Interesting article about how data and technology can impact and influence healthcare: How Data Will Impact the Future of Healthcare (Infographic)

Not too long ago, I transitioned into the world of non-profits.  Recently joining an organization to help support and manage the transition towards upgrading its online presence, updating its digital media solutions to showcase and highlight its projects and research, and providing a more integrated network to meet its many operational, communication, and strategic needs, has introduced me to an area of technology that is focused on the non-profit world.

How one approaches not only their web design, but also how they reach out to their target audience (or constituents) is very different.  A non-profit’s brand is closely intertwined with its identity, and in turn, its identity – what it does, what it stands for and represents, what it creates and produces, what it defends – speak directly to a certain group of individuals.  And it is these individuals who will provide the kinds of brand-building, presence-developing, and ultimately, fund-raising, that most, if not all non-profits depend on.

The ownership of ones’ brand is extremely important, but in some respects, I find that the need to truly own one’s identity, to truly identify what one actually does and specifically, provides and offers, is of particular significant to a non-profit organization.

Certainly, it is increasingly easier and cheaper to spread the world about non-profits.  The lack of resources (both personnel and monetary) are no longer barriers that are insurmountable.  Twitter and its kind (twitpic)

An example of using YouTube to support non-profits (it’s a dated video, but I think still relevant):

I’ll elaborate more about how digital media (and all its fun, related aspects such as online marketing and campaigns, community building, etc.) come into play as non-profits seek to expand their networks, fundraising capabilities, and brand presence.  For the time being, I’ve listed some information here that could be a helpful start.

Useful links:

NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network

Wild Apricot: a non-profit technology blog

Big Duck: communications for non-profits blog

Mobile Active: global network of non-profits applying mobile tech to serve their needs (this is definitely something I’m very interested in exploring)

It doesn’t surprise me that universities and other institutions of higher education are pursuing strategies and projects to bring the courses, curriculum, and programs from their on-campus settings to the Internet.  As someone who has engaged in on-line learning – taking credited courses in topics such as cognition and ethics in educational technology – I’m not surprised by this topic, but it is certainly interested to see not only how and where online learning stand in higher ed, but that may mean for other areas of learning (e.g. corporate training).

Perhaps, though, it challenges some current perceptions of higher education (and education, in general) and the sorts of practices that both learners and instructors/teachers/other educational professionals engage and participate.  I remember the perplexity and confusion that rose from M.I.T.’s announcement of their Open CourseWare project.  The thought of posting curriculum and courses for free, enabling individuals from all over the world to access content and information from such a prestigious and arguably, exclusive, institution – what does that mean?  Would people even bother to pay and physically attend a college anymore?  Obviously, this project has not made M.I.T. seem any less desirable for thousands of prospective students each year, but it does bring up some interesting considerations.

Still, how does the Internet and open learning impact, influence, and inform the kinds of ideas we have on learning, information and knowledge acquisition, and content creation?  In a broader, perhaps more far-reaching scale, how does this entire process impact the lives and livelihoods from social and economic perspective?  I’m only in the beginning of this conversation, but I welcome the opportunity to probe further at how the changes in the educational arena will, can, and are currently impacting our world.

Additional info: here

A recent article describing how today’s children, having been immersed so deeply with an environment filled with incredible advancements in technology, brings to mind memories of my own childhood experiences of play.  Surrounded by influences of environment, education, and parental guidance, paired with a child’s individual personality and interests, I am reminded of the sort of spirited pursuits of adventure of yesteryear.  There was this inventive curiosity and carefree exploration that seemed to percolate through childhood.  Think about how almost anything could be turned into a toy.  Think about the look of complete wonder on a child’s face when they see a colorful object, a stuffed animal, heck, even a pencil.

Learning the English alphabet with today's technologies

There’s been research probing the role of technology among today’s children and young adults.  What does it mean to have grown up during a time where there was always a cell phone and the Internet?  Moreover, how has the inclusion and use these technologies and games, as well, inform the practices, actions, thought processes, and assumptions that both children and adults make?

At some point, it stopped.  Suddenly, there was all this so-called grown-up concern of things called feasibility, practicality, marketability, and profitability.  How do we address all those things, but still come up with innovative products, tools, and services that achieve these market and profit-driven goals while simultaneously embracing a sense of marvel and open possibility.

I’m reminded of lab experiments conducted during physics classes that involved working with slinkies and using plastic toys and coins (purchased at one of those 99 cent stores) as props for constructing projects.  In graduate school, non-digital game prototypes developed in game design classes stretched my imagination how to use seemingly rudimentary and ordinary items to create and simulate a play experience.  Perhaps as our society continues its rapid and constant transformation and evolution, making use of these sorts of imaginative and creative processes that we seem to situate only in childhood, could play a larger role in how we think about technology – its function and role – in our lives.

An example of applying open source technology, crowdsourcing, and mobile devices to support the dissemination of information, communication networks, and crisis management in emergency and disaster situations.  It’s inspiring to learn about the organization, Ushahidi (a Swahili word that means, “testimony,”) and the global network of individuals working to provide the tools, technologies, and accessibility for instant information and testimonial on major changes (politics, natural disasters, etc.) that are occurring around the world.

What Ushahidi is about:

This PBS Frontline program examines the role of digital media and technology on our present-day society. As someone who engages, designs, builds, and uses these things, it’s interesting and informative to think more critically about what all these technological advances mean for our society, our relationships, and our own being.

This documentary was broadcasted last night, but if you missed it, you can still watch the program (divided into chapters) on the program’s website.

Trailer:

Something right up my alley. The Institute for the Future’s Health Horizons Program published a report on the current state and future of mobile health.

Booting Up for Mobile Health is a well-written and informative paper on how the elements of mobility among populations, mobile technologies, and health care.   How do we rethink our current practices of healthcare and health information accessibility?  What are some solutions and implementation we can go about with our current tool set of software and hardware to address the healthcare needs of a mobile society?

Today, a group of computer programmers, web developers, and other technology folks are pooling knowledge and efforts to see how technology can help in the rebuilding of Haiti: Techies to help Haiti. It’s an interesting idea and I think it’s great to start exploring different ways many the skills and tools that are sometimes taken for granted (accessing satellite imagery and maps via Google Maps and Google Earth to creating online communication networks for relief workers and survivors) could help Haiti.

And while much can be said that these sort of technology discussions could have taken place sooner and more importantly, their ideas implemented before the earthquake, I think it’s inspiring to see how many folks are trying to pool their knowledge and skills to help Haiti in this disaster.  Let us keep thinking, keep trying, and keep helping so many in such need right now in Haiti.

Indeed, the first few days of a new year bring about the sentiments of nostalgia, the creation of to-do lists, and the general musings of a seemingly endless possibilities of what could be.  I, myself, admit to being guilty of this and will thereby follow with some of these thoughts.

Not too long ago, exhaustion, frazzled hair, and sleep deprivation were my partners in crime as I researched, scribbled, designed, prototyped, and groaned and growled my way to completing my master’s thesis while tinkering away on the computer at my full-time job.  Now, somewhat more coherent and awake, I’m hit with this antsy, fidgety urge to embark on another journey or project.  Since my undergraduate days at NYU, I’ve always seemed a bit strangely wired to want to learn new things.  This has involved a dabble in film-making (a documentary course taken at the School of Visual Arts), which has resulted an incomplete documentary on food, but still offered useful skills I applied while working on a project interviewing SMEs (subject matter experts) on an educational website.

This seemingly strange desire to learn (and yes, for the most part, I actually liked school!), I think about the subjects that I seek out to learn, how I learn, and in what capacity I can actually learn what I want to learn.  There’s been growth in investigating and even employing neuroscience research into understanding how humans learn and thereby, designing ways to maximize learning experiences.

A recent NY Times article points to this quest towards understanding how the adult brain can learn.  One of the professors interviewed the article mentioned that, “a richer form of learning may require that you ‘bump up against people and ideas’ that are different.”  This seems to suggest that perhaps a way to engage in a deeper level of learning is to have the knowledge and information you presently have been challenged; as if, this confrontation will charge up the neural networks and get you to perhaps think more critically and openly to what you already and what you may not know.

I kind of like that concept.  It reminds me of political talk shows where you have individuals of extremely different viewpoints come together to discuss a particularly controversial topic.  Usually, though, it becomes less about learning from the opposition’s viewpoint and more of a screaming match.

Anyhow, I’m on a quest to learn something new and embark on a new challenge this year.  I think I’ve had enough time to recover from being a part-time graduate student and full-time web producer.  There was an interesting course on information design from SVA, but I’m thinking that maybe it’s time to try something that I have no familiarity with.  Like taking jewelry-making classes, or trying my hand in trapeze.  As in anything, you can learn something from whatever you do or encounter.  I might find out that I’m extremely terrible at both of these things, but hey, at least I try…and I might end up with some interesting tales that I can reminisce about next year!

Some interesting items to share:

Looking forward to learning about the most recent design, development, and implementation forays in serious games at the upcoming Games Before Entertainment Week conference this May.  I’m excited to see what kinds of new ideas have been developed and worked in the fields of serious and mobile games (or both together).

Seeing the next move in design and computer technology with tablets, including: iSlate, and how it relates with the goals and ambitions of the One Laptop per Child project

So, after reading a NY Times article about how people are doing their holiday shopping with their phones, I was inspired to think and stroll down memory’s lane.

My interest in the potential and possibilities of mobile technology for learning (or mobile learning) started when I headed to graduate school to study instructional technology.  There was all this interest whirling through the ivory towers about the use of phones in developing nations, how business and learning were being conducted, and then came the big iPhone landing.  I followed this part of my research paper for my thesis.  Unfortunately, there were no classes on mobile learning until I graduated, woe for me…  When I graduated this spring, a new introductory course on mobile learning was being introduced to the summer semester.  Alas, one does not need to be confined in a formal education setting to engage in learning (hence, an idea of mobile learning), so I’m poking around to learn more about the field on my own.

I’ve been trying to follow the posts and updates made on Mobile Active.  A lot of interesting folks coming up with innovative, beneficial ways to use mobile devices for positive change.  Think of mobile devices to record medical data, to support business transactions, to find directions, or to learn a new language.  All the possibilities contained in a compact, portable device.  I attempted to build a simple nutrition game for the Flash Lite Player; and this first attempt (not particularly successful, but at least resulted in a major learning curve towards ActionScript 3.0 and thinking about educational game development), highlighted both the frustrations and potential of designing and constructing learning experiences for a small, hand-held device.  Maybe when I finally get this mini-game to actually function as I want it to, I’ll post it.

This topic of mobile learning warrants a separate and more in depth posting, but here is a useful introduction and overview of the types of devices and environments that can be used for mobile learning: Are You Ready for Mobile Learning?