Doctorious: Adventures in Education with Adjunct Professor Matthew Gilbert

• Facebook Saves Clark Kent from Kryptonite Death in “Smallville” Episode

  Enclosure: [download]

  If you think social media is only about fail whales, think again: Facebook played a significant role in saving Clark Kent from death by kryptonite exposure in the April 23, 2009 episode of Smallville. Titled “Stiletto,” the episode involves Lois Lane posing as a new hero of the same name to attract the [...]
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  Posted: May 08, 2009, 7:17am EDT
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Cinco de Mio: My Top 5 Strengths from “Now, Discover Your Strengths”

  What are your top five strengths? I have previously blogged about how insightful my personal mastery course in the organizational leadership EdD program  at Pepperdine was to me. The most paradigm shifting experience during that class was reading “Now, Discover Your Strengths” and taking the related online test to understand my top [...]
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  Posted: May 05, 2009, 3:13pm EDT
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Is Creativity without Contribution a Waste?

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  Last week, after posting my last blog entry about Sir Ken Robinson’s riveting 2006 TED speech, I added a link to it from my LinkedIn profile status update, asking the question “Do schools kill creativity? Yes, says Sir Ken Robinson in his 2006 TED Talk!” I didn’t think much of my [...]
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  Posted: April 23, 2009, 10:37am EDT
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Do Schools Kill Creativity? Sir Ken Robinson Says “Yes” and Explains Why in His February 2006 TED Speech

  Have you met TED? If you think I am talking about a person, TED is actually an annual conference of ideas founded in 1984 to unite leading thinkers and doers from the worlds of technology, entertainment and design. Speakers are invited to share their most salient thoughts in only 18 minutes. The collection of impressive [...]
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  Posted: April 16, 2009, 8:41am EDT
  by Matthew Gilbert

• “Greeks” Make Good Grownups: How Fraternities and Sororities Can Prepare You for the “Real World”

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  April 10, 2009 marked the 153rd anniversary of the founding of my college fraternity: Theta Chi. I was one of 56 individuals who founded the short-lived chapter at UC Santa Barbara and, despite it’s early demise, consider my time as a member of the chapter a significant  entrepreneurial experience.  I savored my membership, participating in numerous local, regional [...]
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  Posted: April 11, 2009, 8:20am EDT
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Fail Whale Off the Starboard Bow, Matey: Exponential Growth Overloads Twitter

  Ahoy, matey, Fail Whale off the starboard bow! According to a March 31, 2009 article on CNN.com, Twitter is growing so fast that the system can’t seem to keep up with the increasing demand. The result: more sightings of the “Fail Whale” — a whimsical drawing of a white whale being lifted up [...]
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  Posted: April 04, 2009, 4:31am EDT
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Harvard University to Go Entirely Online: Historic Campus to Become Commercial and Residential Complex Named “Harvard’s 100 Yard”

  Number of comments: 1
  Even the most venerable entities are not immune from today’s challenging economy. From American Express to Wynn Resorts, drastic action is being taken to ensure survival. So it should come as no surprise that this financial firestorm has scorched America’s oldest institution of higher learning: Harvard University. According to insider information I received from colleagues in the academic [...]
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  Posted: April 01, 2009, 4:05am EDT
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Send Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Twitter Auto DM’s Yearning to Breathe Free!

  Number of comments: 1
  Since the beginning of the year an interesting online etiquette issue has arisen on Twitter: the use of automatic direct messages (private messages for those unfamiliar with the popular micro-blogging service). Basically, a person on Twitter signs up for a third party service — SocialToo and Tweetlater are the top two that [...]
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  Posted: March 30, 2009, 6:10am EDT
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Inaugural “Gravity Summit” Attracts Social Media Leaders and Learners to UCLA Campus

  Number of comments: 1
  If you consider that gravity is a natural force which causes two separate particles to accelerate towards each other then the inaugural “Gravity Summit,” which was held on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 at the UCLA Faculty Center, was perfectly named.  Attracting a sold-out crowd of senior executives and decision makers from over 60 Fortune 500 [...]
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  Posted: March 26, 2009, 2:59am EDT
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Honor Roll: Recognition As One of the “Top 100 Edu Tweeters”

  Number of comments: 1
  Last week, I received an e-mail from Kelly Sonora on behalf of Online Degree World with the following message: We just posted an article, “Top 100 Edu Tweeters” (http://www.onlinedegreeworld.com/blog/2009/top-100-edu-tweeters/). I thought I’d bring it to your attention in case you think your readers would find it interesting.  I am happy to let you know [...]
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  Posted: March 17, 2009, 7:30am EDT
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Don’t Bother Me, I’m Branding: Carl’s Jr.’s Public Relations Manager Shares Social Media Secrets

  Six weeks ago — on Saturday, January 31, 2009 — Beth Mansfield, the Public Relations Manager for CKE Restaurants, Inc. (Carl’s Jr.) visited my UC Santa Barbara Extension “buying behavior” class. She discussed the popular restaurant’s marketing strategy and, in particular, how the company uses social media in its outreach efforts.  I videotaped her presentation [...]
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  Posted: March 14, 2009, 10:45am EDT
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Celebrating “The Art of Possibility” In Honor of Ben Zander’s 70th Birthday

  Sometimes inspiration comes from strange places. On March 9, 2009, I noticed a tweet from someone I follow on Twitter, @CommunispaceCEO:  “Happy 70th Birthday to my good friend, Ben Zander.” For those of you who are unfamiliar with Ben Zander, he is the Conductor of the Boston Philharmonic, a teacher and author of [...]
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  Posted: March 10, 2009, 4:15pm EDT
  by Matthew Gilbert

• A “Road Sign” from the PhDMV? Graffiti-Covered “PhD-Mobile” Spotted on Interstate 5

  Number of comments: 1
  On December 1, 2008 I blogged about my doctoral dreams and how I plan to apply for programs starting on December 1, 2009 — my “PhD-Day.” I also featured photos and a video of a graffiti-laden delivery truck on which the letters “P-H-D” are spray painted on the roll-top door. [...]
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  Posted: February 26, 2009, 9:01pm EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Guest Speaker: Writer and Journalist Nick Belardes Shares Career Tips and Life Experiences with DeVry University Students in Bakersfield, CA

  Professional writer and journalist Nick Belardes graciously took some time out of his schedule to speak to students in my ENGL-227 (Professional Writing) class at DeVry University in Bakersfield, CA. He spoke to the students about what it means to be a writer and shared his own experiences for nearly two hours. He also [...]
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  Posted: February 24, 2009, 8:49pm EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• 35 Random Things About Matthew Gilbert (Birthday Edition)

  Number of comments: 1
  I was finally “tagged” on Facebook to provide a list of “25 Random Things about Me,” and, despite my concerns that this is some huge social engineering experiment by some very clever hackers, I have decided to participate. However, I will go one step further and, because I am posting this [...]
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  Posted: February 22, 2009, 3:34am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Help Wanted: Seeking Recruiters Using Social Media for a Survey

  I have been invited to write a chapter in a book about recruiting with social media and need to hear from individuals who are actively involved with this field.  Can you help? The book, “Enterprise 2.0: How Technology, E-Commerce, and Web 2.0 Are Transforming Business Virtually,” is published by Prager. Tracy [...]
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  Posted: February 21, 2009, 1:28pm EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• “Buyology” Notes and Quotes

  I recently taught a buying behavior class for UC Santa Barbara Extension and one of the two books I had my students read was “Buyology” by Martin Lindstrom (the other was “The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing and Online Media [...]
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  Posted: February 21, 2009, 1:38am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• I Want My M(att)TV: Television Producer Seeks “Matt Gilbert”

  Earlier this month, while driving home on Interstate 5 south from DeVry University in Bakersfield, I received an  unexpected call on my cell phone from a woman named Tina Sarkissian, a segment producer for a new show called “Pranked” that will soon be airing on MTV. She asked if I was [...]
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  Posted: February 18, 2009, 10:12am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• IEP Update and Advice: Free (and Appropriate) At Last!

  Number of comments: 1
  I’ve previously mentioned the struggles my wife, Heather, and I experienced getting the Saugus Union School District to provide services we feel are in the best interest of our older son, Jacob (who received a diagnosis of autism in 2006). I now have some great news to report: we “won!” It was by no [...]
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  Posted: February 11, 2009, 2:39pm EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Virtual Book Tour: Experience Life as a Child on the Autism Spectrum with Adonya Wong’s New Book “In My Mind”

  As a parent to a child with autism, Adonya Wong understands the unique challenges and rewards that responsibility entails.  As an author, Adonya hopes to share that experience with others affected by autism and those wanting to learn more about it.  Her first book, In My Mind: The World Through The Eyes of Autism, creatively explores the [...]
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  Posted: January 20, 2009, 3:47am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Photos from the Road: Santa Clarita to Goleta, CA (and Back)

  Number of comments: 1
  Today I begin teaching a buying behavior course at UC Santa Barbara Extension for the second time. The class runs for five consecutive Saturdays and concludes February 14, 2009 (Valentine’s Day — a “holiday” rich in strange and often irrational buying behaviors!). I taught the course last year for the first time from January 12, 2008 through February [...]
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  Posted: January 17, 2009, 4:00am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Photos from the Road: Driving Through a Stew of Fog on Interstate 5 Between Gorman and Lebec, CA

  Number of comments: 1
  Driving to and from Bakersfield, CA across the “Grapevine” portion of Interstate 5 to teach at DeVry University presents some unique challenges and situations I might not otherwise encounter on a more urban commute. It’s not your typical drive, but it is reasonably painless and free of traffic. However, there is one factor [...]
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  Posted: January 11, 2009, 10:59am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• My Three Words for 2009: Generative, Affirmative, Transformative

  Number of comments: 1
  Although the “New Year” is an arbitrary point in time chosen to indicate the end of one cycle and the start of another, it remains a worldwide moment of personal reflection and planning. In that spirit, a few days before the end of 2008, social media expert Chris Brogan posted a [...]
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  Posted: January 02, 2009, 11:48am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Save the Cheerleader, Save the Brand: Is Sprint Subliminally “Celling” You Something in NBC’s “Heroes?”

  I’ve never been sure if I was more of a geek or a nerd. Thankfully, Wired GeekDad blog writer Matt Blum answered my question in a December 24, 2008 Associated Press story proclaiming Barack Obama as the “Geek-in-Chief.”  Blum delineates the difference as follows: “A geek is someone who has the knowledge of the geeky type [...]
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  Posted: December 30, 2008, 5:33am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• ‘Twas The Night Before Bailout

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  In the spirit of the holiday season, I crafted the following economy-inspired version of the classic Christmas tradition ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas for your yuletide pleasure. Behold a brand-new holiday classic: ‘Twas The Night Before Bailout! ‘Twas the night before Bailout, when all through the Board, Directors were scrambling, cash and stock options [...]
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  Posted: December 25, 2008, 5:01am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Small Potatoes Are a Big Deal at Carl’s Jr.

  I have three requirements for fast food: Be fast: This truth is self-evident, but apparently Jack In the Box thinks I want to wait for their “gourmet” meals. “We don’t make it until you order it?” Don’t you mean “we don’t reheat it until you order it?” Don’t make me wait for something [...]
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  Posted: December 24, 2008, 8:01am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Guy Kawasaki Says “Go Luck Yourself!”

  Number of comments: 2
  World-renowned venture capitalist, blogger, writer, speaker and entrepreneur Guy Kawasaki appeared on the radio show ”Coast to Coast AM” during the December 20 to December 21, 2008 broadcast to promote his book “Reality Check” and to discuss idea creation (in addition to the 2012 opening of the Stargate - holy kaw!). Guy shared a multitude of [...]
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  Posted: December 21, 2008, 4:01pm EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Celebrating My One Month “Twitterversary” on Twitter

  Number of comments: 2
  Happy “Twitterversary!” Yesterday, December 19, marked the end of my first month using Twitter (my username is @doctorious). I am no longer a newbie! For those of you unfamiliar with Twitter, it is a micro-blogging website that provides you with a simple (and free) means of answering the question “what are you doing?” — [...]
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  Posted: December 20, 2008, 4:20pm EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Donor Plays Fiddle While San Diego Burns? Well, Sort Of…

  Number of comments: 2
  According to a December 15, 2008 article on the NBC San Diego website,  an anonymous donor has agreed to give $259,500 to the City of San Diego in order to save 186 public fire pits. Prior to the donation, the fire pits were scheduled to be removed to save the city $173,000 in annual maintenance fees.  The San Diego Foundation [...]
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  Posted: December 19, 2008, 6:29am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Wild Winter Storms: Missed ‘Em By “That” Much!

  Number of comments: 1
  Adverse weather is not something we experience very much of here in Southern California. Usually, whenever there is the slightest hint of moisture in the air our cadre of well coiffed weathermen, meteorologists (I forgot they have advanced training in meteors), start proclaiming armageddon and calling it the “Storm of the Century.” However, the [...]
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  Posted: December 18, 2008, 7:12am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Reminder: Autism Twitter Day is Today!

  A belated reminder that Autism Twitter Day is now underway on Twitter.com! This unqiue online event is focused no raising “positive autism awareness.”  Prizes are also being given out and virtual “panel discussions” have been scheduled for 9AM, 12:30 PM and 8 PM (Pacific Standard Time).  Who can participate? Twitter members who are [...]
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  Posted: December 16, 2008, 7:48pm EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• New Content Notice: Webcams & Weather

  As an adjunct professor, a great deal of my time is spent on the road. In fact, two of the more common nicknames for adjuncts are “freeway flyer” and, my personal favorite, “roads scholar.”  One of the biggest challenges I face in my travels is weather and traffic. Although this is the [...]
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  Posted: December 16, 2008, 3:03am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert

• Declaring December 1, 2009 as My “PhD-Day”

  After twice trying to find a doctoral program that satisfied my intellectual curiosity while giving me the tools and credentials I need to become a university-level researcher and teacher, I’ve decided that the time is now for me to finally make it happen. To anchor this desire to a tangible goal, I [...]
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  Posted: December 02, 2008, 2:30am EST
  by Matthew Gilbert