Dave, I think that the phrase "there is comfort in numbers" has new meaning.
The presentation is rather well done. There is a lot of work to do ahead as we all adapt to the technology and keep on developing it. Literacy has indeed a new context, and I think that the times ahead are exciting.
Dave, this is wonderful. However, I was wondering why there was not more substantial content on India and China. Personally, I would have even enlarged this content to the BRICs countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China). Otherwise it could create a India/China bashing syndrome...
An other thing I struggle with is how do you visualize that today's problems are becoming more complex. In this presentation the focus is mainly on the explosion of technology. This could lead people to the dangerous conclusion that if you are technology savy you are prepared for tomorrow. Yet, the more important aspect is the development of analytical skills to interpret the consequences of technology...
I agree with Javi- it can have the same strong impact if condensed a bit. I was still captivated- you chose the perfect music to accompany your visuals, timing of it added to the impact of the message too. Take away message for me was: Are we properly preparing/educating our children for the future global changes (21st Cent.)?
I love how simple it is, how easy it is to absorb the ideas because there isn't a lot competing for your attention. The graphics are just enough to make this clear. Overall, it's amazing--the content is compelling, and the design compliments it beautifully.
That said, here's my bit of constructive criticism: it felt long to me, too, but I think not because there was too much content. If I could make changes, it would probably be to the music and to the order in which everything is presented.
First, the music is beautiful, but it felt not quite right to me. It's hard to express exactly what is wrong with it, though. Something that started simpler and got more intense would probably be too romantic and way off the mark. Anything with a serious beat wouldn't fit either. But it was, as Javier says, a bit hypnotic. I wish I could make a recommendation, because it isn't very helpful just to say "it wasn't quite right." But it wasn't quite right.
Second, I wish there was some clearer (but still subtle) categorization of the details. I would play a bit with the order in which the details are presented, if I had the production file in front of me.
And one small thing: the word "everyday" is used near the end, but it should be "every day." The single word is an adjective meaning "ordinary." The two word phrase is adverbial, and it means, "daily."
*********
All of that aside, this information is just crazy, isn't it? The world is changing so fast, it's hard to keep up. I think Alex wisely points out that solutions won't come just from being technologically savvy, but I don't agree that this presentation didn't cover that idea. It's implied enough (the Einstein quote, for example) and anyway, the presentation is a great conversation-starter. Discussions about how we move forward are up to all of us, right?
I have a daugher who was born in 2007. I'm excited and nervous about what she's going to see in her lifetime. I hope it's more good than bad.
It's nice. About 2 minutes too long however. Some points were broken up over multiple slides and by the end of the series I had forgotten the original item posed. Other than that, it was great.
Agree with the above about length. I think the questions at the end are extremely powerful. I just wasn't completely sure what this was all about until I got to those questions. I also wonder if there are ideas that needed a bit more exposition, like the idea of students from disparate places collaborating. It seems like there are lots of places to launch stories which is probably straying a bit off of the main point, but the idea is I wanted to know more.
Regarding the content : Im studying Artificial Intelligence and Im always astonished by how people are still living in the past. This is dangerous but this is even more dangerous when those people are parents, teachers or anyone presenting the world to young people. They are showing them an illusion. What they call facts is actually unrealistic because it is outdated. In the end what is the only valuable thing Ive learned from them : don't grow up sticking to your outdated world ("It's evolution baby" ;). Well that's a VERY important message but Im not sure that's what they wanted to convey. Adaptation is key, youth can't adapt if the structure in place (schools but also social mentalities in general) don't evolve and stick to their old world constraining the evolution of youth.
Regarding the presentation : funny to present such a fast-paced topic so slowly. The message is close to "the world is moving fast, exponentionaly fast, are we educating our children to keep up the pace ?" by said in a veryyyy slllooowwww fahionnnned wayyyy witthhhhh reelllax music. The music actually dont add any value and in the end is a bit repetitive. The visuals are great and very explicit.
I didn't have a problem with the length of the presentation or the music, really. I read every word and got a kick out of the graphics.
Thought xplane and shifthappens did a good job laying out how technological change can't be disconnected from human change. More about behavior than wires and bits.
I appreciate the quality of the text and visual editing. It's very simple, digestible language. Could a few things be tweaked, sure, but it's the conversation that's important and there's not much in there left to be misunderstood.
Loved the questions at the end to ask your teacher/principal/school board/elected officials. I love this type of activism in the name of tech. What is it called, does anyone know? In DC with the tech lobby, it's something like "competitiveness."
Found myself thinking, what should I ask myself? My wife? What should I ask my kid? (he's only 1, so he'll probably respond "guh").
I'm in newspapers and we are using this type of argument in our most recent product changes. But it has been hard to escape the way we've always done things.
Dave, this is an incredible and inspiring video. I think it does a great job at making important statistics easy to understand and process. The simplicity is great. The music works well too, appealing to one's pathos.
I think the content is also important. America has arguably the best colleges, research, and education, and visual institutions in the world. Yet our society is continually focuses on ourselves as the center of everything. We live in an ethnocentric society and because we live in this way we have trouble understanding and perhaps more importantly caring and looking for ways to collaborate with other people in other countries.
Put this in an increasingly globalized context, and I see that we only find ourselves at odds against the future...
I hope I will be able to contribute to 21st century education in some way. How do you see yourself play this part?
Continue the great work, and maybe I can learn something more/collaborate with you one day.
Jonathan www.flickr.com/photos/jmwarez jonathan.muehlke@gmail.com
Very interesting numbers. To me the most startling was the language numbers.
As interesting as it was, I felt that some portions were not directly related to the end point being made. If the concern is about education, then perhaps the premise could be more readily pointed out at the beginning and the facts presented winnowed down to directly support it better.
I found all of the facts to be new to me, a big plus. The growth slides were very helpful.
Dave! Again, a beautiful piece. I loved the first and this one is even better. I blog about this stuff at elearndev.blogspot.com all of the time. Teachers and other parents at my kid's school roll their eyes at me when I start talking about what our kids SHOULD be doing...and it makes me sad. Not that I take it personally, but that there is so much resistance to change. "We survived a crappy public educational system and so our kids will too"...again it makes me sad. Keep creating these. They help us fight the good fight. You do indeed ROCK! Cheers! Brent
La idea es buena. Me recuerda a los gráficos animados de Nigel Holmes y sus comparaciones. Es una pena que no tenga mucho dinamismo. El ritmo es muy lento.
That's a beautiful clip. I was just thinking about the statistical numbers on MySpace.com and its rising social influence on today's generation -- it's 8th position in global population (participation) is staggering. I recently signed up with MySpace, being naive and curious at the same time, and quickly received three unsolicited requests for some casual "friendship" (which I deleted... got little creeped out). So if relationships can be easily established and sexual promiscuity a reality in today's world, could MySpace possibly contribute to real population growth? That would be interesting.
I loved this PPT. I found the music and the message right on target. I am in the VERY early stages of designing some kind of "future of education" summit to be held here in Oklahoma. Target Audience: Educators and some legislators with an interest in education.
If you have any ideas on how to make such conference a hit, I would welcome them.
I found some variations of the "Did You Know" show on Utube, but none with the aesthetics of this one! Keep up the good work! David.
I don't believe it's a cultural problem. I think an animated graphics must maintain the attention of the spectator. If you don't made this you can made the opposite effect.
No creo que sea un problema cultural. Pienso que un gráfico animado debe mantener la atención del espectador. Si no lo hace conseguiras el efecto contrario.
The day before this post was made I heard a great story on NPR about a MacArthur Foundation granted school dedicated to Video Game Design and the nature of "Dynamic Systems"
You can listen to it here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11259040
This caused me to think about the concept of what sorts of tools would be in a New Education toolbox. I came up with PhotoShop as the New Pencil, and 3d Modeling as the New Physics, of course site Forums, Message Boards, and Comment systems as the New Classroom.
Yet it's more than just a transfer from hard copy to digital, there is also the underlying perception from the concrete to the mallable. You aren't wedded to a final design in Photoshop as you are in some drawing...you can also change the physical environment in the modeling app.
Still though, your animation is a great way to light some fires under some chairs and hopefully precipitate change.
Dave, Thank you for working with Karl and Scott on the 2.0 version. Too long? Too short? Loved/hated the music...it's really all about the discussion we need to have about today's P-20 (preschool through higher education) public education system. I'm a member of the school board where Karl works (only a wee bit of pressure here). The world needs the discussion about where do we go from here and then, the really challenging part of what stays, what goes and how do we support it. Huge questions. Thanks again for moving the discussion forward.
This simple application of information courting enquiry is dynamic and simple, scary, exiting and all the other things necessary to allow us to choose beneficial or harmful priorities in the USA. As it is in English people in other countries who speak English can put it to the same use and copy the use of factiods for enquiry (FFI or FFE depending on spealing) So maybe it be hooves us all to work together on creating a design that works with nature or one that finishes us off sooner to allow nature to have another go. I know which one I'm going for-There's more prosperity in abundance in the long run. And hopefully we will use info for commerce and design more honestly instead of browbeating with commercialism.
As far as length 3mins maybe more dynamic-Is there a need to just have 1 piece or a series of strings that intersect 3-dimensionally. This design would make an interesting screen saver for popularising inquiry and contemplation around a few perception changing bitties. The music, for me falls short-I think of ambient music as in the Music for Airports" CD by Brian Eno He may even be interested in writing some music... Airports would gain from a large screen saver at points of potential boredom and stress. I won't go on interminably although this does draw me to it-better to show it to friends and see what arises. I don't know what name comes up for me but my name is Roderick
Dave: I would love to explore how a project I am working on might relate to this piece. It's a bit rough still but I am kicking off an event on September 11th to sign up over 1000 people to blog as part of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party. You are invited - www.TheWorldsBiggestBlogParty.com
Tim Richardson Also blogging at www.RichestPeopleinAmerica.com
When I first saw this video this video in my 10th grade English class, my mind was blown away. I believe this video really shows society what reality is really like in the present and what it may possible become in the future. This is probably one of the only videos that have really waken me up and realized what the world is really like compared to 20 years ago.
What really gave me the patience to watch this were the clashing of the music choice and the way the slides were made. You come up with a good point asking all these questions and it really makes people think.
I liked it very much. I found it a bit too long, thou. Also the music as too repetitive and hypnotic.
ReplyDeleteDave, I think that the phrase "there is comfort in numbers" has new meaning.
ReplyDeleteThe presentation is rather well done. There is a lot of work to do ahead as we all adapt to the technology and keep on developing it. Literacy has indeed a new context, and I think that the times ahead are exciting.
I am going to blog this in tensoriana.org
Dave, this is wonderful. However, I was wondering why there was not more substantial content on India and China. Personally, I would have even enlarged this content to the BRICs countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China). Otherwise it could create a India/China bashing syndrome...
ReplyDeleteAn other thing I struggle with is how do you visualize that today's problems are becoming more complex. In this presentation the focus is mainly on the explosion of technology. This could lead people to the dangerous conclusion that if you are technology savy you are prepared for tomorrow. Yet, the more important aspect is the development of analytical skills to interpret the consequences of technology...
Just some uncooked thoughts from Geneva ;-)
I agree with Javi- it can have the same strong impact if condensed a bit. I was still captivated- you chose the perfect music to accompany your visuals, timing of it added to the impact of the message too.
ReplyDeleteTake away message for me was: Are we properly preparing/educating our children for the future global changes (21st Cent.)?
Impressive work once again, Dave.
Cheers,
Joanne
I love how simple it is, how easy it is to absorb the ideas because there isn't a lot competing for your attention. The graphics are just enough to make this clear. Overall, it's amazing--the content is compelling, and the design compliments it beautifully.
ReplyDeleteThat said, here's my bit of constructive criticism: it felt long to me, too, but I think not because there was too much content. If I could make changes, it would probably be to the music and to the order in which everything is presented.
First, the music is beautiful, but it felt not quite right to me. It's hard to express exactly what is wrong with it, though. Something that started simpler and got more intense would probably be too romantic and way off the mark. Anything with a serious beat wouldn't fit either. But it was, as Javier says, a bit hypnotic. I wish I could make a recommendation, because it isn't very helpful just to say "it wasn't quite right." But it wasn't quite right.
Second, I wish there was some clearer (but still subtle) categorization of the details. I would play a bit with the order in which the details are presented, if I had the production file in front of me.
And one small thing: the word "everyday" is used near the end, but it should be "every day." The single word is an adjective meaning "ordinary." The two word phrase is adverbial, and it means, "daily."
*********
All of that aside, this information is just crazy, isn't it? The world is changing so fast, it's hard to keep up. I think Alex wisely points out that solutions won't come just from being technologically savvy, but I don't agree that this presentation didn't cover that idea. It's implied enough (the Einstein quote, for example) and anyway, the presentation is a great conversation-starter. Discussions about how we move forward are up to all of us, right?
I have a daugher who was born in 2007. I'm excited and nervous about what she's going to see in her lifetime. I hope it's more good than bad.
It's nice. About 2 minutes too long however. Some points were broken up over multiple slides and by the end of the series I had forgotten the original item posed. Other than that, it was great.
ReplyDeleteAgree with the above about length. I think the questions at the end are extremely powerful. I just wasn't completely sure what this was all about until I got to those questions. I also wonder if there are ideas that needed a bit more exposition, like the idea of students from disparate places collaborating. It seems like there are lots of places to launch stories which is probably straying a bit off of the main point, but the idea is I wanted to know more.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the content :
ReplyDeleteIm studying Artificial Intelligence and Im always astonished by how people are still living in the past. This is dangerous but this is even more dangerous when those people are parents, teachers or anyone presenting the world to young people. They are showing them an illusion. What they call facts is actually unrealistic because it is outdated. In the end what is the only valuable thing Ive learned from them : don't grow up sticking to your outdated world ("It's evolution baby" ;). Well that's a VERY important message but Im not sure that's what they wanted to convey.
Adaptation is key, youth can't adapt if the structure in place (schools but also social mentalities in general) don't evolve and stick to their old world constraining the evolution of youth.
Regarding the presentation :
funny to present such a fast-paced topic so slowly.
The message is close to "the world is moving fast, exponentionaly fast, are we educating our children to keep up the pace ?" by said in a veryyyy slllooowwww fahionnnned wayyyy witthhhhh reelllax music.
The music actually dont add any value and in the end is a bit repetitive.
The visuals are great and very explicit.
I didn't have a problem with the length of the presentation or the music, really. I read every word and got a kick out of the graphics.
ReplyDeleteThought xplane and shifthappens did a good job laying out how technological change can't be disconnected from human change. More about behavior than wires and bits.
I appreciate the quality of the text and visual editing. It's very simple, digestible language. Could a few things be tweaked, sure, but it's the conversation that's important and there's not much in there left to be misunderstood.
Loved the questions at the end to ask your teacher/principal/school board/elected officials. I love this type of activism in the name of tech. What is it called, does anyone know? In DC with the tech lobby, it's something like "competitiveness."
Found myself thinking, what should I ask myself? My wife? What should I ask my kid? (he's only 1, so he'll probably respond "guh").
I'm in newspapers and we are using this type of argument in our most recent product changes. But it has been hard to escape the way we've always done things.
Great job Dave, brilliant as always.
Dave, this is an incredible and inspiring video. I think it does a great job at making important statistics easy to understand and process. The simplicity is great. The music works well too, appealing to one's pathos.
ReplyDeleteI think the content is also important. America has arguably the best colleges, research, and education, and visual institutions in the world. Yet our society is continually focuses on ourselves as the center of everything. We live in an ethnocentric society and because we live in this way we have trouble understanding and perhaps more importantly caring and looking for ways to collaborate with other people in other countries.
Put this in an increasingly globalized context, and I see that we only find ourselves at odds against the future...
I hope I will be able to contribute to 21st century education in some way. How do you see yourself play this part?
Continue the great work, and maybe I can learn something more/collaborate with you one day.
Jonathan
www.flickr.com/photos/jmwarez
jonathan.muehlke@gmail.com
Very interesting numbers. To me the most startling was the language numbers.
ReplyDeleteAs interesting as it was, I felt that some portions were not directly related to the end point being made. If the concern is about education, then perhaps the premise could be more readily pointed out at the beginning and the facts presented winnowed down to directly support it better.
I found all of the facts to be new to me, a big plus. The growth slides were very helpful.
Dave! Again, a beautiful piece.
ReplyDeleteI loved the first and this one is even better.
I blog about this stuff at elearndev.blogspot.com all of the time. Teachers and other parents at my kid's school roll their eyes at me when I start talking about what our kids SHOULD be doing...and it makes me sad. Not that I take it personally, but that there is so much resistance to change. "We survived a crappy public educational system and so our kids will too"...again it makes me sad.
Keep creating these. They help us fight the good fight.
You do indeed ROCK!
Cheers!
Brent
Wow, thanks!
ReplyDeleteLa idea es buena. Me recuerda a los gráficos animados de Nigel Holmes y sus comparaciones. Es una pena que no tenga mucho dinamismo. El ritmo es muy lento.
ReplyDeletePablo.
That's a beautiful clip. I was just thinking about the statistical numbers on MySpace.com and its rising social influence on today's generation -- it's 8th position in global population (participation) is staggering. I recently signed up with MySpace, being naive and curious at the same time, and quickly received three unsolicited requests for some casual "friendship" (which I deleted... got little creeped out). So if relationships can be easily established and sexual promiscuity a reality in today's world, could MySpace possibly contribute to real population growth? That would be interesting.
ReplyDeleteNewman, that is a strange and somehow mesmerizing thought.
ReplyDeleteHmmm, I wonder if that means something for counties with declining populations of young people like Italy and Japan?
ReplyDeleteDave,
ReplyDeleteI loved this PPT. I found the music and the message right on target. I am in the VERY early stages of designing some kind of "future of education" summit to be held here in Oklahoma. Target Audience: Educators and some legislators with an interest in education.
If you have any ideas on how to make such conference a hit, I would welcome them.
I found some variations of the "Did You Know" show on Utube, but none with the aesthetics of this one! Keep up the good work! David.
David Gordon,
ReplyDeleteI strongly suggest you get in touch with two key assets there in Oklahoma:
1. Wesley Fryer, www.speedofcreativity.org
2. The U. Oklahoma K20 Center: www.k20center.org. Talk to Drs. Mary John O'Hair and Jean Cate (About, Staff Directory). Tell 'em I sent you!
En respuesto al comentario de Pablo,
ReplyDelete¿Es lento el ritmo porque la cultura es diferente contigo?
Pensé que el tema estaba muy grave...
Saludo,
Joanne
En respuesto al comentario de Pablo,
ReplyDelete¿Es lento el ritmo porque la cultura es diferente contigo?
Pensé que el tema estaba muy grave...
Saludo,
Joanne
Great job.
ReplyDeleteI have a 3 years old son and I am worried about his future. All that you said is very important to me.
Thank you Gabriel, I am glad this helps.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe it's a cultural problem. I think an animated graphics must maintain the attention of the spectator. If you don't made this you can made the opposite effect.
ReplyDeleteNo creo que sea un problema cultural. Pienso que un gráfico animado debe mantener la atención del espectador. Si no lo hace conseguiras el efecto contrario.
The day before this post was made I heard a great story on NPR about a MacArthur Foundation granted school dedicated to Video Game Design and the nature of "Dynamic Systems"
ReplyDeleteYou can listen to it here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=11259040
This caused me to think about the concept of what sorts of tools would be in a New Education toolbox. I came up with PhotoShop as the New Pencil, and 3d Modeling as the New Physics, of course site Forums, Message Boards, and Comment systems as the New Classroom.
Yet it's more than just a transfer from hard copy to digital, there is also the underlying perception from the concrete to the mallable. You aren't wedded to a final design in Photoshop as you are in some drawing...you can also change the physical environment in the modeling app.
Still though, your animation is a great way to light some fires under some chairs and hopefully precipitate change.
Dave, Thank you for working with Karl and Scott on the 2.0 version. Too long? Too short? Loved/hated the music...it's really all about the discussion we need to have about today's P-20 (preschool through higher education) public education system. I'm a member of the school board where Karl works (only a wee bit of pressure here). The world needs the discussion about where do we go from here and then, the really challenging part of what stays, what goes and how do we support it. Huge questions. Thanks again for moving the discussion forward.
ReplyDeleteIneteresting info but much too long and therefore loses impact!
ReplyDeletei agree with alex
ReplyDeleteI think comparing the US numbers to india or china would be really interesting
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis simple application of information courting enquiry is dynamic and simple, scary, exiting and all the other things necessary to allow us to choose beneficial or harmful priorities in the USA.
ReplyDeleteAs it is in English people in other countries who speak English can put it to the same use and copy the use of factiods for enquiry (FFI or FFE depending on spealing)
So maybe it be hooves us all to work together on creating a design that works with nature or one that finishes us off sooner to allow nature to have another go.
I know which one I'm going for-There's more prosperity in abundance in the long run.
And hopefully we will use info for commerce and design more honestly instead of browbeating with commercialism.
As far as length 3mins maybe more dynamic-Is there a need to just have 1 piece or a series of strings that intersect 3-dimensionally.
This design would make an interesting screen saver for popularising inquiry and contemplation around a few perception changing bitties.
The music, for me falls short-I think of ambient music as in the Music for Airports" CD by Brian Eno
He may even be interested in writing some music...
Airports would gain from a large screen saver at points of potential boredom and stress.
I won't go on interminably although this does draw me to it-better to show it to friends and see what arises.
I don't know what name comes up for me but my name is Roderick
WOW.... I don't recall the last time I came across something that made me stop in my tracks and just think.....WOW.
ReplyDeleteDave, this is fantastic.
Dave:
ReplyDeleteI would love to explore how a project I am working on might relate to this piece. It's a bit rough still but I am kicking off an event on September 11th to sign up over 1000 people to blog as part of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party. You are invited -
www.TheWorldsBiggestBlogParty.com
Tim Richardson
Also blogging at www.RichestPeopleinAmerica.com
When I first saw this video this video in my 10th grade English class, my mind was blown away. I believe this video really shows society what reality is really like in the present and what it may possible become in the future. This is probably one of the only videos that have really waken me up and realized what the world is really like compared to 20 years ago.
ReplyDeleteWhat really gave me the patience to watch this were the clashing of the music choice and the way the slides were made. You come up with a good point asking all these questions and it really makes people think.
Good Job
-Tyler
Thank you Tyler!
ReplyDelete