Well, I had a great first day at SXSW–more on that later–but my attempt at sleep last night failed miserably. So, I’m working on just over four hours of sleep today. Great. Maybe I’ll have to try to catch a cat nap in the car later this afternoon… Otherwise I could find myself wiped out before day three begins.
Henry Jenkins MIT / Steven Johnson
Jenkins: Standardized methods of testing–usually based around encyclopedic knowledge of what’s in a text or book–doesn’t represent the way kids learn or work today. What’s more important is the ability to process information and share that with students and coworkers. 30 kids in a classroom have more knowledge than the teacher in front of the room–they need to be taught how to share their information.
Jenkins: Seeing new models where what people learn in online games, etc., usually take what they learn and apply it to more advanced subjects a short time later.
Jenkins: Obama campaign is a political representation of this: Instead of politicians saying “what can I do for you,” it’s “what can we do together.”
Jenkins: We’re not investing less in our social connections–we’re taking them with us wherever we go.
Jenkins and Johnson: Instead of parents watching and limiting screen time, parents should be interested in how much time kids spend either creating online or consuming online. And instead of constantly looking over their shoulders, parents should be watching their kids’ backs. Kids may not be ready for what situations they encounter, and parents should be ready and available to help out.
Q: What about Internet addiction: Jenkins: Addiction is a negative label — instead ask why are kids dropping their homework to play a video game all night. Ask what they’re learning? How are they engaged? China uses language of addiction to discourage young people’s access of the Internet and therefore trying to control information.
Q: Don’t smaller interactions result in more superficial relationships? Jenkins: That’s a social impact of the increased mobility since the 1950s, but the Internet is helping repair that damage, not exacerbate it.
Well, today has been a trainwreck. I’m not going to rant about fucking over my second accounting midterm this morning, but let’s just leave it at that I’m extremely disappointed in myself.
Extremely disappointed.
But, I’m in Austin, so it can’t be that bad, right? Well, let’s start with that “I’m,” which should really be a “we.” Thanks to Northwest Airlines, though, my coworkers are stuck in Minneapolis, and are set to pretty much miss the entire first day of the conference. (Note to Northwest: IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE SEATS, DON’T SELL THE FUCKING TICKETS.) This mishap will be affecting my schedule as well, probably preventing me from seeing the Worst Website Ever panel (where I expect we’ll see this thing get pitched), as well as the Flickr party.
I’m also kind of disappointed that my coworkers’ introductions to SXSW will be the Frog opening party. Not that there’s anything wrong with the party, of course, but it strikes me as kind of a harsh way to start the conference.
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The row in front of me on the flight down today had two parents with their nine-month-old. It made me wonder how my baby was doing.
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Well, on top of everything else, it looks like my site is down. (Fucking Dreamhost.) I guess I’ll be posting this tomorrow, then.
I have a tight schedule tomorrow. My second Accounting midterm is at 11:00, and it’s estimated to take about two hours.
My flight for Austin? 2:15. I’ll be cutting it a bit tight.
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And with that, back to studying.
I seem to have picked up whatever Mathias had. Great timing all around.
I have Modest Mouse in my head tonight, and it’s making it difficult for me to study.
Kind of a rough couple days. Lisa’s feeling better, but Mathias has come down with a cold. All things considered, he’s handling it pretty well, but he’s making his dad paranoid. The occasional hacking from his room is actually kind of comforting in a way. It’s a signal that his little body is working through whatever he’s dealing with… And that he’s still breathing.
Note to any prospective parents out there: This is the kind of stuff you’ll end up worrying about. You may even be able to tell that you’re overreacting, but you’ll still do it.
Stories like this in the paper don’t help. Of course, that’s not even remotely comparable to what we have in the Danielson household–Mathias has gotten his shots, has health care and, more than anything else, has a cold, not the flu–but it’s still a bad thing for a parent to read just as his or her son is coming down with something.
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Back to studying.
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