Stephen's Web

OLDaily

by Stephen Downes
December 29, 2008

Timeline of Newspaper Edition Shutdowns
This one is for the people still insisting that print media is viable and vigorous: a timeline of newspaper edition shutdowns. And for those who lament the "trusted source" of the news: more fakery of the news.Finally, what we really need: principles for a new media literacy, from Dan Gillmor. Steve Yelvington, Website, December 29, 2008 [Link] [Tags: none] [Comment]

Tis the Season of Predictions
Everyone is making predictions this week. Alan Levine questions them: "Look at the source of the prediction- is there perhaps another agenda?" Maybe - but here's my take: the accuracy of your predictions shows you understand what's going on.

So - to some predictions (from other people): Lyn points to this article in the Futurist, which includes: "Professional knowledge will become obsolete almost as quickly as it's acquired."

And reviews of the year just past: Open2Learn looks at the year in micro and mass education.

Technology Review looks at the year online (socializing networks, into the cloud, patching the internet, data equality).

Wired offers a hit and miss list of top technology beakthroughs of 2008 (hit: flexible displays, flash memory; miss: the memristop, the App store).

Jay Cross looks at his own year - major articles published, appearances he's made, including this: "Hosted an invitation-only meeting in the board room of Thomson Reuters in London on the Future of Learning." Cross also links to a WE Magazine interview on informal learning.

And don't miss Jane Hart's list of 100 articles from the year 2008. Alan Levine, CogDogBlog, December 29, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Books, Networks, Thomson Corporation] [Comment]

Misconceptions About Reuse
Juliette Culver (using Juliette White's old web site) makes four good points about reuse: "Misconception 1: The only type of reuse is wholesale reuse; Misconception 2: It's easier to reuse a resource you have found than to roll your own even when you don't have to worry about IP; Misconception 2: It's easier to reuse a resource you have found than to roll your own even when you don't have to worry about IP; Misconception 4: It's worth spending lots of time worrying about metadata." Juliette Culver, Weblog, December 29, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Metadata] [Comment]

Educational Technology Conferences
Clayton R. Wright has released his semi-annual list of education technology conferences; you can obtain your copy from George Siemens's website (and various other places), Clayton R. Wright, elearnspace, December 29, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Connectivism] [Comment]

Should Wikimedia Cost That Much?
Though the contributors to Wikipedia are distributed, the site and management are centralized, which leads to increased costs. Agreed, six million dollars isn't 'large' in the greater scheme of things - but it's a lot of money to raise annually when you have no revenue stream. Donors of this amount of money usually expect some sort of say over how the money is spent. Expect this to become an increasing tension going forward. Leigh Blackall, Learn Online, December 29, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Wikipedia] [Comment]

Higher Education - State Universities Rival Ivy League?
I have long felt that the reputation of the 'elite' universities is due mostly to marketing and money. Case in point: "Carol Hymowitz, writing for the Wall Street Journal, insists that when it comes to earning a degree 'Any College Will Do.' Hymowitz notes the words of some of the nation's top executives who insist that the 'path to the corner office usually starts at state university.'" Thomas J. Hanson, Open Education, December 29, 2008 [Link] [Tags: Marketing] [Comment]

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