Thanks Google

Say that everyone has been talking about that television show. Your friends. Your coworkers. That friendly neighbor lady. You want to know more about it. Correction: You need to know more. So, you go to your desktop computer. You go to your laptop. You go to your iPad. You go to your phone. Wherever you are you get to the Internet and get to that Google.

This looks interesting. Thanks Google.




Say the show looks interesting enough you want to watch it. I mean now. Maybe the whole series in fact.

Thanks Netflix Instant.

Say you're in the middle of episode 3 and a new character comes in. That guy looks really familiar. Really. What have I seen him in? I know I've seen him in something.

Thanks IMDB.

Say you are intrigued and want to know more about this actor. Why did he get started acting so young? And what went on in the 80s?

Thanks Wikipedia.

Say it's an hour later and you've stopped your show and are down the Wikipedia rabbit hole now listening to the radio. Say a song comes on that you are really liking, but who is that? What's it called?

Thanks MPR's The Current playlist.

And now you're realizing you need to be somewhere. Out in the world. What bus should you take from your house to that location?

Thanks MetroTransit Trip Planner.

And you're waiting for the bus. When is it coming?

Thanks MetroTransit NexTrip.

And you want to see what where you're going looks like for real. You want to see the cross street. You want to email your friend you're almost there. You want to search for the menu. You got there and ate and now you want to email yourself a picture of that tasty bruschetta. Thanks Google.

Say you want to share that bruschetta on your Pinterest. You do. People like it. They really like it.

Thanks the Internet.

Maybe things on the Internet help you. You can share them here. Thanks blog comments. Thanks social media 2.0. Thanks to the tubes and wires, the signals, calls, and marches. Thanks to everyone who puts these answers to my questions on the Internet and makes it work. It's good when it works.

Infographics

I have been sitting in on the conference committee this year, which has been great fun. We did a huge brain dump of all of our session and keynote presenter ideas, and one of the committee members turned me on to Kevin Quealy, a Minnesota native who does infographics for the NY Times. I'm obsessed with his work.

His animations and static graphics bring information to life. This graphic on Olympic long jumpers uses everyday comparisons that most of us can relate to, such as the length of the free-throw line on a basketball court.

At a glance, we can see how people spend their time--and click on 18 different variations of the data.

And this is cool: Who goes to State Dinners, from what industries, and how many times?

One thing you don't see here? Lengthy copy with various font sizes, masquerading as "infographic." (Google "view our infographic" for more like these.)

How do you share information without text?

Design thinking: A new egg carton?

Welcoming spring with this innovative egg box design by a University of West Hungary student.

The redesigned carton is made of cardboard and a rubber band. It's flexible and environmentally friendly.

Think it will make it to the supermarket?

Encouraging Workplace Innovation

It is easy to get caught up in the daily grind, which leaves little time to evaluate how
inefficient we have become. I think it is time we all take a step back
and think about how we can be more innovative in both our personal and
professional lives.



This article "Three ideas for encouraging workplace innovation" might help you kick-start innovations in your work. There is no better time than now, right?

http://www.arenasolutions.com/blog/post/workplace-innovation

Go for the Maroon and Gold: Training Tip

Ever been put on the spot to produce a great idea...? And, realized that your creative juices were not flowing? Drumming up creativity can be a tricky thing, especially if when you get stuck on these hang ups (http://www.copyblogger.com/mental-blocks-creative-thinking/).

That's why it's important to put aside some time during your week to exercise your creative muscles.... starting with this: 29 ways to stay creative (http://vimeo.com/24302498).

Also, don't forget the UMCF annual conference is coming up July 26!  And, we're pleased to announce that Beth Perro-Jarvis and Mary Van Note, Partners of Ginger Consulting, will be leading a session on creativity.

P.S. Check out this cool story about Ginger Consulting on Star Tribune (http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/148329235.html).

Technology and Communicating With Students

This article from UW Milwaukee caught my eye because my friend's sweet son is in the lead photo.

Technologies help students pass to head of the class

But as I read, I was stunned by this statement:

"Summarizing a recent study from Ball State University, UWM First
Year Center Director Ericca Pollack says 30 percent of students
regularly use email, while 97 percent use some form of text messaging." [Emphasis is mine]

Am I super old-school because I still email? Can I even connect with students today without texting?

UW-Milwaukee's students are meeting with advisers via Skype and taking virtual field trips online. Some of our Forum members work in student services and classroom technology; what do you think of this piece? How have you changed the way you communicate with students over the past few years? How has the classroom changed? Please share your comments.

Mobile, Mobile, Mobile

The current issue of EDUCAUSE Review highlights mobile technology within the realm of higher education. It includes articles on e-books, iPads, websites, devices, and change.

Even if talk about developing for mobile devices might be what you hear all day long, the future of technology is not about specific devices. It's more about enabling change in communication structures and empowering people. This reminds me of what Meghan Wilker and Nancy Lyons suggested to the MinneWebCon audience on Monday: taking down cubicle walls does not change workplace culture -- people do.

Meghan and Nancy will also be presenting at the Communicators Forum "Making Our Case" conference on May 12. Check out their Geek Girls Guide.