Remember Your Anchors

Hi all, welcome to issue #247 of Digitally Literate.

I also helped post the following:

• What we can do to support our students’ trauma and our own during these uncertain times? – Rachelle Savitz on how we can use the power of sharing our stories and having others listen is a powerful opportunity to navigate trauma.
• Girls, smartphones, and the Internet – This episode of the Technopanic Podcast is part of a research project from the Screentime Research Group. Kristen and I are joined by Elizabeth Stevens, a professor at Roberts Wesleyan College and the mother of 8 and 11-year-old girls.

If you haven’t already, please subscribe if you would like this newsletter to show up in your inbox. Feel free to reach out and let me know what you think of this work at hello@digitallyliterate.net.

Virtual Learning Communities

Jesse Stommel offered this virtual keynote at the University Innovation Alliance Spring 2020 Convening. The slides, and full breakdown of this talk are available here.

What I value most about this post is the way Stommel shares the materials. I’ve been trying to find a way to balance sharing materials from a talk in a blog post. I really like how Jesse shares some text and insight, and intersperses some slides and then finally shares the video.

A great exemplar as you consider how to share materials online with context.

We Cannot Return to Campus This Fall

As the academic year closes for most institutions from K-12 through higher ed, our collective focus turns to the next opening in the Fall.

Bryan Alexander continues to carefully examine the possibilities as we plan the fall of 2020 in higher ed. This future may include teaching behind plexiglass as we strive to protect all individuals. There are also questions about the erosion of trust and leadership in our universities that has been laid bare in our current milieu.

Parents and learners in Pre-K through 12 are asking the purpose of online learning, and whether we should be focused on the mental health of children and teachers.

Mark Lilla suggests that we should stop asking pundits and prophets to predict the future. It doesn’t exist. It will exist only after we have made it.

One common voice in this discussion is the refrain of the classroom teacher that once again steps up to do the most with the fewest resources.

This post by Harley Litzelman details the spatial, logistical, pedagogical, disciplinary, & epidemiological nightmare into which non-teaching decision-makers are welcoming your children. Perhaps physical distancing at schools is impossible and now is the time to prepare robust distance learning and close the technology gap.

COVID-19 metrics for phased reopening

Metrics for phased reopening. A frontline guide for local decision-makers.

This great resource provides a playbook for phased reopening…as well as a “metrics scorecard” to see exactly how you’re doing in the transition.

Valuable guidance as you see to understand and plan.

The Information Apocalypse Is Already Here, And Reality Is Losing

We’ve spent more than three years preparing for an information apocalypse. It seems like with the coronavirus we’re only seeing these trends accelerate.

As it turns out, the tools needed to unmoor people from our shared reality already exist and are less technological than societal.

This post identifies some guidance on how to fact-check misinfo on your timeline.

• Don’t brush it off
• Consider your approach
• Watch your language – or don’t
• Avoid repeating misinformation. Say what’s true
• Choose your sources wisely
• Focus on facts, not values

While on this topic, there is debate about the real statistics around COVID-19. The COVID Tracking Project released a white paper that compiles the latest numbers on tests, confirmed cases, hospitalizations, and patient outcomes from every US state & territory.

Teaching Strategies of Award-Winning Online Instructors

A recent study gleaned five insights on virtual instruction by examining the techniques shared in common by top-rated online instructors.

• Authentic & relevant course material
• A variety of multimedia resources
• Student creation of content – individually & collaboratively
• Student reflection on learning
• Explanation of purpose

As Machines Get Smarter, How Will We Relate to Them?

Much of the Internet has become unintelligible lately. What this means is that it is almost impossible to understand the algorithms and pipelines that connect us to the digital. This will become even more of a challenge as we consider artificial intelligence (AI), drones, and autonomous vehicles.

As we’re all sequestered in our homes, it seems like drones were ready for this moment and are watching us.

We need to regularly think about these moral crumple zones in our lives.

How to create the life you want using anchors

When you know what you really want in life, working toward it will feel exciting and energizing, rather than draining. As you make your way through this new normal, keep it simple as you create that life.

1. Eliminate excuses and stay flexible
2. Examine and define your values
3. Refine
4. Create a plan
5. Focus and apply

Remember your anchors. Anchors are those people in your life who remind you of who you are — your values, aspirations, and worth — even when you forget. Keep them close and always let them know how much they mean to you.

Vivek Murthy

Digitally Literate is a weekly review of the news, notes, tips, and tricks from the week that resonated with me.

VUCA or BANI? You decide. I’ll stick with FUBAR BUNDY.

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