Blogging
The world is obviously changing, but SJSU doesn't seem to be getting it.
Blogging
Take blogging and internet technology for example. Right now, I'm sitting on the 8th floor of MLK Jr. Library, typing on my labtop computer. I'm looking down and watching people on the bus go by - taking pictures with my webcam that I carry along with me pretty much all the time.
I have instant access to a plethera of information in the form of google, lexusnexus, factiva, wikipedia... oh ya, and the library books next to me!
Now how many classes have I taken which emphasis the use of these tools, which I guarentee are the future of all enterprises? Two... and I'm a junior.
Get with It, Stupid!
Instanteous communication has to be adopted by mainstream education (ahemm, SJSU), to save it from itself!
Podcasting entire classes that take little hands-on teaching can free up space for more classes, which means you can hire more teachers and attract more $tudents.
Think of that - affordable education that is time convenient for everyone... woah (Keanu Reeves, eat your heart out)!
Imagine a school that allows single mothers to download class lectures at night and watch them at their leisure - interact with other students on Usenet (Google Groups for those of you not familiar with Usenet ), and blog about their frustrations or confusion in a way that teachers can respond as their schedules see fit!
I hope that I haven't blown your mind yet; you haven't seen nutin' yet.
Email programs like Gmail Notifier could then be used to alert students when they have new messages. Programs even exist that alert people by phone when they have email, so the students would really have no excuse for checking their messages.
image from Google.com
WTF SJSU, LOL, J/K... N/M, You'll Get It Eventually, Hopefully.
The greatest obstacle to this is, as Dr. Stephen Greene, a teacher of journalism at SJSU is found of saying, is the faculty!
As I'm typing this on the internet right now, I realize that I'm probably preaching to the choir, but teachers need to get with it. The fear of learning or using new technologies is an ignorance that should not and cannot be accepted at any institute of learning.
How are students supposed to learn the skills they will need for tomorrow if their professors don't know what happening or how to use the skills of today ?
Slow Don't Chief
Obviously their has been some progress made in this area (the labtop project comes to mind, and the Econ Department's use of Aplia), but more has to be done, and fast.
Other schools that are training students to compete with SJSU students are not being so timid.
image taken from Aplia.com
MIT has lectures posted online for everyone to see, with fascinating links and interactive material that challenges students to learn and expand their minds.
Saint Anselm College, as well as a growing number of others, use programs such as Blackboard to compliment classroom lecture time.
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