About that podcast

Here is that podcast: Audio File [11.05 MB, 48.15 min, Mp3 File]

Written on my lunch hour:
Looking back I see the mistake I made was in doing the podcast we did on
campus and reserving the room as an employee. Frankly, at the time I did
not see that as being distinct from my job in the Center for Faculty
Development (CFD) at San Jose State University. I have been teaching
Emerging Technology courses there for faculty, staff and student peer
mentors. These courses are on subjects like blogging, podcasting, wikis
and RSS. Getting the views of student bloggers seemed like a logical
extension of that.

I am very passionate about this and the work on Emerging Technology I
have done for CFD was done mostly, but not totally, at home and on my own
time. In my passion for what I was doing I let my personal and professional
interests merge. I was having fun at work and so continued doing it at
home! I have also presented on related topics at conferences, attended
conferences and meet-ups and have even been invited to London to present
on podcasting in education.

Since I had been researching as well as teaching emerging technologies
for CFD I agree, the podcast I did with the three students should have been
coordinated with my supervisor (even though I was on my own
lunch break) or should not have been done near work.

When I was presented with concerns over my podcasting, I said I would not
do it that way again. I said I would only podcast in the future on my own time away
from facilities where I work. (I also said I would use disclaimers to make it clear
I was not representing SJSU.) Then, I was verbally told I could not interview students, even
on my own time. (Remember all the university students I spoke with are
adults.)

There is some committee, I was told, that must approve such things. I
have asked for clarification of that in writing. I do blog in my work
area now, but only on my own time. I know of no acceptable use policy at
the university that prevents that. I think such a policy would have to
be applied equally, not just to me, to not be infringing on my free
speech. I have my own laptop and do access the Internet using the
wireless network.

All that said, I still think a university is a place that should
encourage discourse, creativity, free speech and the exchange of new
ideas. We are talking about talking here, not national security!

In my opinion, for academia the concept of learning being a conversation
should not be a concept adapted from cluetrain. This should be a concept that
is basic to higher education.

~Steve