Reflections on Session 4

There was a general consensus that Twitter was mindless chatter or it was a breach of security to the brink of stalking. Frankly, I sort of feel the same way. I've had a Twitter account for several months now and I don't really get it. I find it tedious to keep tweeting and I guess because I am not into texting on my cell. However, I do follow Rob Pegoraro, the techie columnist from the Washington Post, and has gotten some good info from him.

One concern I have with this close is that I suspect some of my students need to have an open mind about technology. Several of the students already decided that they hated Twitter even before trying this. This is dangerous. It's okay to be skeptical but one should be willing to accept new ideas even though it does not impact them directly. One example is FaceBook, where lots of folks thought it was a waste of time (and still do). But some folks found it to be a new communication channel so that they could talk to their kids or locate old pals.

So, please keep an open mind when investigating these technologies. You may end up having to manage them some day! :)



Reflections on Session 3

There were many interesting comments on Zillow, the focus of our last mini-project. The database behind the system reflects many issues facing other databases -- data integrity (accuracy) problems, interface issues and security/privacy concerns (should people know how many bathrooms I have?). It impacts people's professions sometimes for the better and sometimes not. Oh, the power of the database!

Reflections on Session 2

I am glad to see that we have an imaginative group of students in the class. The diary assignment projecting what's around in 10 years from now revealed that! Here are just a few of the creative thoughts that came up in previous classes:

Robotic maid
High tech forensics lab
Elementary school hackers
108-inch displays
Virtual stadium
Personalized home
Flights to Mars
Universal teleworking
Peeing robotic dog
Robotic barista
Voice recognition systems
Trips to Mars
Ear implanted cell phone chip
Iris scanning
Collision-avoiding car
Robotic arm
Tax criminal caught on camera
Smart house computer
Just-in-time grocery delivery
Lexus LX 850 Fuel Cell Car
Bullet trains
10 terabyte players
Robotic food delivery service
Amazon-Google merger
"Red tooth" power
Second Life FBI
All-electric SUVs
Thin clients finally arrive
Optical computer
UAVs
Robotic secretary
Video cell phone
Laser shower
GPS car-crash avoidance system
Waterless shower
Aero car
Health sensor (just like Bones)
DNA sampling
MP7
Touch TV Screen
Virtual assistant
Retina scan for authorization
Multi-purpose and secure PDA's
Smart kitchen
Holographic ads
Nano-bots
Instant video messagingFred the Robot
Voice Recognition Car
Holographic tables
10 Terabyte PDA's
Quantum servers
Integration across systems
All-Access Device
Wireless entertainment system
Wallpaper TV
Cloned bosses
Computer control by thought
Digital textbooks
GooHoo (Google + Yahoo)
Organic solar panels
Hyper-bikes
100 core processors
OLED
Auto dresser
Cyber-wife
Kitchen digital assistant
Wireless Base Launch
Imbedded RFID chips
3-D holograhics
20-core processor

One of my favorite sayings is "Imagination is more important than Knowledge." Reflect on that statement a few minutes because it is very profound. Without imagination, our society would not have advanced at all.

BTW, that saying came from Al...

P.S. Humor is also important!

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Reflections on Session 1

This class reflects a broad spectrum of backgrounds. I like classes like these -- you get a wide range of perspectives. I predict a very stimulating class this semester!

I noted that several students forgot to include the name of the student they are responding to. However, I feel that this is just a minor concern. Some students are probably questioning the 100-word minimum -- I have learned this requirement helps to ensure depth to the responses.

I hope students are applying critical thinking and analysis to the discussion question contributions. It's easy to copy and paste info, but graduate school is all about higher order thinking.

As for the blogs, it would be great to add a little more pizzazz with the addition of images, relevant links and (yes) even humor!



Looks like a terrific semester coming up!!!!



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