Diffusion of Technology / Use of Technology in the Classroom

One of the first times I heard the phrase, "It's cool to be ignorant and not-cool to be smart in America". I didn't really know what to think. Over time, I sort of felt that it wasn't a thing that truly existed. I mean, after all, what does that mean? It's cool to be stupid?

Around this time was when I began going to a 4-year college. Now, i've always been able to understand how and why technology is the way it is. It's a strange, wonderful, and delightfully complicated beast but I love it. I hate technology because of it; but I admire it all the same.

This is where the collegiate world comes in. I hear, over the course of my days, "I'm old fashioned". And this is in reference to using a powerpoint as opposed to just giving a speech. Or, copying an article instead of just making the students find it on their own. It's a strange thing. In the end, not knowing how to use the Internet or a search engine like google becomes a trophy and actually knowing how to use it becomes a negative.

Why has this happened? What could cause the proliferation and ubiquity of computing to become part of a negative part of pop culture? One of these days, i'll try and actually do a project on this.

Eye Tracking on Search Engines

Google recently released the results of a study they did on how people use their site. It's pretty interesting but I think that it speaks of why the google or any advertising model, ends up failing. How is it that people can be pointed toward products or stores of interest to the person surfing on the net? It's a pretty strange idea; though a really cool study really sheds some light on things. Here are some of the findings: