Good models are a requirement in the development of habitable space. Jeremy Heibert is doing just this at his weblog in regards to learning spaces. He’s definitely delivering in larger ways than I am in my own efforts at a “flexible center” using wordpress as a tool that pulls information into a complex hypertext node with links out and links in. The content management system is influencing my thinking here, but my model doesn’t give the student lots of freedom to mold the space. WebCT Vista is my anti-model, because a “course manager,” while striving to be a learning space, can easily become a rigid tyrant.

I guess the weblog model could indeed evolve into a flexible development space for work, play, demonstration, and thought, but at the moment I’m more worried about the code-side of the machine (maybe I shouldn’t be worrying about this). Additionally, I worry about a concept of accumulation of tools, which is beyond my control. Realistically, someone else is going to make the decision about which eportfolio system will become the standard. My gut tells me I’d rather the student decide how they want to deliver and organize the goods. I go back to the flash or storyspace model. The stage area wants you to think about what to put into it. Flash is a thinking space, as is Storyspace, like boxfuls of Legos.