TLDR 82

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 82

Published: 2017-01-27 • 📧 Newsletter

Welcome to the 82nd issue of the TL;DR Newsletter.

Each week we try to make sense of trends in education, technology, and literacy. Together we can better understand these spaces and develop expertise. Thanks again for your support.

With this in mind, I'm trying to expand my reading list to include individuals that are studying, writing, and sharing materials that look at issues of advocacy, policy, and activism in educational contexts. I'd prefer individuals from diverse perspectives and contexts. Please help out and share names and online addresses by emailing me, or leaving information on this post.

In this issue we imagine what would happen if we all trusted one another.

This week I worked on the following:

• Wisdom is tolerance of cognitive dissonance - This post is a look at wisdom, and the connections to cognitive dissonance.
• How to debate - This post is loosely connected to the first one I listed. In this short piece I identify the skills and mindsets required to engage in debate. I've found myself in some debates recently...and want to better understand the granular elements.
• Oppositional conversational style - In a podcast that I was listening to this past week, the host discussed the need to understand when someone wants to argue for the sake of arguing. I took the root of the idea from this podcast and unpacked it to provide some guidance as we get in these situations.

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🔖 Key Takeaways

• This Is Important: What caught my attention is the indication that "trust" is in crisis around globe. This is important as we consider the experiences that we're having on a global scale. It also requires that we re-examine and problematize our own perspectives.
• I Believe This Is a Result: The results are very convoluted and I believe this is a result of growing awareness of cybersecurity issues for some portions of the U.S. populace.
• Thankfully, Younger Americans: Encryption continues to be a highly debated issue. Thankfully, younger Americans (18 - 49) expressed support for elevated, unbreakable encryption standards.
• They Also Identify: They also identify that the lack of quality digital education for all is a global emergency.
• I Believe It's Important: I believe it's important to examine the historical and political systems to ensure equity for all learners.
• The Internet Is the Dominant Text: I recommend using the Wayback Machine Chrome extension to save pages as you read online. The Internet is the dominant text of our generation, and we need to protect all voices and information.

📺 Watch

The neuroscience of imagination - Andrey Vyshedskiy

A great TED-Ed video that accompanies a lesson from Vyshedskiy.

In this lesson they discuss the challenges and opportunities that occur as we look into our own psyche to imagine the impossible.

📚 Read

The results are in: Nobody trusts anyone anymore

As the World Economic Forum continues in Davos, I heard many reports from the event talking about the global shifts in power. What caught my attention is the indication that "trust" is in crisis around globe.

This post from Quartz shares insight from the 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer which details a "global implosion" in trust. Specifically, our collective trust in business, government, the media, and non-government entities is bottoming out.

This is important as we consider the experiences that we're having on a global scale. It also requires that we re-examine and problematize our own perspectives.

Americans and cybersecurity

A new research report from the Pew Research Center looking at American thoughts and behaviors as they relate to online privacy and security.

The results are very convoluted and I believe this is a result of growing awareness of cybersecurity issues for some portions of the U.S. populace.

Specifically, a majority of Americans (64%) do not trust the federal government or social media sites to protect their data. Yet, many of the participants in the study also indicated that they did little to follow digital security practices in their own personal lives.

Encryption continues to be a highly debated issue. Thankfully, younger Americans (18 - 49) expressed support for elevated, unbreakable encryption standards.

How can we help kids protect themselves online?

More information from the World Economic Forum website. This post details some specific advice for preparing and protecting children as they begin to use digital texts and tools.

The report suggests the need to start very young with children as these new technologies are ubiquitous in our current landscape. They also identify that the lack of quality digital education for all is a global emergency.

This report is focused on children in these contexts, but it comes from a larger white paper titled Valuing personal data and rebuilding trust.

The African American roots of Betsy DeVos's educational platform

This piece in The Atlantic is by colleague and friend Jon Hale. The piece discusses the challenges presented by the appointment of Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education in the U.S.

Hale examines the historical parallels between the privatization of schools and the injection of school vouchers and charter schools into the reform process. Specifically, he makes a case for the role of race in these discussions and the need to reconsider what means are affected as we reform a public good.

I believe it's important to examine the historical and political systems to ensure equity for all learners.

Student PSAs create connections to critical issues

A post on creating public service announcements (PSAs) with students to help them understand and advocate for critical public needs.

The post identifies the need to focus on content knowledge, voice and choice in topic, as well as an understanding in the identified audience.

The post goes on to provide some examples of PSAs as well as rubrics for assessment. It concludes with the mention of Adobe Spark for use in producing these pieces.

🔨 Do

If you see something, save something - 6 ways to save pages in the Wayback Machine

As new parties come into political power, they are increasingly moving to the Internet to revise and delete prior information that was shared by the previous group.

The Internet Archive has been actively saving and archiving webpages from the U.S. government for months before our recent change in power. You can help support this process by saving pages that you value as you see them online.

I recommend using the Wayback Machine Chrome extension to save pages as you read online. The Internet is the dominant text of our generation, and we need to protect all voices and information.

🤔 Consider

"You don't understand anything until you learn it more than one way." — Marvin Minsky

🔗 Navigation

Previous: TLDR 81 • Next: TLDR 83 • Archive: 📧 Newsletter

🌱 Connected Concepts:

• Neuroscience of Imagination — Andrey Vyshedskiy great TED-Ed video, challenges and opportunities as we look into our own psyche to imagine the impossible.
• Edelman Trust Barometer — Global implosion in trust nobody trusts anyone anymore, collective trust in business government media non-government entities bottoming out.
• Trust Crisis — World Economic Forum Davos indication that trust is in crisis around globe, important as we consider experiences on global scale re-examine our own perspectives.
• Cybersecurity — Americans and cybersecurity Pew Research Center thoughts and behaviors online privacy security, results very convoluted growing awareness of issues.
• Pew Research Center — 64% do not trust federal government or social media sites to protect data, many did little to follow digital security practices in own personal lives.
• Digital Rights Children — How can we help kids protect themselves online start very young, lack of quality digital education for all is a global emergency.
• Betsy DeVos — African American roots of educational platform Jon Hale Atlantic, challenges presented by appointment as Secretary of Education historical parallels privatization.
• Jon Hale — Colleague and friend piece in Atlantic, examines historical parallels privatization schools school vouchers charter schools role of race ensure equity for all learners.
• Student PSAs — Create connections to critical issues help students understand advocate, focus on content knowledge voice and choice Adobe Spark for producing.
• Wayback Machine — If you see something save something Internet Archive, I recommend using Chrome extension save pages as you read the Internet is dominant text of our generation.

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