Re: [unrev-II] Engines for Educators -- an online book

From: John J. Deneen (jjdeneen@netzero.net)
Date: Sat Nov 10 2001 - 21:18:51 PST

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    Here's another OHS/DKR possibility for alternative education?
    < http://www.cheniere.org/correspondence/index.html >
    < http://www.cheniere.org/toc.html >
    < http://www.altenergy.org/book/book.html >

    > Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 15:36:05 -0500
    > From: "Jeffrey T. "
    >
    > Thanks for all of these!
    >
    > Reading all of these great questions & answers brings me to a larger
    > question: Is there any kind of list for folks interested in Bearden's
    > work? I'm thinking of a Yahoo Group or such, something that could get
    > people together who are interested--such as all of those folks who have
    > written Tom, and all the folks like me who are trying to understand it
    > in a comprehensive, logical way. I went to school and received a B.S.
    > Electrical Engineering degree so I have a big interest in debunking much
    > of that material that I learned. What I'd really like to work on
    > building is a Bearden Textbook, (maybe a series) which approaches the
    > basics in Electromagnetics from the more comprehensive understanding
    > that Bearden has....start with the basics about "charge" etc. and have
    > lots of call-outs that reference how earlier textbooks have described
    > the concept. I don't think it has to be disparaging of the standard,
    > university-taught electromagnetics textbook material of today, but
    > rather it should treat standard-textbook EE concepts as simply
    > "outdated" just as we treat any earlier works of physics which taught
    > incomplete, outdated concepts.
    >
    > Anyway, to start such projects requires some brainstorming and support
    > so I thought I'd ask and see if any such online group exists to discuss
    > Bearden's work ("Yahoo Groups" is just the one that I'm familiar with
    > since it is easy, etc. and I've created these for a few other topics.)
    >
    > Thanks,
    >
    > Jeff
    > Lawrence, KS
    >
    Jack Park wrote:

    > The particular light that shines on my work is the one that illuminates
    > issues of pedagogy. While google-surfing representational literacy this
    > morning, and following a meeting yesterday with the folks at
    > http://www.eoe.org, in which the topic of discussion was informal learning,
    > I landed on the web version of a book I had known about for several
    > years. It's found at
    > http://www.ils.nwu.edu/e-for-e/nodes/I-M-NODE-4121-pg.html and here's just
    > one of the nodes in the book. The book originates in 1994, and many waters
    > have flowed under bridges since that date. Comments after that.
    >
    > "Engines for Education is about what can be done to change education now.
    > This is not a work of fantasy about what might exist one day. Nor is it an
    > academic tome which presents irrelevant theory. Rather it is a work which
    > applies what we know about how people learn to the design of computer
    > software that can revolutionize the schools. A large portion of it is
    > dedicated to discussing specific examples of such software. This book is
    > about what we can do today to make learning fun, to make learning less
    > stressful, and to build a world of thinking citizens. This book is about
    > harnessing the power of the world's experts so that they all will be
    > available as needed by students who want to learn from them. This is quite
    > possible to do using today's technology.
    >
    > Computers are already in the classroom. Unfortunately, for the most part
    > what is there is awful. To date, these computers have been used to play
    > games and to teach children to run spreadsheet programs. Until now no one
    > has cared enough about education to begin to build what is needed. But
    > enough is already known about natural human learning to start the process
    > of change via the computer. Computer software can change the way we learn
    > in school. This book discusses what needs to be done and how to do it."
    >
    > I cite this on the unrev list because the book offers an example of a way
    > to organize materials, one of Doug Engelbart's "views." Each node
    > (chapterette?) is comprised of a concise body of prose, followed by links
    > of all sorts, including "where we came from", "what's next",
    > "alternatives", and so forth. In my view, this online document seems ripe
    > for a D3E adventure, complete with an IBIS dialog about many of the topics,
    > followed by, or coincident with a ScholOnto mapping of the contents.
    >
    > Why on earth would one be interested in all that effort? My idea: the
    > creation of a portal devoted to the evolutionary discussion on
    > pedagogy. And, the creation of a massive OHS/DKR-driven NIC for educators,
    > learners, parents, funding sources, and more. Your idea?
    >
    > Cheers
    > Jack
    >
    >
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