Access to Activities; What Could it Mean to Be Human
Activities and Resources: What Does it Mean to Be Human in the 21st Century?
Resources and Activities
This week's activites entail:
- Viewing 1 short video (10 min)
- Reading a book chapter (15-20 min)
- Viewing a film trailer (3 minutes) and optional, viewing entire film (90 minutes)
- View a wikipedia article(15 min)
- Forum discussion (writing a post and responding in discussions with fellow students (30 min)
- Writing a reflective blog post (300-500 words, informal)
The Resources and activities for this event are presented sequentially, in the order you might best watch, read and then complete the activities. Please try to participate in the forum activity within the first few days of the week. As this is the first week and many of you may be new to learning on line, take time to read each other's posts, particularly in the introduction forum and don't get too stressed if you don't get through the reading materials. It is more important that you become comfortable with being able to communicate with each other at this stage.
For this course we will be using the hashtag #H21AT on twitter. You can access the Twitter feed from the block on the left of the main page of the unit. Full functionality of this widget may depend on your browser. You can also access the group Facebook page from the left side of the page.
Resource 1: James Martin, The Meaning of the 21st Century
James Martin has produced a full feature film that explores, in visual terms, some of the issues he raises in his book of the same title. We suggest that you view the synopsis of the full film (about 10 minutes) and certainly if you have time later, the full film. James Martin not only has some great ideas in his own right, but he has access to and includes in his film many leading scientists and thinkers of our time. Although the synopsis of the film may seem a little glib, there is much there to take note of, most important is his overall message of optimism and need for students of today to make a significant impact on shaping world futures
This video can also be accessed at "James Martin, Meaning of the 21st Century"
Resource 2: The Meaning of the 21st Century: A vital blueprint for ensuring our future. By James Martin
Chapter 1 http://www.jamesmartin.com/book/chapter_one.cfm
This is an excellent book that starts with the view:
“We are at an extraordinary crossroads of human history. Our actions, or failure to act, during the next 20 years will determine the fate of the Earth and human civilization for centuries to come. This is a make-or-break century. Humanity's demands on the planet are growing rapidly. If we are able to make the planet and civilization work, we face a magnificent future. If we fail, we could be headed for a new Dark Age. This book describes what will make the difference.” James Martin is a leading futurologist, internationally recognised for his leadership in computing and related fields. He founded the James Martin 21st Century School at the University of Oxford. His first chapter provides a good introduction for our unit.
Resource 3: "Human", the Movie
An movie by French photojournalist, Arthus-Bertrand who's aim was to encompass the broadest possible spectrum of experience, unifying his disparate interviewees by tacit acknowledgment of their shared humanity. (Over 2,000 people were interviewed over two years)
Watch the trailer here, and go to Human if you wish to watch the complete film
Resource 4: Wikipedia "Human"
This resource is included for you to "look at" rather than read. It paints a picture of homo sapiens, the species and describes some of the features of our species that are unique and some that are shared with other creatures. How do you relate to this article? Do you feel it captures the essence of what it is to be "A Human", or to be "Human"?
Activities:
1. Post an answer to the following question in the discussion forum:
Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future and why?
Try to reply to the posts of at least 3 other students.
2. Refer to the handbook on setting up your blog site for this course. Set up your blog site. We suggest using Google Sites, Blogger, Wordpress, Weebly or similar simple platforms with easily maneagable templates.
3. For your first blog post this week, write a short entry on how you feel about the the state of the world and if any of the resources this week have influenced or changed your thinking.