The Big Things That Make Me Go Hmmm...

These days, I have a lot on my mind. These are the daily observations and vicissitudes of life and they all make me go hmmm...

Then there are the larger issue and events and it's some of those that are the focus of this post. Impossible to list them all due to time and space, but the ones that follows are certainly front of mind right now. I suspect that this will be a regular post with some issues and events staying on the list and others fading away into history or a small dark corner of my mind.

I have a lot of interests, personal and academic. This blog is mostly for those things of personal interest that make me go hmmm... For the academic interests, most of them can be found on my professional blog Thoughts from the Field on my consulting Web site Birch Hollow Consulting. But just to be contrary today, I'm going to list them all to get started. I will cross post when I want to share all of those hmmms...

So let's start with those big things that are personally making me go hmmm...

• Climate Change - as I look out my office window on to a verdant front lawn on the 19th of January, I have what we are in for weather wise and its associated impacts and costs. We're supposed to get our first real snowfall of the winter tomorrow (10-15 cm forecasted), while globally the weather over the last few months (and years) has gone wild - droughts, floods, atmospheric rivers, weather bombs - Mother Nature is isn't going to take it anymore The socioeconomic, political, infrastructure and human cost are massive and will continue to be. Grocery stores here have signs apologizing for a lack of produce due to weather and food security is an issue for many - and that's in the First World!
• Healthcare - the system isn't working the way the we want it to and fundamental change is needed. Efforts are being made but they have to be apolitical and focussed on results. The amazing frontline health workers provide incredible care in a system that sometimes seems to work against them. More to say on this too.
• U.S. Politics - Why did it take 15 rounds of voting to elect a Speaker of the House who had to sell his political soul to get the job?  Why is a congressman who seems incapable of telling any truth still holding his seat? Why are debunked conspiracy theorists holding positions of power?  Why isn't the former president (you know who I mean) not in jail? If they don't sort themselves fairly quickly and focus on their job, settle on a debt ceiling and budget that is not based on revenge, then the lights will be going out all over the World.
• War in Ukraine - geopolitics is indeed a murky place most days, but this is cut and dry - Russia has invaded a sovereign nation regardless of past history and connections.  The World has an obligation to do all it can to correct this wrong. All it takes for Evil to prosper is... 

 I don't want to write a tome today, so here are my current academic interests:

• Appreciative Inquiry - in my doctoral work focussed on organizational change and culture I used an Appreciative Inquiry approach to develop models for change. I like AI as it focuses on the positive and what it working well and stops organizations from getting bogged down in the bad. David Cooperrider is the father of AI and it is worth taking a look at his research.
• Artificial Intelligence - There's been a lot of talk about applications such as ChatGPT and how they are going to ruin education by letting students  easily cheat.  The advent of AIs like ChatGPT are an opportunity for a change in learning and assessment and really look forward to exploring the opportunities further. Plus the fact that two of my interests both have the same acronym is enough to make any one go hmmm...
• Competency- Based Learning - has been a passion of mine for years. By developing learning environments focussing on competencies and what students need and allowing them to learn and demonstrate skills and knowledge directly, is for me the best way to learn. A lot of work for educators but a better learning experience for students. I'll definitely be writing more on this and possibly even on how all three of my academic interests might come together.

So there we are. Hmmm...

Image from http://clipart-library.com/

The Night The Lights Went On In Georgia

It has always fascinated me that in many ways US politics carries more importance outside of the country than in it. Many of us spend more time following it than the politics of our own countries. This has become particularly true with Donald Trump's arrival and persistance on the scene. What will he say next, what will he do next, will he or won't he be found guilty of something and how could anyone vote for him, although those that have and do must have reasons valid to them (hopefully).

It appears though that Trump's star and influence may be fading - the Democrats did better than expected in the midterm elections this year and most of his endorsed candidates lost. More importantly many of the down ballot candidates who could have had great influence on the 2024 election cycle also lost and a greater sense of democracy seems to have taken over for now.

This is never more true than in Georgia - Senator Raphael Warnock defeated Herschel Walker to retain his Senate seat. It took a runoff, again. Senator Warnock has been involved in 5 campaigns over the last few years - primary, election, runoff, election and runoff. He must is one of the most experienced campaigners today. Even give that experience, his victory over Mr. Walker was not a foregone conclusion. The election night map showed the urban (democrats)/rural (GOP) divide that seems to becoming the norm in politics not just in the US but in a lot of places.

The fact that it was so close is another example of why much of US politics makes folks go hmmm... Even GOP members and pundits questioned Herschel Walker's suitability as a senate candidate  and he did little during the campaign(s) to refute their concerns, yet he forced a runoff and came close to winning. I do feel sorry for him given the treatment he received form the media and how he was abandoned by the man who endorsed him in the first place. A future risk, given how candidates are treated, will be finding good people to run. 

The end result though was the lights did come on in Georgia, the Democrats hold a clear majority in the Senate and they are on much more stable ground heading into 2024. For no this bodes better for all of us. The fact is US politics has global scope and influence that are inescapable.

US politics will continue to daze and confuse and remain a concern of the World. Here's hoping they get it right for all of us...

(With apologies to Vicki Lawrence)

Image by macrovector on Freepik

A New Year - Endings, Beginnings, and Other Things...

Here we are at the beginning of another year - out with the old, in with the new, a time to look back and to look forward at what's going to be.

It's nice to be back back writing and a quick look back at 2015 tells me it was  pretty good year, everyone happy and healthy and despite an ever increasingly crazy and angry World, my corner of it is pretty good, happy, warm, and safe.

The biggest event for me from the past year was our federal election in October - with the majority win of the Trudeau-led Liberals bringing fresh air and vitality into the political scene, I feel more Canadian than I have in years. The previous Harper government was doing its utmost to create an American presidency in Canada and thankfully they didn't succeed. Interestingly enough with the defeat of the provincial Conservative government in Newfoundland and Labrador by the Liberals, there is now not one single conservative government at the provincial level (although the Saskatchewan Party and premier Brad Wall are definitely conservative in philosophy) - the broom swept well. It will be interesting to see where Canada is at the end of 2016...

As 2016 unfolds I'm looking forward to less of a Winter than last year (not sure it can get worse - there can't be that much snow left!!), better organizing my time to do things - read, blog, exercise and be happy :-) (these aren't resolutions, but an attempt to be better at doing what makes me happy). I want to spend more time with my dog Max, who is such an amazing, loving, giving animal and deserves that from me, with close friends and family, and all in all focus on enjoying life!!

Here are some of the other events that I'll be watching in 2016:

• The presidential election in the US - election night is 8 November, my birthday - not sure if that is a present or not - feels more like watching the decline of the American Empire - specially if Donald Trump is a legitimate candidate...
• Summer Olympics in Brazil - maybe the last big Olympics? Venues not finished or scaled back, and enough pollution to be a serious health hazard - I hope it goes well and all are safe
• Chaos in the World - refugees, terrorism, ISIL, will be interesting to see where we are at the end of the year - all I know is that the World is fundamentally changed

And then there is the biggest event of the year, my 60th birthday - bring on those senior discounts!!

Hmmmm...

It IS The Web 2.0 Adminsitration...

Much has been made of how President Obama used social networking and other Web 2.0 tools in his election campaign. Now is appears that some of the Web 2.0 savvy has spilled over into his administration. The U.S. State Department is using several tools to keep people up to date on what it is up to. Good to see a government that for many years was almost technology-phobic embracing the tools and technologies that will let it effectively communicate with large parts of the world. Even the White House Web site has been spruced up, complete with its own blog feed.

The US State Department is on Twitter, has a YouTube channel, and a blog. If you want to follow Hillary's travels, there is an interactive map.

It IS so the 2.0 administration...

(Image - US State Department Web site banner)

A Perspective On The US Election

I've become a fairly interested bystander in the US election process - as a Canadian I obviously cannot vote, but the impact of a US presidential race is felt world wide. The airwaves, Internet, and blogosphere are full of information on who is leading, where, why, and how.

A friend of mine pointed me to Perspctv, a polling tracking site. I've added their widget to my blog, so you can come here to follow along, or head to Perspctv to keep up on where things are. Looks like an interesting campaign that's going down to the wire. Whoever wins, the impact will be felt world wide, for better or for worse. Let's just hope it's for the better...

The Dog Days Of Summer And Other Things That Make Me Go Hmmm...

Here are a few miscellaneous items that have been piling up here - thought it was about time to get them posted:

• How has it been that two months have gone by since my last post? Where did July and August go? I know I put them here somewhere. Hmmm...
• Why is it when you take three weeks vacation in the summer you get only three or four days of sunny weather, and your first week back to work is a cloudless, sunny heat wave? Hmmm...
• How did I manage to get through the Spring allergy-free, yet the last two weeks I've been swallowing Claritin and snorting Flonase? Must be global warming. Hmmm...
• The Beijing Olympics were a great spectacle and a success by most measures, a real indicator of the power of China when it puts its mind to something (please pay attention everyone). Has too high a bar been set for future Olympics? Hmmm...
• Hurricane Gustav is just about to slam into New Orleans, bringing back to mind the tragedy that was Katrina. Why is it that people stayed? I'm all about roots, and home, and family, but why live in a place where it appears every few years you run the risk of drowning or at least getting wiped out? When will enough be enough? Hmmm...
• As someone on the outside looking in (and realizing the impact of the result on all of us), what's with the American political process? Last wek at the Democratic National Convention, the CNN talking heads (I think that's a new career path) were upset that ther convention wasn't mean enough and no one was called names - isn't it enough that it takes over two years to settle and election that here in Canada we settle in 30 days? Stop keeping the world waiting - the stress is too much. Hmmm...
• The Republican party has hammered Obama for the longest time over his lack of experience and then selects a running mate for John McCain that a little over two years ago (about the time this campaign started) was the mayor of a small town in Alaska. You can't have it both ways. Hmmm...
• Time to get back into a regular blogging schedule. Seems easier to do when I'm busy. Hmmm...
  
• Why do they call it the Dog Days of Summer anyway? Hmmm...

(Photo - Harvey the Boxer - by Frosted Peppercorn)

History Happened And I Watched...

Last night history was made in the U.S. and I watched. Barack Obama won the Democratic presidential nomination after a long and hard campaign against Hillary Clinton in the prmary season, becoming the first person of colour to win the presidential nomination of a major U.S. political party. The political face of the the country changed last night and I think it changed for the better. The world-wide reputation of America is a little better this morning.

But will it stay that way? Now that the campaign will switch to a national campaign, the attention of the U.S. electorate will switch to McCain and Obama. Here is Senator McCain's speech from last night in New Orleans - the first shots of the national campaign have been fired and they were awkward at least in my mind:



Senator McCain's speech was a one of "I am good and my opponent is wrong and has crazy ideas", a typical old-style political speech, the same old, same old. He praised Hillary Clinton and took shots at Obama, a blatant attempt to win over disgruntled Clinton voters. Looks like the gloves are off. Now for something completely different - Barack Obama's victory speech from last night - it was conciliatory, upbeat, focussed on his new approach and started the national campaign off on a positive note:



But for me the last word, and the one that highlights for me what U.S. politics are all about is Hillary Clinton's speech from last night - she does not concede and say she will carry on. Is it to be part of the "dream" Obama/Clinton ticket? Is it because she says she won the popular vote even if she didn't win the most delegates (a system that I have always found odd), or is there another motivation? Either way, it is time for the Democrats to figure out that Obama is their nominee and that they need to get behind him if they hope to win the White House in the general election.



It's going to an interesting time from now until November, for the USA and the world...

Where Were You When - Obama's "A More Perfect Union"

Like most people I can recall several events from my life and remember exactly where I was, what I was doing, and that these events had a profound effect on me. Two of these events were speeches by John F. Kennedy - his "Ask Not" speech and his "Ich Bin Ein Berliner" speech (I will also never forget where I was the day he was assassinated either, even though I was only 7 years old.

Well I now have a third speech that I will remember - Barack Obama's "A More Perfect Union". Take the time to listen to what he has to say - it is most profound...

Obama and Clinton - "We" and "I"...

First off let me say that Henry Jenkins is amazing and a must read for all educators. His recent post "Obama and the "We" Generation" has really gotten me thinking about and looking at US politics, not that there is much choice what with all of the 24-hour multi-channel coverage and all.

He starts by noticing that adult leaders were using "I" and "what I can do for you" a lot to describe what they did while younger leaders used "we" and "what are our goals...". Obama is the "We" and Clinton is the "I". As Henry Jenkins puts it - Obama is more of a movement than a campaign. He talks of community and organizes bottom up instead of the traditional top-down campaign model. Hillary Clinton is running very much an "what can I do for you" traditional campaign and now that I am aware of this have I ever noticed a difference,

An article in today's New York Times really brings this difference in the two approaches of the Democratic candidates home - "In Texas, Clinton’s Veterans Test Obama’s Rookies". The article describes the difference between the two campaigns as they set up in Texarkana - the Clinton campaign set up in a big building and handed out phone numbers to campaign workers to start calling. Down the street in a small office, two Obama supporters without any official campaign sanction set up their computers and self-generated activity to get the word out on their candidate.

This describes exactly what Jenkins is saying - Clinton is the controlling "I" candidate and Obama is the open, bottom-up "We" candidate - He is a movement, not a campaign,

My very good friend Randommind described to me an even better analogy from Henry Jenkins (and must blog about it :-)) that brings this diagrammatic difference between the two candidates home - Obama is a Wikipedia stub, and Clinton is the Encyclopedia Britannica - such an amazing analogy I had an AHA! moment when I first heard it. It so accurately describes the fundamental differences between the two campaigns - and for me explains why Obama has been so successful - he is letting the voters participate in the campaign to become a part of his "movement", to build the Wikipedia entry, while Clinton is simply telling everyone that she knows what is best and is ready to do the job Day One - the bound and printed Britannica entry.

There are implications here for educators - we can learn a lot from the differences in these two campaigns. Obama's success to me shows that engagement and participation, the creation of community is something that people understand and want - this leads directly to the creation of learning communities. Clinton is the old "sage on the stage" telling us what we want to hear. Obama is creating a "learning community" (a political community?) where participants engage in the election process - they feel a connection and a sense of belonging, of being part of what Henry Jenkins calls a movement. If this works for a presidential candidate (and it sure seems that it is), then it should work in our classrooms too, don't you think?

I wonder who will win...?

(Photo from "The State Of...")