How to embed a Youtube video into Power point using a Mac.

It's Been Awhile

Well what can I say other than it has been awhile since I posted. I have been busy being a new dad and enjoying everything that comes along with it. Being a new dad is a lot of work but I am loving it. So much so that right now my little girl is just finishing up feeding and I get to burp her. I am really good at it :) So I will try my best to come back to some of my regular Change posts, but it might be a little while. Until then, I hope you will check out my YouTube channel and subscribe.
Thanks,
Jim

"Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary."
-Reinhold Niebuhr

Social Media

I just wanted to post a quick update on the use of Social Media. Generally, I think of how social media can help nonprofit organizations produce change on a number of different levels. However, tonight I used social media for what it was originally intended for. Making connections. I was able to connect family located in many different states/time zones to an event with one family member through Ustream.tv This worked great as we all enjoyed being a part of a special experience.
Later I ended up using Skype to connect with my brother and his family, and it was just awesome to see how much his kids have changes since we have moved away. Technology is amazing in all the things that we can do with it and I am so glad that we can continue to create memories even though we may not be located in the same town. If you haven't started using and social media, go ahead and check it out. You can follow me on twitter or check out some of my YouTube videos for more information.

But how do you use social media to connect and produce positive change?

Online Social Activism and Change

I recently finished reading a couple of books that have transformed the way I think about social change. The first book Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, was written in a fashion I am not really used to. Yet it had a unique message about leadership in the digital age.

The second book I read and would highly recommend was CauseWired: Plugging In, Getting Involved, Changing the World. This book provides great examples of how individuals are engaging in social change using social media and technology. I had to post a quick few comments on these books as I just finished the second and I am getting ready to write a formal review on CauseWired for Nonprofit Voluntary Sector Quarterly. Be sure to look back here as I may post an excerpt of the review here.

Unexpected Change

Throughout this blog I try to highlight the benefits and positive aspects of Change. I like to see how through Change we can grow, develop, become better. However, I realize that not all Change is positive, especially if it is unexpected or tragic. Sometimes the unexpected can prove to be beneficial but today I have experienced the kind of Change that is inevitable to all of humankind. I don't know if this sort of Change is really ever an expected one. One where we can cherish the journey and reflect back on the experiences. We lost a beloved colleague today. An unexpected and tragic Change that is perhaps the hardest to bare. I understand that today, while many of us gather to reflect and remember, we will cherish the memory and friendship of this beloved friend. Although I only knew her a short time, she has Changed my life forever. That bright smile and lovingly cheeky attitude was so infectious that you couldn't help but to laugh. I am truly grateful to have known you, Robin. I wanted to post the following video because if you listen to the words closely, I believe it captures some of how I feel today. I think this video is also somewhat cheeky, just as you were to me so many times that would bring a smile to my face on a cloudy day. Thank you Robin and God speed.

Critically REthinking Education!

I have been involved in education for a long time now. As I work ever closer to my final degree and think about what I want to study more, I am enthralled with the work of Dr. Wesch at Kansas State University. He is an anthropologist and is using technology in exciting ways and challenging the status quo of traditional educational models. He has given several talks over the past few years to different groups on the topic of social media and how it is changing education. This video shows what I am talking about.


I think that many people only see social media and the internet for entertainment, but I think that is quickly changing. I think it is important in the new technological environment that we utilize these tools to do exactly as Dr. Wesch points out, Create Knowledge-able students. Students that can use resources to critically think about the issues before them and act in a more meaningful way.
My question(s) for you are why isn't education or instructors utilizing tools to create an engaging classroom? Is it fear? Time involvement? or lack of ability/resources? I understand that it may be all of these and more, but we have got to try better. If we truly want to promote positive change, we need to utilize our resources and opportunities to do so. Let me know what you think and comment below.