Ed-Tech's Monsters. Fabulous talk from Audrey Watters. Conclusion: We in ed-tech must face the monsters we have created, I think. These are the monsters in the technologies of war and surveillance a la Bletchley Park. These are the monsters in the technologies of mass production and standardization. These are the monsters in the technologies of behavior modification a la BF Skinner. These are the monsters ed-tech must face. And we must all consider what we need to do so that we do not create more of them.
Why Do Americans Love to Blame Teachers? by Noah Berlatsky at The Atlantic. Just one of many positive reviews that make me want to read Dana Goldstein's new book The Teacher Wars.
'Aspiring Adults Adrift' by Jake New at Inside Higher Ed. This is about Arum and Roksa's new book, Aspiring Adults Adrift: Tentative Transitions of College Graduates, a book which I have little inclination to read. I shared at Google+ my thoughts on the IHE piece and why I am not inspired to read this book.
Beyond Caricatures: On Dewey, Freire, and Direct Instruction by Paul Thomas. Excellent article from Paul Thomas to read in tandem with Hybrid Pedagogy piece a couple weeks ago: Designing for Emergence: The Role of the Instructor in Student-Centered Learning by Mary Stewart
Textbook Costs: An Argument for the Open Syllabus by Phil Hill. Great piece from Phil Hill about textbook costs and how open syllabuses can help students strategize and save. There are lots of reasons to have open syllabuses, and this is just one such reason. And a good one!
5 Research-Based Tips for Providing Students with Meaningful Feedback by Marianne Stenger at Edutopia. With a great graphic to illustrate it that I saw at Twitter from Rebeca Zuniga:
