09 autumn reporter 1-20 - Franklin College
09 autumn reporter 1-20 - Franklin College
09 autumn reporter 1-20 - Franklin College
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Higher education seems to be the front<br />
line of the change simply because we now<br />
have students entering into college who<br />
can’t remember life before the Internet,<br />
and they’re being taught by instructors<br />
who are still, on the whole, trying to<br />
acclimate to the technology’s influence<br />
on the way we learn and socialize. I’ve<br />
been fortunate enough to straddle that<br />
divide and find ways for instructors to<br />
embrace and understand technology while<br />
also encouraging the next generation<br />
to be responsible and productive with<br />
their tools.<br />
FC: Who was your most influential FC<br />
professor and why?<br />
English professor Kathy Carlson. She<br />
taught me everything from how to knit,<br />
to how to learn, to how to survive away<br />
from home. She is an incredible teacher<br />
for so many reasons, and I still strive to be<br />
as good as she is.<br />
FC: One of the topics you lecture on is<br />
Second Life. Why are you a proponent?<br />
(Second Life is a 3D virtual world where<br />
users can socialize, connect and create<br />
using voice and text to chat.)<br />
I’m a proponent of student-centered<br />
learning and of learning experiences that<br />
put focus on the learner rather than the<br />
teacher; the old “guide on the side” rather<br />
than “sage on the stage” idea.<br />
FC: In what ways can the mainstream<br />
benefit from participating in Second Life?<br />
Second Life is a really creative space full<br />
of interesting people doing interesting<br />
things. It’s certainly not a tool for everyone,<br />
but if you’re a creative type you’ll<br />
find a lot to hold your interest.<br />
Right now, in the current economic<br />
crisis, places like Second Life are more<br />
important than ever for business because<br />
virtual worlds offer an alternative to<br />
expensive travel. You can be “with” your<br />
colleagues without ever boarding a flight.<br />
And more than video conferencing, in<br />
Second Life you can simulate business<br />
situations, conduct international focus<br />
groups and even have a little fun while<br />
you work.<br />
FC: What are the biggest misconceptions<br />
people have about social media?<br />
That it’s just too hard to learn unless<br />
you’re young. I can’t tell you how many<br />
people have told me, “I’m too old to<br />
learn this stuff.” I just don’t accept that<br />
excuse.<br />
The other misconception is that social<br />
media tools somehow change the way we<br />
think. There’s no new human behavior<br />
here. People have always networked,<br />
shared information, looked for new<br />
friends, passed notes. Now we just do it on<br />
“Don’t be afraid. You can’t break the Internet so jump in and try<br />
something. Create a Facebook account or try out Twitter.<br />
You’ll be amazed how useful it all can be.” — Sarah Smith-Robbins ’96<br />
Facebook, with text messages on our<br />
phones and by writing blogs.<br />
FC: How does your <strong>Franklin</strong> <strong>College</strong><br />
liberal arts background help in your<br />
career?<br />
I think one of my best strengths is my<br />
fast, creative problem-solving. No matter<br />
whom I’m talking to, I’m able to understand<br />
their concerns and interests and<br />
provide insights into their issues. I simply<br />
wouldn’t be able to think this way if I had<br />
only a narrow education. My liberal arts<br />
background means that I spent a lot of my<br />
undergrad program learning how to learn<br />
and learning how to adapt to new ideas.<br />
FC: Of all the tech gadgets you own, which<br />
is your favorite?<br />
My iPhone, by far. It’s not only a great<br />
phone, but it’s practically replaced my<br />
laptop. I love how flexible it is. If I need a<br />
new tool (calculator, language translator<br />
or level to balance a shelf), I can just<br />
download an app. Plus, it’s a great social<br />
tool that helps me connect to other<br />
people, no matter where I am.<br />
FC: What gets you most excited about<br />
technology?<br />
I’m most excited by technologies that<br />
bring people together: games, mobile and<br />
social networks, all of the tools that allow<br />
us to communicate with one another<br />
efficiently in new ways.<br />
Currently, I’m most interested in<br />
augmented reality, ways to overlay data in<br />
physical spaces such as augmented maps<br />
with friends’ restaurant recommendations<br />
that signal when I’m near the the right<br />
place or a camera overlay that gives me<br />
historical information about an important<br />
building while I pan across it with my<br />
phone. Rather than being stuck at a desk<br />
to use these tools, they’re in my pocket,<br />
in context to the spaces I’m in and the<br />
people who are around me.<br />
FC: What are three easy things anyone<br />
can try today to become more tech savvy?<br />
1. Don’t be afraid. You can’t break<br />
the Internet; jump in and try something.<br />
Create a Facebook account or try out<br />
Twitter. You’ll be amazed how useful it<br />
all can be.<br />
2. Find a technology that is actually<br />
useful to you. Whether it’s a new phone, a<br />
GPS in your car, an instant messaging tool<br />
that makes it easy to talk to coworkers . . .<br />
find a tool that makes your day easier or<br />
more interesting. Match the technology to<br />
your lifestyle rather than the other way<br />
around.<br />
3. Talk to people around you about the<br />
technology that they use. Whether it’s<br />
your kid, your boss or a student, find out<br />
what tools people you know are using and<br />
what they like about them. It’s a great<br />
place to start.<br />
WWW.FRANKLINCOLLEGE.EDU AUTUMN <strong>20</strong><strong>09</strong> 61