I'm a Board member for this awesome social enterprise and count Wiclif as a personal friend. Very honored to be a part of this video (narration) and the growth of the organization we hope it effects.

I’ve had many parents say, “yeah, but I want them to be able to write and not be dependent on the technology.” The parents are viewing writing as physically printing words. Is that what writing is? Is that my students’ perception of writing? It certainly isn’t my view. I see writing as a way of communicating a message. I see text as anything that conveys a message. It could be sound, moving images, photographs, slogans, stories, poems, recounts, titles under artwork, posters, ads, cards, reports, graphics, music, songs and so on. I use my biweekly newsletters to help build my parents’ understanding of what we are ‘writing’ each week.  So is writing merely putting pencil to paper? I think not.

Wonderfully articulated. Technology is not a new intelligence; it is a tool for deeply fundamental intelligence.

And it can be used for well or for ill.

So cool.

Blackboard's market share has fallen substantially in recent years: "71 percent to 50.6 percent in the last five years." And sensing blood in the water perhaps (yes, another biology metaphor), a whole new pack of LMS startups -- many of which claim to be non-LMS LMSes -- have jumped into the game, building new software solutions that look and function more or less like Blackboard

I don't often post on education, but when I do, I post Hack Education.

Great blog.

The insight here is noteworthy: The established gorillas are dropping almost as quickly as the old curmudgeon of the handset world, RIM. They aren't truly social, they don't have great user experience, and they aren't poised to move quickly into mobile. Meanwhile, the startup scene is exploding with educational goodness that looks less like stuffy edu-software and more like purpose-driven social networking initiatives.

It's a beautiful thing to behold, really.

Microsoft has overhauled its gestures in Windows 8 Consumer Preview. A lot of work has been focused on ensuring the relevant mouse and keyboard equivalent of touch gestures work better than the company’s Developer Preview build. There are seven key gestures in the new OS:

If I appreciate anything about iOS and especially iPad, it's that Apple has introduced gestures slowly to the consumer consciousness. When the iPad first came out, there were no fancy three-fingered or four-fingered gestures as there are now. First things first: realize that consumers have been used to point-and-click interaction, and therefore ease them in slowly to gesture-based interfaces by keeping the gestures they need to know minimal.

Microsoft is taking a huge risk in introducing "seven (7) key gestures in the new OS." That's seven more than the previous version of Windows, which has precisely zero.

There's something to say about thinking long term and developing a path to get from Point A to Point Z without trying to shortcut things.

Supersweet update to an app that was born through our company's innovation program.

This wasn't the only incident to taint America's biggest shopping day.

Correction: Black Friday _itself_ is the taint. The only thing you can have on Black Friday are taint-within-a-taint incidents.

In a series of straight-talking conversations with accomplished social entrepreneurs, iOnPoverty viewers will gain information they need to get and keep social justice jobs. Think nitty-gritty content that is instantly useful, shockingly honest and enduringly inspiring.

I. Will. Be. Watching!

I love this site. It was just born but I'm finding it expands my thinking first by the way in which my brain takes in the artist's/thinker's visualization of thoughts, and second by the thoughts themselves.

I love the name of the site. Had never heard about vibriofischeri, but now that I know its connection to bioluminescence, it's a beautiful metaphor for the dissemination/multiplication of ideas. Vibriofischeri = Infographical ideation. Also like "Energyvortext."

Hint: Best viewed on handheld device in rotation lock so you can go round and round with them image :)

When an incoming call arrives, you can now quickly respond by text message, without needing to pick up the call or unlock the device. On the incoming call screen, you simply slide a control to see a list of text responses and then tap to send and end the call. You can add your own responses and manage the list from the Settings app.

Ice Cream Sandwich is an impressive update. Improved shutter speed and multi-snaps in the camera. Killer live-transcription. Simplified core apps. Even screenshots.

Unfortunately, it's not the iOS experience yet. Android dug itself into a big usability hole by making decisions like having four hardware buttons and leaving it unclear the context in which to use them. Ice Cream Sandwich is getting Android out of the hole (now only two hardware buttons + home button), but it'll take yet another version (or more) to achieve true simplicity.

Early on, the group opted to use Windows for Courier's operating system. But it wasn't a version of Windows that any consumer would recognize. The Courier team tweaked the operating system to make sure it could perform at high levels with touch- and pen-based computing. What's more, the graphical shell of Windows--the interface that computer users associate with the operating system--was entirely removed. So while it was Windows under the hood, the home screens bore zero resemblance to the familiar PC desktop.

Sounds like Microsoft was too afraid to do what Apple did 4 years ago: Reimagine their operating system, keeping the success of the core intact but leaving all else to the wind.

Don't hold on to sacred cows, especially cows the size of Windows.

This article is a great study in the ever-present politics at companies.

Peace and Dignity Journeys runners start simultaneously from both ends of the continent in Chickaloon, Alaska and Tierra del Fuego, Argentina traversing the entire continent by foot from community to community and joining together for a final gathering in Central America, Panama. The 2012 run is dedicated to Water, reminding all who have forgotten that Water is an important resource and a shared resource for all.

THIS is a run I can participate in. I met the organizer of this event at Opportunity Collaboration this year. Amazing guy. The idea of ceremonial running is so intriguing as well. Great connection.