“DOES ‘THE SOCIAL NETWORK’ HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR TEACHING?” Part 2

ROMANTICIZING THE WEBMASTER: "This Is Your Time!"

Who would have thought that the tapping on laptop keyboards and scribbling algorithms on a windowpane (not since John Nash in A Beautiful Mind) could possibly be as exciting as a James Bond or Jason Bourne spy flick? Welcome to “GeekWorld”! There’s an almost romantic aura to punching those keys at lightning speed to code a Website. The movie glorifies computer genius. Webmasters and IT professionals, listen up: “This may be your time.” It certainly is in TSN.

SIGNIFICANCE OF TSN TO THE NET GENERATION

As Sean “Napster-founder” Parker says to Zuckerberg in the film, “This is our time.” He may well have been addressing the entire Facebooking-Twittering community of Net Geners.

The goal was not to make money off the site, at least, not early on, because it will lose “all cool and credibility.” However, Zuckerberg’s genius combined with his social insecurities to create a computer chip on his shoulder the size of Quasimodo’s hump played out in his relationships throughout the film.

This film is the 1st detailed screen portrait of the Net Geners by mostly Net Gen actors. It conveyed their views on money, personal and professional relationships, careers, and responsibility to society. The movie also revealed their character, integrity, business ethics, and values, although loyalty, betrayal, and jealousy were the primary driving forces.

HOW DOES TSN DEPICT NET GENER CHARACTERISTICS?

You bet! All of my research and writing on the Net Generation over the past 2 years hit me in the gizzard as I was watching TSN. Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay and David Fincher’s direction represented the confluence of so many Net Gener learner and social characteristics: tech savvy, creation of Internet content, operating at twitch speed, learning by inductive discovery, teamwork and collaboration, pressure to succeed, need for instant gratification, embodiment of change and activity, confident and assertive, trial and error problem solving, and craving social interaction—face-to-face and, especially, virtual connectivity.

TSN is like mouse candy to a Net Gener baby. What does Facebook represent in the transition to Web 2.0 technology? What message does it send teachers? Stick around for the final blog, coming to a PC/Mac near you.

COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC

“AS A PROFESSIONAL, ARE YOU REGARDED AS ‘DISTINGUISHED’ BY PEOPLE CAPABLE OF DISTINGUISHING?” The Antithesis of Salieri’s Quote!

THE ANTITHESIS OF SALIERI’S WORDS!
As a neophyte academician in 1980, I was struck by that brilliant collection of words. Further, I was struck a second time by the message or rather the antithesis of the message. It was the opposite meaning of Salieri’s words that hit me between the eyeballs. Inter-ocular-wise, the antithesis undergirds our professional accountability and success:

“All that we say and do professionally must be regarded as distinguished by peers who are capable of distinguishing.” Berk’s Law (2010)

The “peer review process” establishes the credibility of our work and our worth. It determines the value of our contributions and our advancement in academia. That process also represents the standard of excellence in the profession. Although it is judgment-based and fallible, that standard is sacrosanct; mediocrity is simply unacceptable. (NOTE: These reflections also apply to many other professions.)

BOTTOM LINE: FAME and being regarded as DISTINGUISHED are based on what other people think about you. The culture perpetuates this notion of affirmation of our self-worth by others. Salieri knew the truth. Despite the legitimate role of peer review in our professional world, ultimately the quality of what we say and do is in our hands. That’s who we are now and who we will become.

This message was told slightly differently to hundreds of college basketball players at UCLA in the 1960s and ‘70s by their legendary coach John Wooden who recently passed away: “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

What are your thoughts on any of the preceding reflections? Something must have stirred within or outside of you. Tell me. Come on, spew it out. You know you want to comment. What struck you? Do it!

COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC

“HAVE YOU ATTAINED FAME BASED ON WORK YOU KNOW TO BE ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS?”

PROFESSIONAL REFLECTIONS
After reading the quote in my previous blog, how are your tracks? Shaking? Quaking? Mine are blown away. Don’t you wish you could write like that? What are your thoughts? WAIT! Don’t tell me yet. Hold them until the end.

There are at least 2 parts to the quote I want to address: (1) fame based on work you know to be absolutely worthless, and (2) being regarded as distinguished by people incapable of distinguishing.

IS THERE ANY INTEGRITY TO ATTAINING FAME?
Do you know anyone who has attained fame and recognition without earning it the ole’ fashioned way? Of course you do. Just consider the celebrities who grab the headlines or write books they didn’t write that immediately become best-sellers. If you create the right YouTube video and, if it goes viral, you can have fame thrust upon you.

Are these famous people a flash in the pan or for real? Many don’t care, because how ever they achieved fame didn’t matter; they’re already laughing on each trip to the bank! Reputation, character, and integrity are of lesser importance than "fame" and money.

How does this happen? It’s an artifact of our culture. Celebrity worship is deeply ingrained. And, unfortunately, this artifact has infected the workplace, regardless of your profession. But there have always been cases where colleagues are recognized or promoted or have otherwise attained fame without truly deserving it.

So what? Were Salieri’s words on target? Kinda. But his work wasn't totally worthless. It is still being played on YouTube videos, as Julia Petrakis brought to my attention:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_Q3dlQZt_E&feature=player_embedded# !

So where’s the integrity in fame? As a professional, it seems clear that there are those who earn it and those who don’t? Which course have you followed in the past? More important, which one do you choose to follow in the future?

After all, whose work survived and, in fact, flourished? Whose contributions to music stood the test of time? Salieri’s or Mozart’s? Well, both are on YouTube! What do you want your legacy or epitaph to be?

Now what thoughts are racing through your brain? Have you observed evidence of Salieri’s words in your profession or elsewhere? What course should you follow?

COPYRIGHT © 2010 Ronald A. Berk, LLC

Teacher as Performer: Putting It on the Line in an Audition

I just finished auditioning for a role in a commercial video course on statistics in a studio in Austin, TX. It was a “screen test” where I presented two 10-minute segments on stat topics of my choice. It brought new meaning to the phrase putting it on the line.

I recently published “A Tribute to Teaching: Putting It on the Line” (College Teaching, 2009, download from www.ronberk.com). The video series combines the human element in teaching with the high tech capabilities of video graphics. It put my teaching mind, body, heart, and soul on the line in front of the camera in a different way from teaching in the classroom. I don’t know what will happen yet, but it was a challenging and humbling experience.

LESSON LEARNED: At every turn in academia, we are given two choices:
(1) thoroughly do your homework and prepare to the max (aka 150% effort) in all of your close encounters with teaching, research, RFPs, publications, committee leadership, etc. OR

(2) compromise that preparation in favor of other priorities. I still live with these options daily in my speaking and writing.



A lesson that was indelibly etched in my brain by the fictitious law Professor Kingsfield in the 1973 movie The Paper Chase (and subsequent TV series) was NEVER EVER COMPROMISE your preparation for the courtroom, classroom, video studio room, or any other room. It is so tempting to pull back, rather than preparing and practicing over and over again up until the last minute. This screen-test experience affirmed the Kingsfield message. At least, when it’s all over and you’ve finished class, submitted the RFP or article or book manuscript, or completed the screen test, there’s the consolation that you know you have done your best. Even if you get whacked, which will happen, you put it all on the line. That’s still worth a lot. You can win or lose with your integrity intact.
 COPYRIGHT © 2009 Ronald A. Berk, LLC

Punctuality Is Not Just a Time Management Tool: It's a Career Maker or Breaker!

Are you ever late to anything? Do you arrive at your classes before or on time? What about your meetings with students, professors, patients, clients, or employees? How about lunch and dinner dates and doctors’ appointments? Are you on time, as expected, without exception, without excuses, all of the time? If YES, congratulations. That's fantastic. I’m proud of you. In fact, you can probably skip over this blog, collect $200, and go to your next meeting, of course, on time. If your answer was NO to those 14 questions at the beginning of this over bloated paragraph, you should be totally ashamed of yourself. What is wrong with you?

In researching the material for my last book on time management, I was figuratively smacked upside my head with the time management gurus' advice on the most critical factors. Among the 46 techniques in my book, PUNCTUALITY struck me as numero uno. As you can tell, I was smacked in Spanish! I thought you might benefit from what I learned. (Sidebar: You should know that I'm not punctual; I'm early to EVERYTHING. I'm one of those compulsive characters who sets my watches and clocks 15-20 minutes ahead. When my daughters were little and rode in their car seats, they would look at the car clock and scream,"Dad, what's the REEEAL time?" They still scream the same question 20 years later when they're in my car.)

POSITIVE ASPECTS
Let's start with the positive aspects of punctuality. When you are consistently punctual, you put yourself in a position of power. Your punctuality makes the statement: “I respect your time as well as my own. And I want to be a power person like Ironman, Spiderman, The Hulk, Conan O'Brien, or Oprah. I want to be your hero.” I think you’re getting carried away. This paragraph is about being on time, NOT world domination! Oops! Sorry, I get excited sometimes.

Time is valuable and should not be wasted by delays for any reason. When you’re punctual, you can demand that of others. As faculty, administrators, students, and business leaders, you start your meetings on time and end them on time (Note: A future blog will deal with how to conduct meetings effectively and efficiently.)

NEGATIVE ASPECTS
Now, let's consider the negative side. If you are not punctual and make no effort to change that behavior, you have no leverage over others. Arriving late regularly to any appointment says: “I have no respect for your time. It’s just not that important. It's ALL about me, not you.” Wasting other people's time is insulting. You need to be whacked. How are you going to get anything accomplished if you have no regard for time?

Any one who cannot keep appointments may not be trusted to do other things. That behavior calls his or her dependability into question. That’s significant. Do you see where this is heading? If you can’t count on somebody in a clutch situation, there’s a serious problem. When she says “I have your back,” who will believe her? You better find someone else to cover your back.

Lack of punctuality can also be linked to integrity. Showing lack of respect for your own time questions your respect for others as well as your values, priorities, honesty, and moral soundness. All of a sudden, simply being late all the time can blow respect, trust, dependability, and integrity to smithereens. They are critical character attributes. They can turn into career makers or breakers and, maybe even worse, relationship makers or breakers!!

WHAT TO DO?
Whatever season of your career or life you are now experiencing, examine your punctuality. If you are habitually late to everything, STOP! in the name of your relationships. Consider seriously what you are doing or what others say you are doing and correct that behavior before it’s too late. Just a thought.

COPYRIGHT © 2009 Ronald A. Berk, LLC