Nine Shift

Why faculty can't save time

What do you think about this idea about why faculty can't save time?

The most requested topic of the year for faculty was how to save time, so we did an online conference on it this month. We had 300 participants from 88 institutions, a big success.

But it occured to me half-way through that faculty cannot save time, because much of the profession is based on the wrong but popular belief among Baby Boomers that "work" (homework, essays, projects, etc.) equals learning. 

In this century, learners cannot afford (money or time-wise) to spend valuable time in vasts amount of study.  They can only afford to learn it, and move on.  There's simply too much to learn, a more complex world, and the necessity to base one's action on outcomes and results.

So faculty create work for students, the more work the better.  And now have started complaining when that work bounces back at them, requiring them to do more work than ever.  Solution: focus on measuring learning, not behavior.  Your thoughts?

The relationship between 9-11 and increased voluntarism

Zero. Nada. No relationship.

Since 2001, voluntarism has doubled, according to Peace Corps, AmeriCorp/Vista officials, and others (Yeah, praise the Lord!).  "I do think that recent world events have heightened awareness among college students and their desire to do good," says Elisa Clapp, vice president of recruitment at Teach for America in a recent USA Today article.  Wrong! There's no relationship between the increasing numbers of volunteers among Gen Y kids and 9-11.  Here's why:  1. Kids are not volunteering to fight Al Qaeda, they are volunteering to help others, more a pre-post Katrina response than 9-11.  As Elizabeth Jones, former corporate banker age 26, told USA Today, "There's a lot of need in this world, and it wasn't doing anything in my heart to help make the rich people be richer."  2. JFK's assassination was a signal event for Baby Boomers, but they/we started volunteering much before then, turned on by JFK's life, not his death.  3. Gen Y has long been seen as positive and more social oriented.  4. 2001 was the first year the oldest Gen Yers turned 20.  You can't join Peace Corps when you're only ten!   Bottom line: Gen Y is volunteering more, is more socially conscious, and that's great.  But it has nothing to do with 9-11. Take a clue from Ms. Jones, it has more to do with the great imbalance of weath in society (and a number of other social conditions). Nice job kids! Keep it up.

Fun financial fact

"The average American has an income of about $40,000 a year and has a personal savings rate of zero. The average Chinese earns around $1,500 per year but has personal savings of 23 percent of his income - and is lending a large chunk of these savings, via the People's Bank of China, to the average American."  from New York Times Magazine, Sunday, June 11, 2006.

So we're buying our homes, cars and credit card purchases with someone's money from China.
Got any thoughts on trade imbalance, deficit, amount of U.S. owned by China and Japan?

iPod pitchers connect 19th and 21st centuries

Baseball was our national pasttime in the agrarian age of the 19th century.
So finding iPod pitchers is another sign NineShift is happening all over.

From a recent New York Times article, "Three hours before a start against Florida, Colorado Rockies pitcher Jason Jennings sat in front of his locker, put his headphones on and stared at his video iPod.

The Rockies video staff had downloaded footage of every Marlins hitter into his iPod, and Jennings was studying how to pitch to them.  He watched frames of himself delivering the pitch, followed by the result of the play.  Everything else was edited out."

(Thanks to Greg Marsello, NineShift Senior Sports Advocate, and president of his local Brett Favre Fan Club.)

BBC rents virtual island for concerts

The BBC is so cool. rad. awesome. sweet. swell...
While old-fashioned American newscasters like Jim Lehrer and Ben Bradley try to defend their declining media, the BBC pushes ahead into the 21st century.

Last year the BBC was the first to report on a kid who bought a virtual island in an online game.
Last month the BBC rented a virtual island in Second Life, where it will hold live and virtual concerts.

The advantage of using Second Life is that the concert goers (their avatars) can interact with each other. They will also feature unsigned bands and use their virtual concerts to spot new talent.