How is the future touching your life today?

Predicting the future is easy. It’s trying to figure what’s going on now that’s hard. - Fritz Dresser

Yesterday's post was a summary of two recent sets of predictions: The Horizon Report, 2009* and a Stephen's Tame the Web blog post, "Ten Trends and Technologies for 2009." I ended the post by stating that I find myself, both personally and professionally, already impacted by many of the technologies and social trends listed in these reports.

So here are some ways the future is already here in MY life...

1. Mobile computing: Personally, my iPod touch is my constant companion. Not since the laptop, has a communication device so changed how I get information and spend my time. Professionally, the district is experimenting with netbooks for check out and is looking a modifying its policies toward cell phones and other personally owned student technologies. Websites that allow cell phones to be used as response systems might kick the whole policy issue wide open.
2. "Ubiquity of the cloud": Personally, I've been wireless at home for many years and the lack of wireless is now the exception, not the rule, in hotels and conference sites. I personally use the cloud all the time - delicious, gmail, Flickr, wikis, Moxy file back up, etc. Professionally, the lack of wireless connectivity is now the exception rather than the rule in our school buildings as well. Will this be the year, due to budget cuts, the school starts taking advantage of both the cost savings and convenience of cloud-based tools like GoogleDocs? Is it time to move our e-mail and calendaring system to application service provider in the cloud, like we have already done with our data-mining and webhosting services?
3. Personalization: Personally, I have an iGoogle portal, customized news RSS feeds, a Facebook page and Twitter feed. Reluctantly. This year I am determined to find usefulness from social networking sites. Professionally, our parents and students both now have "portals" into our student information system that show calendars, newsletters, schedules, grades and assignments.
4. Changing role of IT: Professionally, The shift of my job as tech director continues to move from gizmos to human use. Like I say, my techs don't even let me touch the computers much anymore.
5. The Digital Lifestyle: Personally, I increasingly buy digital books and digital music. All my photography is taken, edited and shared digitally. I increasingly use VoIP (Skype). My guess is that this year I will buying digital movies. Professionally, in the new school we are planning nearly everything will be moving over Cat 6 ethernet once inside the building - data, voice, video, bells, PA, security cameras, you name it. And of course, video streaming and electonic databases will supplemented by e-books to a greater extent than ever.

While Stephen's makes passing reference to privacy in his post, I personally see a related area that will get the spotlight this year: 

Awareness of one's digital reputation: I believe we all, students and staff alike, are growing more aware of the digital "foot prints" we are leaving across the Internet - and it is something we need to continue to emphasize in our Interent safety curriculum. From what I read, students are being more cautious about what they post and who they friend. I personally do "reputation monitoring" using RSS feeds of searches in delicious, Twitter and Google of my name, my blog and my school district.

So, How is the future touching your life today?

*Joyce Valenza also posted her reaction to this publication yesterday on The NeverEnding Search. (What do I say about great minds?) Well worth reading.

Comments

[teacherninja]

Why are you "determined to find usefulness in social networking sites?"

I deleted my Facebook page and couldn't be happier to have one less thing to check. I'm in contact with the people I want to be in contact with and have many easier ways of communicating with them than Facebook. I'm on Twitter, but also reluctantly. So far I don't see the point (and since it's blocked in my school I don't get much time on it). I can see more ways it would be useful than Facebook, but so far not for me. We'll see. But I consider my time too valuable to jump on every online bandwagon just because it's there.

But yes, I dig my wireless Mac, my iPod and my personalized web and love love love all the so-called "cloud" applications like Buzzword and Goggle Apps.

Thanks.

[Doug Johnson]

Hi Jim,

A good question. I guess I am trying to understand the attraction to such sites demonstrated by kids. I don’t really think it is an attempt to turn back the clock, but to get a handle on a new way of looking at the world.

Just an old dog trying to learn a new trick and not very successfully.

All the best,

Doug