Just publish

I found the Do Lectures today. Similar to TED, these talks highlight great ideas and bring them to the public via the use of video. Unlike TED, each speaker is required to issue a "Do" statement, requesting that the audience take action.

In his "Do" Talk, which can be found below, Craig Mod, focuses on how digital media is giving the publishing world a new life rather than destroying it.

Mod wrote Kickstartup, which documents how he used Kickstarter to get his book Art Space Tokyo published after it had been out of print. He states that this model can be recreated by anyone in order to re-think what it means to publish in a digital world.

In his talk, Mod's request or "Do" was that everyone:

1. Read digital artifacts


2. Publish

In a world where text can now become interactive and the restrictions that prevent publishing have become almost zero, the value of publishing as an educational pathway has never been more evident.

But I don't mean having students writing a blog for grade and for the blog to have no meaning. Good writing does not come from pressure to preform for a grade, good writing starts with a passion.

If students engage in something that matters to them, are given a voice, and develop an audience, learning WILL happen.

If the passion is there, it will be nurtured and fed. If the passion is there, a community will develop. If the passion is there, the student will become an AUTHOR.

If every student published a blog that was driven by their passion, learning will happen not because it was required by the teacher for a grade but because the student cared. Learning is not something you force. It is something that grows. If we give students a platform for a passion, it will can become the perfect vehicle for learning while also providing them a sense of self worth and pride.

So, do me a favor and have each of your students grant Mod's request - Just Publish