Community Media - Interactive World

As a participant in the The 17th International Symposium on Electronic Art I was struck by how many delegates were hostile to the notion of community. Is it that, in the humanities, perhaps, academia is fatally geared to recognition of solo-achievement at the expense of collaborative methodologies? Perhaps that’s because the ‘art’ element is still understood in terms of romantic-period notions of self, ego, genius, and originality?  In these terms community is the wicked Father called Family, or Tradition. Individualism, in contrast, is Rebel Energy; it is innovation and creativity. The available writing on the self has arguably been more inspiring than that on the community, which tends to fall into windy utopianism or dreary sociological treatises. But we certainly have a degree of nostalgia for our self-willed creativity, despite the thinly veiled reality that the majority of human beings are merely tiny cogs in the global machine. In part, the delusional component arise...

In recent years I have been working with parents and children to improve reading skills. There is strong evidence that boys' reading skills are increasingly falling behind those of girls, and that boys come back to school after the summer holidays with poor reading skills. These are the questions that I asked in this blog: How can we guide and support the enjoyment in reading and help to improve skills? How can we link reading with creativity, community, and interactivity? The results . Here are 15 motivational tips (with an emphasis on reading for boys): 1. Any reading is good reading.  Boys often re-read books that they have enjoyed. But don't just stick to fiction; there are great factual illustrated books, top tips for boys, motor car books, jokebooks, sports annuals, magazines and graphic novels. Don't just stick to the classic fiction that adults say they enjoyed reading in their childhood. 2. Lead by example  Children copy those around them. ...

Online publishing opportunity CFP for academic and non-academic writers Submitted by Sam Oneill on May 20, 2012 -  Visible Margin is a new section of #Alt-Academy which will feature high-quality critical writing in the form of peer-reviewed essays and blog posts, as well as creative writing and work in other media. In keeping with the theme of #Alt-Academy, we are especially interested in contributions from authors and scholars pursuing alternative, non-tenure track, and non-academic careers—individuals whose voices are heard less often within the academy. Complementing #Alt-Academy’s existing clusters, Visible Margin will focus on cultural and intellectual production, with the aim of increasing the visibility of this growing majority of knowledge workers and of democratizing knowledge within and outside the university.   We also welcome contributions from non-academic writers who share our goals. http://mediacommons.futureofthebook.org/alt-a...

This website is strongly recommended for collaborative writing projects: Writing Spaces Open Textbook Chapters Each of these titles is available under a Creative Commons license (consult the individual text for the license specifics). Click on the title to view the chapter abstract and a downloadable PDF of the chapter. Click on any of the keywords to see a listing of chapters tagged with that keyword. On the main information pages for each volume, you can also download full versions of   Volume 1 or Volume 2 . Title Author Series Edition Keywords A Student’s Guide to Collaborative Writing Technologies Barton, Matt and Karl Klint Vol. 2 collaboration ...

A Curious Opening Reverses Expectations Are you familiar with the terror of the blank page in the exam room? Or just unsure about your technique in starting an essay? In fact, there are many tried and tested openings that will get your writing off to a confident and winning start. Although there are infinite possible ways of leading into an essay, blog, or news article, there are some common opening gambits that writers rely on (like a game of chess). Before outlining the Seven Openings, here are some points to think about: Is your aim to engage the reader by being relevant, creative, and original? Are you trying to arouse curiosity or to meet expectations? Are you explaining what’s on offer (like a menu), or offering a taster session? In a promotional sense you want to encourage the reader to come through the door: to enter your mental world. Some readers are reluctant, suspicious people who need to be coaxed into your space. Remember that your aim is a happy rel...