Having just finished Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer, I have been thinking of maps quite a bit today. According to author, Peter Turchi, mapping is about sense-making, and about visualization among other things. While searching out some educational use of map making, I came across this site which contains several ways to use Google mapping tools to help students visualize data as it relates to location:
Google Maps for Learning
More about mapping later...
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
Second Life Expands/Creates International Learning Opportunities
Opportunities for institutions to expand or even create international learning exchanges is well illustrated by this Second Life Workshop that U Oregon is offering with one of the Chinese universities:
http://casls.uoregon.edu/mychinainfo.php
http://casls.uoregon.edu/mychinainfo.php
Friday, May 8, 2009
Who is Publishing Your Work?
Some presses are becoming more aggressive about the rights of authors contributing to press-owned publications. These practices pertain to contributors/anthology editions more so than to editorial contracts--one press I have contributed to in the past requires that I rescind all rights to what I've written, with no royalties. I can then apply to use the content for specific reasons ("fair use") permissions (if I am aware that this is possible and ask for the form).
Other writers share that though they give up rights to the publisher, they simultaneously have the rights to use the content in workshops or courses. This is a more reasonable practice, but the rights are still signed over to the publisher.
In some international cases, my understanding is that there are presses where the authors do retain the copyright.
However, in the first cases mentioned here, writers contribute for academic reasons/motivations/pressures, and the presses are capitalizing on the academic need. With that in mind, I am re-considering where I contribute.
Looking at Athabasca Press gave me hope Athabasca Open Press.
Your experience and thoughts?
Other writers share that though they give up rights to the publisher, they simultaneously have the rights to use the content in workshops or courses. This is a more reasonable practice, but the rights are still signed over to the publisher.
In some international cases, my understanding is that there are presses where the authors do retain the copyright.
However, in the first cases mentioned here, writers contribute for academic reasons/motivations/pressures, and the presses are capitalizing on the academic need. With that in mind, I am re-considering where I contribute.
Looking at Athabasca Press gave me hope Athabasca Open Press.
Your experience and thoughts?
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Educational Professional Development: Constant Learning, Community, Process
Education expert Will Richardson's recent post provides a current, continuous learning model for education professionals as well as everyone else.
It is continual, but how do you work that into the already packed day? It is communal--how do you get beyond physical space? It is process not web tools alone, though, and I would say that tools do become a way of thinking.
Online communities allow professionals to benefit, learn, and have company as they build expertise in small, continuous increments.
Nicely said. The strategies expand our possibilities for development. The practices will explains expand our definition and thinking about professional development, not only about expanding our practice through technology, but how we address challenges when we plan face-to-face events too.
It is continual, but how do you work that into the already packed day? It is communal--how do you get beyond physical space? It is process not web tools alone, though, and I would say that tools do become a way of thinking.
Online communities allow professionals to benefit, learn, and have company as they build expertise in small, continuous increments.
Nicely said. The strategies expand our possibilities for development. The practices will explains expand our definition and thinking about professional development, not only about expanding our practice through technology, but how we address challenges when we plan face-to-face events too.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
MIT Student Designs
Have been thinking about this item since viewing it a few days ago for a couple reasons--mobility and the capacity to learn from everything around us. Could also push learning toward an increased considerations of connections between a myriad of sources?
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Turchi's Book, Mapping, Imagination
I am currently reading Peter Turchi’s Maps of the Imagination: The Writer as Cartographer, a birthday gift from daughter Danee. It captures two of my keen interests, maps and literature. Memorables: he distinguishes metaphorical map-making (symbolic regions) from scientific (realistic/geographic) map-making; he calls our sense-making activity “Tornado of the Mind” as opposed to “State of Mind,” reminds us maps omit as well as include, remarks that the size and emphasis of location on personal maps differ with individuals.
Not last, “Maps, like fiction and poetry, enable us to ‘see” what is literally too large for our vision” (p. 151).
This book joins other mapping artifacts in my collection, and all of this ties into thinking about just how technology is catapulting various forms of sense-making/mapping:
Transformation Scaffolds: Graphic Organizer Templates that can help students move from lower levels of knowledge to higher considerations: Transformation Scaffolds
Flickr’s Memory Maps Pool:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/memorymaps/pool/
My personal collection of maps from around the world, including some of my favorite bookstores and museums.
Wall maps to reinforce geographical references that come across in the media.
A book of maps about revolutions across the world.
Katherine Harmon’s You are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination.
And a book of essays in my workplace office called something like Geographies of the Imagination.
Potential List of Maps/web tours/mashups to make:
Work Map (What has been, is my work, where next?)
Maps of tech convergences related to teaching and learning engagement/demonstrations of learning
Life Map (Important Geographies or Periods and associated Personal Events )
Significant Conversation Maps (People, Content like learning and literature. the arts)
Subject Tour Maps for the Web and Second Life (kind of like brochures for walking tours..or is this just a list of links…)
Adventure Maps (ie Paris— Louise Borgoise sculpture of the hands (http://parisconnected.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/louise-bourgeois-welcoming-hands-for-you-in-paris-tuileries-garden/) as you depart from the Tuileries to walk up the Champs Elysees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9 )
Last, thought for this morning…and then there is the fact Google is mapping us.
Not last, “Maps, like fiction and poetry, enable us to ‘see” what is literally too large for our vision” (p. 151).
This book joins other mapping artifacts in my collection, and all of this ties into thinking about just how technology is catapulting various forms of sense-making/mapping:
Transformation Scaffolds: Graphic Organizer Templates that can help students move from lower levels of knowledge to higher considerations: Transformation Scaffolds
Flickr’s Memory Maps Pool:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/memorymaps/pool/
My personal collection of maps from around the world, including some of my favorite bookstores and museums.
Wall maps to reinforce geographical references that come across in the media.
A book of maps about revolutions across the world.
Katherine Harmon’s You are Here: Personal Geographies and Other Maps of the Imagination.
And a book of essays in my workplace office called something like Geographies of the Imagination.
Potential List of Maps/web tours/mashups to make:
Work Map (What has been, is my work, where next?)
Maps of tech convergences related to teaching and learning engagement/demonstrations of learning
Life Map (Important Geographies or Periods and associated Personal Events )
Significant Conversation Maps (People, Content like learning and literature. the arts)
Subject Tour Maps for the Web and Second Life (kind of like brochures for walking tours..or is this just a list of links…)
Adventure Maps (ie Paris— Louise Borgoise sculpture of the hands (http://parisconnected.wordpress.com/2008/05/31/louise-bourgeois-welcoming-hands-for-you-in-paris-tuileries-garden/) as you depart from the Tuileries to walk up the Champs Elysees (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Champs-%C3%89lys%C3%A9 )
Last, thought for this morning…and then there is the fact Google is mapping us.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Friday Film Festival: Michael Wesch Dance
Saw M Wesch's tweet about how he was moved by a dance performance based on one of his media videos.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
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