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Monday, February 05, 2007
Hyperlinks are Synapses
I continue to be intrigued by the idea of the internet mirroring a human brain. In this metaphor (simile?) each of us contributing content to the internet is like a neuron. As I was adding a link to my site yesterday it struck me that I was setting up a connection-- a synapse if you will-- to another neuron somewhere. I like to think about pathways of synapses, firing off between neurons, creating thought patterns and building upon itself. Those synapses that get used more will grow more, while those that get used less will fade away... kind of like the links on websites that get outdated, and no longer reach other pages [also called "link rot"].
Friday, February 02, 2007
Give Every Student a Web Page
Here's the idea: every student gets a web page for their academic career that includes one-click access to all past grades, reports, portfolios, etc. Teachers, counselors, parents, and others (with contolled access) comment on their students' pages, offering advice and college counseling. Kentucky implemented a system like this recently. You can read about it in eSchool News. They characterize it as "Myspace meets Monster," in other words, social networking meets career networking. I like the idea because it could be implemented from the beginning of a student's middle school years, and could serve to focus their understanding of themselves as learners, developing over time, and working towards long-term goals.