ElizÂaÂbeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love has been on the New York Times bestÂseller list for 57 weeks. If you haven’t read it yet, then you may want to spend some time with Gilbert’s talk at Google. While her talk and readÂing didÂn’t comÂpleteÂly strike a chord with me, it may well with you. So here you go (and, yes, we’ve added the video to our YouTube Playlist):
Top 10 Amazing Chemistry Videos
CourÂtesy of Wired’s Blog, here are 10 videos disÂplayÂing some rather cool chemÂistry experÂiÂments at work. Below, we’ve postÂed one video that will let you answer a quesÂtion that you’ve almost cerÂtainÂly ponÂdered for ages — can liqÂuid nitroÂgen neuÂtralÂize molten iron? (For more videos along these lines, check out this site.)
The iPhone and the 21st Century University
Next fall, all new freshÂmen attendÂing ACU (AbiÂlene ChrisÂtÂian UniÂverÂsiÂty) will receive an iPhone (or iPod Touch) when they get to camÂpus. And, from there, the Apple gadÂget will figÂure cenÂtralÂly to stuÂdents’ camÂpus expeÂriÂence. The iPhone is the latÂest and greatÂest “conÂverged mobile media device,” which comÂbines in one gadÂget numerÂous funcÂtionÂalÂiÂties — interÂnet and email access, phone, audio, video, and maps. And once you put a genÂerÂaÂtion of stuÂdents reared on mobile devices on this comÂmon platÂform, new ways of runÂning the uniÂverÂsiÂty in the 21st cenÂtuÂry start to open up.
The changes begin with the way uniÂverÂsiÂty adminÂisÂtraÂtion gets done. ACU enviÂsions stuÂdents using their devices to check their meal and account balÂances, access course calÂenÂdars, receive news and speÂcial bulÂletins from the uniÂverÂsiÂty, and tap into the uniÂverÂsiÂty phone/employee direcÂtoÂry. Not far down the line, the uniÂverÂsiÂty anticÂiÂpates that the iPhone will fulÂfill cerÂtain regÂisÂtrar funcÂtions — meanÂing that stuÂdents can use their iPhone to scope out, and even enroll in, varÂiÂous classÂes. Then, they’ll add some e‑commerce to the mix and let stuÂdents use their mobile device to conÂduct comÂmerce with the bookÂstore and uniÂverÂsiÂty restauÂrants. Are you startÂing to get the picÂture? The iPhone becomes a “one stop shop for inforÂmaÂtion and serÂvices” that can be accessed on the fly.
But what hapÂpens in the classÂroom? I had a chance to catch up with Bill Rankin, the DirecÂtor of Mobile LearnÂing Research (and also AssoÂciate ProÂfesÂsor & DirecÂtor of EngÂlish GradÂuÂate StudÂies) who shared some of ACU’s thinkÂing about how the iPhone creÂates new teachÂing opporÂtuÂniÂties. For starters, the device will allow stuÂdents to access sylÂlabi, course docÂuÂments (creÂatÂed with Google Docs), homeÂwork assignÂments and podÂcasts that comÂpleÂment the course. (ImagÂine stuÂdents downÂloadÂing podÂcastÂed lecÂtures from preÂviÂous classÂes, or lisÂtenÂing to clips of Mozart in their music appreÂciÂaÂtion class, or reviewÂing bits of French diaÂlogue in the French 101 class.) From here, the pedÂaÂgogÂiÂcal uses of the iPhone start to deepÂen. AccordÂing to Rankin, the Apple gadÂget will give teachÂers the abilÂiÂty to conÂduct real-time surÂveys that gauge stuÂdent perÂcepÂtions of the class (are they underÂstandÂing the course? is it movÂing too quickÂly?) and use the feedÂback to make the classÂes “more careÂfulÂly taiÂlored to the interÂests and abilÂiÂties.” It’s also an added perk that the iPhone will let stuÂdents conÂtribute to the class through their online perÂsona, which, research shows, “emboldÂens stuÂdents [parÂticÂuÂlarÂly shy ones] who might not othÂerÂwise share their ideas.” Then there’s this sceÂnario (and othÂers like it): With the iPhone, the “biolÂoÂgy class in the field will be able to phoÂtoÂgraph specÂiÂmens, post their findÂings to othÂer classÂes not curÂrentÂly in the field, comÂmuÂniÂcate with experts, and use the web to idenÂtiÂfy and research specÂiÂmens. That’s transÂforÂmaÂtionÂal, and we think it will offer disÂtinct advanÂtages to our stuÂdents.” LastÂly, the iPhone opens up the posÂsiÂbilÂiÂty of creÂatÂing “hybrid” coursÂes, which means coursÂes conÂductÂed partÂly in the classÂroom and partÂly online. For more on the hybrid conÂcept (and othÂer facets of the project), you can watch the video postÂed on YouTube that introÂduces ACU’s iPhone iniÂtiaÂtive. We’ve postÂed Part 1 below, and you can access Part 2 here. To get more insight into ACU’s intelÂliÂgent thinkÂing about the potenÂtial eduÂcaÂtionÂal appliÂcaÂtions of the iPhone, you should spend some time on their “ConÂnectÂed” web site.
A New Media Scholar’s Dilemma
For a gradÂuÂate stuÂdent in an EngÂlish Ph.D. proÂgram, one of the big mileÂstones on the road to the disÂserÂtaÂtion is the Oral Exam. In my case this involves five proÂfesÂsors, a list of 60–80 books, and two hours in a (rhetorÂiÂcalÂly) smoke-filled room. Since I’m workÂing on conÂtemÂpoÂrary litÂerÂaÂture and new media, one of the chalÂlenges I have to deal with is how to address novÂels, films, teleÂviÂsion shows, video games and more as part of the same “list.” How does one put these things togethÂer? How can a video game be read as a text alongÂside Gravity’s RainÂbow or Brave New World?
One way to approach this quesÂtion is to include the work of litÂerÂary and culÂturÂal critÂics who are already lookÂing at new and traÂdiÂtionÂal media side by side. FolÂlowÂing that line, I try to keep up with the acaÂdÂeÂmÂic blog Grand Text Auto, which covÂers “comÂputÂer narÂraÂtive, games, poetÂry and art.” One of its conÂtribÂuÂtors, Noah Wardrip-FruÂin, is workÂing on a book about digÂiÂtal ficÂtions and comÂputÂer games that looks perÂfect for my Orals list—and he’s pubÂlishÂing it, chapÂter by chapÂter, on Grand Text Auto for blog-based peer review. It will come out next year with MIT Press, but for now, it’s a work in progress.
All fine so far—I could list it as “forthÂcomÂing” and direct my proÂfesÂsors to the link. But what hapÂpens when I start comÂmentÂing on this book as I read it? What are we to do with the knowlÂedge that this “text” will most likeÂly change between now and next year? Does this item on my Orals list sigÂniÂfy a draft of the book, the blog and its comÂments, or the expeÂriÂence of readÂing and writÂing into the MS myself (includÂing, perÂhaps, responsÂes from the author)?
I find the dilemÂma parÂticÂuÂlarÂly interÂestÂing because it touchÂes on a cenÂtral conÂflict in humanÂiÂties scholÂarÂship. Are we pasÂsive observers of the litÂerÂary scene or active parÂticÂiÂpants in it? It’s a rare acaÂdÂeÂmÂic critÂic who thinks of callÂing up a poet to ask her what she meant in a parÂticÂuÂlar line, but that’s exactÂly the kind of conÂnecÂtion that our hyper-conÂscious, digÂiÂtalÂly mediÂatÂed world offers up.
P.S. After all of this hand-wringÂing, it’s obviÂous I’m not going to have time to read Noah’s book before I take my exam, so it’s off the list. But I can’t wait to dig in next month!
Neil Gaiman’s American Gods — Free Digital Copy
HarperÂCollins has rolled out anothÂer free book — the New York Times bestÂseller AmerÂiÂcan Gods by Neil Gaiman. You can read it for free here (or buy it here). For more free books by HarperÂCollins, see our post from last week. And, as always, don’t forÂget to see our colÂlecÂtion of free audioÂbooks.
When You Google “Open Culture”
Just a quick note: If you Google “Open CulÂture,” you’ll now find that Google has placed “sub-links” beneath the main search results, and these sub-links give you access to some of our most popÂuÂlar pages. (See real-time search results here.) If you’re lookÂing for free audioÂbooks, online coursÂes and forÂeign lanÂguage lessons (just to give a few examÂples), then this is one quick way to access them.
Physics for Future Presidents
Just a quick fyi that we’ve added a popÂuÂlar UC BerkeÂley course, Physics for Future PresÂiÂdents, to our colÂlecÂtion: Free Online CoursÂes from Great UniÂverÂsiÂties. You can downÂload the comÂplete course to your MP3 playÂer. Just scroll down the page and look under “Physics.”
If you’d rather expeÂriÂence this course in video, you can watch the course on YouTube. I’ve postÂed the first lecÂture below, and you can find the rest of the lecÂtures here.
10 Ways to Make Your iPod a Better Learning Gadget
The iPod can superÂcharge your learnÂing. But it’s often a matÂter of findÂing the right softÂware and conÂtent. Below, we’ve listÂed sevÂerÂal new pieces of softÂware that will let you suck more eduÂcaÂtionÂal media (DVDs, web videos, audio files, etc.) into your iPod. And we’ve also listÂed some imporÂtant pieces of conÂtent that will make your iPod a betÂter learnÂing gadÂget. So here it goes and be sure to visÂit our PodÂcast Library and our relatÂed piece 10 Signs of IntelÂliÂgent Life at YouTube:
1) Put Wikipedia on Your Ipod: EncyÂclopoÂdia is a free piece of softÂware that brings Wikipedia to the iPod. EncyÂclopoÂdia can be installed on iPod genÂerÂaÂtions 1 through 4, as well as iPod MinÂis. DefÂiÂniteÂly worth a try.
2) Watch DVDs on Your iPod: This free, open source softÂware works on MacOS X, LinÂux and WinÂdows, and makes it simÂple to load and watch DVDs on your video iPod. Here are some helpÂful instrucÂtions to get you startÂed.
3) Load YouTube Videos to Your iPod: ConÂvertÂTube allows you to take any YouTube video and conÂvert it to a forÂmat that works on your iPod. It’s as simÂple as enterÂing a url and clickÂing “conÂvert and downÂload.” If you want to give the softÂware a test run, try conÂvertÂing these UC BerkeÂley coursÂes that were recentÂly launched on YouTube. Or these Nobel Prize speechÂes.
4) Make OthÂer Video ForÂmats iPod-Ready: LifeÂhackÂer recentÂly menÂtioned three othÂer pieces of softÂware that will make a variÂety of othÂer video forÂmats iPod-ready. For WinÂdows, see VideÂoÂra; for Mac, see iSquint. Or more genÂerÂalÂly see Zamzar. In a nutÂshell, these items will turn a wide range of video forÂmats into the one video forÂmat (MPEG‑4) that your iPod likes.
5) ConÂvert MP3 files into One Big iPod AudioÂbook File: DownÂloadÂing free audioÂbooks can often require you to work with a series of sepÂaÂrate mp3 files, which can make things rather cumÂberÂsome. This softÂware does you a favor and mashÂes the files into one manÂageÂable file. And it has a feaÂture that will let your Ipod rememÂber where you stopped if you decide to take a break. (If this one appeals to you, be sure to see item # 10.)
6) CreÂate eBooks for the iPod: This bit of softÂware turns text files into ebooks that you can read on your iPod. After you load a text file, it will make the text readÂable through iPod Notes (which you can find under “Extra SettÂtings”). Then, voila, a portable text. Thanks to Pachecus.com for pointÂing this one out.
William F. Buckley v. Gore Vidal — 1968
William F. BuckÂley, Jr., the intelÂlecÂtuÂal force behind the strand of conÂserÂvatism that peaked with Ronald ReaÂgan, died yesÂterÂday. (See NY Times obit.) Here, we have some vinÂtage BuckÂley. The video clip below feaÂtures BuckÂley and Gore Vidal going at it, almost comÂing to blows, durÂing the conÂtestÂed presÂiÂdenÂtial camÂpaign of 1968. It offers a good reminder that AmerÂiÂcan politÂiÂcal disÂcourse hasÂn’t been agreeÂable for quite some time. ComÂparÂaÂtiveÂly, things look downÂright civÂil today.
Not Always a Nation of Dunces
Here’s a nice counÂterÂpoint to our post last week covÂerÂing Susan Jacoby’s new book The Age of AmerÂiÂcan UnreaÂson and her lament that AmerÂiÂca has declined into a morass of anti-intelÂlecÂtuÂalÂism and low expecÂtaÂtions.
Let’s set the scene: A reporter selects a young Barack ObaÂma supÂportÂer at a ralÂly and starts pepÂperÂing him with quesÂtions about the canÂdiÂdate. And it all feels like a staged effort to demonÂstrate that the mobiÂlized youth has no real hanÂdle on the issues. He’s just blindÂly buyÂing the hype. WithÂout wastÂing time, the reporter leads the young man into a conÂverÂsaÂtion on the comÂplexÂiÂties of health care. It’s the perÂfect setÂup. But then it sudÂdenÂly becomes clear that the reporter chose the wrong kid (who is a natÂuÂralÂized immiÂgrant, by the way) to play the fool. Watch the video below (and check out this folÂlow up video that gives you more of the back stoÂry).
How to Learn a Foreign Language
We stumÂbled across this video (below) over on YouTube. It offers a quick surÂvey of web resources that will teach you forÂeign lanÂguages for free. Among othÂer items, the video menÂtions our ForÂeign LanÂguage PodÂcast ColÂlecÂtion and, for that, we wantÂed to say thanks to whoÂevÂer put this togethÂer.
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Open Culture scours the web for the best educational media. We find the free courses and audio books you need, the language lessons & educational videos you want, and plenty of enlightenment in between.
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