Saturday, October 07, 2006
Hearing the world whisper in my ear.
Around 7 PM tonight, I plugged my blue-tooth earpiece in my left ear, grabbed my Motorola cell phone and headed out to my truck for a trip across town to my favorite super electronics store. As soon as I was in the truck, I clicked on Global Learn Day 10, which I had pre-coded into the phone. I muted my side and got in the telephone conference room right away (it's weekend here, and all my cell phone calls on weekends are free). I immediately heard John Hibbs soothing voice telling me that we were about to set sail on a journey around the globe. Over the next 24 hours, John and his merry band of creative educators and thinkers from all parts of the globe would dazzle us with the electronic teaching trinkets of modern times.
So while I am prowling the incredibly crowded aisles of a huge electronic store looking for wi-fi ports, in my ear I am listening to John instruct Bob Zwick (who in actuallity is only about 30 minutes away from where I stand) to play a tape that was recorded a few days ago, of a conversatation between Vint Cerf and Sir John Daniels, two of the real pioneers of our profession. It was recorded because one of them was currently in flight and would have been unable to participate. As I view the stocked shelves of wireless routers and receivers, I am listening to these two living legends discuss things like wiring the third world and the digital divide. The folks around me have no idea what kind of abundancy we are standing among. In fact, it is almost shocking to me to realize how fortunate I am to be able to listen to this conversation and search for electronic parts at the same time. By the time I reach the check out line, Stephen Downes was discussing the interviews with John. I wanted to turne to people and ask them if they had any idea of what I was listening to on my cell phone. I didn't because I didn't want to have to explain it, and I really didn't think most of them cared or would even understand...we take so much of the world for granted.
So driving home in the clear Texas night with a big bright moon, I am thinking about how wonderful my life is. And about how today, John Hibbs and the folks at the Franklin Institute made it just a little bit better.
(after note: at about Midnight, I had to get out again - it's along story) and by now the folks from India are on talking about distance learning and the different meanings of currency. It strikes me, that in terms of this new meaning of currency (up-to-the-moment), John and all those listening are truly wealthy.
Note: The entire GLD 10 is archived.
So while I am prowling the incredibly crowded aisles of a huge electronic store looking for wi-fi ports, in my ear I am listening to John instruct Bob Zwick (who in actuallity is only about 30 minutes away from where I stand) to play a tape that was recorded a few days ago, of a conversatation between Vint Cerf and Sir John Daniels, two of the real pioneers of our profession. It was recorded because one of them was currently in flight and would have been unable to participate. As I view the stocked shelves of wireless routers and receivers, I am listening to these two living legends discuss things like wiring the third world and the digital divide. The folks around me have no idea what kind of abundancy we are standing among. In fact, it is almost shocking to me to realize how fortunate I am to be able to listen to this conversation and search for electronic parts at the same time. By the time I reach the check out line, Stephen Downes was discussing the interviews with John. I wanted to turne to people and ask them if they had any idea of what I was listening to on my cell phone. I didn't because I didn't want to have to explain it, and I really didn't think most of them cared or would even understand...we take so much of the world for granted.
So driving home in the clear Texas night with a big bright moon, I am thinking about how wonderful my life is. And about how today, John Hibbs and the folks at the Franklin Institute made it just a little bit better.
(after note: at about Midnight, I had to get out again - it's along story) and by now the folks from India are on talking about distance learning and the different meanings of currency. It strikes me, that in terms of this new meaning of currency (up-to-the-moment), John and all those listening are truly wealthy.
Note: The entire GLD 10 is archived.
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