Technology vs Content

My life has come to this: blogging. Why am I doing this? What could I say that has any bearing on the blogosphere?

I have seen dogs go to a door at a specified time, because they know their owner will come through that door at any time. The dog sits patiently looking at the door, head cocked, ears at the alert. Minutes pass, and pass. The door opens and the dog goes ballistic.

I have seen people sitting at Whataburger waiting for their order to be brought to the table. These people cradle their cell phone in their hands. Their head is cocked, ears at the alert. Minutes pass. They give up, the flight of the valkyries ring tone never sounds. So the impatient person text messages something. I guess the dog equivalent is to go wet on the door.

Do I podcast my lecture? Must I organize my thoughts using PowerPoint? Do students expect that I will post my lecture on Blackboard? Is there something magical about educational technology that will allow students to grasp difficult concepts better? Can I as a professor spend so much time developing and responding to the teaching technology that the content being delivered is substandard? Is the delivery package more important than what is in the box?

Don't expect any answers from me to these questions. So let's see what happens when this blog piece hits the digital whatever.

Bob Blystone