Going to need this.

Small Pieces Loosely Joined for kids.

David Weinberger is one of the most cogent and original thinkers about the meaning of the Net and the impact it has, and can have, on our lives and our society. As one of the authors of The Cluetrain Manifesto, he helped define the impact of the web on how we conduct our business - personal and professional.

In his follow up solo offering, Small Pieces Loosely Joined, he attempts to present a unified theory of the web. It's a terrific read and a book I have recommended to many friends and co-workers.

Today, while reading through my blog list, John Porcaro pointed out that there is a kid's edition of Small Pieces. Weinberger originally created this version for his son (11) and it's a wonderful explanation of the dynamics, the wonder, and the potential dangers of the web.

If there's a child in your life in the 11-13 year old range (like my son Jason who's 12), please show them this wonderful work. It can be read online or downloaded in MS Word format for printing. It will change the way they look at the Net and help them to appreciate the potential it has to change our world.

[Marc's Outlook on Productivity]

10:10:19 PM •  • comment  

Nice overview of Etienne Wenger's work on Communities of Practice.

Since I presented on Communities of Practice the other day, this article about Etienne Wenger's work obviously hit the spot too.  Creating online communities shouldn't just happen...it should be a strategic imperative and a planned process.
[Serious Instructional Technology]

9:50:46 PM •  • comment  

This is the sort of unanticipated problem with reading blogs creates. I have too much interesting reading in the queue as it is. Brad may have gotten some free time, but he's going to cost me some of mine.

Notes: More Free Time Tomorrow.

Raj Arunachalam has cancelled his appointment with me tomorrow: he's flying to George Mason to interview James Buchanan and Gordon Tullock.

I have owned seven copies of Buchanan and Tullock's (1962) The Calculus of Consent: Logical Foundations of Constitutional Democracy in my life. I keep loaning my copy out to graduate students: "You haven't read this? You must read this!" They keep liking it so much they don't return it. So I go and buy another one.

[Brad DeLong's Semi-Daily Journal (2004)]

9:46:05 PM •  • comment  

This is a nice process for running AARs together with a case study of AARs in action. AARs are a simple and powerful technique for discovering and communicating lessons learned.  They work especially well in project-based environments. If they aren't already in your bag of tricks, they should be

After Action Review Toolkit. Allison Hewlitt has posted a draft After Action Review Toolkit, which provides a practical step-by-step process for running these reviews. To quote: The AAR is a simple process used by a team to capture the lessons learned from past successes... [Column Two]

9:25:03 PM •  • comment