I love this time of year. I love the food, the family stuff, the forecasts, the prophecies.
In Aarhus, Denmark, the Innovation Lab posted the hottest tendencies and trends.
The 10 Tendencies are:
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I began thinking about how these tendencies affect my life with learners:
1. Customer-made–”When customers and users ‘infiltrate’ the product-development work of companies or organisations and begin to design and create their own products and services.” How can teachers and learners, become users with power who work with vendors to develop the resources they need? One application I see great need for is a federated search product that really works, one that understands the nuances of the databases I own and the needs of my searchers.
4. Virtual Worlds–On my to-do list is a deeper exploration of Second Life. This year I played a bit, got frustrated my my limited ability to navigate, and got an outfit and hair I liked.  Nevertheless, I believe that sometime in the not too distant future, libraries will function with a virtual reality as well as a real space presence. I want my students to meet me wherever they’ll be living and playing.
7. Web video–We are seriously exploring the potential of producing and sharing learning in video format, a format many of our learners prefer.  Our kids are eager to help design these just-for-me, just-in-time learning objects.Â
9. Expanded search– “More ‘intelligent’, meaningful and automatic searches are starting to gain foothold.” How can we in libraries introduce technology that exploits (in the most positive sense of the word) searches that understand personal preferences? If it works for merchants, it should also work for us as we serve readers and researchers.Â
10. Humanitarian technology–”Profit-generating technologies and humanitarian aid in one! Too good to be true? Probably – but it’s nevertheless a reality. A perspicacious neo-philanthropy is imminent.” Equity is an issue for industrialized, as well as developing nations, and we need to consider how to bridge the gap in our own districts and buildings, even when the gap isn’t obvious. Can we spread the open source gospel? Can we lend laptops and flashsticks and cameras? Can we investigate the potential for $100 laptops in schools where they are most needed?
