Txt msg?

For many of us, the title of this blog harkens back to a period of digital communication where each character we typed matterd (see what I did there?). Much like Twitter posts, each text message we sent was limited to a specific number of characters, including spaces, and we had to cram as much as we could into that space. During an age where each text message cost a portion of our precious airtime (especially if it was sent in peak time), we had to make sure we got as much bang from each keystroke as we could. Thus, the language of text messaging or sms-language was born. Whole new lexicons were developed to figure out how to maximise the communication power of our 160 characters and we still adopt many of them today: “LOL” has become so commonplace that many people use it in ordinary speech, and “brb” is still an expression that many of us will hurriedly type into a chat bubble when we run to make a cup of tea, or answer a phone call. Apart from that, though, with the coming of messaging becoming almost exclusively over the internet (as opposed to via direct cellular), message length is no longer an issue with which we need to concern ourselves, nor is the number of messages we send. As a result, there has been a steady dying out of text language, because it is an unnecessary shortcut most of the time. Instead of worrying about how to make “Please can you come to see me tomorrow” as short as possible, (Pls cm c me 2mrw) we can just type the whole thing. Predictive text has made the process even easier, and even it may be on the decline as sending voice notes and using speech-to-text software is becoming increasingly easier and popular. 

Why am I bringing this up here and now, though? After all, this is meant to be an educational blog, and not simply a nostalgic look at where we’ve been. What point is there looking at an almost outdated method of communication when so many more exciting possibilities exist? 

The reason for my exploring this has to do with the hysteria that surrounded txt msgin. Parents, teachers and academics all over the world deplored the phenomenon saying that it meant people were not going to be able to spell anymore, that language sophistication was slipping and that people weren’t going to know how to communicate anymore. Well, none of that happened really, did it? As far as I can tell, there has been no catastrophic consequence of a generation of people who are unable to communicate with one another any more than there has been in the past. In fact, I would like to argue that precisely the opposite has happened: we are more in contact with each other than we have ever been. And the next generation is even more connected. This is a trend that I do not see changing.

As technology allows us to merge more and more services into one place (currently I have two text messages, an iMessage, three Whatsapps and something on Facebook messenger all waiting on my phone and on my Mac at the same time, oh and I’ve taken three calls this morning and answered a few emails while still having several face-to-face conversations with colleagues and students… and it’s 10AM), connectedness is inescapable. It has become such a part of our everyday lives that we barely register the extent to which we are communicating. If you were to imagine each conversation as a ball to be juggled, I imagine most of us would be walking around with our arms whirling around in a blur. 

Text messaging did not kill communication. Nor has it killed language. It has evolved it certainly, but that’s what’s meant to happen with a living language. Were it not for this phenomenon, then verily, I say unto thee that we would still be speaking like Chaucer did, and wherefore wouldst we wish to make that commonplace occurrence? 

The reaction of people to text messaging is akin to many reactions to any innovation that alters the way we approach things. I remember Facebook being dismissed as a fad, and I know many people did not see the point of the first iPad. This trend of resisting the new is something that is seemingly endemic and it is a huge problem. I do not propose that we all naively accept or welcome every shiny new thing that emerges from Silicon Valley or any associated philosophy, but I think we would all benefit from an attitude that says, “Let’s take a look at this thing and see what it can do.” rather than, “This challenges how I look at [insert variable here]. I don’t want anything to do with it.” Being open to new and potentially revolutionary ways of doing things presents a wonderful opportunity to reflect and consider if what we’re doing really is best practice and, even if we ultimately conclude that tried and tested is the best route, at least we’ve given it some thought, which is always helpful.

Cmnts r wlcm ;)

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

This month I’m trying something new: prompts. I have a nasty habit of getting involved in products with all sorts of verve and enthusiasm and then allowing them to fizzle out fairly soon afterwards. That’s why I’ve signed up with WordPress.com’s ‘Writing 101’ course which is free and which will give me daily prompts to inspire my writing. Now, being me, I’m going to avoid simply writing about the topic that’s prompted. Instead, I’m going to go with whatever associations my crazy mind makes and then go from there.

The first thing that leapt into my mind when I looked at the prompt was GoPro. You see, today the Learning Commons received two brand new GoPro Hero 3+ video cameras. They truly are things of beauty. I say this not just because they look cool (which they do), or even because of the potential they have for our students to generate some truly amazing material. What really amazes me is the attention to detail and usability of the products. Let me explain.

After having opened the box, it took me very little time to figure out what went where and how to get the device up and running for the first time. Then, following the information in the instruction manual (yes, I read them), it was no trouble at all getting the camera to communicate with my iPhone via the app. Using this, I could see what the camera was seeing, start recording, change the mode of the camera and turn the device off. I need to stress that I managed to get all this right in about 15 minutes or so. 

This is something that is truly beautiful to me. I can still remember how arduous it was having to install anything remotely technical. Getting Office to run for the first time took a day’s worth of loading and unloading stiffy discs into a drive and waiting for the files to copy bit by bit. And then, inevitably, when you got to disc 32 of 36, somewhere a gremlin would strike, the process would be interrupted and you would have to start all over again. That is, if your computer hadn’t found itself being hurtled through the nearest window.

As time progressed, things got slightly better, but they were still a hassle. Setting the timing on the video recorder so that you didn’t miss your favourite show while you were out for the evening was a process that required several Ph.Ds from at least two major universities. Well, that or a dad who knew which knobs to twist. I should also point out that getting the video recorder to ‘talk’ to the TV in the first place was a tricky matter too.

Now, everything is infinitely easier. To get any device to connect to another, one simply takes a single HDMI cable and plugs it into an HDMI port. Done. My computer updates and installs programmes often without my even knowing it’s happened. I can present from my iPad while I walk around the room, and the picture appears on the wall in real time. And I can take a tiny piece of previously unexplored tech out of the box, and have it remotely tethered to my phone within minutes. Take a moment to think about that. Then, take a moment to think about where it will still go.

I have no doubt that in 20 years, my children will laugh as I regale them with stories of being excited about the release of the first smartwatches. They will try to contemplate what life was like when we had to have actual hard discs of plastic to listen to music and, horror of horrors, wait for new albums to arrive in the stores. I believe this kind of progress is beautiful and I am so excited by what it holds for us.

There are many others who will not feel this way. They may view technology as invasive, or obstructing and they may see many of the newly-emerged gadgets as fads. And, you know what, they may be right. However, I prefer to see these developments as opportunities to learn, to develop and to grow. Making things more easily accessible opens the world for so many people, including our students and it broadens their capacities to change the way we live our lives; to make them better.

So, ultimately, what the GoPro represents to me is the beauty that is human ingenuity. It represents our capacity for improving, for innovating and for creativity. I have no doubt that the students will be astonishing me with their creations very shortly. Judging by the hours of footage users have uploaded to YouTube of their amazing experiences that have been captured using these little cameras, there are many great things to come. I am so excited to share those with you when they eventually arrive.