TLDR 55

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 55

Published: 2016-07-22 • 📧 Newsletter

Welcome to issue 55 of the TL;DR Newsletter. In TL;DR we're documenting the news of the week in literacy, technology, and education. If this is your first time here...welcome. :)

This week we focus on privacy and identity in the public.

You can review archives of the newsletter. Alternatively you can also check out TL;DR on Medium.

This week I worked on the following:

Scaffolding educators (and students) as they consume, curate, and create online - This week I had the honor of presenting virtually to the Two Summers cohort at UConn. I taught in the program as a GA and enjoy staying connected. The talk is a modified version of the keynote that I gave earlier in the month at the TILE-SIG meeting at ILA in Boston. Click here for the video of this talk.
Screencasts & screencaptures in education, assessment, & research - This week in my tech class we were focusing on the creation of screencaptures (images) and screencasts (video) of elements on our computer screens and devices. I think all educators should have this skillset mastered.
Creating and sharing multimodal tutorials - One of the key ways to use screencaptures and screencasts is in the creation and sharing of multimodal tutorials with students and colleagues. Once again, I believe this is a key skill that all educators should have in their repertoire.

🔖 Key Takeaways

I Had the Honor: I had the honor of presenting virtually to the Two Summers cohort at UConn. I taught in the program as a GA and enjoy staying connected.
I Think All Educators Should Have This: I think all educators should have this skillset mastered.
I Disagree: Some argue that we should look the other way when we see activities like this. I disagree. I think we need public dialogue and action about the behaviors and the individuals that display them.
I Immediately Applied: I immediately applied to verify my account believing that this would allow users to create a "circle of trust" in the environment.
The One I'm Currently in Love With: The one that I'm currently in love with (but haven't purchased yet) is the Ricoh Theta S.

📺 Watch

Veronica Belmont, Host/Producer - XOXO Festival (18:59)

Veronica Belmont celebrated a birthday this week (or at least that's what Google says). This keynote is a thoughtful, honest accounting of the challenges that exist as we put ourselves out online.

I share this video with students as we start discussing the development of our digital identities. I want to engage in an honest and frank discussion with them about the challenges and opportunities that exist as others review and (possibly) remix our content.

📚 Read

Leslie Jones and her racist harassers are shining a light on a major problem with Twitter

As I help students, colleagues, and clients build and modify a digital identity, the discussion usually comes around to the use of Twitter. I think that there are enormous challenges and opportunities that exist as we create, share, and participate online. There is incredible potential that can occur when a place becomes a hashtag (e.g., #ferguson). There are also horrible things that can occur when digital spaces and anonymity allow the trolls to come out (e.g., #gamergate).

This week we saw the horribly racist and misogynistic tweets that spread across Twitter and directed at actor/comedian Leslie Jones. Some argue that we should look the other way when we see activities like this. I disagree. I think we need public dialogue and action about the behaviors and the individuals that display them.

This week Twitter has tried to correct some of the policies that create these opportunities. One of these changes is to allow anyone to apply for a "verified account." Basically this means that they verify that your account and identity are authentic. I immediately applied to verify my account believing that this would allow users to create a "circle of trust" in the environment. Twitter rejected my application and provided this link for more info.

Positive, negative or neutral? Crucial conversations on digital citizenship

Great post from George Couros sharing a recent discussion with students about their digital identities.

The post starts with students sharing that they primarily share "bad" things online, and rarely share positive aspects of their identity. Naturally, as an educator we want to suggest that students consider sharing positives and negatives about themselves online. George notes that this might be messy as we often try to "schoolify" everything that kids like and tell them how they're "supposed to do it."

George leaves us with the following questions to ask students to begin dialogue:

Is your footprint positive, negative, or neutral? What would others say that don't know you?
How do you want to be perceived offline? How about online? Is there a difference in your actions in those spaces?
It is important to show who you are as a person, but to also understand that this is a an open room and to be thoughtful of others. Have fun but not at the expense of someone else.

Post from Jasmine McNealy on the challenges that exist with our expectations of privacy and control over our online interactions.

Jasmine's post is a clear explanation of our current understandings of public and private in the "real world" and online. She also provides an overview of the basic elements of what is public, or "publicness" when we interact online.

Once again, I believe that it is important that we consider, and problematize our definitions and considerations of privacy and security online and face-to-face.

Piece from Lindsey Tepe in the Pacific Standard Magazine. The piece examines the digital texts and tools that inundate classrooms (in the U.S.) and asks whether we're effectively servicing our students.

She notes:

But the technologies making their way into classrooms are evolving quickly, and our decentralized system of education has been hard pressed to keep up with the pace of change. While these technologies could help better implement our social contract, their adoption has been piecemeal and often lacked clear vision or purpose. Today, we are passively letting technology happen to our schools and institutions rather than proactively considering and purposefully choosing the ways in which we harness technologies to further our objectives for public education.

How teachers can see students' identities as learning strengths

Katarina Schwartz in MindShift detailing the opportunities to bring in pop culture, hip hop, and other cultural texts into the classroom to help students notice and name their identity.

The core of the post focuses on the new book by Christopher Emdin that focuses on "reality pedagogy." Reality pedagogy identifies ways to open up space for, and actively value students' expertise on their own lives.

The post contains numerous anecdotes and video elements that help you (and your students) understand the possibilities to make this happen in your classroom.

🔨 Do

A brief introduction to 360 video camera options

I'm always interested in new opportunities to play with video and digital tools. One new option that I've been checking out involves 360 degree, immersive video. The idea is that you can have a device take a 360 snapshot of the area and allow viewers to peer around on their own.

We're starting to see this technology show up on YouTube and elsewhere. Through the integration of Google Cardboard, I believe you'll see inexpensive options show up in classrooms. I think there are opportunities to use this in research and teacher education.

The one that I'm currently in love with (but haven't purchased yet) is the Ricoh Theta S.

🤔 Consider

"Along with planes, running water, electricity, and motorized transportation, the internet is now a fundamental fact of modern life." — danah boyd

This week: privacy and identity in the public.

Two Summers UConn virtual presentation - I had the honor, taught as GA and enjoy staying connected. Screencasts and screencaptures - I think all educators should have this skillset mastered. Veronica Belmont XOXO keynote on challenges putting ourselves online. Leslie Jones racist harassment - I disagree, I think we need public dialogue and action. Twitter verification circle of trust - I immediately applied and was rejected. George Couros on digital citizenship footprint conversations. Jasmine McNealy on privacy expectations - important to problematize our definitions. Lindsey Tepe on social contract for education. Christopher Emdin reality pedagogy actively valuing students' expertise. 360 video cameras - the one I'm currently in love with is Ricoh Theta S.

Internet is now a fundamental fact of modern life.

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🌱 Connected Concepts:

Digital Identity — Veronica Belmont challenges putting ourselves online, honest discussions about opportunities and risks.
Twitter — Leslie Jones harassment, verification circle of trust, I immediately applied and was rejected.
Digital Citizenship — George Couros conversations on positive negative neutral footprints, don't schoolify everything.
Privacy — Jasmine McNealy on publicness and expectations, problematize definitions online and face-to-face.
Christopher Emdin — Reality pedagogy opening space for and actively valuing students' expertise on their own lives.
Screencasts — Education assessment research, multimodal tutorials, I think all educators should have this skillset.
360 Video — Immersive cameras for YouTube and classrooms, I'm currently in love with Ricoh Theta S.

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