We are the Digital World -- Rapid Fire Learning for April

Digital technology has had an enormous impact on my life.

The year the Hollandale Christian School (K-8) got their first computer remains etched in my mind. I remember how it made me feel to sit in front of that monitor--I was smitten.

At that tender age, I discovered a medium which would allow me to safely explore who I was and finally--about 20 years later--I began that journey.

Today, global connectivity is at an all time high and our definition of collaboration, ownership, community and  'how impersonal the web is' are constantly being redrawn. The sun doesn't set without someone reaching out to another human being through evolving channels to once again change the game.

These things have such a profound effect on my life I've struggled with how to share them with you. I struggle because I think many people miss the fact that we are everything we create. We are the digital machine. We learn and grow through our creations and go on to create more. There is no separation.

• The Youtube Video above is about Web 2.0 and how we are a part of it. We are the 'machine', we teach the machine and we learn from it.

I think this puts a great deal of the communities, interactivity and collaboration into an entirely new perspective. It's no longer about how authentic a conversation is--the question is, how will it change and redefine the future? OR will it at all?

I don't know about you but it excites me to think about the innovations we will see in all areas of the online conversation-space.

• Tod Machover and Dan Ellsey @ TED - Machover of MIT's Media Lab is devoted to extending musical expression for everyone (Guitar Hero came from his group). Ellsey plays his "My Eagle Song" in piece that underscores music's ability to heal, to communicate, and to inspire.

Dan has cerebral palsy and watching him play the music he composed himself, through his own expression via digital software absolutely floored me. Not only did this create a paradigm shift within me, it creates a way for individuals like Dan to explore themselves. I was moved to tears while watching his performance.

• Learning to Engage - Rosa's article is spot on, in regards to learning how to engage in online communities and answer the question "Why Bother?".

While many consider digital communities OR the web as a whole to be the seed of separation when it comes to close contact with other humans--I see it differently. Conversing with people via Telnet on text-based worlds gave an isolated individual (me) a safe means of opening up.

By learning to engage online, I found ways to engage my fellow man in the physical world.

• My beloved iPod - When we consider the theme Digital Learning, most of us will immediately think of the web and its expanding usefulness. While I'm quite fond of these things, digital learning can include the tools we use throughout our days away from the computer and/or web access.

A little over two years ago, I made a choice which would redefine my life--if I made the choice to stick with it. My iPod was a critical part of my motivation, inspiration and learning through upbeat music, seminars and audio books.

When I felt my mood sinking...
When I needed to relax and focus on what I wanted to draw into my life...
When I carved the learning necessary to grow and become a successful and happy person...

My iPod was there.

• Twitter : StumbleUpon : My Private Classroom - Three websites, all of them powerful.

The funny thing is I've been a member of Twitter and StumbleUpon for well over a year. But for whatever reason, I didn't get engaged right off the bat. Now Twitter and StumbleUpon are a big part of the marketing I do (Still getting the hang of Twitter but loving it :: Instant Messaging on Steroids!).

MPC is a community on Ning, created to give real marketing training to real people. It is a gathering of people from all walks of life, varied levels of expertise for the purpose of  helping each other excel, grow and become successful. My kind of MasterMind Group. :)

There has never been a better time to be alive. The means to share, collaborate, learn and grow are at our finger tips with the click of a button. Learning is in our blood. We all carve and need growth--whether we've come to recognize it or not.

As with anything else, the digital superhighway and toys we cherish are what we make them. We can use them to withdraw OR they can be a means for making the world a better place.

The question is, what digital tools do you use and are you engaging the community behind it? OR better yet, are you allowing them to teach you the lessons available so you might grow?

Do they make you better? If not, why bother?

[Update:] This article was prepared--all I had to do was hit publish, when a spot of digital learning came along. Yesterday, I faced a road block (sharing my voice online) and took part in a Voice Thread conversation. Now I'm in search of ways to use Voice Thread and/or other forms of audio and video on my blog. Another step taken and lesson learned. :)

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Tim Draayer discovered the joy of reclaiming one's destiny two years ago. Today he is an entrepreneur, networker and personal growth evangelist. He writes about all these things on his blog, Network Marketing Journey.

Comments

[Karen Wallace]

Yay Tim! Go the Voicethread - it's one of those things that once you take a teeny tiny bite, you're smitten. You're life will never be the same again. (A lot like really good chocolate:)

I love how you describe the path and your digital learnings this month - this is pure joyfulness in learning! And I think a track that a lot of us are on right now. It seems that just having a focus here on JJL of digital learning has meant a huge growth for me this month too - I'm twittering and stumbling and tumbling and all manner of circus manoeuvres I never thought I'd be doing ;) And I am loving it - the connection and well, the Connections. Thanks Tim!

[Tim Draayer]

Karen - Writing this RFL was great fun for me. And its true, despite the headlines speaking to the contrary, we live in exciting times for lifelong learners.

And like Twitter, StumbleUpon and many of the other communities online--lifelong learning can get addictive. Sure has been for me.

Writing comes easy, the words seem to flow from my fingertips before I've even thought them. Speaking on the other hand is different but thats exactly why I chose to participate in the voice thread.

Because it doesn't matter that I have to think my words through, pause or get things jumbled up--thats me.

Tim

[Joanna Young]

Tim, I think this is it for me:

"We learn and grow through our creations and go on to create more."

All of this is blowing my mind too - not least as I keep on 'meeting' people who share similar ideas, passion, creativity, the desire to innovate, learn, change the world...

Thanks for an inspiring RFL, and thanks too for sharing your voice with us. It means all the more when it's come through a block. It's you being you, being real - and that's why we treasure it.

Cheers, Joanna

[Joanna Young]

Tim, remembered to come back and share my own rapid fire!

Community: gives me the confidence to stretch and experiment - in writing, in business, in life decisions. Also saved my bacon this month with lots of guest posts and contributions at my own blog, at a time when I don't have much spare time to write

Time: the timeframe for the voice thread has made me think. Leaving it for a while generated a different sort of conversation. Why don't we do this with blog posts?

Twitter: has kept me cheerful and amused this month. It's a great resource for those of us who work on our own, through the web

Voice: does make a difference. I've loved hearing JJL and Twitter voices this month. Thickens the connections.

Trust: The digital recommendations we make here, like the book reviews, carry weight because we trust each other. Even simple, almost throw away remarks like 'yes I did that with Picasa' gives me the confidence to go and explore, download, try, experiment that I wouldn't otherwise have

All 5 of these support and re-inforce each other. It's what we weave together. As you said: it's what we create.

Joanna

[Rosa Say]

Mahalo for hosting this month for us Tim! Here are mine:

April RFL Lessons in Digital Learning (in 5):
1. Decide on a subject you can learn online. For example, this month my choice was Twitter. (more via the link w/my name on this comment).
2. Sign up for an account there, and jump in.
3. If any social media component there at all, start having some conversations: Renew old friendships and be willing to invest in new ones.
4. Tell your newly growing community you are a newbie.
5. Ask questions, and accept their help gratefully.

I will be doing this over and over again because it works so well!

And Tim, I join Joanna and Karen in saying I was so thrilled to hear you on the VoiceThread! Aloha shining through :)
Rosa