This gets my vote as the most outrageous and infuriating post I've ever read on this list. The idea that this person has the ear of any of our legislators, is frightening, at least from my perspective.
At this juncture, in our state and our country, we must all refrain from hanging our hats on "the next thing", and start to make use of the wonderful technologies that are already in place.
The Space Shuttle will soon be retired. Many of you on this list may recall an old computer called the DEC PDP 11, from the days before PCs. Big monstro machines that used 9-Track reel to reel tape to load programs. Did you know that these computers are still on the Space Shuttle? Why haven't they yanked them out and replaced them with say, Mac minis? Imagine how much weight that would save? Well, if only it were that simple. The Shuttle is a complex, integrated system, and obviously, you can't just swap out old parts for new without affecting thousands of other sub-systems, which is why they still fly, at least for one more year with the good old PDP 11. NASA calls it locking in the technology.
New Mexico has settled on WebCT/Blackboard. Like the shuttle, it is a system. You can't just yank it out and plug in something new, and flip a switch. I do not work with, or for IDEAL, but several of my colleagues are involved and what I like best about their approach is that they seem to understand the concept of locking in the technology and moving forward.
I have a unique perspective as I have been responsible for producing audio and video that is used in UNM's online courses, and have been involved in video compression since 1996. I can make the biggest and most beautiful video and deliver it in less kbps than anyone I know. I also graduated from Reserve High School, so I can relate to the testimonials from students like the one in Capitan who was able to take a French course through WebCT. Unless you've been there, you can't appreciate how much that means to a rural student with a thirst for knowledge. You also can't appreciate what it would be like to live in an area where you are never going to get higher bandwidth than 33.6 kbps on a 56k modem.
These rural students will never see Second Life unless they travel to a city, nor will they ever have rich, interactive video, yet here's a student learning French in Capitan! And if you think these rural students aren't important, just ask the Chief Justice of the New Mexico Supreme Court who, like me, graduated from Reserve.
From where I sit, IDEAL has come through will a realistic plan that is just starting to take off, to really make an impact, and along comes this person, (lobbyist?), with a whole lot of buzzwords and catch phrases, to drop a turd in the punchbowl and talk of mothballing IDEAL just as it's about to really take flight.
I'm very proud to work for UNM and my department, New Media & Extended Learning, which is involved with the IDEAL project. I'd like to make a couple of points about our department. First, we make money. It's true. Second, every idea and approach in our department is held to a single standard. Does this facilitate learning?
For example, I live for video. I love shooting video. I love editing video. I REALLY love compressing and encoding video. However, many times audio is simply superior. In many situations audio commands more attention and is a better vehicle to FACILITATE LEARNING. Knowing how to use the simple tools in the right situation is the key, and if you follow that approach, you will save money as a natural side effect.
Or you can listen to folks like Ms.O'Dean, who seem to think that someday Qwest will actually do what they promised, (see my earlier rant on the TelCom Act of 1996), and students in Capitan and Mora will be playing in Second Life! As Qwest used to say, Ride the Light! Well I'm not drinking the kool-aid or riding the light, and I can prove it. I just had a colonoscopy and my doctor assured me that she didn't find a single ray of sunshine.
I take such umbrage because I work with and have met many of the people who are working on IDEAL all around the state and they are conscientious, decent, and extremely hard working folks who are facilitating learning, not talking about it; they are doing it and it is working right now today.
Don't take my word for it though, just go to Ms. O'Dean's web links, both for her company and the work she's doing in Second Life and that should tell you all you need to know.
Now I may have been a little brutal, but there are a few million dollars involved and the future of education in New Mexico, however just so you know that I'm not completely hard hearted, I would like to say that like Ms. O'Dean, I too am a big fan of pointless inspiring catch phrases, and I have created one that is a personal favorite, and I would like to give it to Ms. O'Dean to use on her website. It's a real beauty:
Forging Dreams through Collaboration...
That will really impress the next legislator, and hopefully for all our sakes, that legislator will be doing his or her business in one of the other 49 states that is not New Mexico.
Mark McKee
Multimedia Development Specialist
Course Development Group
New Media & Extended Learning
The University of New Mexico
505-277-0691
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, March 05, 2009 3:31 PM
Subject: [MISP] SB670 3D WIKI ACADEMIES FOR LIFELONG LEARNERS
***This is a MISP Listserv message. Responses are sent to the list by default.*** ***For more info about MISP and the listserv, scroll to the bottom of the page*** * TO ALL MISP MEMBERS:
The NM Senate Education Committee unanimously passed SB670 3D ACADEMIES FOR LIFELONG LEARNERS on Friday, February 27th. As a radical reform, and disruptive innovation, SB670 offers NM Lifelong Learners three-dimensional, open-source, WIKI FACILITIES/ACADEMIES—Aerospace, Energy, Health Care and Narrative (film & digital media).
Now comes the challenging part of informing and convincing the Senate Finance Committee to fund the SB670 $6 million appropriation from the NMPED Public School Reform Lockbox (balance of 31.6 million) for NM Lifelong Learners to the NM Higher Education Department. SB670 should be on agenda of the Senate Finance Committee in the coming days. Please continue to check the SFC calendar for confirmation of the SB670 SFC Hearing date and time. As key NM education and economic stakeholders, we would appreciate your continued support at the SB670 Senate Finance Committee hearing. Please take two minutes to email the Senators of the Senate Finance Committee today and ask for their support for SB670. Let them know how important this is to Lifelong Learners throughout New Mexico and to our EDUCONOMY.
The EDUCONOMY is a vision for a 21st century future for our communities by strengthening our families … our schools … our communities … our environment … and our ability to attract new business and create jobs….With the new EDUCONOMY, we will build and invest in social capital – people – ensuring quality of life for all New Mexicans proving that bold policy must be backed by action, innovation, and investment. A shared vision of an EDUCONOMY is what will build and sustain New Mexico's economy, quality of life, security and international standing well into the future. LT. GOVERNOR DENISH 2007 INAUGURAL ADDRESS
THE CHALLENGE: GT3 and its expert witnesses, as well as NM education and economic stakeholders will document and dispute the Fiscal Impact Report (FIR). SB670 DOESN'T DUPLICATE IDEAL/CYPBER ACADEMY---IT WILL MOTHBALL IT!!! The IDEAL/CYBER ACADEMY with its Blackboard Learning Management System is an outmoded, expensive and ineffective system—it was the first e-learning innovation wave that is being replaced by a tsunami of 3D immersive virtual reality and virtual worlds in which there are now over 300 million users and is growing exponentially daily.
A growing majority of educational institutions have abandoned Blackboard or are in the process of transitioning to open-source learning management systems and 3D Virtual Worlds such as Second Life and Teen Second Life. Even though NMPED is proclaiming CYBER ACADEMY success with an increasing enrollment of NM high school students—over 700— we as stakeholders need to our due diligence and ask critical questions such as:
· Why did San Juan College--one of the original colleges using WebCT/Blackboard and the original founder of NM Virtual College/IDEAL— opt-out of IDEAL/CYBER ACADEMY?
· What are the real reasons that IDEAL/CYBER ACADEMY Executive Director, Dr. Tim Snyder, resigned?
· Why are NM taxpayers having to pay the multi-million dollar licensing fee of Blackboard Learning Management and online course costs when other states and districts are accessing open-source online courses at no or reduced cost to the taxpayer?
· Why are the actual and IDEAL/CYBER ACADEMY student learning outcomes and documented results of student learning experience evaluations by an independent evaluation source?
· What other alternative online programs and 3D virtual worlds are being accessed and/or developed by NM Secondary and Post Secondary institutions?
· Why isn't NM adopting the MIT and other major university open-source online learning model—where learners can take online courses for free, although learners will not receive credit for the courses unless you are a registered student?
Thank you for your continued interest and committed support. Please contact Jeanne O'Dean if you have questions regarding SB670.
--
Best Regards,
Jeanne O'Dean
President, Global Telesis 3, LLC
www.globaltelesis3.com
Founder, Universal Telesis 6 Institute
www.ut6.edu (under development in SL )
P: 505.216.9336
C: 914.589.5606
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