February 11, 2014
Feature Article
This is just a test
Stephen Downes, February 11, 2014.
Chapter Marker Player Example
Chapter Marker Player Example
Google I/O 2011: YouTube's iframe Player: The Future of Embedding
Google I/O 2011: The YouTube Caption API, Speech Recognition, and WebVTT captions for HTML5
Enclosure:
‘Scaffold’ map reveals brain’s weak spots
Suzanne Wu,
Futurity,
February 11, 2014
The good thing about this post is that it makes it clear that cognition depends on connections. And I can go along with the idea that some connections are more important than others, at least with respect to specific functions. I would hesitate to take this line of reasoning too far, as it's based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Nonetheless it is interesting to see the map of human neural connectivist being created. I'm not sure whether the full article is accessible (I can read it from my office account) but definitely click on this network map of key parts of neural connectivity. “We coined the term white matter ‘scaffold’ because this network defines the information architecture which supports brain function,” says senior author John Darrell. “While all connections in the brain have their importance, there are particular links which are the major players.”
The Day We Fight Back Against Mass Internet Surveillance: What Canadians Can Do
Michael Geist,
Michael Geist,
February 11, 2014
February 11 is "is an international day of action called the ‘Day We Fight Back’ and it’s our best chance to turn the tide." As Michael Geist points out, "in recent months, we've learned about:
- Canadian capturing of metadata on Internet activity, including airport wifi and other wifi sources
- Canadian intelligence agency spying on Brazil
- Canadian cooperation with the NSA on spying at the G-20 meeting in Toronto."
Interestingly, he adds, government officials are "of the view that Canadians would accept surveillance, but they would not accept lying about surveillance programs."
Mobile Learning Curriculum Framework (MLCF)
Adele Botha,
Wikispaces,
February 11, 2014
The Mobile Learning Framework covers three broad areas, "to know about mobile learning, to be able to facilitate mobile learning and to understand the implications of implementing mobile learning." The framework is led by Adele Botha of CISR Meraka (CISR is the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in South Africa, a scientific and technology research, development and implementation organisation). The site is based on the UNESCO Working Paper Series on Mobile Learning. According to the site, "This comprehensive set of papers articulates various mobile technology support strategies towards the United Nations Education for All goal within the educational contexts." The site looks a little bit abandoned, though there is quite a bit of stuff worth investigating here. See also the associated website.
Tennessee Governor Urges 2 Free Years of Community College and Technical School
Richard Pérez-Pena,
New York Times,
February 10, 2014
I actually consider it odd that there are separate streams for academic work and for the trades. And so while I support the idea of free community college tuition, I hesitate a bit because it reinforces this divide. If I were in charge of education, I would consider ensuring that everyone has a trade, which they could learn at a community college level by the time they were, say, 15 or 16. Think CEGEP, but started and completed much earlier in life. Those who wanted to go deeper could then begin studies oriented toward academics and theory, all the while reinforcing (and supporting) their academic work with practical application. I'm sure some academics today would think it odd that their education would ever begin with learning a trade, but I find it odd that it wouldn't. Oh yeah, and then 'free community college' would apply to everyone, not just poor people.
Nye v. Ham: What Is ‘Science’?
Harry Keller,
educational technology & change,
February 10, 2014
You can probably guess where I stand on the question of creation versus evolution, so I won't go there with this post. Rather, I have one observation based on an exchange that happens a bit later on in the debate. It's this: if you have a belief in anything that nothing could or would cause you to change, then your belief is based on faith, not science. It really doesn't matter what the topic is. If someone asks you, What would change your mind?" and you say, "Nothing," then if you're teaching that belief, you should not be teaching it in a science class. To science belongs the class of beliefs that can be changed by evidence; that's what 'science' means.
Producing ‘innovative’ graduates and how online learning can help
Tony Bates,
online learning & distance education resources,
February 10, 2014
Tony Bates lists two papers on innovation and summarizes one of them (and I can't even read the other, as it's locked behind an OECD paywall - 'co-operation and development' my eye). And as he says, we should read the first one with caution, as it has a European focus and is based on the assessments of graduates rather than employers. Still. What seems true is that 'innovation', porperly so-called, requires a wide range of skills, and not merely science and technology skills. Which I guess we knew. There is some interesting work comparing the impact of theory-based and practical learning oin the different skill areas. Bates writes, "we need to continue to support a wide variety of disciplines and subject domains in our universities if we really want innovation across our society and economy; STEM subjects are important for innovation in many but by no means all areas of innovation in work and society."
The Other 21st Century Skills: Why Teach Them
Jackie Gerstein,
User Generated Education,
February 10, 2014
I've seen versions of this list previously and they bother me a little. The items are purportedly 'other' 21st century skills and include among them 'grit', 'resilience', 'self-regulation' and similar character traits. They read to me like a list of the traits poor people don't have (and which of course therefore explain why they are poor). I'm not doubting the value of such traits, but question their application in a list of "21st century skills". You may as well list "a balanced diet" and "positive self-image" as 21st century skills. More, I would wonder why we are in the 21st century building a society that is so dysfunctional, so dog-eat-dog, that we have to be nearly perfect in order to get by. What we as a society need to do is to be able to embrace and value the contributions of members even if they don't have a lot of grit and resilience. A society should be inclusive; you shouldn't have to fight like a dog to enjoy it.
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