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TLDR 62

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 62

Published: 2016-09-09 • 📧 Newsletter

Welcome to issue 62 of the TL;DR Newsletter. In TL;DR I'm synthesizing what I read and learned this week in literacy, technology, and education. If this is your first time here...welcome. :)

I've been thinking about possibly changing the name of this newsletter from TL;DR to "The Weekly Packet." Please let me know what you think at this Twitter Poll...or send me an email.

This week is all about the little things that add up.

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

This week I worked on the following:

🔖 Key Takeaways

📺 Watch

I frequently create stop-motion animation movies with my son, or with students in classes and workshops. Much of this work is simple and relatively basic.

Because of this work, I enjoy movies like The Boxtrolls and all of the creations from the Laika studios. I cannot wait for their next movie. The video is a bit long, but well worth the time witnessing the magic they create. There's also tons of ideas as you create your own movies.

📚 Read

Very interesting report from the Pew Research Center released just as TL;DR was being finalized this week.

I'm always interested in the great work that Pew compiles in their reports. Most specifically, I believe the reports on libraries provide insight into our relationships with literacy and technology.

Several interesting themes:

Great post from Pernille Ripp on ways to help your students connect and fully experience content as they read. I came across this post (and Pernille's blog) while skimming online...and added it to my Feedly subscriptions.

The post details different contexts to examine the potential integration of reading and texts into the classroom. She highlights book choice, book truths, book tasks, book selection, book access, and book time. I found these perspectives helpful as I reevaluate readings, and my expectations of readings as I start up a new school year.

I'm surprised when I see the reaction that certain posts receive when I share them online. As an example, I shared this piece from Steven Pearlstein in The Washington Post about the possible intersection between student debt and choice of professional studies. I believed the subject matter to be relatively tame, but was interested to watch the responses from others online.

As an educator, and as an individual that prepares future educators, I have a special place in my heart for the field. As an English teacher, I also have a belief in the need to give learners opportunities to explore the humanities, literature, and all spaces in between. Not all of the people that responded to my initial share agreed with me. This was especially true for the people in education.

Perhaps we're headed for a time when budgets and issues of student debt will indeed modify people's decisions to head to these fields. It will be interesting to watch these possible trends.

A post from Jackie Gerstein identifying seven precursors for change that could/should be folded into professional development opportunities. She modified this from a series of seven tips provided to guide experiences with counselors.

I help develop and facilitate a lot of professional development opportunities, and I think one of the key threads in Jackie's post is the willingness of the group and individual participants to work from a place of honesty in the process.

A post from David Politis shared on LinkedIN Pulse. The gist of the post is about detailing the ways in which you prefer to work and collaborate. In effect you would create a user manual that could be shared with potential colleagues, employers and clients.

I like this strategy because it makes learning, and personal work strategies granular. I have thought about putting a post like this up on my website to detail my expectations in terms of my own work process. I think it's also important to spend time documenting what each one of us holds to be important in our philosophies on work. I could see this being a good activity in K-12 as well to help students develop their own metacognitive skills and as they collaborate with others.

Thanks to Stephen Downes for the share and the exemplar.

🔨 Do

Whether or not you're a fan of Daft Punk, you have to respect the art, creativity, and skill put into this piece. More to the point, I'm amazed at the extent to which fan art can create some amazing things...primarily out of adoration by the masses.

Check out the full video of the making of the helmet.

🤔 Consider

"There is no substitute for hard work." — Thomas Edison

This week: little things that add up.

Module One multimodal tutorials for coaching educators digital literacies, Three Obnoxious Academics episode two on multimodal literacies. Kubo Two Strings stop-motion - I cannot wait for their next movie, tons of ideas for creating own. Pew Research libraries 2016 - young adults visiting more, 24% back moving books for community tech spaces. Pernille Ripp empowered readers - I found these perspectives helpful reevaluating readings and expectations. Student debt and literature - I'm surprised when I see reactions, perhaps budgets will modify decisions to head to these fields. Jackie Gerstein seven precursors for change - I think one key thread is willingness to work from place of honesty. David Politis work manual - I have thought about putting this up on my website, good K-12 activity for metacognitive skills. Thanks to Stephen Downes for share and exemplar. Daft Punk helmet fan art adoration by masses.

There is no substitute for hard work.

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