The TWAIN blog

I think the generic post for “what are you reading?” is too broad a category for our field. Especially during summer when any Jackie Collins book could be added to the shelf as fast as the newest US Weekly for some.

I want to ask the question differently. What books are considered part of the “Web 2.0 Educational Technology Must Read” list? Which ones are the books that lead us toward more informed arguments?

After books, which blogs? which magazines? which podcasts?

What are our “must-reads”? “must-listens”? “must-bloggers”?

What are yours? And yes, this is completely subjective. Lay your cards out on the table. Who are your influencers when it comes to education and educational technology integrating 21st century skills?

Who are our “ceWEBreties” of today?

I find this concept to be very interesting, especially for our current students and the realm of future job presence. In the edu-bloggersphere, there is talk of Daniel Pink’s book A Whole New Mind and his discussion of jobs non-existent now being ready for the next generation.

I guess since my background has been working with students in design programs and working with web and server design, I see how this idea of Conjunctured or Co-working is so beneficial to the design community. Many of these designers work from home or the local coffee shop without getting the interaction of others in an office. And they genuinely miss that interaction. They can do the watercooler discussions online but they can’t participate in instant feedback communication or sharing of ideas that an office brings.

Co-Working and Jelly in Austin are what I believe we as educators should be looking into for how future jobs can be developed. The concept is explained better in the video and I have posted about it before (I may have deleted it). But the concept is to gather a group of independent workers in an office space where they can still work on their independent projects; but they can co-work on each other’s ideas. Sharing. Networking. Collaboration. Creation.

But without a boss. Without the pressure of administrators. Without the hierarchy.

Equality.

Click here to view Co-Working Video from Austin American Statesman reporter Omar Gallaga

Just bought these tonight to read:

Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky

First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham

Now Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham

Also bought two CDs on sale (haven’t bought CDs in a year and thought I would never again) in the bargain area for adding to my iPod for working out: Paul Oakenfold and the Chemical Brothers. Electronica Trance music for the uninitiated. Mellows me out.

Interesting link I just found as well. http://isbn.nu/ - Do a price comparison of books in categories of hardcover, paperback, and multimedia.

I received this post from Slashdot this morning about a new bill making its way through the senate for HR 4279. The foundation of this bill is for the protection of intellectual property. The interesting thing about this bill is it helps the government establish a new division within the Attorney General’s office for Intellectual Property Enforcement.

An interesting advancement of this new division will be their ability to seize computers and/or other devices (phones, PSPs, etc.) that may contain as little as 1 file that has intellectual property rights of someone else.

Yes, we are in a financial, energy, and national energy crisis. Yes, we are still at war. But are we watching the bills being passed around our government that give them rights to seize our hardware with minimal cause? I am all for protecting intellectual property rights but I also know that removing the hardware tools of the people (and for the people) will have a ripple effect beyond just protecting creative rights. How does this work in such an open source environment when creative rights are not well established already?

I sigh an agreement with a comment posted by someone on Slashdot’s site: “Now we know what the next war will be about…”