I am a Star Trek junkie like so many people of my generation. This is not a bad thing though as the series provides some remarkable role models. Captain James T. Kirk and Lean Luc Picard offer great examples of leadership. No one better exemplifies living logically than Spock. My favorite Star Trek character though is Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott. It is he who served me well as a role model in my personal journey through engineering leadership. Any success I may have had is due to the wonderful people who worked on my teams and this role model. I had the distinct pleasure of telling James Doohan how important his character was to my own career once.
My favorite Star Trek scene is from the feature film The Search for Spock. Scotty is on the bridge as the Enterprise NC-1701 is stolen. The Excelsior tries to pursue her but fails to engage transwarp speed. Scotty proudly remarks “the more they overtake the plumbing the easier it is to stop up the drain.” This is so true.
Listen to David Pogue as he talks about the current state of computer technology and the need for simplicity in design.
Why is it so many new products fail to satisfy the needs of their users? Engineers talk to other engineers too much and to real people far too infrequently. Its easy to get out of touch. The real joy of the work is in seeing the joy your work brings to your customers but who takes time and care to notice? Darn few!
Apple Corporation has had wild successes doing just what the competition didn’t anticipate. When competitors notice Apple’s success they move to emulate it but Apple has moved onto the next innovation by then. They can’t keep up. Apple’s secret is a witch’s brew of imagination and observation. They watch real people doing what comes naturally to them. Voodoo has brought us wildly colored computers because someone noticed people decorating their computers to distinguish them from every other computer in their environments. Black magic brought the iPod because Apple engineers noticed so many people were jogging with a walkman strapped to them. Again and again Apple innovates while the pack emulates.
That’s not the only secret of Apple’s success. The other is keeping design simple. David Pogue gave some excellent examples of that in his talk.
Blackboard makes adding podcasts to your course easier than ever!
This podcast shows you exactly how to add a podcast to your course using the latest version of Blackboard. Its easy and powerful. Those of us still using an earlier version can add them as Learning Units. Just insert the URL or upload the podcast. Its just that easy!
One of the greatest challenges in teaching undergraduate students is accommodating diverse learning styles but doing so is can improve learning (Chickering & Gamson, 1987). Yet its hard work. There are very few opportunities to learn how and there is much to do within our own disciplines. What is one to do?
The beauty of Blackboard courses is they are available 7/24. Its available whenever students want to study and you’d e surprised when that is. Many of our students are actually working online while you and I are snoring like a buzz-saw. So it makes sense to make content available in Blackboard.
Adding content means more than posting syllabi, assignments, and scores. That’s filing. Adding content requires inserting nuggets of information online that are traditionally presented in lecture and text. It means entering into the exciting world of multimedia. But it doesn’t mean you need to become a creator of multimedia programs. You’ll have greater success as a wise consumer of multimedia and one of the best places to shop is the iTunes store.
This podcast shows you how to shop and neatly tuck your purchases away into your Blackboard course. The best thing about this is you don’t have to bring your wallet or purse. Everything you need is free.
One thing we know about undergraduate students today is they are consumers of electronic gadgets. They grew up watching television, playing video games, and listening to MP3 players while skating around the park. They can relate to podcasts and use them in ways we may not fully understand yet. We can accommodate diverse ways of learning by putting the content in students’ hands and iPods.
Have you ever wanted to collaborate on a document with a remote colleague? Here’s a cool way to do it.
I had my first working exposure to Google docs monday evening. I knew what it was but I’m a bit of a lone wolf and like to work alone on my projects. I think that’s because of all of the hassles involved in dealing with multiple versions of a file.
Anyway a friend was perplexed by a complex project she is working on and the deadline is approaching, Her project is funded by a grant so its important she gets it done on time. The problem is that her users are non-technical and scope creep is running rampant. She tried to explain her dilemma to me on Microsoft Messenger but it we were having too many mental disconnects. Google docs to the rescue!
My friend opened up a google doc spreadsheet and we started mapping out the system requirements. It was way cool! We worked on the document together clarifying the specifications. I posted my questions in red. She’d answer. I’d ask others questions until we reached a consensus and only then changed the text back to black.
Will I use Google Docs again? You bet. One of my most popular classes is an entry-level computer science course in the use of Microsoft Office. The main focus is on mastering Word, Excel, and PowerPoint which are the applications supported by Google Docs. So now I have an excellent tool for working with students on technical issues from a remote location.
I admit it. I’m an unapologetic Mac-snob but I’ve earned the right. Once upon a time I had an engineering career in the personal computer industry. For years I tried to destroy Apple Corporation by making the best computers I could but they just wouldn’t die. Early retirement found me going back to school for a doctoral degree and I found myself having to work in a Mac lab.
Macs! I was furious. “How could they expect me to use one of these?” Well, I got an education. It’s been a decade since my first exposure to Apple products and I wouldn’t use anything else because I demand a dependable computer for my work. I especially enjoy telling all those frustrated Windows users to solve their problems by simply buying a computer that really works!
So, take my advice. If you want to make your work more fun and more creative get a Mac. Educators get a discount too!
Which one? I prefer the MacBook Pro because it can travel with me. It’s made with quality components and is really fast.
By the way, it took about 30 seconds to learn how to use it.
