Revolutionizing University Education

Here are some provocative thoughts from a professor at Columbia University in New York. Imagine teachers and students collaborating across academic departments and even across higher ed. institutions on problem solving projects. Imagine a curriculum restructured based on vital topics like Mind, Body, Law, Information, Networks, Language, Space, Time, Media, Money, Life and Water. Instead of the traditional academic departments each separately focusing on these topics, mixed classes could collaborate on research and problem solving, each discipline bringing its own perspective. Hmm... I keep hearing the word "collaboration" in education.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/opinion/27taylor.html

The Cult of Done

By Bre Pattis (click on the link for a cute rubrik-cube-filled illustration of this 'manifesto'):

1. There are three states of being. Not knowing, action and completion.
2. Accept that everything is a draft. It helps to get it done.
3. There is no editing stage.
4. Pretending you know what you're doing is almost the same as knowing what you are doing, so just accept that you know what you're doing even if you don't and do it.
5. Banish procrastination. If you wait more than a week to get an idea done, abandon it.
6. The point of being done is not to finish but to get other things done.
7. Once you're done you can throw it away.
8. Laugh at perfection. It's boring and keeps you from being done.
9. People without dirty hands are wrong. Doing something makes you right.
10. Failure counts as done. So do mistakes.
11. Destruction is a variant of done.
12. If you have an idea and publish it on the internet, that counts as a ghost of done.
13. Done is the engine of more.

What is a Doctorate?

Gizmodo has a provocative article on what exactly a doctorate is.

Wikipedia: Reliable for Research?

See how it's graded for accuracy at the end of the graphic...


Via: Online MBA Rankings

Welcome New Students!

Welcome to our August 2010 intake of students! I had the privilege of meeting them in an orientation session and leading them to consider "How Will College Be Different from High School?" To answer the question, they worked in small groups to create some "artwork" with drinking straws, cellophane tape, and paper. Here are the students and their creations symbolizing answers to the question.

Next post: a few PowerPoint slides that summarize their thoughts in words.

In Search of Perfection (SLATT Research by Raymond, Elfleda and Malcolm)

The team also presented this video - check it out!

View more presentations from Alwyn Lau.

3 Perspectives on Knowledge Management

Web 2.0 as Catalyst for Rethinking Teaching & Learning

Web 2.0 as Catalyst on Prezi

Messing Around

Last week, TLC team members, Dr Tan Hui Leng (Deputy Principal of KDU), Emily Lim, Alwyn Lau, and Dr Todd Nelson had lunch with the Nelson family -- Todd's lovely wife, Jeni, and two daughters, Abby and Sarah. It was a good come-together at KDU Square. Dr Tan believes that a good team, like a close family, finds time to eat together. (So, KDU staff, remember to use your messing allowance.) As you meet and eat, please share with Dr Tan how you are forging good friendships and relishing great relationships. It is important that we are all happy.