

• From Jan. 2005 to April 2006 the percent of Americans with broadband increased from 29% to 42%

Tools we can discuss

• Blogs• Podcasts• Social networks• Aggregators

• Collaborative Writing • Collaborative Project

Management• Other?

Quiz time!!

• What is ….

1.A wiki?

2.A blog?

3.Instant Messaging?

4.An aggregator (or News Reader)?

Alternative quiz

Would you use tools that let you….

• Create documents with geographically dispersed peers?

• Develop a way to post info to the web and receive feedback?

• Communicate online asynchronously?

• Have information organized for your retrieval?

Tool requirements

1. Easy to use

2. Cheap or free

3. Impact the way we work and live

Blogs

• Let’s take a peak and then try to define or describe

A blog (Weblog) is…

• Dynamic website with chronological layout

• Often collaborative– Wright’s idea of transmission vs.

engagement

• Community relationships (blogosphere) – linkages & comments!

• Examples

What Can A Blog do for Me?

• Empowered conversation

• Link resources

• Introduce topics, information, opportunities

• Provide opinion or commentary

• Explain things (ie, policy, articles, etc.)

• Must add value in some way

Why is a blog important?

• Branding– Niche – think clientele, peers and future

opportunities– Power rule – long tail concept (Anderson)

• Ease of use• Knowledge Management (Wright)• Information (Wright)• Relationships (Wright)

– Consider academic analogy of small network of peers

Some numbers…

• From July 2006– 8% of adult internet users kept a blog– 19% of 12-17 year olds– 39% read blogs – 95% of blog users get news from internet

vs. 73% of all internet users– Even division between men & women;

mostly urban/suburban– Less likely than internet users to be white

Blog examples

• External blog - http://www.aces.edu/department/extcomm/npa/daily//

• As program update– http://ohioforages.blogspot.com/– Economic Development

http://edpro-weblog.net/news

Blog examples

• Programmatic– http://agvanwert.wordpress.com/

• Coordinate volunteers– http://azmasternaturalist.arizona.edu/

• Personal and organizational knowledge management– http://www.extension.iastate.edu/

technews/

How do I create a blog?

• Several vendors

• Popular web-based option is Blogger

• Go to www.blogger.com

• Requires google account

• Follow Directions to create a blog in about 5 minutes

Collaborative writing tools

• Collaborative tools

• Web sites that can be edited by those with access

• Used to accumulate knowledge & information

• Think of them as repositories of knowledge

Tool examples

• Wikis

• Google Docs

• Other write boards

Wikis

• Collaborative tools

• Web sites that can be edited by those with access

• Used to accumulate knowledge & information

• Think of them as repositories of knowledge

Wikis

• Can be password protected

• Editing and other changes are saved

• Collaborating to– Create programming– Develop resource materials– Examples include agendas, documents,

etc.

Wiki examples

• Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

• eXtension Wiki– CoP-

http://cop.extension.org/wiki/Main_Page

• Flu Wiki - http://www.fluwikie.com/

Another wiki use

• http://theshiftedlibrarian.pbwiki.com/

Wiki software examples

• Mediawiki is free and used by eXtension and Wikipedia– http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki

• Peanut Butter Wiki– http://pbwiki.com/

Google docs

• Allows you to create online documents and spreadsheets

• Can edit and track changes

• Great for distributed work teams

• Can be done in close to real time

• Allows import & export of documents

Google docs

• Free & easy

• Requires Google account

• Can edit anywhere and from any computer

• Can use to compose documents for a blog

• docs.google.com

Google docs

• Allows you to create online documents and spreadsheets

• Can edit and track changes

• Great for distributed work teams

• Can be done in close to real time

• Allows import & export of documents

Podcasting

• Audio or video downloads (MP3)– Different than streaming – time shifting

and portability!

• Can be accessed on computer or mobile player

• iPod has major market share, but other brands are available

• Most podcasts are free

iTunes installation

• iTunes is an aggregator and music store

• www.apple.com/ipod/start

• Download, then connect iPod. Follow guidelines

Podcasts – consumer side

• Same professional development reasons as blogs, but greater time shifting!

• Many ‘casts are tied to a blog

• Wide variety of topics– Let’s search iTunes

• Other resources

Using iTunes

• Go to iTunes• Search via music store• Download or subscribe to podcast

– Download = one time– Subscribe = con’t receiving of podcast

• Can find on other websites and subscribe – Example: Business Week CEO Guide:

http://www.businessweek.com/mediacenter/podcasts/guide_to_tech/current.html

Podcasts – production side

• Can be recorded on computer, with portable devices, or in studio

• Audacity: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Professional development examples

• Manager tools: http://www.manager-tools.com/

• HBR Idea Cast

• Bit Bucket

• Books at iTunes or Audible.com

• Most major media outlets

• Rip materials from CD’s

• Libraries have digital check-outs

Collaborative management software

• Ability to share documents, messages and other information

• Sharepoint by Microsoft

• Basecamp by 37 signals

Basecamp example

• Collaborative Project Management Tool

• Offsite, independent server

• Scaled price depending on number of projects

• Some examples

Basecamp benefit

• Share files

• Message/comment

• Writeboard

• To do’s or milestones

• Time tracking

Aggregators

• Compile information from several sites into one, unified reader

• Uses syndication feeds

• Drives content to the user vs. the user going to content

• Can provide “smart searches”

Aggregator examples

• Blogbridge (desktop): http://www.blogbridge.com/

• Google reader (might also want to look at iGoogle): www.google.com/reader

Other tools

• Second Life

• Social networking

• Microblogging

• Instant messaging

• Moving content to mobile devices

Closing quote

• “We change our tools, and our tools change us.”– Marshall McLuhan

Conclusion

• There are many tools out there…pick one based on need and function and just try it

• Learn something and teach someone else

• Questions or comments?