Let me step back before moving on with the QLN tenets.

Rejection to “this generation’s technology” is a common reaction that comes up during almost every faculty training I’ve attended . The frequency has dropped over the past seven years, but it still exists. Through the rejection, comes anger and frustration that spills over to cover a plethora of topics. Now is a good time to introduce the “Reaction to Technological Change” chart to help put the anger in perspective.

Sometimes in these trainings, I go on a mini rant to say how it doesn’t work to stay angry or frustrated at Facebook, Twitter, Texting, or Google+ because it’s the world this generation is living in. By rejecting their world, you are rejecting them, and they need you. They need you to show them your morals. They need you to show them your values. They need you to show them your traditions. They need you to help them be better people in this world. After all, that is your job as an educator. And you won’t be allowed to influence them unless you have rapport with them, which brings me back to the two QLN tenets.

• The Prime Directive
• Rapport vs Influence

The end goal of an educator is to influence an individual in such a way that they become better citizens of the world. Influence is like currency that you spend on someone that they gave to you, and the way to increase your “Influence Currency” is by building a relationship with the individual. As you build the relationship, they will give you more “Influence Currency” that you can turn around and hand back to them in the form of influence. So the question then becomes, how do you build rapport with someone?

Building rapport with someone comes down to showing that you are interested and care about an individual and the world they live in. It doesn’t mean you have to live in their world, just be interested and curious. You go into their world to build the relationship, then you bring them back to your world to spend some of your “Influence Currency” to give them your values, morals, and traditions. Then you send them back into their world to be better citizens in THEIR world, not yours. Theirs to ours, ours to theirs.

I understand anger in terms of the “Reactions to Technological Change” chart above, but if your goal is to better connect with this generation, then staying angry or frustrated won’t work. It’s time to reach past the CNN headline and open up your curiosity door to see what their world is really like so you can increase your “Influence Currency.”

Another great aspect of this conference was the exhibition hall. I have never seen a conference display like this one. 3D technology was everywhere, plus great food. Nearly every vendor had a drawing for an iPad. I didn’t win, but I think it says something about where we are headed as educators. It was great to learn about new technology and systems, but almost overwhelming for my mind. I spent most of the conference reflecting and mulling on the impact of technology, not only in my work but also in my life. EDUCAUSE has opened new doors and concepts to me and has shown me really what is necessary to truly impact learning.

I don’t know if I’ll get another chance to attend EDUCAUSE in the future, as it’s not the typical conference for student affairs professionals to attend, but I think everyone needs to attend a conference not directly related to their work. It allows you to be exposed to new thought processes and opens new ideas and possibilities. I surely got this and have new thoughts and methods on how to achieve my goals and aspirations.

This post is part of BSU’s BlogFest during the 2011 BSU Social Media Week festivities.   Today’s writing prompt: “What role does technology play to help or hinder relationships?”

Five years ago, Twitter was born, and I had no idea how much it would change my life, both professionally and personally. If you told me this two years ago when I first joined the Twitter community, I would have said you were crazy.  But as many of you know, Twitter as been a transformative force in my life and helped me build so many meaningful relationships I would have otherwise not been privileged to.

When I read the prompt, my answer depends on how you use “technology.”  It can hinder relationships if there is no balance with it in your life and I have certainly had my share of challenges in this area.  I rarely look at things as an “either / or”, I am more of a “both / and” type of thinker.  For a long time, I saw the use of technology, like Twitter, as either “on it” or “off it”, mainly because I did not fully understand it’s purpose in my life.  This caused a lot of unbalance and unnecessary stress, because like many things I do, I want to be the best at it so I can teach others with confidence (this comes from my parents.)  So I was on Twitter ALL THE TIME, to learn everything I could.  But recently, I have changed a bit, and embraced Twitter with a “both / and” approach.   Like my email and voicemail, I check in on Twitter when I have the chance and mainly to respond to mentions and DM’s, and to RT good content.  I no longer try to keep up with everything (because I simply can’t), knowing that my Twitter community will RT the good stuff anyway.  I have seen myself move further away from Facebook and frankly, would disconnect my account today, if it weren’t for the work I do in Higher Education to try and build learning communities.

As I think about Twitter as a relationship builder, it really matters how you spend your time there.  I love meeting new people, helping out where I can, and connecting them with others I know.  Those are big reason why I am on Twitter.  If you choose to be part of it, you may for a variety of reasons.  If you do, I have a few pieces of advice, especially for our Bridgewater State students:

1.  Have a purpose. Are you looking to network? Meet new people? Grow current relationships?  Whatever it is, understand that Twitter is an INFORMATION NETWORK that can be social at times… it is NOT a social network by definition.  Thus, you must have a clear purpose to joining Twitter or you simply won’t get it.
2.  Fill in all your information, please. I see so many people / brands who don’t fill in their information, including a current/accurate picture, website (use your LinkedIn or Facebook URL if you don’t have your own site), and who they are / what they do.  How can I trust your content when I can’t read ANY info on you.  The first step in getting me to follow you is to have this information complete and accurate.
3. It takes time to build relationships. Be patient as you develop your online identity.  Listen more than you tweet initially, but when you feel comfortable, get to know your community members one tweet a time.

Technology has certainly been a relationship builder and it can be for you if you want it to be.  If your main technology is a mobile phone, laptop, iPad, etc., be mindful of how you use it and know that its OK to unplug once in a while.  I will certainly be doing more that this summer.

Happy fifth birthday Twitter

What technology is your relationship builder or hinderer? What have been your habits and do you need to reevaluate how you use it?

Quick back story: Over the past 18 months, I have been part of Bridgewater State University’s pilot mentoring program called Portfolio’s of Excellence (POE), serving as one of its five faculty/staff mentors.  This program is being funded by a grant from the Nellie Mae Foundation and Project Compass.  Last year, I earned a small stipend for my work, but this year, the grant is supporting my travel for two conferences: ACPA in Baltimore and SXSW Interactive in Austin.  Both conferences feature educational sessions that support the work I do with the POE program and foster the development of educational technology tools and formal technology education for these student populations.

Armed with my Droid X, iPad, Laptop, various chargers, spare batteries, and a “Talk Nerdy to Me” T-Shirt (thanks Rey Junco), I am ready and excited to be headed to Austin on Friday for SXSW.  It’s rare that I get an opportunity to attend a conference outside of the Higher Education ones I’ve typically attended.  I will be surrounded by so many who share similar passions in all things technology and want to use this experience to provide new technology education for all of you.  I will take advantage of each meeting, formal educational session, and networking opportunity to its fullest and have a three goals (or visions) I wanted to share with you all:

1.  Share The Latest Technology and It’s Possible Higher Education Applications
SXSWi is where many new ideas, services, and products are shared and as I come across them, I will share them with you.  I will do this via blog posts, impromptu Live Video Interviews, and Twitter via the #saSXSW backchannel.  Since we know that Higher Education is slow to adopt some technology, let’s get a head start together on the new, emerging stuff.  Who knows, maybe I will meet someone whose idea may have Student Affairs or Higher Education applications?

2. Grow My Connections Within the SXSW Community
There are so many fantastic communities within SXSW and my hope is to meet as many of the folks as possible. One of particular interest is the Boston SXSW community who I will get a chance to meet with ahead of time on Wednesday night this week and then again in Austin.  From here, I plan on connecting them with all of you Also, as I meet more Higher Education folks at SXSW, I will add them to my SXSW list  Stay tuned!

3.  Have an BLAST
I’m glad that some members of the Student Affairs community will be there as SXSW participants (Rey Junco, Liz Gross) and locals (Jeff Jackson, Brad Popiolek, Laura Pasquini, Marlena Hensarling, Laura Lambeth, Steph Wintling) to meet and hang out with and have our own mini-tweetup.  I am also excited to reconnect with my old Whuffaoke friends Tara Hunt, Karen Hartline, and finally get to meet Liza Sperling in person  I plan on having lots of FUN while in Austin, a place I have never visited before!

For those who have been to SXSWi before: Best piece of advice? What to wear in Austin?

For those who will be following us online: What are you interested in finding out more about?

Pretend to be surprised by that news.

Back in my day, classrooms were outfitted with clocks. Of course, back in my day, I also walked to class uphill both directions. I’m only kind of kidding. If you’ve ever been to Athens, Ohio, you understand.

The study did give me pause. It’s been almost nine years since I graduated with my Bachelors degree. At the time I graduated, my classmates and I were just getting our first cell phones. My first cell phone did not have a camera or a keyboard.

Disclaimer: Not actually my first phone.

Texting was a luxury rather than a staple of a cell plan. My in-class distractions were pretty limited: making to do lists, updating my day planner, working discreetly on tasks for student organizations. I didn’t have technology readily accessible connecting me with friends on campus and afar. Even in my journalism classes, often held in computer labs, the Internet accessibility was limited with many non-essential sites being blocked.

I spend a lot of time talking with students about their academic performance and classroom experiences. The lesson that stands out? Over the course of (only!) nine years, my own classroom experience has become almost obsolete. Instead of trying to compare my undergraduate education with theirs, I need to understand the ways this readily accessible technology changes what they expect from the classroom and, ideally, help them find ways to integrate the technology into education rather than distraction.With a good push from the right people and use of the right technology, those cell phones can enhance learning and connect students with the course materials.

Do you teach classes? What are your policies on cell phone usage in the classroom? Have you found innovative ways to encourage appropriate use?

Technology: Love it or hate it, it’s here to stay. It would be hard to conceptualize our work without the daily intersection of technology in our practices. Emails between peers, employees, students, and parents are common place. The world of technology is daunting and overwhelming. There is no way to keep up with the newest technologies, web tools, or strategies; it may sound absolute, but technology is always evolving.  As a pair we have prepared trainings, done presentations, and even consulted for few institutions; and we can’t manage to stay abreast of all the current technologies. That’s the nature of the world we live in and the only world our students know. Our students are multi-takers, constantly navigating change, and creating a culture of connectivity that most outside of their generation will never understand. However, despite the pace of technology, technology concepts are easier to grasp in the long term.

We believe that student affairs divisions are behind in their application of educational technology to enhance college students’ experiences. Educational technology refers to the use of technology for educational practices. The use of educational technology to enhance learning within-the-classroom, is common practice in K-12 schools. The students transitioning from this educational culture will be the next generation arriving on our campuses. Though some may doubt the impact of educational technology, many proven advantages exist. One advantage has been the increase of student success’ rates through the offering of dynamic strategies for differential learning styles (Carr-Chellman, 2005). Technology has also led to a richer diversity of thought between groups of learners and researchers, who are now able to share, develop, and collaborate on new ideas through the use of connective technologies (Lederman, New dawn or the perfect storm?, 2005). We also acknowledge that there are some disadvantages to technology.  Rates of gaming, gambling, and online  social site addictions are on the rise (Carr-Chellman, 2005; Farrell, 2005). New technologies require extensive time and resources from faculty and staff members, which could be directed towards our students. However, we believe that technology, if purposefully initiated and utilized, can enhance students’ experiences on campus.

As student affairs professionals, we need to have an understanding of national standards in educational technology, as well as a theoretical foundation for how to utilize technology. Each year, The Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) publishes The Book of Professional Standards for Higher Education, which currently has sets of standards for 34 functional areas within higher education (such as Residence Life, Academic Advising, and Recreational Programs). Educational technology standards are currently in development; these set of standards will provide a framework for student affairs professionals to experiment and develop innovative approaches. We also recommend utilizing the constructivist theory of learning as the foundation of educational technology efforts for student affairs work. Lave (1988) suggests that for optimal learning to occur, individuals must feel that they are an integral part of the learning process. The constructivist view of learning espouses that knowledge is adapted by individuals as they construct it. Techniques such as role-plays, case studies, story telling, multimedia, simulations, and games are examples of powerful tools that cause this transformative learning.

We believe there are three spheres for the use of technology: administrative/daily tasks, connective, and educational. Technology has mostly been used in the administrative sphere as a way to deliver knowledge to students, rather than to enter into a partnership with students. Technology, whether it is used for records and registration, course management and delivery, or access and digitization of materials, offers enticing interfaces. However, the “mass digitization” of information poses a risk to colleges and universities, if it minimizes human interaction to a point where they see themselves as providers of information rather than knowledge (Lederman, 2005, ¶2). Often, this is the position of student affairs divisions. This “administrative” approach to technology, while effective, is not the most conducive way to engage our millennial students, and does not take into account effective learning mechanisms. The two spheres of technology that we feel that student affairs professionals should focus on in order to make a larger impact on learning are connective and educational.

Connective sphere of technology, refers to the social aspect that today’s technology provides. Social medias, such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn, allow individuals to share and communicate their experiences instantaneously with others. This level of connectivity is not seen as a determent from our students’ perspective; they also don’t perceive a separation between their online and “real life” personas.  The space between the digital and real-world is enmeshed and not easily distinguished. It is important to understand how connective is used by your students on your campus if you plan to utilize it. Having a presence on Facebook is great,  but if you are simply posting information, you are underutilizing the potential of social networking. Post a contest for the most messiest room on campus, with pictures submitted on the Facebook page. Create events that ask students’ input on campus trends or a campus issue. Create an online student services domain that allows students to ask questions regarding health, wellness, or leadership opportunities. It is also important to utilize your institution’s or other free online learning management systems, such as Blackboard or Sakai to create forums and chat rooms to assist student leaders in developing new ideas or to help them transition into a new position. Management of this may be integrated into your daily operations, but should be done judiciously. Ultimately, decide as a department what your goal is, and understand how your students use technology. If Twitter is used by most of your students, explore the type of presence the department wants online and how it will be managed.

The third sphere, educational, is where we feel student affairs professionals may contribute the most. We already use experimental learning techniques in our programming, supervision, and training. Translating those techniques to an online forum and implementing them requires a few additional steps for implementation, but have a much longer impact. For example, you can create scenarios for RAs to experience real-life scenarios in Second Life, a virtual online world where RA avatars can walk through a residence hall and interact with the space in a safe and secure environment. Online training modules (such as fire safety, crisis management, and housing operations) are another example of creating impactful e-learning environments. Elements of interactivity, an online “expert”, and self-assessment tools may be developed to maximize students’ learning of the content. Implementing these technologies may require collaboration from your IT department or Center for Teaching and Learning centers on campus. If those offices don’t exist or if collaboration proves to be difficult, go online and look at what other institutions are doing. Review open-source software that can make your goals a reality. Again, you and your department need to reflect on your student culture and the goals you are trying to achieve. Developing online modules that are simply posted on your department’s website may not attract the type of attention you want. Get your student leaders involved and introduce modules at student leadership meetings. Just because the approach is online doesn’t mean we should sway away from engaging approaches in real-life. By putting technology in the forefront, students will respect and appreciate the value you as a department are making, regarding their educational experience.

We hope that we have presented a debate on how student affairs professionals should shy away from their focus on administrative technology practices to utilizing technology as a connective and educational component of their practice.  In doing so, student affairs divisions will achieve several outcomes, including transparent alignment with the learning enterprise of their institution. It is our hope that readers feel empowered to take this information and develop strategies to enhance their work with students and discover new ways to maximize learning outside the classroom.

References

Carr-Chellman, A. A. (Ed.). (2005). Global Perspectives on E-learning: Rhetoric and Reality. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Farrell, E. F. (2005a, September 2). Logging on, tuning out: When students lose themselves in online worlds, it can be hard to bring them back to reality. The Chronicle of Higher Education, p. A46.

Lederman, D. (2005, October 20). Beyond ‘toys, travel and food’. Retrieved from http://insidehighered.com/news/2005/10/20/technology.

Licinia “Lulu” Barrueco Kaliher, Ed.D., is a Ray Street Complex Director at the University of Delaware.

Collaborative Applications

Collaborative applications focus on communicative knowledge building and idea exploration. These applications allow a group of individuals to develop knowledge by editing and evaluating material at their own pace. Examples of these applications are Wiki Spaces, Microsoft Groove (newly renamed Sharepoint), and Google Documents. A current student affairs application comes from Duke University staff members (http://www.studentaffairs.duke.edu/ra/programs-services/wiki-instructions), who are using wiki-spaces to archive document development, as well as collaborate on job searches with campus-wide committees within the student affairs division. Another example for collaborative application would be developing a wiki-space for student leaders to respond to a case study. Students can re-evaluate their solution by applying the knowledge gained in the training session and reviewing others’ perspectives on the case.

Online Forums

Online forums serve as an effective means of sharing thoughts and opinions on different topics and issues. Users post their questions, ideas, or opinions, communicating their thoughts in a coherent and understandable form, allowing for transparency of mega-cognitive processes. Examples of online forums are blogs, vlogs, Blackboard, Sakai, Word Press, and Twitter. A wonderful online forum that is providing excellent professional development for student affairs professionals is our own Student Affairs Collaborative (http://thesabloggers.org/). There are several components of this online forum:  WordPress allows contributors to post on various topics, such as staff training and development, political discussions on higher education, and conference reactions; additionally, using the medium of Twitter, a weekly #sachat occurs to provide student affairs professionals an opportunity to share their knowledge and contribute to the online community of learners. Another example for online forums to engage students would be developing an online forum after inviting an engaging speaker on-campus. Reflective questions could be posted about the event, and students could in turn post their thoughts about the event and/or ask each other questions, continuing the learning process after the event has ended.

Social Networking Sites

Social networking sites offer an online environment that feels less “academic” and more open to students freely expressing themselves. Within this environment, students may feel more comfortable asking questions, sharing experiences, and generating new ideas. Examples of social network sites are Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Second Life. Penn State World Campus (http://www.worldcampus.psu.edu) and Texas Woman’s University (http://www.twu.edu) are utilizing different online forums to develop a sense of community and belonging to online students. Delivered either through Facebook or a website, both institutions provide online academic advising sessions, chat rooms, and resources for students to explore at their own pace. Another possible use of a social network site would be to create a Twitter account for a Student Affairs division to not only promote campus events and resources, but also post questions, polls, or recruit students for focus groups or other leadership opportunities.

Pod/Video Casting

Pod- and Video-casting allows the facilitator to record information (in video or audio form) that can be shared and accessed at any time. This allows the student to review the information at their own pace and provides an opportunity for audio/visual learners to more fully engage in the learning process. ITunes, ITunesU, RSS Feeds, Blogs, and YouTube are excellent examples of pod/video-casting. The Ohio State University recently promoted the opening of their new student union through videos posted on YouTube. Not only did they highlight the beautiful LEED construction of this facility, but a flash mob was organized to promote excitement and interest from OSU students and other constituencies.  A possible student affairs application would be developing an i-pod quiz or videos using Snagit or Jing to train student employees on a routine task. Tags, or notes, can be added to the video to enhance the content.

Final Thoughts

I have provided some examples of current student affairs application of free open-source software available on the web.  If you have examples to share, please contact me at lulu@udel.edu , or follow me at twitter.com/lbarrueco. There are many great innovative and creative methods of using technology today to enhance students’ college experiences. Let us not be restrained by our old practices, but rather re-invent them in a manner that transforms our student affairs profession.

Bill Gates and I don’t often disagree. However, at the recent Techonomy conference, Bill was predicting the future of higher education. I took umbrage with some of his comments. Per his usual rhetoric, Bill positioned technology as the panacea for the future of higher education.

Here are some of Bill’s comments:

“The self-motivated [college] learner will be on the web and there will be far less place-based things.”
“College, except for the parties…. needs to be less place-based.”
“Place-based activity in that ‘college thing’ will be 5 times less important than it is today.”
“The room for innovation, thank God for charters, there’s no room for innovation in the standard system.”

Bill’s commentary at the conference was picked up by TechCrunch and posted as “Bill Gates: In Five Years The Best Education Will Come From The Web.”

The post quickly spread like a wildfire throughout Twitter:

The interesting thing is that the quote that’s being passed around on Twitter as originating from Bill Gates seems to have been actually just the post title from TechCrunch. I wasn’t able to find video or text where Bill Gates actually said what is being attributed to him by a lot of folks on Twitter.

The disturbing aspects of Bill’s quotes from the video are that he seems to have a negative attitude toward the physical spaces of higher education. Bill constructs his arguments around cost and access, but fails to adequately critique his own points. “Self-motivated learners” generally do not include students from traditionally marginalized groups. Bill Gates went to an exclusive preparatory high school and attended Harvard College. His is not a story of overcoming obstacles. Access issues are pervasive in higher education. Socioeconomic status catapulted Gates to where he is today. His arguments around access fail to include awareness of the digital divide in terms of both class and disability. Simply offering more web-based opportunities for learning will not improve access issues. And don’t get me started about the bit about “parties” being the only rationale for “place-based” institutions.

Bill’s rhetoric is consistently anti-student-involvement. Gates approaches his arguments from the position that every student is coming out of an innovative charter school and where self-motivated learners roam the higher education sphere. What Bill is forgetting is that involvement is crucial to student success. Can a student be successful when there primary involvement opportunities take place via the web — absolutely. However, most of our students benefit tremendously from their involvement and interactions within the brick and mortar activities of their educational institution.

Student involvement theory is a foundational element for student affairs professionals. Research has shown that increased involvement leads to higher amounts of persistence and greater academic success.

According to Alexander Astin (1984) [pdf]:

[S]tudent involvement refers to the amount of physical and psycho- logical energy that the student devotes to the academic experience. Thus, a highly involved student is one who, for example, devotes considerable energy to studying, spends much time on campus, participates actively in student organizations, and interacts frequently with faculty members and other students.

Astin (1984) concluded that “the greater the student’s involvement in college, the greater will be the amount of student learning and personal development.”

I wish that Bill Gates would offer a blended approach. Why can’t we have both? Amazing opportunities can be created to support students in both the virtual and physical spheres.

References
Astin, A. (1984). Student involvement: a developmental theory for higher education. Journal of College Student Personnel, 25(4), 297-308.

August 2010

Dear “SA Grad”:

Greetings!  As many of you begin (or return) to your graduate experiences, I’ve been meaning to share something that I’ve talked about on Twitter before, but never really had a chance to flush out.  I figured, why not do it today?

As you embark on this new academic year, I believe that your graduate training in technology will be inadequate.  For most of us in Higher Ed, we’ve been playing catchup for years, and frankly, I don’t know how much longer we can do it. (Higher education, generally is the slowest to adapt to rapid change.)  We need to shift this paradigm and move in a new direction, and it starts with you, our graduate students.

You need to find time to build your skill bases in emerging educational technology and social media integration into your Student Affairs work.  It is imperative that our Student Affairs Graduate Programs begin to infuse this important pedagogy into its curriculum to keep you up to date and competitive with other job seekers out there.  How can we, in good conscience, send you out into the workforce without these skills?

If I were a Student Affairs graduate student today (or frankly any type of Student Affairs professional), here are two things I would do to build my technology knowledge base:

1.  Sign up for a Twitter account and attend the weekly #sachat each Thursday at 1pm or 7pm EST this fall.
If you still are not on Twitter, now is the time to sign up and use it.  Not only is it the best free professional development tool out there, but if used properly, it can help land you a job!  Read my “Teaching Twitter to Colleagues” post for a step-by-step guide on getting set up and using it for the first week.  Put the #sachat in your calendar as a recurring appointment and join us for our weekly online student affairs conversation!

2.  Blogs: Read Them and Start Your Own
There are so many great blogs out there, rich with information and perspective.  Besides this SA Blog, some of the best technology information I have gotten has been from the following:
- Eric Stoller – Professional/Personal Blog | Inside Higher Ed Blog: Eric is one of the best Student Affairs & Technology bloggers out there. He’s been doing this since the mid 2000′s and is simply a great resource. (@EricStoller on Twitter)
- Dr. Rey Junco: Rey is a college professor (Lock Haven University, PA) and researcher who studies how social media use affects college students. (@ReyJunco on Twitter)
- General Technology and Social Media Blogs: Read Write Web | Mashable | EDUguru Add these to your RSS Readers if you haven’t already! (@rww @mashable @eduguru on Twitter)
- BreakDrink by Jeff Jackson: Jeff does some great work centralizing all the most current news and trends in student affairs! (@breakdrink on Twitter) He also does some great podcasting work!
- Kristendom Talks Tech: Thanks to a recommendation from Brenda Bethman, I’m a fan of Kristen Abell’s stuff as well.
- My blog is OK too “On the Go With Ed Cabellon” (@EdCabellon on Twitter)

I also would recommend starting your own blog, not only as a tool to share, but as a great way to reflect on your experiences!  Once you create your blog, add it our growing directory of Student Affairs blogs!

I wish you all the best as you start the new academic year.  I hope you will join our online community and be active and engaged with us!  We are here to help in anyway we can.

Sincerely,

Ed Cabellon
Director, Rondileau Campus Center
Bridgwater State University (MA)

What advice would you give new and returning Student Affairs graduate students regarding their technology training? What sources of online information would you recommend? Any other tech blogs by women you would like to recommend?