WebEx: Ideas in Motion

15 Ways to Make Health Care Cheaper and Better – Joe Flower

On Wednesday, November 11, Joe Flower will cut through all the rhetoric and offer some fascinating solutions that go beyond the current health care debate. He’ll be our guest at an exclusive Pass the Ball event.

Register now.

Better health care can actually cost less as we look to new, smarter ways to deliver it. We can improve the quality of health care. We can offer universal coverage. We can provide faster access. We can do it all, all if it can be achieved, Joe says, if we are smarter about how we do it.

According to Flower,

“We waste 30 percent of the U.S. health care dollar. How much is that 30 percent? CMS projects that we will spend $2.4 trillion on health care in the United States in 2008; 30 percent of that is $720 billion.” Read more here >>

Who is Joe Flower?

Joe Flower is a thought leader in health care. His nearly 30 years’ experience has allowed him to identify the deep forces changing health care in the United States and around the world. He has explored the future of health care with clients ranging from the World Health Organization, the Global Business Network, and the U.K. National Health Service, to the majority of state hospital associations in the U.S.

Joe was also a contributing writer for Wired Magazine in its explosive early years, and a columnist for the pioneering health websites DNA.com and HealthCentral.com.

Why is WebEx hosting this event?

We believe ideas get better when they are shared. Regardless of your point of view, we think it’s important to provide a forum for discussion and idea exchange. That’s why we created PassTheBall.com. We want to hear your ideas as well.

Join the discussion on Wednesday. Listen to his ideas. Share your own. Discover how to make health care better and cheaper.

Register now.

Details: Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2009   10AM PT   |    1PM ET   |   6PM GMT

  

Register for the Event! Rock the Vote Advocates for America’s Youth

Rock the Vote is making things happen.

On Tuesday, October 13th, Rock the Vote and its allies in the youth movement stood with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress to announce the inclusion of a key provision in the final House of Representatives health reform bill: allowing young adults to stay on their parents’ health insurance plans until the age of 27.

It was a major victory for Rock the Vote; they fought hard to get it included. A similar provision is in one of the Senate bills and they are also fighting to make sure it is in the final Senate bill as well. Rock the Vote is doing this work because 18-29 year olds are the most uninsured age group in America.

You’re invited to help “rock” health care – register for the event.

Join Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, Heather Smith, President of Rock The Vote, and others at this incredible national event on Oct. 21st to talk about how today’s health care decisions will shape your future.

Register Now.

Pete Wentz put together a short video about the event (can't see it? click here).

Speak up, be heard.

Prior to the event, we want to hear from you. Post your ideas and stories at PasstheBall.com. We’ll share that information with the team. It’s a great way to participate before the discussion. This event belongs to you and we want to make every effort to tailor the content to the issues that concern you most. You can also post your questions when you register to attend.

At WebEx, we believe sharing your ideas makes them better. So share them, rate them and join the discussion.

Register now.

Event Details: Wednesday, Oct 21st at 4PM PT | 7PM ET

  

Join Rock the Vote’s Online Event on Healthcare - Register Now!

Interested in Healthcare Reform?  Learn What’s at Stake for You

Join this incredible national event on Oct. 21st as we bring together a fascinating array of panelists including Heather Smith, President of Rock The Vote, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy, and U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius (you may have seen her on The Daily Show).

Register now. 

At WebEx, our goal is to foster discussion  - in this case it’s about healthcare – especially among younger people who may not be aware of the long term impact of the decisions being made in Washington D.C.

You can’t afford to be uninformed.

Did you know 18-29 year olds are the most uninsured age group in America? It's true. And without affordable healthcare, many of us could be exposed to a lifetime of hurt. We'll discuss how reform will affect young people in particular, and we'll help answer key questions about what's at stake for you and all Americans. For a great example of how quickly the lack of healthcare can impact a young person, take a look at this very personal story supported by Pete Wentz. It got very personal, very fast for Pete.

What are your thoughts?

Prior to the event, we want to hear from you. This event belongs to you and we want to make every effort to tailor the content to the issues that concern you most. Post your ideas and stories at www.PasstheBall.com. It’s a great way to participate before the discussion. And when you register, be sure to include a question you’d like the panelists to address.

Register Now!

Event Details: Wednesday, Oct 21st at 4PM PT | 7PM ET

  

Steve Wozniak Delivers: Creativity and Technology Belong in Education

On Thursday, September 24th, Steve Wozniak presented a fantastic talk about his experiences getting kids excited about technology in education via a WebEx Ideas in Motion webinar [get the recording here]. 

His enthusiasm was contagious as he passionately discussed the results of his efforts.

Woz, as he is affectionately known, is a huge supporter of teachers and education. He spoke of his great experiences in school as a child and his incredible respect for his teachers and the schools that he attended. 

He acknowledged that testing has its problems, that it’s not as powerful as a subjective judgment. He’d rather see a way to evaluate that takes into account the individual and his or her talents and needs. 

Making the computer part of the process

His idea to inspire the kids is to get them using computers to do the things they are already doing by hand. By making the computer a natural part of the process – from doing homework to completing projects – kids have a way to get comfortable using the tool. 

Along the way, he encourages them to be more creative, to try new things and to not sacrifice communication – large, funky fonts might look fun, but they don’t necessarily help get the idea across.

You can learn more about what Steve is doing with kids and with technology at his website: Woz.org. 

Learn more about our presentation series

This presentation was one of a series being hosted by Cisco WebEx as part of our Pass the Ball efforts. You can click here to see future and past events. You can also subscribe to this blog or join our group on Facebook to learn about new events as they become available.

And don’t forget to Pass the Ball

Visit us at PasstheBall.com and share your ideas. When you share or rate an idea, we’ll make a donation to Teachers Without Borders. We believe when you share your ideas, they get better and we are working to help that become a reality for the ideas growing on PasstheBall.com. 

  

Steve Wozniak and You! Live WebEx Event this Thursday, Register Now!

On Thursday, September 24, Steve Wozniak will be on a live WebEx talking about his dedication to education over the last 35 years. You are invited to attend. Register here to reserve your space. And in the meantime, here are a few excerpts from a fabulous interview Wharton did with Woz in 2008. You can read the entire interview here.

Excerpts from an interview published February 20, 2008 in Knowledge@Wharton. 

In the years following [Apple], Wozniak sponsored two Woodstock-like music festivals known as the US Festivals in 1982 and 1983, taught computing to grade-school students, and devoted much of his time and money to philanthropic activities. His current interests include playing Segway polo -- that is, playing polo while riding the Segway Personal Transporter in lieu of a horse.

Knowledge@Wharton: It sounds like you think this is more than just having a good time. In terms of education, you seem to believe this underlies teaching people how to be creative and inventive.

Wozniak: Exactly. Humor is closely related to the creativity and invention that we're born with. It's that spirit of thinking out something a little bit different -- making up your own jokes.

Knowledge@Wharton: When you taught computing part-time to fifth grade students after you left Apple as a full-time employee, you said that was the most important time of your life. How so?

Wozniak: It was a great time in my life for a lot of reasons. I'd been doing a bunch of philanthropy in San Jose. I felt very good about giving away my money to start good museums: Children's Discovery Museum, the Tech [Museum] of Silicon Valley, a ballet company.

I had wanted to teach my whole life. I just started up a class by inviting a few kids over the phone -- one year's class had six students only.

Then I moved up to 22 kids. Then I started doing multiple full classes of 20 and 30 kids. I enjoyed it so much. I was sharing something I was good at with the kids, and I was helping them make their homework better.

I was not trying to make them be computer people like myself. I said: I have to reach everyone in the class, not just a few who want to be weird little geeky people. I want to reach everyone.

So I taught the kids how to make their homework look good. If they were assigned [a report] I would say, "Let's do the report on the computer. Here's how we can choose the right fonts and make it look good." If they were assigned some history project [I'd say], "Let's do a timeline in the drawing program." Or, "Let's do a spreadsheet with some charts to show some data that you're analyzing."

I would take the real stuff they had in school, and after school I would do [it] in my computer class.

Education is so huge -- you can't have one quick solution. The solutions are very far in the future.

We technologists can figure out how to get more education at a lower price. That's a big key. But the amount of money for education is always going to be too low.

The government has a certain about of money to spend on things. And you think, "Oh, they're just going to determine the priorities: Here's what percentage should go to education, what percentage to the military, what percentage to forestry, what percentage to roads."

But those percentages tend to map to how many votes there are. And there's a little problem in the United States: A family of five gets no more votes than a family of two. So, the families with the kids, [for whom] education is a top priority, don't have a say [proportionate to] the size of their family. Kids aren't really considered in the votes and [in the] money for education, which is just backwards.

Every farmer gets to vote on farm bills. Every elderly person gets to vote on elderly issues. Schooling is a problem because young kids don't get to vote.

Register Now!

Event Details: September 24, 2009, 10am PDT  |  1pm ET  |  5pm GMT (-7:00)

  

Webinar Must See: Steve Wozniak Talks Education Live! on Sept 24th

He’ll tell you he’s never written a speech out in advance. That alone should make the upcoming WebEx featuring Steve Wozniak a fascinating experience (register now).

Based on his 35 years of experience, Woz, as he’s known affectionately around Silicon Valley and beyond, will talk about how he has taken his ideas about education and technology and turned them into reality – impacting the lives of children hungry for new ways to learn.

In this WebEx, you will:

• Learn how Woz has evolved his many ideas and applied them in a way that has benefited thousands
• Discover how he brings computer capabilities and creativity to the classroom
• Hear about his various business and philanthropic ventures as he share stories from his experiences

Join us for a highly personal, unforgettable talk delivered by one of the most influential pioneers of technology.

Register Now

Event Details: September 24, 2009, 10am PDT  |   1pm ET   |  5pm GMT (-7:00)

 

Video: Big Think featuring John Legend talking about Education

As we kicked off PasstheBall.com, one of the things we focused on was education. With the power of Fred Mednick behind us - from Teachers Without Borders - we were impressed with his ability to take an idea and turn it into something amazing that is actually having a global impact.

Well, Fred's not the only one with ideas. In this video, John Legend shares his ideas about education and hopefully will inspire you to share yours.

Join us at PasstheBall.com and share your ideas - about anything - and get the ball rolling. If you don't have an idea, rate others or leave a comment. 

Here are three great ideas about education from visitors to PasstheBall.com:

1. Personalized Learning Portal: Unlike teacher or expert centered social-networks, the Personalized Learning Portal will be designed first and foremost to be learner-centered and student-friendly while allowing all stakeholders to contribute to a growing database of instructional modules.
   
   
2. Bring Education Out of the Agricultural Age into the Conceptual Age: According to Dan Pink’s book “A Whole New Mind” we are now in what is considered the Conceptual Age, having gone from Agricultural to Industrial to Information ages before. So why is the educational model we have today still “stuck” back in the Agricultural age?
   
   
3. Free Online Educational Programs: There are too many people out there who cannot afford to pay for classes or get students loans. It would be great if more legitimate free educational programs were available online. Some of the examples are: Conversation Spanish for all ages, Algebra for Beginners, Written Engilish 101.

Ideas get better when they are shared. Go on, pass the ball!

Fred Mednick Live! New WebEx Event Monday, June 22 - Register Now!

Fred Mednick, the founder of Teachers Without Borders, is back to talk to us about how teachers are having an impact on more than education.

In his first WebEx, Fred told the story of how Teachers Without Borders got started and the incredible impact the organization has had on communities around the world.  It now operates in more than 160 countries and his vision empowers millions of teachers to deliver hope of a positive, sustainable future.

During this WebEx, you'll hear stories about actual teachers who are changing the world - one person at a time. This presentation is part of our "Ideas in Motion" series aimed at helping people understand the power of sharing ideas (you can read more about it here).

Register today!

Details:
WebEx featuring Fred Mednick
Monday, June 22, 2009, 10:00 AM PDT | 1:00 PM EDT  (UTC-7 hours)

Ken Blanchard WebEx: Keys to business success in economic hard times

On Wednesday, June 10, Ken Blanchard, world-renowned expert on leadership and management, conducted a WebEx on the benefits of collaboration and how it can help businesses be successful in hard times. He spoke to the power of ideas and why having a good idea just isn’t enough.

Why collaborate?

Ken says, “Today you can't develop all the competencies your need fast enough to stay competitive." His point is simple; we need help to keep up with the pace of change. “If you don't collaborate,” he says, “you are limited by your own ideas. Collaboration should include customers.”

Our schools and businesses don’t foster collaboration

Ken made some interesting points about how schools don’t foster collaboration. He wonders why we don’t want to encourage students to work together – instead we pit them against one another by grading on a curve! “We should want kids to work together to win,” he stressed.

 “Businesses make the mistake of focusing on evaluation rather than coaching,” Ken explained. “We want employees to work together! Not compete.” Sure he’s met people he doesn’t like or are hard to work with, but Ken said his mother taught him to “look for the pearl” in other people - their wisdom; what they had to offer.

Blanchard’s Keys to Collaboration

1. Model it – managers need to ‘just do it’!

2. Be a learner - look for people you can learn from!

3. Be a humble high-performer – determination and humility are qualities that make the best leaders.

If the work is good, share and give credit; if the work is bad, leaders need to take responsibility. He expanded on this idea, “people with humility don't think less of themselves, they think of themselves less!” His emphasis: leaders need to focus less on ‘me’ and more on ‘we.’

Don't compete. Complete.

"Big benefit of collaboration,” Ken said, “is you achieve more and you enjoy it more. The best leaders think of results and people.” Blanchard talked about the value of trust in tough times. “This is what Obama does [trust and seek collaboration],” Ken concluded. “He has a generous heart and wants to get us all working together. He understands the value of ‘don’t compete, complete’.”

Click here to listen to the WebEx. You can also grab the slides here. This presentation was one of a series connected to our Pass the Ball campaign benefiting Teachers Without Borders. If there is someone else you’d like to hear from via WebEx, let us know – comment on this story or post on our wall!

Big Think Video: Richard Branson on the Environment

Richard Branson cares about the environment. He has big ideas and he wants us all to take the time to make change happen.

That is what's behind Pass the Ball - share your ideas to make them better. Visit our site and post your idea. And if you aren't ready to post yet, rate the ideas that are already there. We have more videos on YouTube that might provide inspiration.

Win a Year of Free WebEx
As ideas start to gain momentum, we will be hosting WebEx forums to foster discussion and help you turn your idea into reality. We'll also be giving away a free year of WebEx to winning ideas.

So get started today. Share your ideas at Passtheball.com.