I just want my data to mean something

Er… hello?

This is a blog of openly licensed thinkery. They are doodles, thoughts and ideas of Bryan Mathers – little curious tidbits which have emerged from juicy conversations. Also, this is a dumping ground for abandoned artwork. But one man’s dump is another’s treasure trove – amirite?

You can include artwork from this site under a Creative Commons CC-BY-ND licence.

  • Creating the conditions for learning

    Creating the conditions for learning

    I was struck by a comment by Will Richardson on twitter this morning, about creating the conditions for learning.

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  • CC attribution

    CC attribution

    This thinkery about Creative Commons attribution might feel mildly annoying, but when it comes to attributing an author or creator for something you get to use for free, I think it’s worth the secret upgrade…

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  • Wikipedia – Active vs Passive learning

    Wikipedia – Active vs Passive learning

    This off-the-cuff comment by Lucy Crompton-Reid at the recent OER conference resonated with me, and it illustrates one of the simplest techniques of creating thinkery: to draw out the contrast between two things.

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  • Have bag; can work…

    Have bag; can work…

    I carry around a lot of stuff in my bag, and as such I can work from anywhere. Some of my best work is done on the hoof, and if it weren’t for the legroom, I’d probably buy cheap train tickets and travel the country, stopping somewhere different for lunch and heading home for teatime…

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  • Co-ops: Spread the word…

    Co-ops: Spread the word…

    I really enjoy being in a Co-op (WeAreOpen.coop), especially when we get together to make something, or think about something. As a result, I’m really keen to spread the word…

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  • CC & Me

    CC & Me

    I love the idea of the Creative Commons, and the more I create the more of a Commoner I become. One aspect of CC licensing that’s always bothered me is the icons themselves.

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  • The OER big wave

    The OER big wave

    Some times I wander around art galleries trying to quickly reproduce what my eye sees. Simply by forging a direct connection with my hand, my eye starts to show me details, techniques, and feelings that my head is so quick to throw out as mere noise; getting under the skin of a creation, and sometimes…

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  • Machine Learning

    Machine Learning

    I often listen to podcasts when I’m drawing something. However, recently I tuned into Audrey Watters and Kin Lane‘s Contrafabulists podcast – and as their conversation progressed, I found my mind wandering from what I was supposed to be drawing and thinking about an image of the conversation, which explored what Machine Learning is and of course,…

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  • The unwritten books of Dr Belshaw

    The unwritten books of Dr Belshaw

    Conversational thinkery is where it’s at. Armed with a pen and paper, there are gems to be uncovered and captured. Recently, with my WeAreOpen comrades Doug Belshaw, Laura Hilliger we thought (online) through the overlap between Digital Literacies and Employability and before long I found myself capturing these book titles which ultimately helped us frame what we…

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  • A co-operative state of mind

    A co-operative state of mind

    When a friend of mine asked if I’d be interested in forming a Co-op, I had to admit, I’d never considered it as a viable vehicle for business. Having come to the conclusion that there was no reason not to be a part of the adventure, I jumped in. I’d come across co-ops briefly having…

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  • And a leafy pint to you!

    And a leafy pint to you!

    I must be getting old. I’ve really enjoyed watching Ireland in The Six Nations rugby – its my favourite sporting event. And for 80 minutes, all Ireland has a single voice – and it feels like the future, an identity completeness I’ve longed for. There is so much to put behind us, and it’s already…

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  • Issuing Open Badges

    Issuing Open Badges

    What gives an open badge value? Well, apart from the fact that value is a conversation between two parties, I reckon there are a few interesting ingredients – not least the parties involved in the issuing of the badge itself. This thought was created as part of a blog post by Doug Belshaw: Badges, Proof…

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