TLDR 70

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 70

Published: 2016-11-04 • 📧 Newsletter

Welcome to issue 70 of the TL;DR Newsletter. In TL;DR I'm synthesizing what I read and learned this week in literacy, technology, and education. Ciao.

This week we think through the basics of communication.

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This week I worked on the following:

Becoming digitally literate in a domain of one's own - This post is a continuation of my thinking/discussion about a domain of one's own (#DoOO). It also contains the latest working draft of our column for JAAL that should be out soon. I wanted to share it now to continue the discussion.
A grant proposal for the ELATED Project - I applied for an "Improving Teacher Quality" grant here in SC with a group of colleagues. In order to strive for transparency in my work I'm sharing most of our proposal materials.
Three steps to move students from readers to writers of digital content - This week a column I wrote for Literacy Today was published. In this I extend my earlier thinking about digitally agile educators to the student level.

Finally, if you're interested in some new art for your laptop, support Bryan Mathers on Indiegogo to lock up some tattoos for your machines. I backed his campaign this week as Bryan is a good friend and mentor for me in these spaces.

🔖 Key Takeaways

I've Been Having Discussions: This video relates to recent political events here in the U.S. It also connects with our recent discussions here in TL;DR about online trolling and (conversely) stoicism. More importantly, I've been having discussions with my son about bullying and temper tantrums that he is seeing from other kids in his circles.
The Sci-Fi Fan in Me: Alice and Bob were able to invent their own encryption scheme that Eve wasn't able to figure out. Even better...the Google Brain team is still trying to figure out exactly what Alice and Bob created. Some will suggest this is an important event in which "the machines are talking and we cannot figure it out." The sci-fi fan in me would love this logic.
I'm Thinking Twice About: Plain black text on bright white pages is really hard to read. Additionally, mixing in shades of grey for text on primarily white pages is equally as tough. I'm beginning to think about this as I choose fonts, themes, and backgrounds for my websites. I'm thinking twice about my recent trend toward minimalism.
This Is Why I Blog: Bonnie notes, "Blogging is a choral act. Posts are commented on; ties are formed. Stories and backstories become known." This is why I blog. This is also why I need to reach out and respond to others via my blog to make these connections.

📺 Watch

Why are people so nasty?

A great video from the School of Life YouTube channel this week. This video relates to recent political events here in the U.S. It also connects with our recent discussions here in TL;DR about online trolling and (conversely) stoicism. More importantly, I've been having discussions with my son about bullying and temper tantrums that he is seeing from other kids in his circles.

📚 Read

Google AI invents its own cryptographic algorithm; no one knows how it works

This post came up last week, but it's been reverberating online in my social circles and I wanted to make sure you saw it.

The Google Brain team created three neural networks (connected networks of computer nodes that simulate the brain) named Alice, Bob, and Eve. The individual networks were not taught how to encrypt their networks. Alice was instructed to send a message to Bob; Bob had to decrypt it; Eve had to eavesdrop and decode the message. The only other major variable is that Alice and Bob shared a secret key needed to decrypt the message.

In short, Alice and Bob were able to invent their own encryption scheme that Eve wasn't able to figure out. Even better...the Google Brain team is still trying to figure out exactly what Alice and Bob created. They don't understand the system.

Some will suggest this is an important event in which "the machines are talking and we cannot figure it out." The sci-fi fan in me would love this logic. I also see the counter argument that there are many times that our computers talk and we (human ears) cannot understand it. Take for example the hiss and crackle of a modem or fax machine.

An interesting event to keep an eye on.

How the web became unreadable

Post from Kevin Marks documenting how typography is increasingly becoming more and more difficult to read. He begins the post with the documentation of how Google App Engine has moved from legible to illegible typography. He continues on with an examination of contrast ratios as detailed in the image above, and the prevalence of these ratios across the web.

In short, plain black text on bright white pages is really hard to read. Additionally, mixing in shades of grey for text on primarily white pages is equally as tough. I'm beginning to think about this as I choose fonts, themes, and backgrounds for my websites. I'm thinking twice about my recent trend toward minimalism.

On another note...turn down the brightness of your screens. You should install f.lux on your devices as well.

Blogging is a choral act

Post from Bonnie Stewart republished as part of Digital Writing Month. This post focuses on the connections, art, and social practices involved in blogging.

Bonnie notes:

Blogging is a choral act. Posts are commented on; ties are formed. Stories and backstories become known. As I connected with other bloggers and found community first with other parents and then with those whose writing, like my own, unpacked identities in various forms, I stumbled into something extraordinary: a space wherein I was able, in small ways, to publicly mother a child who was not here.

This is why I blog. This is also why I need to reach out and respond to others via my blog to make these connections.

Web pioneer tries to incubate a second digital revolution

In my work with BadgeChain, I've been researching blockchain and distributed ledger technologies for about a year now. In this I had the opportunity to speak a bit with Brian Behlendorf about the future of the internet. These ideas are now fleshing out in the Hyperledger Project. I'll reshare the interview I conducted with Brian soon as I relaunch my podcast.

In the work with Hyperledger, they're currently moving in on health care by striving to become the "plumbing" in the system through the use of the blockchain.

The piece defines the blockchain as:

A blockchain is a digital ledger that records transactions or other data over time. But records in a blockchain can be made effectively indelible using cryptography, and a blockchain can be designed to be operated by a group of companies or individuals together such that no single entity controls the system or its data.

What Works Clearinghouse from the Institute of Educational Sciences

The Institute of Educational Sciences (IES) is a leading source for rigorous, independent research, evaluation and statistics. They have been retooling their What Works Clearinghouse and you should spend some time playing in the search tool.

You'll find a series of intervention reports and practice guides for educators to help you consider pedagogical opportunities.

My recent downloads include the following:

🔨 Do

Create MadLibs through Google Sheets

Richard Byrne shares the possible use of one of my favorite tools (Google Sheets) and templates from Flippity. Within Flippity, you can review a series of templates for a variety of tasks, ranging from flashcards to quiz shows, and badge trackers. The MadLibs template looks like a lot of fun that I'll fold in to an upcoming class.

🤔 Consider

"Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going." — Sam Levenson

Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.

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🌱 Connected Concepts:

School of Life — Why people nasty video bullying temper tantrums, I've been having discussions with my son about this.
Google AI — Alice Bob Eve neural networks inventing encryption scheme, sci-fi fan in me would love this logic machines talking.
Encryption — Neural networks created own cryptographic algorithm no one knows how it works, interesting event to keep eye on.
Typography — Kevin Marks web became unreadable legible to illegible, I'm thinking twice about minimalism install f.lux on devices.
Blogging — Bonnie Stewart choral act posts commented ties formed stories backstories, this is why I blog need to make connections.
Bonnie Stewart — Digital Writing Month blogging as space to publicly mother child, community connections art social practices.
Blockchain — BadgeChain researching distributed ledger technologies, Hyperledger Project as plumbing in healthcare blockchain defined.
Brian Behlendorf — Spoke with about future of internet, I'll reshare interview when I relaunch podcast Hyperledger work.
What Works Clearinghouse — IES retooling search tool intervention reports practice guides, teaching elementary and secondary students to write effectively.

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