Economics Blogs: "Dim Sum for the Mind"
From a report in the Chronicle of Higher Education about a panel discussion on economics blogs at the American Economic Association meetings that were held last week in Chicago:
"In an age of sophisticated social media and rapidly evolving technologies, blogs would seem to be about as sexy as a pair of sensible shoes. Yet as simple as they may be, blogs have also proven to be valuable to economists debating principles and policy, and to faculty looking to breathe life into the teaching of their discipline, speakers said here on Saturday.
"The virtue of blogs is that they're living, real-time, and they respond to what's happening in the real world," said Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago who is co-author of the book Freakonomics and of a blog of the same name. He was one of several scholars who joined a panel discussion at the annual meeting of the American Economic Association on the topic of using blogs to teach undergraduate economics.
The role of economics blogs started changing noticeably around 2008, said Alex Tabarrok, an associate professor of economics at George Mason University. Before then, blogs were expected to be clever and entertaining, and little else."
"The virtue of blogs is that they're living, real-time, and they respond to what's happening in the real world," said Steven D. Levitt, a professor of economics at the University of Chicago who is co-author of the book Freakonomics and of a blog of the same name. He was one of several scholars who joined a panel discussion at the annual meeting of the American Economic Association on the topic of using blogs to teach undergraduate economics.
The role of economics blogs started changing noticeably around 2008, said Alex Tabarrok, an associate professor of economics at George Mason University. Before then, blogs were expected to be clever and entertaining, and little else."
6 Comments:
Although only a high school economics teacher, I attended this particular session. Very informative and entertaining (even the young lady on the front row who believe/argued that she should have the SAME amount of time to talk as the panelist did--strange indeed). As a high school teacher I look everyday for things to help me in my classes. Bar none, I find (and more importantly my students) the content on this blog most useful and interesting. I WISH the panel would/could have recognized this fact. The content here, whether visual or commentary, is concise, to the point and easily understood. An excellent resource for "the masses". Thank you, Dr. Perry!
"blogs started changing noticeably around 2008"
co-inciding with the breaking of the bubble & onset of the crisis...
Blogs are the way to go. The encrusted academic journals, with their turfs to protect and partisan (not partisan in terms of political parties, but partisan in terms of ideas) barriers, are deeply corrupt in intellectual terms. And stodginess and obscurantism is a virtue in the journals.
And a false premise that dense and fragile economic mathematical models offer more than mere clues or hints to actual economic policy construction.
I started reading Carpe Diem in 2009, everyday and no longer occasionally. Professor Perry brought Green Shoots to his blog, in a concise and compelling way that year -- amidst economic despair.
The comments section can add much to discusssion with various viewpoints presented, in a mostly collegial and diverse forum.
This blog has to be a lot of work for Professor Perry, and I thank him for it.
"co-inciding with the breaking of the bubble & onset of the crisis..."...
Or coinciding with the fact that a communist was running for President...
Shucks, Juandos is entertaining.
Post a Comment
<< Home