In response to reading Praxis 2.0: Escaping the edu-travelogue by Melanie Mcbride

what is really possible within institutional learning at a time of unprecedented access to the figures, communities and tools that allow learners an alternative means of learning that doesn’t involve “qualified” teachers, institutional spaces or curriculum selected on their behalf. As I see it, we can choose to deny this reality or attempt to find our place with in it.

It’s interesting because I was thinking the other day how much I rely on youtube/wikipedia for learning practical world things (like say, tying a tie or a new cooking technique). I got to thinking about how I used to be at good (read: involved with) math (I was slated to go into calc2 at George Mason at the beginning of my senior year of high school) and how quickly I sank at the end of calc 1 by not understanding what or how my teacher was trying to teach. I had gotten to the point where I could no longer teach myself. I imagined what might have happened if I had turned to youtube for help instead of saying “fuck it all, I’ll start making music.” I see now that they have thousands of videos for upper level math. Maybe I wouldn’t have shunned it altogether and focused all of my attention on English literature?

The choice and selection and use of particular content is as integral to remix as the act of editing and changing the meaning of those materials…
situating the use of copyrighted material as somehow less “creative” than making our own.

Collage art is still really appealing, but I can see how it could be read as “lesser” than say, an oil painting. I know that both, in large scale, take enormous amounts of time and effort, but I don’t necessarily think that more time and effort = better. Some things are just aesthetically more appealing and meaningful.

what we do in the classroom is mediated by the law. It is a far cry from what is happening outside of school. And they know it.

It’s always awkward to talk copyright law, especially regarding music, with older people. For some reason we (younger people, not trying to be ageist, just putting things into perspective) have a “sense of entitlement” (old people love saying this phrase, but they don’t realize that they’ve gotten rid of all terrestrial radio stations, all music television and all music magazines) when it comes to downloading content. I think this is because when I realized that the computer was used for more than just games, there was napster, and epitonic, and then grokster and then kazaa and then soulseek and mp3blogs and bittorrent. As I’ve grown, so has moving music grown.

My personal music taste and knowledge is based a lot on bands giving music away for free. I genuinely do like bands that would rather you hear their records that they made with their hands. I don’t like giant overproduced artists with major label backing that barely touch the music that they try to manipulate you into consuming. What’s interesting to me is a person making music and then sharing it with you. It’s personal. If you truly love a record, you will find a way to pay them back.

The part I challenge them on is not the political part but the “everybody does it” and the I don’t “care” part. Those are more worrying behaviours that really don’t tie to any real convictions one way or another. (via the comment section)

Don’t worry, I do it and I do care. CLLCT and Dogmazic are great examples of other people who do it and do care, which I take part in.

also, ds106 radio is technically illegal if anyone wants to whistle blow.

In response to Brian Lamb’s article:

You Are Listening to Los Angeles is something I’ve found myself opening in the background while staring off into space/ taking breaks from working. Mashup at it’s finest.

I think mashups are art, but there will always be old art incorporated into it. Everything is in conversation whether it wants to be or not. Art is art is art is fart.

I think already have an idea for a mashup video, where half of the content will be original, the other half will be that “this is your brain on drugs, egg smash” commercial. Yes, it will be food blogging related.

(also of minor note, I just found/realized the full screen toggle for wordpress. Farewell, notepad, you’ve treated me indifferently.)