Mr. Wizard, Part Deux
Common Craft’s “In Plain English” videos are one of my favorite sources for explanation of Web technologies to the less-than-savvy (maybe even grudging, confused, or terrified) Web user. Their simple style of moving paper around on a whiteboard is inviting. It’s like a Sesame Street version of Investing for Dummies (I’ve read that book and frankly, muppets couldn’t hurt).
What I’m saying here is that Common Craft doesn’t get all caught up in buzz words and technologies. They know their audience. These people don’t care about bitrates or server functions; they care about understanding what those whippersnappers seem to pick up and modify in the time it takes them to brush their teeth.
Common Craft focuses on metaphors that are easy for any audience to connect with. It’s pedagogy at its best. Lee LeFever (the narrator) is our modern-day Mr. Wizard.
Never seen one of their videos? Take a look at their video on RSS feeds (Don’t panic all you workaholics, all of their videos are less than 5 minutes)…
So what do I use these videos for? Mostly, I use them in consultations with and presentations to instructors who aren’t yet familiar with what their students are doing on their laptops while they stand at the front of the room and lecture but (and this is my favorite thing about them) know something is up and want to know what it is!
Now go check the rest of ‘em out and share ‘em with everyone who doesn’t yet use their RSS reader. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
