Open Knowledge Conference, Geneva 17th-18th September 2013
"In the last few years we've seen government open data initiatives grow from a handful to hundreds, and we've seen open data become important in areas such as research, culture and international development. This event will explore how open data is not only expanding geographically but also touching new sectors and new areas. How should governments and international institutions such as the UN react to these changes? How should business take advantage of new opportunities and contribute to the open data economy? How do citizens and civil society organizations turn data into accountability and into change?"
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
UK Reviewing the new Design & Technology Curriculum
Reviewing the new Design & Technology Curriculum
Westminster Education Forum National Curriculum Seminar Series 2013
Timing: Morning, Wednesday, 13th February 2013
Venue: Central London
"As the Government concludes its National Curriculum review, this timely seminar focuses on the content of the new curriculum for Design and Technology (D&T) for each Key Stage, due to be introduced into schools from September 2014 - as well as the implementation challenges for schools. It will bring together key policymakers with school and college leaders, teaching unions, universities, employers and other stakeholders.
Delegates will assess the opportunities and challenges presented by D&T's designation as a 'foundation' subject, with a much less prescriptive Programme of Study, as well as the level of teaching time required to deliver the new Programme and whether it meets the needs of employers, colleges and universities.
Sessions also focus on wider issues in D&T including the quality of facilities available in both primary and secondary schools in England, the profile and CPD opportunities for D&T teachers and the role that industry can play in the delivery of D&T in schools."
(Westminster Education Forum, UK)
Fig.1 Chicago Middle School students participate in an invention school workshop led by James Dyson as the James Dyson Foundation begins its mission to encourage more American students to become future engineers and inventors, at the Sir Miles Davis Academy in Chicago, May 5, 2011 [http://momandmore.com/2011/05/james-dyson-foundation-just-launched.html].
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Autumn 2012: Design and Social Innovation
"There is a growing interest in the role that design can play in catalysing, harnessing, spreading and scaling social innovation around the world. This is expressed in two key ways:
> by a growing number of professional designers and design disciplines applying their skills to addressing social issues; and
> by the adoption of design tools, techniques and methods by a growing number of other disciplines focused on developing social innovation.
Perhaps the most recognisable facet of this interest has been the rise of 'design thinking' not only in business, but increasingly in public service and policy fields. Fuelled by design agencies such as IDEO in the US, non-profit bodies such as the Design Council in the UK, and education institutions such as Stanford's 'd.school', design thinking has begun to be recognised as a key ingredient underpinning innovation (whether that be social innovation or not). Indeed, according to Sir George Cox, past chairman of the Design Council, design is what bridges creativity (the generation of new ideas) and innovation (the successful implementation of new ideas). In other words, design could be described as:
'the human power to conceive, plan, and realize products that serve human beings in the accomplishment of any individual or collective purpose' (Richard Buchanan, 2001)."
(Ingrid Burkett, Knowledge Connect)
Fig.1 AT.AW [http://www.at-aw.com]
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Open Video Alliance: futuring participatory culture
"As internet video matures, we face a crossroads: will technology and public policy support a more participatory culture - one that encourages and enables free expression and broader cultural engagement? Will video be woven into the fabric of the open web? Or will online video become a glorified TV-on-demand service? Open Video is a movement to promote free expression and innovation in online video through open standards, open source, and sharing."
(Open Video Alliance)
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
Beyond ad hocery: Defining Creative Industries
"This paper explores the rise of the creative industries, whose development marks an increasingly central element of contemporary economies, whose form is informational, global and networked. It begins with a discussion of the various ways in which the creative industries have been defined, in both policy statements and in the academic literature. It relates the development of the creative industries to three trends. First, it is connected to has the development of cultural industries as an object of public policy, as well as a critical rethinking of the best means by which cultural development can be supported through cultural policy. Second, the rise of the knowledge-based economy, and debates about the relationship between information, knowledge and creativity, have provided a stimulus to creative industries development. Third, the shift from manufacturing to services as the dominant employment sector has raised important issues about the nature of services sector employment and the services industry model. Finally, there is a discussion of the significance of creative industries development to the concept of cluster development and policies to promote the development of creative cities and regions, as part of the 'night time economy'."
(Terry Flew, 2002)
[Cultural Sites, Cultural Theory, Cultural Policy, The Second International Conference on Cultural Policy Research, Te Papa, Wellington, New Zealand, 23-26 January 2002 ]
CONTRIBUTOR
Simon PerkinsSHARE
