Kicking Back and Catching Up

Every so often you just need to take a break to let your mind and your mouse wander around the net. Here are a few items from my recent foraging that readers of Rethinking Higher Education might find of interest.

• A recent podcast where Kevin Carey talks about, among other things, for-profit higher education
• Michael Horn’s post about the possibilities for online learning
• The White House’s acknowledgment of the growing use and benefits of eReaders by its decision to make the Economic Report of the President, an annual report written by the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, available for the Kindle and in an ePub file designed for devices like the Nook and the Sony Reader
• A report in The Chronicle of Higher Education about North Carolina State University’s plan to make the textbook used in its introductory physics courses available online and free to the 1,300 students who annually take the course for a reported $1,500 annual site license fee (there’s a story that merits a little more digging)
• “The Class,” a funny and thought-provoking YouTube video about technology in education

For me, a nice glass of wine often goes well with browsing like this. If you are so inclined, check out Matthews’ 2007 Blackboard Syrah. The folks at Eduwonk.com report that it is not only a nice bottle of wine but also a way to provide support for teacher training in Washington State. A hat tip to them for the information and also for a classic blog post title (In Vino Eduwonkery).

Enjoy!