March 30, 2008
New TV Show
I happened upon a really interesting program on television last night on the Discovery Science channel (Discovery Times funded Thomas Friedman's documentary). The series is called "Download: The True Story of the Internet" (see programming schedule). Essentially, the show's host, John Heileman, interviews some of the big names of the web 2.0 generation--the founders of Facebook, YouTube, Google, MySpace, etc.--and analyzes the societal impact of these "techno-geek" movements. You can check out a few clips on the Discovery Channel's website, but the full version isn't on YouTube yet. If you have access to cable, you might want to check it out on channel 42.
Posted by lauraaw at 09:19 AM | Comments (0)
March 26, 2008
One Laptop Per Child: Closing the Digital Divide?
In an effort to close the global digital divide, MIT professor Nicholas Negroponte came up with what was initially called the $100 laptop, now referred to simply as the XO laptop or One Laptop Per Child (OLPC). This small laptop was designed to reach the world's population of children as a way of providing them with, as the OLPC's mission statement explains, "new opportunities to explore, experiment, and express themselves." Negroponte recently appeared on CNN to promote his laptop and the non-profit organization by the same name (OLPC), which is running a campaign called "Give One Get One." From November 2007 to January 2008, the XO laptop was available to the public (in the U.S. and Canada) for $399; $200 of the payment went toward supplying a child in a developing country with the XO laptop, and the remainder supplied the purchaser with one of the machines.
Aside from Negroponte's interview, several other videos and sites detail various aspects of these potentially groundbreaking computers. The site olpc.tv gathers all relevant videos, the official wiki offers a more comprehensive glance at the development and production of the computers, and the blog olpcnews.com maintains an up-to-date list of the most current events and postings related to OLPC. In the latter, we learn of a recent article (and video) in The Wall Street Journal which points out the competition that has developed for this new global market. Intel caught wind of Negroponte's plans and designed their own model called the Classmate. Check out the article for more details. I've listed some discussion questions to consider below.
For a helpful demo of the laptop and its capabilities, take a look at the two videos posted below. The first gives a general sense of what the laptop looks like and what it offers users. The second provides a more in depth glance at the inner workings of the computer and its user interface, Sugar (as opposed to something like Windows, for example).
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
What do you make of Intel's move to develop their own version of the XO laptop with the "Classmate"? Does the fact that OLPC is non-profit factor in? What about the role of Windows (Classmate's operating system) vs. Sugar (XO's operating system)?
What might be some of the reasons behind the "Give One Get One" campaign? Is this a way to make the global digital divide known? Or is it merely exacerbating the "haves" vs. "have nots" divide in the U.S.?
Given what we've read in by Friedman, Norris, and others, what impact do you think these laptops will make? In what ways or sectors? For example, what might Norris say regarding the democratic implications of OLPC? Or, is this apolitical and strictly about education and access?
Can you imagine any potential negative consequences that could occur on international, national, or local levels?
Negroponte has been quoted as saying, "It's an education project, not a laptop project." Why is this distinction so important?
Posted by lauraaw at 08:35 PM | Comments (0)
Following the Research Trail
Compiling a list of sources for any research project can feel like a monumental task. One helpful tip is to focus in on a book or article that you feel is the cornerstone of the project. In it, check out the footnotes, endnotes, or bibliography in the back in which the author cites all of the other resources s/he used in writing the book. Often, this is a virtual goldmine for other places to turn. Sometimes, you'll notice that two of your best sources cite the same person/book--this is a clue that that particular text or individual is essential to the field, and you should read it. For example, if you really liked the excerpt you read on the digital divide from Pippa Norris's book Digital Divide: Civic Engagement, Information Poverty and the Internet Worldwide, but you found her points slightly dated, why not check out what else she has published? A quick google search reveals that Norris wrote more recent books on related topics such as democracy, political activism, and gender and politics.
Posted by lauraaw at 08:33 PM | Comments (0)
Digital Education
Given our conversations about the effects of globalization, digitization, and technology on the economy, politics, and social dynamics, I thought you would find the following video interesting. "Academia 2.0" takes up the issue of how technological innovations impact the college campus. The clip below is a condensed version of a longer documentary produced for Kansas State University. Those of you interested in pursuing a research topic that explores the impact of digital technology on educational systems might find the longer version especially helpful.
Questions:
To what extent do the points raised here mirror your experiences as students?
What can faculty do to best utilize new technologies for your learning?
How do/can students actively take advantage of these resources?
Has your experience with digital technology at UM come as a surprise, especially in learning environments?
Posted by lauraaw at 08:31 PM | Comments (0)
March 25, 2008
Facebook article
Some of you might find this article on Facebook and privacy settings interesting.
Posted by lauraaw at 03:15 PM | Comments (0)
March 12, 2008
Is the world really flat?
In his introduction to The World is Flat, Thomas Friedman makes several references to his Discovery-Times Documentary, posted below (45 minutes long). Please watch the video and be prepared to discuss it on Tuesday.
Posted by lauraaw at 02:15 PM | Comments (0)
March 11, 2008
Review writing
While we've been spending much of our time talking about argumentative writing in the context of academia, a more popular style of written argument appears in magazines, websites, and newspapers everyday in reviews (including The Michigan Daily). Take a look at these two articles written by a recent UM alum, Landon Smith. Landon reviews two music artists: Lupe Fiasco and Evanescence. After (or before) you read, feel free to check out the videos by these same artists below. In a sense, the videos serve as the primary texts while Landon's review is the secondary text. In class we'll talk more about the features of this genre and how you can adapt it for scholarly writing (think: your annotated bibliographies!).
Lupe Fiasco, "Kick Push"
Evanescence, "Lithium"
Posted by lauraaw at 08:01 AM | Comments (0)
March 03, 2008
Did *you* know?
The following video dovetails with Thomas Friedman's argument in The World is Flat (the reading for 3/6). Once you've had a chance to read through Friedman's introduction, I'd like you to compare the ideas in it to this video. Some questions to consider: Are the arguments similar? If so, how? If not, why not? What evidence do they use? Can you say that the video has as "tone"? How would you compare it to Friedman's tone? What aspects of visual rhetoric does the video use? How does it attempt to convince you? What do Friedman and this video appeal to? Logos, ethos, pathos?
Posted by lauraaw at 03:42 PM | Comments (0)
