Changing Challenges

Says Jim Stagnitto, Director of Engineering for WNYC, in New York, referring to the changes in technology and concepts throughout the years at the FM transmitter's site:

"The challenges have changed. The basics remain the same" (...) You have to get audio out to a transmitter somewhere. But we're no longer called broadcasters, we're content providers. You get that content in various forms to computers."

... and on the clip:

"It's more impressive to somebody who's been doing it a long time, and has seen the progression. To me, I've been doing this now 37 years, and for me to look at this and realize exactly what's happening? ... It's amazing."

Via Wired Science from Wired.com

Imagine all the wonders we could be developing in the near future, which we are not able to grasp as individuals today? Collaborating with different disciplines to imagine the impossible... who "knows" (today) what we may be able to accomplish (tomorrow)? 

A psychology professor at Uniovi recently banned a research project stating:  "this cannot be done here for "it's not psychology", "it's  communications"! He also pointed out that it was too practical... he definitely does NOT enjoy digital tools.  For he mentioned he'd just participated in a course to learn about Moodle and his conclusion was: it's just about practical matters, not worthy of scientific research ... (meaning our project on: perception, learning models, digital tools.) 

So he dismissed our project based on his perception of just one tool? Our project was not at all about any such tool or learning how to use a one tool, it was more about learning by doing and changes in the perception via the doing.... (of course it all depends on the way it's facilitated which is what we wanted to test). He refused to have a look at any of the prototypes ... how can he "know"? Gee, he is giving proof! ... of the limitations of "departamentalized" knowledge on the one hand, and the impacts of perception on learning on the other...  

So after one month of reflection,  somewhat "puzzled" by recent academic events, these have now been re-framed and are inspiring us even further:  YES!, we love to develop and adjust prototypes that could be useful to many who, unlike him,  enjoy learning by doing,  participating and sharing with personalized digital tools.  

And we keep "encountering" many who think likewise and also produce very good results by researching on the cloud, and many who contribute to re-known institutions... already working and sharing in the open.  So as a result of this reflection, we won't lose one more minute knocking at the wrong door. Thanks :)