TLDR 83

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 83

Published: 2017-02-02 • 📧 Newsletter

Welcome to the 83rd issue of the TL;DR Newsletter. We dig in to the intersections between education, technology, & literacy. Thanks for joining us.

This week I worked on a lot of things behind the scenes. More information coming soon.

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Send me feedback or questions at hello@wiobyrne.com. You can review archives of the newsletter. Check out TL;DR on Medium. Connect with me on Instagram and Snapchat.

In this issue we deliberately share our needs.

🔖 Key Takeaways

What I Appreciate Most: There are numerous versions of this video online from the news agencies. These other versions include interviews and explanations of what it means to the students. What I appreciate most is the opportunity to make each student feel they are a valued member of the community.
We're Still Very Good: The report is helpful in identifying key areas where robots and automation already have us beat...and other areas in which we have an advantage....for now. We're still very good at spotting new patterns, logical reasoning, creativity, coordination between multiple agents, natural language understanding, and responding to social & emotional states.
What Strikes Me the Most: What I like the most is that Watters extends beyond that and focuses on very real series of questions and considerations that we should have. What strikes me the most from this piece is one of the closing elements about data and surveilling of students: All along the way, or perhaps somewhere along the way, we have confused surveillance for care.
I Frequently Say Too Much: One of the key elements that I picked up is the need to allow the learning to be messy and have your students or participants figure things out on their own. I frequently say too much and try to make the connections for students.
I Believe These Mindsets: The post extends this mindset by connecting it to elements of mindfulness. I believe these mindsets have specific import for students in classes, or participants in workshops.

📺 Watch

Teacher creates personalized handshakes for all his students

Barry White Jr. was all over the newscasts here in the U.S. after this video of him greeting students on the way in to class popped up online. There are numerous versions of this video online from the news agencies. These other versions include interviews and explanations of what it means to the students.

What I appreciate most is the opportunity to make each student feel they are a valued member of the community.

📚 Read

The Internet on our terms: How children and young people deliberated about their digital rights

A research report investigating the relationships with digital technologies held by young people from the ages of 12 to 17. The research is a collaboration by the University of Leeds, Horizon Digital Economy Research Institute, and the University of Nottingham. The full report (PDF) is available here.

The researchers brought the 108 young adults together to "put the Internet on trial" to unpack discussions around five fundamental digital rights:

The right to remove
The right to know
The right to safety and support
The right to informed and conscious use
The right to digital literacy

The resulting themes are very interesting and fall into three key areas:

Transcending the online-offline dichotomy - Young people want to be governed online with the same rights and responsibilities they do offline.
The role of regulation - Young people want regulation to bring some norms to online spaces to provide safe, happy experiences.
Finding efficacy - Participants indicated an attitude change in their efficacy about being able to negotiate and change their digital rights.

The skills where you still have the edge over robots

Despite what you may be told, jobs are not being lost to other countries, the real changes are due to automation and other effects of technology in our lives. This post from the World Economic Forum shares insight from a report that details the future of automation.

The report is helpful in identifying key areas where robots and automation already have us beat...and other areas in which we have an advantage....for now. :)

Specifically, we're still very good at spotting new patterns, logical reasoning, creativity, coordination between multiple agents, natural language understanding, identifying social & emotional states, responding to social & emotional states, displaying social & emotional states, and moving around diverse environments.

EdTech in a Time of Trump

The text of an address given by Audrey Watters at the University of Richmond. The slides for the talk are available here.

The address effectively describes the challenges, consternation, and despair that many of us have been feeling in education and technology during the first couple of weeks of the Trump era. What I like the most is that Watters extends beyond that and focuses on very real series of questions and considerations that we should have. Specifically...what sort of future should we expect in terms of technology and education.

What strikes me the most from this piece is one of the closing elements about data and surveilling of students:

All along the way, or perhaps somewhere along the way, we have confused surveillance for care.

And that's my takeaway for folks here today: when you work for a company or an institution that collects or trades data, you're making it easy to surveil people and the stakes are high. They're always high for the most vulnerable. By collecting so much data, you're making it easy to discipline people. You're making it easy to control people. You're putting people at risk. You're putting students at risk.

Resources to teach about the #muslimban

If you're an educator that believes in critical and/or information literacy, you may be looking for texts to foster discussion about the Muslim Ban. This post from Rusul Alrubail shares guidance on the why and how of making this happen in your classroom.

There is a wealth of content...and social media accounts available that you can follow to inform yourself and join the discussion.

Mindful Facilitation: Don't do something, just stand there

This past summer, I spent a week at a workshop focusing on Project Based Learning. Since that point, I've been folding in many of the skills and mindsets into many of my classes.

One of the key elements that I picked up is the need to allow the learning to be messy and have your students or participants figure things out on their own. I frequently say too much and try to make the connections for students.

This post extends this mindset by connecting it to elements of mindfulness. Specifically, the post points out the need to focus on these elements to be a better facilitator:

Pause - Moments taken before, in between, and after activities
Just one breath - Taking a breath before answering a question...and possibly before asking questions
Tuning into your body - Don't neglect your needs so you don't neglect the needs of others
Nonjudgmental observation - Paying attention to the moment
"Don't know" mind - The beginners mind, or a space of openness

I believe these mindsets have specific import for students in classes, or participants in workshops.

🔨 Do

Check out the Privacy Paradox podcast

From February 6th to the 10th, WNYC is putting together a mix between a podcast series, newsletter, and MOOC. Titled The Privacy Paradox, this week of challenges includes newsletters, podcasts, and a challenge for each day to have you re-examine your challenges with privacy.

🤔 Consider

"I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood." — Audre Lorde

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🌱 Connected Concepts:

Personalized Handshakes — Teacher Barry White Jr. all over newscasts, what I appreciate most is opportunity to make each student feel they are a valued member of the community.
Digital Rights Youth — Internet on our terms research report 108 young adults put Internet on trial, five fundamental rights transcending online-offline dichotomy finding efficacy.
Automation and Robots — Skills where you have edge over robots jobs not being lost to other countries, real changes due to automation we're still very good at spotting new patterns creativity coordination.
Audrey Watters — EdTech in a Time of Trump University of Richmond address, what strikes me most is we have confused surveillance for care putting students at risk.
EdTech Trump Era — Challenges consternation despair many feeling in education and technology, what sort of future should we expect in terms of technology and education.
Muslim Ban — Rusul Alrubail resources to teach about if you're educator believes in critical information literacy, wealth of content and social media accounts available to inform yourself join discussion.
Rusul Alrubail — Shares guidance on why and how of making this happen in your classroom, texts to foster discussion about Muslim Ban.
Mindful Facilitation — Don't do something just stand there Project Based Learning workshop, I frequently say too much try to make connections for students pause just one breath tuning into your body.
Privacy Paradox — WNYC podcast February 6-10 mix between podcast series newsletter and MOOC, challenge for each day re-examine your challenges with privacy take quiz find Privacy Personality.

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