My son attends a school where MacBooks are required from grades 8-12, and students use many different assistive technology tools. I believe that 1:1 is great as a learning TOOL, but because students have their laptops with them all the time, there is no “down” time when they have to use their own initiative to think, dream, plan, create w/o a screen. He gets up and will open the laptop before breakfast to play, he will play or noodle around with his iTunes in the car on the way to school, on the way home from school, and every other time that kids used to be unplugged. He is not creating, he is consuming. It is a huge fight in our household.

What advice do you have for parents in dealing with this dark side-effect of a mandatory BYOL environment?

by One Laptop per Child

It's a good question and my first response is what is your school doing to help train parents on both their responsibility and management of technology that the school provides?

Here at ISB we do a couple of different things. We first have a mandatory meeting that at least one parent has to attend we run the same training three to four times at different time periods for parents. Of course the kids make them go as they want their laptops.

We also run a set of 5 courses called the ISB Technology Certificate for Parents. We've taken 100 parents through the program over the past two years. Now, not every parents will take it, but enough do and they talk to other parents and the message we give in the courses spreads through the community. Spreading an understanding of the use of the laptops and what parents can do to help support their children at home.

If a school is going to give every students a laptop, I feel, they have an obligation to not only train students but parents on good use of the technology.

My Advice For Parents:

Remember That You Are The Parent

When it comes to technology, many parents feel that they do not know enough to create limits and boundaries. Because of this they do not feel right taking the technology away. You are still the parent and in your house you make the rules. You have every right to take the computer away from your child if you feel they are not having enough "down time". I know one family that the whole family felt out of balance so they unplug the Internet in their house. So everyone has to be disconnected at the same time. They use this time to reconnect as a family and just have some 'down' time.

Create Family Rules

The #1 thing you can do is have a conversation with your child. I strongly encourage every family to sit down and talk about exactly the points you raise. Make family rules that everyone can live by. No computer before breakfast, no computer in the car while someone is driving, etc. These are good times to be disconnected and be together as a family. If the parents also abide by these family rules then there is buy-in from everyone. Everyone having to give it up is easier then "Why do I have to give it up but Dad can still check email on is iPhone?"

Homework Shouldn't Take Longer

"But mom, I'm doing my homework." What a great way to play on your computer and waste time. If your school gave 2 hours of homework before the 1:1 program, they're probably still only giving about 2 hours of homework after the 1:1 program. But students play this card a lot. Set a limit that you think is reasonable and if they don't finish their homework in that set time, then too bad they don't get their homework done. If they make the choice to use their time unwisely they pay the consequences. Learning to manage your time is a skill, especially in Middle School, that we all need to help teach students. The computer makes this harder, and also easier. We have parents e-mail or call teachers and let them know that their child did not finish their homework because they were playing around on their laptop. Teachers usually support this, the student gets a zero and usually a good talking to from the teacher. Sometimes if the problem persists, teachers will recommend after school detention or Saturday School as a consequence for not getting assignments done. It usually doesn't take long before kids get the message.

Are They Really Just Consuming

Many times we think kids playing video games or "messing around" on their computers is not a learning experience. Take the time to watch and ask yourself "What are they learning?". Creation with the laptop can sometimes be hard to spot. A great example is the game that is sweeping through our Middle School at the moment called Mindcraft. As far as games go these days, it is about as calm and creative as you are going to get. Basically you get to "build whatever you want" and I have to say I have seen our students build some pretty amazing things. Is it playing? Yes, with virtual legos. Creative? Absolutely. Future engineer? Very possible.

Conversation, Conversation, Conversation

Because you asked the question I know you're thinking about it and it worries you, which tells me you're a good parent. The best thing you can do is sit and have conversations with your child. Watch them play their games and ask them what they are doing. What do they think they are learning. Talk to them about how much time they spend on the computer and do they think it's healthy? Take an interest in what they are doing on the computer in their free time helps to open up a dialogue between you and your child about the technology. If they know you are interested then they are willing to listen more when you start asking questions about how much time they spend "connected".

We Still Know What's Best For Them

All the tech I took

Now, I'm one of the biggest technology pushers out there but even I value disconnected time. Last year on a high school trip the "tech guy" took away all the technology from the kids. 10th and 11th grades...made them turn in every piece of electronics they had. They hated me for about 2 hours and then magically it didn't matter anymore. You can read their reflections about the trip here and many of them reflect on just how connected they were and didn't realize it and what spending a week disconnected did for them.

Disconnecting Doesn't Always Mean No Technology

We still know what's best for them even if they don't think so. It's important to disconnect and as adults I think we have an obligation to help kids understand this. Disconnecting doesn't have to mean no technology. I love my Kindle for the simple fact all I can do is read on it. I disconnect every day when I go workout or for a run, yet I have my phone with me playing music or tracking my run via GPS. This is time disconnected yet technology still plays a supporting role. 

What other tips or advice do you have for parents who's children are in a 1:1 program?

(Contributions to this blog post were made by my wife Daneah Galloway, a National Certified School Counselor.)

When most people think of the flipped classroom model or reverse instruction, which ever term you like best, they automatically think videos, screencasts, and when you get down to it lecture based instruction.But that doesn’t have to be the case.

In fact every time I have helped a teacher flip their classroom in the high school it has never involved videos. Instead it involves students actively finding information, making sense of it, and then coming to class ready to discuss with the teacher what they have learned, what questions they have and, what it is they still don’t know/understand.

Currently I am working with a history teacher who came to me with some “really dry historical content” that he needed to cover in his 11th grade Thailand and Southeast Asia history class.

We discussed some options and settling on following a similar set-up that I used in a English classroom last year.

First we came up with an essential question to focus the students. That essential question will be the summative assessment in some form or another when we finish this unit.

The essential question: How does the past influence the present?

Next the teacher came up with sub-questions to help the students focus their research and transfer of knowledge.

• What is the relationship between the ‘modern’ and the ‘traditional’ in this time period?
• How was the Thai nation conceptualized or interpreted during this time period?
• That is, how was the notion of ‘Thai-ness’ or what it meant to be ‘Thai’ defined in this time period? Did it change over the course of this time period? If so, how and why?
• Analyze the evolution of social forces during the time period.
• For example, what is the relationship between the ‘old’ order and the ‘new’ order during this time period?
• How did different social forces try to make use of the machinery of the Thai nation-state during this time period in order to control or influence state power?
• What is the role of Western influence, both direct and indirect, within this time period? What is the Thai response to such influence?

by Sailing "Footprints: Real to Reel" (Ronn ashore)

For this specific unit the students are studying Thailand History (required class for all students in Thailand) from 1932 - Present.Next we listed the skills we wanted students to gain through this unit of study.

• Become better searchers of primary source documents and quality web sources
• Be able to post a blog post with media relevant to the content
• Be able to leave a quality comment on a blog

Then came the knowledge and understandings we wanted students to gain.

• Understand how the past influences present day politics in Thailand
• Understand Thailand's role globally through the years
• Know the role that Thailand plays in the global economy

Once we had those in place we set out to create the structure over the next two weeks. Both the teacher and I felt we were crunched for time as the student’s Global Citizen Week (all students leave on a week trip to global destinations) made for a natural break in learning. With that in mind, here’s what the class periods looked like:

Thurs - 1/26 1932 - 1948
Group A Blog Post due Saturday 6pm
Group B Prepare for Discussion on Monday 1/30

Monday - 1/30 1948 - 1972
Group B Blog Post due Wednesday 6pm
Group A Prepare for Discussion on Friday 2/3

Friday - 2/3 1972 - 1996
Group A Blog Post due Sunday 2pm
Group B Prepare for Discussion on Tuesday - 2/7

Tuesday - 2/7 1996 - Present
Group B Blog Post due Tuesday 9pm
Group A Prepare for Discussion on Thursday - 2/9

As we start week two of this flipped project the students are getting more comfortable with what is expected of them. It has been amazing the pushback we have received both from students and from parents on this flipped idea.

Students telling us they would rather listen to a lecture and powerpoint from the teacher then have to struggle through the mass of content out there to find the answer themselves.

Parents calling into question the idea that the teacher isn’t “teaching my child” and the frustration their child is having to “find the right answer.”

Both of these comments scare me....a lot!

Students who have come to expect that the answers will just be given to them in a lecture now complain when they are asked to find information on their own rather than having it spoon fed to them in 90 minute chunks.

Parents who still believe that learning in the high school should be teacher directed and test based and call into question any deviation of what they know “school” to be.

As an employee of my school I am very concerned about the notion of what good learning (not teaching) looks like in a world that is filled with information that is chaotic, messy, and ever growing. If I was an administrator at my school I would be concern if I wasn’t receiving more calls from parents telling me “the teacher isn’t teaching”.

Reverse instruction can look different in different classrooms. To often we see one good example and we assume it must be done that way when really it’s the idea that is important. How you decide to “farm out” the content discovery and knowledge accusation is up to you. The main thing to ask yourself is simple:

How do I structure my time so that I get the most out of our face to face interactions?

Complete Lesson Plan Outline Here

@jutecht Why did you select iPads for the primary and MacBook Pros for Middle and Hi? I'd love to hear your strategy! @cindybrock

— Bradford G. Saron (@bradfordgs) January 26, 2012

Now before I begin, let me state that I firmly believe a 1:1 (one computer per student) program no matter what the connected device (device connected to the Internet) is better than no 1:1 program at all. If a school can only afford an iPad for ever student then that’s the best choice.

However, many schools, especially here internationally and private schools in the states, have the option to buy either an iPad or a MacBook and for them I am recommending MacBooks for Middle School and High School 1:1 programs.

Consumption vs Creation

by umpcportal.com

At the end of the day the iPad is designed for the consumption of information. This is not the shift I’m looking for in education. Yes...you can create some things on the iPad but it doesn’t take long to max out the iPad's creative potential. I am not talking creating music, or taking a video. I’m talking the mashup of videos from different sources, the creation of music from different sources as well as the programs and apps I want students to be creating today.

Apple sees the iPad as a consumption device, and it does a really really good job of it, giving the consumer a beautiful interface to consume through. Apple’s latest announcement where they unveiled iBook Author I think just makes this point stronger. You create the textbook, or any book for that matter, on the computer and you consume the information on the iPad. As much as I want digital textbooks, what I really want is students to create their own books.

For middle school and high school students I want them creating sophisticated projects, I want them collaborating, like I’m doing today on a Google Doc using the built in chat feature. I want them making apps, videos, and music...not the kind that get a couple views, but the kind that go viral.

If you want to plan for the future

by torres21

Now if you really want to plan for the future, and by that I mean the next two years, then students should have both an iPad and a MacBook. I know one school who is looking at this option and I believe that’s the future.The iPad and tablets will are changing the way we consume information no doubt about it. We need to be preparing students to consume information that is digital, updated, and constantly changing.

We also want need creators and that’s where I love to focus my time. We do a really good job in schools have kids consume information, we don’t do a very good job of having them create new information out of what they are learning.

My Perfect School

I’ve been asked on several occasions what my perfect school looks like. Today as it stands in January 2012 this would be my perfect school.

PreK - 1st Grade: 1 iPad for every two students: iPads stay at school owned and managed by the school.

2 - 3rd Grade: 1:1 iPad program: Each student has their own iPad and iPads primarily stay at school and can be checked out by the parents to take home if need/wanted.

4th Grade: 1:1 iPad and 1:1 Laptop: The iPads are allowed to be taken home and are tied to a guardians account. The school purchases a set of “standard apps” anything above that is up to the parents. The laptops stay at school and can be checked out by the parents to take home if need/wanted.

5th Grade: 1:1 iPad and 1:1 Laptop: Same as 4th grade however the students at some point during the year gain the responsibility of taking both the iPad and the Laptop home. 5th Grade is a great time to do this because:

• In 5th grade students still only have one classroom teacher. This sense of classroom community is a great place to talk about responsibility and practice it.
• A good time to practice taking care of your devices before hitting middle school where students have 4 to 6 different classes in 4 to 6 different classrooms with 4 to 6 different teachers.
• Allow students to learn to organize their digital lives so they are not trying to figure this out at the same time they are learning a new “schooling” system of lockers, freedom and multiple classes.

6 -12th Grade: 1:1 iPad and 1:1 Laptop: Both devices become the sole responsibility of the student. The school loads a “standard” set of software on all devices and the students/parents are responsible for managing the rest.

Of course there are a lot of things “schooling” that would need to change too and trying to bring this into a school that already is established and has a history would be messy...very messy, which is why most administrators won’t attempt it.

But if I was starting a new school today....this would be the given and every parents would know from day one what we’ll be using and here’s what we would expect from the students and from the parents as their responsibility for learning.

No excuses, I haven't made the time to blog lately and find myself sitting here at 6am in the van on the way to school with a moment to reflect. 

What I've been up to:

School:

All of a sudden the last two weeks have been packed! Our school is hosting the regional basketball tournament and this year we're going to try and live stream the games as well as have students commentate them live. When you have 5 teams flying in from 5 different countries not everyone can travel with them, so streaming the sports has become almost expected by spectators back in their home countries to keep up with the action. We'll be live February 2,3,4 here in Bangkok and you can watch the games and see how we set this up using Ustream, Google Docs, and a blog here.

Also on the school front, I took advantage of the holiday season knowing that teachers were going to come back to school with new toys; iPhones, iPads, Android Phones and new computers. I saw an opportunity to provide some training to teachers around their own personal use of technology. We know that if you start using technology in your personal life where it's meaningful to you that those skills and understandings transfer over to your work life as well. Learning to take a video of your kids and e-mailing it to family is the same as taking a video of your students and e-mailing it to the parents. 

The after school sessions were the best attended sessions I've had so far this year even with the power going out during the Android training, we found an emergency light and carried on. 

People are hungry for information, especially when it relates directly to their personal lives....make trainning personal!

Ninja Program:

Logo for our T-Shirts @ ISB

The Google Apps Ninja Program that I started back in September and blogged about here has completely taken me by surprise. There are now over 150 educators who have access to the Google Docs. Seeing that there might be something here that I can support long term I decided to move all the files to their own Google Apps domain. So the Google Apps Ninja Program is now officially found at www.ninjaprogram.com the website isn't finished but after reading this blog post if you are interested in using the files and helping to keep them updated, fill out this form and I'll get you in. I'm excited to focus on this next year as one of my projects.

COETAIL Online Cohort:

As I blogged about here a couple weeks ago the COETAIL Online Cohort will be kicking off February 5th and I've been hard at work preparing for the almost 50 International Educators who have signed up to take the course. WOW is all I have to say about that! I was hoping for 25 (one full cohort) and have 42 people registered with the February 1st deadline just a few days away. If you're interested there are still a few spots left. 

Update: I did get clarification from Buffalo State - SUNY that Canadian Educators living in Canada are eligible to take the program.Basically any educator outside the U.S. is eligible to take the program (don't ask me why...some Higher Ed thing).

I'm looking forward to a great year of learning with these educators spread all over Africa, Asia and the Middle East. 

That's what has been keeping me busy these past few weeks. I'm finding myself in this weird place of starting project and preparing for all the things I want to do next year as a consultant and starter of cool stuff and the full time job I still have. It's leaving very little time to do much else....but I can't complain because I'm doing what I love! 

As the van pulls into school....let another day begin. 

View from our Condo

It has been 10 years since we lived in the States and we're excited to go back and reconnect with friends and family as well as live in our condo that we've renovated over the past two years. 

I'm still planning on consulting and working on projects that I've always wanted time to work on.

If you're looking for a consultant/presenter/speaker in the U.S. know that my flights just got a lot cheaper starting in June.

Seattle will be a great place to be based out of as I'm still only a 10 - 15 hour flight from Asia (Yes...I said only....if it's not over 20 hours it's not a long trip). Seattle has a great international airport and direct flights to most of America as well. I can't think of a better place to base myself out of; Close to family, friends, an International airport, and of course the Mariners! 

How long are we "coming home" for? That's a good question. If we look at the data that is my life.....

Since I graduated high school here's how long I've made it in any one place:

Numbers given in years:

2 - Community College
1 - Eastern Washington University
1 - Washington State University
1 - Spokane, WA
2 - Aberdeen, WA
3 - Yanbu, Saudi Arabia
3 - Shanghai, China
4 - Bangkok, Thailand
? - Seattle, WA 

I get itchy feet...plus you never know who will come calling or what "job" will look exciting when and where and have us moving again.

For now I'm excited to consult, speak, write, teach, work on projects that might come my way, and poke the box. 

Life's a journey and I'm just traveling it.

Recently Facebook launched the ability to allow people to subscribe to your Facebook Profile if you so choose to turn on the functionality. As an educator I don't think it is a good idea and I'm fearful of what this means if educators don't understand what the Subscribe function will do.Basically Subscribe will allow any Facebook User to follow you without you knowing it or your approval making it very easy for students to subscribe to their teacher's updates. Much like following someone on Twitter. 

Facebook also allows you to control who sees your updates...the problem is one small click and that update meant for family and friends becomes viewable to subscribers.

Also....it doesn't control all aspects of your profile. For example, if you change your profile picture everyone, friends, family, and subscribers see it. There is no way to have one profile picture for family and friend and another for those who subscribe to your updates. So that picture of you and the family on vacation, or you and your new born, or you at that party with Mr. Jones everyone now sees. 

Facebook Pages are still the way to go for educators. They are a completely separate site.....there is no cross over from a Facebook Page to a Facebook Profile allowing educators the ability to have their friends in one spot and their students in another keeping a safe separation between the two.

Just wanted to throw it out there and think before you turn on the subscribe option in Facebook.

You can look at my past year's predictions and decide for yourself if I am any good at it. 

2007: The Year of the Network (Can we say Twitter and Facebook)

2008: The Year of the “Live Web (Ustream.tv and other services take off)

2009: Bringing Social Learning to the Masses (Education goes deeper in understanding social connections)

2010: The Year of the Mobile Web (iPad, Android, iPhone do I need to say more?)

2011: The Year of the QR Code (These little buggers start showing up everywhere)

This coming year though I have a feeling we're not going to see a lot of new technologies but rather the integration of technologies and a continued move to the mobile platform. Much like 2009 we will go deeper into finding ways the technology that already exists can and will effect our lives and education.

Mobile:

This is an easy one to predict as everything is headed this way. I saw two rural village children last week here in Thailand (children who literally live in the middle of the forest on the Burma boarder) with smartphones. Make sure your blog and school website look good on mobile devices. There are all sorts of plugins out there to make sure they do so no excuses. It might be time to start tracking, if you aren't already, the mobile views to your blog, website, or school sites. Here at The Thinking Stick 15% of the traffic over the past year came from some sort of mobile device.  

Integration:

We have a lot of technologies that will continue to be integrated. Of course devices are leading the way. Android integrates with Google. Kindle Fire with Amazon. Nook Reader with Barnes & Noble. The devices integrate deeply with the content of those sites.

The next step in 2012 will be to integrate across platforms. The Kindle Reader is a good example as it's on every device it can possibly be on. 

We'll also continue to see integration across websites. Facebook and Google+ Integrating? Maybe. We'll see sites emerge that allow use to bring more things together in one place. More access, more information, more creation. The tools are out there now it's time to integrate them, pull them together all in one useful way. 

We'll see this within the home as well. In 2012 TVs and the Internet will finally merge and become the norm for new Television sets. You're phone or iPad will become a remote for the television and you'll be able to browse all sorts of media on that 54inch screen in your living room. None of this is new technology, it's all out there and it's already in use....we're just going to see it start to become mainstream in 2012. By next year this time it will be hard to find a TV without a built in WiFi connection.

The Chrome Browser will lead the integration way on the web

If I was predicting the future...wait.....I am. Then I'd predict that the Chrome Browser becomes the ultimate integration device. It runs online and offline apps, and can have deep integration into OS systems. I already spend a good 95% of my time in the Chrome browser and it's apps....and I think we're just beginning to see where this new browser based world is taking us. A couple of weeks ago Google announced that Chrome can now run web engines for video game makers so we'll soon be seeing video games in the browser as well. The more Google can have you play and work inside the browser the more the Google ChromeBook becomes an interesting mobile device. Keep your eye on Chrome and if you haven't converted your web browsing life there yet....it might be worth a try. Take the Chrome Browser in a years time and stick it on that WiFi enabled television and 2013 is looking pretty connected.

So that's it for 2012....we'll see things get faster, sleeker, and integrate more deeply. We'll continue to expect to be connected everywhere we go and expect our mobile speeds to be as fast as our home speeds. More "things" will become WiFi enabled; Cars, Appliances, toys, homes. All setting the stage for a not to distant future of a completely connected life.

Just about a year ago I predicted that 2011 would be the year of the QR Code. That we would see these little squares popping up everywhere especially in America as smartphone sells continue to climb. 

Looking back over the past year I've given quiet a few talks on QR Codes their power and scenarios for best us. When used propertly QR Codes can add value. When not used propertly they're just wasting space. 

QR Codes should be used to connect

something in the physical world

to something in the virtual world.

This is the phrase and idea I focus on when talking about QR Codes and where I believe their true power in connecting information lies. 

A great example and my most common use of QR Codes in society is when I am shopping. Last summer while helping my sister-in-law pick out a new refridgerator I was able to scan the QR Codes on each refridgerator at Best Buy get more detailed information about that product and customer reviews. The amount of information that I was given would never have fit on the refridgerator. It would have been covered in details. I was able to scan the 5 refrigerators she liked compare them side by side and help her make a choice. Linking something in the physical world (refridgerator) with something in the digital world (more information) in this case allowed me to be a better more informed buyer. 

QR Codes on a webpage is a no-no You don't see this as much as you did even 6 months ago. But QR Codes on webpages really just don't make sense. Linking something digital to something else digital is much easier with a hyperlink then it is with a QR Code. Plus many QR Readers have a hard time reading QR Codes that are on a computer screen. 

QR Codes on posters/billboards QR Codes on posters and billboards isn't a bad idea as long as you understand that you can't read a QR Code when you're moving in a vehicle. Which means they really only work on billboards that are focused on predestrian traffic. Also the farther away you are from the reader the bigger the QR Code needs to be, taking up valualbe space on a billboard.

Posters or advertisements can have QR Codes but it's important that the link takes the scanner to more information. Nothing drives me more nuts then scanning a QR Code to read more about a product while I'm walking through an airport to only be taken to a Facebook Page that I'm suppose to Like. 

When using QR Codes on posters or ads it's a good idea to keep two things in mind.

1. The QR Code is going to be read by a mobile device. Make sure the website/content you are taking the scanner to looks good on a mobile browser and different mobile devices.

2. Tell people where the QR Code is going to take them. A simple "Scan here for more detailed information about this product" or "Scan here to watch a video demonstartion" gives people a heads up about what they will be seeing after they scan the QR Code. 

QR Code Desktop Reader One major piece of the whole QR Code system that is still missing is a really good QR Code reader for laptops. Every laptop has a built in camera and there are free ones out there, but none that do a really good job that I have found. If you have one please let me know about it. 

Use in Education I still believe that QR Codes have some great uses in education. QR Codes on books in the library that link to book trailers, author websites, etc. are a fantastic idea. This very much fits the idea mentioned above about buying products. In this case the product is the book and the information will help inform the "buyer" about the book.

There are a lot of ways to use QR Codes in the classroom as long as students are allowed their mobile devices in the classroom as well. 

Remember that students will be reading QR Codes on mobile devices so view the material via a mobile device to see how it will look to students. Nothing worse then trying to read a full webpage on a Smartphone......really just painful.

The Future of QR Codes Keep in mind we're still in the very early stages of this technology and many people still don't understand how to even read them.....then again it took years before Twitter took off as a mainstream technology. They'll be around in the future and we'll continue to refine their use and find what their best use is for. Personally I'll keep playing with them and scanning them as I see them...as I find where they take me intersting...unless it's to your Facebook Page...then that's just frustrating.

See how they are starting to be used in Asia. 

Where Google+ is right now reminds me a lot of where we were with Twitter in 2007. A lot of people trying to figure out where it fits. I'm finding it facinating that many of the early adopters who joined Twitter "back in the day" like I did are the same people now who are saying "I don't get it." We didn't get Twitter at first either. Twitter's tagline never was "The most powerful Personal Learning Network (PLN) you'll create." or "Breaking News as it happens." but both of those could today very easily be the tagline to the way people use that tool. 

It took us a good year to figure out what and how Twitter could benefit us and in the end it had nothing to do with texting updates out to your friends....the real orignial purpose of the site. 

Google+ is not yet disrupting my Personal Learning Network but I'm using it more and more and trying to figure out, like many others, where this new social-network will fit among the others.

"I don't need one more network"

Funny thing is many people said that when Twitter came out as well....and yet it's now the foundation of many people's PLN because it was the main tool when they started their PLN. 

There's nothing to say that new teachers who are just wrapping their heads around the idea of a PLN won't start with Google+ and ignore Twitter. The problem is we're still figuring out how to use it and where it fits and I think Google is doing the same.

Here are my thoughts on Google+ thus far:

Disrupter
Google+ has already disrupted the social-networking space. Not long after its launch did Facebook revamp the way you can share with specific lists and lists themselves as a response to Google+. If other companies are that fast to respond it usually means you're doing something right.

Hangouts
In my opinion the best part of Google+ is Hangouts. The technology behind the video conferencing system seems to just work and works very well. Every Hangout I've been a part of has been crystal clear quality. I've actualy dropped Skype in favor of hangouts whenever possible.

Make Circles Purposeful
When I started my Google+ account I started setting it up much like Twitter. If you "Circled" me and you were in education I would Circle you back. I have since come to realize that Google+ is a different kind of network and I am now taking my time to create purposeful Circles that I can use when I either want to consume information or if I need to communicate quickly with my Gpeeps Circle (The name of my Google+ Circle of close PLN trusted friends).

Easy Sharing
Sharing of YouTube videos and everything else Google is simple and straight forward. I like that there is no limit to the length of an update (Facebook has recently changed their own length requirements due to this). Allowing some people to use Google+ like a blog.....an interesting experiment and we'll see how it goes. 

Pages
I've just started playing with the Google+ Pages as I created one for COETAIL. We'll see if these have any traction like Facebook Pages in the future. 

What do you like/don't like about Google+ so far?

Image Credit: http://www.norebbo.com

This morning I woke up at 4:30am to call my bank back in America to do a wire transfer for our Winter Trip to Tanzania (Hiking Kilimanjaro, a Safari, and Zanzabar...yeah....we're stoked!). I decided to use Google Talk via my Gmail account as I have become increasingly frustrated with the quality of Skype calls and I notice the other day my Google Voice account is now accessible here in Thailand. When I called my bank I let them know I was calling from Thailand, the bank assistant on the other end couldn't get over how clear the call was. "Are you really in Bangkok, cause this is clearer than most calls I get locally." There was no delay, no feedback....it was a crystal clear fantastic call.

Then at 7:30am this morning I had a Google Video Chat with some students in a Plymouth State University class (the same class I use to teach online and is now taught by one of the students I had in the program Kim Tufts). Again perfect audio and perfect video.

As I reflect I find that Google is slowly taking over most of my online life. There are already over 1000 people following me on Google+...by far the fastest professional network I've grown (more on Google+ changing my network later). 

Is this a good thing? I hear people say all the time "I don't like trusting one company with all my information". But don't we do this often?

Most of us only have one bank....we trust them with all our financial information.

Most of us only have one doctor....we turst them with all our medical records.

Most of us have a credit card....we trust them with our credit history.

I choose Google because it works and I trust them.

Am I a Google fan boy? Yes....I'll admit it...I love their products and there overall approach to innovation. They excel at "Failing Forward" and they're willing to fail in the name of progress and innovation.....and that excites me.

Here's a recap of my Google Life:

3 Active Google Apps Accounts: Personal, COETAIL, School

Professional Network: Google+

Voice over IP: Google Voice

Video Chat: Google Hangout/Gmail Chat

Phone: Android HTC Incredible S

Do I trust Google with all my information? 

Just as much as I trust Apple iTunes with my music, books, and podcasts and Amazon with my online purchase history. 

At the end of the day you have to trust someone....and to be honest I trust all of these companies more than I trust the hard drive in this computer, or the driver in the car next to me as I write this.

Until they fail me they've earned my trust.

Image Credit: Some rights reserved by Alain Bachellier