Week 8: Efficiency, Interconnectivity, and Globally

Efficiency, Interconnectivity, and Globally

As I went through the readings and videos of this course, I definitely received a good history and outlook of technology. As I have stated in previous posts, I can’t remember a time when I was not able to use the Internet for a report. I have had the Internet since I was in elementary school and was curious as to how this class would help me become a better leader. I admit, I am not a person that really appreciates the “drive” but more the “destination.” I am usually not interested in how we got somewhere, as long as we got there. I did however enjoy learning about how today’s technology all came about and the differences it has made across the globe. As a leader, this class has helped me appreciate the drive a little bit more. Through reading Friedman’s book I have come to see how several smaller events have made such a huge impact on technology. I would have never connected Friedman’s ten flatteners together as being technology advances, but now it all makes sense. The interconnectivity and global awareness Friedman’s book has pinpointed has greatly opened my eyes. It makes me very happy to think about how the entire world could be and is connected. The competition for new technologies is actually bringing people, cities, and countries together more than it ever has before. It is providing a chance for every person, no matter his or her ethnicity, education, or physical appearance, to be a part of something bigger.

In his video, Kelley discussed the idea of “accessing” becoming bigger and more important than “owning” in the future. I think this is going to be an incredibly important concept for leaders to embrace in this digital world. As leaders we need to accept others’ ideas and use them to build off of and create the right balance/product for our companies. The access we have to material is immense and lends itself to creativity within our own realms. This class has shown the different uses of technology for each of our different companies. For instance, while we do not “own” Skype, we each have access to it. While we do not use it for the same purpose, we each benefit from it. This access and sharing of information is what we, as leaders, need to embrace in order to improve our own companies. We have moved the hierarchical nature of leadership and with that, the knowledge base has flattened and several more people have access to it all. Leaders need to embrace this and guide their employees through the information rather than hide it from them.

 I think the biggest thing I am taking from this class goes along with interconnectivity and access. I went into the EdD program thinking along the lines of education and school as a workplace. As I read others blogs and learned about the other business realms outside of the school setting, I was able to stretch my ideas and thoughts on technology much further. I remember thinking in May, why are these people getting a doctorate in Educational Leadership if they are business owners? I have come to refer to the degree as Educated Leadership instead. Thanks to all of my classmates, I have realized how technology is a benefit across platforms. I am thankful for all of the different insights and new technologies I have learned about from my classmates as well as the thought provoking questions we asked each other about their blogs. Being interconnected with business people has made me look at my own school from a business owner’s perspective. Even though I am a teacher, when viewing my students as employees it has helped me think of different ideas to use within my classroom and how to make my classroom more efficient, interconnected, and global.

It is through these three, I am going to try and enhance my classroom as a leader. Classrooms are often thought of as dictatorships. (I have stated in my classroom before that I am the Queen and my students are in my Queendom.) There are so many new technologies to help me change this idea and hopefully change this idea for other teachers as well. The first area, efficiency, is something every teacher strives to get better with. I think in order to do this; I need to embrace and use the technology students have in their hands. The number of students with smart phones in my classes is over seventy percent. I aim to put this to use in the next school year. As a leader, I intend to show my students the proper way to use technology in school and where to access the necessary information. They should know where to get a graphing calculator online if they can’t afford to buy one. They should know where all of their online materials are and what they have access to for tools. By having this knowledge, the time wasted each day referring to where these things are located or what it is I am looking for should be eliminated. Thus providing more time for the teaching of the lesson.

The second area, interconnected, is an area I hope to show other teachers as well. By connecting information across different disciplines, students will be able to better remember and associate the information. Technology will be a huge help with this. I hope to spearhead a project and/or movement within our school bringing different subject areas together. Using Podcasts and videos our different classes will be able to make connections. The graphs shown in history classrooms could relate to the graphs shown in math. The biology information in dealing with the human body could relate to the information shown in P.E. classes. It is through these connections, made possible by technology, the students will be able to better understand the material being presented.

The final area I hope to improve my leadership with is globally. Our school system is very self-sufficient and I think at times this is a downfall. The things we could learn from schools across the nation and the globe are huge. I have discussed having videoconferences with other schools before, but have never actually done it. After going through this class however, I think it is important for me as a teacher and leader for my students to show my students and fellow teachers the vast world there is out there.  This combined with interconnectivity and efficiency can make a teacher’s world so much better. By opening up ourselves as classrooms and businesses to the idea that others can help us out and we don’t have to face things on our own, we are opening ourselves up to the creative world. Who knows what inventions could spur from connecting different disciplines and students? Hopefully I will be able to facilitate this type of creation and guide my students and fellow teachers along the paths to becoming an independent educated leaders as well. 

Week 7: Leaders and Consultants

Leaders and Consultants

With all of the amazing new technology we saw on the videos, I can’t help but think that our role as leaders is going to be finding what is needed within our company and for our employees. Sure there are amazing things being invented and coming out by several different companies, but we as leaders need to look at it all and see what is really useful and important within our own area. It is not necessarily that the leaders themselves need to sort through the information. Rather, I can see technology consultants becoming a very large business within the next twenty years. The role of these consultants would be to look at a business or a company and see what would help them become more productive, efficient, and/or better serve their customers.

As leaders, it is our responsibility to keep up to date with the technology and information being produced. As we have discussed earlier in this course however, there is too much out there for one person to be able to handle. That is where the consultants and employees need to come in and be heard. I know in the school setting we are asked nearly every year if there are materials, supplies, or software we would like to order for the following year and as teachers we are able to put in our ideas and proposals as to what we think would help us as teachers. I am not sure if other companies run this way, but I think it is a good idea. This provides the leaders an opportunity to stay current and it provides the employees a sense of ownership in the company. With the employees coming up with the ideas, they become vested in the company a little bit more.

It is also one of our roles to make sure we hire these consultants and ask our employees about the new technology at regular intervals. With the speed technology changes and improves it is important that an evaluation of technology happens at least every two years. While there may not be major changes for a company to make, sometimes it is the smaller changes that can make a big difference. Updated operating systems and basic technologies similar to that can help in everyday functions within the office or classroom.

Leaders as delegators are going to go hand in hand in the future. We need to stay up to date with the technology in our business and asking others to help us do that will be vital. There are definitely some amazing technologies emerging, but we need to truly take a look at our specific needs within our companies and see which would best suit our needs before jumping on the bandwagon.

Week 6: Mobile Security & Eavesdropping

Mobile Security & Eavesdropping

There is an ever growing sense of security and lack of questioning happening with the increased use of technology. People are much less likely to question sources and programs when there are so many available. The thought of having programs and applications so easily accessible is helping to create a generation of people that are download happy. These technologies have been around for long enough now that people do not even give a second glance at filling out surveys, questionnaires, or allowing a file to download in order to access a website or gain information. It is with this idea that people have such great power to gain any information they are looking for, but still need to remember that they have a specific responsibility to themselves to protect their security and personal information. There is now a major infestation of malware for cell phones and one of the newest threats of information stealing has become cell phone spyware.

In October of 2008, the National Institute of Science and Technology published a paper on the Guidelines on Cell Phone and PDA Security. Within this paper, they highlight some of the major threats presented to cell phone and PDA users. Some of these threats include malware, eavesdropping, and location tracking services. Each of these three threats seems to pose some of the largest ethical issues for cell phones today. They define malware as being “often disguised as a game, device patch, utility, or other useful third-party application available for download … malware can initiate a wide range of attacks and spread itself onto other devices.” This common and well-known issue among computer users has not been given as much thought among cell phone users. With the ever-increasing use of smart phones, people need to realize they have a computer on their phone now and they too are at risk for malware.  This malware can be a large privacy issue depending on the program it is running. There may be programs deleting your much-needed files and/or accounts. They can also prevent the use of the phone at all. Malware of this type definitely has ethical issues. However, if users continue to not take responsibility for researching their downloads, they may end up with a virus on their phone that may eventually spread to other phones and/or computers.

The next security threat out there for cell phones is eavesdropping. While people are often aware of virus programs coming from some hacker they don’t know, they should also be wary of companies placing eavesdropping programs on your phone. As stated in the Guidelines on Cell Phone and PDA Security,

“Electronic eavesdropping on phone calls, messages, and other wirelessly transmitted information is possible through various techniques. Installing spy software on a device to collect and forward data elsewhere, including conversations captured via a built-in microphone, is perhaps the most direct means, but other components of a communications network, including the airwaves, are possible avenues for exploitation.”

Often times, companies place these programs in the phones without the users knowledge in order to track specific information about their customers and claim the information is used to create solutions to common problems and better serve their customers. It is becoming even more of an issue with cell phone companies selling their user information to police and law enforcement agencies. This user information can range anywhere from the basic information to playing back recorded phone calls and showing text messages that have been sent or received.

  While digital eavesdropping is not exactly illegal, it brings about several ethical and moral dilemmas. The advancements in technology make it no longer necessary to come into physical contact with the cell phones in order to place the eavesdropping device. There are programs that use “… a notebook computer to impersonate a legitimate access point for a public wireless hot spot, such as a coffee shop or an airport first-class lounge, [allowing] client connections to be attracted and sensitive data captured from unsuspected patrons” (Guidelines). These programs are able to find contact lists, pictures, text messages, bank information, or anything else that you have on your phone. They are also able to take a legitimate domain name the user frequents and reroute the user to a malicious website. The advancements in technology are also allowing people to use their phones as a method of payment now since these phones can be connected to bank accounts.  This poses a whole new privacy issue and threat possibility. The ability to track where people shop, how much they spend, and where their account is linked leads to my next major privacy issue today of digital eavesdropping; tracking.

Electronic tracking is basically like having a GPS in your phone at all times. This GPS is a location finder for you though. It tells others where you are and can track where you have been. Often times these programs are advertised for parents to keep track of their children and for business managers to keep track of their employees during office hours (Guidelines). Some of the programs send a message to the user that requires authentication while others never inform the user they’re being tracked. It is up to the parents and business owners to be honest with their trackees. There is an app now as well that people are downloading which lets them see where their friends and contacts are (Trackster). This is a willing app people choose to have and allow others to see them. These programs are being utilized by law enforcement as well.

These cell phone security issues clearly have ethical and moral issues within them. The main one being privacy and another being users not giving consent. Is it ethical to "spy" on someone and listen to their conversations? This is a question that cannot be easily answered. Parents may say that yes it is ok since they are checking on their kids and making sure they are not getting into trouble. Some spouses may say it's all right as well because they are seeing if their spouse is cheating on them. This seems to me to be a large intrusion on privacy and huge lack of trust. We need to get back to talking to each other and discussing issues instead of just assuming and taking drastic measures. Whatever problems were there before I think will only be escalated. These programs are like most other programs out there where they are good programs, but it is the users that make them bad. There are several precautions to take to avoid these things, but I think that is another blog. The nice thing to think about is how useful these programs can be. Each of the initial programs began with a good and positive thought in mind. It was when people modified them and the wrong people got a hold of them that they were being used for the wrong purposes.

Other sources used:

New York Times: Police Usage

Plato: Computer and Information Ethics

Mobile Spyware: Ethical and Legal

Discovery: Cell Phone Spying

CNN: Mobile Phone Security

Government Darknets

Challenges, Opportunities, and Shock

There were three main opportunities I thought of when reading Madden’s article and Friedman’s final chapters. The first opportunity is one that we have discussed several times, online collaboration. By having networked workers, companies are able to hold staff meetings while away from the office or in separate business rooms. It is no longer a necessity for everyone to be in the same area. This provides the service of employers being able to meet with their networked employees in different areas of the state, country, or world.

The second opportunity I think networked workers bring to an organization is conformity. When all employees are networked, employers are better able to pass along messages, protocol, and information. With this opportunity, organizations can then ensure that all of their business partners are “in the know” as far as new things developing within the organization. This also brings about conformity by having everyone on the same page. There is no longer an excuse of “I didn’t get the memo” when all of the employees are networked.

This also leads into my third opportunity of a broader knowledge base. Of course being networked allows employees the ability to look up and gather information, but it also allows the CEOs and managers the ability to share knowledge within the company. They are able to pass along information as well as delegate responsibilities to their employees to gather information. With this, the leaders of the organizations can have a vast amount of knowledge not only in their employee’s hands, but in their own hands as well.

There were two challenges I thought of for networked employees. The first was an obvious one of lack of focus and/or production. By having access to a network at all times, employees have access to several other non-work related arenas. As Madden listed in the article, the number of people participating in non-work activities while at work is increasing. I can see this as being a hindrance in the workplace. When employees are not focused on work, they are not being as productive as they could be. However, I think by companies allowing this to happen on occasion, or at least not cause a large issue, they are keeping their employees happy and actually allowing them to focus better. In the education area we are always trying to find attention getters and ways to keep our students interested in the lesson. When I look into a classroom of teenagers and they are glassy-eyed or I can’t even see their eyes because they have their head on their desk, I know I need to do something to bring their attention back. I have even resorted to making them do calisthenics in the classroom! I can imagine the same thing happens in the business world. I cannot really see how people sit at a computer all day. However, if employees are allowed to do the occasional shopping, social networking, or game playing, then they get a break from the hum-drum of work. You hear and read about the amazing concourses some companies work in like Google, Yahoo, and Pixar. Each of these companies allow for creativity to flow by providing physical areas for employees to stretch their legs and get out of their office, but some companies are not able to provide these escapes to the same level. It is with this in mind that I think by having these online breaks, companies are able to help their employees by allowing at least some sort of release. It also allows for employees to get some personal satisfaction depending on what it is they are doing online. They can stay connected to their lives outside of the workplace. This in turn helps employees refocus upon their return to their task and be more productive.

The other challenge I see is having employees connected at all times and required to check their email or messages on their weekends and holiday. I think this leads to a dimmed line of expectations for workers and their employers. What is to stop an employee from saying they read the message too late, or they didn’t have internet service where they were? This lends to a gray area of who is responsible and can an employer really expect their employees to be networked 24-7 with so many different variables out there? Spinning this to a positive would be having the ability to collaborate when the need calls. This would allow companies to be proactive when approaching a situation and hopefully solve problems before they blow out of proportion. It also allows companies to keep a 24-7 mentality for its customers. They are able to provide their services whenever it is convenient for them. By having employees networked at all times, customers can then be networked at all times.

Madden’s Pew Internet and American Life Project

I have to add in how shocked I was to read how many people have never done some of the activities listed in the chart. Almost one-fourth of Americans have never bought anything online! The number just goes up from there. To think that almost half of all Americans have never used or watched a video on a video-sharing site is not only amazing, but a little disheartening to me. There is so much out there for people to enjoy, learn from, and participate it. I realize there are several factors affecting these numbers, but it is still hard for me to accept. A part of me wonders how many people don’t realize what they are seeing and/or using sometimes. A bit like when people talk to customer services on the phone and don’t exactly realize they are talking to a person in another country. Maybe the people in this study don’t realize they are reading another person’s journal or blog when they are surfing the internet for information. I wonder if the study would have looked at what people’s everyday habits were if we would see a difference in numbers. I also know that I am of a different generation, but I am still surprised and somewhat frustrated by the number of people not connected to the flat world.

My Business - My Classroom (Week 4)

My Business – My Classroom (Week 4)

There were two things in this weeks Friedman readings that I felt related well to the educational atmosphere. The first one was “Rule #4: And the big shall act small…” I think this is something we have touched on in the previous weeks’ discussions in dealing with how important customer service is to a company’s survival. While it may not seem as though this really relates to the education and school spectrum, it is so incredibly important! Our school district serves about 10,000 students total and our “business” is to educate each and every one of those students. When I think about the fact that I am responsible for teaching 115 students everyday, it sounds a little intimidating. Imagine these were customers and you had to meet with each customer everyday. While my “customers” get more comfortable with the business I run, our relationship builds. Along with this I am able to continually focus my energy on reaching each and every student. If I were to have a blanket method of teaching my business would not succeed. The same goes for any business. If a business is not flexible and able to adapt to the different demands of other companies and potential clients they will lose those clients. The same is true with teachers. If you are not adapting to the individual needs of your students, then you are not servicing the client to your best ability. When this happens, there are increased failure rates, student and parent complaints, administrative meetings, and finally disciplinary action. The business (teacher) will not survive.

Within this rule, Friedman also states that businesses will need to help their customers act really big. I think this is one of the ultimate goals of teachers. We are constantly trying to aid students in their skills and just as importantly in their confidence and decision-making. I am constantly trying to hone my students questioning skills, which will in turn make them more productive and better communicators. Businesses should be doing the same for their clients. By being able to better communicate between companies productivity and innovation will increase as well.

The second thing that I felt related well to the educational atmosphere was that of the last chapter “What Happens when we All have Dog’s Hearing?” The concerns listed in Friedman’s book about digital footprints are things that today’s youth need to be made more aware of. Teenagers are still developing their critical thinking skills and cause and effect relationships. The number of times a day I hear about what one student posted about another or about what one student’s “status” was on their social network, is unreal. The social impact the Internet has had on teenagers is obvious. The article by Gartner has his number ten change being that there will no longer be offices and that everything necessary will be able to be housed in a phone or computer. This constant accessibility is causing a hindrance for my students already. I listen to students complain about how they didn’t get enough sleep because they kept texting all night or were updating their social networking site. These impacts have moved over into the business world of teaching as well. The constant connectivity of students and teachers has definitely placed them in what Friedman claims the “Age of Interruptions.” Teachers have been having those board meetings seven times a day for years, and beginning them by stating “please put all electronic devices away, on silent, and take out your earbuds.” This is a constant battle in the classroom and it is evolving into an issue for teachers as well. The accessibility of Internet has provided outlets that students are trying to tap into at all times during the day. It is also providing a resource for teachers to stay connected to their life outside of school. While both of these things can be helpful in several ways, there are many drawbacks to them as well. As leaders we need to be able to harness this power and guide our clients or students through it together. We need to educate our employees and provide positive examples in order to  build the most successful and productive businesses we can.

Converge and Emerge: Week 3

Converge and Emerge

                Friedman’s concept of Triple Convergence really emphasizes his idea of the world being flat. The three convergences (flatteners, business practices, and demographics) truly bring the world together by making it so companies have to communicate and work together to make the products society is demanding. It is with this thought that I think the role of leadership now has shifted more towards the delegation and experience side of things.

                While it’s great that technology has enhanced several aspects of companies and provided the opportunity for different departments to communicate, there will always be a need for a person to oversee everything. I think this leader needs to have knowledge in all areas of the business, but more importantly, know exactly who to go to when more information is needed.  I see leaders now along the same lines of general contractors in construction. These people need to know the codes for the buildings being built, but they do not necessarily need to know how to do all of the tasks needed to get there. They need to be able to delegate to those “experts” while remaining informed of the changes and decisions made along the way. I do not completely agree with Friedman’s idea that there really are no experts anymore. I definitely think there are experts and that we expect these people to continue to stay on top of the up and coming technology and information within that field. The general contractors or leaders need to have the ability and knowledge to send people to these experts when they are seeking specific information.

                I also think leaders today need to use the web-based tools like Dropbox and GoTo Meeting so that different departments can share documents and have meetings. Dropbox or GoogleDocs would allow these different groups to collaborate and have access to information they normally would not be privy to. In the education realm we always say not to “reinvent the wheel” when we are looking for new activities, worksheets, or quizzes to use. If we had that nice Dropbox full of these shared activities we would be able to have a much more diverse classroom. We have already started using GoogleDocs by collaborating together on writing our second semester final. We were able to continually add to the questions that others have created and leave comments or questions about them. If businesses were able to pull up a form or an article that another group used for their information, the big idea may become much clearer for the reviewers. If the employees know who to go to for information, they may be more productive as well, since they would not need to do the research. Sharing all of this information is a great step towards converging within a business and allows the leader to keep their work on a broad scale instead of dealing with little projects all of the time.

                Another role I think leaders will be expected to have in this new age of knowledge management is that of experience and guidance. Experience alone brings about a different realm of knowledge besides that found on the internet or in books. For instance, someone can read all about laws and about being a lawyer, but until they actually step into a courtroom and deal with real cases, they will not truly know what it is like and what it takes. Experience allows leaders to empathize, sympathize, guide, and critique their employees. I think it is with this personal element that we are able to separate our good leaders from our great leaders. I realize that I am the one that is usually spouting about how we need to use technology more and the personal side can drop to the wayside, but it is with this personal element that I feel leaders stand out. I often think besides making big decisions, leaders are often asked “what should I do?” or “what would you do?” by their employees. By having experience, leaders would then be able to guide their employees in a more appropriate, better informed direction.

                With all of this being said, I have decided that Friedman’s triple convergence has brought with it an emergence of better informed employees which has created or will create better leaders, and therefore more productive companies. By using the knowledge of the employees, whether in the US or in an outsourced country, companies are now able to bring the best and brightest together to create those products that societies demand. It is through this convergence that new products and ideas emerge.

Week 3 #2: My School Convergence...or Lack There Of

This is a separate post from my other week 3 post. It is discussing my own school and it's lack of convergence. Any ideas on what I can do as a teacher is much appreciated.

Convergence in the Schools

                Friedman’s ideas about the triple convergence make sense and really made me think about how this is affecting me as a teacher. First off, I think there are several people and administrators in my district that are trying to maintain the hierarchy of knowledge and not using technology as much as they should. There are often times where the students know more about what is happening in the school or district before the teachers. It is as though the administration is afraid of the backlash of teacher ideas or opinions, when really all we really want is to be able to know the happenings so we can have factual discussions with our students instead of having rumors flying around. If the administration would use some of the workflow software such as Google Docs and any meeting software, we would be able to have a short meeting or discussion about whatever is happening. Instead, we as teachers are stuck in Jarche’s hierachical triangle while our students are floating around in the wirearchical world of knowledge. The last big thing that happened at our school was a break in and we found out officially who was involved through the news which our students told us was just posted. Needless to say, we never found anything out from our district.

                It seems as though our district is stuck in convergence two with departments not using the same technology and therefore not able to talk to and understand each other. Our high level specialists are not talking to the administrators who are not talking to the teachers. We have a pyramid on the level of communication as well as the level of technology. I made this figure to represent my views of technology use and communication within our district. As you can see, the largest group at the bottom, students, are the ones with the technology and therefore information in their hands. It progressively gets less as we go up the hierarchy towards our administration. The administration is able to provide the technology for us, but their use of it is quite limited or very different from what the teachers and students are using. Administration is losing touch with what is out there.

                This brings me to convergence three where Friedman talked about collaboration instead of competition with other countries. On a smaller scale we can look at it as groups within businesses or schools. Administration should be collaborating with teachers and even students as to where to proceed in the future instead of trying to be so powerful. The students want to have a good education and a good school. They are on a different level though. They are able to get information with only truly needing a teacher there to guide them. Given the opportunity and the resources I think we would be surprised with what our students can do, and I think it scares people. The same goes with businesses. The entire basis of the show Undercover Boss on CBS seems to show how disconnected some managers are with their employees and companies. Each company has employees that deal with their customers on a daily basis but seem to speak a different language than the managers. While I am sure the managers are not meaning for this to happen, it is happening. Working horizontally with each other would provide ownership for each member of the business or school and therefore possibly produce amazing and unexpected results.

Let's Meet, but Not Really - Week Two - Live Conferencing

Let’s Meet, but Not Really

          With the capabilities of the internet and new technology, businesses have been able to expand. This expansion has taken place through the use of several different tools including live conferencing. Live conferencing, usually known as videoconferencing, has been around for many years however. Wikipedia states that videoconferencing was used as early as 1936 in Berlin. Businesses were able to send video feed through radio frequencies and broadcast on television sets (wiki skype). After several failed attempts by companies such as AT&T, video telephoning became possible in the 1980s using an ISDN network. This was still difficult to use with a $100,000 computer necessary. In the 1990s this was quickly replaced by a much cheaper circuit board and technology continued to evolve to make videoconferencing available to the public at a reasonable price (wiki skype). In the 2000s, thanks to free services via the internet, videoconferencing was easily accessible to the general public. High definition videoconferencing was first introduced in 2005 and has now become a standard (wiki skype). Now in the 2010s, we are seeing videoconferencing being used worldwide and spanning all age groups. You are able to not only use your computer, but you can use your cellular device, personal gaming systems, tablets, or even your phone in conjunction with your television. There are currently 1.8 billion hours of video calls made each year and it continues to grow (skype visual).

            There are several different live conferencing tools available for personal and business use. Each tool has the same basic functions involving video, file sharing, and instant messaging. There are however, slight variations between companies. The main live conferencing tool, and probably the most popular, I am going to focus on is Skype, it’s history, uses, and applications.  

Skype was created in 2003 by Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis. It was founded and is currently headquartered in Luxembourg. Skype has gone from strictly a videoconferencing tool on the computer to a tool that can be used on land line phones and cellular phones. They have the capabilities to not only videoconference, but text, talk across continents, and access WiFi (http://about.skype.com/). In 2005, Ebay purchased Skype and hoped to form a solid partnership with them and PayPal. At the time, Skype serviced 54 million members in 225 countries and territories adding approximately 150,000 users a day (ebay). There were several complaints over the course of a few years and Ebay ended up selling the company to a group of investors (ebaysells). Skype has henceforth partnered with Microsoft and has continued to grow astronomically. It is available in 27 languages and aids communication for people on a personal and professional level.

Now, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of Skype. Skype can be used on a personal level by videoconferencing and through regular telephone. It ranks among the top international phone companies as far as rates go and is highly recommended for its service (http://about.skype.com/). Businesses will be able to use this feature as well so they can reach their outsourced companies in other countries and gain new clients. This can also be done through the videoconferencing capabilities of Skype. Companies are now able to have a conversation, “meet” the people they are doing business with, and share files as well when used computer to computer. Companies can hold stakeholders meetings without needing to have everyone in the same room.

I use Skype in my work place daily. Being a high school teacher, I think Skype is almost a necessity for me now. I am constantly informing teachers and deans when I am sending students to them and what the situation is. In business terms, it cuts out the middleman. Information is received directly from the source without anything getting muddled during transport. As mentioned before, it is also an amazing tool for file sharing. Teachers are constantly asking for more collaboration time, but with Skype collaboration is much easier. Teachers can share their activities and worksheets with each other while having a conversation either through instant message or talking. The videoconferencing allows for guest speakers to “come in” without having to actually be in the school. With the upgrades in projector and video software the interview is clear and still allows students to ask questions as though they were there. Others and myself have even used Skype in our classrooms while we were on maternity leave. When our substitutes were supposed to be teaching a difficult lesson I would have them wire me in through Skype and I was able to teach. The possibilities for Skype in the classroom are as endless as they are in any business.

There are specific business plans Skype has in place for companies to purchase as well. They range from home office to enterprise and include features such as group conferencing and international calling capabilities (http://about.skype.com/). There are several different companies worldwide using Skype. This is one area that allows people to have their one-on-one interaction without having to personally meet. I think Skype is allowing us to keep a personal connection within our businesses and keep that trust within our companies. It also provides employees with a necessary connection to family while away on business. The main example I can think of for this is the military. The use of Skype in the military is an amazing tool for families to stay close. There was even a wedding that took place over Skype for a military person (skypewedding)! There are several stories on the Skype website (stories) that give examples of how Skype is enhancing people’s lives all over the world.

The future for Skype is bright. It’s partnership with Microsoft opens up several new avenues for communication and expands the user base as well. While airlines may not enjoy the uses of Skype and its videoconferencing tools, I am sure several other businesses are grateful for the money they are saving on plane tickets. I am very excited to see the future of videoconferencing and what is in store for us. Who knows, maybe the next season of one of our reality shows will be via computer and video conferencing! :o)

* This is a link to great poster and visual of how big videoconferencing is in today’s world.

Friedman's Flat World - New Idea?

While to some it may seem as though Friedman’s idea of the world being flat is revolutionary, I tend to think that he is behind the times already.  Much of the technology that he discusses in chapter one is technology that, at least for me, has been around for several years and is not that new in 2012. I think I will be looking at this book from quite a different viewpoint than others considering I had not even graduated from college when it was first published and had only one year remaining for my online Masters degree. I have had access to the Internet and therefore global communication since I was in the seventh grade. It is normal to me to be able to gather any sort of information I could want and any time I want it. Friedman did bring up some good thoughts however when he discussed technology’s impact on outsourcing.  

I think the two most interesting stories Friedman told about “outsourcing” dealt with JetBlue and McDonalds. While the thought of having employees stay at home is not necessarily new, I think the reasoning Neeleman (JetBlue founder) has for what he has coined “homesourcing” is incredibly sound. By allowing women the opportunity to work from home and still maintain their role of mother and wife adds one more dimension to their life. The level of trust placed on these employees shows the increased expectations the company places on them. The way Friedman wrote about this company did make me question if there were men working for them at home as well or just women? By providing higher productivity it also allows the company to increase service in other sectors. The same is true for McDonalds.

The idea of the drive-thru call center is ingenious. The fact that it cut down errors by two percent and allowed one percent more to be put back into the company may not seem like much, but when you think about the number of McDonalds restaurants in the United States, you are really talking about billions of dollars and burgers (the sign says so right?). After talking to the main workforce for McDonalds, my high school students, they were amazed at this thought. Then the fact came out of how difficult it really is to work drive-thru, something we as adults would not really think as being tough.  They were totally in favor of this idea and technology. They said that it would then free up the workers inside the restaurant to do other customer servicing like cleaning and actually greeting/talking to the customers. What better people to talk to about shaping expectations and perspectives in the workplace then the workers right? Teenagers expect to see this technology in businesses. They are also the ones more adept to using it.  While it may astound some of us, it is as stated before, “normal” to them.

Building off of this “normal” I would like to refute Friedman’s idea of the world being flat and instead challenge the thought of the world being a sphere again. Mathematically speaking, no matter where you place yourself on a sphere you are in the middle of something. Everyone has the availability of being in the middle. Both Friedman and Florida (“The World is Spiky”) discuss the economic centers of the world. Friedman however goes along with my thought that anyone can be a productive member of society while Florida leans more towards the idea that to bring about new ideas, you need nurturing from others in the same location. While Florida has good points about the rural areas slowly decreasing in terms of patents, Friedman takes a broader view of the economy. I think Friedman is much closer to reality than Florida is.

Friedman shares the thought that we are each in the middle. The technology that is available to connect people, businesses, and governments is readily available. Everyday people are becoming famous overnight, whether it be from their talent in singing, a tweet or blog they posted about their school, or an application they created to make their life easier. Social media is allowing people to be heard and educated without having to be formally introduced or instructed. Employers are able to run an entire company without having to meet their employees personally and can pass along decisions via networking. Technology is there and I think we need to have the expectation in every work place that it is to be utilized. The idea of “there’s an app for that” really is true and has the capabilities of saving companies and people time and money. Why, as a government, are we still printing off one-hundred page laws to get passed instead of using our Ipads to read, highlight, comment, collaborate, adjust, change, and present these new laws? For those who think there is a huge shift that is about to happen, I have news for you, it’s already happened and you are now playing catch-up.