<Improving Everyday Life>
I thought this article from The New York Times about how bloggers are affecting the US Presidential Election this year was interesting (you'll have to register and sign in, however).
A little less than a year ago blogging was just starting to hit the radar. It's been interesting to see blogging take off on the web as a form of communication and dissemination of information. I am glad that we included blogging capabilities on theSpoke when we began this journey a year ago. And it was students who told us that this was what they wanted over message boards.
</Improving Everyday Life>
<Imagine Cup 2005>
Imagine a world where technology dissolves the boundaries between us.
Selecting a theme for the Imagine Cup every year is a meaningful exercise that we get to do as a team. We wanted this year's theme to inspire students to participate in the larger good. We actually spent quite a bit of time discussing different theme possibilities.
We came up with this year's theme because we recognized that boundaries have separated people throughout history. People hide or are confined by gates, fences, and walls of all types (physical, metaphorical, emotional, intellectual etc). Whether the boundaries are self-imposed or imposed upon us, each of us grew up within boundaries. Sometimes the boundaries keep us safe, other times, they isolate and create misunderstanding. And boundaries aren't easy to break through.
After the Imagine Cup experience in Brazil, the team was changed by the power of human connection. Luckily, we had already chosen the theme of dissolving boundaries, but Brazil gave an entirely new context and anthem to the theme. We realized that students can take this year's theme and achieve some really really REALLY great things that had never been done before. Internal to the team, we thought of ideas like increasing children's literacy, improving the quality of life for the elderly or disabled, better access to HIV education and care, better connections to our roots, or finding the "perfect" one. I wish I were a student again, because I have so many other ideas, both big and small, that I think can have social relevance and/or are fun that are in line with the theme of dissolving boundaries this year.
But the Imagine Cup isn't about me, my team, or Microsoft. The Imagine Cup is about students, their achievements, and the opportunity to express themselves by solving problems. Equally important, it's about students connecting with other students from around the world to further understanding and the development of a global community.
</Imagine Cup 2005>