This is an extended version of his excellent 2010 essay “The Internet: Everything You Ever Needed to Know.” The essay is an informative read for those unsure, unaware, insecure, or afraid of the internet…as well as those who believe the internet will fix education.

I’d also suggest that either those teachers who believe technology is the next phase of education as well as those teachers who still don’t have an email read Todd Oppenheimer’s article, “The Computer Delusion,” in conjunction with Naughton’s essay.

If interested, Oppenheimer’s essay became a highly informative and balanced expose regarding trends of technology and computers in classroom. Oppenheimer’s book, The Flickering Mind: Saving Education From the False Prophet of Technology is informative and packed with real-world examples and applications. Despite the title, Oppenheimer is not against technology, rather his is a cautious and informed approach.

A Google books preview is available here.

There’s also a good review–albeit leaning to the technology optimists’ side–here.

Because the book will not be available until the opening of 2012 here’s a few comments upon Naughton’s essay and forthcoming book:

From the byline of John Naughton’s Observer essay:

“In spite of all the answers the internet has given us, its full potential to transform our lives remains the great unknown. Here are the nine key steps to understanding the most powerful tool of our age – and where it’s taking us.”

From BoingBoing on John Naughton’s book:

“John Naughton’s latest book, From Gutenberg to Zuckerberg, What You Really Need to Know About the Internet, expands on his spectacular Observer feature article, “The internet: Everything you ever need to know”, which I [Corey Doctrow, of BoingBoing] described as “a marvel of economy, the kind of primer you want to slide under your boss’s door.”

Gutenberg to Zuckerberg fills an important gap in the published literature of the Internet: a fast, thoughtful, thought-provoking read for intelligent people who don’t quite get the Internet. We all know these sorts of people — often powerful and accomplished, but at a disadvantage in that they got their start before the net came along. These people struggle to put the Internet in perspective, buffeted on the one side by colleagues who reassure them by telling them that the transformative nature of the net is overstated; on the other by juniors, analysts and press who tell them that they’re doomed unless they rebuild their lives around the net.

Naughton, a seasoned business journalist, sums up the big, important effects that the Internet has in a very quick read, placing them in historical perspective, projecting to their plausible futures, warning of their imminent dangers. From copyright to collective action, from governance to e-commerce, Naughton’s book sets out, in reasonable, measured tones, the systemic underpinnings of the net’s disruptive power, and promises attentive readers the theoretical and practical grounding they need to separate hype from hope.”

It is available in the most recent (September) Harper’s magazine and, because he is a free-lance writer, I would urge people to purchase the magazine ($8) to read it because this will support both Harper’s and writers like Keizer.

It is also available in pdf form here. Again, I would urge you to buy the magazine to support writers like Keizer.

First, Roland Case’s The Critical Thinking Consortium (TC2) is a BC based organization that has been around for some time. I’ve talked to Roland several times over the years and have been to several of his professional development workshops: both as a secondary teacher and as an adult educator. He’s a dynamic, experienced, approachable, and humble fellow, and he’s a wealth of practical knowledge.

His organization’s website is here–look for the free publication: The Thinking Teacher available here. Just follow the links for the archives.

Second, folks may be interested in following this new initiative by the editor of The Skeptical Inquirer, Michael Shermer, here.

Shermer is putting out a call for teachers–of all levels–to send in their syllabi for critical thinking courses. His is posted and you can download it here.

Shermer’s is meant for a university level, but I think over time you’ll see quite a wide variety of syllabi posted online (check some of the comments already on the blog).

Third, I’ve been associated with the Foundation for Critical Thinking for several years now and I’ve found them to be an incredible resource. They are a bit formulaic, but once you’ve gotten used to their approach you realize that it is quite an efficient and directly applicable one.

You can order their critical thinking guides. They are quite useful, informative, and cheap.

You can peruse sections of the pamphlets online.

The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking: Concepts and Tools

The Thinker’s Guide to Analytic Thinking

The Thinker’s Guide to Educational Fads Which is, I’d suggest, a must read for teachers!

Fourth, Carl Sagan’s “Baloney Detection Kit” is an invaluable and simple approach to understanding what we can do when we find ourselves–teachers and students alike–faced with overwhelming and often contradictory claims about the world and the products around us. It can be downloaded for free here.

This version is a re-presentation of Sagan’s from Michael Shermer’s TED lecture, available here.

Sagan’s original “Baloney Detection Kit” can be found either in his excellent book, Demon Haunted World, or you can find an edited version on Google Books here.

This is a book I cannot suggest strong enough to anyone interested in critical thinking.

A fine tribute and who better to send Jack off than Stephen Lewis.

As Jack noted in his letter: “Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world. We can be a better one – a country of greater equality, justice, and opportunity. We can build a prosperous economy and a society that shares its benefits more fairly. We can look after our seniors. We can offer better futures for our children. We can do our part to save the world’s environment. We can restore our good name in the world…”

“We’re all shaken by grief,” Lewis stated, “but I believe we’re all being steadied by a new resolve, and I see that resolve in words written in chalk, and in a fresh determination on people’s faces; a resolve to honour Jack by bringing the politics of respect for all, respect for the earth, and respect for principle and generosity back to life.”

One of the most important messages in Mr. Lewis’ eulogy was, I believe, his referring to Canada specifically as a ‘social democracy’ as opposed to our now ill-fitting ‘constitutional monarchy’.

Lewis ends with this apt quote from Arundhati Roy: “‎Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing.”

Will Canadians stand to this resolve..? Will we listen for her breathing..?

Will the momentum–the message–build or will we let it dwindle…

Today, Canada lost one of its most important political leaders.

Jack Layton, irrespective of political affiliations, was one of the few politicians Canadians felt inspired by–a rare thing in these days of cynicism and apathy.

His last “Letter to Canadians” is here.

On this website are also links to send condolences to his family.

The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers (etc) people consider supporting the fight against cancer, or donate to the Broadbent Institute opening this fall.

Jack Layton: 1950-2011

Part One: The View From Within

Part Two: Schools As Reflections Of Society At Large

Perhaps all those who so acclaimed the mockumentary, “Waiting for Superman,” will be as enthusiastic about this documentary…

Victor has been a teacher for a very, very long time. He was also the editor and a long time contributor to the Adult Education PSA Journal.

He will be missed in Surrey by his colleagues and students. We wish him a happy and long retirement.

All the best Victor in your retirement.

Surrey Adult Educators.