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TLDR 31

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 31

Published: 2016-02-05 • 📧 Newsletter

Hi all, welcome to the TL;DR Newsletter.

This week we delve into dumb questions, connecting, and exploration. It might not make sense now...and hopefully it makes sense at the end. :)

These posts from my readings and work this week in literacy, technology. Please feel free to share with others you believe would benefit. If you like what you see here, I recommend subscribing to get it (electronically) hand-delivered.

This week I shared the following:

🔖 Key Takeaways

📺 Watch

Sally Ride interviewed by Gloria Steinem as she discusses the questions, concerns, and labels that she had to deal with while becoming the first American woman in space.

I wish there had been another woman on my flight. I think it would have been a lot easier.

📚 Read

A look at social media use and uptake in the U.S. over the last ten years. Nearly 2/3 (65%) of adults now using social networks...up 7 from when Pew starting tracking this in 2005.

What I found interesting in this report:

Post from MindShift looking at research report from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and Rutgers University. The report, titled "Opportunity for all? Technology and Learning in Lower-Income Families" by Victoria Rideout and Vikki Katz examines gaps in educational opportunities for low-income families.

The report suggests that children from homes that don't have reliable Internet access at home, and the use of a desktop computer, are less likely to use the Internet for research. The study did not consider the use of mobile-only access to be a valid substitute for the learning needed by young adults while at home.

I am concerned by the findings, however I do question the focus on the need for a desktop computer. I think we're in between two models and changing the devices that we use in our personal lives. It may be problematic to look at mobile-only access as a detriment...when that might be the only access available.

Essay response from Nathan Jurgenson in The New Inquiry pushing back against the recent commentary about individuals focusing on technology and losing connections or friends in the real world. Much of this is centered on the essay is focused on the disconnectionists, most notably Sherry Turkle and her book Reclaiming Conversation.

Nathan suggests that Turkle and other disconnectionists don't really understand digital culture, and are making attempts to separate out the Internet and technology from our lives.

The false sense that your health and humanity are at stake in when and how you look at your screen suggests that we are already too "mindful" about how we are connected. We have too many self-conscious rituals of disconnection. If being mindful means being preoccupied with a phony sense of balance and moderation, anchoring oneself to a fictitious "real" identity, and judging constantly who is normal and who is broken, then we may need something more mindless.

Fascinating editorial from The Secret Teacher at The Guardian. The Secret Teacher is an anonymous blog where "teachers can tell it like it is."

In this post the author rails back against "superstar teachers" that use social media to promote their own vanity and create a "toxic culture of one-upmanship." The post goes on to indicate that the author likes to go on Facebook and look at cat videos and relax. It also posits that Twitter takes too much time, and it's not time that really pays off in the classroom.

In reading this I was at first taken aback by the comments from the author. Since then I've been wondering about individuals that do not want to have a digital identity. In my research and instruction I spend a lot of time looking at ways to build up your digital profile. I also wonder if it's appropriate for teachers to authentically and effectively embed technology in instruction...while not being active socially online.

A post from the World Economic Forum focusing on news and uproar following the 2013 Italian elections. The problems focused on a fake story that was picked up in major media operations in the country in the middle of the elections and swaying public sentiment.

The post uses these events as a jumping off point to investigate how and why misinformation spreads online. The post is an interview with Walter Quattrociocchi from the Laboratory of Computational Social Science at IMT Lucca in Italy. He discusses findings from their larger work titled the Global Risks Report 2016.

There is no method to corral misinformation online at this point. One model is to perhaps allow algorithms to determine "trustworthiness" of information presented.

Great post from Jeremy Dean about hosting your own space online...and building in Hypothes.is.

I've been working with colleagues and students to get them started with a domain of their own. I'm also working on an upcoming piece in JAAL highlighting the need for this in K-12 classrooms.

This post from Jeremy goes through the entire process of setting up the domain, starting up WordPress, and installing the Hypothesis plugin. Jeremy also explains WHY you should do all of this.

As I continually try to explain this in my posts...I'm envious of Jeremy's ability to concisely present these concepts. :)

If you're hosting your own site...or thinking about it...this is a must read.

🔨 Do

As part of this "Make" section I try and identify ways to get us all to think with a bit more creativity. This creativity and willingness to experiment might come in the form of a digital tool, or playing with electronics, lifehacking...or the kitchen.

In the post and this video, you can pick up some tips for experimenting and being a bit more adventurous as you test out some "sexy food plating."

Enjoy. Send in pics if you try this.

🤔 Consider

"In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration." — Ansel Adams

This week we delve into dumb questions, connecting, and exploration. It might not make sense now...and hopefully it makes sense at the end. The promise is repeated. The arc continues. The faith persists.

Three pieces of work this week. WalkMyWorld Project continued with Learning Event Two—please come learn with us on Twitter. The invitation is ongoing. Creating and sharing multimodal tutorials to scaffold learners—post outlines use of screencaptures and screencasts to help support students in hybrid learning spaces. Perspectives of Digital Literacies—I put this sidebar together for the fantastic piece written by Maha Bali titled "Knowing the difference between digital skills and digital literacies, and teaching both." These two pieces appeared in Literacy Daily. They both draw heavily on the work of Doug Belshaw. The collaboration is acknowledged. The debt is recognized.

Sally Ride interviewed by Gloria Steinem discusses questions, concerns, and labels she had to deal with while becoming first American woman in space. I wish there had been another woman on my flight. I think it would have been a lot easier. The isolation is palpable. The burden is singular. Being first means being alone.

Pew social media usage from 2005 to 2015. Nearly 2/3 (65%) of adults now using social networks. What I found interesting: seniors (age 65 and older) using social media jumped from 2% in 2005 to 35% in 2015. Socio-economic status big differentiator. No real gender differences, no real racial or ethnic differences in social networking usage. The adoption is widespread. The barriers are economic, not demographic.

Under-connected kids report examining gaps in educational opportunities for low-income families. Children from homes that don't have reliable Internet access at home and use of desktop computer less likely to use Internet for research. Study did not consider mobile-only access to be valid substitute. I am concerned by the findings, however I do question the focus on the need for a desktop computer. I think we're in between two models and changing the devices that we use in our personal lives. It may be problematic to look at mobile-only access as a detriment...when that might be the only access available. The concern is genuine. The questioning is necessary. The transition is happening whether research recognizes it or not.

Nathan Jurgenson pushing back against disconnectionists—most notably Sherry Turkle and Reclaiming Conversation. Turkle and other disconnectionists don't really understand digital culture, making attempts to separate out Internet and technology from our lives. The false sense that your health and humanity are at stake in when and how you look at your screen suggests that we are already too "mindful" about how we are connected. We have too many self-conscious rituals of disconnection. If being mindful means being preoccupied with phony sense of balance and moderation, anchoring oneself to fictitious "real" identity, and judging constantly who is normal and who is broken, then we may need something more mindless. The critique is sharp. The argument is provocative. Mindfulness as anxiety, not solution.

Secret Teacher refusing to be "Kardashian with a PGCE." Anonymous blog where "teachers can tell it like it is." Author rails back against "superstar teachers" that use social media to promote their own vanity and create "toxic culture of one-upmanship." The post goes on to indicate author likes to go on Facebook and look at cat videos and relax. It also posits that Twitter takes too much time, not time that really pays off in classroom. In reading this I was at first taken aback by the comments from the author. Since then I've been wondering about individuals that do not want to have a digital identity. In my research and instruction I spend a lot of time looking at ways to build up your digital profile. I also wonder if it's appropriate for teachers to authentically and effectively embed technology in instruction...while not being active socially online. The discomfort is honest. The wondering is ongoing. The question has no easy answer.

Misinformation spreading online—World Economic Forum focusing on 2013 Italian elections. Fake story picked up in major media operations swaying public sentiment. There is no method to corral misinformation online at this point. One model is to perhaps allow algorithms to determine "trustworthiness" of information presented. The problem is urgent. The solution is uncertain. Algorithms as gatekeepers raises new questions.

Jeremy Dean on Annotated Domain of One's Own. I've been working with colleagues and students to get them started with domain of their own. I'm also working on upcoming piece in JAAL highlighting need for this in K-12 classrooms. This post from Jeremy goes through entire process of setting up domain, starting up WordPress, and installing Hypothesis plugin. Jeremy also explains WHY you should do all of this. As I continually try to explain this in my posts...I'm envious of Jeremy's ability to concisely present these concepts. If you're hosting your own site...or thinking about it...this is a must read. The envy is admitted. The recommendation is unqualified. The work is ongoing.

Food plating creativity—as part of this "Make" section I try and identify ways to get us all to think with bit more creativity. This creativity and willingness to experiment might come in form of digital tool, or playing with electronics, lifehacking...or the kitchen. You can pick up some tips for experimenting and being bit more adventurous as you test out some "sexy food plating." Enjoy. Send in pics if you try this. The playfulness is intentional. The invitation is genuine. The creativity crosses domains.

Ansel Adams: In wisdom gathered over time I have found that every experience is a form of exploration. Dumb questions that isolate. Social media adoption across demographics. Mobile-only access as detriment or reality. Mindfulness as anxiety. Digital identity as choice or necessity. Misinformation without solutions. Domain ownership as K-12 imperative. Food plating as creativity practice. All forms of exploration. The question remains: what are we discovering as we explore?

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