What Else Do You Do?
Each of us has something we do as a direct function of our job, as well as things that are connected, but not directly. I thought of this as I was doing a presentation at the OHECC ocnference on something that is an interest of mine, but not directly part of what I do, and not directly technology of the electronic kind. A copy of the presentation is located here: Download file in case you have a real interest in the subject.
The point is that I sdeal with security and enterprise content management all day, but part of how I integrate the knowledge with the users to whom I provide service is through the use of analogies. I've done this for a while, but only recently took the time in an academic sense to analyze and classify them. It's interestnig that a tool so useful has parts that are not totally understood without contemplation and classification.
Using analogies is not something in my job description, nor is it in my formal academic training, but nevertheless it is something else I do that adds to both the intellectual enjoyment and professional acumen, sort of a praxis of my praxis, if you will. While there are many other things done, and much more to be written, suffice it to say that asking one's self the question, "What else do you do," can lead to some interesting investigations. As a fan of Michael Gelb's idea of attempting to duplicate at least a portion of Leonardo da Vinci's learning practices, taking an academic interest in the practical things leads to a better mastery of both. A short post, but if you have future success with this, please remember to send me an image of a penny (I do electronic content management, after all...)