Brains, Minds and Teaching. I wish I had the full text version of this item and not just the slide show, because I'm not sure I agree with it in its details. But there is a lot to chew on in this HTML version of a PowerPoint presentation connecting current brain function research and teaching methodology. The best bit is the discussion of semantic versus episodic memory near the middle of the document. My main thought, though, is that what we are seeing here is very much a simplification of what actually happens. We may be able to represent semantic memory using concept maps for the purposes of an entry-level introduction, but readers should not think that we actually have concept maps in the brain. By Massimo Pigliucci, Unknown [Refer][Research][Reflect] [OLDaily]

Good overview material.

6:16:23 PM •  • comment  

Enterprise Effectiveness. Combat Power and Enterprise Effectiveness Quote: "Companies such as GE that do have it (distributed information for shared awareness) are... [elearnspace blog]

Interesting thinking about what lessons are to be learned from the military about sharing information in real-time or near real-time:

Shared information inside a corporation and with its allies and customers provides greater information richness and reach, and produces shared awareness. Shared awareness in turn enables faster operational tempo and sustainable competitive advantage. This all spells increased competitiveness

An interesting transition from "need to know" to "shared awareness" Hierarchical organizations spend inordinate time and effort trying to work out precise boundaries on who needs to know what and when. Ostensibly about minimizing demands on people throughout the organization, it's really about the exercise of power and control.

If, on the other hand, your focus is on the external mission, i.e. getting the job done for customers, the issue shifts to how best to let everyone have access to and know what is going on that might be relevant. In part this has to be founded on a deeper sense of trust in all the members of the organization. Trust both in their judgment to make good and appropriate use of information and knowledge and, more importantly, in their capacity to manage the torrent of bits on their own. No need to be paternalistic about it.

5:58:46 PM •  • comment  

RoadWired bags kick azz. If we're gonna talk about laptop bags, I need to mention RoadWired, who make my favorite bags, cable-organizers, PDA cases, bum-bags and other roadwarrier accessories. I've never once broken a RoadWired bag, and I break EVERYTHING. I don't think I've done a single trip in the past three years without a RoadWired gizmo: bags, pouches, cables, cable-organizers, etc. Link Discuss [Boing Boing Blog]

As if I needed another source of distraction.

5:50:09 PM •  • comment  

Open Spectrum FAQ, 2. Getting good reaction to the FAQ on Open Spectrum I wrote with content from Dewayne Hendricks, David Reed and Jock Gill. So far, it's been blogged by Cory Doctorow, Dan Gillmor, Eric Norlin, and Dave Winer. And I haven't checked this morning's blogiverse yet. Open Spectrum is important and not on enough radar screens yet. Spread the meme!... [Joho the Blog]

Dave's done a fabulous job here summarizing the thinking about Open Spectrum. I had spent some time with David Reed trying to get a handle on it. Definitely something that should be on your radar screen. One key excerpts for me:

Interference is a metaphor. It cannot be precisely defined technically without fully specifying a particular technology frozen in time, and in any case has nothing to do with the legal definition given by the FCC.

Like so much else in the collision between policy and technology we run into problems because policy-making has such a poor grasp on technology (I'm sure the converse is also true, I'm just not qualified to talk about that direction). One particular failing in policy setting is the issue of the dynamics of technology. Outside of the U.S. Constitution, policy setting seems to be particularly prone to trying to freeze designs too soon.  Let's hope that the work of folks like Dave and Ed Felten helps increase the level of technological literacy to a more acceptable level.

12:44:34 PM •  • comment  

Boxes and Arrows Favorite books.

I adore book lists, especially ones that are more like annotated bibliographies. The web design journal Boxes and Arrows published a wonderfully eclectic list of their favorite books for 2002.

[Paul Holbrook's Radio Weblog]

An excellent set of suggested readings

10:31:40 AM •  • comment