communications

From DSC:
While I continue to try and review/pulse-check the K12 learning ecosystem, it struck me that we need new, DIRECT communication channels between educators, support staff, administrators, and legislators — and possibly others.

That is:

How can teachers, support staff, and administrators talk directly to legislators?
How can legislators communicate with teachers, support staff, and administrators?
Should we require relevant legislators (i.e., those individuals sponsoring bills or major changes to our k12 learning ecosystem) to go through training on how students learn?
What communication vehicles are present? Can they be anonymous?
Should there be an idea 1-800 hotline or an idea “mailbox” (digital and/or analog based)?

And what about the students themselves and/or their parents/guardians? Should they be involved as well?

Houses of worship to move streaming from social media to dedicated platforms [inavateonthenet.net]

On 03/22/2023, in 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, adult learning, change, communications, communities of practice, content development, aggregation, repositories, digital audio, digital video, experimentation, faith, society, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Houses of worship to move streaming from social media to dedicated platforms — from inavateonthenet.net

Excerpt:

A report by Pushpay, with data from over 1,700 organisations has found that while 91% of churches currently livestream worship services on social media, only 47% plan to do the same in the upcoming year.

The report, entitled ‘State of Church Tech 2023 is available to download here.

The reason cited for this shift is organisations’ lack of control on social media platforms to maintain engagement, as users are bombarded with pop-up windows, notifications, status updates, and more.

This is driving a rise in custom video players, website embeds, mobile app streaming, and other platforms that are better suited to maintain engagement.

Mixed media online project serves as inspiration for student journalists [Balmeo]

On 03/02/2023, in colleges, communications, community colleges, digital storytelling, higher education, journalism, media/film, multimedia, society, sociology, story, storytelling, surviving, United States, vision/possibilities, visualizing information, web design and production, by Daniel Christian

Mixed media online project serves as inspiration for student journalists — from jeadigitalmedia.org by Michelle Balmeo

Excerpt:

If you’re on the hunt for inspiration, go check out Facing Life: Eight stories of life after life in California’s prisons.

This project, created by Pendarvis Harshaw and Brandon Tauszik, has so many wonderful and original storytelling components, it’s the perfect model for student journalists looking for ways to tell important stories online.

The Top 10 In-Demand Skills For 2030 [Marr]

On 03/01/2023, in 21st century, business, career development, communications, corporate / business world, creativity, data related items, Emotion, leadership, lifelong learning, skills, web-based collaboration, workplace, by Daniel Christian

The Top 10 In-Demand Skills For 2030 — from forbes.com by Bernard Marr

Excerpt:

Digital Literacy
According to the WEF, more than half of the jobs that we do in 2030 will require an understanding of digital technology. This means that people who are able to effectively use digital tools and platforms to solve problems and create value will be increasingly in demand. I would go as far as saying that those who lack digital literacy will be at a severe disadvantage when it comes to competing for jobs and business opportunities by 2030, whatever career path they decide to follow.

Why Faculty Must Learn to Swim in Other Waters — from insidehighered.com by Rachel Toor, professor of creative writing at Eastern Washington University in Spokane.

Excerpts:

Academics, even with the best intentions, and especially if we’ve never left school, don’t realize that we’re all swimming in our own little pond.

Most faculty members continue to teach how they were taught. We focus on our disciplines. We indoctrinate students into academic conventions and genres. We sling jargon like short-order cooks. We ask students to write 20-page research papers—the likes of which few professions would ever require.

But how often do faculty members require students to create final projects that will help them get a job?

How many professors are adept at writing a one-page job cover letter? Or a one-page résumé?

From DSC:
I appreciate these great thoughts here from Rachel Toor. Besides helping students learn about networking (and actually putting those skills into practice), applying their research skills to finding good job/organization fits, write effective cover letters, etc., I think such real-world skill development needs to be integrated into the very core of what they are teaching. It needs to be integrated into the curriculum.

DC: I hope you’re right Martin! “Blogs are back baby” [Martin Weller]

On 02/14/2023, in blogs / blogging / vlogging, communications, communities of practice, education technology, tools, UK, writing, by Daniel Christian

Blogs are back baby — from blog.edtechie.net by Martin Weller

Excerpt:

The conclusion I take from all this (which I carefully assembled so I could draw the conclusion I want), is that there is a desire to have a core place on the net, that is not subject to the whims of billionaires, institutions or markets, where you can engage in a range of dialogue, from personal to professional, and that you enjoy revisiting. Ladies and gentleman, I give you, the blog.

From DSC:
I hope you’re right Martin!!! I still really appreciate blogs, as readers of this Learning Ecosystems blog might have guessed.

“6 Apps and Websites To Make Video Journals” [Burns] + an item from Tony Vincent re: Slow Reveal Graphs

On 02/13/2023, in communications, data related items, digital audio, digital storytelling, digital video, education technology, engagement / engaging students, ideas, instructional design, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, media/film, multimedia, presentations, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, by Daniel Christian

? I’m in love with this instructional routine: Slow Reveal Graphs! Start with a graph stripped of context and gradually reveal its labels, numbers, and title as students talk about what they see. Genius!

Thanks @jennalaib! (via @ericcurts)https://t.co/4WsI87EQWF

— Tony Vincent (@tonyvincent) February 9, 2023

Along the lines of tools, also see:

6 Apps and Websites to Make Video Journals — from classtechtips.com by Monica Burns

Excerpt:

Have you made video journals with your students? Earlier this year on the blog, I shared some of the reasons why this medium is worth considering. Today on the blog, we’ll look at six apps and websites to make video journals alongside a few more reasons why video journals are worth considering.

There are several reasons why a teacher might introduce video journals to their students. First, video journals can be a powerful tool for self-reflection and personal growth. By creating and reflecting on videos of themselves, students can better understand their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and identify areas for improvement.

Video journals can also provide a creative outlet for students to express themselves. Students may enjoy experimenting with different video-editing techniques and sharing their work with their peers. This experience using video tools can transfer to additional learning experiences, especially because video journals can help students practice their communication skills in speaking and visual storytelling.

And speaking of tools and technologies, also see:

A Valentine for Education Technology — from campustechnology.com by Mary Grush and Gardner Campbell

Excerpt:

However, in making some adjustments for an online experience, I soon realized that I was able, actually, to enhance aspects of the Read-a-thon and thus the course as well. For the first time, I could choose to invite the wider Milton community to the event, encouraging people to join from many different points across the country and potentially around the globe!

I like certain kinds of management technologies that help me with record keeping and organization. But I don’t love them. I love technologies of communication because, I think, they’re at the heart of teaching and learning — creating opportunities for human beings to think together, to study something together.

In one’s faith journey, it seems to me that this is one of the things that happens along the way. [Christian]

On 02/09/2023, in adult learning, communications, Daniel S. Christian, Emotion, faith, hearts -- matters of the heart, parents/guardians, youth, by Daniel Christian

In one’s faith journey, it seems to me that somewhere along the line, things move from I/we have to to I/we get to.

Take Your Words From Lecture to Page [Toor]

On 01/31/2023, in adjunct faculty, career development, colleges, communications, community colleges, faculty, higher education, productivity / tips and tricks, publishing, real-world assignments, research, skills, story, storytelling, United States, universities, writing, by Daniel Christian

Take Your Words From Lecture to Page — from chronicle.com by Rachel Toor
What compelling lecturers do, and how their techniques can translate to good writing.

Excerpts:

Thing is, many of the moves that the best lecturers make on the stage can translate to the page and help you draw in readers. That is especially important in writing textbooks and other work for general readers. If you can bring the parts of yourself that work in the classroom to the prose, you will delight readers as much as you do your students.

Narrative can be key. Data and research aren’t enough in either the classroom or on the page. People like to be told stories. If you want to be persuasive in both realms, use narrative to make arguments. Don’t forget that much scholarly work is really a quest. What journey can you take a reader on?
…
It’s a performance on the page, too. A great lecture is a performance. So is great writing.
…
Raise real questions the reader will want answers to.

Closing the digital divide in Black America — from mckinsey.com
Five steps could help to bring broadband and digital equity to every Black household in the United States—urban and rural—while bolstering efforts to create a more inclusive economy.

Excerpt:

But broadband access is only part of a much bigger picture. Ensuring all Americans can fully participate in civic life and the digital economy requires affordable subscriptions, internet-enabled devices, applications, digital skills, and high-quality technical support. For example, while smartphone and tablet penetration are approximately equal among White, Black, and Hispanic and Latino adults in the United States, only 69 percent of Black Americans and 67 percent of Hispanic Americans have desktop or laptop computers, compared with 80 percent of White Americans (Exhibit 1).5 A 2020 OECD survey found that roughly half of Black workers had the advanced or proficient digital skills needed to thrive in our increasingly tech-driven economy, compared with 77 percent of White workers.6

Reflections on “What factors help active learning classrooms succeed?” [Talbert]

On 01/16/2023, in 21st century, A/V -- audio/visual, active learning, adjunct faculty, adult learning, collaboration, colleges, communications, communities of practice, community colleges, corporate universities / corporate training, culture, Daniel S. Christian, design, digital audio, digital learning, digital video, distance education, education technology, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, face-to-face, faculty, higher education, instructional design, interactivity, IT in HE, law schools, leadership, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning spaces, liberal arts, participation, pedagogy, research, social learning / networks, social media, strategy, student-related, teaching & learning, training / L&D, United States, universities, user experience (UX), using teams, videoconferencing, vision/possibilities, by Daniel Christian

What factors help active learning classrooms succeed? — from rtalbert.org Robert Talbert

Excerpt:

The idea that the space in which you do something, affects the thing you do is the basic premise behind active learning classrooms (ALCs).
…
The biggest message I get from this study is that in order to have success with active learning classrooms, you can’t just build them — they have to be introduced as part of an ecosystem that touches almost all parts of the daily function of a university: faculty teaching, faculty development and support, facilities, and the Registrar’s Office to name a few. Without that ecosystem before you build an ALC, it seems hard to have success with students after it’s built. You’re more likely to have an expensive showcase that looks good but ultimately does not fulfill its main purpose: Promoting and amplifying active learning, and moving the culture of a campus toward active engagement in the classroom.

From DSC:
Thank you Robert for your article/posting here! And thank you for being one of the few faculty members who:

Regularly share information out on LinkedIn, Twitter, and your blog (something that is all too rare for faculty members throughout higher education)
Took a sabbatical to go work at a company that designs and develops numerous options for implementing active learning setups throughout the worlds of higher education, K12 education, and the corporate world as well. You are taking your skills to help contribute to the corporate world, while learning things out in the corporate world, and then taking these learnings back into the world of higher education.

This presupposes something controversial: That the institution will take a stand on the issue that there is a preferred way to teach, namely active learning, and that the institution will be moving toward making active learning the default pedagogy at the institution. Putting this stake in the ground, and then investing not only in facilities but in professional development and faculty incentives to make it happen, again calls for vigorous, sustained leadership — at the top, and especially by the teaching/learning center director.

Robert Talbert

Five Ways to Strengthen the Employee-Employer Relationship in 2023 [MacDonald]

On 01/07/2023, in adult learning, business, communications, corporate / business world, culture, Emotion, engagement / engaging students, leadership, relationships, strategy, United States, workplace, by Daniel Christian

Five Ways to Strengthen the Employee-Employer Relationship in 2023 — from sloanreview.mit.edu by Ally MacDonald; with thanks to Roberto Ferraro for this resource
Organizational experts offer insights on how to make meaningful changes to engage employees in the coming year.

Excerpt (emphasis DSC):

Before 2020, the structure of jobs evolved sluggishly and unimaginatively, despite evidence that traditional ways of working often harmed employee well-being. The past two years have provided leaders with an opportunity to rethink how their employees work. Those seizing this chance are applying an R&D mindset to how jobs are designed, with the goal of structuring work in ways that allow their employees to thrive while on the job and in their nonwork lives as well. It is these forward-thinking leaders who will make 2023 the most innovative year ever when it comes to how people work.

From DSC:
I like the idea of an R&D mindset. Very nice.

AI & digital video: Likely some plusses & minuses ahead of us [Christian]

On 01/04/2023, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, art, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business, collaboration, communications, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, creativity, Daniel S. Christian, digital audio, digital video, emerging technologies, ethics, experimentation, future, game-changing environment, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, law schools, legislatures / government / legal, media/film, Metaverse, music, new media literacies, platforms, presentations, productivity / tips and tricks, society, storytelling, the downsides of how people use tech, tools, user experience (UX), vendors, videoconferencing, Virtual courts and law firms, vision/possibilities, web-based collaboration, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
Check out the items below. As with most technologies, there are likely going to be plusses & minuses regarding the use of AI in digital video, communications, arts, and music.

DC: What?!? Wow. I should have seen this coming. I can see positives & negatives here. Virtual meetings could become a bit more creative/fun. But apps could be a bit scarier in some instances, such as with #telelegal.

xpression camera https://t.co/ygM1OUOGxd via @YouTube

— Daniel Christian (he/him/his) (@dchristian5) January 4, 2023

Also see:

Some more experimentation with #stablediffusion Driving video (https://t.co/6xzS1OvVUw) pic.twitter.com/QolpfASg4u

— Carlos E. Perez (@IntuitMachine) January 4, 2023

Also somewhat relevant, see:

GoogleAI just released “Muse”, a text-to-image generation/editing model via Masked Generative Transformers:

– Achieves new SOTA
– Zero-shot, Mask-free editing
– Zero-shot Inpainting/Outpainting
– 900M params

? Paper: https://t.co/dYxscoaSku
?? Project: https://t.co/aIdEQuG8B0 pic.twitter.com/uTbSrlzZYF

— Lior? (@AlphaSignalAI) January 3, 2023

Learning Ecosystems

Houses of worship to move streaming from social media to dedicated platforms [inavateonthenet.net]

Mixed media online project serves as inspiration for student journalists [Balmeo]

DC: I hope you’re right Martin! “Blogs are back baby” [Martin Weller]

In one’s faith journey, it seems to me that this is one of the things that happens along the way. [Christian]

Take Your Words From Lecture to Page [Toor]

Five Ways to Strengthen the Employee-Employer Relationship in 2023 [MacDonald]

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