<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16LE"?> <?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="/~d/styles/rss2full.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css"?><rss xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0" version="2.0"> <channel> <title>Lightweight Community-Based Manufacturing</title> <link>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing.aspx</link> <description>Ad hoc factories and job shops enable flexible, fast, and customized production, unlike fabrication by assembly lines and dedicated factories. Physical goods can be made - or recycled and remade - on small, specific scales, ideal for personal or local projects. Anyone can become a player - buyer, producer, designer - in the manufacturing arena. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Reduce your manufacturing costs with &lt;a href="http://pchchinasolutions.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;PCH International&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use a &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tool-lending_libraries" class="active_link" target="_blank"&gt;tool library&lt;/a&gt; near you to create your own learning project &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find out if your community gives new life to old electronics, as does the &lt;a href="http://www.accrc.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Alameda County Computer Resource Center (ACCRC)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Donate or procure hands-on learning materials from &lt;a href="http://www.raft.net/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Resource Area for Teacher (RAFT)&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Donate 3-D production tools from &lt;a href="http://www.zcorp.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Z Corporation&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href="http://www.shopbottools.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;ShopBot Tools&lt;/a&gt; to your local school, library, or community center &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Diane Demee-Benoit, previously with the George Lucas Foundation, notes how open-source programs and products are changing the economy, and by engaging the collective wisdom of others we have the opportunity to create new services for others.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CCclMnFNCLo&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp&amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" allowscriptaccess="always" /&gt; </description> <name>Lightweight Community-Based Manufacturing</name> <atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing" /><feedburner:info uri="lightweight-community-based-manufacturing" /><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" /><item> <title>The Maker Economy (Driver of Change)</title> <description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Personal fabrication technologies and open-source principles democratize production and design&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; New forms of bottom-up social networking and economic coordination, along with advances in small-scale, community-based fabrication and design, transform local economies in the next decade, enabling productive flexibility that will help cushion against economic instability. New tools, including 3D printers (desktop printers that print out objects, parts, and components), computercontrolled machine tools (such as laser cutters), and online networking applications (that allow designers, consumers, tinkerers, and artisans to share blueprints, solutions, and how-to knowledge) will enable local communities to  make their own economic futures - to innovate, customize, design, and create solutions to meet local needs. Schools, community centers, and local businesses will become important hubs of design knowledge, rapid prototyping, and problem-solving skills that will increase local interdependencies and resilience, redefining relationships with the broader economy. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;What new skills are required for the maker economy, and what industrial and knowledge economy skills remain important?  &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;What new models of education suggested by the maker economy transcend industrial-age, assembly-line models? &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;More on This Topic&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; Two future forces, one mostly social, one mostly technological, are intersecting to transform how goods, services, and experiences - the "stuff" of our world - will be designed, manufactured, and distributed over the next decade:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;An &lt;strong&gt;emerging do-it-yourself culture of "makers"&lt;/strong&gt; is boldly voiding warranties to tweak, hack, and customize the products they buy. And what they can t purchase, they build from scratch. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Meanwhile, &lt;strong&gt;flexible manufacturing technologies&lt;/strong&gt;, such as 3D desktop printers that allows users to print out parts and components, will change fabrication from massive and centralized to lightweight and ad hoc. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;These trends sit atop a platform of &lt;strong&gt;grassroots economics - &lt;/strong&gt;new market structures enabled by technologies of cooperation that embody a shift from stores and sales to communities and connections.  These makers are also helping craft a culture of tinkering, sharing, hacking, remixing, and collaborating.  They are blending open-source principles (in which code, blueprints, and designs are shared openly for the purposes of catalyzing innovations) with making practices that celebrate individual craftsmanship and ingenuity.  &lt;a href="http://www.makezine.com/"&gt;Maker Magazine &lt;/a&gt;and their eponymous &lt;a href="/signal/Maker-Faire.aspx"&gt;Maker Faire &lt;/a&gt;are examples of ways that home producers, hackers, and tinkerers gather and share their creations. &lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;In the maker economy, "do it yourself" is becoming &lt;strong&gt;"do it ourselves,"&lt;/strong&gt; as social technologies are amplifying individual makers and stimulating &lt;a href="/trend/Citizen-RD.aspx"&gt;citizen R&amp;amp;D&lt;/a&gt;. These emerging industrial markets are driven not solely by profit but also by play - genuine excitement about making is inspiring these artisan networks.  They use social media sites, such as &lt;a href="/signal/Instructables.aspx"&gt;Instructables&lt;/a&gt; to explain their inventions and creations to others. They develop close connections with their markets and communities, tapping this relationship in order to develop new ideas, iterations, and solicit feedback. They participate in solutions markets like &lt;a href="/signal/Innocentive.aspx"&gt;InnoCentive&lt;/a&gt; to solve design, technical, and scientific problems that lead to new products and solutions. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; The maker culture will not replace industrial society, but &lt;strong&gt;traditional manufacturers and the maverick makers will remain inevitably linked - &lt;/strong&gt;sometimes cooperating, sometimes competing, but frequently blurring the boundaries that separate them. Success will occur when the two cultures are woven together in new and interesting ways.  Look for the rise in makers, &lt;a href="/trend/Networked-Artisans.aspx"&gt;networked artisans&lt;/a&gt;, and ad hoc factories to redefine the significance and role of the industrial arts and crafts in society.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Implications for Learning&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;The emergence of the maker economy will increase the status of the industrial arts and crafts as it becomes a source of economic and social innovation and customization.  The maker economy will draw inspiration from local communities and markets, yet collaborate and share knowledge at a global level.   &lt;/p&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;Expect the maker economy to &lt;strong&gt;influence traditional curriculums&lt;/strong&gt;, school to work programs, and vocational training.  &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;The maker economy will give new meaning to efforts in &lt;strong&gt;project-based learning and purpose driven knowledge acquisition. &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Design &lt;/strong&gt;will become an effective entry to learning critical skills, ranging from designing production teams and work processes to physical goods themselves.  &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Cooperation&lt;/strong&gt; across disciplines, skill domains, and national boundaries will trump competition as makers demonstrate the value of open, cooperative practices. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kinetic learning&lt;/strong&gt; from interacting with physical objects and materials will open up new ways to experience complex concepts and principles. &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ul&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5 Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use a &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tool-lending_libraries" target="_blank"&gt;tool library &lt;/a&gt;near you to create your own learning project &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Trade something you don't need any more for something you want on &lt;a href="http://www.swapthing.com/home/index.jsp" target="_blank"&gt;Swapthing&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Create and sell your own ideas and goods at &lt;a href="http://www.ponoko.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Ponoko &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Earn money for research on various projects at &lt;a href="http://www.innocentive.com/" target="_blank"&gt;Innocentive &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Donate your idle time on your computer to science through the &lt;a href="http://folding.stanford.edu/" target="_blank"&gt;Folding@home &lt;/a&gt;project or the &lt;a href="http://boinc.berkeley.edu/" target="_blank"&gt;BOINC&lt;/a&gt; project &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/kBMTwkmLpRs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/kBMTwkmLpRs/The-Maker-Economy.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/driver/The-Maker-Economy.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Beta Building (Trend)</title> <description>Transparency, collaboration, and rapid iteration create a beta culture displaying open critique and reflective practice. In a world of transparency and open contribution, collective creation and critique, and rapid iteration, &lt;i&gt;beta&lt;/i&gt; status (a stage of testing and refinement) is a norm. But in this world, &lt;i&gt;beta&lt;/i&gt; is fully functional, just open to improvement. &lt;i&gt;Beta&lt;/i&gt; building reflects both a mindset that any product or process can be improved, and the platforms that encourage input and enable revision. Organizations engaging in &lt;i&gt;beta&lt;/i&gt; building must be comfortable with open authorship making things transparent even when  incomplete  and participating in a community of contribution. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Focus on fostering imagination, creativity, thoughtfulness, and collaboration over providing training on specific technologies that will soon be outmoded &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Be a citizen journalist by contributing to &lt;a href="http://www.nowpublic.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;NowPublic&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Create an internal wiki to collaborate within your organization with one of the tools listed at &lt;a href="http://www.wikimatrix.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;WikiMatrix&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Announce real-time organizational updates to the public using &lt;a href="http://www.twitter.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Twitter&lt;/a&gt; or within your organization using &lt;a href="http://www.yammer.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Yammer&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Adopt &lt;a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iterative_design" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;iterative design&lt;/a&gt; principles throughout your organization &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt; &lt;/p&gt; &lt;div class="watch-video-desc description"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Henry Lowood, Curator for History of Science &amp;amp; Technology Collections at Stanford, and Henrik Bennetsen from the Stanford Humanities Lab speak on how virtual worlds and sharing of information can have a dramatic impact on education.&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2OHKi7_E7ok&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp&amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/a2j5k96_jm4" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/a2j5k96_jm4/Beta-Building.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Beta-Building.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Smart Localism (Trend)</title> <description>Smart networking, data transparency, and bottom-up monitoring enable responsive, open decision-making. New local monitoring tools, information sharing platforms, and networking practices support smart intra-community coordination. Camera phones, wikis, meet-ups, map mash-ups all are enabling new strategies for dealing with complex challenges that play out at local levels. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use data-driven decision-making to assess student learning as well as the effectiveness of learning agents in supporting them &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Form a group in your community to respond to the challenges of Peak Oil and Climate Change through &lt;a href="http://www.transitiontowns.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Transition Towns&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Learn about how the &lt;a href="http://www.dangerousground.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Dangerous Ground&lt;/a&gt; project tracks landmines &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Read this blog post on a &lt;a href="http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/12/06/the-personal-outsourcing-olympics-bangalore-butler-or-american-assistant/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;four hour workweek&lt;/a&gt; and outsource your personal chores &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Start a &lt;a href="http://www.thegroupery.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Groupery&lt;/a&gt; site for your local PTA, after-school club, or other group to get organized and raise money &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Jessica Margolin, Director of Communities at The Groupery, speaks about efficient ways PTA's and other communities can organize and fundraise, and the impact these services have on education and getting the for-profit and non-profit sectors to work together.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/hfFQxhC8cJM&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp&amp;showinfo=0;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/Rgv_PlWNOro" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/Rgv_PlWNOro/Smart-Localism.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Smart-Localism.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Learning Grids (Trend)</title> <description>Smart-networked resource providers and learning agents create lightweight, modular learning infrastructures. These distributed, decentralized education systems can expand easily, adapt to emerging education needs, and foster communication and coordination. What results are smart education grids, in which learning flows efficiently and synergistically.&lt;br /&gt;  &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Advocate reward structures that give teachers incentives for sharing and creating collective educational resources &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Advocate for agile and smart school technical infrastructure that enables connections among all devices and has capacity to link to other schools &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Establish educator-business partnerships to develop learning content &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find opportunities to make use of the range of material or the instructional model offered by the UK's &lt;a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Open University&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Take a course from &lt;a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/web/home/home/index.htm" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;MIT OpenCourseWare&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Track South Africa's progress in its quest to create a nationwide &lt;a href="http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/South_African_Curriculum" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;open curriculum&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/06nLYC9OEWs" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/06nLYC9OEWs/Learning-Grids.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Learning-Grids.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Shadow "Schools" (Trend)</title> <description>&lt;p&gt;Super-empowered, networked learning agents leverage the growing learning economy to enable provisional learning systems. These informal education systems operate alongside the public institution. These  shadow schools offer learning environments that are highly responsive to local education needs but are independent of the formal system. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Advocate reward structures that give teachers incentives for sharing and creating collective educational resources&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Encourage teacher preparation institutions to move away from courses and toward issue- or project-based learning experiences that will help candidates prepare for future learning environments&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find some budget figures and success for &lt;a href="http://www.afterschoolnetwork.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Afterschool Funding&lt;/a&gt; in California, and apply them to your city or region&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Read about the origins of the &lt;a href="http://www.hole-in-the-wall.com/Beginnings.html" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Hole-in-the-Wall&lt;/a&gt; project and how children learned to use a computer on their own&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Learn about &lt;a href="http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school.html" target="_blank"&gt;826 Valencia&lt;/a&gt;, a tutoring center that started with 12 tutors and grew to 1400 in one community &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/jLlKwHkYvx8" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/jLlKwHkYvx8/Shadow-Schools.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Shadow-Schools.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Networked Artisans (Trend)</title> <description>Solo inventors, tinkerers, and craftsmen form networks to collaborate and celebrate their creations. Connected, they can iterate and innovate rapidly, and they re often driven much more by shared excitement than by financial rewards. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Have your next learning project featured at &lt;a href="http://makerfaire.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Maker Faire&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Find ideas for your next project at &lt;a href="http://www.evilmadscientist.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Evil Mad Scientist Laboratories&lt;/a&gt; or on &lt;a href="http://www.instructables.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Instructables&lt;/a&gt;; build it and then teach someone else how&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Join your local &lt;a href="http://www.freecycle.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Freecycle Network&lt;/a&gt; to exchange things for free in your area&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Trade something you don't need any more for something you want on &lt;a href="http://www.swapthing.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Swapthing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Diane Demee-Benoit, previously with the George Lucas Foundation, notes how open-source programs and products are changing the economy, and by engaging the collective wisdom of others we have the opportunity to create new services for others.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CCclMnFNCLo&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/nVhgq48hNLQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/nVhgq48hNLQ/Networked-Artisans.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Networked-Artisans.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Personal Fabrication and Design (Trend)</title> <description>Better desktop tools, 3D printers, and digital machinery democratize the machine shop. Anyone can experiment with making cool things. Cheaper, more user-friendly interfaces empower individuals to draft their own designs and even manufacture them themselves. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Create t-shirts for events or schools &lt;a href="http://www.cafepress.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;CafePress&lt;/a&gt; or &lt;a href="http://www.threadless.com" target="_blank"&gt;Threadless&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use &lt;a href="http://www.fabathome.org" target="_blank"&gt;Fab@home&lt;/a&gt; as an inspiration for your next learning project &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Customize a gift for your favorite digital citizen with &lt;a href="http://www.fabjectory.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Fabjectory&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Bring  your digital creations to life with 3D printing (see &lt;a href="http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/the_web/article1839765.ece" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt; Microtrends: Printing in 3D &lt;/a&gt;) &lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Create and sell your own ideas and goods at &lt;a href="http://www.ponoko.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Ponoko&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Diane Demee-Benoit, previously with the George Lucas Foundation, notes how open-source programs and products are changing the economy, and by engaging the collective wisdom of others we have the opportunity to create new services for others.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CCclMnFNCLo&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/P7Jj5h9DWak" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/P7Jj5h9DWak/Personal-Fabrication-and-Design.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Personal-Fabrication-and-Design.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Citizen R&amp;D (Trend)</title> <description>Makers reach out to their markets and communities to ideate, iterate, and solicit feedback. Research and development is no longer relegated to a lab where only  experts are welcome. &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;Ways to Start Taking Action&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;ol&gt; &lt;li&gt;Explore the love of a father for his daughter on &lt;a href="http://mydaughtersdna.org/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;My Daughter s DNA&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Use courses and protocols in biology and engineering for your next lesson plan from &lt;a href="http://openwetware.org/wiki/Main_Page" target="_blank"&gt;Open Wetware &lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Contribute to the body of global climate data through the NASA &lt;a href="http://www.globe.gov/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;GLOBE&lt;/a&gt; project&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Earn money for research on various projects at &lt;a href="http://www.innocentive.com/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;Innocentive&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;Donate your idle time on your computer to science through the &lt;a href="http://folding.stanford.edu/" target="_blank"&gt;Folding@home &lt;/a&gt;project or the &lt;a href="http://boinc.berkeley.edu/" class="jive-link-external-small" target="_blank"&gt;BOINC&lt;/a&gt; project&lt;/li&gt; &lt;/ol&gt; &lt;p style="margin-bottom: 0in"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Diane Demee-Benoit, previously with the George Lucas Foundation, notes how open-source programs and products are changing the economy, and by engaging the collective wisdom of others we have the opportunity to create new services for others.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;br /&gt; &lt;a href="&lt;object width=" height="364"&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CCclMnFNCLo&amp;amp;hl=en&amp;amp;fs=1&amp;amp;rel=0&amp;amp;border=1" width="445" height="364" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" wmode="transparent" allowfullscreen="true" /&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/fdSnZgBG7JY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/fdSnZgBG7JY/Citizen-RD.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/trend/Citizen-RD.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Rockefeller Engages Designers to Create User-driven Social Innovations (Signal)</title> <description>The Rockefeller Foundation now funds the IDEO, the premier product design firm, to work with non-profits in developing solutions to social problems.  IDEO's process, which gives consumers a voice in product development, is now consulting with "beneficiaries" of grants.  Examples include a developer of hearing aids for poor people in rural India, and a group in Boston using the idea of positive deviance to reduce hospital infection rates.  The Boson group is also working on cultivating non-coorup behavior among government officials in developing countries: they find that much corruption stems from a lack of ethical skills, rather than an intent to hurt people.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/TMbP6XsUdyc" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/TMbP6XsUdyc/Rockefeller-Engages-Designers-to-Create-User-driven-Social-Innovations.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Rockefeller-Engages-Designers-to-Create-User-driven-Social-Innovations.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>AfriGadget (Signal)</title> <description>AfriGadget is a website dedicated to showcasing African ingenuity in solving everyday problems. A team of bloggers and readers contribute their pictures, videos and stories from around the continent to share inspiring stories of innovation.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/sbdfUBKAgtU" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/sbdfUBKAgtU/AfriGadget.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/AfriGadget.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>MIT s Fab Lab (Signal)</title> <description>MIT Fab Labs are located all over the world,  providing people access to modern means for invention.   They are sharing the digital revolution in fabrication, in which the digital world relates to the physical world in new ways. They let ordinary people create technology that fabricates. The work is moving toward the invention of an atom-based Star Trek replicator.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/p0v6Et97Ckk" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/p0v6Et97Ckk/MITe28099s-Fab-Lab.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/MITe28099s-Fab-Lab.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Shopbottools (Signal)</title> <description>Shopbottools sells affordable CNC (computer numerical control) routers that cut, drill, carve, surface, and machine wood, plastics, and non-ferrous metals.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/RB53XfRwCBA" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/RB53XfRwCBA/Shopbottools.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Shopbottools.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Z Corporation (Signal)</title> <description>Z Corporation develops, manufactures, and markets the world s fastest 3D printers -   machines that produce handheld models quickly, easily, and inexpensively from computer-aided design ( CAD ) and other digital data - and the world's most portable 3D scanners.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/1PG_aQ0LQV8" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/1PG_aQ0LQV8/Z-Corporation.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Z-Corporation.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Resource Area for Teacher (RAFT) (Signal)</title> <description>Sophisticated recycling methods create an accessible supply of computer equipment and other resources for local inexpensive use. Some centers specifically aim to empower schools, nonprofits, and families with electronics they wouldn t be able to afford otherwise.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/KrOtxkXwdYQ" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/KrOtxkXwdYQ/Resource-Area-for-Teacher-(RAFT).aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Resource-Area-for-Teacher-(RAFT).aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Alameda County Computer Resource Center (ACCRC) (Signal)</title> <description>ACCRC recycles electronic equipment and donates it to non-profits, schools, or needy individuals.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/dbwAVRPgwAg" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/dbwAVRPgwAg/Alameda-County-Computer-Resource-Center-(ACCRC).aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/Alameda-County-Computer-Resource-Center-(ACCRC).aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>PCH International (Signal)</title> <description>PCH International is a world-class supply chain management company whose integrated production system based in China but sprawling internationally enables rapid small-scale manufacturing.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/g6SYqUmX01Q" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/g6SYqUmX01Q/PCH-International.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/PCH-International.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>TechShop (Signal)</title> <description>TechShop is a fully-equipped open-access machine and design workshop that lets you drop in any time and work on your own projects at your own pace. It is like a health club with tools and equipment instead of exercise equipment...or a Kinko's for geeks, or anyone who wants to be able to make things that they dream up but don't have the tools, space or skills.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/BJ9kAFY2Anw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/BJ9kAFY2Anw/TechShop.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/signal/TechShop.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Edu-vator (Learning Agent)</title> <description>Edu-vators will build platform prototypes, experiment with new tools, evaluate new practices, and generally explore innovations in the learning sphere. They will team with learners, who will get credit for being in  edu-vation workshops. &lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/ogvkpRTb-RA" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/ogvkpRTb-RA/Edu-vator.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/learningagent/Edu-vator.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Diane Demee-Benoit notes how we are moving from economies of scales to economies of groups (Resource)</title> <description>Diane, previously with the George Lucas Foundation, notes how open-source programs and products are changing the economy, and by engaging the collective wisdom of others we have the opportunity to create new services for others.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/NyyT2k2OmN0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/NyyT2k2OmN0/Diane-Demee-Benoit-notes-how-we-are-moving-from-economies-of-scales-to-economies-of-groups.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Diane-Demee-Benoit-notes-how-we-are-moving-from-economies-of-scales-to-economies-of-groups.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Future of Education Community (Resource)</title> <description>This community is devoted to providing an opportunity for those who care about education to share their voices and ideas with others. It's a place for thoughtful discussion on an incredibly important topic.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/WTx4ZblAkvw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/WTx4ZblAkvw/Future-of-Education-Community.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Future-of-Education-Community.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Lifelong Learning, Knowledge Exchange And Collaboration In The E-Learning City (Resource)</title> <description>By Katriina Schrey-Niemenmaa and Michael Duhaime. The city of Espoo, Finland, won the European Union prize for e-learning in 2006&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/fJxw9YFoKZk" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/fJxw9YFoKZk/Lifelong-Learning2c-Knowledge-Exchange-And-Collaboration-In-The-E-Learning-City.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Lifelong-Learning2c-Knowledge-Exchange-And-Collaboration-In-The-E-Learning-City.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>"BioMobileLab" Offers Top-Notch Science Lessons (Resource)</title> <description>Schmahl Science brings together Silicon Valley's scientists, teachers and science professionals for student workshops in classrooms that spark interest in science and technology. The  BioMobileLab (traveling science laboratory) is designed to serve junior and senior high school students in San Jose, California's poorest neighborhoods. The BioMobileLab - which runs on bio-diesel - provides the equipment for advanced biology experiments, including powerful microscopes whose images can be projected on a flat video screen. The lab also has a DNA thermocycler which takes small amounts of DNA for analysis. It lets students conduct college-level scientific investigations in molecular biology, chromatography, cell culture and cancer biology, plant biology, microbiology and biochemistry.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/aBG6WXsgJao" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/aBG6WXsgJao/BioMobileLab-Offers-Top-Notch-Science-Lessons.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/BioMobileLab-Offers-Top-Notch-Science-Lessons.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Japan Eyes Robots to Support Aging Population (Resource)</title> <description>Japanese researchers are racing to build smart robots to serve the needs of the elderly in a country where 40% of the population will be over 65 by 2055. New types of robots will play a major role as there won't be enough people to do many jobs. Researchers from University of Tokyo's Graduate School of Information Science and Technology now work with counterparts from 7 leading Japanese firms to develop robotic and information technology leading to a new generation of robots in the next 15 years.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/UV4m7vRmq3c" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/UV4m7vRmq3c/Japan-Eyes-Robots-to-Support-Aging-Population.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Japan-Eyes-Robots-to-Support-Aging-Population.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Earthquakes Bring Attention to Seismically Unsafe (Resource)</title> <description>In the wake of the disastrous collapse of over 7,000 "classrooms" and the death of 10,000 students (estimates are closely controlled by the Chinese government) in China after May 12's devastating earthquake, American seismologists are assessing the sturdiness of schools in the U.S., writes Andrew Revkin in the New York Times blog Dot Earth. The Pacific Northwest, seems most vulnerable. According to Yumei Wang, geohazards team leader for the state of Oregon, approximately 1,300 schools there have "a very high probability of collapse." Washington State is similarly vulnerable. Wang states that "what are sorely needed are long-term, institutionalized, government-funded programs to help school districts mitigate their high-occupancy, collapse-prone schools." Oregon is establishing a grant program to do this, but Wang cautions that the retrofitting of schools and other critical infrastructure will take decades and could cost up to $2 billion.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/CdrK30ruc2w" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/CdrK30ruc2w/Earthquakes-Bring-Attention-to-Seismically-Unsafe.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Earthquakes-Bring-Attention-to-Seismically-Unsafe.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>At Starbucks, Songs of Instant Gratification (Resource)</title> <description>New technology allows coffee patrons to download the music playing in Starbucks stores to their iPhones or laptops. This begins a wave of options for impulse purchases. More capable gadgets, coupled with mobile payment mechanisms, allow people to buy not just media, (music, videos and ring tones), but also hard goods, on the go. This evolution follows the popularity of debit, gift and refill cards, which allow buyers to fill accounts and make cashless payments. Payments made with those cards exceed the payments made by cash and check, according to the Nilson Report, a credit industry newsletter, which used Commerce Department data.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/dfSPUzIgwM0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/dfSPUzIgwM0/At-Starbucks2c-Songs-of-Instant-Gratification.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/At-Starbucks2c-Songs-of-Instant-Gratification.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Make Magazine Blog and Maker Faire (Resource)</title> <description>MAKE brings the do-it-yourself mindset to all the technology in one s life. MAKE is loaded with exciting projects that help anyone make the most of technology at home and away from home. This is an on-line magazine that celebrates the right to tweak, hack, and bend any technology at will.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/urmIf6fFo40" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/urmIf6fFo40/Make-Magazine-Blog-and-Maker-Faire.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Make-Magazine-Blog-and-Maker-Faire.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>E-textbooks May Not Be Cheaper than Printed Ones (Resource)</title> <description>Critics of high-cost college textbooks have pointed to online digital textbooks, usually half the price of print editions, as an affordable alternative. However, a new report says commercial e-textbooks are no cheaper than hard-copy editions considering that students can sell print books back to the bookstore for half the cover price. And restrictions on printing and online access make commercial e-books unfeasible for many students.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/osbOa3fb4JI" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/osbOa3fb4JI/E-textbooks-May-Not-Be-Cheaper-than-Printed-Ones.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/E-textbooks-May-Not-Be-Cheaper-than-Printed-Ones.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Institute for the Future Technology Horizons Program (Resource)</title> <description>Given concerns for security, flexibility, and health risks, centralized infrastructure will no longer be key to economic progress. New materials and technologies will make it possible to use more flexible infrastructures for transportation, people and information.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/dN6ydLNX_50" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/dN6ydLNX_50/Institute-for-the-Future-Technology-Horizons-Program.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Institute-for-the-Future-Technology-Horizons-Program.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Hewlett-Packard Awards $7 Million Through  Technology for Teaching Intitiative (Resource)</title> <description>Hewlett-Packard has announced cash and in-kind grants of more than $7 million to 172 schools across the United States and Puerto Rico as part of its HP Technology for Teaching initiative.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/O_kkhWp49Ik" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/O_kkhWp49Ik/Hewlett-Packard-Awards-247-Million-Through-e2809cTechnology-for-Teachinge2809d-Intitiative.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Hewlett-Packard-Awards-247-Million-Through-e2809cTechnology-for-Teachinge2809d-Intitiative.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Feral Cities - The New Strategic Environment (Resource)</title> <description>Richard Norton of the Naval War College lays out his vision of the feral city.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/SuIkw5w49hw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/SuIkw5w49hw/Feral-Cities---The-New-Strategic-Environment.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Feral-Cities---The-New-Strategic-Environment.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>HP s New Discovery Could Lead to Better Memory (Resource)</title> <description>A new discovery at Hewlett-Packard Co. has big implications. Scientists have speculated that basic electrical circuits have a natural ability to  remember things even if the power is turned off. Now HP researchers has a discovery they hope will lead to memory chips that store more data but consume less power than found in today's personal computers and other digital devices. The newly found circuit element--called a "memristor," (memory resistor) will enable cell phones to go for weeks without a charge, PCs to start up instantly, and laptops to retain session information long after battery death. That may help classroom computing where educators must squeeze lessons into 40- or 50-minute periods so saving computer boot-up time is crucial. The discovery may challenge flash memory, widely used in portable electronics for its ability to retain information when power is off. Chips incorporating the HP discovery would be faster, use less power, and take far less space than flash.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/YnTWQtAyxqE" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/YnTWQtAyxqE/HPe28099s-New-Discovery-Could-Lead-to-Better-Memory.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/HPe28099s-New-Discovery-Could-Lead-to-Better-Memory.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Green School Buildings Making A Surge (Resource)</title> <description>Environmentally friendly schools can reduce energy costs ... and improve learning. School systems nationwide are beginning to realize the benefits of "going green" when building new schools, according to experts who follow school construction trends. Though the initial building costs can run higher, schools are seeing a return on their up-front investment through a reduction in monthly energy costs. Green schools are also witnessing a boost in student achievement resulting from more healthy, productive, and comfortable learning environments.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/OLzT4zB11ao" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/OLzT4zB11ao/Green-School-Buildings-Making-A-Surge.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Green-School-Buildings-Making-A-Surge.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Rapid Rise in How-To Instructions Online (Resource)</title> <description>What is eHow.com? Whatever a person wants to learn to do (Tie a tie, lose weight, negotiate a raise, etc.) the eHow"! database of over 100,000 articles can help. It's the popular place to find instructions on how to do almost everything. Monthly, over 8 million people visit the site. It has more than 100,000 articles professionally written with directions on how to do things. It also has a growing library of articles created by eHow's members. Members love sharing their knowledge with the world and use this platform for everyone to share their knowledge with others. Anyone who becomes an eHow member will be able to comment on articles and interact with other members through a robust set of social networking tools. They can even write their own How -To articles with the easy-to-use publishing tools that let members express their knowledge through text, images, and video. eHow's community is changing the way people share and learn information.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/oQrK5cvFeII" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/oQrK5cvFeII/Rapid-Rise-in-How-To-Instructions-Online.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Rapid-Rise-in-How-To-Instructions-Online.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>New Orleans Offers Students Laptops (Resource)</title> <description>Nearly 4,000 New Orleans high school students this month received laptops as part of a $53 million technology initiative by the Recovery School District that aims to modernize some of the nation s most rundown classrooms and improve achievement in a city where most students struggle to meet basic academic standards. Mr. Vallas, a veteran urban schools chief, in charge of the state-run district since July, said the laptops are part of a broader effort to introduce academic reforms, improve instruction, and raise expectations for the roughly 13,000 students in the 33 schools that he directly oversees. For decades, many struggling schools in the city did not even issue students their own textbooks&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/rYG7wK1WrGg" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/rYG7wK1WrGg/New-Orleans-Offers-Students-Laptops.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/New-Orleans-Offers-Students-Laptops.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Comfortable Classrooms: Students Don't Have to Squeeze (Resource)</title> <description>Most public schools today are 20th century adaptations of the schools in the original American colonies. In the industrial version of schools, students became products to be passed from grade to grade until sufficiently educated to work in a factory. School buildings reflected this ultimate goal, with classroom after similar classroom aligned along each side of a corridor, and regimental rows of hard chairs symbolizing strict attention and serious purpose. Nothing about the industrial school model required comfort as a precondition for success. Even though no research or evidence supports this idea, a myth persists to this day that an uncomfortable school is probably good because it creates self-disciplined kids, not pampered softies. A considerable body of research about environmental design shows the positive effect comfort can have on learning, human productivity and creativity. In this Edutopia article, Prakash Nair and Randall Fielding argue for greater investments in softer seating, cleaner and fresher air, noise controls, adaptive and flexible learning spaces, access to healthy food, smaller learning communities, and creating environments where students can feel both secure and significant.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/h0u-cGd1wlI" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/h0u-cGd1wlI/Comfortable-Classrooms-Students-Dont-Have-to-Squeeze.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Comfortable-Classrooms-Students-Dont-Have-to-Squeeze.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Cheap-Laptop Project Sees Major Advance (Resource)</title> <description>The One Laptop Per Child program and Intel recently said that the chip maker would join the board of the nonprofit and contribute funding. The nonprofit effort  known as the  $100 laptop because of the low price it hopes to reach with mass production  has been trying to line up governments in several countries to buy the machines, which for now cost $175. However, Intel, with its Classmate's price is expected to fall to near $200 this year, signed a deal to sell 700,000 of its machines in Pakistan. The negotiated compromise stipulates that One Laptop Per Child's computers will continue to use processors from Intel rival Advanced Micro Devices Inc., but Intel is expected to work with the project on future technical developments.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/dvGuArPXapg" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/dvGuArPXapg/Cheap-Laptop-Project-Sees-Major-Advance.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Cheap-Laptop-Project-Sees-Major-Advance.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>U.S. Schools May Join Inexpensive Laptop Project (Resource)</title> <description>The nonprofit "One Laptop per Child" project said on it might sell versions of its kid-friendly laptops in the United States, reversing its previous position of only distributing them to the poorest nations. "We can't ignore the United States. ... We are looking at it very seriously," said Nicholas Negroponte, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology academic who founded the project. Once known as the $100 laptop, the lime-green-and-white devices would go at a higher price to U.S. schools, because more resources are invested in American education than in developing nations. The laptop features a string pulley to charge its battery, a keyboard that switches between languages, a digital video camera, wireless connectivity and Linux open-source operating software tailored for remote regions. The display switches from color to black and white for viewing in direct sunlight. It requires just two watts of power and does away with hard drives, relying instead on flash memory and four USB ports. A minute of yanking on its pulley generates 10 minutes of electricity. Negroponte said U.S. schools could receive the laptops by the end of the year in response to interest from 19 governors.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/rzNymjT3PmE" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/rzNymjT3PmE/US-Schools-May-Join-Inexpensive-Laptop-Project.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/US-Schools-May-Join-Inexpensive-Laptop-Project.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>Plan Turns Habitat for Humanity into an Investment (Resource)</title> <description>Habitat for Humanity is looking to grow funds by borrowing a developing-world concept: microloans. The Atlanta-based nonprofit, which builds homes for people in need, recently announced the launch of a microloan program in partnership with the Maryland-based Calvert Foundation. It will allow individuals to invest in  not just donate to  Habitat's philanthropic mission. If the program succeeds, investors will receive interest payments on their money. Microloans are typically used to provide small amounts of credit to people or businesses that do not qualify for traditional loans. The concept is popular in the developing world, but it is a first for Habitat, which has subsisted on donations, grants, and proceeds from home sales. Habitat s Chief Executive Jonathan Reckford said the Calvert partnership, intended to last 5 years, is a new way to fuel the growth of Habitat, that nearly doubled the number its completed projects from 2005 - 2007. Last year, it finished 49,000 home projects worldwide.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/YGizeAzqG4A" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/YGizeAzqG4A/Plan-Turns-Habitat-for-Humanity-into-an-Investment.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/Plan-Turns-Habitat-for-Humanity-into-an-Investment.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title> Little Green Schoolhouses (Resource)</title> <description>High-performance schools -- those that integrate the best in today s design strategies and building technologies -- also referred to as "green" or "sustainable" -- can help us make the most of the opportunity presented by today s massive school construction programs. While there are many variations, in general, high-performance schools are healthy, productive, and comfortable environments for students and teachers that provide high levels of acoustic, thermal and visual comfort. Their windows and skylights admit generous amounts of daylight, and the buildings are safe and secure. They are cost-effective to own and operate because they use durable products and systems. Their systems and materials are chosen using life-cycle cost analysis, rather than the cheapest first-cost. During design, energy analysis tools are used to optimize the building s performance, and after construction its equipment is fine-tuned to operate correctly. High-performance schools are available for use by non-students during hours when the school is not in operation, and community participation during design is encouraged.&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/l0ipXmPFbsw" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/l0ipXmPFbsw/-Little-Green-Schoolhouses.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/-Little-Green-Schoolhouses.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> <item> <title>PCs for the Poor  As Good As Their Hype? (Resource)</title> <description>By Waleed Al-Shobakky. A review of the history and wisdom of the One Laptop Per Child Project&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~4/IwHl7BOROmU" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</description> <link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Lightweight-Community-Based-Manufacturing/~3/IwHl7BOROmU/PCs-for-the-Poor-e28093-As-Good-As-Their-Hype.aspx</link> <feedburner:origLink>http://www.futureofed.org/resource/PCs-for-the-Poor-e28093-As-Good-As-Their-Hype.aspx</feedburner:origLink></item> </channel> </rss>