Le Grand Content

Great stuff, and here’s a better explanation than I can give.

Le Grand Content examines the omnipresent Powerpoint-culture in search for its philosophical potential. Intersections and diagrams are assembled to form a grand ‘association-chain-massacre’. which challenges itself to answer all questions of the universe and some more. Of course, it totally fails this assignment, but in its failure it still manages to produce some magical nuance and shades between the great topics death, cable tv, emotions and hamsters.

Emerging Technologies Presentation

I offered a short presentation focused on emerging technologies and digital literacies last Friday (Feb 2/07) to faculty members and library staff at the University of Regina. I think it went well.

When I began preparing for the presentation, my first instinct was to use a presentation tool (Apple Keynote). I got about 3 slides in when I realized that my brain no longer operates that way. I opted for the wiki-presentation method and here’s an outline of what I came up with.

http://couros.wikispaces.com/emerging+technologies

I borrowed from another similar presentation facilitated by Rob Wall and Donna DesRoches. I thought for a bit about just going in and editing their wiki for my presentation. I’m sure they wouldn’t have minded, but I guess I just felt my digital immigrant accent cut in when I thought 1) I shouldn’t mess with their stuff, and 2) about the need for some control over my own work.

Wow, no wonder it’s hard to convince others of trying to let go of “old ways”.

The Machine Is Us/ing Us

The following is a beautifully crafted video from Michael Wesch, an Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University. The video does well to explain some of the social consequences of Web 2.0, and the medium’s effect on culture.

Beyond the information it gives us, I love the way this video is put together. It’s a style uniquely befitting the digital context it describes.