Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

On Google Docs

Last night I used Google Docs for the first time.

Here are my first impressions.

Google Docs is an on line word processor, designed to facilitate collaborative work. In some respects it is similar to a wiki, but with many additional features.

The workspace is simple and clear, if you can word process you can use this, existing documents can be imported or you can start from scratch. The working or completed documents are stored by Google ( I know there are issues here), so accessing and working on documents is made possible anywhere with Internet access, at home, at the office, in the library in the cyber cafe.

What makes this application special, is the ability to collaborate, to work with others on the same document, at the same time or at a different time. Documents are shared via an email link in which collaborators can be offered viewing or revising rights. A revision history (cf wiki) is kept, allowing users to reference, compare or revert to earlier versions.

There is no doubt that this has enormous potential as a tool in educational settings. Imagine two users working on the same document; in the same room on two separate laptops, the revision history facility makes it possible for tutors to see who contributed what to group assessment activities, a class of students pupils can all access the same document, etc.etc.

A brief glance at the privacy settings suggests that work should be safe from prying eyes, the facility to publish documents to the web is provided offering viewing or editing rights according to the original author's wishes. A facility is also offered allowing posting directly to a blog (used for this post).

This is a special application, no wonder Microsoft and Adobe are rushing to release similar offerings.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

What if?

Cory Doctorow of Boing Boing fame has written a wonderful story for RADAR simply titled Scroogled.
"Google controls your e-mail, your videos, your calendar, your searches ...... What if it controlled your life?"
It's an excellent read.


Later I came across this and laughed, and began to wonder.
What gender is Google?

Read the proofs, read the commandments and pray!

Monday, June 04, 2007

On Publishing, Politicians and the Simple Life.

The Guardian Weekend magazine carried a fascinating article by Martin Amis.
Amis followed Tony Blair on his world wide farewell tour, recording his observations as he went. Whether you are for or against Blair, Amis' writing offers a revealing insight into the mysterious world inhabited by our politicians.

One paragraph in particular attracted my attention. While the Prime Minister visited Washington, some of his staff talked with some of the President's staff about foreign travel.

"When Blair goes somewhere, he relies on a staff of 30 (and five bodyguards). When Bush goes somewhere, he relies on a staff of 800 (and 100 bodyguards); if he visits two countries on the same trip, the figure is 1,600; three countries, and the figure is 2,400. At the other end, Blair will settle for whatever transport is made available. Using freight aircraft, Bush takes along his own limousine, his own back-up limousine, his own refuelling trucks and his own helicopters. "Mm," murmured a chastened Brit. "You make our lives seem very simple." This was, shall we say, the diplomatic way of putting it."

How many Americans does it take to change a light bulb?

I read the article in the paper based version of the Guardian.
What would Saturday be without a newspaper?

The article is also available online, together with videos and photographs. The additional multimedia materials provide a powerful supplement to the original article.
The footage of Blair flying into Baghdad is particularly telling.

Once upon a time, colour supplements used to complement newspaper reading.
Now the Internet is complementing the supplements.
Publishing in the 21st century has truly changed.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007

On the Playing of Violins

The wonder that is the world wide web makes it easy for us to access information from around the world. From time to time I glance at the front page of the Washington Post. It makes for great reading.

On April 8th I came across "Pearls before Breakfast" a piece of sustained writing by Gene Weingarten describing what happened in January of this year when the internationally renowned violinist Joshua Bell disguised himself as a busker and played on his Stradivarius to early morning commuters in Washington DC.

Would they stop and listen or would they walk on by?

Its a wonderful article and well worth reading.

On April 20th I came across 'Is that...? No it can't be her' an article in the Independent Arts and Books Review by Jessica Duchen. This is another piece of sustained writing describing what happened when a classical music superstar in this case Tasmin Little, goes busking with her Stradivarius.
Read them both, compare and contrast.

I prefer the Washington post article. But I have a question. Joshua Bell busked in January, when did Tasmin Little play? The Independent refers to the Post with the words "In a similar experiment......"
Which experiment came first? Does it matter?
I think it does.

The Washington Post on line edition is far more than a mirror of the paper edition. The written words of the article are supported by video and audio clips of the event. Multimedia reporting. The videos are described by the supporting text but the text is enhanced by the videos. Registered readers can leave comments. This is a truly excellent piece of work.

The Independent on line version of their article is just a mirror of their paper edition, I wish I could hear Tasmin playing, I wish I could see the children wanting to listen. I believe that the Washington Post has grasped the opportunities provided by the internet, the Independent hasn't.

I wonder how many readers of the Independent read the Washington Post?

P.S. Having read both articles I'm not surprised that commuters didn't have time to stop and listen. I'd love to see what happened if the musicians had been performing in a park.

Update.
As Jessica points out in her comment below, "Tasmin busked a week ago yesterday."
This comment has led me to her blog where she explains that her boss asked for a "London edition of the original Washington Post / Joshua Bell experience". Perhaps the article should have made this clear.
Now we know who reads the Post!

I wish I'd found her blog as I read the article, they compliment one another.
It's a shame the Independent doesn't point to it.


Monday, February 05, 2007

On the Using of Parachutes!

Here is a truly masterful piece of academic writing that for some reason I came across earlier today.
From the title, right through to the conclusions there is much for us to learn here.
It doesn't matter which academic discipline you follow, read this paper from the
BMJ.

Although the article at first glance appears flippant there is a serious message here about the use of evidence based research.

As I read the paper my eye was drawn to an entry in the side bar of the
BMJ site, offering a view of the citation map. I've not seen one of these before. Its a neat idea.

This little video (from glumbert) might help you appreciate the difficulties faced by researchers in the field of parachute development and the relative uselessness of
gps.

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

Anything but what I should be doing

I wanted to write about this last night but.......

Rebecca has shown us the work of Piers Steel and his formula for calculating our procrastination response.

More than that she points us towards Procrastination Central where one can spend several happy hours discovering all there is to know about procrastination!

Do the test! Explore the links! You know it makes sense.

I've not done the test because I was re reading Paul Graham's magnificent essay on Good and Bad Procrastination.
Read it ..... learn how to do it well.

To be serious for a moment, Rebecca's Pocket is one of the great blogs. Rebecca has been blogging since 1999 and should be on every one's favourites list. Her book is a classic and can be found in the library at Treforest.

Rebecca's blog posts use very few words, but are eloquent.
When will we learn?

Blessed Fools

In my time as a teacher I encountered and worked with several mildly autistic children and many who now would be categorised as being "somewhere on the autistic spectrum". I also worked with teachers who found it difficult to work with those children who were "different" and a nuisance in the classroom.

I have no doubt that there are students in college who could be placed on this "spectrum" who may present certain challenges to their lecturers, tutors and peers. Many children will have passed through our education system without having their needs specifically diagnosed. Indeed many of us will know someone who is different. We may even suspect that we ourselves are different and do not see the world as others do.

Professor Simon Baron-Cohen's work at Oxford is important and needs to be promoted. I wonder if similar materials will become available for adults.

William Allen has written an excellent article for Slate; The Autism Numbers, Why there's no epidemic. He points to a new book by Richard Grinker, to be released in this country in February. I've not read it so I can't comment upon it but I will be adding it to my wish list.

My attention was drawn to the phrases used in other cultures and times to describe autistic children; "green children, blessed fools, eternal children, marvelous children" are all so much more inclusive and wonderfully descriptive of these children and their needs than the medically precise labels provided by modern society.

Monday, January 15, 2007

Critical Friends or the Comfort of Strangers

I came across The Huge Entity this evening and have been intrigued by a recent post.

Huge Entity is the blog of a student in Roehampton studying for a MA in Creative and Professional writing. Here Danieru practises his craft. Blogs are well suited to students of creative writing and Danieru's deserves reading.

His course requires submission of a non fiction article which will be assessed.
Danieru has written his article entitled "Myth, its Evolution and the Problem of Perspective" and has posted it,
"in the hope that someone might read through it and give some honest, no-holds-barred, criticism."
He suggests that
"it's hard reading back through a work objectively when you've spent so long slaving away over it."

For what its worth I enjoyed his article and found it informative, interesting and well written. Had I come across it in a magazine it would have attracted and held my attention. Danieru offers us ideas to consider, a logical argument and a great deal of common sense. Well done. I'm not competent to offer critical advice but I do applaud his enterprise in seeking criticism in the public eye. In his introduction to the work Danieru asks "Does the essay draw you in?" The answer irrefutably is yes.

Huge Entity is an established, well read blog, he has an involved audience, some of whom were happy to take the time to criticise his work. I have no doubt that his writing is the better for the criticism. No trolling here, no sarcasm, no foolish comments; just careful scholarship.

We must also remember Danieru's readers, those travellers through cyberspace who took the time not only to read his work but became involved by leaving constructive comments. That's where the real power of blogging lies, in an involved community of participation.

I shall be looking for more of Danieru's work. Good luck with the Masters.