Dottie, my favorite technology futurist, provides a great deal of insight into what others, especially educators, are doing on the web. One of the neat things I saw today made me realize that kids are learning to manage knowledge in new ways, even as they do their school work.
This site http://wiki.woodward.edu/hannalee/doku.php?id=hannalee
has been created by a Woodward Academy educator as a space for a book report. Yet, when you review the contents and organizational structure, you see it is all about managing knowledge. Dottie wanted me to review the site to look at how the cluster map works. The cluster map tells the kids who is viewing their site from all around the world. Can you imagine how much fun it is for a child to see that someone in Asia or Africa or China is interested in reading what they have written? It is a small world.
Yet when I saw this site I also realized that if you translate the organizational structure to knowledge to be shared inside an organization, there are great similarities. The structure is clean, simple, and well considered. Never stop looking at what is being done by those around us, young or old, in academia, profit or not for profit organizations, in entertainment or just for the enjoyment of the individual posting. There is much to learn simply by considering how people are thinking when organizing information to share. In this case, the example is very positive. In some cases, we learn from negative examples and from what does not work. The important thing is to keep learning.
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label education. Show all posts
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Monday, March 12, 2007
A History Teacher's View of KM
Meeting Dottie, the technology futurist I mentioned earlier, has heightened my curiosity about how schools are using technology to help kids learn to manage knowledge. In my wanderings I found the following site:www.ahistoryteacher.com/wordpress
Well worth the read my friends. Discussions of wikis, social networking and the like are intertwined with thoughts about what kids are really learning, and why. We, as future employers of these young students, need to know how their minds work and their approach to learning, to sharing and to the world.
Some of my clients express fear of the future, fear of not knowing how to work with this young population. I imagine that to be a normal reaction, one each generation has had. Even as students are now gaining experience with technologies we only dreamed of, we can use that same technology to help us get to know them. Start with this blog. I think you'll be quite impressed.
Well worth the read my friends. Discussions of wikis, social networking and the like are intertwined with thoughts about what kids are really learning, and why. We, as future employers of these young students, need to know how their minds work and their approach to learning, to sharing and to the world.
Some of my clients express fear of the future, fear of not knowing how to work with this young population. I imagine that to be a normal reaction, one each generation has had. Even as students are now gaining experience with technologies we only dreamed of, we can use that same technology to help us get to know them. Start with this blog. I think you'll be quite impressed.
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
New Technology and Managing Knowledge
I've recently made a very smart move. I included in my organizational network a 'technology futurist'. What in the world is that? In our case, Dottie looks at the technologies, trends and ways of thinking currently considered and used by various educational systems. She concentrates (for her University, her K-12 clients, and for us) on those technologies and trends which will impact what the workplace needs to look like going forward. Dottie is affiliated with the higher eductational system and works as a technology liason between the K-12 system and a major East Coast University. A perfect background for understanding what the kids of today will want and need for in the workplace of the future.
Just last night we had a conversation about the impact of 'centers of knowledge'-- areas in where the most educated might congregate and how that will impact talent acquistion and retention in more remote areas. Of course we discussed what impact technology might have on allowing people to work remotely, facilitating remote collaboration and learning and even in bringing the eductational and cultural events desired to those who live in areas far flung from big city hubs.
The conversations are stimulating and interesting, but more then that they are critical. In my work I feel comfortable helping people develop processes to capture and transfer knowledge of retiring workers and to transfer that knowledge across generational and cultural boundaries. But, am I helping my clients prepare for the fast approaching workplace of the future? No, not without the input of someone like Dottie.
I need, (actually we all need), to be preparing for a workplace in 5-10 years that is much different then we now have. What does that look like? Technologically linked most certainly. Even small businesses may be more global in nature as the supply chain is contiually broadened. I don't know yet what it all entails but what I do know is that part of my job is to understand and to help you at least consider....stay tuned. The future is coming. Let's discuss.
Just last night we had a conversation about the impact of 'centers of knowledge'-- areas in where the most educated might congregate and how that will impact talent acquistion and retention in more remote areas. Of course we discussed what impact technology might have on allowing people to work remotely, facilitating remote collaboration and learning and even in bringing the eductational and cultural events desired to those who live in areas far flung from big city hubs.
The conversations are stimulating and interesting, but more then that they are critical. In my work I feel comfortable helping people develop processes to capture and transfer knowledge of retiring workers and to transfer that knowledge across generational and cultural boundaries. But, am I helping my clients prepare for the fast approaching workplace of the future? No, not without the input of someone like Dottie.
I need, (actually we all need), to be preparing for a workplace in 5-10 years that is much different then we now have. What does that look like? Technologically linked most certainly. Even small businesses may be more global in nature as the supply chain is contiually broadened. I don't know yet what it all entails but what I do know is that part of my job is to understand and to help you at least consider....stay tuned. The future is coming. Let's discuss.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)