Mentalsys

New Blog and Web Site

2011-04-24T08:42:00.006+02:00

This blog was started in Barcelona in 2005 to explore different ways to share content with students in the classroom, and also to share pictures and short stories with friends living in far away places. It was used at the language center of the University of Cantabria in Santander, where I taught between 2006 and 2008. Students didn't bring laptops at the time, so we used an LDC projector on

Information Graphics: is Information an Art?

2011-01-06T16:15:00.014+01:00

Direct Link to the video: BBC Newsnight: Information GraphicsVia @dMultimedia - Blog dMultimediaThis BBC broadcast from August 9, 2010, looks into the art of making information beautiful, and poses the question: How do you make statistics look interesting? The writer and designer David McCandless replies:..."you just need to apply the rules of visual design to information"... Is information an

Where good ideas come from

2010-10-02T12:09:00.004+02:00

(a book by Steven Johnson) With this new book, Steven Johnson re-connects with his previous bestseller: "Everything Bad is Good for You" and the more recent: "The Invention of Air" which we liked so much, and posted about quite a bit here and there.We also love the way Riverhead Books is sharing this ...amazing visualization.

Project Based Learning

2010-09-11T14:23:00.009+02:00

This group of teachers was able to take ownership and allow students to take ownership over their learning process.Highlights: "... the students would have a hard time telling you what subject they are learning, and not because they are not paying attention, but because they don't learn in segmented subjects. Three teachers have worked together to combine history, english and information

A Brief History of Data Storage

2010-09-07T10:01:00.009+02:00

The video below shows a progression of data storage (capacity) in terms of traditional formats such as texts and documents that can be organized into newspaper print editions, magazines, books and documents and libraries that can contain printed text and image files. It not only illustrates changes in the design and dimensions of the information

Will they walk the talk?

2010-08-14T17:15:00.011+02:00

We sure hope they do. These brief inputs (see clip) from the panel sound promising. They seem to be calling for a very different approach to knowledge, than the current institutionalized one, which continues to be reproduced via the usual channels. In Europe we need to walk the talk.There seems to be an urgency to inform, revamp and disseminate quality stuff "bottom-up", fostering business and

Where is the comma!

2010-04-25T12:34:00.001+02:00

Let's look at the whole iPad buzz from another perspective: this or any other similar tool can allow a 99 year old woman, to enjoy reading and writing as she did, before suffering glaucoma. The clip (it) shows how fast she learns how to interact and look for items on the touch screen, by just tapping. She's even started writing again, so she came up with this: "To this technical-ninny it's

Coolest teacher ever... yep

2010-04-09T21:29:00.002+02:00

Imagine this setting and such a cool learning environment to study maths... or whatever?

Language, frames, stories

2010-02-28T20:31:00.008+01:00

"we actually become the sum of our experiences and the stories we've told about them" Tim O'Reilly on Ignite, (Nov. 10, 2009) commenting briefly and further elaborating on a quote many of us like so much and have found in so many places: Korzybski's "The map is not the territory". (Gee I went all the way to the Berkeley Library many years ago just to get a copy of it!, which I later donated

Symphony of Science

2010-02-27T18:42:00.004+01:00

Beautifully inspiring...Link to the post on YouTube, 3:06min clip posted February 25, 2010

Social Media ROI

2010-01-20T10:28:00.002+01:00

... notice the credit for the music at the end and the reference to iTunes... other than the fact that I don't particularly like hamburgers... it seems to me it's pretty cool (I'd recommend you use pause a lot, to follow the text, check on the data... it does go too fast! - they could improve that with just a twitch). Direct link to the Socialnomics09 channel in YouTube - This was posted on Nov

Connecting the dots...

2010-01-03T12:03:00.008+01:00

The following clip has been distinguished by TED.com , YouTube EDU Channel, (mostly commencement speeches...) it's been retweeted by scholars and Stanford provided the transcript... So let's listen to the amazing stories he shared that day.

Best getting better from Ojai

2009-12-27T18:18:00.002+01:00

Tweet informed by Scobleizer to go watch his YouTube Channel, we've encountered this wonderful (I mean it) clip. Video is 42:49 minutes. Roll the mouse over it and click to go to the original in YouTube.Scobleizer (one of Robert Scoble's social media planet(s) brings us this video clip featuring the two authors of a book, informed with cross-generational wisdom, sharing actual exposure to

Closing some gaps...

2009-12-13T17:50:00.003+01:00

Watch the clip and read the transcript - - > TED India Talks - Pranav Mistry: The thrilling potential of SixthSense technology. This is really walking the talk... The clip is just over 13minutes, and at the very end he shares an uncommon vision of how things could evolve with humans and machines... "So, as a last thought, I think that integrating information to everyday objects will not only

Lemonade happening and park

2009-12-05T15:50:00.005+01:00

Via Cool Hunting a 2:08 min. clip showing the world's largest lemonade stand, an incredible park built on an elevated railroad track, sharing the story of a traditional workshop based in NYC.Direct link to the clip on YouTubeTranscript: "The tank goes on the top of the building and the water is fed down through gravity to provide the people of New York ... to wash and shower with, to fight fires

Smos has launched!

2009-11-02T14:55:00.010+01:00

Yesterday I came across this inspiring BBC News, science article: "Mapping the great wheel of water", posted November 1, 2009 by Jonathan Amos, Science reporter.To learn more on ESA's water mission: SMOS official site.We hope they don't mind we've uploaded here a light version of the clip for students to watch and follow the transcript:Transcript on Google Docs (Top menue: File / Download as /

Maths without learning restrictions

2009-10-31T14:12:00.016+01:00

John Mighton shares amazing ideas... on what kids actually do (when the system allows...)www.jumpmath.org is dedicated to improving the teaching of mathematics in public schools.Direct link to transcript Direct link to site.

Brazilian project

2009-10-03T11:09:00.010+02:00

Take a good look and listen... serious business and a beautiful place, fun people and great things to actually "do" in a design mix of settings and buildings, with plenty of water inlets, lots of green and a lake. Main structures seem to be already in place together with the promise of transport integration, which shows quite daunting on the clip. The place is a spectacular combination of sites

Ubuntu Cola

2009-08-30T15:02:00.002+02:00

Ubuntu Cola from Tomas Nilsson on Vimeo.Via network this amazing contribution to a good design contest ... watch and learn yourselves.

Real problems and Common Knowledge

2009-08-15T15:22:00.009+02:00

The problem with real problems, is who gets to define what those really are. How to minimize the impact of lobbies taking advantage of public money unless the outcomes respond to public real benefits? How to foster the networks and ideas that could either "respond to real problems with simple solutions that can evolve with time" ? I came across this ScienceBlogs and it brings forth interesting

London is the capital of Twitter

2009-08-06T14:13:00.007+02:00

It seems to me many of the questions were a bit dis-connected from actual action on the Twitter social medium... It's fun to learn London "is the capital of Twitter"... imagine what this could be like with the Olympic Games! Who knows what other wonderful tools we me have in 2012? Thanks UK TechCrunch for bringing this up. The link on YouTube. Transcript for students coming soon. Stay tuned!

Turning Cars and Computers into Art

2009-08-06T13:59:00.002+02:00

Rocketboom interviews Zach Lieberman on his latest projects. (3:57min video) Transcript:-I'm here with Zack Lieverman and I don't know exactly what to call you... What would you title yourself as? -Like nerd, artist, researcher, hacker, yeah... I don't know. -Renaissance man of technology? -I guess so maybe. -So how did you get your start in the field that you're doing right now? -I

On social networks and information

2009-07-19T21:13:00.004+02:00

Social Networks as Information FiltersView more documents from Lee Bryant.Presentation via @leebryant ... quote from the Headshift Blog: go there to read-learn more!"The affordances of social web allow us to build a new relationship with each other and with information. New forms of media consumption and architecture of participation hold important implications for information management:" via #

Customer Creative Complaint

2009-07-11T11:51:00.024+02:00

Via YouTube: link to the videoIt seems they finally got the company's attention... See: Link to Dave Carroll's "statement" thanking the supporters and United ...Of course you need the talent and the creativity, not to mention the production resources of these guys... read Dave Carroll sharing the whole story. Way to go to respond to customer service lousy service and lack of attention. A mere

The Computer HIstory Museum

2009-06-27T19:18:00.021+02:00

Amazing trip through time and evolving "Thinking Tools" visiting The Computer History Museum, courtesy of Rocktboom: daily internet culture Blog and YouTube Channel. Ellie Roundtree from Rocketboom visits the Computer History Museum.What a wonderful museum... See the Exhibit:Internet History to learn more about the transformation and timeline of what we now know as "the internet", which

Letting it Shine Behind the Scene...

2009-04-27T21:00:00.014+02:00

Honda Insight - Let It Shine from Honda on Vimeo.*Edited on April 30 to add link to transcript*Really nice work... watch the making of it. Awesome, amazingly inspiring..."The Insight is sort of Honda's latest hybrid, it's really good looking, it's fun to drive...""it's going to be the most affordable hybrid on the market""they invest in the belief that people are fundamentally good"Furthermore...

Mind Blowing Thinking Tools

2009-04-25T11:36:00.043+02:00

Another example of what is going on across borders ... superseding traditional media filters, traditional education restrictions and limitations, and a lot more... learning with new tools... in action: the E-Learning Journeys, by Julie Lindsay.Changes in educational tools (a.k.a to some of us as "thinking tools" ) can get messy: we know how to institutionalize things all right building gigantic

Multiplicity of Re-cognition Evolving Systems

2009-04-11T12:13:00.017+02:00

Wired brings this interview posted April 8, 2009. Tim O'Reilly founder and CEO of O'Reilly Media Inc. discusses much more than "the origins of Web2.0 and the rise of Twitter..." during his conversation with Fora.tv CEO Blaise Zerega on April 2, 2009 in San Francisco.To cite some:We're moving into a more sensory-like evolution process involving humans and machines,... "starting to build hybrid

Nanoscale Computation and Sims

2009-04-06T10:23:00.005+02:00

Via KQED YouTube Channel, a 10:28 min clip posted May 2007 featuring Jeffrey Grossman from UC Berkeley, informing on the world of the nanometer unit of measure that is, one billionth of a meter. Dr. Grossman is interested in "How we do science and how we can do it better", and on the need to "lower the boundaries between basic and applied research" and "improve interdisciplinary idea generation.

Franz Kafka International Airport

2009-04-01T00:10:00.009+02:00

Prague's Franz Kafka International Named World's Most Alienating AirportVia Onion News Network, as informative as usual. Don't miss the tele text..."If you only make certain to properly follow proper protocols... "Sounds like bureaucracy in the University of ..., you know where.Edited April 6th, to add:Some gifts to check how alert we were on April 1st.:New Products (Kinda) courtesy of The New

Wordled Trends by Leo Burnett Gp

2009-03-15T14:46:00.006+01:00

Trend Predictions Report 2009 by Leo Burnett Group via YouTube also provides the text ... not an exact transcript, but it does offer their "piece of mind".Maybe the tone could be improved, yet the fact that they sort of wordle all of it makes it funny and easy to follow. Economic conditions have been affecting our cultural context for a long time now, we don't think there is anything "new" in

Changing Challenges

2009-02-28T10:35:00.016+01:00

Says Jim Stagnitto, Director of Engineering for WNYC, in New York, referring to the changes in technology and concepts throughout the years at the FM transmitter's site:"The challenges have changed. The basics remain the same" (...) You have to get audio out to a transmitter somewhere. But we're no longer called broadcasters, we're content providers. You get that content in various forms to

Evolving Administration

2009-02-07T11:01:00.003+01:00

The United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources hearing, on the nomination of Steven Chu to be Secretary of Energy with the new team driven by the now President Obama. This was a Full Committee Hearing, on Tuesday January 13, 2009.If you choose to link to the original version, these are the key moments: Minute Action15:51 Introductions32:09 Dr. Chu

On Creativity

2009-02-01T17:11:00.010+01:00

"the very essence of creative is its novelty, and hence we have no standard by which to judge it. Indeed, history points up the fact that the more original the product, the more far-reaching its implications". (Rogers, 1961).Image: by Parablyer in FlickrWe cannot expect to provide an accurate description of the creative act until it occurs, says Rogers. Constructive ideas tend to emerge as a

More on Collaboration and New Media

2009-01-03T14:48:00.028+01:00

Howard Rheingold's multiversed drive(s) to promote collaboration and learning by doing... once again, paving the way for us to explore and expand the "social knowing" scenario with new tools.via Howard Rheingold vblog Watch "Vernacular Video in Culture and Education" on blip.tv Quote:"Vernacular is a fancy word for informal. When local languages like Italian and French broke away from Latin,

A vision of 200 years

2008-12-28T20:49:00.004+01:00

Thinking 200 years ahead, a Dutch team is already working to reduce the risk of floods in areas of the Netherlands, which lie mostly below sea level. The video is informative.Via Wired Magazine. Post dated Dec. 12, 2008, read Dec. 28.

John Chambers contributes memes (in action)

2008-12-11T14:09:00.014+01:00

"Let's roll up our sleeves" said Governor Swarzenegger speaking at the bi-partisan cognievent he's been organizing, the Governors' Global Climate Summit in California. Bi (or multi)-partisanship for win-win situations... and some common goals... a major innovation in itself. Sure, let's also start shifting some of the mental systems and thinking tools (Senge and Rheingold dixit) a bit?Video

Participatory Learning Media

2008-11-03T09:40:00.020+01:00

We had been reading and talking about this for years now but the time is ripe to start transitioning from instructing multi-media in the classroom to media-edu-tainment integration at its best, utilized and redefined from the perspective of learning students. One of my "thinking hats" focused since 2004, in enabling language learners improve their communication skills in English, taking a huge

Key Considerations*

2008-10-26T14:15:00.031+01:00

* from the book I was reading today: CLEAR and to THE POINT by Stephen M. KosslynQUOTE:" The following is reputed to be an actual transcript of a radio conversation between a Canadian communications officer and a U.S. naval vessel, recorded off the coast of Newfoundland in October 1995:Americans: Please divert your course 15 degrees to the north to avoid a collision.Canadians: Recommend you

How Do We Know What We Know?

2008-09-18T00:43:00.013+02:00

Image from the Site of The ExploratoriumCalifornia Academy of Sciences offers "sneak previews" of the new building, in Golden Gate Park. This would be close to completion according to the site. Scott Morgan, Senior Project Mgr. mentions the marvels that await inside to visitors. "You'll notice we've actually combined a little bit of the old, with the new".The intent of the architect was to let

Whatever they dream

2008-08-25T10:04:00.012+02:00

"Whatever they dream ... that's what they should reach for, and that's what they can achieve" (Dr. Sally Ride)Via: The Women's Conference ChannelMy dream (today, and after having watched the closing ceremony of the Olympics 2008 yesterday) is that the image of humans having fun and "joining" for a common purpose ... regardless of gender, politics, belief, tradition and temporary maps... was not

Technology and Magic Wands (V.08)

2008-07-13T11:02:00.016+02:00

Vía Bryan Alexander Bryan distinguished this quoting the blog Tarina: Teemu Arina's reflections on networked learning, knowledge and collaboration in organizations. And I went on to read more:"The future of mobile phones is perhaps... not a mobile phone at all, but rather a contextually aware and active mobile magic wand. (...) It's a wand, I tell you. (...) It´s going to combine cloud computing

Dancing the World Around

2008-07-03T13:23:00.008+02:00

Where the Hell is Matt?by Mathew HardingNo need for intro nor description ... just tune in... listen: watch.Then, you can read About Matt, by himself, and learn more about international travel, video game industry, and ... go find out.

Exploring beyond maps

2008-06-13T16:41:00.028+02:00

/Link to clip: Never was the expression "the map is not the territory" so relevant: FYI we still have plenty of "frontier(s) of science ... and space" within our planet. Dr. Robert Ballard doesn't need much presentation if you've watched the clip. After reading TED's 2008 Bio my first move was to go directly to the Jason.org site to learn more, and register. Observing the clip again several

"Yes, we can"

2008-06-08T16:12:00.026+02:00

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton with a cool new smile, and words that are making history. Clip: Obama'08 @YouTube ... (It's Hillary's day)I don't like the CNN banner at all, I prefer: Hillary Clinton Endorses Barack Obama.And if you want some hints regarding the outcome, here is the approach of an open-ed at The New York Times. But better still, listen carefully and observe the following clip, in

Stand by...

2008-05-31T13:24:00.033+02:00

Awake in SardineroOriginally uploaded by MarquiBeckNews update since the last Twitt(encounter) in Asturias: encuentro Twittero de Asturias in Oviedo last April:* first public examination as teacher oposición past! in Spain (system org deserving another post, soon in Sistemas en Blog).* 4th year anniversary as free-lance instructor and conversation coach (becoming sustainable!) and yes, it's much

Community Dimensions of the Media

2008-05-02T19:25:00.008+02:00

Via Twitter DigitalNatives to an informative debate on Identity and Privacy: Berkman Center Live Webcast, to a hillarious presentation by Ethan Zuckerman: Beyond Broadcast: Reinventing Public Media in a Participatory Culture. May 12 & 13, 2006, added in YouTube April 24, 2008. Watch: "The Evolution of Digital Communities"In the context of a recent TwitterAstur gathering where we debated "Web2.0"

Enjoying Information, Communication, Contact

2008-04-28T08:09:00.010+02:00

I'm glad Howard put this up, I love the way it connects moments and feelings in human time. What these people are saying was so relevant then, as it is now. Don't miss the final comment by Howard, from the social media and virtual community class he teaches now at Berkeley. quote "the feeling for the Well"..." information will probably sugar the XX's Century parties"... "changed my career" ... "

From Dis-enabling to Enabling

2008-04-26T15:08:00.008+02:00

An International Psychology and Education Congress took place in Oviedo, Spain, this past week. The diversity of frameworks attempting to dialogue and debate was a very interesting experience to observe, according to the reports of some participants. Hopefully the planned integration of these two major areas of inquiry -if it does occur, might evolve into a different type of "learning

Accessing, Sharing, Collaborating

2008-04-13T14:51:00.015+02:00

CrossTalk Publication on issuu.comLoving the way it works: scroll around the pages, zoom in/out, use the top bar to change page, use the "share" option to Web2.0 link, rank, map, and more ... mail&add a message, embed as I did here above... Distinguishing: Page 30 "Net-Centric Virtuosity"Quote from Gary A. Petersen's post: "Information technology history teaches us .. (...) Fixation on a

Science and the in-between

2008-01-18T13:05:00.000+01:00

Michael Winters offers very inspiring memes posted on Wired Science - Education on how to better align what students learn in the classroom and what they then do with the information. Will they learn more and be better informed when they are able to apply what they've been learning? You bet. Tuning in to his proposal that technology experts and science teachers could help figure out the "

Plastics Misplaced

2008-01-13T14:22:00.001+01:00

Courtesy of js8479 in slideshare | View | Upload your own The video referenced on the slidecast is no longer available, but if you'd like to learn more, here is a great article on the Pacific Gyre and Plastics "misplaced": The Plastic killing fields."Continents of garbage in the oceans are killing marine life and releasing poisons that enter the human food chain" , report by Amanda Woods, Dec. 29

¿What is killing the otters?

2007-12-29T22:21:00.000+01:00

Informed by the SORAC program I found this video. I was still sad from learning that in the last 10 years things have worsened with environmental concerns in the bay I care so much for, when I read about another spillage in the estuary of Avilés, Northern Spain, and another spillage -bad one- in Comodoro Rivadavia, Patagonia. ¿What is wrong with us humans?

Science, Politics and the Media

2007-11-25T14:35:00.000+01:00

By way of the Exploratorium, I found this very informative talk excerpt of Speaking Science 2.0, given in May 2007 by Chris Mooney. The other speaker who does not appear on this video, Matthew C. Nisbet focuses on the "intersections between science, media and politics", informing on the implications and uses of the concept of "framing", extensively on his Blog: Framing Science. My line of work is

gapingvoid widget

2007-10-28T11:12:00.000+01:00

Click here to go grab the widgetClick here to go to gapingvoid.comOn the left is just a still of the widget offer. I may place it on the template later if it works, didn't work here on the posting box , so still it stays.Hugh McLeod's "gapingvoid" Personal Faves caught my attention -reading it in full- today, refreshing cause it doesn't happen frequently, "scrolling and reading, yes, reading....

Learning about 2L Geo and Arts

2007-10-13T10:40:00.000+02:00

This just a still, link to this blog to watch the clip: "Alien Beach". (runs better there than on the youtube site on my screen at least). From the different versions of Alien Beach, I like this one by Juria Yoshikawa, (see top left link to "video in its original context") there. Interesting variation showing different versions adding to an original site or take, reminding me of "Watch the

PodTech and Webcreativity informing

2007-07-19T13:28:00.000+02:00

Thanks to the Mercury News teams we keep finding amazing examples of "webcreativity" a concept that Karina Crespo is applying when fostering creativity in education at the Educ.ar portal. Many thanks to Michael Bazeley who has kindly shared his post and kudos to Mercury News columnist Dean Takahashi for a very informative and "inspiring tour". As usual, the SilliconValley.com subscription,

"Outside the Box" Thinking

2006-07-23T12:30:00.000+02:00

Link to Museum of Science sitequote:”What is the best approach to solving a problem? From kindergarten on, most children are taught that there is one optimal answer to any question. And that they should work logically, step by step, to reach that prize. In many cases, this tactic works. But in other situations, the newest concepts, wisest insights and most creative solutions arise only when

Learning about Native Americans ... on-Line

2005-10-12T13:04:00.000+02:00

Image Credit: mapuche-nation.orgThe other day I was reading a Spanish edition of selected works from Edward Sheriff Curtis, namely extracts from his works and books: "The North American Indian". The Spanish book shows amazing ancient photographs of members from different groups (two centuries back) , something in those faces brought forth images and live friendly memories from the Southern

Feedback Loops Leads

2005-05-28T07:01:00.000+02:00

Time ago I quoted a digital journalist from a major newspaper in Spain, who was brave enough to acknowledge during a public conference, certain reverberation loops with the respective media “reading one other” as common practice. That is, to gather not just sources and tips from the competition but ... chunks of information for their daily “news". If e-newspaper A published a certain headline,

Smart Bird

2004-11-23T14:13:00.006+01:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: right; text-align: center; margin-left: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } I wrote this post in 2004 when I started blogging. Things have changed quite a bit since then, so it needed a few twitches here & there.Sometime in the '90s I stumbled upon incredibly inspiring thoughts

Asilomar

2004-11-23T01:19:00.000+01:00

.flickr-photo { border: solid 1px #000000; }.flickr-frame { float: right; text-align: center; margin-left: 15px; margin-bottom: 15px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; } Asilomar grounds at Pacific Grove ... not far from Big Sur coastal area where the otters inspired Gregory Bateson, you can still watch a few of them playing along the turf. Flocks of pelicans flying past

Quotes&Leads form Howard Rheingold's Visit in BCN

2004-11-22T23:59:00.000+01:00

A few weeks ago, Howard Rheingold offered two presentations in Barcelona, @Mercat de les Flors, during Art Futura inaugural session on Oct. 28th. @Universidad de Vic, during eWeek en Vic on Oct. 29th. Reading his book, The Virtual Community (Addison-Wesley, 1993) in the late 90’s inspired me to explore further in on-going projects at the time, enacting constructive virtual community learning

Conversaciones y Observacion Participativa

2004-11-22T21:52:00.000+01:00

Hace tiempo participé en una Conferencia Conversacional organizada por el Instituto Internacional de Sistemas como miembro del sub-grupo D-Gang. D-Gang focalizaba en Comunidades Evolutivas de Aprendizaje y Comunidades de Aprendizaje Evolutivo. (Evolutionary Learning Communities o ELC´s). Durante la D-Gang 'experiencia' de 1997, aprendimos sobre dificultades emergentes interactuando desde