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Showing posts from January, 2009

The Last Lecture and First Penguins

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image from tldp.org I'm reading the Last Lecture book and can relate to Randy Pausch in quite a few ways.  Although I'm thankful not to have any terminal illness,  I can relate because I have children of similar age, teach, and I also grew up in Pittsburgh.  One thing of the many that I appreciate about his comments was his First Penguin Award that he gave out to the "glorious failures,"  those students who took a daring risk at doing something innovative yet crashed and burned. The education world consistently rewards success and punishes failures.  Whether it's SAT's or English papers or designing products.  It encourages students to do the safe thing.  Do the easy, conservative solution.  Do what the professor "likes." Uninspiring, yet slightly better than what was done before.  Design school can foster the same environment.   And you end up getting a dozen graduates whose portfolios look nearly identical.  Students are scared to death of faili

Hoima Bicycle Project Update January 2009

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Documentary Video I just completed a short film about the project called “Hoima Bicycle” and have been showing it to people here at the University and in Bellingham . It has generated much interest and many people have expressed their desire to help and support the project. The next showing will be at the Tabar design studio in downtown Bellingham Friday, January 16th, 2009. Showtime at 5:30pm. I plan on posting it in segments on YouTube soon. The preview is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk24vjFZB5k Window Magazine An article about the project has just been published in our Western Washington University magazine Window. Innovation Journal I’m also working with the editor of the Innovation Quarterly Journal for it’s forthcoming Winter 2009 edition. With all of this publicity, it helps to find others who are willing to support the project. I am gathering information and researching into determine how to continue the project. I need help from others in other