TLDR 38
Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 38
Published: 2016-03-25 β’ π§ Newsletter
Hi all. Welcome to the TL;DR Newsletter. This week we'll discuss expertise, creativity, & portfolios.
If someone cool shared this newsletter, you might want to subscribe...I'll make sure you cut to the front of the line for next week's issue.
And now..the updates. This week I shared the following:
- Blockchain & Open Badges in Higher Education & Research - I joined the Open Badges in Higher Ed working group this week to talk about blockchain and open badges. You can review the follow up materials for this session here.
- The Story of Me - This week we launched Learning Event 9 in WalkMyWorld 2016. We've almost completed the WalkMyWorld Project 2016. Take a look at the post and come join us online.
π Key Takeaways
- I'm a Big Fan: I'm a big fan of the Connected Learning MOOC (CLMOOC) that runs each year. This is where I usually pick up extra skills to use in my classes and professional work two or three years before everyone else is using them.
- I Love the Fact: I love the fact that members of the CLMOOC group are researching and publishing their practice.
- Confident in Uncertainty: Amy urges us to "stop being so sure of ourselves" and "become confident in our own uncertainty."
- Tremendous Opportunities: I think there are tremendous opportunities to utilize and invigorate digital portfolios across spaces for learners. I'm hoping some recent work in digital badges and blockchain technologies might accelerate this thinking.
- You Could and Should: This is professional grade products that typically cost hundreds of dollars. You could and should start playing with this to see what you can create.
πΊ Watch
POP CULTURE: Pop and Philosophy
Advice from The School of Life looking at the power and positioning of Pop...and what Philosophy could/should learn from Pop.
Really good advice on the ways that we can identify ways to connect pedagogy with the lives of students.
π Read
What if we...ditch "best practices"?
Thoughtful piece by Amy Burvall problematizing our focus on experts and "fetishizing" their guidance.
Amy urges us to "stop being so sure of ourselves" and "become confident in our own uncertainty."
Read Amy's great post to think a bit more about how to embrace this uncertainty and experiment. As she mentions, let's start with the opening phrase "What if we..." and go from there.
Remix as Professional Learning: Educator's iterative literacy practice in CLMOOC
I'm a big fan of the Connected Learning MOOC (CLMOOC) that runs each year. This is where I usually pick up extra skills to use in my classes and professional work two or three years before everyone else is using them.
I love the fact that members of the CLMOOC group are researching and publishing their practice.
Findings identify illuminated four distinct remix mobilities and relational tendencies: bursting, drifting, leveraging, & turning. Bursting and drifting characterize the paces and proximities of remixing while leveraging and turning are activities more obviously disruptive of social processes and power hierarchies. "These mobilities and tendencies revealed remix as an emergent, iterative, collaborative, critical practice with transformative possibilities for openly networked web-mediated professional learning."
What the heck is interesting research?
Perspectives from Daniel Lemire looking at research and inquiry problems. This is a reminder to us all as we engage in thought and experimentation. The first bar should be is it of interest to us...and the community. The second should focus on whether or not your work is ambitious.
Thanks to Stephen Downes for originally sharing this.
What will digital portfolios mean for college-bound students?
This post from MindShift examines the role of digital portfolios and assessments in the application process and induction into higher education.
The post discusses a couple interesting initiatives underway to make this a viable transition, or marker of identity for learners.
I think there are tremendous opportunities to utilize and invigorate digital portfolios across spaces for learners. I'm hoping some recent work in digital badges and blockchain technologies might accelerate this thinking.
XKCD is now coming to America's science textbooks
Randall Munroe is an American cartoonist, author, and the creator of the webcomic XKCD.
He skillfully explains the complex in his books like the Thing Explainer. Publisher Houghton Mifflin has reached an agreement to start folding in some of his art and illustrations into their textbooks to allow students to make sense of the complex.
π¨ Do
Google Nik is now free
Nik is an advanced suite of tools for photo and image editing. This is professional grade products that typically cost hundreds of dollars. You could and should start playing with this to see what you can create. This is definitely something to download and allow your students to use in class as well.
If you want the power of Nik, but built in to an iPhone/iPad or Android app, please check out Snapseed.
π€ Consider
"Often a sign of expertise is noticing what doesn't happen." β Malcolm Gladwell
This week we'll discuss expertise, creativity, & portfolios. The themes converge. The questions emerge.
Two pieces of work this week. Blockchain & Open Badges in Higher Education & ResearchβI joined the Open Badges in Higher Ed working group this week to talk about blockchain and open badges. You can review the follow up materials for this session. The presentation is delivered. The feedback is collected. The Story of Meβthis week we launched Learning Event 9 in WalkMyWorld 2016. We've almost completed the WalkMyWorld Project 2016. Take a look at the post and come join us online. The story unfolds. The end approaches.
School of Life looking at the power and positioning of Pop...and what Philosophy could/should learn from Pop. Really good advice on the ways that we can identify ways to connect pedagogy with the lives of students. The power is acknowledged. The pedagogy connects. The lives of students are the destination.
Amy Burvall problematizing our focus on experts and "fetishizing" their guidance. Amy urges us to "stop being so sure of ourselves" and "become confident in our own uncertainty." Read Amy's great post to think a bit more about how to embrace this uncertainty and experiment. As she mentions, let's start with the opening phrase "What if we..." and go from there. The fetish is identified. The uncertainty is embraced. The phrase begins the experiment. What if we...
I'm a big fan of the Connected Learning MOOC (CLMOOC) that runs each year. This is where I usually pick up extra skills to use in my classes and professional work two or three years before everyone else is using them. The advantage is temporal. The skills arrive early. I love the fact that members of the CLMOOC group are researching and publishing their practice. Findings identify illuminated four distinct remix mobilities and relational tendencies: bursting, drifting, leveraging, & turning. Bursting and drifting characterize the paces and proximities of remixing while leveraging and turning are activities more obviously disruptive of social processes and power hierarchies. These mobilities and tendencies revealed remix as an emergent, iterative, collaborative, critical practice with transformative possibilities for openly networked web-mediated professional learning. The love is declared. The practice is researched. The remix mobilities are named. The transformation is possible.
Daniel Lemire looking at research and inquiry problems. This is a reminder to us all as we engage in thought and experimentation. The first bar should be is it of interest to us...and the community. The second should focus on whether or not your work is ambitious. Thanks to Stephen Downes for originally sharing this. The reminder is timely. The bars are set. Interest first. Ambition second.
MindShift examines the role of digital portfolios and assessments in the application process and induction into higher education. The post discusses a couple interesting initiatives underway to make this a viable transition, or marker of identity for learners. I think there are tremendous opportunities to utilize and invigorate digital portfolios across spaces for learners. I'm hoping some recent work in digital badges and blockchain technologies might accelerate this thinking. The opportunities are tremendous. The hope is specific. The acceleration might happen.
Randall Munroe is an American cartoonist, author, and the creator of the webcomic XKCD. He skillfully explains the complex in his books like the Thing Explainer. Publisher Houghton Mifflin has reached an agreement to start folding in some of his art and illustrations into their textbooks to allow students to make sense of the complex. The skill is acknowledged. The complex is explained. The textbooks are transformed.
Nik is an advanced suite of tools for photo and image editing. This is professional grade products that typically cost hundreds of dollars. You could and should start playing with this to see what you can create. This is definitely something to download and allow your students to use in class as well. If you want the power of Nik, but built in to an iPhone/iPad or Android app, please check out Snapseed. The cost drops to zero. The permission is granted. The play begins.
Malcolm Gladwell: Often a sign of expertise is noticing what doesn't happen. Blockchain and badges and WalkMyWorld and Pop philosophy and ditching best practices and CLMOOC remix and interesting research and digital portfolios and XKCD explanations and free professional tools. Expertise, creativity, & portfolios. All forms of noticing. All requiring attention to absence. The question remains: what doesn't happen that reveals expertise?
π Navigation
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π± Connected Concepts:
- Blockchain β Blockchain Open Badges in Higher Education Research, I joined the Open Badges in Higher Ed working group to talk about blockchain and open badges.
- Digital Badges β I'm hoping some recent work in digital badges and blockchain technologies might accelerate digital portfolio thinking.
- BadgeChain β You can review the follow up materials for BadgeChain presentation on Open Badges in Higher Education call.
- WalkMyWorld Project β Story of Me Learning Event 9, we've almost completed WalkMyWorld Project 2016.
- Pop Culture β School of Life looking at the power and positioning of Pop what Philosophy could should learn from Pop.
- Philosophy β Really good advice on the ways that we can identify ways to connect pedagogy with the lives of students.
- Pedagogy β Connecting pedagogy with the lives of students through Pop culture and philosophy intersection.
- Amy Burvall β Ditch best practices problematizing our focus on experts fetishizing their guidance.
- Best Practices β Stop being so sure of ourselves become confident in our own uncertainty, what if we.
- Uncertainty β Embrace this uncertainty and experiment, start with the opening phrase what if we and go from there.
- CLMOOC β I'm a big fan Connected Learning MOOC runs each year, where I usually pick up extra skills two or three years before everyone else.
- Remix β Remix as Professional Learning emergent iterative collaborative critical practice with transformative possibilities.
- Remix Mobilities β Four distinct mobilities and relational tendencies bursting drifting leveraging turning.
- Research β Daniel Lemire what the heck is interesting research, first bar is it of interest to us and the community second whether work is ambitious.
- Stephen Downes β Thanks to Stephen Downes for originally sharing Daniel Lemire's research perspectives.
- Digital Portfolios β MindShift examines role in application process and induction into higher education, tremendous opportunities to utilize and invigorate.
- XKCD β Randall Munroe coming to America's science textbooks, skillfully explains the complex Thing Explainer.
- Randall Munroe β American cartoonist author creator of webcomic XKCD, Houghton Mifflin folding art and illustrations into textbooks.
- Google Nik β Advanced suite of tools for photo and image editing now free, professional grade products typically cost hundreds of dollars.
- Snapseed β Power of Nik built in to iPhone iPad or Android app.
Part of the π§ Newsletter archive documenting digital literacy and technology.