Welcome to 13 Things @ Coe

Welcome to 13 Things @ Coe! This is our 12 week overview of what Web 2.0 is really about. Some of you have a good idea (you're probably tweeting about it right now!), but you're looking for some new insights. Some of you haven't got a clue and are sick of hearing all this techie gobbledygook! Whatever your reason for joining, I hope you gain a better understanding of how this concept is changing the way we work, play and even educate.

To set the stage, please watch the "Did You Know? (Shift Happens)" video below. This video is in it's 4th version, and was actually created by one of Iowa's own, Scott McLeod. Scott is a professor at Iowa State, and is a well-known professional in the world of educational technology. I subscribe to his "dangerously!irrelevant" blog. Check it out.




So, we know our students are coming in with cell phones, iPods, laptops, Facebook accounts and more. We understand they are inherently different than we are in their use of technology. They were born with a remote in their hands, and they've never experienced not being connected. Think about the year after you left your parents' home; whether it was to go to college, join the military, moving in with friends and getting a job...most of us did not have a 24-hour-a-day connection to our parents and to our high school peer group. Most of us were not able to punch a button or two and get turn by turn directions, with landmarks, to our new homes or the closest pizza delivery place. Most of us might have been lucky enough to have a phone conversation with a future dorm or bunk mate, but we certainly didn't have access to multiple photo albums, a history of daily quips and comments, and insight into his or her likes/dislikes and friends. Author Marc Prensky ("Digital Natives/Digital Immigrants") calls us immigrants into this land of technology. Our younger counterparts, the digital natives, have spoken the language (technology) from birth. We can learn it, we can even master it, but we'll always have an accent, because we are, of course immigrants.

Whether you buy that or not, one thing we can't deny is the effect these technologies have on the economy. Personally, you have probably invested in a cell phone and the accompanying service package. Perhaps you have cable TV and a cable modem at your house. How did you choose these products? The video below, Social Media Revolution, is based on a book called Socialnomics.



Now that we've got some background and insight, let's get started!

THING 1: Building Your Blog
You'll use your blog to record your discoveries as you progress through the 13 Things. I recommend you use Blogger*, a popular free online blog hosting service that is easy to use.


Create a blog using Blogger takes just three steps:

• Create an account. Use your Coe email address (or a personal email, it doesn't matter). The "Display Name" can be anything you want. How you choose to identify yourself on your blog is your choice. You can blog under a screen name, anonymously, or as yourself.
• Name your blog. Be creative.
  
• Select your template.
Once you've created your blog here are two important things to know:

• To add posts: the interface you will use to add posts, edit or change the set-up of your blog is accessed at http://www.blogger.com. Be sure to write down your login and password.
• To view your blog: Your blog address is http://(xxxx).blogspot.com (xxxx)=the unique identifier (name) you entered in Step 2. Be sure to also write down your blog address.
If you run into questions or would like more information about blogs and using Blogger, check out Blogger's Quick Tutorial (just follow the orange arrows to learn more). Discovery Exercise:
• Get your blog set up
• Add TWO posts (I know, this is a long one...the next Thing will be shorter, I promise!)
  a) Your first post: Write about anything you wish. You might explain why you are participating in 13 Things @ Coe, or about your previous experiences.
  b) Your second entry: Blog about what interests you about Web 2.0. Watch the above videos for inspiration.
• Email me (lstrosch@coe.edu) the name of your blog's address (for instance, this blog is coe13things@blogspot.com)
*Use of Blogger is only a recommendation. If there is another blog hosting site with which you are more comfortable, please feel free to use it.