At the outset of World War II, Belgium's Fort Eben Emael was thought to be virtually impregnable. But at dawn on May 10th, 1940, it fell in just half an hour to a force of only 71 Nazi warriors.
Jason Bermas' Fabled Enemies on the intelligence apparatus and its involvement in 9/11.
Kublai Khan, grandson of Genghis, founded his dynasty by conquering China. Unlike his infamous ancestor, he was known for his mercy to the conquered.
An intimate and moving meditation on the late musician and artist Kurt Cobain, based on more than 25 hours of previously unheard audiotaped interviews conducted with Cobain by noted music journalist Michael Azerrad for his book "Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana." In the film, Kurt Cobain recounts his own life - from his childhood and adolescence to his days of musical discovery and later dealings with explosive fame - and offers often piercing insights into his life, music, and times. The conversations heard in the film have never before been made public and they reveal a highly personal portrait of an artist much discussed but not particularly well understood.
THE MONEY MASTERS is a 3 1/2 hour non-fiction, historical documentary that traces the origins of the political power structure that rules our nation and the world today. The modern political power structure has its roots in the hidden manipulation and accumulation of gold and other forms of money. The development of fractional reserve banking practices in the 17th century brought to a cunning sophistication the secret techniques initially used by goldsmiths fraudulently to accumulate wealth. With the formation of the privately-owned Bank of England in 1694, the yoke of economic slavery to a privately-owned "central" bank was first forced upon the backs of an entire nation, not removed but only made heavier with the passing of the three centuries to our day. Nation after nation, including America, has fallen prey to this cabal of international central bankers.
For 25 centuries the Parthenon has been shot at, set on fire, rocked by earthquakes, looted for its sculptures, almost destroyed by explosion, and disfigured by well-meaning renovations. It has gone from temple, to church, to mosque, to munitions dump. What could be next? How about a scientific search for the secrets of its incomparable beauty and astonishingly rapid construction? With unprecedented access, NOVA unravels the architectural and engineering mysteries of this celebrated ancient temple.
The film documents.... What the modern day police state looks like as thousands of peaceful protesters are forcibly detained at a Guantanamo style detention camp called Pier 57 during the 2004 Republican National Convention. How multitudes of New Yorkers and others are fully aware of the fact that 9/11 was an inside job and are now actively exposing the people behind it. Why the collapse of Building 7 is potentially the biggest smoking gun indicating government involvement in 9/11. Alex returns to the scene of the crime to physically dissect why the official story can be nothing else but a fraud. >> The occult and satanic underpinnings of the ruling elite families and how their oath to secret societies and each other makes a mockery of their counterfeit pseudo-loyalty to America and what it is supposed to stand for. >> Arnold Schwarzenegger's alarming and sordid past and why his intentions should unnerve us all in light of his fated future presidential run. A womanizing, egotistic, power-mad, imperious Nazi whose ideals are diametrically opposed to those represented by the founding fathers.
The United States government, at all levels has fallen under the control of the desperately wicked New World Order clan The events of Sept 11th mark the initiation of the final sick push of the illuminati to consolidate their one world order and transform earth into a prison planet. In over two and a half hours, Alex Jones chronicles in stunning detail the true character of the globalists. Learn the master plan of the blood-thirsty elite to financially, physically and spiritually imprison not only America but the world Other Search Word: Conspiracy
Nazis-the occult conspiracy is a documentary about how the Hitler and the Nazis made use of occultism to win the war, and to remind the Germans that they were the best humans on the planet, the master-race. There are better documentaries around, but this is a solid documentary. There are many rare pictures from Nazi-Germany to be seen here, and you get to learn more about the religous beliefs of nazi-leaders like: Hitler, Goebbles, GÃÂöring, Hess and Himmler. I can`t advice people enough to watch documentaries about Nazi-Germany, because they show how crazy and evil humans can be. Other search word: Conspiracy
Nazis-the occult conspiracy is a documentary about how the Hitler and the Nazis made use of occultism to win the war, and to remind the Germans that they were the best humans on the planet, the master-race. There are better documentaries around, but this is a solid documentary. There are many rare pictures from Nazi-Germany to be seen here, and you get to learn more about the religous beliefs of nazi-leaders like: Hitler, Goebbles, GÃÂöring, Hess and Himmler. I can`t advice people enough to watch documentaries about Nazi-Germany, because they show how crazy and evil humans can be. Other search word: Conspiracy
How did the human race populate the world? A group of geneticists have worked on the question for a decade, arriving at a startling conclusion: the "global family tree" can be traced to one African man who lived 60,000 years ago. Dr. Spencer Wells hosts this innovative series, featuring commentary by expert scientists, historians, archaeologists, and anthropologists.
AB has just told us about the new 'viral' games of Glow. Of course, whetherh it's viral or not depends on whether folks like me blog about it. So there.
Education is a core part of Channel 4's business and, for the past couple of years, the Channel has been a major sponsor and supporter of the Scottish Learning Festival and TeachMeet, the unconference, as well as producing its highly innovative web 'programmes' like Battlefront, Year Dot and The Insiders that educate and inspire.
This year, in a nod to the Channel's ongoing Sexperience campaign, the education commissioning team will be holding a free lunch and set of seminars on how we can engage young people online in sexual education. Sex Ed Up is just one of the places I'll be hanging out over the coming few days in Glasgow at the Scottish Learning Festival. Sign up, and I'll see you there.
Wednesday:
12h30: Language, learners and the ower of new technologies
Looking forward to hear Ollie speak - someone I've never seen out of the confines of the 7-minute TeachMeet presos.
13h30: Thinking Out Of The (X)Box
You can find the notes for this presentation on my blog already, and take more time over the vids and games.
15h00: Discovery Hour: Inspiring Stories of Technology, Education and Design
Some of the highlights this year, told in short, entertaining stories. Includes an amazing SecondLife project from New Zealand. This is in the large expo area, so please drop in.
16h45: BBC Scotland Learning: Preparing learners for 21st century life
Wondering what our friends at the Beeb are going to do over the next few months.
18h00: TeachMeet08
My last TeachMeet for a while, and my last (ever?) as compère, it looks like I'll have to leave around 8pm for a working dinner.
Thursday:
09h30: Can Nintendo's Dr Kawashima impact on mental maths? An extended study
I'm keen to see the results of LTS's 500-Nintendo DS experiment across Scotland.
10h30: 21st Century Teacher: Your personal professional development network
Find out what basic online skills you need to acquire to understand
this virtual Web 2.0 world, and learn how Ewan created a personal
network of peer support across every continent. Importantly, learn some
tricks about how to cope with the rapid innovation on the web in 2008.
12h00: Discovery Hour: Inspiring Stories of Technology, Education and Design
Some more highlights of this year.
13h15-14h15: Sex Ed Up
How and when should we teach our children about sex? Earlier this year the FPA (formerly the Family Planning Association) and Brook - which provides sexual health advice to under 25’s - called for sex and relationship education to become compulsory in primary and secondary schools.
It sparked off huge controversy with critics arguing that this would compromise childhood innocence, encourage underage sex, increase rates of teenage pregnancy, abortion and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Sex Ed Up! will allow you to debate these contested issues and see some of the programmes and projects in the season.
14h30: Channel 4 Education Showcase
Showing off some of the amazing (and free) projects you can get your students involved in.
Pic 1: Misty Morning | Pic 2: SECC
I've had an all-too-brief time in Shanghai with some inspiring folk and vibrant sessions. Their notes can often be found in the conference ning, after each topic, but I've also got some notes crafted over time on the blog which run along some of the lines discussed. My website 'Strategy' page will lead you down into more detail on other tangents we covered, but the main points would seem to be covered in:
I've not had time to see the city and have been pursuing some 4iP stuff (though I'm technically "on holiday" for these two days) in the wee small hours after midnight as colleagues finish up their days in Glasgow. The time zone is not kind, which only makes me lend more admiration to the organising team, led by Jeff. Collaboration across time zones, regardless of the nings, Google Docs and good ol' email you use, doesn't take away from the fact that you have to be awake to deal with it.
Pic: David Warlick
Former colleague Penny Sim was quick to spot the connection between my predicament in Shanghai, its quaint resolution and the credit crunch cartoon from Alex in this week's Telegraph. I just thought it was a novel way to get three seemingly unconnected words together in one blog post title.
It's true. I could have come half way around the world to Shanghai with nothing but carry-on luggage and the saintly wife of Mr Thinking Stick, who went out this morning to get some boxer shorts from Carrefour for me. Jolly nice they are, too. Something to remember the trip by, if you will. Former colleague Penny Sim at LTS was quick enough in her Twitter and newsreading skills to find the Telegraph's topical cartoon that might just go someway to explaining my predicament. Thankfully, I have the Utechts to get me out of this particular crunch.
The thing about social media is that you have to be, ahem, social. That means you have to be in it, not anti-social by ignoring people or trashing others' work. It's a shame that one of the largest ad agencies out there, McCann Erickson, feels the need to rip-off others' work, without even a casual link out to the people they're attempting to copy.
Common Craft have for years now provided the web with superb, short, witty videos explaining the most complex areas of the live web. They have been viewed millions of times, blogged by thousands. They're part of the currency of the web, appearing on Governmental and company intranets and external sites. Why, then, have McCann repackaged/stolen the idea and produced something that's mediocre at best, plain boring rather than plain English? Their version of Web 2.0 in Plain English is presented by someone with a clean corporate accent, the images used tarnished by the polish of corporate graphic artists.
Any company or organisation stands to gain a heck of a lot more linking out to the talent that's there already, employing it if it needs something more specific than is currently provided. Fair enough, McCann's corporate customers may not be connected (yet) into the world of Common Craft, but McCann are in a position to create some real change by introducing them to the real literature, rather than the York Notes version of it.
Update: Having met a nice chap from McCann the other day, the video's inspiration has since been added. Good job, guys! :-)
It's rare that I do the "parachuting into a conference" kind of thing (in fact, I've never done it) and I've oft been heard lampooning the quacks and snakeoil salesman conference speakers who do. I like to get to know a location, its people, its goals well before I open my mouth to proclaim on what I happen to think is a useful way forward.
Unfortunately, with the desire to give my all to a new job, Learning 2.008 in Shanghai, China, is just that. Mea culpa, and I hope to make up for the lack of conversations I could have had in the days preceding this unconference-y conference over the next 46 hours. I'll have spent longer getting to and from Shanghai from Scotland than I will in situe, and have relied, jealously, on the morning views, sights, smells and random foot massages of my co-keynoters to fill in the cultural gaps I will undoubtedly miss this Friday and Saturday.
I'll enjoy this trip like many I've had this year, and have a slight tinge of sadness, too, as it marks the last of my long-haul endeavours for the forseeable future. This past year has been exceptional for my young family and me, beginning with a six week old Catriona making her maiden aeroplane voyage in a 60-hour round trip to New Zealand, where I presented to some of the most innovative, homogenous groups of 1400 people I have ever met. It's the only place where a session of cupstacking at breaktime ensued, involving some of the countries most senior education officials. The team at Core Education made us feel not like visitors, but like family, and took care of us (and Catriona) as if she was their own daughter. One of them is providing full circle this weekend in coming to Shanghai.
I've seen dedication to learning like no other in India, teachers who take innovation in their stride, quickly, and see the point behind the tool in terms of pedagogy. Brains like sponges, hearts of gold. I've been daunted by knowledgeable Canadians and heartened that there's always something new for everyone to learn. Frustrated everywhere with educators who think someone else will make the changes for them. Ready to hang and quarter the guys who came up with America's assessment regime.
Holland's educators inspired me with their respect for good design principles in learning, a desire for the process to be as elegant as the final product. Florida's language teacher community took me and my family into their home, figuratively and literally, and soaked up every opportunity to make learning (for themselves as well as their students) more engaging. My work with Alas Media in LA, soon to be released through Learning and Teaching Scotland's MFLE, made my want to move my family into their studio for a whole year in itself.
Ireland's opportunity to make a difference with nearly €250m, and my opportunity to help them, made me feel that those "up top" of the system really do have the learners' needs at their heart. Slovenia's seriously strong technology infrastructure and application of this to improve literacy blew me away.
Whichever shortsighted fool told us that the world was flat, I have a message in a bottle for you: it's not just spiky. It's undulating, with more variations than an American news columnist up a skyscraper could experience in a lifetime. It's full of people who want to connect, not so much on an equal (read: Western) basis, but on an equal basis of give and take, of compromise, of sharing of cultures. Why is it that technology can, sometimes, lead us to read from the same songsheet?
Personally, I prefer the countries where the music is incomprehensible. But beguiling. For all that I love the vibrance of cities with 25m inhabitants, and I've been in a few this year, the vibrance is astonishingly samey. It's when I've gone out to the smallest (and poorest) communities in the countryside where I've had the best craic, the most enrichening learning experiences, whether that is in the plains around Agra or the pubs of Islay. I do hope that the localised spikiness continues, undiluted by the global tools we create and use.
Pic: Shanghai