DL 301
Watching Robots
Published: August 28, 2021 β’ π§ Newsletter
Welcome back! This is Digitally Literate, issue 301. Your go-to source for insightful content on education, technology, and the digital landscape.
π Key Takeaways
- School Culture Wars: Educators navigate increasingly politicized landscapes around mask mandates, critical race theory, and gender identity discussions
- Parenting Breaking Point: Parents struggle with immense pressures while supporting children through unprecedented social and educational challenges
- Robotic Persuasion Insights: Research reveals sporadic social interactions spread information more effectively than mass communication approaches
- Anti-Fascist Education: Historical propaganda analysis offers timeless lessons about social engineering and democratic vulnerability
- Gentle Vaccine Conversations: Empathy and understanding prove more effective than confrontation in addressing vaccine hesitancy
This week I published:
- How to Talk About Mental Health β Guidance on discussing mental health and well-being
- Getting Started With Ungrading β Reflections on integrating ungrading into teaching practice
πΊ Watch
Don't Be a Sucker (1947)
This anti-fascist film produced by the US Military in the wake of WWII deconstructs the politically motivated social engineering of Germany by the Nazi regime. The film serves as a powerful reminder of how democratic societies can be manipulated through divisive rhetoric and scapegoating.
Additional context available here.
π Read
School Culture Wars: 'You Have Brought Division to Us'
From mask mandates to critical race theory and gender identity, educators find themselves besieged by political battles. "You are just trying to keep everything from collapsing," one official observed. Schools face unprecedented challenges: reopening during a highly contagious Delta variant surge while addressing student trauma and maintaining safety protocols.
At this critical moment, school officials are engulfed in highly partisan battles that distract from urgent educational and health priorities. Educators must balance public health requirements, student well-being, and deeply divided community opinions.
Parents Are Not Okay
An honest exploration of pandemic parenting reveals parents operating beyond traditional breaking points. The piece captures the exhaustion and resilience of families navigating unprecedented challenges:
"Parents aren't even at a breaking point anymore. We're broken. And yet we'll go on because that's what we do: We sweep up all our pieces and put them back together as best we can. We carry on chipped and leaking and broken because we have no other choice."
This raw honesty reminds us to offer grace and support to those juggling immense responsibilities while maintaining hope for their children's future.
What Robots Teach Us About Persuasion
Experiments with robot swarms reveal counterintuitive insights about information spread: sporadic social interactions prove more effective than mass communication approaches. Rather than broadcasting messages broadly, targeted interactions with specific individuals create stronger ripple effects throughout networks.
This research offers valuable lessons for educators, leaders, and communicators about the power of personalized, relationship-based approaches to sharing ideas and creating change.
9 Apps to Help Kids Sharpen Their Coding Skills
Google's education team curated platforms that make coding accessible and engaging for young learners. These tools transform programming from abstract concepts into creative, interactive experiences that build both technical skills and problem-solving abilities.
Coding serves as both an essential future skill and a gateway to computational thinking, creativity, and logical reasoningβall crucial capabilities for navigating an increasingly digital world.
π¨ Do
Navigate Vaccine Conversations with Empathy
Approaching vaccine-hesitant conversations requires patience and understanding rather than confrontation:
- Check your biases - Examine your assumptions before engaging
- Assess openness - Determine if the person is willing to have a genuine dialogue
- Maintain kindness - Keep interactions respectful and civil
- Identify obstacles - Understand specific concerns rather than general resistance
- Use tailored approaches - Personalize arguments based on individual values and concerns
Detailed guidance available here.
π€ Consider
The sun is new each day.
Heraclitus
This ancient wisdom reminds us that each day offers fresh opportunities for understanding and connection, even amid the divisive cultural battles explored in this issue. Whether discussing vaccines, navigating school politics, or supporting overwhelmed parents, approaching each conversation with curiosity rather than certainty can create space for genuine dialogue and mutual learning.
π Navigation
Previous: DL 300 β’ Next: DL 302 β’ Archive: π§ Newsletter
π± Connected Concepts:
- Critical Pedagogy β School culture wars distracting from educational priorities
- Mental Health β Parenting crisis and unprecedented family pressures
- Social Networks β Robotics research revealing persuasion through sporadic interactions
- Disinformation β Anti-fascist propaganda education and democratic vulnerability
Part of the π§ Newsletter archive documenting digital literacy and technology.
Greetings Earthlings! Outkast - Two Dope Boyz (In a Cadillac) (Animated Music Video)