Clay Shirky: How cognitive surplus will change the world

Clay Shirky‘s TED talk deserves 13 minutes of your time.

Lessons from fashion’s free culture

Johanna Blakley‘s talk is an interesting rumination on the nature of ‘copyright’ in the fashion world.

When I grow up I’d like…

to have a job like Brian Skerry’s…

Bring on the Learning Revolution

Sir Ken Robinson’s books and talks, quite simply, inspire!

His sense of humour and rejection of neo-factory models of education are a beacon of light for those who wish to reform the educational hand children are dealt. His passion for moving towards a ‘personalised curriculum’ is the most important educational idea of our, or any other, time.

These brief and quotable quotes, Why Teaching is Not Like Making Motorcars, give the uninitiated an idea where Sir Ken is coming from and I am sure, if you have not watched his 2006 TED video, you will soon be a convert to his ideas. You may have seen Sir Ken on the 7.30 Report last year.

His latest TED Talk, ‘Bring on the Learning Revolution’ is, as usual, amusing. I particularly enjoyed Sir Ken’s anecdote about ‘the single function device’ and his quote from Lincoln:

“The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present. The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew. We must disenthrall ourselves, and then we shall save our country.”

‘Disenthrall’. I like that. Listen for his ideas on disenthralling ourselves from ‘linearity’.

Here’s the talk:

 

Sir Ken’s website.

BTW I broke my wristwatch playing handball in Year 8 and haven’t had once since…

Adora Svitak: What adults can learn from kids

A 12 year old with some formidable public speaking skills, indeed!

What have you learnt from ‘a kid’ recently?

Lawrence Lessig on ‘Openess’: TED Talk

James Cameron – ‘Your imagination creates a reality’

James Cameron’s TED talk.

 

Jonathan Zittrain: the web as random acts of kindness

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Jonathan Zittrain‘s TED talk from July 2009.

Connected Pt 2

This 3 minute talk by Renny Gleeson gets to the heart of the matter.

‘Shared narratives’ are powerful and being hyperconnected can allow this to happen across, and despite, physical spaces.

However, there is a potential cost and I’m sure we are guilty as charged by Renny.

I remember my years, in the mid-90s, travelling through India, Nepal, Europe and the UK more than just fondly. In many ways these experiences are central to my inner life and identity.

They are also largely unrecorded.

My friends and parents received postcards and a few long letters (some of which have now come my way again). However, I did not blog as the internet was barely conceived and more to the point I had a philosophy, often passionately explained, about ‘living’ in the moment, not merely ‘recording’ it.

I took no camera and have a handful of shots of this period of my life.

I wish I’d done less ‘living’ and more ‘recording’.

more about “Connected Pt 2“, posted with vodpod

 

Do all languages have a common ancestor?

Murray Gell-Mann gives an overview about his passion for finding the common ancestry of our modern languages.

more about “Do all languages have a common ancestor?“, posted with vodpod