Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Week 4, Fall and First Artifacts

The light is silver; hats and coats are on; it is Fall.

Course 391x gave its first artifact presentations this afternoon. I come away with my own hard lessons about technology in the classroom. A remote mouse is not a remote control. In a tech savvy millieu, correct vocabulary is paramount! But beyond that the information imparted from this great array of different reports about the ways the world wide web and technology based learning can assist people in need.

Technologies varied from recorded voice over video (I envied that choice), sound files, web pages, hand drawn icons in an interactive graphic, blog and a poster, all projected. The production was organized into themes: Cross-Cultural, Rural, Classroom, and with two unique focuses on elderly populations and sending disease and medical information through widgets. Every one of the topics was unique and presented valuable information. Moreover, each presenter knew the value of his/her efforts as usable information for the public. The event, in all, was moving and hopeful.

Arising out of this session of presentations was a recognition that many in our cohort desire further education in various forms of technology(web designer, Flash, Finalcut, etc) we are in the process of developing a means of training each other. Learning and teaching full circle. In addition, the assignment further deepened our knowledge of our cohort's individual concerns and has prompted a fresh exchange between us.


This fourth week started out with that classic university experience: encountering a professor who embodies the sort of worldly font of knowledge, excited to impart information of her speciality to an enquirer. Professor Patricia de Castieres not only allowed my early morning interruption but seemed to welcome it. She offered to send me all of the information to my email address--she opened her memory and made it digital--so much more than a good start. Three of us are setting out to do a piece of qualitative research on the influence of television and cinema on language learning. Prof. de Castieres and her assistants direct the activities at the French house, the common second language between the three of us. A person with a wonderful Greek name, Jean-Marie Apostolides, teaches a course in French cinema.

The group experience came to an impass today between myself and a dynamo 25 yr-old journalist working for the Wall Street Journal. We were meant to work together at two intervals today, and at both instances under pressure of time, we worked separately. And there was a coach there, but where was she? We are half of a team. Our entire team has a dynamic which is quite compelling. There are two male journalists--a Brit, and a young man who said he had a business voice when he was six-- a quiet Argentine young man, former investment banker and myself. I'm feeling the journalists' pull , seeing myself retreat into lionine/ feminine isolation. And the former banker in the MBA program, I'm not sure how he's feeling besides overwhelmed by a demanding program. We had been urged to meet socially on the weekend--none of them would have it.

I engaged with the graduate school of business on another level: at the first meeting of S356--and opportunity to team up with two MBA candidates and evaluate a business plan over the next two quarters. I pitched Screen 360 to offer the market-tested festival and potential for internet business to the ears of this world renowned school of business. Groups of four would receive coaching from veterans in the field most of whom are investors with venture capital firms. My application is in to find partners.

The danger here could be getting too involved in too many potentially good solutions. I am contemplating the relationship with the company or organization that provides my internship is entity to partner with entrepreneurially.

kk 10.14-10.19.09

No comments:

Post a Comment