Uncle Dave, with his new found power of recording his own Podcasts, invited me to yabber on about my week so far.
We subverted the Uncle Mike hierarchy, and had a good show. Thanks Uncle Dave.
Dear AMEX
Dear American Express Marketing
I use your products daily. A Corporate Charge Card, a personal Gold Card and your travel services are excellent. I pay my bills on time, and use the online services to reduce the load on your call centre staff. Where I have called your staff, they’ve been helpful and solved my problem.
The online services help me correctly calculate the forex charges, and the ability to use my Amex points as Qantas Frequent Flyer is good too.
But for the love of god, please stop sending me junk mail attempting to sell me another “financial product”. And please stop calling me, on my unlisted phone number, attempting to cross sell me a product from this junk mail your latest tie-in. “I’d like to ensure you understand the information we’ve just sent you.”. Guess what. I chucked it out before reading it. Have been for 5 years.
And those people at shopping malls and airports who are pushing your credit card (For the 20th time, I do know the difference) on me is starting to tarnish your name. In fact, because of this pushiness, I refuse: repeat refuse to ever own one. Sometimes backing off might actually sell more.
Yours
Nick
Big Day in Queensland
A big thankyou to Scot Steinhardt, Principal of Mount Gravatt High School. He runs a tight ship, and had a big day yesterday with “big names” arriving from all corners of Australia to get some of his time. Thanks, Scot. And live that dream!
To all the teachers who attended and answered my random questions. Thanks.
Also, thanks to Sean Tierney for hosting me – and providing some excellent guidance from a professional’s perspective. Notes from my day are posted here, for comments.
Year 10 (and the Year 11s who subversively arrived, too) at Mount Gravatt: remember Astronauts and Princesses. You guys have the opportunity to do anything you want. First thing, is ensure that the Wikipedia entries for your school, and your local area are up to date and informative.
Later that night, Difference of Opinion on the ABC covered this whole area of the digital generation gap.
And even later, Chris Saad, Cody Robb and I had a long discussion on the debate. Mount Gravatt came up in the podcast. The world is small when its highly connected.
Notes: Mount Gravatt ICT Day April 2007
- Web 2.0: needs extra work to map to teaching outcomes (del.icio.us, flickr) Many Web 2.0 sites still blocked by policy. It makes it difficult to use all the cool web 2.0 stuff in school, especially when these tools will be used by the students for project delivery. Think a mashup as a project handin. (cool!)
- If multiple-media submission types (Powerpoint, video, web sites) are required for presentation: how do we present? Making the technology easier is key; and the students have more advanced Quicktime, FlashPlayer, WMV, Powerpoint than on the standard, locked down desktops. Secondly, as SVGA style connections to projectors in the room.
- Web job opportunities mapped to ICT. What sort of jobs exist for students in a web-world? Art teachers > design, for instance
- 90+% of Yr10s have IM address; 80+% communicate with people outside Australia! Can only think this is based either on family or friends overseas with similar interests
- Managing the balance between ICT evangelism vs. Microsoft demo-stuff. Showing cool stuff is cool. Consider that video cabling and audio may not suit in all circumstances.
- Key guidance from Sean Tierney critical. 20 minute chunking important; just like adult learning.
- Surprised many teachers how few people it took at Castlemaine XXXX to make beer, how automated the process is. Can a bunch of teachers organise a p*ss-up in a brewery? (yes, if timetable permits)
- Mount Gravatt High: Im in ur your Wikipedia pages.
Difference of Opinion: Digital Age
It has been an excellent week for the ABC. The Curtin “docu-drama” gave a portrait of a man of his time: Prime Minister John Curtin during the 1941 through 1942.
Last night, Jeff McMullan did a standard “journalistic show” wrapped as debate on new technologies, and the impact on community on “Difference of Opinion: Growing Up in the Digital Age“. Captured inthe freshness of the moment, this Podcast captured by Chris Saad of Particls. Discussion boards on the topic are interesting to read.
Another essence is that people’s online and digital life is real. It is a part of generation-y identity. The base-level morals and ethics still apply; and probably more so in a world that is flat and always on.
- Life in Chippendale, Steven Noble.
- Roy Porter: Social History of London
- English: definition of virtual. Is virtual a pejorative? Maybe my language is a little too 1990’s
In a week of surreality
In a week of surreality, I learnt I am a MINI-me to a Nick Hodge in the UK and attended Ying Tong.
An email from my mother-in-law, who emigrated to Australia in the mid 1950s, connected more dots. And some family skeletons in the closet fell out.
Before jumping aboard the ship to Australia, she worked at the BBC – with The Goons! She typed their scripts and attended recordings. I am related to famous, and only a few steps removed from The Goons. I am connected to British Comedy royalty, even if only by marriage.
Microsoft Unlimited Potential: Why I work at Microsoft
Microsoft adds more back to the community than other companies I’ve worked for. In 500 years time, people will remember Bill’s philanthropy work before they think of the software company, and the impact on technology. This is in a similar way as the Medici in Florence.
How surreal is this?
Nick, Mr. Excel UK, and I are in cross-licensing discussion regarding our respective names.
Next time I am in the UK, I reckon it’s time for a beer. My shout.
The top is a picture of Nick P Hodge near the US Whitehouse, and Nick J Hodge near the UK Big Ben in London. Nick P is from the UK, and I work for a US company.
(and thanks to Bruce Satchwell for prompting me to connect!)
Compare and Contrast
this:
Avril says the above picture “is me”. That’s the effect of a great boss, company to work for and a job that’s “you”. Remember, finding what you love doing is the best piece of career advice any adult can provide.
to my last Adobe PR shot, which I just found:
I remember the day the Adobe shot was taken: the local management team were in the midst of a deep discussion about a pretty stressful situation that had arisen. Perfect environment for a serious shot. I wasn’t sleeping much in those days, either.
Introducing me mate, Paul Foster
Paul Foster, he of landed gentry and serf owner in England (all I know is that it ain’t London), is starting to blog more. Being a smarter chap than I, and more experienced with robots and Microsoft stuff, he gets to write about cool things like exploding dunnies.
With the connection to my new English friend, Nick Hodge, I am coming over all emotional about revisiting the old-dart soon.
God love the English.