Knocking on Heaven's Door - Randall (2011)

Lisa Randall is the Frank J. Baird, Jr. Professor of Science at Harvard University.  Randall is a particle physicist and cosmologist.  She has written numerous journal and magazine articles.  She also is the author of "Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions."

Knocking on Heaven's Door highlights the research currently being done in particle physics at the subatomic and cosmological scales.  In fact, the impact of scale serves as the unifying theme of Knocking on Heaven's Door.  Randall begins by highlighting one of the great mysteries facing physicists today, namely the fact that theories and laws that function consistently and predictably when investigated at the scale of the observable world simply do not hold true at the subatomic or quantum level.  Physicists are currently in pursuit of a unifying theory that would serve to explain this inconsistency.

Randall suggests that, while such a unifying theory would be helpful, it is not essential.  The author observes that the laws of physics on the observable scale remain reliable and consistent.  When applied at this level, scientists and non-scientists alike can use them to make predictions and assumptions critical to everyday life.  At the quantum mechanical level, other laws apply and can be used to make predictions and assumptions confidently.  As long as these laws remain reliable at the given scale, their value remains undiminished.

Randall provides a first-hand description of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which she visited while it was still under construction.  As an internationally respected physicist, Randall was provided access to the entire structure.  The LHC is the most costly machine ever built.  It lies beneath the French-Swiss border and covers a distance of approximately 27km or 17 miles.  The LHC was built and is operated by CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.

Randall provides an summary of the numerous investigations currently underway at the LHC.  The most notable investigation involves an attempt to identify the Higgs boson, which scientists believe is responsible for the formation of matter following the Big Bang.  Identifying this and other elusive particles requires the collision of subatomic particles, in this case protons, at extremely high energy.  It is hoped that these collisions will result in the formation of other subatomic particles such as the Higgs.

The LHC experiments serve as a bridge between the very small subatomic scale and the vast cosmic scale studied by cosmologists.  The LHC experiments, especially the search for the Higgs Boson may explain much about how the universe was formed.

Moving to the cosmic scale, Randall goes on to discuss the role that dark matter and dark energy play in the expansion of the universe.  While dark matter and dark energy have never been seen, their presence has been determined mathematically through the observation that the universe, rather than slowing down as formally predicted, is actually speeding up.  The expansion is uniform much the same as if one put dots on a balloon and then inflates it.

Randall discusses other developing theories in cosmology including String Theory and the Multiverse Theory.  While not a String Theorist, per se, Randall and her colleague Raman Sundrum have proposed a theory to explain why gravity is such a weak force when compared to the other three forces: the strong nuclear, weak and electromagnetic.  This has been a question that has puzzled scientists.  The Randall-Sundrum theory, based upon a solid mathematical foundation, contends that the gravitational force is actually commensurate to the other forces, but it is concentrated in another dimension (Brane).  Adding this fifth dimension to spacetime, would explain why we feel gravity as such a weak force.

Randall concludes her book with an argument for the importance of basic scientific research.  While the goal of much of the research described in Knocking on Heaven's Door is simply to expand our knowledge of the world and the universe in which we live, Randall contends that it is essential.  She provides numerous examples of how knowledge gained from basic research has led to new technologies, such as the microcomputer chip, even though such applications were inconceivable at the time the research was conducted.

Linchpin: Are You Indispensible - Seth Godin (2010)

 Linchpin was recommended to me by my friend and colleague Dr. Noreen O'Neill to whom I am very grateful.

Seth Godin is an entrepreneur, best-selling author and highly sought-after speaker.  Godin holds degrees in computer science and philosophy and earned his MBA at Stanford.

Godin proclaims at the beginning of Linchpin that each and everyone of us is a genius.  He challenges us to think of the times when we have experienced an insight or solved a problem that eluded everyone else. At these times, our inner genius momentarily emerged from within.  In most cases, unencouraged and uncultivated, it then quickly retreated to the inner confines of our being.

Over time, Godin observes, social institutions such as schools, government and corporations, extinguish the genius and artistry within us in exchange for the perception of security and stability.  Society's suppression of our personal genius maintains a social and economic order developed during the industrial age.  A time when cheap, easily replaceable workers were needed to fill our factories and businesses.  Workers served as cogs on the wheel of industry and nothing more.

Today's economy, however, rewards a different type of worker.  A worker capable of creativity, innovation and artistry.  These are the people who are indispensable.  They are the "Linchpins."

Godin is careful to point out that the artistry and genius exhibited by Linchpins are not reserved to esoteric pursuits.  Linchpins bring personal commitment and passion to a task, no matter how menial.  The Linchpin always seeks to bring about change that will improve a product, a situation or an experience.  The Linchpin is not afraid to explore new paths or accept new challenges despite ambiguity and uncertainty of success.  The Linchpin is a map maker.

Unleashing one's genius and artistry requires great courage.  Many internal and external elements conspire to discourage both.  Godin refers to these collectively as "the resistance."

Externally, social institutions such as school, government and corporations encourage obedience and conformity.  They demand compliance and deference to authority.  These traits are antithetical to genius and artistry.  They are an anethma to the Linchpin.

Internal resistance, though, proves far more powerful in suppressing our willingness and ability to create and bring about change.  Fear of failure or ridicule inhibits many from taking the risks necessary to achieve their genius potential.   Godin notes that this fear has a physiological origin emanating from the most primitive parts of the human brain.  Godin calls this the "Lizard Brain."

Overcoming the resistance requires "passion," a passion that makes facing the risk of failure, criticism and even ridicule worthwhile.  Overcoming the resistance requires significant emotional labor and a desire to bring about change that is so strong that one views it as a gift, not a transaction.

As an educator, I found Godin's indictment of education to be both disturbing and valid.  As education in America moves more and more towards standardization and punitive accountability, what is to become of our artists and geniuses?

Master Switch - Tim Wu (2010)

Tim Wu is a professor at Columbia University and a policy advocate.

The Master Switch examines the cycle that information industries tend to go through from open to closed systems.  Wu chooses several examples and demonstrates how each started out as an open system with a great deal of innovation but very little central control.  As they became more vital to the economy and lucrative to the investors, each became much more centrally controlled.

Two of the most vivid examples provided were Radio and the telephone.  In the early days of radio, like the early days of the Internet, radio was mainly of interest to hobbyists.  As the communications capability of radio became apparent, it came to be viewed as a national security asset.  The federal government, through the FCC, granted near monopoly control of the industry to RCA.  While this provided stability and reliability, it also led to RCA squelching major innovations such FM broadcasting for decades.

The history of the telephone was similar.  In the early days, there were many small telephone companies, some of whom used fencing wire to connect farms.  When the FCC granted monopoly status to AT&T to develop the nation's phone network all of these entrepreneurs were driven out of business.  While AT&T succeeded in establishing the national phone network, it was not without cost.  AT&T  controlled every aspect of research and development and prohibited third parties from developing and attaching any ancillary equipment to the phone.  In one famous case, AT&T sued the manufacturer of "Hush a Phone," a simple cup device intended to be attached to a phone to provide more privacy for the speaker.  Probably the most shocking example of suppression occurred when AT&T ordered that all research and development cease on the development of magnetic recording devices for the phone in the 1930's.  This delayed the introduction of the answering machine by approximately 60 years.

The movie industry provided another example of a highly centralized industry that started out free and open.  Eventually just a few large studios controlled everything from the studios, the stars, content and the movie theaters.  The result was a marked decrease in creativity and an increase in censorship.

Wu's thesis is that today's Internet, while arguably the most open information system in history, also is at risk of becoming controlled by just a few big players.  AT&T, Comcast and a few others control so much of the infrastructure that they could easily take control of the content and use as well.  This, Wu explains, is the crux of the net neutrality issue.  Wu cautions that highly popular companies like Apple could lead the way down this slippery slope.  Although founded as an open, creative enterprise, Apple has become a very closed, secretive company.  The result has been the development of highly attractive, reliable and popular technologies.  Wu notes that this, however, has also yielded tremendous control to Apple and has stifled the work of third party innovators.  To use the metaphor implied by the title, Apple holds the Master Switch.

From Eternity to Here - Sean Carroll (2010)

Sean Carroll is a theoretical physicist at the California Institute of Technology.  Carroll received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1993 and has taught at MIT, UC Santa Barbara and the University of Chicago.

"From Eternity to Here" examines the "Arrow of Time."  The "Arrow of Time" concept states that the Universe, and all things in it, move from a low entropy (highly organized) to a high entropy (highly disorganized) state.  This phenomenon represents the Second Law of Thermodynamics.  It is evident in the evolution of the universe as well as in the breaking of a dropped egg on the kitchen floor.  One of the characteristics of this evolution is that it is generally not reversible.  Once broken, it is difficult to recreate the original egg.

Carroll begins with an explanation of the principle of "SpaceTime," first formulated by Eistein in the Law of General Relativity.  While General Relativity provides a solid description of time experienced at the Macro level of life, Carroll and others believe that Quantum Mechanics holds the ultimate explanation for the Arrow of Time.

To fully understand the Arrow of Time one must understand the origin of time beginning at the Big Bang.  While scientists have a good understanding of the evolution of the universe from the period just after the Big Bang, they have little understanding of the universe right at the time of the Big Bang.  Carroll notes that the essential question that theoretical physicists and cosmologists are trying to answer is, "Why was the universe at the time of the Big Bang in such a state of low entropy?"  To date, the answer to this question continues to allude scientists.

Since the number of possible high entropy states far exceeds the number of possible low entropy states, Carroll suggests that the status of the early universe was very unlikely.  Rather than trying to explain the low entropy state of the early universe, some scientists have simply accepted it as a "Boundary Condition."  Carroll views this as a cop out. While cosmologists have put forth a variety of possible scenarios for how the universe might have begun in such a low entropy state, none has risen to the status of a theory.

From Carroll's point of view, the most promising of the current scenarios is that of a Multiverse.  In this model, the known universe is only one of many universes.  Each universe in the Multiverse evolves independently and is completely isolated from any other universe.  In the Multiverse model a given universe may spawn "Baby Universes" in a low entropy state.  The "Baby Universe" then separates and evolves from low to high entropy completely unaware of any other universe that might exist.

Thus, in a Multiverse model, the Big Bang does not represent the ultimate beginning of time.  Although it would be impossible for anyone from the known universe to discover anything prior to the Big Bang.

Some interesting facts:

1.  Up until the 1990's it was believed that the universe would eventually stop expanding and then collapse on itself in an event scientists called the "Big Crunch."  That was disproven with the discovery that the expansion of the universe is actually accelerating due to "Dark Energy."
2.  Unlike other types of energy, "Dark Energy" does not dissipate or dilute as the universe expands.  It remains constant.
3. 80-90% of the mass that makes up the universe is dark matter, not made up of atoms and molecules.
4. Atoms were not formed until approximately 400,000 years after the Big Bang.

Living on the Future Edge - Jukes et al. (2010)

Ian Jukes is an educator, consultant and author.  He is the founder and director of the InfoSavvy Group.  "Living on the Future Edge" was coauthored by Ted McCain, an award-winning educator and Lee Crockett a designer, consultant and entrepreneur.

"Living on the Future Edge" is a call to educators to restructure education to meet the current and future needs of their students.  Jukes describes how society at large has been transformed by the pace and magnitude of technological change, but education has lumbered along largely unaffected.  The authors urge educators not to be paralyzed by their paradigm

Jukes, et al. urge educators to adopt the perspective of the quarterback who views the field with two screens simultaneously, the present and near future.  The quarterback knows that throwing the ball to where the receiver is can only result in an incomplete pass.

Jukes introduces four trends that have enormous significance for the students in today's schools.  These trends have increased the rate of change and have transformed the way that the world does business. They have had a fundamental impact on how individuals learn, play and communicate.

The trends include:  Moore's Law, Photonics, the Internet, and InfoWhelm.  The authors also discuss how disruptive innovations have led to the failure of many market leaders because they have refused to change their way of doing business.  Jukes et al. suggest that this could also happen to public education.

The book concludes with a discussion of education in the future and the new roles it will require educators to assume.

Bottled Lightening: Superbatterie, Electric Cars and the New Lithium Economy - Fletcher (2011)

Seth Fletcher is a senior editor for Popular Science.

Bottled Lightening provides an excellent history of the development of the battery. Fletcher describes how the evolution of the battery has made the technology boom possible by making long-lasting energy possible.  He notes that with dwindling world petroleum supplies, global unrest and climate change, the need for alternative energy sources has become critical.  Without an efficient means of storing energy, however, the transition to alternative sources is not possible.

Much of Bottled Lightening focuses on the development of electric cars.  Fletcher notes that electric cars are not a new concept.  In fact, electric cars were available at the outset of the automotive industry.  The development of the internal combustion engine and the abundance of oil reserves obviated the need for electric cars and research and development ceased until recent decades.  In the 70's during the oil embargo, GM began working on a new electric car called the EV1.  Although those who piloted it were very enthusiastic, GM ceased the program when oil once again became abundantly available.

With the development of lithium batteries, electric cars have once again become an area of significant research and development.  Many of the major car manufacturers around the world are introducing hybrid and electric cars.  GM has again entered the market with the Chevy Volt. 

Research into the development of more efficient and powerful batteries is also being spurred by the need to store energy generated for the power grid.  Batteries are needed to store energy generated by wind and solar sources.

As the energy market begins to move towards lithium rather than petroleum, a whole new supply chain has emerged.  With some of the largest lithium reserves being located in countries such as Bolivia, the international challenges may prove as daunting as with petroleum.  Many other countries, including the U.S. have large reserves, however, so availability may not prove a problem.

Where Good Ideas Come From - Steve Johnson (2010)

Steven Johnson is the author of numerous best sellers.  He writes for Time, Wired, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. "Where Good Ideas Come From" examines the history of innovation.  In looking at innovation throughout the ages, the author analyzes the impact of the environment, individual inspiration and the competitive marketplace on innovation.

Johnson introduces several interesting concepts that he suggests spur innovation.  One of the most fundamental concepts he describes is "The Adjacent Possible."  The term the "Adjacent Possible" was first coined by the scientist Stuart Kauffman.  It refers to first order combinations that lead to other possibilities in a generative and exponential manner.  Johnson describes how life on earth began simply as a "handful of basic molecules" that collided to form other molecules that eventually led to the complex building blocks of life.  Within the Adjacent Possible framework, only certain outcomes are possible, but they grow with each new collision or combination.  In the case of life on Earth, the highly connective nature of carbon rapidly expanded the Adjacent Possible.

The Adjacent Possible for good ideas, or "Innovations," requires a density of ideas capable of colliding and combining.  Johnson contends that is why research has shown that the average person living in a city tends to be more creative than one living in a small town.  Johnson provides evidence as to how the rate of life-changing innovations increased throughout history as people settled in cities. 

This trend has increased even more since the creation of the World Wide Web.  Johnson contends that the web has made it possible for people to share and grow ideas no matter where they live.  This has dramatically increased the Adjacent Possible.

Johnson examines the role of the individual and group in the innovative process.  For the most part, Johnson posits, innovations have grown out of a collaborative process rather than an individual's inspiration.  To support this conclusion, the author analyzes major innovations introduced since 1600 to the present.  In addition to classifying them as individual or networked accomplishments, he also classifies them as either market or non-market driven. 

From 1600 - 1800 there was a relatively even split between individual and networked innovations. Almost all were non-market driven and were motivated by the passions and interests of the creators.

In 1800, however, there was a tremendous increase in innovation and a decided shift towards networked approaches.  This, of course, coincided with the industrial revolution and the growth of cities.

With regard to the incentives for innovation, Johnson examined the role of the marketplace in stimulating new ideas.  He noted that most economists contend that it is the competitive market that spurs innovation.  Johnson acknowledged that many innovations have resulted due to the promise of monetary reward, but he also demonstrated that many of the most significant innovations have not been so motivated. 

He states, "...connectivity may, in the end, be more valuable to innovation than purely competitive mechanisms."

Reality Is Broken - Jane McGonigal (2011)

Jane McGonigal is an author and researcher on game theory and gaming for the Institute of the Future.  She has been featured in the Economist, Wired and the New York Times.  Business Week named McGonigal one of the 10 top innovators to watch in 2009.  McGonigal received her PhD in Performance Studies from the University of California - Berkley.

The premise of Reality Is Broken is that the skills and attitudes that games evoke could and should be applied to real world endeavors.  McGonigal contends that games reflect what people want out of life: more satisfying work, better hope of success, stronger social connectivity, and the chance to be part of something bigger than themselves.

Through a series of fourteen "Fixes," McGonigal demonstrates how the principles of game design could be applied to solve real world problems.  This, she suggests, would lead to greater focus, optimism and "flow."  The author notes that game designers know how to "inspire extreme effort and reward hard work."  They can "facilitate cooperation and collaboration at previously unimaginable scales."

The first half of the book describes game design principles and compares these to how society and the contemporary work place approach problems and productivity issues. McGonigal then provides a fix for reality that incorporates the game design principles and explains how these could enhance life and work.

The second half of the book provides examples of games that have been developed to address  pressing social issues.  These include "Free Rice," a casual game developed to help end world hunger and  "Fold It," an online program that uses game design principles to engage people to solve protein folding puzzles. This, in turn, could speed up medical research that may some day  cure Alzheimers, cancer and other  diseases. 

Many of the games that McGonigal highlights are Alternate Reality Games or ARGs. These games bridge the gap between the game world and the real world.  They are being used extensively in the entertainment and marketing industries.  McGonigal suggests ways that they could also enhance learning and could be brought to bear on the most challenging problems facing the world today.

McGonigal discusses the "Engagement Economy."  Today, she states, it is not enough to simply acquire people's attention.  People now want to be engaged.  This is consistent with Tapscott's "Participatory" culture.  Game designers are experts at engaging players by providing voluntary epic challenges, feedback and opportunities for mass collaboration.  The author points out that game designers provide "sustainable" engagement opportunities because they rely on intrinsic, rather than extrinsic motivation and rewards.  This, she feels, is far superior to the extrinsic reward systems generally used to solicit effort and commitment in the "Real World."

Who plays games?  A demographic breakdown:

*69% of heads of households,
*97% of youth,
*40% of gamers are women,
*25% are over the age of 50,
*Average age is 35,
*Most gamers expect to continue playing for the rest of their lives.

Physics of the Future (2011)

Michio Kaku is a professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York.  Dr. Kaku also has a cable television show on the Science Channel.

Physics of the Future looks at likely scientific advancements that may take place during the balance of the 21st Century.  Kaku points out that all of his predictions are based on work currently being done in the area of science and technology.  He draws on interviews and observations that he has conducted in conjunction with his research, writing and documentaries.

Kaku categorizes his predictions according to how close they are to being realized.  Each chapter is divided into the "Near Future" highlighting advances anticipated by 2030.  The "Midcentury" covers innovations possible between 2030 and 2070.  The "Far Future" suggest what might be available in the 2070 to 2100 time frame.

Kaku begins by describing the future of the computer.  He emphasizes how Moore's Law, which states that the power of a computer will double every 18 months, has transformed the world and the economy.  He predicts that Moore's Law should begin to fail around 2020 due to the limitations of silicon.  DNA and other possible materials could serve as replacements for silicon.
Computers will probably cease to exist as chips are embedded in every thing around us. People will view the Internet on wall screens, windows and even contacts. They will control the embedded computers telepathically or through voice commands.  Our bathrooms will become labs that monitor our health and provide warnings of serious diseases years before they become health threats.

The chapter on Artificial Intelligence notes that while there have been significant gains in this area, it is not going to fully mature within the current century.  Robots, while becoming more prevalent and sophisticated, are not expected to become truly intelligent due to their inability to recognize patterns or exhibit common sense.  Human intelligence is expected to prevail well into the next century, but the increased capacity of robots should have a significant impact on jobs of the future.

Medicine is on the threshold of tremendous advances that could lead to extended life spans and improved quality of life. Bioengineering and Stem Cell research is expected to allow organs to be regrown and malignant cells to be neutralized before they become dangerous. DNA mapping should lead to customized treatments. Advances in computing and nanotechnology promise to improve early detection and precision treatments.

Advances in alternative energy sources should lead to much greater availability and efficiency.  However, this is not expected to occur until mid-century when scientists finally learn how to generate power using fusion.  The continued use of fossile fuels in the mean time is expected to lead to climate change that will have an adverse effect on the planet.  Advances in transportation made possible through nanotechnology and computing, however, could reduce the effect by allowing vehicles to move over an electromagnetic field that eliminates friction and therefore substantially reduces energy consumption.

Some of the extended predictions that Kaku mentions such as the "Space Elevator" seem like science fiction.  Yet, serious research into these resources currently is underway.  While space travel will become more pervasive, Kaku predicts that it will be done by tiny robots the size of a pin head rather than by humans.  For the next century at least, Kaku predicts that man will be earth bound.

The implications of the above for careers and the economy are not surprising.  Those who perform tasks that involve creativity, innovation and common sense (judgement) should thrive.  Those who perform repetitive tasks or serve as a middleman are endangered.  Many blue collar jobs should continue to be valued by society.  Kaku points out that trash collectors should be secure due to the fact that their jobs require pattern recognition and judgments based on the interpretation of what they perceive.

Finally, by the end of the century, Kaku sees mankind moving towards a planetary civilization.  Nations are expected to exist, but mankind will approach life on a global, rather than local, scale.

The Art of Immersion - Rose (2011)

Frank Rose is a contributing editor for Wired magazine.  He writes about the entertainment industry.  The Art of Immersion describes how technology and the digital age have transformed the art of story telling from a passive activity on the part of the reader/listener to an immersive experience in which the reader/viewer/listner becomes part of the story.

Rose describes how today's storytellers utilize a variety of different media in order to tell their story. He describes how the producers of The Dark Knight engaged viewers and heightened anticipation of the release of the movie through an Alternate Reality Game.  People all over the country were provided cryptic clues that sent them to bakeries where they provided a name that they had been given in exchange for a cake.  Inside each cake was a phone and a number to call.  As each clue was found it was added to a website.  Thousands of others, not directly associated with the game followed closely as the clues were revealed.  By the end, they realized that they had actually served unknowingly as henchmen of the Joker.  By the time the movie debuted, thousands in the audience were already part of the story.

In another example, Rose described how Betty Draper, a frustrated suburban housewife married to a 1969 advertising executive, posted a message on Twitter.  She shared that she was sitting on her back porch and opening jars of fireflies.  What was odd about this event was that Betty Draper was a fictional character from the television show Mad Men. Soon other characters from the show began adding Twitter posts that provided insights into their lives and personalities.  What was especially strange about all of this was that neither the producers of the show nor the network that carried it had anything to do with the Tweets.

Young readers of the Harry Potter series also jumped into the story they loved by creating Harry Potter fan websites throughout the web.  Unfortunately, Warner Brothers did not appreciate the fans' enthusiasm feeling that it impinged upon the intellectual property rights that it had purchased from J. K. Rowling.  The studio began sending the teens and tweens cease and desist letters.  One 16 year old in Virginia took exception to the bullying of young children by a large studio.  She created an online organization called the Defense Against the Dark Arts and coordinated a boycott against Harry Potter merchandize.  Others around the world soon took up the cause and Warner Bros. eventually backed down.

Most entertainment today engages the audience through various media including games, websites, movies and merchandize.  The popular TV show, The Office, created an online game where viewers could become part of the office staff and earn points that could be used to purchase virtual decorations for their desks.  Other programs have developed immersive virtual environments that allow the audience to experience the story through avatars.

The Art of Immersion provides another example of the participatory culture described by Tapscott in Wikinomics.  Yet, the art of storytelling has always been participatory in nature.  Even before books, storytelling was an art form in which the story teller shaped and shaded the story in his or her own special way.

Like entertainment, education must provide an immersive experience for our students.  It is their expectation and cannot be ignored lest we too suffer a boycott, silent though it might be.

Motion Leadership - Michael Fullan (2010)

Motion Leadership is a short book that serves as a complement to Fullan's "All Systems Go" treatise on systemic educational reform.  Motion Leadership provides the "Skinny" on how to become a savvy change leader.  According to Fullan, before one can introduce change it is essential to establish personal relationships through listening, empathizing and developing a rapport with the members of the group with whom you are working.

As the name of the book implies, Motion Leadership, is predicated on action.  Fullan expands upon the "Skinny" metaphor warning against Fat Plans.  He cites Doug Reeves, who wrote in 2009, "the size and prettiness of the plan is inversely related to the quality of action and the impact on student learning."  Fullan urges those interested in systemic education reform to adopt a "Ready, Fire, Aim" approach.  He states that a those involved in the change process should learn about implementation during implementation and stresses that risk-taking is essential to successful learning organizations

Fullan warns that change leaders should avoid overselling reform prior to implementation because communication without action means "practically nothing."  In fact it can  prove counter productive in the beginning of the change process that is generally characterized by an "Implementation Dip."  If the leader has over hyped the reform, this can lead to discouragement among the participants and threaten the overall success of the change initiative.

A key component of the change process is collaboration among all involved.  Fullan states that top-down change doesn't work and bottom-up change hasn't proven successful either.  He contends that peer interaction is the "social glue" that keeps the change process moving forward in a focused and cohesive manner.  Collaboration leads to "Collective Capacity Building," another key component of the change process.

Other elements that are fundamental to the success of a change initiative include transparency and trust.  Transparency refers to the honest sharing of data reflecting practices and results.  Trust, Fullan tells us is built upon two ingredients, integrity and competence.  Those leading the change process must exhibit honesty, reliability and sincerity.  They must also prove that they have the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve the shared goals.

Motion Leadership incorporates many of the same principles that Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, suggested in his book "Change by Design."  These include collaboration, empathy, rapid prototyping and intelligent risk taking.  In Motion Leadership, Fullan describes how these principles can be incorporated into a systemic change model for education.

All Systems Go - Michael Fullan (2010)

Michael Fullan is professor emeritus at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.  Fullan consults with political and educational leaders throughout the world.  He is a respected researcher and expert in the area of educational change theory.

In "All Systems Go," Fullan contends that true change in education requires that all systems from state to district to local schools must share the same moral purpose and commitment.  Fundamental to this process is a focus on "collective capacity" building.  Collective capacity yields emotional commitment and technical expertise that exceeds anything possible through the development of individual capacity.

Throughout the book, Fullan provides examples of school systems that have achieved remarkable improvements in student learning by incorporating the tenets of the "All Systems Go" model.  These include school systems in Canada, the United States and Great Britain.

Building collective capacity requires everyone within the system to assume the role of learners.  Members of the system may engage in "collaborative competition," but always are willing to help one another to achieve their shared goals.

Related to building collective capacity is the concept of "Intelligent Accountability."  Unlike the punitive accountability that typifies current educational models, Intelligent Accountability: 1. Relies on incentives rather than punishment, 2. Focuses on capacity building to enable people to achieve the goal, 3. Invests in collective responsibility, 4. Initially, maintains a nonjudgmental perspective, 5. Utilizes a transparent approach to data regarding results, and 6. Intervenes decisively when necessary.

Fullan concludes by reinforcing the fact that focusing on individual capacity, which is the prevalent approach to educational reform today, can never result in systemic change.  The author points to the growing support among policy makers for "merit pay" as an example of an ineffective strategy.  Fullan states categorically that, "no research exists that demonstrates that widespread benefits derive from merit pay." Its focus on individual capacity and its lack of moral purpose make it a poor motivator for change.

Macrowikinomics - Tapscott and Williams (2010)

Macrowikinomics is an expansion on the Authors' first book "Wikinomics," which was published in 2006. In "Wikinomics," the authors described how the social trend toward mass collaboration through the use of web 2.0 and other social media tools was forever changing the way that products and services were designed and produced.  In "Macrowikinomics," the authors observed that this mass collaboration has now expanded to impact every aspect of society.

The authors identify five principles of Macrowikinomics.  These are: 1. Collaboration, 2. Openess, 3. Sharing, 4. Integrity and 5. Interdependence.  Tapscott and Williams provide numerous examples of how successful businesses and other organizations have adopted these five principles to overcome problems, develop innovative products and contribute to the well-being of the world.

The authors suggest ways that governments could use the principles of Wikinomics to engage citizens in solving both domestic and global problems including climate change, rapidly depleting natural resources and health care.  Creating tools that enable individuals to better monitor their personal health could lead to reduced health care costs.  Providing businesses and citizens with tools to better monitor compliance with environmental and trade regulations could reduce the cost of enforcement while increasing regulatory control.  Establishing a commons where companies could share research, educators could share resources and individuals could share needs and solutions could lead to a more efficient and innovative society.

Tapscott and Williams also acknowledge the "Dark Side" of Macrowikinomics.  They note that some in society worry that mass collaboration leads to average, rather than exceptional, performance.  The authors counter this argument with numerous examples of innovative breakthroughs made possible by massive collaboration.

Tapscott and Williams agree that the ubiquitous sharing of personal information on social networking sites presents a legitimate danger and a loss of privacy.  The authors reference a 2010 study by the Pew Institute, however, that found that twenty-year-olds tend to protect their personal information on social networking sites more than older adults.  The authors contend that this demonstrates that the younger generation is adapting to the new collaborative world and taking the measures necessary to protect themselves.

The move to mass collaboration has transformed the way we live and learn.  It has decimated some industries while giving rise to others.  It has definitely changed the way that successful organizations function.

How have schools adjusted to these changes?  How are we preparing our students to succeed and thrive in a world that requires them to both collaborate and compete simultaneously?