Category: economics
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Skype currency
I was exploring my profile and account options in Skype this evening and ran across this interesting question. Should I change my Skype currency from Euros to something else? This would be a great, practical question to pose for a group of students. How would you make up your mind? You can choose any currency…
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Digital kids, School Relevancy, Poverty, & School Reform
Apple Computer’s “Digital Tools for digital students” website includes good info and great video interviews with both teachers and students on the realities facing digital immigrant teachers in classrooms today. Those interviewed on the site contend digital students are: hypercommunicators multitaskers goal oriented Kids have changed, most schools have not. I love this quotation from…
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Complex economics shown
I received an email today from a friend referencing the January MSN article, “Sheehan, Chavez join to bash Bush, Iraq war.” The email included the following exhortation: Take Action: Please decide that you will not be shopping at a Citgo station. Why should U.S. citizens who love freedom be financing a dictator who has vowed…
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Bakers available, Bakers employed, and Baker productivity
I listened to a great podcast yesterday and today by UVA economist Peter Rodriguez, “The New World Economy: Development Challenges in the 21st Century” (direct mp3 link.) The presentation abstract reads: The world economy seems to be changing faster than ever. Some of the changes, such as rapid growth in China and India and growing…
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Free content is the future
The publishers of Education Week apparently do not get it. As I wrote back in February in the post “Free ideas & Pedagogy,” we live in a tranformed informational environment where the value of information is increasingly defined by the breadth of people’s access to it rather than imposed access limits. Traditional media outlets think…
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Broadband over Powerlines (BPL)
Let’s hope California is leading the way when it comes to providing broadband Internet access over existing power lines to consumers at low prices. According to the April 27, 2006 article “California regulators OK broadband over power line test” (which I found via TechLearning) California regulators have approved further testing of the technology called BPL:…
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Learning, Offshoring, Feedback, Disruptive Process Innovation
I listened to a fantastic podcast by John Seely Brown from 22 June 2005 at Supernova 2005 this evening. This is linked by ITConversations, a superb source for innovative ideas and great podcasts. JSB’s presentation, which runs about 30 minutes long, is one of the best I have ever heard on offshoring, emerging economic processes,…
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Pedagogy and Politics of “Stand Up”
What is the supported pedagogy and politics of the “Stand Up” organization? The full-text from the “About Stand Up” website philosophy page is: EVERY STUDENT IN AMERICA CAN AND SHOULD GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL READY FOR COLLEGE, WORK AND CITIZENSHIP. STAND UP is more than a campaign. We are a community-people of all ages, races,…
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Student Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is an essential ingredient of the US and global economy, and something we tend to not teach well in traditional, U.S. public schools. I was a Hugh O’Brien Youth Foundation delegate back in high school, and remember learning more in those few days than I probably learned in all of high school about the…
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The Dark Side of the Farm
For a good laugh and a thought-provoking digital story, check out Grocery Store Wars: Join the Organic Rebellion. As a devout Star Wars fan myself and child of the 1970s and 1980s, I relate quite well to this. What a great use of digital storytelling to encourage people (not just kids) to think critically about…