Digital Wisdom

Mark Prensky, the person who coined the term "digital natives" and "digital immigrants", has a new article discussing the concept of digital wisdom. He outlines ways that we can teach our kids to responsibly use new technologies and develop wisdom in the process. Innovate has the article posted.

Medieval Manuscripts Online

Prior to my teaching career, I used to study Medieval and Early Modern History, so please forgive me this post.

The Chronicle of Higher Education's Wired Campus has a story about the Catalog of Digitized Medieval Manuscripts. So far, there are 5,000 manuscripts available. As more of these texts get digitized, the ability to research is going to get infinitely easier. While there is undoubtedly a romantic allure in sitting in a musty archive or library in foreign lands, this new availability makes it easier for cash-starved scholars to complete their work.

Did You Know? Updated

The video "Did You Know?" has been an internet sensation (at least in education circles) the past few years. Below is an updated version with flashier graphics and a jaunty soundtrack. It basically chronicles how the world is changing. Worth looking at.

Math Reading List

Slashdot (News for Nerds. Stuff that Matters) has a recent post from someone asking for recommendations about books about mathematical topics (not math textbooks, mind you, but books about math. I'd add to the list Mario Livio's excellent Is God a Mathemetician ? to the list. Read the comments section of the post for a ton of great math recommendations.

Here's the initial post:

"I'm a high school math teacher who is trying to assemble an extra-credit reading list. I want to give my students (ages 16-18) the opportunity/motivation to learn about stimulating mathematical ideas that fall outside of the curriculum I'm bound to teach. I already do this somewhat with special lessons given throughout the year, but I would like my students to explore a particular concept in depth. I am looking for books that are well-written, engaging, and accessible to someone who doesn't have a lot of college-level mathematical training. I already have a handful of books on my list, but I want my students to be able to choose from a variety of topics. Many thanks for all suggestions!"

15 Benefits of Gaming

The web site Edge has an article outlining the benefits of gaming. Here's a summary of the points, but read the entire article for the details.

* Developing empathy in young people
* Post-traumatic stress therapy
* Pain distraction
* Physical rehab
* Visual acuity
* Hand-eye coordination
* Simulating real experiences
* Problem-solving
* Sparking imagination
* Cognitive health
* Understanding how others think
* Social connections
* Tech advancements
* Exer-gaming
* Fun

The "College Bubble"

Are private colleges and universities about to burst the way the real estate market did? MSNBC has a report on Antioch College's implosion and the fear that more failures may be on the way.

From the report:

Home builders and banks aren't the only ones facing economic headwinds these days. America's undercapitalized independent colleges are staring at a spiral of major threats to solvency as penny-pinching students and parents consider cheaper options, and funding sources dry up. As a result, they could be the next bubble industry to pop.

Are Schools Killing Boys' Creativity?

The Times Online's blog School Gate has a blog post that asks that very question. Much of the post centers around Joe Craig, the author of the Jimmy Coates books. Here's a thought-provoking passage:


"To be creative, you have to be wrong most of the time. Unfortunately, being wrong doesn’t go down very well at school. In fact, I think creativity is being educated out of kids when they get into Secondary School, and it’s a big problem.

I frequently go into schools – primary and secondary – to talk to kids about reading, writing and my books. But instead of just talking to them, more importantly I challenge them to come up with story ideas (providing a few helpful tricks for them to start with) and get them thinking creatively.

When I visit a primary school, I’m often bombarded by dozens of ideas that amuse, surprise, entertain and sometimes even astound me. But within just a couple years that ability to conjure up the wacky, the off-the-wall, the daring – the creative – has virtually disappeared.

I’ve visited over 200 schools in the last couple of years, which means I must have run workshops for over 40,000 boys and girls between the ages of 8 and 13. By the time the students reach Year 8, I can predict almost word for word what their story ideas will be, from any given starting point. Even if they think they’re being subversive, in fact especially when they think that, the older the student is, the more predictable the ideas.

The biggest change comes in Year 7, which statistically is also when there’s the biggest drop off in reading – especially in boys. Now, it perhaps seems obvious that the withering of originality is greatly caused by reading less. But I think it’s also the other way round: they read less because their creative spark is consistently doused. Their connection with stories, with ideas and imagination, is stifled by the school environment. If the fun has gone from stories, why read?