Get excited and make things

cc licensed flickr photo shared by moleitau

Not exactly a profound thought, but at its core what excites me most about the digital domain is that it helps ordinary people make media and share it, rather than simply consume what is fed to them. And of course, this is a fine example of appropriation and re-contextualization of an existing media symbol. I am not suggesting that all the effects of new media are positive. But it’s rare for me to go for long online where I don’t see an example of ‘ordinary’ people doing extraordinary things with digital tools.

My name is Brian Lamb, and I am one of the instructors for this year’s iteration of ETEC 540. In my ‘regular job’, I spend most of my time working through how social media can be used by educators and learners, and how the emerging open education movement might enhance the role of higher education in society. It’s my privilege and pleasure to work with many gifted peers at UBC and beyond, and I am excited and ready to make things with my new peers here in the Text Technologies course.