My 2011 six-month research leave thus far most rewarding! In January spent time at UC Santa Barbara working with colleague Chela Sandoval on a book project, Legacies of History of Consciousness (HOC). Gave a talk at UCSB on “Truth Effects and Digital Dissent” at Ctr for Information and Technology (CITS) [watch here] Then to LA, giving another talk at USC to Henry Jenkins and his Civic Paths research group.
In February, joined a non-profit Media Delegation to Havana, Cuba–met with dozens of people working in media, technology, culture and film throughout Havana–amazing, learned *so* much about Cuba on the brink of much change. My “Report on Havana” almost complete!
Now headed to American Ed Research Assoc. in New Orleans where I will participate in 5 sessions, including The John Dewey Symposium;Â Reimagining Critical Hope: Situated Perspectives Across North-South Contexts (a panel that will include lovely South African colleagues and my former colleague Graham Smith now CEO Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi in New Zealand); Reverence, Listening, and Humor in Education and Informal Learning and Sociable Media in Children’s Culture.
End of April, to UC Santa Cruz for first interview for HistCon book project, with Hayden White, renowned historiographer and semiotician, and key founder of HistCon in late 1970s.
Last major research trip will be again to UC Santa Cruz in June, to attend Donna Haraway’s retirement party and for our book team to conduct interviews with HOC professors including Donna Haraway and Jim Clifford.
Tomorrow–a small keynote at the Worldviews Pre-Conference, an event dedicated to building bridges between journalists and academics!
Finally, great news this week–was awarded a SSHRC 3-year grant to study Youth Civic Engagement through Social Media!