Edupunk Notes

Definition: Edupunk is a student-driven, mostly self-taught or non-traditional way of education. Technology isn't a must-have for edupunk, however it is valued.

Definiton (quote from Brooks article): "In short, edupunk is student-centered, resourceful, teacher- or community created rather than corporate sourced, and underwritten by progressive political stance."

Jim Groom is an Institutional Technology Specialist at the University of Mary Washington. He focuses a lot on higher education and primarily, in instructional technology. He was also the man who coined the world Edupunk.

Leslie Madsen-Brooks works is interested in English and history studies. She also studies women/gender. However, she is very interested in "how digital technologies-and especially mobile devices-can democratize learning and engage broader audiences with science and history.

Anya Kamenetz is a writer at for Fast Company Magazine and Tribune Media. She has written a few things about EduPunk and about higher education in general.

Edupunk in general is trying to work towards a different type of higher education for students. According to the DIY U article not a large number of people go to high school, directly to a four year school, graduate, and find a job. I thought most people did this. The biggest thing that article addresses is the fact that not everyone is meant for higher education. It's expensive and not everyone is meant for the "college experience".

I think technology is an incredible resource for people who want to participate in Edupunk, but it isn't completely necessary. The internet allows the user to a ton of information. The article gave a few colleges as an example. These schools put lectures, notes, etc on the web for others to use. Also, the Internet is great for researching different options for higher education.

"Edupunk, he writes, is opposed to capitalist co-optation of the labor of educators" (Brooks). Universities are a business to a lot of people. People make a ton of money off of the students that go there and in many of these universities students and their needs are not ever a top priority. Money and politics run higher education. That's what Edupunk is against.