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The Shape Of Things To Come: James Burke's Knowledge Web Project

I’ve just experienced something akin to what a child feels like when someone shows up out of the blue and says “Hey, I know you’re weren’t expecting this or anything but I was cleaning out my hall closet when I found this terrific gift I was supposed to deliver to you.” Imagine the rush of pleasure and delight when serendipity and desire intersect. That’s how I feel today. Why? I feel elated because one of the most interesting individuals that I know of is poised to share an extremely creative and practical learning tool with the world.   

 

A friend of mine emailed me a link to the Knowledge Web Project,a undertaking headed by the acclaimed author James Burke. Burke is well known for his television series The Day The Universe Changed and Connections. It appears as though James Burke and his associates have been anything but idle. If you haven’t heard about the Knowledge Web Project you should make a point of getting better acquainted with this monumental undertaking. According to the site that houses the project,

   

   

The Knowledge Web presents knowledge in a highly interconnected, holistic way that makes it possible to follow an almost infinite number of paths of exploration among people, places, things, and events.

    

Each such person, place, thing, or event is represented by a node in a web of connections. Selecting a node brings up in-depth information, a "vital statistics" summary, and links to multimedia or other web sites.

    

From each node, users can travel to other nodes that are connected via historical relationships. The Knowledge Web also allows users to "zoom out" and see the constellation of other nodes that relate to any given starting point. Users are never lost because they are oriented in space by maps, in time by a timeline, and in their own journey by an archived list of all the nodes they’ve visited. They can even save maps of their journeys and e-mail them to other explorers. The map and timeline can also be used as input with other filtering devices, so users can find, for instance, French 17th-century chemists who were self-educated.

    

The possible pathways are infinite. The first iteration of the Knowledge Web will contain nearly 2,000 nodes connected in tens of thousands of ways.

   

To get a flavor of how the Knowledge Web will fundamentally reshape the way we and our students conceptualize the history and possible futures of our species, take a look at a short video demonstration about the initiative. I’m curious as to how others will view the magnitude of what Burke and his team are generating. I think that the Knowledge Web will utilize and eventually transform the way internet and multimedia technology are employed to explore and teach concepts of historical relevance. Currently, the study of history is a mentally “flat” process. In most classrooms, when students learn about concepts of a chronological nature, learners move about in a two dimensional mental construct; they go either backward or forward along a timeline. What Burke and his volunteers are proposing is more three or four dimensional in character. Students will more easily conceptualize concurrent events…sort of like jumping the track on a traditional timeline to see parallels of “connections” with other individuals or occurrences in the same vicinity—effectively moving “sideways” in time. Added to this stimulating possibility is the hope that, based on their KW-enhanced perspective, Knowledge Web users should be more likely to visualize “possible futures” or make connections that have yet to be conceived. I think it’ll be analogous to seeing where stones were cast into water and having a pretty good hunch where the ripples will reach and what their effects will be on the surroundings.

What's Cookin'? Food For Thought

I try to help teachers and administrators integrate technology within their daily practices. That's what I do. I shouldn't have to do this because anyone who looks around can see how modern technology has become an integral part of our culture. Still, I encounter a number of educators who cling to the notion that there is no reason to change the way they teach their students. They way I learned was good enough for me so, it should be good enough for our pupils today, they tell me. I patiently try to explain and demonstrate to my clients that today's learners must do more than master reading and writing. The youth of today who are entering the job market must make any content they produce stand out so that others will want to make use of it. I like to think of such entrants into the marketplace as workers who possess value-added communication skills. They are the kind of men and women who bring increased profit potential to the companies and organizations where they find employment. I enjoy finding examples of companies with creative thinkers that tap into their workforce's ability to communicate with potential customers. When a brand or service is able to converse with consumers in a manner that is unexpectedly beneficial to end users, the company or organization usually gains loyal customers that provide the business with free and effective word-of-mouth advertising. In many cases, technology plays a role in such instances. For example, I was sampling the fare at Metafilter when I discovered jacquilynne's scrumptious post about the maker of Chi-Chi's Salsa. It seems that the company maintains an exhaustive food glossary. Now, Chi-Chi’s doesn’t have to do this. After all, the company ultimately wants to sell its salsa. However, the company’s willingness to embrace and use technology (in the form of web-based information resource) is a definite bonus to consumers. I often wonder why other companies don’t have value-added content like this for their customers. I suspect the answer lies in the fact that employees who possess value-added communication skills are a rare commodity in the American workforce.   

 

   

We need to insure that students more than just digitally literate. There is a difference between using technology and using technology effectively, efficiently, and creatively. We need to do a better job preparing our students to be the type of employee who can provide a product or service that sells itself. We can do this by making sure the pupils who attend our schools are literate enough for participation in a 21st Century economy and society. Imagine a society where citizens made a conscious effort to bring more to their occupations. Imagine a government that drew upon the expertise of value-added public servants. We can only imagine for so long. Eventually, we’ll need to roll up our sleeves and get busy creating a value-added educational experience for our students.

   

 

   

Are we ready to do that?

Do You Have What It Takes?

According to Laura Turner, every educator should possess these 20 skills. However, knowing how to use technology and integrating technology in the classroom are two different things. What do you think?

Can You (Still) Read The Handwriting On The Wall?

Is video gradually draining life from "traditional" print sources of information? In the future, will students and teachers look at printed material as an "old fashioned" means of transferring ideas? At first glance, such a scenario seems ridiculous; however, Dr. James Gee of  University of Wisconsin in Madison and Elizabeth Thoman of the Center for Media Literacy in Los Angeles are discussing the possibility of a future in which individuals rely less on text and more on multimedia images for communication. Jeffery MacDonald explores this issue in an engaging CSM article.

19th Century Education vs. 21st Century Economy

If it's the 21st century then why are most schools still using 19th century methods to educate students? Doesn't it seem kind of odd that students are not being prepared for the demands of the 21st century workplace and economy? Why not take a look at the 21st century skills students should possess if they hope to be literate in the Digital Age. Would it be useful for educators in our region to become better acquainted with a brochure on the topic? What do you think?

The Real World: What Can Our Students Expect?

Thomas Malone has a few ideas about the future of work. Teachers and administrators might want to read about Malone's ideas.

Reading And Reading Between The Lines

As teachers, we are often told how important reading is in terms of a student's academic success. Equally important, but not as widely accepted, is the notion of teaching pupils how to read between the lines, a skill that is vital in terms of a student's real life success. The Center for Media Literacy wants to help society find, analyze, and assess information being disseminated by various media sources. Are your students able to evaluate what they absorb from different media outlets? Are they prepared to be 21st century learners? If not, why not? Do they even care?