The Scout Report -- Volume 27, Number 4

The Scout Report -- Volume 27, Number 4
January 29, 2021
Volume 27, Number 4

General Interest

Theme: Programming and Coding

Revisited

In the News

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General Interest

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Last Seen: Finding Family After Slavery
Social studies

Last Seen works to rectify one of slavery's many cruelties: separating families. The project archives Information Wanted Ads taken out by formerly enslaved individuals and helps connect people to their ancestors. The archival work is predominantly online, but some in-person events have brought additional dimension to the project's scope. For example, in 2019, a group of students and community members came together to read several of these stories aloud. On the Research page users can search for an advertisement by name, tag, or keyword. The project also has an educational dimension. Under the Teach tab educators will find lesson plans that explore enslavement and emancipation, built for K-12 and higher education settings. Last Seen is a collaborative effort and readers are welcome to participate in the transcription process, submit an advertisement, or share ancestral stories. The Department of History at Villanova University and Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church co-run the project, with Villanova History Professor Judith Giesberg directing and Mother Bethel AME's Archivist Margaret Jerrido consulting. Last Seen is funded by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission of the National Archives, along with multiple other centers and endowments. [EMB]

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Disability Thinking
Social studies

Disability Thinking is the personal website of Andrew D. Pulrang, a writer and disability activist. Among many projects, Pulrang collaborated with Alice Wong and Gregg Beratan to launch the Twitter campaign #CripTheVote, which highlighted disabled people's experiences with voting, politics, and policy. The site highlights more of Pulrang's work on voting accessibility as well as other important policy considerations for disabled individuals. In part, the Blog is a catalog of Pulrang's bylines in Forbes. Additionally, each Sunday, Pulrang rounds up three stories from the previous week that discuss nuanced and/or necessary aspects of disability in a series called "3 Weekly Disability Reads." Collectively, these posts share stories about ableism and activism, equity and etiquette, and ideas and institutions, among other topic areas. Readers with particular topical interests may want to browse stories using the Topics word cloud on the right-side panel. Posts are also categorized by date (2013-present). [EMB]

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English Learners in STEM Subjects: Transforming Classrooms, Schools, and Lives
Science

Achieving equity in the STEM field involves addressing many aspects of academic marginalization, including the unique barriers experienced by English learners (ELs). Published in 2018, English Learners in STEM Subjects: Transforming Classrooms, Schools, and Lives calls attention to the ways these students have been marginalized and highlights the assets that English learners bring to the STEM field, particularly drawing on "their experiences in their homes and communities, home languages, variation in discourse practices, and, in some cases, experiences with schooling in other countries." The report provides 7 recommendations ranging from "equip teachers and teacher candidates with the requisite tools and preparation to effectively engage and positively position English learners in STEM content learning," to "encourage and facilitate engagement with stakeholders in ELs' local environment to support STEM learning." The text is available to read online, or readers can enter an email address to download it as a guest (in PDF form). Readers can download the entire book or choose individual chapters. Additionally, the Resources panel at the link above shares some corresponding resources, including condensed report highlights and recordings of related webinars. David Francis and Amy Stephens edited the report and it was sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Science Foundation. [EMB]

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Gay Freedom Movement in Jamaica Archive
Social studies

Established in 1977, the Gay Freedom Movement in Jamaica (GFM) was "the first movement in the English Speaking Caribbean to seek rights for LGBT people." The movement built community, organized programming (including outreach to youth, incarcerated individuals, and health clinics), and published the Jamaica Gaily News (JGN)). Larry Chang, the Editor and Secretary of JGN and the "first Jamaican to come out publicly," maintained a collection of documents relating to the GFM. These documents have since been passed along to JFLAG (the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-sexuals and Gays) and then to the Caribbean International Resource Network, who digitized the archive. On the site, readers can view embedded clips detailing the launch of the collection and view collections pieces themselves. The View Items tab welcomes users to browse dozens of brochures, manuscripts, pamphlets, and more. Users can also use the Text Search and Advanced Search (with additional filtering options based on author, keyword, language, and more) features to sift through the archive. The digitization process was funded by the City University of New York Diversity Grant and led by Stephanie Harvey and Marianne LaBatto. [EMB]

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Preserving the Historic Broadcasts of WRVR-FM Public Radio
Social studies

Looking for a creative venture during stay-at-home? With funding from CLIR (Council on Library and Information Resources), multiple organizations (including the Riverside Church in New York City, the Library of Congress, the American Archive of Public Broadcasting, and WGBH Educational Foundation) have digitized more than 3,000 reel-to-reel recordings from WRVR-FM's 1961-1971 broadcasts. During this 10-year time span the radio station played interviews, speeches, and musical interpretations on topics like civil rights, war, and fine arts. These clips included commentary from ordinary citizens and notable scholars, namely Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and Pete Seeger. Readers can help the project collaborators by participating in a crowd-sourced effort to correct the computer generated transcripts of the recordings. Click on a record from the main page to find instructions (as well as a link to a transcription tutorial). The corrected transcripts will be available alongside the media on the American Archive of Public Broadcasting website, where transcripts of other public radio broadcasts can also be found (corrected or simply read and listened to). [DS]

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Theme: Programming and Coding

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Grasshopper
Science

Many people spend more than three hours a day on their phone. Skip mindless social media scrolling and opt to use screen time for a quick coding lesson with Grasshopper, a phone app (also available on desktops) designed to teach users basic coding skills in a fun, interactive manner. The Grasshopper curriculum garners practical knowledge on writing JavaScript, a programming language used by the majority of professional developers. After completing the course, users should have enough basic skills to continue on their own programming projects, whether that is an individual creative endeavour or a computing career path. In addition to the lessons, users may benefit from the Glossary, which serves as a primer on programming jargon. The app can be accessed on Google Play or the Apple Store, as well as at the link above. Grasshopper is a part of Code with Google, an educational program working to close opportunity gaps within the computer science field. [EMB]

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QiFi Code Generator
Science

QR codes have become a routine aspect of everyday life. From scanning coupons at grocery stores to filling out forms online, these machine-readable labels use technology to simplify human needs. However, codes are no longer left for the corporations and the tech savvy. At the link above readers can create their own unique WiFi QR codes in a breeze. Gone are the days of checking router bases for the generic code or struggling to remember the password a roommate created years ago. Now, users can simply enter their information into the generator and receive a code that is compatible with several Android, Maemo, and iOS apps. The site also eases security concerns by rendering codes within the host's browser, rather than outsourcing to a remote server. Evgeni Golov, a German computer scientist, developer, and freelance open-source project creator, wrote the code for QiFi. Golov employed jQuery, jQuery QRCode, jQuery Storage and Bootstrap to do so. [EMB]

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The Art, Science, and Engineering of Programming
Science

Launched in 2017, The Art, Science, and Engineering of Programming hopes to revitalize scholarly work concerning "programming styles, pearls, models, languages," and other undervalued aspects of the field. The journal's articles are freely accessible under a Creative Commons license, an important aspect of its mission to celebrate programming and programmers. Readers can browse by issue or view the complete article feed (links to both options are found in the right-hand panel). The journal publishes three issues each year and is currently on its fifth volume, so there are ample articles to explore without feeling overwhelmed with options. Readers looking to publish should browse the For Authors section, which contains details on the journal's scope, selection criteria, and submission procedures. Note that the next submission deadline is right around the corner on February 1, 2021. Professor Cristina V. Lopes (University of California-Irvine) serves as the current Editor-in-Chief, with support from a team of associate and managing editors and a global editorial board. AOSA, a science and research nonprofit, publishes the journal. AOSA's other primary activity is facilitating an annual conference, where authors are encouraged to present. [EMB]

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ProgrammingKnowledge
Science

Readers new to the coding world need not be intimidated; plenty of free resources exist to ease the learning curve. With more than one million subscribers, ProgrammingKnowledge, a YouTube channel that lives up to its name by producing high quality coding and computing lessons, is clearly doing something right. A quick perusal of the platform's tutorials legitimizes its popularity. The channel includes some of the most comprehensive beginner's courses on Java, Python and C programming. Though the Python and C courses are nearly 10 and 5 hours long, respectively, the start times for each section are linked in the descriptions (so users can skip around or pause and return as needed). Viewers will also find playlists on software and platforms including Adobe Illustrator, Git and GitHub, and Mac OS X. Readers uninterested in intense coding lessons will still find plenty of applicable videos, including a series of lessons on Excel functions. Yogesh Patel runs the channel and its sister site, CodeBind.com. [EMB]

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All You Need is Code
Science

Bringing together stakeholders from governmental, technological, and nonprofit sectors, All You Need is Code hopes to "promote coding and computational thinking," in formal and informal settings. The site curates coding resources for Students, Teachers, and Adults. Each section links out to websites, games, lesson plans, and more, making the best resources available in one convenient place. The site also highlights DIS-CODE, a project that introduces students to computing and coding skills through a "flipped classroom" (a more interactive approach to learning) and other innovative models. The DIS-CODE curriculum includes three modules, covering digital skills, numerical skills, and an introduction to Scratch programming. Modules contain a syllabus with learning objectives, activities, and an assessment, among other helpful features. DIS-CODE was developed by a consortium of partners from Italy, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Belgium, and Portugal. Both the platform and the All You Need is Code site in its entirety hope to promote coding across ages and industries, with the premiere goal of "establishing coding as a key competence within every education system in Europe." [EMB]

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Revisited

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Ren'Py
Language Arts

At its core, coding is creative. Ren'Py, a "visual novel engine" last featured in the 10-16-2020 Scout Report, demonstrates how script languages lead to unique artistry.

Ren'Py is a game engine that can be used to create visual novels and simulation games. Ren'Py uses its own "screen language" that is similar in format to how screenplays are written. Using only this language, authors can create interactive visual novels that incorporate images, videos, and sounds. It even supports branching, non-linear plot lines. Blocks of Python code may also be included to extend Ren'Py with additional features and facilitate the creation of full-fledged simulation games. The Ren'Py front page mentions that more than 1,500 such projects have been created to date. Ren'Py has been recommended as a platform for game creation by outlets such as MakeUseOf and The Guardian. It has also been used in University-level art classes. The Quickstart section in the Ren'Py documentation outlines the creation of a simple visual novel and provides links to detailed reference material. In the Download section of the site, users can locate versions of the Ren'Py Software Development Kit for Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. This SDK can be used to create games that run on computers running Windows, macOS, or Linux/BSD, devices running iOS or Android, or as HTML5 websites running in a modern browser. [CRH] [EMB]

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In the News

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Boxing for Breakfast or "Just Because"? New research explores why octopuses punch fish

Octopuses Observed Punching Fish, Perhaps Out of Spite, Scientists Say
https://www.sciencealert.com/octopuses-observed-punching-fish-perhaps-out-of-spite-scientists-say

Octopus punches fish in the head (just because it can)
https://www.livescience.com/octopuses-punch-fish.html

Octopuses Like to Punch Fish, New Research Suggests
https://gizmodo.com/octopuses-like-to-punch-fish-new-research-suggests-1845929379

Octopuses punch fishes during collaborative interspecific hunting events
https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/ecy.3266

Octopod: Inside The Amazing World Of The Octopus
https://www.npr.org/2018/01/09/576930301/octopod-inside-the-amazing-world-of-the-octopus

And the world's greatest pack hunters are...
https://animalogic.ca/wild/and-the-worlds-greatest-pack-hunters-are

According to new research from Eduardo Sampaio, Martim Costa Seco, Rui Rosa, and Simon Gingins (a team of animal behavior and biology specialists), there may be a smackdown happening in the sea. The team's research on collaborative hunting and game theory led to a fascinating discovery: video footage of octopuses getting violent towards their fellow marine inhabitants. Described as "active displacement," and "a swift, explosive motion with one arm," the octopuses are essentially throwing jabs at nearby fish. In part, these punches are an aspect of the collaborative hunting partnership between coral reef fishes and octopuses; essentially, the move increases an octopus's access to prey. However, though many of the jabs are purposeful and practical, the research suggests that sometimes the jabs are unrelated to hunting. More analysis is needed to fully understand the phenomenon, but the research team hypothesized two reasons for these extra punches: first, an act of spite, and second, an "act of aggression with delayed benefits." In addition to the scientific insight, this discovery has provided some comic relief for the researchers. After all, it is a phenomenon that perhaps everyone can all relate to: Some days one feels like the octopus, some days one feels like the sucker-punched fish. [EMB]

At the first link, Peter Dockrill's article for ScienceAlert describes this "partner control mechanism," comparing it to the way one might "elbow-out fellow diners at a buffet." The second link leads to Mindy Weisberger's reporting for Live Science, which opens by pondering the question "why do octopuses have eight arms?" and suggests the anatomical adaptation is all "the better to punch fish with." Weisberger also provides insights on the "hunting alliances" formed between octopuses and fish, a partnership that scientists have observed for decades. To view these brawls, readers will want to check out George Dvorsky's article for Gizmodo at the third link, which includes a link to video footage. Readers will find the study, published in the scientific journal Ecology, at the fourth link. If this story sparked an interest in octopuses generally, check out the fifth link. Here, readers will find an episode of NPR's podcast 1A that dives into a thirty minute discussion on the creatures (notable facts include that octopuses have a beak in their armpits, can release venom and ink, can taste with their skin, and can squeeze through an orange-sized pipe, despite sometimes weighing more than 100 pounds). Readers curious about other species that employ collaborative hunting techniques may enjoy the sixth link, which leads to a topical excerpt from Animalogic by Jennifer Huizen.

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