Creating the 21st Century
Extension Professional: Current
Technologies and Their Role in
Extension
EMPOWERMENT THROUGH EDUCATION
Contact information
Jerold R. Thomas
Leader, Innovation & Change
Ohio State University Leadership Center
2120 Fyffe Road
Columbus, OH 43210
Ph: 419.306.9400
Email: thomas.69@osu.edu
Blog: http://extensiontrends.ag.ohio-state.edu
Twitter: http://twitter.com/thomas69osu
Confession
• I am not a techie
• I am an Extension professional that
likes to use tools to improve my
effectiveness and efficiency
• But it really does not start with the
technology
Li & Bernoff’s POST planning
method
• People – who will use your product
• Objectives – what is your purpose for
engagement
• Strategy – what is the relationship with
your customer
• Technology – what tools fit your
needs?
Learner objectives
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Briefly cover trends in technology and
its impacts on Extension
Demonstrate some technology tools
that can help you
Engage in dialogue about technology
tools and systems we can develop to
create a better future
Share generational information where
appropriate
Philosophical/Pedagogical
mumbo-jumbo
• My goal is to focus on what you’re
interested in learning or seeing
• Breadth versus depth
• Experiential learning and dialogue are
strongly encouraged
• Focus is on cheap or low cost tools.
• Parking lot is available
A quote to get us started
• “Our Age of Anxiety is, in part, the
result of trying to do today’s jobs with
yesterday’s tools”
– Marshall McLuhan
Major technology trends
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Connectivity
Collaborative environments
Ease/Convenience
Economics
Increased clientele access
Personal Development
Web 2.0
• Move to more dynamic platforms
instead of top-down portals
• User directed
• Ease of use
• Interactive and engagement
Technological change can lead
to…
• Disintermediation
• Commoditization
The Woodpecker Has To Go!
Internet usage in the U.S.
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1995-96: ~ 15% of adults
Jan. 2005: 66% of adults
April 2006: 73% of adults
From Jan. 2005 to April 2006 the
percent of Americans with broadband
increased from 29% to 42%
Tools we can discuss
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Blogs
Podcasts
Social networks
Aggregators
• Collaborative Writing
• Collaborative Project
Management
• Other?
Quiz time!!
• What is ….
1.A wiki?
2.A blog?
3.Instant Messaging?
4.An aggregator (or News Reader)?
Alternative quiz
Would you use tools that let you….
• Create documents with geographically
dispersed peers?
• Develop a way to post info to the web
and receive feedback?
• Communicate online asynchronously?
• Have information organized for your
retrieval?
Tool requirements
1. Easy to use
2. Cheap or free
3. Impact the way we work and live
Blogs
• Let’s take a peak and then try to define
or describe
A blog (Weblog) is…
• Dynamic website with chronological
layout
• Often collaborative
– Wright’s idea of transmission vs.
engagement
• Community relationships (blogosphere)
– linkages & comments!
• Examples
What Can A Blog do for Me?
• Empowered conversation
• Link resources
• Introduce topics, information,
opportunities
• Provide opinion or commentary
• Explain things (ie, policy, articles, etc.)
• Must add value in some way
Why is a blog important?
• Branding
– Niche – think clientele, peers and future
opportunities
– Power rule – long tail concept (Anderson)
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Ease of use
Knowledge Management (Wright)
Information (Wright)
Relationships (Wright)
– Consider academic analogy of small network of
peers
Some numbers…
• From July 2006
– 8% of adult internet users kept a blog
– 19% of 12-17 year olds
– 39% read blogs
– 95% of blog users get news from internet
vs. 73% of all internet users
– Even division between men & women;
mostly urban/suburban
– Less likely than internet users to be white
Blog examples
• External blog http://www.aces.edu/department/extco
mm/npa/daily//
• As program update
– http://ohioforages.blogspot.com/
– Economic Development
http://edpro-weblog.net/news
Blog examples
• Programmatic
– http://agvanwert.wordpress.com/
• Coordinate volunteers
– http://azmasternaturalist.arizona.edu/
• Personal and organizational knowledge
management
– http://www.extension.iastate.edu/technew
s/
How do I create a blog?
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Several vendors
Popular web-based option is Blogger
Go to www.blogger.com
Requires google account
Follow Directions to create a blog in
about 5 minutes
Collaborative writing tools
• Collaborative tools
• Web sites that can be edited by those
with access
• Used to accumulate knowledge &
information
• Think of them as repositories of
knowledge
Tool examples
• Wikis
• Google Docs
• Other write boards
Wikis
• Collaborative tools
• Web sites that can be edited by those
with access
• Used to accumulate knowledge &
information
• Think of them as repositories of
knowledge
Wikis
• Can be password protected
• Editing and other changes are saved
• Collaborating to
– Create programming
– Develop resource materials
– Examples include agendas, documents,
etc.
Wiki examples
• Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
• eXtension Wiki
– CoPhttp://cop.extension.org/wiki/Main_Page
• Flu Wiki - http://www.fluwikie.com/
Another wiki use
• http://theshiftedlibrarian.pbwiki.com/
Wiki software examples
• Mediawiki is free and used by
eXtension and Wikipedia
– http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki
• Peanut Butter Wiki
– http://pbwiki.com/
Google docs
• Allows you to create online documents
and spreadsheets
• Can edit and track changes
• Great for distributed work teams
• Can be done in close to real time
• Allows import & export of documents
Google docs
• Free & easy
• Requires Google account
• Can edit anywhere and from any
computer
• Can use to compose documents for a
blog
• docs.google.com
Google docs
• Allows you to create online documents
and spreadsheets
• Can edit and track changes
• Great for distributed work teams
• Can be done in close to real time
• Allows import & export of documents
Podcasting
• Audio or video downloads (MP3)
– Different than streaming – time shifting
and portability!
• Can be accessed on computer or
mobile player
• iPod has major market share, but other
brands are available
• Most podcasts are free
iTunes installation
• iTunes is an aggregator and music
store
• www.apple.com/ipod/start
• Download, then connect iPod. Follow
guidelines
Podcasts – consumer side
• Same professional development
reasons as blogs, but greater time
shifting!
• Many ‘casts are tied to a blog
• Wide variety of topics
– Let’s search iTunes
• Other resources
Using iTunes
• Go to iTunes
• Search via music store
• Download or subscribe to podcast
– Download = one time
– Subscribe = con’t receiving of podcast
• Can find on other websites and subscribe
– Example: Business Week CEO Guide:
http://www.businessweek.com/mediace
nter/podcasts/guide_to_tech/current.ht
ml
Podcasts – production side
• Can be recorded on computer, with
portable devices, or in studio
• Audacity:
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Professional development
examples
• Manager tools: http://www.managertools.com/
• HBR Idea Cast
• Bit Bucket
• Books at iTunes or Audible.com
• Most major media outlets
• Rip materials from CD’s
• Libraries have digital check-outs
Collaborative management
software
• Ability to share documents, messages
and other information
• Sharepoint by Microsoft
• Basecamp by 37 signals
Basecamp example
• Collaborative Project Management
Tool
• Offsite, independent server
• Scaled price depending on number of
projects
• Some examples
Basecamp benefit
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Share files
Message/comment
Writeboard
To do’s or milestones
Time tracking
Aggregators
• Compile information from several sites
into one, unified reader
• Uses syndication feeds
• Drives content to the user vs. the user
going to content
• Can provide “smart searches”
Aggregator examples
• Blogbridge (desktop):
http://www.blogbridge.com/
• Google reader (might also want to look
at iGoogle): www.google.com/reader
Other tools
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Second Life
Social networking
Microblogging
Instant messaging
Moving content to mobile devices
Closing quote
• “We change our tools, and our tools
change us.”
– Marshall McLuhan
Conclusion
• There are many tools out there…pick
one based on need and function and
just try it
• Learn something and teach someone
else
• Questions or comments?