In reviewing this slide show I first look to the source of the information. The authors of this slide show are employed by an investment firm; focusing their work in high growth Internet companies. They come to the idea of digital trends with this perspective, growing their company’s capital. The author, Meeker, is highly educated, published and award winning in the area of digital growth technologies. Wu, the co-author, is relatively new in the field. He adds a younger and international expertise as he grew up in China. This perspective is very different from that of an educator, learning technologist, they are the venturers. These authors guide those that have the “big bucks” to invest. They know about making money, but do they know about education? Interestingly, the authors are open to discussion on their presentation asking for feedback. They are looking to gain perspective as well as give it.

The slide show offers 117 graphs with statistics from a wide range of studies. The visual presentation is an interesting to read. Informative slides leaves the reader questioning. To the classroom teacher, and not a statistics teacher, the barrage of information is too much at first. Although there are definitely useful pieces of information for teachers, for example, teacher need to know that people are changing the way they learn. Also, people like to share information, especially in picture format. Because of this, I am beginning to use digital photography and digital story telling tools to teach how to make recipes in my Foods classes. To a community of educators looking at the big picture of where education is going the information is useful and valuable. There are many different ways to expand and develop based on the information. There is enough diversity in the information that different focus groups could tap into useful content. The information presented a jumping off point, it presents trends and statistic without many conclusions or answers. For a Venturer it may provide direction for innovation. The slides mesh together ideas that guide venturers. The second half of the presentation focuses on the exploding digital market in China. A venturer would find this slideshow valuable.

As a whole, I find the information overwhelming, there is just too much of it. There are pieces of it that I find interesting and may support further learning and professional development. It left me feeling like I should get out of education and get into the high tech industry. Actually, it reinforces what I have been telling my college age daughter, there are many emerging careers are in digital technology.