Whilst we were listening to Sufjan Stevens…

We were listening to Sufjan Stevens, and in particular, reflecting on the beauty of Vesuvius and the iron cage that is a pedagogy of debt:

“Vesuvius
I am here
You are all I have
Fire of fire
I’m insecure
For it is all
Been made to plan
Though I know
I will fail
I cannot
Be made to laugh
For in life
As in death
I’d rather be burned
Than be living in debt”.

We thought it would be nice to think about debt-as-possibility or as opening, and the possibility of the revolution that might be the re-form-ation of higher education into higher learning, in the face of the shock doctrine. Can a re-form-ation be revolutionary? So we spoke about higher education and the discipline of shock. And we waited for our friends at The Really Open University and the Social Science Centre to open up cracks as alternatives because we need to know what is to be done?

exciting croquet news: we *heart* wet maths

Today the Third University was developing its fine motor skills and applying them to wet physics.

 

 

 

 

 

Just like we don’t like the New College of the Prof-anities, we don’t like wet physics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have discovered that unlike the New College of the Prof-anities, we can take original learning and stuff (our stuff being croquet) to unlikely places. Hope you’re watching @DMUGovernors…

Third University stuff on the 6th June – come one, come all.

10.ooam-1.00pm –The Third University presents:

3 people talking for 3 minutes on the stuff that they like and care about 3 times. For 3 hours. With chat and coffee and cake in between. In the nice space in the Phoenix with a projector and chairs that looks into the garden bit. It is warm we will open the double doors and sit outside. You don’t even need to prepare. It is good to speak some times. It’s even better to listen.

6.00-9.00pm The Third University presents:

People who have been glued to their desk during the day or have been enjoying a rather busy Monday, can come along and do some nice stuff in Natterjacks. Good sandwiches and beer and a screen to display images about things you might like. Who knows? It’s nice to worry about these things.

Building Cycling Cultures – 4th & 5th June

The third university loves bikes.

http://www.uel-smg.org.uk/buildingcyclingcultures/

Saturday 4th June, 2pm ’til late:

Join us for an pre-conference events, including In Conversation with special guests Jon Orcutt (New York Department of Transportation) and Karen Overton (Recycle-a-bicycle, New York)…plus bike films, live music, bike photography exhibition & community media hub…

Sunday 5th June

9am to 12 noon: Breakfast & Bike Rides

12noon to 12.30pm: Registration & buffet lunch

12.30pm to 1.30pm: Welcome & keynote speeches: Andy Salkeld (Leicester City Council), Roger Geffen (Campaigns and Policy Manager, CTC), Rachel Aldred (University of East London), Dave Horton (Lancaster University), Jon Orcutt (New York Department of Transportation)

1.30pm to 2:15pm: Break for browsing and talking; chance to look around stalls, participate in events taking place in and around the Phoenix: bike try-outs and much more

2.15pm to 3.15pm: Workshops round 1

3.30pm to 4.30pm: Workshop round 2

4.30pm to 5:30pm: Question Time

5:30: Conference close (followed by films for those staying around)

Phoenix Square is accessible for all abilities. Children welcome; a crèche is available

The @thirduniversity reserves

The third university will be running saturday morning croquet lessons soon. If we can get good, then we might, just might, be able to take the lawn as our prize. Think of all the carrots. If we think quick, we can get the lettuces in before June.

The @thirduniversity hangs out the bunting during community media week.

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This is the plan for 6th of June.

 10-1 – The Third University presents:

 3 people talking for 3 minutes on the stuff that they like and care about. 3 times. For 3 hours. With chat and coffee and cake in between. In the nice space in the Phoenix with a projector and chairs that looks into the garden bit. It is warm we will open the double doors and sit outside. Plant some flowers. Nobody else will.

Don’t be scared. Count to 360. That is all it takes. It would be great if you could come. You don’t even need to prepare. It is good  speak some times. It’s even better to listen.

 12.30-1.30 – Leicester does #media2012 showcase

 This is #media2012: http://bit.ly/media2012

We will occupy the Phoenix Square until they ask us to go away. We have nice things from Olympics archives, the East Midlands Special Olympic Team and the Wave reporters (under 25 community news) covering the spectacle. This is a good chance to see how things might happen in 2012. You can also meet members from the 15 citizen’s eye community news agencies, join stuff, do your own thing, make the experience your own.

2-4 #media2012 steering committee. A meeting.

 6-9 The Third University presents:

 It doesn’t know yet, it hopes that people who have been glued to their desk during the day or have been enjoying a rather busy Monday, can come along later and do some nice stuff in Natterjacks. Good sandwiches and beer and a screen to display images about things you might like. Who knows? It’s nice to worry about these things.

Reflections from the @thirduniversity – Leicester, see you in May!

As the rest of the universities break for the easter break, the third university takes some time to reflect. The discussions from yesterday’s session on ‘knowledge liberation‘ touched on a number of things that we might want to consider when we reconvene in May.

There were three areas that we shared:

That we will think about a solution to connect people who wish to teach with people who would like to learn. We thought about technical solutions, but also questioned the values of a technical or digital environment. We shared examples of what worked and what might work for us. Importantly, the focus should be on content and form – which was touched upon during alternative teacher training – and there will be more sessions to build upon in the future.

The third university does not exist in isolation. There are others in other towns and cities who are working towards the alternative to commercialized education. They would like to come and visit, to learn, to share, to teach. In the same way that we can visit to support and share and learn from them.

There are also other organisations and collectives in Leicester who exist to share and support learning within the community. This is something we can be excited by – and work together in achieving. There are things to be planned and realised across May and June.

Regardless of how we do this, we will look to seek contributions and sessions (and you can email us)- and continue the mission to encourage and support the people of Leicester to learn and teach the things they care about. We will see you in two weeks. Up the third university.