The Scout Report -- Volume 27, Number 34

The Scout Report -- Volume 27, Number 34
August 27, 2021
Volume 27, Number 34

General Interest

Theme: Hybrid Teaching and Learning

Revisited

In the News

If you would like to make a tax-deductible contribution to support The Scout Report and the work of Internet Scout, please visit our donation page.

General Interest

Back to Top
Ocean Wise Research
Science

Ocean Wise Research seeks new insights about the health of our oceans and the animals that inhabit them. Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the institution deploys over 30 researchers to the Canadian Arctic, the Northeast Pacific, the St. Lawrence estuary, and internationally. Its areas of research include marine mammals, ocean pollution, microplastics, and biodiversity. Readers looking for summaries of the latest research in lay terms can click on "Media" in the menu to access articles and press releases. Some recent items covered new washing machine lint traps that could prevent consumer textile microfibers from polluting the oceans (July 20, 2021), kelp forest conservation in Chile (July 21, 2021), and the pandemic's effect on single-use food packaging litter in oceans (June 16, 2021). For more technical information, readers can find links to published research papers in the "Publications" section of the site. Thalassophiles may also want to check out the Pollution Tracker tool to explore an interactive map of ocean contaminant levels along the coast of British Columbia. To find the tool, readers should scroll to the menu at the bottom of the page and click "Ocean Pollution," then "Pollution Tracker" in the menu on the left side of the page. [HCL]

Comment on or rate this resource

Queer.Archive.Work
Arts

Queer.Archive.Work (QAW) is a nonprofit organization in Providence, Rhode Island that supports artists and writers with open access to space and resources for experimental publishing. QAW offers risograph printing (click on "Risograph" in the menu at the top of the page), a type of high quality digital printing suitable for short run editions. There is also a resource library ("Library") that has a non-circulating physical collection of zines, books, and objects, plus a digital download collection of more than 35 hard-to-find publications from the last 50 years. Additionally, in August 2020, QAW launched a residency program that supports artists. Readers can find profiles of the artists in residence by clicking "Residency" in the menu. QAW is also the name of a 2019 installation at the Internet Archive in San Francisco, created by QAW's founder, Paul Soulellis. The installation, QUEER.ARCHIVE.WORK 2 (1923 INTERNET ARCHIVE EDITION), consists of historical LGBTQ content from 1923 and works by African American and Native American artists and writers. Readers can find the exhibition catalog and links to select artifacts by clicking "About," then "Paul Soulellis." [DS]

Comment on or rate this resource

Digital Holocaust Memory
Social studies

Led by Victoria Grace Walden at the University of Sussex, Digital Holocaust Memory explores the opportunities and challenges of preserving the history of the Holocaust in a technological age. The site begins by noting that we are transitioning "from an era dominated by face-to-face survivor testimony," to "an age characterised by mediated memory." To ensure that accurate accounts of the Holocaust are preserved, it is necessary to wrestle with complicated questions surrounding popular media. The project seeks to accomplish this through three primary objectives. First, by mapping "the digital Holocaust memoryscape." Second, by posing hard questions surrounding "the 'newness' of digital Holocaust memory," compared to other traditional historical mediums. And third, by welcoming diverse professional perspectives to engage in the work and advance the conversation. The project brings together Holocaust educators, curators, archivists, and media practitioners who share knowledge via blog posts, interactive events, and other useful resources. From the page linked above, users can join Online Discussions, catch up with News from the project, access the crowdsourced Holocaust Digital Memory Reading List, and view Public and Academic Publications. [EMB]

Comment on or rate this resource

New Atlas
Science

Readers interested in the latest science and technology research will want to check out New Atlas, an online magazine that seeks to "trace the development of extraordinary ideas that move the world forward." First launched in 2002, New Atlas offers a popular science digest of "advances in technology, science, transportation, architecture, design, and many other disciplines." Articles in the online magazine adapt recent publications from peer-reviewed journals and news items from reputable outlets. Every article has citations and links to sources for further information, and many articles also include an embedded audio version. Readers can access the latest articles from the home page or select from the drop-down menus at the top of the site organized by theme: Lifestyle, Science, Technology, and Transport. Articles in New Atlas feature a broad range of topics, from Energy (found under the Science tab) to Tiny Houses (under Lifestyle). Users can read articles for free with ads or sign up for an ad-free subscription. There is also the option of signing up for a free daily newsletter by clicking "Register" at the bottom of the page. [MJZ]

Comment on or rate this resource

Say It Loud
Social studies

The web series Say It Loud offers a joyful and comedic take on Black identity, history, and pop culture. Through 10-20 minute episodes, the series covers topics such as "Should you go to an HBCU?," "What Missy Elliot did for Afrofuturism," "Juneteenth: Freedom and the Fine Print," and "'Black sounding' names and their surprising history." A selection of recent episodes are available on the page linked above, and the full slate can be found on the show's YouTube channel by clicking "Say It Loud YouTube." Each episode features insightful and entertaining commentary from the two hosts, comedy writer Evelyn From The Internets and writer and producer Azie Dungey, best known for work on the TV series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and the comedy web series Ask A Slave. The show is produced by Austin PBS. Fans might enjoy other web series on race and identity from PBS Digital Studios, such as A People's History of Asian America, Self-Evident, and Prideland. To find these and others, viewers should click "Explore Digital Studios Shows" at the bottom of the page. [HCL]

Comment on or rate this resource

Theme: Hybrid Teaching and Learning

Back to Top
How Hybrid Learning Is (and Is Not) Working During COVID-19: 6 Case Studies
Educational Technology

While hybrid teaching and learning rates have dropped considerably in the K-12 sector with more students returning to in-person classrooms, there is a lot to be gleaned from experiences during the pandemic. This article from Education Week (previously featured in the 10-16-2015 Scout Report) provides readers with a series of mini case studies that highlight what did - and just as importantly, did not - work well for teachers and students around the U.S. as they rose to the challenge of working in a variety of remote and hybrid environments. The article highlights some unsurprising but lamentable findings: reactions to remote/hybrid education options range considerably among teachers, administrators, parents, and students; the digital divide is sadly still a reality; technical issues abound; and getting remote students to complete work and assignments can be extremely difficult. Even so, there are some bright spots. Teachers learned to be creative and innovative with their use of technology, utilizing phones, laptops, clickers, and more to better engage students. Multilingual families often benefited from being able to connect more easily with interpreters in an online environment. Disciple rates dropped and for some families it was easier for parents to meet with teachers without the struggle of finding daycare. Reading through this article can provide both educators and parents with food for thought and help them consider which portions of hybrid and remote learning may be worth keeping in the educational mix moving forward. [REB]

Comment on or rate this resource

CAST: About Universal Design for Learning
Educational Technology

Whatever educational environment we find ourselves in, remote, hybrid, or in-person, one thing is certain - utilizing the tenets of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) can help make it better for all learners. According to CAST, the creators of the framework, the goal of UDL is "to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn." This portion of the CAST website provides a solid introduction and a guide to understanding the basics of UDL. At its heart, the overarching framework helps educators and others guide the design of their instructional goals, methods, assessments, and resources so they are personalized to meet the educational needs of all learners. Visitors to this page can use it as a jumping off point to explore the rich and diverse set of resources available, while also coming to understand the underlying goals of UDL through videos and data that highlight key components. The "UDL at a Glance" video is a particularly good starting point for anyone interested in exploring techniques that help minimize educational barriers and make learning more inclusive and transformative for everyone. CAST (previously featured in the 05-31-2019 Scout Report) is a nonprofit dedicated to educational research and development. [REB]

Comment on or rate this resource

An Introduction to Hybrid Teaching
Educational Technology

From the College of DuPage, An Introduction to Hybrid Teaching is a handy PDF guide to planning a hybrid learning course, a format many readers will likely become intimately familiar with in the near future. While hybrid teaching is not new to the educational landscape, it has risen to prominence in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to ensure safe and thorough educational environments. Teachers and curriculum designers of all kinds, whether new to the model or old pros, will find this guide rich with information about hybrid teaching, including its benefits, best practices, advice on structuring a hybrid course, and common pitfalls to avoid. Additionally, the guide is a short, easy read, making it a good fit for busy educators. An Introduction to Hybrid Teaching also features a detailed Sources section for further reading. College of DuPage's larger website Learning Technologies (codlearningtech.org) features additional resources for online teaching and other modalities. [RMP]

Comment on or rate this resource

Universal Design for Learning: Creating a Learning Environment that Challenges and Engages All Students
Educational Technology

Many educators and curriculum designers are familiar with Universal Design for Learning (UDL), which has grown in popularity in recent years. However, the means of incorporating and utilizing this educational framework may remain unclear. Universal Design for Learning: Creating a Learning Environment that Challenges and Engages All Students, created by the IRIS Center at Vanderbilt University's Peabody College, is an interactive educational module about UDL that examines its three principles - representation, action and expression, and engagement - and discusses how to apply these principles to curricula. Structured in five stages, the module describes a series of classroom conundrums and asks participants to use UDL principles to solve them. This module provides a handy review for those who are familiar with UDL and an immersive educational experience for those who are new to the framework. It also includes an outline, so visitors can review the overall content and structure without committing to the approximate 2.5 hours necessary to complete the entire module. Additionally, the IRIS Center provides tips for navigating the module, supplemental and supporting information, and background on the adult learning theory around which the module is based, all of which can be found in the Related to this Module section. [RMP]

Comment on or rate this resource

EduGals Podcast
Educational Technology

Educators worried that they lack the tech skills to integrate technology into their classrooms or prepare for hybrid learning models should worry no more. With the EduGals podcast, Canadian high school teachers and hosts Rachel Johnson and Katie Attwell aspire to make sure that other teachers do not have to figure out educational technology on their own. The podcast is available on the page linked above (just click "Listen") or on podcatchers such as Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. Visitors looking for advice on remote or hybrid schools should start with episodes like "Virtual Schools Moving Forward" (Episode 047), "The Challenges of Asynchronous Learning" (Episode 045), "Assessment and Evaluation in Hybrid Learning" (Episode 027), and "Digital Tools and Strategies for Building Community Online" (Episode 004). Also on the page linked above, visitors can click "Read" to access the EduGals blog, which features useful content such as "10 Fun Activities for Building Community in the Virtual Classroom," and "7 Ways to Use Google Keep in the Science Classroom." The EduGals also have a YouTube channel (accessed by clicking "Watch"), featuring walkthroughs for educational technology tools such as Gmail, Google Jamboard, Canva, and Mote. To stay updated or share advice, users can follow on Twitter and Facebook (@edugals on both platforms) or Instagram (@edu.gals). [MJZ]

Comment on or rate this resource

Revisited

Back to Top
Hybrid Pedagogy
Educational Technology

Since being featured in the 08-26-2016 Scout Report, Hybrid Pedagogy has added a podcast called HybridPod to its offerings, which explores critical digital pedagogy. Listeners looking to reflect on the upcoming school year may benefit from the episodes "Connection" and "Access."

Hybrid Pedagogy is an open-access journal dedicated to the discussion of "critical digital pedagogy by advocating for students and fostering awareness of academic hierarchies." First launched in 2011, the journal provides voices in education that might otherwise be marginalized with a venue for peer-review and publication. In addition, Hybrid Pedagogy curates primers on "Online Learning" and "Digital Pedagogy" that will be especially useful for educators adapting to online and hybrid learning models. These can be accessed by clicking on "About" in the menu at the top of the page and scrolling to the Primers section. Readers can also click "Podcast" to listen to HybridPod, produced by the journal and hosted by Chris Friend. The journal has also published several book-length works (accessed under "Books"), including Critical Digital Pedagogy: A Collection, and Hybrid Teaching: Pedagogy, People, Politics, which are available through an open access Creative Commons license. The journal is published through the nonprofit Hybrid Pedagogy Inc. [DS] [MJZ]

Comment on or rate this resource

In the News

Back to Top
Fruit Flies in Isolation Eat More and Sleep Less, Just Like Us

Just Like Humans, Lonely Fruit Flies Eat More, Sleep Less https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/lonely-fruit-flies-eat-more-sleep-lessjust-humans-180978492/

Chronically Lonely Flies Overeat And Lose Sleep https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02194-2

Lonely Flies, Like Many Humans, Eat More and Sleep Less https://www.rockefeller.edu/news/30860-lonely-flies-like-many-humans-eat-sleep-less/

Loneliness and Social Connections https://ourworldindata.org/social-connections-and-loneliness

The Lonely Hour Podcast https://www.thelonelyhour.com/

The Secret Life of Fruit Flies https://news.usc.edu/52998/the-secret-life-of-fruit-flies/

A new study using fruit flies illustrates the impacts of social isolation on behavior and health, drawing comparisons to loneliness in humans. In a study from Rockefeller University, fruit flies isolated in a test tube showed changes to their sleeping and eating patterns. Fruit flies isolated for 1-3 days (acute isolation) slept more and ate slightly more, and fruit flies isolated for 5-7 days (chronic isolation) slept less and ate twice as much food as they typically would. Researchers also observed changes in gene expression, including genes associated with sleep and starvation, even though food was always available. The study also looked at P2 neurons in fruit flies' brains; activating the neurons caused flies to show the same behavior as when chronically isolated, while silencing the neurons removed the behavior. This suggests that P2 neurons might act as a "timer" for periods of isolation and spur eating and sleeping changes during chronic isolation. Many animals have been shown to sleep less and eat more when isolated, but the reasons for this are not fully understood. One possible explanation, according to the authors of the study, is that isolation indicates uncertainty about the future, making it beneficial to stay awake and alert and eat available food. In drawing parallels to humans, the researchers point to neuroscientist Bruce McEwen's 2002 work in which he argued that social isolation and stress can impact human health and contribute to the development of diseases.

In the first link, Smithsonian Magazine provides a brief summary of the study and its possible implications for humans. The Nature article in the second link goes into greater detail on the study's methodology and discussion of the results, particularly regarding gene expression and the role of P2 neurons in behavioral changes in isolation. Readers can hear from the study's lead author, Michael W. Young, in the third link from Rockefeller University. In the fourth link, Our World in Data looks at data on loneliness and social context across countries and over time, demonstrating the impacts on humans as well as cautioning against assumptions of causality. Readers can take a deep dive into contemplation of loneliness with The Lonely Hour podcast in the fifth link, in which writer and journalist Julia Bainbridge seeks to destigmatize the subject through conversations with guests about solitude, friendship, boredom, identity, and more. Finally, readers who are wondering how fruit flies can tell us anything about ourselves should check out The Secret Life of Fruit Flies in the sixth link. Sergey Nuzhdin, professor of biological sciences at the University of Southern California, explains why fruit flies are so commonly used for behavioral studies. [HCL]

PHPList msgid: 
1037