Google has been one of the most innovative companies of the last decade. Gmail, picasa, google maps, google earth, google search, chrome, blogger, google calendar and google docs, google scholar, google talk, google voice and now google wave are some of the products that this communications titan offers to the public.
Google wave is a product that integrates email, social media, instant messaging, collaboration and interactivity in one application. It has been described the email of the 21st century. Synchronous and collective creation of information and knowledge have always been a possibility and they are most rewarding human activities. However, with the new web technologies the constraints of space and time are beginning to quickly fade away.
It is time to rethink learning, teaching, interacting, disseminating, searching and creating. Communication is changed. Products such as the ones developed by Google and other companies are breaking old and creating new paradigms. There is not gap, there is no real-virtual reality divide. We are in a brave new world. The Google World!
Enjoy it while is free...
ps. This post is dedicated to Karen and Monica
Simon Aristeguieta-Trillos
saristeg@utk.edu
Website: https://www.sis.utk.edu/user/189
Visit http://www.syartphoto.info
(865)974-8200
Friday, November 20, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The future of Teaching
I was working on a futuristic scenario of University and College teaching:
Professors will be able to canned their classes to be broadcast over one or several institutions simultaneously. Lesson will be recorded in different media: video, sound, photograph, animation; using every format possible of being transmitted by electronic impulses.
Faculty will signed teaching contracts with publishing, editorial and distributing houses and business. No more, experts will be tenured by academic institutions but they will market their knowledge and deliveries to multinational educational mega-enterprises. By the same token, e-learners will be able to taylor the academic programs with globally course offerings and catalogs.
What will remain, in my opinion, is the think tank or research institution where research will take place. Scientists will be affiliated to these institutions to carry on knowledge creation activities.
Personal face to face interaction will be a thing of the past. No more the tutor-apprentice primary relationship inspired by the Greek and Medieval masters.
Professors will be able to canned their classes to be broadcast over one or several institutions simultaneously. Lesson will be recorded in different media: video, sound, photograph, animation; using every format possible of being transmitted by electronic impulses.
Faculty will signed teaching contracts with publishing, editorial and distributing houses and business. No more, experts will be tenured by academic institutions but they will market their knowledge and deliveries to multinational educational mega-enterprises. By the same token, e-learners will be able to taylor the academic programs with globally course offerings and catalogs.
What will remain, in my opinion, is the think tank or research institution where research will take place. Scientists will be affiliated to these institutions to carry on knowledge creation activities.
Personal face to face interaction will be a thing of the past. No more the tutor-apprentice primary relationship inspired by the Greek and Medieval masters.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Distance Education Classes
We are in the third week of the semester. The experience is working well.
There are two main IT used to interact and communicate with the students. Email and twitter. Utk.edu is the official transport of our communications. The other one, being informal and no required, is twitter. Three quarters of the class have enrolled. The rest has not sign up yet nor, I believe, will.
Twitter in my opinion is a valid channel of communication in Academic settings, especially for DE classes, where face to face interactions are almost non existent. It is an alternative method to let the students and the professor know each other and share more than what it is possible through the University email.
Twitter let me discover for example, that one of the students, try to watch a movie while listening my online lecture. The student told that it was a very difficult task to do.
I just hope she/he turned off the movie and finish listening to the lecture; well I just hope so!
There are two main IT used to interact and communicate with the students. Email and twitter. Utk.edu is the official transport of our communications. The other one, being informal and no required, is twitter. Three quarters of the class have enrolled. The rest has not sign up yet nor, I believe, will.
Twitter in my opinion is a valid channel of communication in Academic settings, especially for DE classes, where face to face interactions are almost non existent. It is an alternative method to let the students and the professor know each other and share more than what it is possible through the University email.
Twitter let me discover for example, that one of the students, try to watch a movie while listening my online lecture. The student told that it was a very difficult task to do.
I just hope she/he turned off the movie and finish listening to the lecture; well I just hope so!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Preparing m first DE presentation
Today I prepared my first DE presentation for the IS102 course that I am teaching at UT Knoxville. It took me longer than what I expected because I was shooting for perfection. I guess it didn't came out as I have wanted it; but I am satisfied with the results. Next time will be better.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Today is my birthday
Today I am over my half life. I have become 48 years old; which have left me with fewer years to be around you all. It is very difficult to guess how many years of quality life are still ahead. However, some promises are due:
1. I will enjoy life more
2. I will be happier
3. I will be a better father and husband
4. I will exercise more
6. I will do what is necessary each day
7. I will not worry, I will act!
I wish everyone a happy day today. Finally, I would like to share today's best gift.
A gift of love from my family,
Enjoy!
Simon
1. I will enjoy life more
2. I will be happier
3. I will be a better father and husband
4. I will exercise more
6. I will do what is necessary each day
7. I will not worry, I will act!
I wish everyone a happy day today. Finally, I would like to share today's best gift.
A gift of love from my family,
Enjoy!
Simon
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Cheese city
I have been mixing two digital media. Last week I was able to use a Bamboo Fun tablet. The tablet is the perfect tool to fix pictures but it is also one of the best tools to paint digital drawings. There are several software programs that will work with the tablet. Some are more sophisticated and professional than others; but if you just want to have fun and spend sometime doing relaxing creating a fantasy world, any drawing software will work. For the paintings below ArtRage was used.
This painting was done by Isabella and I. We were discussing if the moon was really made out of cheese. She told me that there are space mice that take big chunks of cheese every night while we sleep. She also told me that in some nights she has seen them. We, then decided to draw a picture of a city with the cheese moon. We called our city "cheese city"; the city line looks kind of crooked because, we believed the cheese was one of those strong smelly french cheeses that we love so much. By the way, we weren't able to paint the space mice because Isabella didn't want to tell how they look. I believe she wants to keep them totally secret, so they can eat their cheese in peace. Anyway, I would let you know a secret, every night when she's sleeping I look out my window to see if I can get to see and join them to have some of that delicious treat.
The orchids is a drawing done on a gift given to my wife in her birthday by our good friends Mariana, Mini and Oscar while here during their visit. Surprisingly, the orchid is doing pretty well in spite of the heater and the lack of fresh air.
This painting was done by Isabella and I. We were discussing if the moon was really made out of cheese. She told me that there are space mice that take big chunks of cheese every night while we sleep. She also told me that in some nights she has seen them. We, then decided to draw a picture of a city with the cheese moon. We called our city "cheese city"; the city line looks kind of crooked because, we believed the cheese was one of those strong smelly french cheeses that we love so much. By the way, we weren't able to paint the space mice because Isabella didn't want to tell how they look. I believe she wants to keep them totally secret, so they can eat their cheese in peace. Anyway, I would let you know a secret, every night when she's sleeping I look out my window to see if I can get to see and join them to have some of that delicious treat.
The orchids is a drawing done on a gift given to my wife in her birthday by our good friends Mariana, Mini and Oscar while here during their visit. Surprisingly, the orchid is doing pretty well in spite of the heater and the lack of fresh air.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Drawing, painting and watercoloring
One of the advantages of the digital age is that the computer recreates the real World. The computer is a machine that emulates other machines and activities that we as humans have developed through our years of being.
Few years back, the darkroom was necessary to process our photographs; nowadays, the computer replaces the darkroom and all the processing is done digital. The same can be said about painting.
The image above was done using ArtRage and Photoshop; the idea was to emulate watercoloring. It is a very simple landscape that can be done in few minutes without having to worry about coloring our clothing. Can the digital experience replace the actual experience of drawing and painting in a real canvas? Probably not; however, still represents a proposition of mental health, if one can spend few minutes a day adventuring in the real world of virtual creation. Enjoy and salud!
Few years back, the darkroom was necessary to process our photographs; nowadays, the computer replaces the darkroom and all the processing is done digital. The same can be said about painting.
The image above was done using ArtRage and Photoshop; the idea was to emulate watercoloring. It is a very simple landscape that can be done in few minutes without having to worry about coloring our clothing. Can the digital experience replace the actual experience of drawing and painting in a real canvas? Probably not; however, still represents a proposition of mental health, if one can spend few minutes a day adventuring in the real world of virtual creation. Enjoy and salud!
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