#digital pedagogy

[ulipsu2023]

What is holistic education and why is it important

Why Holistic Education is Essential for Students’ Growth and Well-Being Holistic education is an approach to learning that emphasizes the development of the whole person, encompassing their intellectual, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual aspects. It goes beyond traditional academic subjects and focuses on nurturing students’ unique strengths and talents, encouraging creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. This article will explore what holistic education is and why it is essential in today’s world.

Holistic education recognizes that every student is unique and has their own strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles. It seeks to provide a well-rounded education that supports the development of the whole person, not just their academic abilities. By focusing on the different aspects of a student’s life, holistic education seeks to foster creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills while promoting personal growth and well-being.

“The Importance of Holistic Education: Fostering Well-Rounded Individuals with Critical Thinking Skills” One of the main reasons why holistic education is important is that it recognizes that academic success is only part of a student’s development. While traditional education focuses on academic achievement, holistic education looks at the whole person, recognizing that students need to develop socially, emotionally, and spiritually, as well as intellectually. By nurturing students’ emotional intelligence, social skills, and spiritual well-being, holistic education prepares them for success in all aspects of their lives, not just in their academic careers.

Another important aspect of holistic education is its focus on critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In today’s rapidly changing world, students need to be able to analyze complex problems, consider multiple perspectives, and come up with creative solutions. Holistic education provides students with the tools they need to think critically and creatively, encouraging them to approach problems with an open mind and develop innovative solutions.

“The Importance of Creativity, Social and Emotional Development, and Physical Health in Holistic Education” Holistic education also places a strong emphasis on creativity and imagination. By encouraging students to explore new ideas and think outside the box, holistic education helps them develop their artistic and creative abilities, while also promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. This approach values artistic expression and encourages students to develop their talents and interests in a supportive environment.

In addition to promoting creativity and critical thinking, holistic education also recognizes the importance of social and emotional development. By providing opportunities for students to develop empathy, communication skills, and self-awareness, holistic education fosters positive relationships, promotes self-esteem and confidence, and helps students learn how to navigate the world around them. This approach also encourages students to develop a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives, fostering a deeper connection to the world around them.

Holistic education also recognizes the importance of physical health and wellness. By promoting healthy lifestyles and habits, holistic education values physical activity and encourages students to develop healthy eating habits, get enough sleep, and engage in regular exercise. This approach also emphasizes the importance of mindfulness and stress reduction techniques, providing students with the tools they need to manage stress and maintain their mental and emotional well-being.

The Importance of Implementing Holistic Education in Schools Finally, holistic education recognizes the importance of spiritual development, providing opportunities for students to explore their beliefs and values in a safe and supportive environment. This approach encourages students to develop a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives, fostering a deeper connection to the world around them. It also promotes values such as compassion, generosity, and kindness, helping students become responsible and caring members of their communities.

In conclusion, holistic education is an essential approach to learning in today’s world. By emphasizing the development of the whole person, including their intellectual, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual aspects, holistic education prepares students for success in all aspects of their lives, not just in their academic careers. It promotes creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, while also fostering personal growth and well-being. As such, schools need to consider implementing holistic education principles and practices to ensure that their students are receiving a well-rounded education that addresses all aspects of their growth and well-being.

[duskianfae]

she fell！！ ｡ﾟ(ﾟ´Д｀ﾟ)ﾟ｡

[jaxfromthatcircus]

pillowfort kid: "yeah, my teachers would also yell at me."

"Damn, your teachers sucked big time huh?"

"I'd suggest revenge, maybe putting super glue in their chairs or a lot of thumbtacks inside their purses, but you can't anymore"

"Well, at least you're free from them"

[jades9lives]

#Intro Hi, I'm Jade, She/Her in the 313 🏳️‍⚧️. I left in 2018 when the ban happened & I'm begrudgingly back as there's no where else to go, (Hives an awful mess, Meta sux, deleted TikTok & I have Mastodon but it moves slower). The four yrs I've been gone I've been in uni studying art education & I graduate in Spring 2024. I make art/music & plan to post some of that here, though this account will replace my bluebird, which is to say it's fleeting poetry & art curation. Attached some of my art to see what Im about.

[stargir1z]

designing accidents: advocating aleatory research in new media pedagogy

this text really does well in describing how digital curation functions, and how indeed the ‘whole’ is larger than the sum of its parts... while there are no new ideas, there are new ways of connecting their tissue and storytelling using those connectivities. 

[creativityandinovationday]

How can the digital tool Miro be used to facilitate student learning activities?

Creative Learning in Digital and Virtual Environments looks at the connection between creativity, learning, and school achievement, and analyses the impact of virtual environments on creative expression. It will appeal to postgraduate students in the fields of creativity and learning, as well as to students and academics involved with broader research in areas such as the role of technology in education, e-Learning and distance education.

 Conceptual reflections and empirically informed insights into the impact of technology on individual and collective creativity and learning

Originally published as a special issue of the Creativity Research Journal, this volume gives a balanced and reflective account of the challenges and opportunities of technology-enabled creative learning in contemporary societies.

[idigitizellp21]

Lead Pedagogy: Top 5 Skills Towards A Successful Leap

In the ever-evolving landscape of education, traditional teaching methods are making way for innovative approaches that cater to the diverse needs of modern learners. One such approach gaining traction is LEAD Pedagogy, which stands for Learn, Explore, Apply, and Develop. This learner-centric framework empowers students to take charge of their learning journey while equipping them with essential skills for success.

Let’s explore the top 5 skills that pave the way to successful through LEAD Pedagogy.

Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: At the heart of LEAD Pedagogy lies the growth of importance of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Instead of memorization, students are encouraged to analyze, evaluate, and incorporate information from various sources. They learn to explore complex problems, identify underlying patterns, and propose innovative solutions. By engaging in activities that challenge their cognitive abilities, students become capable of tackling real-world challenges, a skill that transcends the classroom and serves them well in their personal and professional lives.

Collaboration and Communication: Education places a strong emphasis on collaborative learning and effective communication. Students engage in group projects, discussions, and presentations, fostering teamwork and refining their interpersonal skills. Through these experiences, they can learn to respect diverse perspectives, negotiate differences, and articulate their ideas clearly. In an interconnected world ability to work harmoniously with others and convey thoughts effectively is a vital skill that LEAD Pedagogy nurtures.

Creativity and Innovation: Innovation is the cornerstone of progress, and LEAD Pedagogy understands this well. By encouraging creativity and independent thinking, this approach empowers students to explore new ideas and unconventional solutions. Through hands-on activities, experiential learning, and exposure to real-world scenarios, students learn that there’s often more than one way to approach a problem. They develop the confidence to push boundaries, challenge norms, and create novel solutions that can drive positive change.

Adaptability and Resilience: The world is in a constant state of flux, and the ability to adapt to change is crucial. LEAD Pedagogy equips students with adaptability and resilience skills that are indispensable in navigating life’s uncertainties. By providing opportunities to explore diverse subjects, engage in unfamiliar tasks, and overcome obstacles, students learn to embrace challenges as learning opportunities. This instills a growth mindset, enabling them to bounce back from setbacks, learn from failures, and continuously evolve.

Digital Literacy and Technological Proficiency: In the digital age, technological literacy is non-negotiable. LEAD Pedagogy integrates technology seamlessly into the learning process, ensuring students are comfortable with various digital tools and platforms. They learn to navigate the digital landscape responsibly, discerning credible sources from misinformation. Moreover, they gain hands-on experience with technology, preparing them for the tech-driven demands of higher education and the workforce.

Key takeaway:

LEAD Pedagogy transcends traditional teaching methodologies by focusing on learning, Exploring, Applying, and Developing. Through this approach, students acquire skills that are vital for success in the 21st century. From critical thinking and problem-solving to collaboration and communication, creativity and innovation to adaptability and resilience, and beyond any doubt, digital literacy and technological proficiency.

LEAD Pedagogy prepares students to thrive in a rapidly changing world, which is exactly what Harshad Valia International School prepares your kids for. As we continue to reimagine education for the future, LEAD Pedagogy stands as a beacon of progressive and active learning, guiding students toward a successful leap into an exciting and dynamic world.

[nicholasandriani]

Immersive Edutainment: Exploring the World of E-Learning with Captivate, Unity, VR, and Mozilla Hub. Game-Based Learning and Buddhism, Obviously.

In the fast-evolving world of education, the integration of technology has revolutionized the way we learn and engage with content. As an eLearning instructor, I recently had an exhilarating experience producing and developing an interactive module that blended game-based learning, virtual reality (VR), and Mozilla Hubs to create captivating edutainment content. Join me on this exciting journey…

[thealchemyofgamecreation]

The Educational Potential of Video Games: Insights from James Paul Gee's Article

I just wanted to share an article that I think you might find interesting. It's about capitalism, literacy, learning and video games, and it's based on insights from James Paul Gee's study. #GameDesign #Gaming #Gamification #GameDevelopment #AdobeFirefly

[txttletale]

niceys positive anon!! i don't agree with you on everything but you are so clearly like well read and well rounded that you've helped me think through a lot of my own inconsistencies and hypocrises in my own political and social thought, even if i do have slightly different conclusions at times then u (mainly because i believe there's more of a place for idealism and 'mind politics' than u do). anyway this is a preamble to ask if you have recommended reading in the past and if not if you had any recommended reading? there's some obvious like Read Marx but beyond that im always a little lost wading through theory and given you seem well read and i always admire your takes, i wondered about your recs

it's been a while since i've done a big reading list post so--bearing in mind that my specific areas of 'expertise' (i say that in huge quotation marks obvsies i'm just a girlblogger) are imperialism and media studies, here are some books and essays/pamphlets i recommend. the bolded ones are ones that i consider foundational to my politics

BASICS OF MARXISM

friedrich engels, principles of commmunism

friedrich engels, socialism: utopian & scientific

karl marx, the german ideology

karl marx, wage labour & capital

mao zedong, on contradiction

nikolai bukharin, anarchy and scientific communism

rosa luxemburg, reform or revolution?

v.i lenin, left-wing communism: an infantile disorder

v.i. lenin, the state & revolution

v.i. lenin, what is to be done?

IMPERIALISM

aijaz ahmed, iraq, afghanistan, and the imperialism of our time

albert memmi, the colonizer and the colonized

che guevara, on socialism and internationalism (ed. aijaz ahmad)

eduardo galeano, the open veins of latin america

edward said, orientalism

fernando cardoso, dependency and development in latin america

frantz fanon, black skin, white masks

frantz fanon, the wretched of the earth

greg grandin, empire's workshop

kwame nkrumah, neocolonialism, the last stage of imperialism

michael parenti, against empire

naomi klein, the shock doctrine

ruy mauro marini, the dialectics of dependency

v.i. lenin, imperialism: the highest stage of capitalism

vijay prashad, red star over the third world

vincent bevins, the jakarta method

walter rodney, how europe underdeveloped africa

william blum, killing hope

zak cope, divided world divided class

zak cope, the wealth of (some) nations

MEDIA & CULTURAL STUDIES

antonio gramsci, the prison notebooks

ed. mick gidley, representing others: white views of indigenous peoples

ed. stuart hall, representation: cultural representations and signifying pratices

gilles deleuze & felix guattari, capitalism & schizophrenia

jacques derrida, margins of philosophy

jacques derrida, speech and phenomena

michael parenti, inventing reality

michel foucault, disicipline and punish

michel foucault, the archeology of knowledge

natasha schull, addiction by design

nick snricek, platform capitalism

noam chomsky and edward herman, manufacturing consent

regis tove stella, imagining the other

richard sennett and jonathan cobb, the hidden injuries of class

safiya umoja noble, algoriths of oppression

stuart hall, cultural studies 1983: a theoretical history

theodor adorno and max horkheimer, the culture industry

walter benjamin, the work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction

OTHER

angela davis, women, race, and class

anna louise strong, cash and violence in laos and vietnam

anna louise strong, the soviets expected it

anna louise strong, when serfs stood up in tibet

carrie hamilton, sexual revolutions in cuba

chris chitty, sexual hegemony

christian fuchs, theorizing and analysing digital labor

eds. jules joanne gleeson and elle o'rourke, transgender marxism

elaine scarry, the body in pain

jules joanne gleeson, this infamous proposal

michael parenti, blackshirts & reds

paulo freire, pedagogy of the oppressed

peter drucker, warped: gay normality and queer anticapitalism

rosemary hennessy, profit and pleasure

sophie lewis, abolish the family

suzy kim, everyday life in the north korean revolution

walter rodney, the russian revolution: a view from the third world

[ulipsu2023]

The Philosophical Underpinnings of Holistic Education

We believe in democratising learning by giving young minds across the globe a chance to truly learn what they wish to; after all, today’s young minds are tomorrow’s leaders.

[gamylost]

37/100 days of productivity •13/02/2024

I was feeling better yesterday but today.. so I’m sick again but I was productive. I went to study for a while in my garden to have a little natural vitamin d and telling myself that it was going to motivate me despite the fatigue and the feeling of being sick. No Mardi Gras for me.

• Mails

• Administrative stuff

• Epistemology humans sciences and social, research, definitions and plan of the assignment, with rerun of «  Who’s The Boss? » in the background.

• English exercises

• Duolingo: Portuguese

•Digital humanities taking notes

• Pedagogy research and lots of reading

[serpenttailedangel]

I'm back in "reading scholarly articles by people advocating for major policy and education program change" mode and, subsequently, back in "disgusted by the amount of mask-off shit people just straight up say that you get called a conspiracy theorist for repeating to people who don't read this garbage even though these fuckers publish their insanity" mode. Presumably, these people expect that no one outside of their circles reads their stuff, so they can put it in ink. Although I guess it also helps that they use a lot of deceptive language and contradictions to try and snag people who aren't thinking too hard about what they read.

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization has a book available for free digital download in which they argue for some pretty insane shit (claiming to support academic freedom while also mentioning they want certain research subjects suppressed, wanting more politicized disciplines to have equal input to things like chemistry and biology in medical research, and new ranking for schools based on how well they comply with this guideline rather than the quality of their research or how good they are at teaching.) I tried telling someone about it IRL and they told me that whoever I heard about it from must have been lying. When I told them I was specifically citing UNESCO's official publication on their website, this person concluded that the only logical explanation was that the UN was hacked and someone wrote and posted a 100 page hoax paper for nebulous false flag reasons, and the UN has been unable to take the fake paper down and unwilling to release a statement saying it's fake for a year now.

But. like, in defense of the people who haven't read this stuff and also don't believe it when you talk about it, I've checked four different times to make sure that the author of Drag Pedagogy is an actual person affiliated with Drag Queen Story Hour events and not some intern Ted Cruz paid to write a false flag article. Sometimes shit gets so mask-off that I struggle to believe my own eyes.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Colin Wright

Published: Nov 26, 2024

In a stunning series of events, two leading media organizations—The New York Times and Bloomberg—abruptly shelved coverage of a groundbreaking study that raises serious concerns about the psychological impacts of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) pedagogy. The study, conducted by the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) in collaboration with Rutgers University, found that certain DEI practices could induce hostility, increase authoritarian tendencies, and foster agreement with extreme rhetoric. With billions of dollars invested annually in these initiatives, the public has a right to know if such programs—heralded as effective moral solutions to bigotry and hate—might instead be fueling the very problems they claim to solve. The decision to withhold coverage raises serious questions about transparency, editorial independence, and the growing influence of ideological biases in the media.

The NCRI study investigated the psychological effects of DEI pedagogy, specifically training programs that draw heavily from texts like Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist and Robin DiAngelo’s White Fragility. The findings were unsettling, though perhaps not surprising to longstanding opponents of such programs. Through carefully controlled experiments, the researchers demonstrated that exposure to anti-oppressive (i.e., anti-racist) rhetoric—common in many DEI initiatives—consistently amplified perceptions of bias where none existed. Participants were more likely to see prejudice in neutral scenarios and to support punitive actions against imagined offenders. These effects were not marginal; hostility and punitive tendencies increased by double-digit percentages across multiple measures. Perhaps most troubling, the study revealed a chilling convergence with authoritarian attitudes, suggesting that such training is fostering not empathy, but coercion and control.

The implications of these findings cannot be downplayed. DEI programs have become a fixture in workplaces, schools, and universities across the United States, with a 2023 Pew Research Center report indicating that more than half of U.S. workers have attended some form of DEI training. Institutions collectively spend approximately $8 billion annually on these initiatives, yet the NCRI study underscores how little scrutiny they receive. While proponents of DEI argue that these programs are essential to achieving equity and dismantling systemic oppression, the NCRI’s data suggests that such efforts may actually be deepening divisions and cultivating hostility.

This context makes the suppression of the study even more alarming. The New York Times, which has cited NCRI’s work in nearly 20 previous articles, suddenly demanded that this particular research undergo peer review—a requirement that had never been imposed on the institute’s earlier findings, even on similarly sensitive topics like extremism or online hate. At Bloomberg, the story was quashed outright by an editor known for public support of DEI initiatives. The editorial decisions were ostensibly justified as routine discretion, yet they align conspicuously with the ideological leanings of those involved. Are these major outlets succumbing to pressures to protect certain narratives at the expense of truth?

For Joel Finkelstein, the NCRI researcher leading the study, the editorial reversals are as revealing as the data itself. In communications with reporters, he described the findings as “sobering with likely impact for DEI policy, as well as congressional impacts and potentially civil litigation.” Finkelstein further stated that, “This seems like an effort to suppress research that challenges prevailing narratives around DEI and worryingly, implicates standard practices for egregious harms.”

The harm in question goes far beyond the scope of individual programs. Across multiple experiments, the study documented a consistent pattern: exposure to anti-oppressive DEI rhetoric heightened participants’ tendency to attribute hostility and bias to ambiguous situations. In one experiment, participants read excerpts from Robin DiAngelo and Ibram X. Kendi, juxtaposed against a neutral control text about corn production. Afterward, they were asked to evaluate a hypothetical scenario: an applicant being rejected from an elite university. Those exposed to the DEI materials were far more likely to perceive racism in the admissions process, despite no evidence to support such a conclusion.

They were also more likely to advocate punitive measures, such as suspending the admissions officer or mandating additional DEI training.

A particularly revealing aspect of the study focused on DEI training centered on Islamophobia, using materials developed by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU). The findings echoed the broader concerns of the study but offered unique insights into how DEI programming shapes perceptions of bias and fairness. Participants were presented with a scenario involving two fictional individuals, Ahmed Akhtar and George Green, both convicted of identical terrorism charges. When participants were exposed to the ISPU-inspired training materials, their perception of Ahmed’s trial was significantly altered—they rated it as far less fair than George’s, despite the trials being described in identical terms.

This discrepancy highlights a core issue with DEI narratives that emphasize systemic oppression. By priming participants to see injustice against specific groups, these trainings appear to cultivate a “hostile attribution bias”—a tendency to perceive prejudice and discrimination even where none exists. While sensitivity to genuine bias is critical, the NCRI findings suggest that DEI interventions like the ISPU materials may create unwarranted distrust in institutions and undermine confidence in objective fairness.

Another alarming aspect of the NCRI study involved DEI training on caste discrimination. Participants exposed to materials from Equality Labs—a prominent provider of anti-caste training—were significantly more likely to perceive bias and endorse dehumanizing rhetoric, including adapted quotes from Adolf Hitler where the term “Jew” was replaced with “Brahmin.” The findings suggest that these programs may not only fail to address systemic injustice but actively cultivate divisive and authoritarian mindsets.

Critics of DEI have long pointed to its lack of empirical support, and the NCRI study adds weight to those concerns. Research cited in the report highlights how many DEI programs rely on untested theories or unverified self-reports, with little oversight or accountability. A 2021 meta-analysis found that some initiatives not only fail to reduce prejudice but actually exacerbate it, fueling resentment and perceptions of unfairness. The NCRI study’s findings echo these conclusions, suggesting that far from fostering inclusion, DEI programs may perpetuate a cycle of suspicion and punitive retribution.

Yet, as troubling as the study’s findings are, its suppression may be even more consequential. The decision to withhold this research from public discourse speaks to a larger issue: the growing entanglement of ideology and information. In a moment when public trust in institutions is already fragile, the media’s role as a gatekeeper of information becomes all the more worrying. When powerful outlets like The New York Times and Bloomberg withhold stories of such significance, they fracture trust with the American people.

The public deserves to know if the tools being deployed to foster “equity” and “anti-racism” are instead causing harm. The NCRI study raises urgent questions about the real social consequences of DEI programming, but it also underscores the need for transparency and accountability in how we address these issues. Suppressing this research does not further the goal of making society more inclusive and accepting—it undermines it.

As DEI programs continue to expand across schools, workplaces, and governments, the stakes could not be higher. Whether this research sparks a broader reckoning or remains buried will depend on whether institutions—and the media that hold them accountable—are willing to confront uncomfortable truths.

--

https://networkcontagion.us/wp-content/uploads/Instructing-Animosity_11.13.24.pdf

Instructing Animosity: How DEI Pedagogy Produces the Hostile Attribution Bias

DEI programs purport to cultivate inclusive environments for people from diverse backgrounds and encourage greater empathy in interpersonal interactions. A key component of DEI offerings lies in diversity pedagogy: Lectures, trainings and educational resources ostensibly designed to educate participants about their prejudice and bias in order to eliminate discrimination (Iyer, 2022). As institutions across corporate and educational sectors increasingly embed Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) into their foundational strategies, it is crucial to evaluate the effectiveness of common aspects of this pedagogy.

A 2023 study by the Pew Research Center found that 52% of American workers have DEI meetings or training events at work, and according to Iris Bohnet, a professor of public policy at Harvard Kennedy School, $8 billion is spent annually on such programs. Despite widespread investment in and adoption of diversity pedagogy through lectures, educational resources, and training, assessments of efficacy have produced mixed results.

A meta-analysis by Paluck et al. (2021) found that too few studies in the field have investigated real-world impact on “light-touch” interventions or seminars and training programs. Taken together, the limited evidence suggests that some DEI programs not only fail to achieve their goals but can actively undermine diversity efforts. Specifically, mandatory trainings that focus on particular target groups can foster discomfort and perceptions of unfairness (Burnett and Aguinis, 2024). DEI initiatives seen as affirmative action rather than business strategy can provoke backlash, increasing rather than reducing racial resentment (Kidder et al., 2004; Legault et al. (2001). And diversity initiatives aimed at managing bias can fail, sometimes resulting in decreased representation and triggering negativity among employees (Leslie, 2019; Kalev, Dobbin, & Kelly, 2006). In other words, some DEI programs appear to backfire.

==

DEI is cancer.

Now we have the proof.

[stargir1z]

you think you want media literacy... do you? by danah boyd

[creativityandinovationday]

Racial Inequality and the Representation of Marginalized Communities in Creative Education - Webinar series.

We are excited to bring you the next in our webinar series Racial Inequality and the Representation of Marginalised Communities in Creative Education. You can watch the webinar below: 

Racial Inequality and Representation of Marginalised Communities in Creative Education from UCA on Vimeo.

Please get in touch if you would like to contribute to any of our forthcoming webinars.

Webinar Series Schedule

24th April 2024: The Art of Blended Learning in Creative Education.

5th June 2024: Harnessing Generative AI for Innovative and Inclusive Creative Education.

25th September 2024: Fostering Widening Participation in Creative Education

20th November 2024: Strategies for Retention in Creative Education.

Here is the first in our webinar series hosted by UCA PgCert Creative Education students. We explore Digital Pedagogies in Creative Arts HE. This instalment in our webinar series features a line up of creative education practitioners from across the globe as they explore the integration of digital tools and inclusive practices in creative arts higher education. 

Creative Education Webinar Series: Digital Pedagogies in Creative Arts HE from UCA.