I’ve been reading George Siemens blog for a year or so and it’s often one of the most interesting in the educational blogosphere.
I missed the Connectivism online conference, I see.
But it looks like he’s got a book together, not coming out, but congealed and connected. It’s online; it’s got a Wiki, and a photoset on Flickr.
Cool…
Groups require unity, networks require diversity. Groups require coherence, networks require autonomy. Groups require privacy or segregation, networks require openness. Groups require focus of voice, networks require interaction.
From Stephen Downs via George Siemens. I get alot from their thinking, from being a part of their distributed network and as much as I don’t reap benefits from grouping. I’d add though that I think groups do require interaction and well developed groups know how to orchestrate that.
When I think of the people I work with from various entities, we are in fact a network and function like one. I still have a sense of wanting to unite sometimes. I think it’s in fact a longing the things groups provide–coherence, privacy and focus of voice. These are comforting and the same time often stultifying.
When I think of the ways in which I function best, they are in networks. Groups often feel emcumbered.
CiteULike is a free service to help academics to share, store, and organise the academic papers they are reading. When you see a paper on the web that interests you, you can click one button and have it added to your personal library. I haven’t tried it out yet, but sounds interesting
I attended this webinar today, presented by Educause’s ELI. Designing for flexibility and flexibly is what I took away. Tables and chairs on wheels, varied nook and cranny workspaces, sitting on the floor, working alone or in teams; it seemed that the design accomodated and facilitated students finding their own use of the space. A coffee machine and allowing food in the space made it more enjoyable and comfortable as did considering lighting, flooring and paint color. While some of the fixtures looked a bit Ikea-like, it didn’t seem like an inexpensive project. In fact those of us here at SDSU looked at each other as the webinar ended and said “gee how life is different at a private.”
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