Thoughts about 2006 and Predictions for 2007

The Learning Circuits Blog Question for December has been posted. The questions this month are:

What will you remember most about 2006?
What are the biggest challenges for you/us as head into 2007?
What are your predictions for 2007?

These are not easy questions to answer. However, here is my best shot. (taking my lead from Tony Karrer’s post)

What will you remember most about 2006?

• First, it is the year that I finished my third and most favorite book Gadgets, Games and Gizmos for Learning: Tools and Techniques for Transferring Know-How from Boomers to Gamers. It was by far the most fun to write and create. The topic allowed me (or should I say forced me) to involve my two gamer sons in the process. I learn from them everyday and to be able to codify that learning in the book was exciting and rewarding. My oldest even wrote a piece for the book. As always, writing a book is a great way for me to learn and to really think about the ideas, trends and innovations shaping the field of learning and e-learning.
• I started my blog in September 2006. That was a great event for me. Again, belated thanks to Waleed.
• I met some great online folks through blogging and my book effort. What a wonderful way to share knowledge, exchange ideas and stay fresh. I really appreciate my fellow bloggers and how quickly they allowed me into their blogosphere.
• The challenging and interesting ideas of my students who constantly bring a fresh perspective and energy to the field.

What do you see as the biggest challenges for 2007?

Personally

• I have a lot to learn. There are so many Web 2.0 tools and they are constantly changing, it is difficult to keep up with all the new happenings (however, it is awesomely exciting to try!).
• I need to expand my Second Life, looking forward to teaching a course in it this summer (see predications)
• I need to publish some more peer reviewed articles.

Professionally

• I think the field is a drift. We aren’t sure what our foundational models are, we don’t know if they are effective, we have few publicized alternatives and we have new technology thrown at us at break-neck speed. We need to figure something out.
• Teaching a course in Second Life.
• Determining the best places to focus my energy. I have too many items on my to-do list and not enough hours in the day. (that is professional and personnel)

What are your predictions for 2007?

• Gadgets, Games and Gizmos for Learning will be released in April of 2007.
• My students in the Second Life course will teach me things I never even thought about (as my students always do.)
• Gadgets, Games and Gizmos for Learning will become an international best seller (ok, so, that is more of a wish than a prediction…but one can always hope).
• More corporations will adopt blogs and wikis when they determine how to add some structure to these unstructured entities.
• The application of instructional strategies to the use of new technologies (like Web 2.0 or even Web 3.0) will become increasingly important.
• Games and simulations will increasingly be seen as effective tools for training (although, they are not the only tools for training.)
• Mobile learning will begin to find more and more practical uses.
• I will continue to blog and enjoy the online community of bloggers, lurkers and others.

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