• What your wider circle of acquaintances (or even the larger public) know about your daily life?
• How they came to know what they know?  Note:  maybe you’ve chosen to avoid social media, post anonymously, or post under a pseudonym.
• Whether the communication about your life reflects Christ-likeness in  mood, word, action?

These questions came to mind when reading The Mood Is the Message (Scott McLemee. Inside Higher Ed. 6/30/2010), a Intellectual Affairs piece on the Library of Congress’ archiving of Twitter files.  Yes, that means the emerging discipline of Twitter Studies ;-)

Before giving a thumbnail account of some of this work – which, as the bibliography I’ve consulted suggests, seems intrinsically interdisciplinary – it may be worth pointing out something mildly paradoxical: the very qualities that make Twitter seem unworthy of study are precisely what render it potentially quite interesting. The spontaneity and impulsiveness of expression it encourages, and the fact that millions of people use it to communicate in ways that often blur the distinction between public and private space, mean that Twitter has generated an almost real-time documentary record of ordinary existence over the past four years — Scott McLemee. The Mood Is the Message. Inside Higher Ed. 6/30/2010.

Out of curiosity, let us know what you think …

PS.  Please pass the poll along to all your friends on Twitter ;-)

PPS.  I must confess that I still have not joined the ranks of Twitter.  Some conversation from over a year ago at Who Do You Follow on Twitter?

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“Anonymity is just the way things are done. It’s an accepted part of the Internet, but there’s no question that people hide behind anonymity to make vile or controversial comments,” said Arianna Huffington, a founder of The Huffington Post. “I feel that this is almost like an education process. As the rules of the road are changing and the Internet is growing up, the trend is away from anonymity.”  … “There is a younger generation that doesn’t feel the same need for privacy,” Ms. Huffington said. “Many people, when you give them other choices, they choose not to be anonymous.” — News Sites Rethink Anonymous Online Comments (Richard Perez-Pena. NY Times. 4/12/2010)

Two more questions:  Any thoughts regarding what is a helpful on-line presence for a member of the campus/university culture?  Does it vary with position/responsibility/life stage, e.g., undergraduate student, graduate student, staff, pre-tenure faculty, tenure faculty, administrator, counselor, campus minister?

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1. How do we use social media appropriately to
   1. build community?  Note:  How does social media influence our/your definition of community or the various forms of community in which we find ourselves?  The seminar will take the direction of building local, face-to-face campus communities, but I’m also interested in the other forms of community, such one finds in the Emerging Scholars Network.
   2. invite others to engage with our community?
   3. engage others with ideas we are discussing in our communities?
2. What are some do’s and don’ts for healthy, appropriate and effective use of technology?
3. What’s available? What’s changing? How do we make decisions?
4. How do we make decisions about the use of technology when engaging with audiences of different generations in our ministry?  Note:  Please don’t skip.  Due to the overall conference theme, it has particular relevance.  :-)  Feel free to also share How you make decisions about the use of technology when engaging with audiences of different generations in higher education?

Calling out to the community/network for input. …

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Some of the Sesame Street cast members

In How We Got to Sesame Street; Art on Screen (The Chronicle of Higher Education. January 16, 2009), Evan R. Goldstein treats us to some of the history of Sesame Street, which celebrated 40 years on November 10.

In 1966 a group of friends gathered for a dinner party in Manhattan. As the evening was winding down, one of the guests, Lloyd N. Morrisett, a vice president at the Carnegie Corporation, turned to his host, a television executive named Joan Ganz Cooney, and asked a seemingly innocuous question: Can television educate young children? …

Almost four years after the Cooney dinner party, on November 10, 1969, Sesame Street showed up on public television across the country. The series was greeted with a torrent of gushing reviews. “The show moves, seduces, diverts, dazzles, amuses, and infects,” raved a writer at Variety. “Learning seems almost a byproduct of fun,” noted another critic. Children’s television would never be the same.”

It’s hard not to concede that education begins in the context of where one grows up and TV viewing is almost universal among the kids in our culture.  As such, would you credit Sesame Street or similar TV shows for your early childhood education (or at least some of it)?  Does Sesame Street Turns 40, But It Doesn’t Look a Day Over 25 resonate with you?

In the last 40 years, Sesame Street taught us to celebrate our differences, to bask in our own individuality and has continuously redefined “normal” to fit us all. Sesame Street taught us to read, to write, and yes, to count. It opened our eyes to cultures beyond our cul-de-sac and taught us global thinking. Sesame Street made us believe that we could be anything and that anything was possible. Sesame Street taught us to love music and laughter and learning.

A couple more questions to ponder/discuss:

Street Gang: The Complete History of Sesame Street

1. How much emphasis should parents or the educational system as a whole place on educational TV for kids, youth, young adults, adults?
2. What has the educational experiment shown us about what kids can/do learn from TV?  Do they learn/absorb more than the basics, e.g., values, perspective on the real world?
3. Would you agree with the Robert Smith’s 40 Years Of Lessons On ‘Sesame Street’, which ran on NPR yesterday (11/10/2009)?  E.g., Children Are Adaptable. Keep It Simple.  The Children are always right (Note: Bonus on audio).
4. As one involved in higher education, do you have any recommendations for the next decade of Sesame Street as it seeks to educate kids across the spectrum or for parents as they seek to evaluate it’s role in the overall educational toolkit?  Note:  Sesame Street provides a peek of it’s future direction at It’s all new and better than ever as Sesame Street turns 40!

P.S.  Street Gang:  The Complete History of Sesame Street (Michael Davis. Viking. 2008) looks like a good read.  I found an excerpt posted here.

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How many took him up on the offer? 12 out of 35. How many succeeded? 6 out of 12. I wonder how he tracked and/or verified what I assume to be self-reporting.

In what manner does social media help you get to know your colleagues? Is it awkward to use with those above or below you in the campus structure? Do all faculty need to have a Facebook page to relate to students or would students prefer not to have faculty know what they’re chatting about?

Note: HT to Ivy Jungle’s July Update for information regarding this article.

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My older daughter was traveling back to grad school with her car last January, and we had MapQuested her trip from our home in Massachusetts to Pittsburgh, a journey of more than 600 miles, or 10 hours and 20 minutes without stops.

And you’ve probably already guessed that Flynn’s daughter gets lost.  Turns out that she goes astray not far from where I live in South Central PA.  Would you believe that Flynn teaches a spring semester travel writing course — nice transition ;-)

Each of the students has to take a trip during spring break and write a long travel essay as his or her final assignment. Some of the kids take the college-sponsored trips, others concoct their own.

The stories from her class abound.  How about you?  Do you have memorable travel stories of first finding your way to a new campus or conference?  On what do you depend for directions?  Is it only the older generation which use paper road maps?

As one who visits a number of campuses for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, I have quite a few wrong turns to report.  But for me two items particularly come to mind regarding my campus travels through the years:

1. How much stuff I packed into the car as a first year student. … AND my collection of books has only continued to go with each subsequent move!
2. The challenge of campus parking.   A few weeks ago, I visited a campus where my typical visitor parking location was under construction.  I circled the block and parked in an unmarked lot which appeared to be open to visitors.  No ticket, good news ;-)  Not sure if I’ll use that lot again.  I’ll have to ask again.

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What brings the question to mind? The recent release of the trailer for Tim Burton giving a stab at Alice in Wonderland (2010) with Johnny Depp (Mad Hatter), Anne Hathaway (White Queen), Helena Bonham Carter (Red Queen) and Mia Wasikowska (Alice). With my 9 year old twins, I’d be Mad as a Hatter to introduce Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland w/this rendering of the classic tale,* but if I was a college professor hoping to stir interest in literature?  Hmm. …

*I’m not text only, I confess to enjoying a conversation regarding the value of John Tenniel’s illustrations ;-)

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There are a few elements of the second commentary (TIMOTHY CARMODY) which make sense – but it reads to much like standard technological determinism predictions of “changes in technology change everything”. The model of a knowledgeable teach leading inquiry into a topic by providing information/explanation, prompting questions, and recognitions/correction of participant contribution is very old and has endured through many technology shifts (the distribution of print bibles does not eliminate the value of inductive bible studies with a leader who is at least minimally trained :-)).    So while some changes will happen are not likely to be the ones this author is predicting. …

The changes described by the 4th author (JOSEPH C. HERMANOWICZ) are already happening. There is a marked difference between how my senior colleagues and my junior colleagues see their career prospects and their role in the university.   One point I would make here:  I doubt the claim that this is an less expensive way to run a university.  Elimination of the intangible benefits of a faculty career, the sense of collegiality, and the idea that faculty members are partners in the university lead to decreased willingness to devote themselves to the university.  This requires higher salaries to motivate administrative work.  This leads to increased questions about efficacy of faculty efforts in these areas – leading to substitution of highly paid administrators for lower paid faculty. The end result is organizations run by highly paid administrators with little or no interest in educational or knowledge goals and low paid faculty who have no incentive to contribute to the organization beyond their formal job description (instead of moderately paid faculty who “serve” in administrative positions because they care about the university).

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Note:  If you don’t have a copy of John Stott’s Your Mind Matters, I’d encourage you to borrow/purchase so you’re ready to go on Tuesday.  If you’d like a head start on reading but don’t have a copy of the book, visit InterVarsity Press’ website for PDFs of the Foreward and Chapter 1.

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Star Trek Movie Poster

Faith & Geekery claims Star Trek Will Rock the Summer.  Yes, Star Trek features superb action, casting, soundtrack, and special effects.  As a fan who only reached the theater on Monday (to distinguish myself from Trekkies who went to the early screening in uniform/costume on Thursday night), Star Trek not only fit in the 43 year history well enough, but also created the foundation for a future series which will boldly go where it hasn’t quite gone before.

With that on the table, I must confess that I spent much of the film reflecting upon how followers of Christ in the academic community should respond to Star Trek‘s portrayal of reality, courage, emotion, integrity, intellect, love, mentoring, and what is right. Why?  Because J.J. Abrams set the destiny shaping, coming of age story of the crew of the Starship Enterprise (largely focused upon Spock and James T. Kirk) in the context of Kirk’s rise to Captain before early graduation from Starfleet Academy.  Kirk was so much the right stuff that he received special recognition for his heroic emergency field service and completely avoided the traditional fast track to Captain as described by Captain Christopher Pike earlier in the film, i.e., four years at Starfleet Academy followed by four years in the field.

1.  With regard to Star Trek‘s portrayal of reality, I find it hard to avoid the age old question of what is the science of Star Trek? ** On this topic, even Roger Ebert has a word or 2 for the director J.J. Abrams.  Since the art of storytelling involves sharing a convincing story, what does one do with black holes as a portal for space time travel depositing crafts unharmed at different times?  Or how about the opportunity for one character to discuss future direction with his future self from a now alternate time line (should we call it a parallel universe)?  As I have not received academic training in this area, I see this as an opportunity to learn more about God’s creation.  Any scientists or philosophers have some bit sized educational tidbits/links on black holes, time travel, and/or life co-existing across parallel universes?

2.  But good storytelling holds together and calls us to suspend disbelief.  Let’s say I embrace the science of Star Trek.   Do we find ourselves left with a space soap opera (Roger Ebert)?  The NY Times review (A Franchise Goes Boldly Backward) declares

“Star Trek,” the latest spinoff from the influential television show, isn’t just a pleasurable rethink of your geek uncle’s favorite science-fiction series. It’s also a testament to television’s power as mythmaker, as a source for some of the fundamental stories we tell about ourselves, who we are and where we came from.  … the spirit of adventure and embrace of rationality that define the show are in full swing, as are the chicks in minis and kicky boots.

Yes, the overwhelming spirit of adventure keeps one engaged throughout much of the film.  But where is the embrace of rationality? Spock’s younger self receives this counsel from his future self (from a now alternate time line),

Do yourself a favor. Put aside logic and do what is right.

Yes, the Spock of the original series could loosen up a little bit and take emotions more into consideration, but are we called to affirm all of the new Spock’s emotional outbursts as right?  Are there logical decisions which the older Spock regrets, wishing he chose what was right?  Surely the new Spock could have used a little more logic and self-control when responding to taunts as a child, when approached physically by his student Uhura,  and when he compromised command in the face of Kirk’s ridicule.  I find it quite disturbing that this last act was encouraged by Spock’s future self in order to form the proper/right relationship on the bridge (and to help his younger self do what was right?).   Are we to understand Kirk’s lifelong passionate expressions of emotion as always right (or leading to helpful outcomes), no matter their impact upon others?

Spock and Kirk

I think that it’s the retaining of Star Trek‘s set, characters, and gadgets without the high humanistic moral ground which gives the Onion’s satire so much stickiness.  Deep down our culture has nod, nod, wink, wink confessed that humanism is all about the winner making the myth and determining what’s right.  Furthermore much of what we have come to embrace as right, even in Christian circles, stems from what feels right at the time.  So what’s wrong with cheating on a final exam in order to graduate, sneaking on board when suspension is pending in order to help the cause, or helping someone’s older self trick their younger self into an inappropriate display of emotion which compromises their ability to lead in order to restore relationships to their proper place(!)?  Are these the type of things which distinguish top students at the Academy, even potentially leading to their recognition?  Does the younger generation not require mentoring, except for a few challenges at destiny-shaping moments to embrace themselves, because they’re in touch with their emotions instead of their rationality (like previous generations) … making them always right?

3.  Spock’s future self shares this counsel with his new, younger self,

You will always be a child of two worlds, and fully capable of determining your own destiny. The question you face is, which path will you choose? This is something only you can decide.

As Christ-followers, we too are children of two world/kingdoms and must make daily decisions regarding our path.  But God is God and we are to responsibly live in submission to His Kingdom alone, not one of our own making. I’m not calling us to embrace logic over feeling.  But instead, I’m urging us to recognize that when we are encouraged to do what feels right at the bar, on the bridge, during the final exam/special project, in the elevator, in our classmate’s apartment, when we reflect upon our past/future, we must submit to the rule and reign of Christ alone.  That’s how we journey through the Academy in the proper manner.  These are the voyages of the Emerging Scholars Network …***

*Note:  Check out Movies: stories of a postmodern generation for some pointers on watching movies.  Recommended review:  Sydney Anglicans.
**For example visit the homepage of Lawrence M. Krauss, author of The Physics of Star Trek.
***These pieces may be of interest to you:  Christianity needs to be unfashionable on campus, The Community of Scholars, Part One, The Community of Scholars, Part Two

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