It might just be an entrance exam for my PLN (-:, but I think that the items below might collectively “measure” something.  In social science terms, we would say that the items below comprise a scale (i.e. they collectively assess a construct).  So, I need a name for this scale/construct.  Help? (NOTE: I know there are other items that could be included, but I do want to aim for some level of parsimony.  If there are items you think absolutely should be included, I’m open to suggestions.  I could probably use a 10th question to get to a “Top 10″ list of sorts…):

1.  Do you actively maintain a blog?
2.  Have you ever contributed to a wiki?
3.  Have you ever created a podcast?
4.  Do you currently use an RSS reader/aggregator?
5.  Do you have a Twitter account that you use?
6.  Do you have a Skype account that you use?
7.  Are you currently a member of any Ning networks?
8.  Have you read any of the following books?

• The World is Flat (Thomas Friedman)
• Everything is Miscellaneous (David Weinberger)
• Here Comes Everybody (Clay Shirky)
• The Children’s Machine (Seymour Papert)

9.  Have you ever seen the following videos?

• Did you Know? 2.0 (Karl Fisch and Scott McLeod)
• Digital kids @ Analog Schools (Marco Torres)
• A Vision of Students Today (Michael Wesch)
• Creativity (Sir Ken Robinson’s TED talk)

Tags: measurement, PLN

On the lighter side (figuratively, not at all literally)…

I had some great eating experiences while in San Antonio for NECC.  It all started Friday night when I told Scott McLeod that I was hoping that the hotel’s continental breakfast would involve my favorite flip-over self-serve waffle irons.  Well, Saturday morning we learned that not only was there an iron, but there were 8 (eight!) of them.  Better yet, Texas shaped waffles!  Does it get any better than this?:

I went out to dinner two nights in a row at the same restaurant, Zuni Grille.  The food there is excellent, so I had no problem going back-to-back.  Saturday night I got to chat with Wes Fryer at length, along with Kevin Honeycutt, Joyce Valenza and others.  It was great to spend time with Wes, in particular, since he’s been networking, learning, teaching for quite a while.  I consider him to be one of the early movers (forefathers?) in the blog/Twitter/Ustream/Learning 2.o network.  Not to be outdone, on Sunday night I got to sit next to Vick “CoolCatTeacher” Davis.  I also consider Vicki to be a real pioneer and a hub within my PLN.  Julie Lindsay was there as well, and I really admire what she and Vicki are doing with the Flat Classroom project.  Thus, I guess you can say that my learning entered hybrid mode this week as I added the f-2-f component.

Sunday night at Zuni brought with it one of the funnier moments of the weekend.  A number of us were VERY hungry (and a bit cranky).  The people at the table behind us arrived after us but were receiving their complimentary chips and salsa before us.  Somehow, the New Yorker in me slipped out and I loudly inquired, “Hey, where are our chips.”  The server, to his credit, quickly responded, “NO SOUP FOR YOU!”  It was witty, funny, etc.  We appropriately dubbed him the Chip Nazi and then took the picture below.  That’s me using my NY sharpened elbow on him.

Good times at NECC.

Tags: food, necc08, necc2008, network, PLN

There’s an interesting story (free registration required) in the New York Times about professors who blog and engage in other forms of Web 2.0-ness.  I think the MtvU exec. makes the best point when he says that it’s about transparency.  I’ve also espoused transparency as an orientation to my own work, and I think blogging is a natural extention of that for me. 

What I think the NYT article misses though is any discussion about teaching or learning.  Specifically, the edublogosphere has become my personal learning space and those who feed me (in RSS terms) and who I follow on Twitter are my personal learning network.  I blog because I believe (maybe mistakenly?) that I have something to offer this learning space and because I believe I am somewhat obligated to give and not just take.  Also, by making my thoughts and ideas “public,” I’m inviting others to join my PLN. 

If I can get past the tenure hurdle, I’d love to embark on an empirical journey around this notion of collaborative/digital learning.  I’d like to know how PLN’s jive with theories of learning, community, etc.  I’d like to know how we can foster PLNs in doctoral education.  I’d like to know how we can use PLNs to advance school leadership.  So, I guess that’s why I blog, tweet, comment, etc.  I’m learning about learning.

Tags: blogs, leadership, learning, PLN, transparency