Too Long; Didn't Read (TL;DR) newsletter #124

Welcome to Issue #124. Some time well spent.

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This week I posted the following:

The Digitally Agile Researcher - I have a chapter in this book that will finally be released this week. Definitely check out the video for this text below in the "WATCH" section. The text looks awesome, and I think you (or a friend of yours) will find a lot of value in this.
Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast - This post provides a an understanding of this catchphrase, and the meaning it has for thinking, learning, and dexterity in the process.
Goals, strategies, objectives, & tactics - A review of the differences between these elements, and their importance as you structure priorities in your life, or classroom.
Video: Using an Animated GIF to help communicate your message - I used Recordit in this video to make and showcase these GIFs.

Keep in touch by sending me a note at hello@wiobyrne.com or on the socials at wiobyrne.

WATCH

Introducing The Digitally Agile Researcher

This video was produced by the editors of our book. Read more about the authors, and their sections here.

I like the ways in which Natalia and Oliver have worked hard to blog about the book along the way. This video (and the shorter version) show a good understanding of how to make these materials more accessible and approachable.

READ

Security breach and spilled secrets have shaken the NSA to its core

Last week I attended a talk by Marina Kaljurand, the Chair of the Global Commission on the Stability of Cyberspace. Her talk focused on trust, privacy, and security. After the talk, I spent some time chatting with her about the role education factors into all of this, and she urged me to reach out to local black hat hackers to identify opportunities to embed some of these skills and mindsets into our classrooms.

I'm sharing this because it was an interesting precursor to what we're continuing to learn about the hack of the NSA by the Shadow Brokers in October.

What we're beginning to learn about these hacks should make us think quite deeply about our role in these digital spaces. Following the Snowden leaks, we began to understand more about our naive notions of of privacy and security online. These leaks reach much further. Read this excellent piece by Eli Lake.

The Ivory Tower can't keep ignoring tech

A great post by Cathy O'Neil in the NY Times that provides some of the insight from her book, but specifically suited for academics. BTW, her book, Weapons of Math Destruction, is excellent. I'm gifting it to friends this holiday season.

The book, and this post, give you an overview of the algorithms that rule, and most times ruin, our daily interactions. You'll view the world a bit differently after reading this text.

If you want to dig in a bit more with me, check out this reading list on critical literature on algorithms as social concerns.

Pedagogies of Dissent

Do you want to embed critical pedagogies in instruction? Want to use activist pedagogies to dig deep and teach critical texts?

Cathy Davidson pulls all of this together in this post that compiles materials from active learning to engaged, student-centered, or radical pedagogies. She provides an overview of the theory and perspectives that frame this work, and then zooms in to look at pedagogy in action.

Take some time to read through this, and review your teaching practice.

Teaching students to legally use images online

Jennifer Gonzalez has been crushing it with the Cult of Pedagogy website. I love the website, YouTube channel, and social media connections. It all makes sense, and looks great.

This post shares everything you need to know about adding images to your posts and content online. An invaluable resource for your work...and your classroom.

Ongoing reporting with gSuite

Trying to make sense of all of the ways in which Google Apps can be used in your daily work and processes?

Aaron Davis pulls everything together in this great overview of the different Googley tools and spaces...and how they can be integrated for specific purposes.

What I love about this post is that Aaron talks about specific things you might want to do...and concisely shares the links to make it happen. This post will most like serve as a final "checklist" of learning activities for some of my tech classes.

MAKE

Change your screen to grayscale to combat phone addiction

Your phone has a beautiful screen that displays apps, pictures, and content that stimulates your eyes and brain. Turn it off.

Tristan Harris, former Googler and founder of the non-profit Time Well Spent has been talking recently about the ways in which our brains are hacked by these shiny spaces.

I'm moving to greyscale for 30 days to see what impact this has on me...and my battery. Come join me in this experiment. A quick Google search for your phone...and "grayscale" should give you the settings you'll need to make this happen.

CONSIDER

The best way to achieve complete strategic surprise is to take an action that is either stupid or completely contrary to your self interest.

- Robert Gates

Too Long; Didn't Read (TL;DR) #124

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W. Ian O'Byrne · 1261 Discovery Drive · Ladson, SC 29456 · USA