"There are plenty of good reasons to incorporate information technology into teaching and learning, but the fear of being left behind or left out or rejected by demanding techno-proficient applicants is not among them." In his essay "Critical Thinking for the Google Generation" (Ubiquity, vol. 7, issue 21, May 30, 2006 - June 19, 2006), John Stuckey reminds educators that they "need to consider innovative, creative ways to integrate technology into teaching and learning, but as a means, not an end." It is easy to get swept up in the promises and hype of the headlines, but "good education is still hard work and not usually glamorous." His essay is available at http://www.acm.org/ubiquity/views/v7i21_stuckey.html.

Ubiquity [ISSN 1530-2180] is a free, Web-based publication of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), "dedicated to fostering critical analysis and in-depth commentary on issues relating to the nature, constitution, structure, science, engineering, technology, practices, and paradigms of the IT profession." For more information, contact: Ubiquity, email: ubiquity@acm.org; Web: http://www.acm.org/ubiquity/.

For more information on the ACM, contact: ACM, One Astor Plaza, 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036, USA; tel: 800-342-6626 or 212-626-0500; Web:http://www.acm.org/.

THE INTERNET PAST AND FUTURE

In "Lessons for the Future Internet: Learning from the Past" (EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 41, no. 4, July/August 2006, pp. 16�25), Michael M. Roberts provides an overview of the Internet's development from 1980 to the present with a focus on academe's involvement in its progress. He also points out areas where more work is needed: basic research, advanced network facilities, universal affordable broadband, middleware, and the preservation of the Internet commons. The article is available at http://www.educause.edu/apps/er/erm06/erm0640.asp.

EDUCAUSE Review [ISSN 1527-6619], a bimonthly print magazine that explores developments in information technology and education, is published by EDUCAUSE (http://www.educause.edu/). Articles from current and back issues of EDUCAUSE Review are available on the Web at http://www.educause.edu/pub/er/.

PAPERS ON BLOGGING IN HIGHER ED

The mission of the HigherEd BlogCon 2006 online conference was to "engage the Higher Education community in a conversation on the use of blogs, wikis, RSS, audio and video podcasts, social networks, and other digital tools in a range of areas in academe." During April 2006, BlogCon participants posted "articles, screencasts, videos, and mp3's on new media in academia." Presentations from this conference include:

"How the Integrated Use of Blogs and Blackboard Can Improve a University Public Relations Class: A Case Study"
by Ric Jensen, Northwestern State University, and an Infobits subscriber
http://www.higheredblogcon.com/teaching/jensen/Jensen-March-06.html

"Nomadic Desktops: What? How? Why?"
by Owen James
International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
http://www.higheredblogcon.com/index.php/nomadic-desktops-what-how-why/

"Teaching Information Literacy: Who's Teaching the Teachers?"
by Ewan McIntosh
University of Stirling, Scotland
http://www.higheredblogcon.com/index.php/teaching-information-literacy-whos-teaching-the-teachers/

"Giving the Students What They Want: Short, To-the-Point E-Lectures"
by Mark E. Ott
Jackson Community College
http://www.higheredblogcon.com/index.php/giving-the-students-what-they-want-short-to-the-point-e-lectures/

All the presentations are available online at http://www.higheredblogcon.com/.

A NETWORKED APPROACH TO THE BOOK

Since May 2006, McKenzie Wark, a professor of media and cultural studies at New School University, has been participating in an experiment with the Institute for the Future of the Book "to see what happens when authors and readers are brought into conversation over an evolving text." Inspired by the Wikipedia encyclopedia which allows readers to add to and correct its entries, Wark lets readers comment on his latest book, GAM3R 7H30RY, as he is writing and revising it. When the book is "finished," it will be conventionally published. You can track the book's progress and read/post comments on the book at http://www.futureofthebook.org/gamertheory/.

The Institute for the Future of the Book is a project of the Annenberg Center for Communication at the University of Southern California. The mission of the Institute is to "understand and influence" the shift of the "locus of intellectual discourse . . . from printed page to networked screen." For more information, contact: Bob Stein, Director, Institute for the Future of the Book; tel: 213-743-2520; email: bstein@annenberg.edu; Web: http://www.annenberg.edu/futureofthebook/.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) has released "Our Cultural Commonwealth," the final draft report of the ACLS's Commission on Cyberinfrastructure for Humanities and Social Sciences. The Commission was charged with describing the current state of the cyberinfrastructure; presenting the "potential contributions of the humanities and social sciences to developing a cyberinfrastructure for information, teaching, and research"; and making recommendations on how private and public institutions can make these contributions.

In a series of public meetings, the Commission heard from humanities scholars, social scientists, librarians, museum directors, government and private agencies, and entrepreneurs on what future advances and extensions of the information technology infrastructure they needed. Some of the recommendations of the Commission include:

-- Develop public and institutional policies that foster openness and access.

-- Cultivate leadership in support of cyberinfrastructure from within the humanities and social sciences.

-- Establish national centers to support scholarship that contributes to and exploits cyberinfrastructure.

-- Create extensive and reusable digital collections.

The complete report is available online at http://www.acls.org/cyberinfrastructure/acls.ci.report.pdf.

The American Council of Learned Societies is a "private non-profit federation of sixty-eight national scholarly organizations. The mission of the ACLS, as set forth in its Constitution, is 'the advancement of humanistic studies in all fields of learning in the humanities and the social sciences and the maintenance and strengthening of relations among the national societies devoted to such studies.'" For more information, contact American Council of Learned Societies, 633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017-6795 USA; tel: 212-697-1505; fax: 212-949-8058; Web: http://www.acls.org/.

Information Technology Services at UNC-Chapel Hill

Teaching and Learning

TL Infobits - July, 2006

GOOD EDUCATION IS STILL HARD WORK

THE INTERNET PAST AND FUTURE

PAPERS ON BLOGGING IN HIGHER ED

A NETWORKED APPROACH TO THE BOOK

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES CYBERINFRASTRUCTURE

RECOMMENDED READING

Resources

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