Are You One of the 16%?

16% of people are "hyperconnected."

This is the result of a new Nortel sponsored whitepaper on connectivity and information. That 16% is expected to balloon to over 40% in the coming years. The hyperconnected have a few traits:

- the boundary between work ad personal time is virtually non - existent.
- they use many more devices, channels, and tools then "regular" people.
- hyperconnectivity among employees has the potential to increase security risks due to lost hardware, software, internet transfer of files, etc.
- they are generally early adopters of new technologies and consider themselves to be global people. (Interestingly though, only 1/3 of hyperconnected people see themselves as early adopters)
- they are generally always on, always connected and see this as a good thing.

This probably describes you or many people that you know. Simply by the fact that you read a weblog, use RSS, and a few other technologies such as Skype are probably good clues.

But as always I need to ask: what does this mean for our classrooms?

First of all, it means that probably 40% of the students in our classrooms fall into this category. WE may have the latest laptops sitting on our desks, but what do they have? How are we capitalizing on their laptops, cell phones, black berries, etc.? Are we locking them out of communication channels or opening them up and teaching them to use them in the bast ways possible?

Second, it means that more and more of these kids and their parents will need to see change or they will see themselves as alienated from our systems, schools, and classrooms. If they do not see themselves in our spaces, we will lose our credibility. As argued over and over again: why do kids power down when they come to school, losing their networks and connectivity?

Finally, this also makes me think about administrators. In the war for global talent, what are you doing at your school to make it an easier place for hyperconnected teachers to work there? How are you easing restrictions and putting structures in place to allow your teachers to be networked global learners who can lead this charge? How are you supporting and promoting them? How are you finding ways for them to be creative and remove their roadblocks. Talent pools are now global, deep and wide. A changing practice in education compared to many industries. What are you doing to find the best teachers on the planet for the kids in your school?

The entire paper is only 16 pages long and is worth your time.

Picture from: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2191/2455267502_e4da563318.jpg?v=0

Tags: hyperconnected, nortel, education