DL 311

Let's Keep It FRKE

Welcome back, everyone! Here’s Digitally Literate, issue #311.

This week, I shared insights and reflections on creativity in education and technology. A highlight was working on Towards a Taxonomy of Transdisciplinarity, a paper for the LRA 2021 Conference. This project explored how pre-service teachers can use transdisciplinary thinking to connect math and music through summer art camps.

📺 Watch

You’d be forgiven for wondering, as an adult, why Mister Rogers carries a spoon. As detailed in a new book, (_When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kid_s), the journey — from a simple Point A (a spoon) to a deeply human Point B — embodies the magic of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

The effect is that for children, spoons become more than passing intrigues. They become musical instruments, a spark for artistic expression, and even possible career paths. Most importantly, they become points of connection between kids and caring adults. As science has shown, the more of these connections kids have, the better they tend to do.

Why this matters: Building connections through creativity can have a profound impact on children’s growth and curiosity.

📖 Read

The “Wild West” of podcasts and radio continues to spread misinformation about COVID-19. Hosts perpetuate false claims, even as some succumb to virus complications.

Evan Greer highlights how flawed AI-driven solutions might cause more harm than good.

Why this matters: Addressing misinformation requires nuanced approaches that prioritize context and human judgment.

From drones to robots armed with lasers, U.S. cities are turning to tech solutions to manage aging sewer systems and combat fatbergs—massive blockages caused by grease and debris.

Why this matters: Innovative technology is helping to solve critical infrastructure problems, showcasing the intersection of AI, robotics, and public service.

A comprehensive framework for assessing digital multimodal compositions by Ewa McGrail and collaborators highlights three domains: audience, mode and meaning, and originality.

Why this matters: Rethinking assessment can help educators better evaluate diverse forms of expression beyond traditional essays.

4. Faced with Soaring Ds and Fs, Schools Are Ditching the Old Way of Grading

High school teacher Joshua Moreno explores alternative grading methods to address systemic inequities exacerbated by the pandemic.

Why this matters: The shift toward equitable assessment practices is essential for addressing learning gaps and supporting all students.

The LEGO Group’s customer service philosophy—Fun, Reliable, Knowledgeable, Engaging (FRKE)—has guided them for 15 years.

Takeaway: FRKE can serve as a model for improving engagement and fostering trust in your personal and professional interactions.

💡 Do

As human beings, we have the capacity to reflect on our past behaviors. Unfortunately, there are many times in which going over the past becomes quite unproductive. The post above discusses how can we know if we are engaging in adaptive self-reflection or maladaptive rumination?

Rumination is sometimes viewed as a negative form of emotional processing.

The defining aspect of rumination that differentiates it from regular problem-solving is the unproductively negative focus it takes. Rumination may involve going over the details of a situation in one’s head or talking to friends about it.

As a general rule, the following can be indicators that you may have fallen into the trap of rumination:

🌱 Reflect

“Listening is where love begins: listening to ourselves and then to our neighbors.”
— Fred Rogers

Reflect and Engage:

Thank you for reading Digitally Literate. Stay tuned for more insights and discussions. Connect with me at hello@digitallyliterate.net or explore Newsletter Index for all past issues.

Starting to pay attention to Low-Code Software Maker WSO2 after they received $90 Million from Goldman Sachs. There are not enough skilled developers and engineers to build things so as technology skills demand grows, so does attention to low-code and no-code solutions.