TLDR 29

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 29

Published: 2016-01-22 • 📧 Newsletter

Hi all, welcome to the TL;DR Newsletter. In this I'm sharing things that happened during the week in literacy, technology, & education that I think you should know. Please feel free to share with others you believe would benefit. If you like what you see here, I recommend subscribing to get it hand-delivered to your inbox.

This week I shared the following:

Welcome to the WalkMyWorld Project 2016 - This week we launched the pre-learning event for WalkMyWorld 2016. The project is an open learning experience in which learners create, share, and connect online. Come make and share with us for the next 10 learning events.
Educational uses of Twitter in teaching, learning, and socializing - This post is a guide for individuals as they identify ways to embed Twitter into their classroom...and own literacy practices.

You can contact me for this...or any other request at wiobyrne@gmail.com or reach out on Twitter. To review past issues please click here.

🔖 Key Takeaways

Come Make and Share: WalkMyWorld Project 2016 launched. Come make and share with us for the next 10 learning events.
Symbol of the Subject: Penn on teaching like performing magic. The first job of a teacher is to make the student fall in love with the subject. You are a symbol of the subject in the students' minds.
Second-Opinion: False expertise research. If you think you're an expert in an area...you might want to keep studying and double-check your facts. If you're consulting with an "expert"...feel free to get a second-opinion.
As Opposed To: Growth mindset in teachers and staff. Most of this work indicates the need to build this, but does not explicitly state "how" to do so. Furthermore, the guidance is usually about how to make this happen with our students...as opposed to teachers and staff.
On My Door: Magnetic Pixel Poetry. Thinking about putting these on my door at work.

📺 Watch

WHERE GOOD IDEAS COME FROM by Steven Johnson

This video from Steven Johnson discusses the time and intellectual space needed for innovation and truly good ideas.

What are the elements that bring about creativity and groundbreaking innovation?

📚 Read

Teaching: Just like performing magic

Penn from the magic/entertainment duo of Penn & Teller discusses how performance and discomfort can come together to make education come alive.

The first job of a teacher is to make the student fall in love with the subject. That doesn't have to be done by waving your arms and prancing around the classroom; there's all sorts of ways to go at it, but no matter what, you are a symbol of the subject in the students' minds.

You don't know as much as you think: False expertise

Post from Scientific American looking at the phenomenon of self-proclaimed experts and the likelihood that they will overclaim as they profess their knowledge.

The post is guided by research from Psychological Science that examines perceived as opposed to actual knowledge from content areas that people identify as an expertise. The takeaways indicate that if you think you're an expert in an area...you might want to keep studying and double-check your facts. If you're consulting with an "expert"...feel free to get a second-opinion.

Developing a growth mindset in teachers and staff

This post cites work from Carol Dweck and Jackie Gerstein by identifying the need for modeling, creating new spaces for ideas, self-reflection, and formative feedback.

From problem solver to innovator: Is the answer to disconnect?

This post from the EdWeek blog identifies the challenges as we live in a connected society. One of the benefits in staying constantly connected is that we can keep in touch, stay educated, and enrich the lives of others.

Perhaps there is also a challenge in that this constant connection does not provide time or space for "downtime" or self-reflection. Perhaps it is these spaces of time spent being mindful, or disconnected that allow us to truly be creative and innovative.

Twitter guide: How to do everything with Twitter

A great guide from Amit Agarwal looking at tools to make your life a bit more productive as you try to reach out and use Twitter.

I often have complaints from colleagues and educators as they try to understand/use Twitter. There is a certain amount of work you need to conduct to get Twitter running for you. This list is a bit long, but it provides a good sampling of links and tools to see how you can expand your use of the tool.

🔨 Do

Magnetic Pixel Poetry

Very cool make from Instructables member depotdevoid.

The main idea is to create a pixelated art version of the "magnetic poetry" sets we often see on people's refrigerator.

Collect a large sample of the thin, cheap magnets that restaurants, banks, and other business hand out. Spray paint the magnets with different colors and let dry. Finally, use a paper cutter to make uniform squares. Affix these to your fridge and get creative.

Thinking about putting these on my door at work. :)

🤔 Consider

"Unless it comes unasked out of your heart and your mind and your mouth and your gut, don't do it." — Charles Bukowski

This week we launched WalkMyWorld Project 2016. The project is open learning experience in which learners create, share, and connect online. Come make and share with us for the next 10 learning events. The invitation is open. The making is collective. The sharing is intentional.

Educational uses of Twitter in teaching, learning, and socializing—guide for individuals as they identify ways to embed Twitter into their classroom...and own literacy practices. I often have complaints from colleagues and educators as they try to understand/use Twitter. There is a certain amount of work you need to conduct to get Twitter running for you. This list is a bit long, but it provides a good sampling of links and tools to see how you can expand your use of the tool. The acknowledgment is honest. The tool requires work. The expansion requires patience.

Steven Johnson discusses time and intellectual space needed for innovation and truly good ideas. What are the elements that bring about creativity and groundbreaking innovation? The question is fundamental. The answer requires time and space.

Penn from Penn & Teller discusses how performance and discomfort can come together to make education come alive. The first job of a teacher is to make the student fall in love with the subject. That doesn't have to be done by waving your arms and prancing around the classroom; there's all sorts of ways to go at it, but no matter what, you are a symbol of the subject in the students' minds. The responsibility is profound. The symbolism is inescapable. Whether waving arms or standing still, you represent the subject you teach.

False expertise research looking at phenomenon of self-proclaimed experts and likelihood that they will overclaim as they profess knowledge. The takeaways indicate that if you think you're an expert in an area...you might want to keep studying and double-check your facts. If you're consulting with an "expert"...feel free to get a second-opinion. The humility is necessary. The skepticism is warranted. Expertise requires constant study, not proclamation.

Over the past year or so we've heard much more about mindsets...and particularly "growth mindsets." Most of this work indicates the need to build this, but does not explicitly state "how" to do so. Furthermore, the guidance is usually about how to make this happen with our students...as opposed to teachers and staff. The gap is significant. The guidance asymmetric. Carol Dweck and Jackie Gerstein identifying need for modeling, creating new spaces for ideas, self-reflection, and formative feedback. Teachers need growth mindsets too.

EdWeek blog identifies challenges as we live in connected society. One of the benefits in staying constantly connected is that we can keep in touch, stay educated, and enrich the lives of others. Perhaps there is also a challenge in that this constant connection does not provide time or space for "downtime" or self-reflection. Perhaps it is these spaces of time spent being mindful, or disconnected that allow us to truly be creative and innovative. The tension is real. Connection enriches. Disconnection creates. Innovation might require both.

Magnetic Pixel Poetry—pixelated art version of magnetic poetry sets we often see on refrigerators. Collect large sample of thin cheap magnets that restaurants banks and other business hand out. Spray paint the magnets with different colors and let dry. Finally use paper cutter to make uniform squares. Affix these to your fridge and get creative. Thinking about putting these on my door at work. The playfulness is intentional. The creativity is accessible. The plan is forming.

Bukowski: Unless it comes unasked out of your heart and your mind and your mouth and your gut, don't do it. WalkMyWorld invitations. Twitter embedding. Time and space for innovation. Teachers as symbols. False expertise skepticism. Growth mindsets for staff. Disconnection creating innovation. Magnetic poetry on office doors. All forms of things coming unasked out of heart and mind and mouth and gut. The question remains: what are we doing because it must be done versus what we're doing because we think we should?

Previous: TLDR 28 • Next: TLDR 30 • Archive: 📧 Newsletter

🌱 Connected Concepts:

WalkMyWorld Project — 2016 launch, open learning experience, come make and share for next 10 learning events.
Twitter Education — Guide for embedding Twitter into classroom and own literacy practices.
Twitter Complaints — I often have complaints from colleagues, certain amount of work you need to conduct.
Steven Johnson — Where good ideas come from, time and intellectual space needed for innovation.
Penn & Teller — Teaching like performing magic, performance and discomfort make education come alive.
Teacher as Symbol — First job is to make student fall in love with subject, you are symbol in students' minds.
False Expertise — If you think you're an expert keep studying double-check facts, consulting expert feel free get second-opinion.
Psychological Science — Research examining perceived as opposed to actual knowledge from content areas.
Growth Mindset — In teachers and staff, work indicates need but does not explicitly state how.
Carol Dweck — Work on growth mindsets, modeling creating new spaces self-reflection formative feedback.
Jackie Gerstein — Growth mindset guidance for teachers and staff, not just students.
Disconnect to Innovate — Constant connection does not provide time or space for downtime or self-reflection.
Mindful Disconnection — Perhaps spaces of time spent being mindful or disconnected allow us to truly be creative and innovative.
Twitter Guide — Amit Agarwal tools to make life more productive, expand use of tool.
Magnetic Pixel Poetry — Pixelated art version of magnetic poetry sets, thinking about putting on my door at work.
Charles Bukowski — Unless it comes unasked out of your heart and mind and mouth and gut, don't do it.

Part of the 📧 Newsletter archive documenting digital literacy and technology.