Synthesis?

I usually like to take some time at the end of a course and attempt some synthesis for my own purposes - to aid retention, and so that I have a hope of answering the "So, what was that thing you were working on for 3 months about, anyway?" kind of questions.

As I re-read this blog (well ok, skimmed some parts - c'mon, it's huge) I realized that synthesis would be a formidable task. I've taken a whack via Prezi, because it lends itself really well to mind-mapping and grouping seemingly random things. Because there was so much great material, I've drawn extensively from the words of my classmates in the blog. Hope this is ok with everyone. File is "Private" right now - not sure if everyone would be ok with going public on it given that I'm direct quoting. Thoughts on this are welcome. I've given attribution by blog user name only - so in any event, there's no additional info beyond what can already be viewed in the blog.
http://prezi.com/bo-rjp22zziw/new-media-narratives-synthesis/?auth_key=4c8779ecca157abe33a83daf6da9888dc074a19c

The Prezi is editable for one week by up to 10 editors via this link (not sure if I have the option of extending that time frame or not):

http://prezi.com/bo-rjp22zziw/edit/?auth_key=wkp8sku&follow=nmg51jaifb0u

I hope that if you have time you'll add/edit/remix - I know that what I've started isn't comprehensive, and would appreciate contribution!

Thanks, everyone, for some great discussion. It has made my understanding so much deeper. And thanks, Jess, for a really enjoyable and valuable course. I hope that for future cohorts this becomes a core MACT course.

Week 13: Review and Conclusions

Week 13: Review and Conclusions

Narratives can be published in various online ways: 

• Voicethreads
• Skype
• Blogs
• Wikis
• Social Bookmarks/Folksonomy
• Diigo
• Evernote
• Flickr
• Netvibes
• Twitter
• E-mail
• Google Pages
• Facebook

Anyone Can Publish

A timely example of how even the youngest learners can demonstrate transliteracy (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/3-little-pigs/id357980333?mt=8). Henry Dewey created his own illustrations to interpret “The Three Little Pigs” and then with the assistance of his father, created an iPhone app for people to read his version of the story, which includes Henry’s narration of the tale.

Henry Dewey is a typical 8-year-old. He loves to build with Legos and annoy his little sister, hoping to someday own a reptile to terrorize her with.

The first-grader at Trinity Episcopal School in Rollingwood is also doing some nontraditional things: Henry just released his first iPhone application, an e-book version of the folk tale “The Three Little Pigs.”

Using pen and ink, Henry spent the entire fall semester creating the illustrations for his book during an after-school art program at Trinity.

“I like being creative, making bobbleheads on paper,” Henry said.

Early in the process, he decided he wanted to transform his project into an iPhone application to provide more options on the gadget for children.

He told his father, Mark Dewey — himself an iPhone application developer — about his idea. When Henry finished the illustrations, the drawings were converted into a digital format. Then his dad helped turn the project into the application, rewriting the story and having Henry narrate it.

“At a young age to know you can be a creator, in the mainstream of American culture, that can be powerful,” said Mark Dewey, whose digital media company, Geoki, published the app. “We hope that carries on through his growing and his life.”

The New Open Source Economics - Assignment 2, Text 2

In the TED Talk The New Open Source Economics, Yochai Benkler, Berkman Professor of Entrepreneurial Legal Studies at Harvard, contrasts earlier economic models with the economic model emerging in this era of collaborative production. In previous eras, the capital required to produce goods created a division between producers and consumers. Benkler argues that this model is outdated in today's information society, in which most members of society possess the basic capital needed to be a producer: a connected computer. He offers examples of amateurs who analyze NASA images, open source programmers, and Wikipedia editors, all of whom contribute their time and skills for a variety of rewards - all of which are non-monetary. Benkler argues that this kind of collaborative production - which involves decentralized networks and non-monetary reward - occupies a new economic niche.

Benkler points out that this is the first time in history that work for non-monetary reward is having a major economic impact, as seen in the recording, software, and communication industries. He raises the concern that this new model is threatening to corporations which rely on existing economic models, and that those threatened will seek means to restrict the tools of collaborative production. Benkler's prediction can be seen borne out to some degree in the efforts to pass the SOPA and PIPA bills in the US. Participatory media sites Wikipedia and Reddit were among those who played a pivotal role in having the bills halted in Congress (Mail Online, 2012). This suggests to me that the new economic model Benkler describes has reached critical mass: participatory media are now so valued that society recognizes the need to protect the tools of collaborative production.

Delicious stack for the three texts I've chosen.

References

Benkler, Y. (2008). Yochai Benkler: The New Open Source Economics.

[Video file]. Retrieved from: http://www.ted.com/talks/yochai_benkler_on_the_new_open_source_economics.html

Mail Online. (2012). Wikipedia protest hits home: U.S. senators withdraw support for anti-piracy bills as 4.5 million sign petition. Mail Online. Retrieved from:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2087673/Wikipedia-blackout-SOPA-protest-US-senators-withdraw-support-anti-piracy-bills.html