TLDR 74

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 74

Published: 2016-12-04 • 📧 Newsletter

Welcome to issue 74 of the TL;DR Newsletter.

In TL;DR we typically discuss events of the week in education, technology, and literacy. In this issue we discuss empathy and literacy practices.

If you haven't already, please subscribe to this newsletter. You can review archives of the newsletter. Check out TL;DR on Medium. You can connect with me on Instagram and Snapchat.

This week I was in Nashville at the annual conference of the Literacy Research Association (LRA). I'll have materials from these sessions coming out in future posts.

🔖 Key Takeaways

• I've Often Said: I've often said that "I'm a visual learner," but research suggests that learning styles like visual and auditory learning are inherent traits. This doesn't entirely mean that learners don't have preferences, but we must begin to question whether people actually learned better when information was presented in a preferred style. Instead, it seems that most people learn the best when information is presented in multiple ways, especially when one of them is visual.
• One of My Favorite Lines: What literature does is incorporate the other in all its quirks and peculiarities into the social body. It allows for difference, and often even proclaims it to be genius. It considers difference a sign of courage: the hero is who he chooses to be.
• I've Had Some Deep Thinking: Over the past week I've had some deep thinking about my own perspectives, voice, and right to speak my mind about some of the events I see unfolding. If you spent any time with me while at LRA, I shared some of these thoughts in varied discussions. I had hoped that we could unpack some of these challenges in larger group activities to understand and celebrate one another. I'm still looking for actionable guidance as to how we can build these connections.
• I Think These Perspectives: I think these perspectives have tremendous value for educators from Pre-K up through higher ed. Specifically, I think the internet and other communication technologies present opportunities for individuals to think about new opportunities to read, write, and communicate with others.
• I've Spent a Lot of Time: I've spent a lot of time teaching students about the challenges of developing maps. This video makes it very easy to understand by cutting up a giant beach ball map.

📺 Watch

Am I really a visual learner?

I've often said that "I'm a visual learner," but research suggests that learning styles like visual and auditory learning are inherent traits.

This doesn't entirely mean that learners don't have preferences, but we must begin to question whether people actually learned better when information was presented in a preferred style. Instead, it seems that most people learn the best when information is presented in multiple ways, especially when one of them is visual.

Learn more about all of this in this SciShow episode.

📚 Read

The need to read

Great post from Will Schwalbe in the Wall Street Journal. This article focuses on the specific needs for reading. These include opportunities for individuals to engage with the world, become a better reader, and make sense of challenges in life.

Schwalbe indicates the need for reading in our current times:

We overschedule our days and complain constantly about being too busy. We shop endlessly for stuff we don't need and then feel oppressed by the clutter that surrounds us. We rarely sleep well or enough. We compare our bodies to the artificial ones we see in magazines and our lives to the exaggerated ones we see on television. We watch cooking shows and then eat fast food. We worry ourselves sick and join gyms we don't visit. We keep up with hundreds of acquaintances but rarely see our best friends. We bombard ourselves with video clips and emails and instant messages. We even interrupt our interruptions.

Divided times: How literature teaches us to understand the other

A post from Amanda Michalopoulou examining the possible role of literature, and more specifically drama in helping help us develop empathy.

One of my favorite lines from the post:

What literature does is incorporate the other in all its quirks and peculiarities into the social body. It allows for difference, and often even proclaims it to be genius. It considers difference a sign of courage: the hero is who he chooses to be.

Donald Trump, the first President of our post-literate age

A thoughtful, nuanced post from Joe Weisenthal examining the literacy practices that exist as we focus on medium and not message in our current times. Weisenthal posits that may people would rather act on emotion and resonate with the short form immediate communication bursts that Trump effectively utilized.

The closing paragraph:

Furthermore, the world is still an extremely long way from eliminating classical, written literacy. We can still look up something in a dictionary or Wikipedia. You can still experience solitude, getting lost in the deep stacks of a library, meticulously poring over authoritative documents word for word. But as information gets more social -- taking on the immediate, short-form characteristics of Facebook and Twitter -- it acquires more qualities of the oral world.

Now is the time to talk about what we are actually talking about

Powerful piece from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie highlighting the need for honest talk about perspectives, empathy, and humanity.

Over the past week I've had some deep thinking about my own perspectives, voice, and right to speak my mind about some of the events I see unfolding. If you spent any time with me while at LRA, I shared some of these thoughts in varied discussions. I had hoped that we could unpack some of these challenges in larger group activities to understand and celebrate one another. I'm still looking for actionable guidance as to how we can build these connections.

5 ways to think, and act, like a digital technology leader

Joe McKendrick in Forbes identifying a series of perspectives as you think and act more like a leader in technology. He presents five perspectives:

• Think like a chief executive officer
• Think like a journalist
• Think like an educator
• Think like an entrepreneur
• Think like a radical

I think these perspectives have tremendous value for educators from Pre-K up through higher ed. Specifically, I think the internet and other communication technologies present opportunities for individuals to think about new opportunities to read, write, and communicate with others.

🔨 Do

Why all world maps are wrong

A great video from the Vox YouTube channel examining the challenges that exist as we create maps of the globe. I've spent a lot of time teaching students about the challenges of developing maps. This video makes it very easy to understand by cutting up a giant beach ball map.

You should also play with the links they share in the description:

• Interact with projections
• Mercator tool
• Mike Bostock Map Transitions
• Mercator Puzzle

🤔 Consider

"Empathy is about standing in someone else's shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes. Not only is empathy hard to outsource and automate, but it makes the world a better place." — Daniel H. Pink

This week: empathy and literacy practices.

Nashville LRA conference I'll have materials from sessions in future posts. Visual learner I've often said that but research suggests people learn best when information presented in multiple ways especially visual. Will Schwalbe the need to read - engage with world become better reader make sense of challenges, we overschedule bombard ourselves with interruptions we even interrupt our interruptions. Literature teaches us to understand the other - one of my favorite lines incorporates the other allows for difference considers it courage. Post-literate age focus on medium not message - people would rather act on emotion resonate with short form immediate bursts. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie honest talk about perspectives empathy humanity - I've had some deep thinking about my own voice and right to speak my mind, I'm still looking for actionable guidance to build these connections. Digital technology leadership think like CEO journalist educator entrepreneur radical - I think these perspectives have tremendous value for educators opportunities to read write communicate. Why world maps are wrong - I've spent a lot of time teaching students about challenges of developing maps this video makes it very easy to understand.

Empathy is about standing in someone else's shoes, feeling with his or her heart, seeing with his or her eyes.

🔗 Navigation

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🌱 Connected Concepts:

• Empathy — Daniel Pink quote standing in someone else's shoes, literature teaches us to understand the other allows for difference.
• Literacy Practices — Will Schwalbe the need to read engage with world, post-literate age focus on medium not message short form bursts.
• Visual Learning — I've often said I'm a visual learner but research suggests otherwise, people learn best when information presented in multiple ways.
• Will Schwalbe — Wall Street Journal the need to read, we overschedule bombard ourselves with interruptions even interrupt our interruptions.
• Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie — Powerful piece highlighting honest talk about perspectives empathy humanity, I'm still looking for actionable guidance to build connections.
• Post-Literate Age — Joe Weisenthal on literacy practices focus on medium not message, people act on emotion resonate with short form communication.
• Digital Leadership — Joe McKendrick five perspectives think like CEO journalist educator entrepreneur radical, tremendous value for educators from Pre-K to higher ed.
• Map Projections — Vox video why all world maps are wrong, I've spent a lot of time teaching students about challenges makes it very easy to understand.
• LRA Conference — Nashville Literacy Research Association annual conference, I'll have materials from these sessions coming out in future posts.

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