TLDR 86

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 86

Published: 2017-02-24 • 📧 Newsletter

Welcome to TL;DR Newsletter #86. Each week I'm synthesizing things that happened in the worlds of education, literacy, and technology to help make sense of it for you. Thanks for joining us.

This week's issue is about opening up new perspectives.

This week I shared the following:

Four Questions For podcast - I've been compiling my catalog of interviews with experts in the field into a short form podcast series. In each episode, I drill down into a specific area in technology, education, and literacy. My graduate assistant has been tirelessly editing the audio, and we cleaned up the website and podcast feed. Listen/annotate on Soundcloud or your favorite podcast client. I'd love your feedback.

Feel free to share this with someone that you believe would benefit. Please subscribe to this newsletter if you haven't already. Thanks!!! :)

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.

🔖 Key Takeaways

This Is Definitely Ultra Cool: NASA announced that the Spitzer Space Telescope identified seven Earth-sized planets around a tiny, ultra-cool dwarf star called TRAPPIST-1. Three of the planets in this system are within the habitable zone from their sun. This is definitely ultra cool. :)
I Like the Ideas: I like the ideas presented here by Spector, but I think that it would take the right educator/facilitator, and the correct pedagogical opportunities to teach this class. This would be a great piece of instruction in which students and educators collectively research and examine these tools and spaces.
I Hope It Wouldn't: I hope it wouldn't just be lecturing students about Snapchat and the dangers of sharing with the world.
This Is Definitely a Resource: The book, Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers is focused on what web literacy for stream culture is all about. This is definitely a resource to keep on your digital bookshelf.
This Is Also Why: There are many gradations of truth, bias, and perspective involved. This is also why I do not like the "checklist" mentality of reviewing and evaluating information as we read online. I prefer to have my students think as healthy skeptics.
As I Shared This Post: As I shared this post, it was interesting to hear responses from colleagues and students that suggested they were still learning about these elements in their classes and textbooks.

📺 Watch

NASA & TRAPPIST-1: A treasure trove of planets found

This week NASA announced that the Spitzer Space Telescope identified seven Earth-sized planets around a tiny, ultra-cool dwarf star called TRAPPIST-1. Three of the planets in this system are within the habitable zone from their sun.

📚 Read

A post from Josh Spector on his Medium pub looking at the need for our schools to teach social media classes to students. He indicates that there is a need to teach students how social media works so that they can fix inherent problems as they grow up.

I like the ideas presented here by Spector, but I think that it would take the right educator/facilitator, and the correct pedagogical opportunities to teach this class. This would be a great piece of instruction in which students and educators collectively research and examine these tools and spaces. I hope it wouldn't just be lecturing students about Snapchat and the dangers of sharing with the world.

New teaching resource for digital literacy

If you're looking for a good resource to learn/teach about digital and web literacy, check out this OER (open educational resource) from Mike Caulfield. The book, Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers is focused on what web literacy for stream culture is all about.

You can learn more, and download the book in different formats here. This is definitely a resource to keep on your digital bookshelf.

Fake News. It's complicated.

An excellent taxonomy of the different levels of "fake news" available online from Claire Wardle. As we critically evaluate online information (or teach others), it's important to recognize that this is not a binary solution of information being "right" or "wrong." There are many gradations of truth, bias, and perspective involved.

This is also why I do not like the "checklist" mentality of reviewing and evaluating information as we read online. I prefer to have my students think as healthy skeptics. I'll have more in an upcoming post.

This post shares valuable insight as we consider different levels of mis- and disinformation in online materials. The levels are nuanced and help us think more deeply about materials read online.

Four neuromyths that are still prevalent in schools - debunked

I am an educational psychologist by trade..or at least that is what the diploma suggests. :)

As you hang out with ed psychologists, at some point the topic of "learning styles" will come up and you can watch the fireworks ensue.

This post from Bradley Busch on the Teacher Network section of The Guardian discusses a series of four of these myths that still prevail in our educational systems.

Learning styles
You only use 10% of your brain
Right brain vs. Left brain
Playing brain games makes you smarter

As I shared this post, it was interesting to hear responses from colleagues and students that suggested they were still learning about these elements in their classes and textbooks. As with anything...please use your healthy skepticism, or critical eye as you read.

Google Expeditions now offers over 400 virtual field trips

Many schools do not have the means or ability to take field trips in the local area, let alone around the globe. To help address this situation, many educators use Google Earth, or other online tools to bring learners outside of the classroom.

With the help of the Google Expeditions app, you can start taking these tours using your mobile device. Either buy Google Cardboard to hold your device, or make your own. Now you're using virtual reality (VR) to tour the globe and beyond.

🔨 Do

Use bacon instead of breading for no-carb onion rings

Looks so wrong it has to be right.

Here in the make section, we'll often discuss food as one of the first places I like to make is in the kitchen.

Wrapping bacon around onion rings has me thinking about other sorts of vegetables and use for bacon. :)

🤔 Consider

"If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden." — Frances Hodgson Burnett

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🌱 Connected Concepts:

TRAPPIST-1 — NASA Spitzer Space Telescope seven Earth-sized planets around tiny ultra-cool dwarf star, three planets within habitable zone this is definitely ultra cool.
Four Questions For Podcast — Compiling catalog of interviews with experts short form podcast series, drill down into specific area technology education literacy I'd love your feedback.
Josh Spector — Why every high school should teach social media class Medium, need to teach students how social media works so they can fix inherent problems as they grow up.
Social Media Class — I like ideas presented but would take right educator and correct pedagogical opportunities, great piece of instruction students and educators collectively research examine tools and spaces I hope it wouldn't just be lecturing about dangers.
Mike Caulfield — New teaching resource for digital literacy OER Web Literacy for Student Fact-Checkers, focused on what web literacy for stream culture is all about definitely resource to keep on digital bookshelf.
Web Literacy — Mike Caulfield book for student fact-checkers can download in different formats, good resource to learn teach about digital and web literacy.
Claire Wardle — Fake News It's complicated excellent taxonomy of different levels, important to recognize this is not binary solution of right or wrong many gradations of truth bias perspective.
Fake News Taxonomy — Different levels of mis- and disinformation in online materials, this is why I do not like checklist mentality I prefer students think as healthy skeptics levels are nuanced help us think more deeply.
Learning Styles Myth — Four neuromyths still prevalent in schools debunked Bradley Busch Guardian, learning styles you only use 10% of brain right brain vs left brain playing brain games makes you smarter as I shared this post interesting to hear responses suggested still learning about these in classes.
Google Expeditions — Now offers over 400 virtual field trips using mobile device, buy Google Cardboard or make your own now using virtual reality to tour globe and beyond.

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