Blackboard Lies and Liars

Earlier in the day, Gates had the opportunity to speak to faculty and students in computer science about the direction in which software is headed and who will have access to technological advances. “[We discussed] how we do a better job of using computer science to reach out of people around the world so they get the benefit of the very rapid innovation,” Gates said. “People are underestimating the impact of software and the ways that it can improve a wide range of things.” (...)

Online learning

Gates also sees great things in the future of online learning. Himself a consumer of online coursework, Gates hopes that university curriculum can be augmented through online access to lecturers and better accreditation or through testing that measures the effectiveness of different teaching models.

Of course, when Gates runs into trouble with his online solid state physics coursework, he can call genius physicists, but he believes there is strong potential to digitize learning at the college level, not just for top tier institutions like Carnegie Mellon, but also for community colleges and high schools. “Take the intro biology course [for example]. Should they take Nowicki, who is a brilliant biology lecturer at Duke, and just have his lectures play and then the people they hire are good at the discussion group, not trying to do what he does? I think there will be a change there,” Gates said. (leer más...)

Some of you may remember when I wrote about Chickspeak, a WordPress MU-based social network. Andy Peatling, the fellow behind it, later decided to recreate the work he had done as an Open Source effort he called BuddyPress. And it was good.
Today I’m happy to announce that Andy has joined Automattic full-time and we’ll be taking the BuddyPress project under our wing. We will grow it and support it the same way we support WordPress, MU, bbPress, Akismet, and more.

It’s clear that the future is social. Connections are key. WordPress MU is a platform which has shown itself to be able to operate at Internet-scale and with BuddyPress we can make it friendlier. Someday, perhaps, the world will have a truly Free and Open Source alternative to the walled gardens and open-only-in-API platforms that currently dominate our social landscape.(leer más…)

Fuente: [photomatt] [imagen flickr]

Resum

En aquest article es visiten alguns dels llocs comuns de la relació entre internet, la cibercultura i la infància. En especial s’observa la idea dels nadius digitals de Marc Prensky i se l’acompanya d’altres estereotips i arguments apresos que solen tenir com a conseqüència la reificació i la creació de distàncies entre els col·lectius adults i els infants. L’article argumenta que aquestes distàncies són artificials i que en la mateixa construcció d’aquest imaginari és on rauen els veritables perills de la relació entre internet i els infants.

Resumen

En este artículo se visitan algunos de los lugares comunes de la relación entre internet, la cibercultura y la infancia. En especial se observa la idea de los nativos digitales de Marc Prensky y se la acompaña de otros estereotipos y argumentos aprendidos que suelen tener como consecuencia la reificación y la creación de distancias entre los colectivos adultos y los niños. El artículo argumenta que estas distancias son artificiales y que en la misma construcción de este imaginario es dónde radican los verdaderos peligros de la relación entre internet y los niños.

Paraules clau: nadius digitals, infància, adolescència, videojocs, internet, naturalització, periodisme

Llocs comuns