“Borrowed Light”

Samuel’s sculpture “Borrowed Light” (with shadows, including my own)

Samuel Houston, welder

Our son Samuel focused on the prism-effect and shadows for this sculpture and he calls it “Borrowed Light” — a phrase that my father used to use to describe a room that doesn’t have light of its own but needs to gather it from an interior window. So much of who I am is because of the things my dad taught me.

Music, science, space, Canada, social media…. what more can I say

For his last downlink before returning to Earth, CSA Astronaut Chris Hadfield performed I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing) with hundreds of students at the Ontario Science Centre and nearly a million people, mostly students from coast-to-coast Canada and around the world, performing the song in unison from their location.

I.S.S. is a song co-written by Hadfield and the Barenaked Ladies’ front man Ed Robertson.

Chris Hadfield just seems to represent everything that *can* be right about humanity. The only thing to say is “thank you!”

Here are the lyrics:
http://www.leafpress.ca/Mondays_Poems_2013/Chris_Hadfield/Is-Somebody-Singing.htm

And a link to more info:
http://music.cbc.ca/#/Space/blogs/2013/2/Ed-Robertson-takes-us-behind-the-writing-of-ISS-Is-Somebody-Singing

Productivity Decoupled from Employment

Erik Brynjolfsson’s TED talk “Race with the Machines” has a powerful idea. Due to technological advances, human work has become decoupled from wealth and our productivity decoupled from employment. In turn this leads to an ineffectiveness of traditional ways of measuring the economy — especially as a way of viewing innovation.

http://www.ted.com/talks/erik_brynjolfsson_the_key_to_growth_race_em_with_em_the_machines.html

Lots to think about here. Another “distribution problem”? His point related to the industrial revolution is especially fascinating…. it took about thirty years (e.g. all the managers had to retire) for factory procedures to change when electricity was introduced. While the managers were in place, the factories ran as they had done with steam power – not taking advantage of what the new power source had to offer. The same 30-year cycle appears to be necessary to make best use of computers.

Are MOOCs an example? I certainly understand the arguments that MOOCs are incomplete. But couldn’t MOOCs be a valuable part of a new model, that includes teachers in a somewhat “guide on the side” role with the MOOC content being the central organizer. A different post-secondary economy would be required but maybe the new managers will see it that way — looking more at learning and less at the notion of formal education. Those who really hate MOOCs, often pointing to high dropout rates, lack of support and variable quality, seem to me to be missing the potential of MOOCs (or similar environments) to assist learning. Should we get rid of books since, after all, a person might start to read one, not like it and decide to move on to something else?

Update on May 6 – Bonnie Stewart’s interesting blog post!
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/university-venus/not-hand
“….MOOCs started, in a sense, as a recognition that the credentialing equation was hollow…“

Beacon Hill this Morning

Up early and took some lovely shots with the little old iPhone. Always amazed at the freedom provided by a digital camera.

Beacon Hill early morning

 

 

Beacon Hill camus in bloom

Beacon Hill soft colors

Beacon Hill altered photo

Deryk at Beacon Hill

Chasing Rainbows

Chasing Rainbows

Still chasing rainbows

Caught one!

Deryk Houston’s Art Exhibition 2013

Point no Point Logs

Deryk’s current art exhibition includes some amazing work and we’re looking forward to the opening reception tomorrow night (6pm – April 4, 2013) at the Eclectic Gallery on Oak Bay Avenue.

http://victoriaartgateway.derykhouston.com/?p=267

These paintings include some of our favourite places like Point no Point, Garibaldi, Peggy’s Cove and Saanich fields – all shown through his imaginative eyes. The exhibition also depicts some of his most personal memories, such as a brilliant flower-filled room that takes him back to his mother and his childhood or the feeling of staring down into a pool of swirling fish.

Peggy’s Cove

Shadows Under The Surface

Eco Workshop

(this piece is called “The Heart is Everywhere”)

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Join me for an “Eco Workshop” – I’m giving a Glass-on-glass mosaic demo
Monday April 29 7 – 8:30 p.m. $18
Register April 2 at Monterey Rec Centre. http://oakbay.ca/parks-recreation/facilities-rentals/recreation-centres/monterey-recreation-centre

More info about my process is here:
http://glass-on-glass.ning.com