Rethinking Serendipitous Connections & The Power of Informal Networking

Walking blog 2:

Perhaps I've been too serious about my approach to social media. Sometime ago I decided that there are plenty of posts to Twitter and I don't need to add unnecessary garbage (but I still do on occasion). However this morning I learned of a fundraising goal by some VCU students and a faculty member to raise over $10,000 in the fight against childhood cancer. This was largely done through connections in Twitter. Perhaps these connections were formed by the more informal sharing of information about basketball games or other personal interests and not just through more serious posts. Maybe I have been wrong. It just maybe those trivial posts that allow one to build a significant network and through that, allow someone to see my more serious thoughts and the sharing of information that matters. 

By the way, a few shaved heads raised over $12,000. Thanks to @proffigment (Lisa Phipps), her students and the power of social media.

Walking Blogposts: Leveraging Technology to "write" More Often

Blogging is about thinking in public spaces. In many ways you might say blogging is about thinking aloud. Some of my best thinking happens while I'm walking from one location to another. Therefore I decided to leverage the ability to do audio blogging through the use of my iPhone and notes app. 

This post is being composed as I walk to the parking lot. There will undoubtedly be occasional misunderstood words and perhaps phrases. I could choose to post this immediately take a chance that there will be some errors or I could look at this and make minor edits and post it directly from my phone. For more elaborate work or to continue writing/thinking, I can email these to myself and open them on my computer for continued editing. An example of that might be where I want to quote some particular reference and link to the URL. 

Stay tuned this is the first of my walking blog posts.

Smoke in the Hallway: Getting a Whiff of Good Ideas

Smoke (Photo credit: Centophobia)

It’s amazing what I can learn by just walking down the hallway. 

In a casual conversation about my most recent classroom presentation/discussion on the use of digital storytelling to convey narrative about statistical information, I referred to the canary in the coal mine (Stats Story-Canary in the Coal Mine) as an analogy for declining frog population as indicators of pollution and related consequences. Gardner Campbell remarked, “analogy is the core of congnition.” This brief moment led me to explore that statement and that led me to the Presidential Lecture by scientist Douglas Hofstadter.

I work in an amazing place. I’m priviledged to be engaged in meaningful conversations, explore media, blog, network, create, teach, learn, dream, inspire, be inspired, work with astounding colleagues who push and pull on my thinking and expand my learning. All too often, I loose sight of my own story. It’s good to reflect and acknowledge the blessings I have.

Yes, there’s smoke in the hallways. When you smell it, put your nose to the wind and your ear to the ground. Something is burning and it may just be the next great idea.