Hi. I’m Lesley Blicker, the Director of IMS Learning and Next Generation Technology at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. My intention is twofold:
- To post on emerging trends in learning technologies, particularly related to higher education
- To post tips about stuff I use, try, learn, or buy — regarding personal technologies.
I will keep it mixed up a bit. Some professional - some personal along with anecdotes and tips.
In using the term “maven” in this blog’s title, I suppose I could come across as shamelessly egotistical. I’m not, really, but I do like the meaning of the term, which comes from the Yiddish meyvn and Hebrew mevin (מבֿין), which means understanding.
And then when I read Malcolm Gladwell’s “The Tipping Point,” I came to self-identify with the term according to his definition, and decided to use it in the title of this blog.
Mavens are “information specialists”, or “people we rely upon to connect us with new information.” They accumulate knowledge, especially about the marketplace, and know how to share it with others. Additionally, they are intense gatherers of information and impressions, and so are often the first to pick up on new or nascent trends. Gladwell also suggests that mavens may act most effectively when in collaboration with connectors – i.e., those people who have wide network of casual acquaintances by whom they are trusted, often a network that crosses many social boundaries and groups. Connectors can thus easily and widely distribute the advice or insights of a maven. (from the history of Maven in Wikipedia)
P.S. The views expressed in my blog are my own and not that of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
P.S.S. I welcome comments on any of my blog posts, but will not approve SPAM or vendor comments which promote products. You are welcome to email me privatley if you wish.
Contact
Email Address:lesley.blicker@csu.mnscu.edu (no spam)
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Where Else You Can Find Me
Linkedin - Lesley Blicker
