#not necessarily educators and not necessarily enthusiastic about interacting with students

[flamagenitus]

Spent a half hour typing a speech about studying in the tags of a post 👍 I'm a normal person who's had a normal time in the academic system

[ehlenvs3000w24]

Teaching as an Interpreter ( Blog 2)

Hello everyone, welcome back to my nature interpretation blog! This week there is a lot to think about for myself as a future nature interpreter, specifically, what is my ideal role as a nature interpreter? When I first think of a nature interpretation career, I think of a well-experienced environmentalist who spends most of their time outdoors camping, identifying species, or carefully observing the wild unexplored areas of the earth. Quite the stereotypical example.

As a student with most of my experience in lectures, labs, and being taught indoors, it was quite difficult to envision myself as a nature interpreter. How can I teach others about nature and the environment when I've learned through lecture slides for most of my academic career? However, with some more thought, my ideal role does not necessarily mean that I have to be formally educated in conservation or ecology with plenty of fieldwork experience. For me, the ideal role of nature interpretation would tap into the experience I already have with nature from my childhood and some of the special interests I've grown up with. I would want to do something I really connect with. Spending my summers outdoors with my family (as per last week's discussion) gave me a few new interests and knowledge from observing the scenic atmosphere of rural Ontario. My grandmother introduced me to birdwatching and would tell me fun facts about the various species that would come up to her feeders, as younger me sat glued to the window watching these birds. To this day I consider myself a bird enthusiast, every time I'm walking I point out the birds I see. I've owned pet birds such as yellow canaries and green-cheeked conures, and I've gotten good at identifying common species in southern Ontario. Based on these interests, I could see myself becoming a bird guide as my form of nature interpreter.

If I were to take on the job of an interpreter to teach others about birds, the job might entail me becoming more acquainted with the wild bird species of Ontario, as that's where I have some knowledge. In addition to identification knowledge, I would like to take some courses about physiology and bird behaviour so I could share more than just what type of bird we are seeing. Making connections for interpretation would also mean discussing their role in the food chain, contributions to biodiversity, and impact on the ecosystem. I would prefer to work not too far up north and nothing remote so that folks could come and join the educational observation sessions. In addition, class times would be kept interactive but relatively short (maybe one hour), to keep interest and not overload students with information. For this kind of topic, an in-person learning setting may be beneficial to lead by exploration for tactile learners and incorporate visual learning at the same time. This may be more beneficial to learning about birds in a whole ecosystem approach rather than just using lecture material for auditory learning. I would utilize the amazing parks and conservation grounds that we have in southern Ontario, such as places like the Arboretum, which have trails to lead the educational walks. On the walks, spotting nests, recording species in the area, sharing facts and behaviours, and keeping a journal may be some of the activities learners will practice.

I never thought of myself as someone who would enjoy an outdoor job, but for animals I love, maybe I should reconsider my options. Some food for thought.

Thanks for reading!

[beca-mitchell]

nothing has changed me quite like you (1/1)

Summary: Chloe Beale and her shetland sheepdog, Juniper, make quite the pair. Set after PP3. Written for @bechloe-week day 2 - he bit me!

Notes: Fic title from "Nothing Is U" by Bleachers. Written for Bechloe Week Day 2 - He bit me! Wrote this after a burst of inspiration tonight. Unbeta'd, sorry.

Read on AO3 or read below.

* * * * *

Chloe adopts Juniper from her uncle when she moves up to Ithaca to begin her veterinary school education. Juniper is a happy dog, incredibly enthusiastic about walks, and happy to lie on top of Chloe’s chest to wake her up in the morning.

Chloe had always wanted a dog again since her childhood dog had long passed away. However, living at Barden hadn’t really allowed for it in her first year there. Then living in a house constantly filled with loud, singing women...that hadn’t been the time either.

She had thought maybe—maybe when she moved into an apartment with Beca, her longtime crush and (even more) longtime friend, would have been the time. But no. Amy happened. And their tiny apartment happened. Their tiny apartment which meant that Chloe spent cold, sleepless nights trying not to cuddle too close to Beca, lest she startle her and send her running away for good. Those cold, lonely, sleepless nights spent wondering if Beca would ever reciprocate her feelings.

The nights spent after Beca and Jesse’s Breakup™. The nights spent falling asleep together after another bad Netflix movie.

The nights spent together after nights out. Sleeping only, of course.

All the nights.

It almost made Chloe forget about wanting a dog—about wanting a companion. Almost. It would have just been difficult to have a dog in such a small face while nobody was really home to take care of a dog.

(But it had made Chloe smile—widely too—when she had mentioned it offhandedly to Beca. The whole ‘having a dog’ thing. A rather domestic suggestion, if Chloe thought about it for too long. She had almost been afraid about bringing it up even hypothetically to Beca. It felt like a step she hadn’t been sure about taking even though they weren’t even anything. But still. Beca liked dogs and would have liked a dog of her own—their own?—if it weren’t for their roommate and their living conditions.

That was a win to Chloe.

Beca liked dogs. Nobody was taking that away from her.)

Finally, Chloe moved upstate. Upstate where it was easier to get a spacier apartment; where there was that much more greenery. Many more accessible parks to run.

It was finally time to get a dog.

Finally, then came Juniper—a force of energy rolled into one fluffy Shetland Sheepdog.

 * * * * *

 Juniper is a happy dog.

So happy to the extent that Chloe is surprised the first time she attempts to bring somebody back to her apartment. She brings back a nice woman from the Pharmacy School after a surprisingly refreshing date. They barely make it into the apartment when Juniper immediately begins leaping at their legs, surprisingly excited and over-eager for the rather late hour.

“Shh,” Chloe hushes, smiling apologetically at her date. “Sorry, she’s not usually like this. Um...here, let me grab your jacket. I can make us some tea or something.” She tries not to sound too desperate. “If you want to stay for a little.”

Valerie smiles—a pretty smile entirely too reminiscent of another brunette with blue eyes—and nods. “I’d love to.”

“Great!” Chloe exclaims, a bit too high-pitched for her liking. She turns so Valerie can’t see her wince. Valerie doesn’t necessarily need to know exactly how long it’s been since she was...super intimate in any sense of the word. Herself not included. “I’ll be back,” she calls over her shoulder, clutching her date’s jacket in her hand.

Juniper obediently follows her to the kitchen, little nails tapping against the hardwood. “You can do this,” Chloe murmurs to herself, opening cabinets as she searches for a good mug to use. “You can do this, right Junie?” she asks, bending down to coo at her dog. Juniper yelps, tail wagging happily as she flits around Chloe’s leg, clear herding instincts coming out. “She’s not Beca. I mean. Who is. But she’s pretty. And nice.” She glances at Juniper as if her dog is listening to her attentively. “She’s pretty nice,” she chirps, smiling at Juniper.

Juniper offers no feedback, other than a brush of her nose against Chloe’s leg.

Chloe sighs, bringing the mugs back out to her living room.

 * * * * *

 “Ow!”

Chloe draws back quickly, immediately pushing herself up on the couch and peering down at her date nervously. A small yelp of pain isn’t necessarily the reaction she’s used to unless discussed beforehand with her bedmates.

“Sorry,” Chloe whispers, hushed. “Did I bite you?”

Valerie sits up at well, cheeks still flushed attractively, lips still swollen from their make-out session. Chloe’s eyes don’t even wander to her half-unbuttoned shirt. “No, I think—your dog did?”

“My wha—” Chloe twists on the couch, peering around in the low light. She sees Juniper sitting up, alert yet somehow still innocent, in her dog bed in the corner of the living space. “She’s…”

“I didn’t imagine it. She definitely bit me.”

“No, I believe you, she’s just not normally—she likes other people.”

Valerie laughs, sitting up all the way and beginning to button up her shirt. Juniper perks up at that and scurries over, as if she is excited to watch Chloe very much not have sex.

“You don’t have to go,” Chloe urges, though she isn’t sure why she even wants to protest. “I’m—I mean we can—”

“Look, you’re very nice, but I guess...I just want to be friends.”

“Oh. I’m...that’s okay. I don’t…” Chloe finds she isn’t extremely disappointed, just a little stunned that her evening is ending so quickly. Though she has no extreme connection to Valerie—no lingering passion—she is still relatively disappointed by the lack of sex in her life. She sighs, deflating. “I’ll get your jacket.”

* * * * *

Chloe doesn’t think much of it. It’s just a pattern of behaviour that she assumes Juniper has developed. She doesn’t really bite people—she just nips. Regardless, Chloe knows it isn’t behaviour that she should encourage by any means. She just assumes Juniper is a little protective of her. A little territorial.

It isn’t until weeks later that another major incident occurs. Chloe has since learned not to really go back to her own apartment with dates, with this one being an exception.

Mark is a PhD student at the engineering school. She meets him through a veterinary school friend and they had agreed to go on a date together. One thing had led to another and they had ended up tucked away in Chloe’s room after their date (Juniper had been locked out of her room on purpose) and well—

It’s fun. That much Chloe can say. It isn’t until later, with Mark’s heavy snoring next to her that she realizes that she hadn’t felt any real connection to him. But maybe, she muses, it’s too early to tell. It had been one date. And she had felt enough of a connection to sleep with him, even though it isn’t something she does regularly. Putting out on the first date at least.

It is the next morning that everything becomes apparent.

Chloe wakes up alone, eyes blinking against the harsh sunlight of her room. She hears a strange sound, something that sounds like muffled yelling. Or whisper-yelling. She senses the distinct emptiness next to her and sighs, wondering if she even has time to be disappointed. Or if she had prepared herself adequately for this inadvertently.

She hears a bark. Followed by a hushing sound.

Chloe rolls her eyes. Sneaking past her dog. Typical.

Without more thought, Chloe pulls a robe around her and yanks open her bedroom door, wondering what she’ll see. She blinks at the scene in front of her and takes in the way Mark appears to be in a stand-off with Juniper.

She sighs, realizing he has probably encountered one of her behavioural issues. Her earlier annoyance aside, she tries to offer sympathy and clears her voice, making her presence known. “Oh, I’m so sorry, she’s—”

“Aren’t you a vet or something?” he asks, holding up one of his ruined shoes. The other, Juniper still holds in her mouth, her tail wagging enthusiastically. Like this is some game. “Can’t you train your dog better?”

“She’s not usually like this!” Chloe exclaims. “Junie, come here, baby. Stop that.”

“Do you know how expensive these shoes are?”

Chloe almost laughs at the expression on his face, but she remembers, fleetingly, how much Beca had valued her precious headphones. She supposes everybody has their hobbies.

“Give that back, you little—”

“Don’t be mean to her!” Chloe cries, attempting to intervene. “She’s just playing. Junie, come here,” she demands.

Mark scowls, continuing to tug at his remaining shoe. The one that isn’t covered in dog pee. Juniper refuses to let up, even growling a little as he tugs harder. She stands her ground with surprising force. Chloe wonders if she had imagined Mark’s arm muscles. Clearly nothing compared to a shetland sheepdog with something to prove.

She sighs, choosing instead to lean back against the wall. She pulls her robe tighter around herself, tucking the fabric to protect herself against the chill. At least she gets morning entertainment in the place of a one-night stand trying to run out on her.

“Hey—Hey!” Mark cries out, pulling his hand away, both shoes dropping to the ground. “She bit me!”

Chloe pushes off the wall, concerned.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m f—”

“I was talking to Juniper,” Chloe says shortly. “You were antagonizing her on purpose. Rule one of interacting with dogs.”

He has enough sense to look appropriately chastised, but still displeased with the entire situation.

She rises, holding out her hand to inspect his hand. “Let me see,” she murmurs.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll just go.”

Chloe watches the door slam behind him, Juniper by her side.

“Another one, huh, Junie.”

 * * * * *

 The next semester comes quickly enough, January creeping into February, then the early stages of March.

“Beca?” Chloe blinks, stunned. “What are you doing here? In the—in—?” Chloe peers out the door as if expecting a camera crew to surprise them in the middle of the hallway. This is some Punk’d energy Chloe feels. She hadn’t expected to see Beca for at least another few months, even if she has spent the last few months alone missing Beca terribly. “This isn’t L.A.,” she says slowly, wonder creeping into her voice. “You’re not in L.A.”

“I—surprise!” Beca spreads her arms, hesitant smile on her lips. Chloe gapes at her, noting how different Beca looks...yet completely the same. Maybe a little more...expensive, if Chloe had a word for it. Her jacket is sleek-looking, her hair is slightly curled and—

“Did you dye your hair?” Chloe asks, reaching out to touch the ends of Beca’s hair. “It’s so pretty…”

“Thank you,” Beca says, blushing. “You look...wow.”

Chloe touches her hair self-consciously. It’s tied up in a messy ponytail to match her oversized sweater and leggings. She hadn’t planned on seeing anybody today, intent on having a quiet study day. “Really?” she asks softly before she can help herself.

“Yeah, I—oh.” Beca pauses, looking down at Juniper who creeps between Chloe’s legs to peer up at Beca with interest. Chloe feels Juniper’s tail wagging against her legs. “Who’s this! Is this the cutie you always post about on Instagram?”

Hearing the high-pitched tone of Beca’s voice as she continues to talk to and about Juniper makes all kinds of affection shoot through Chloe’s body. That and something else. She smiles at Beca, realizing just how much she had missed the other woman over this time. While Beca had been off in L.A. making a name for herself, Chloe had missed her all the while, attempting to fill the voids that Beca had left behind.

“Yeah,” Chloe murmurs, watching as Beca holds out her hand for Juniper to sniff. “She’s just a little...temperamental with new people, I—” Chloe freezes, stunned when Juniper licks Beca’s hand and immediately pushes her body into Beca’s knees, clearly intent on receiving more cuddles.

“She’s adorable, Chlo.”

Chloe thinks she might cry. “She really is.” She clears her throat, battling the emotion away. “Do you want to...come in, or—?”

“I...okay. Yeah. I mean. I did come to visit you, but I’m telling you, she might take some attention away from you.”

Chloe scoffs. “As if that would ever happen,” she teases.

Beca hums, something non-committal, but not quite the immediate disagreement Chloe expects from her.

“Chloe?” Beca asks quietly as the front door shuts behind her. “Can I do something?”

Chloe turns, confused. She takes in the sight of Beca standing there in front of her with her expensive jacket and her expensive duffel bag (she hadn’t seen that before—did Beca intend on staying with her? In her one-bedroom, one-bed apartment?), with Juniper sitting obediently right next to her.

It is very much a picture of a girl with a mission, too weighed down by all her insecurities.

Chloe’s heart races. “Sure,” she whispers.

“I...wanted to do it the moment you opened the door. But I guess…” Beca smiles down at Juniper. “Needed the seal of approval first, huh.” She takes a step closer, dropping her bag gently at her feet. “I’m...Can I kiss you?”

That simple statement, said with such clarity and sincerity, snatches all the air from Chloe’s chest. She stumbles, eyes widening as she notes that Beca is standing right in front of her with nowhere else to go. Her favourite blue eyes, taking up her entire field of view.

“Chloe.”

“I—um. Yes. God, yes, please kiss me,” Chloe replies, wondering very much if this is still a dream.

"I just. Wasn't sure after Europe," Beca says stiltedly. Breathless, almost. She reaches up with shaking hands to put her hands around the back of Chloe's neck.

"Kiss me," Chloe whimpers.

So Beca does.

 * * * * *

 When Chloe wakes the next morning, she wakes up alone. Her heart pounds, wondering if Beca had left in the middle of the night. She lies, somewhere between dream and nightmare, too afraid to wake up and face the Pandora’s Box of her reality.

The previous night had been nothing short of amazing. Chloe struggles to find words to encapsulate the spectrum of emotions that had crashed through her the moment she and Beca finally got to know each other intimately. Wandering hands, heavy kisses, breathless pants, and the annoyingly rhythmic sound of Chloe’s bed creaking under the weight of two bodies finding their perfect match in each other.

It had been perfect.

Chloe wonders if anything will ever top their first time, now that she knows what it feels like to be wanted by Beca Mitchell. Beca, who flew across the country to pull Chloe into her arms and kiss her. Not quite an “I love you” but also not quite a “Let’s be friends” either.

Chloe sighs, sitting up and letting the sheets fall around her. She is too afraid to check, but she has more faith in Beca than that. Her longtime friend. Her longtime crush. Her maybe-not-one-time lover.

“Hey,” Beca calls quietly as she pushes open the door. She is wearing one of Chloe’s old oversized shirts and a shy smile on her face. Her hair is delightfully rumpled, catching all the rays of sun that sneak into Chloe’s bedroom. In her arms, she holds a squirming Juniper who looks like she is very much attempting to lick Beca’s face or jump onto the bed. Or both.

Chloe almost gasps, but she only manages a shy smile of her own, stunned into silence for once.

“You’re here,” Chloe murmurs when she finds her voice.

Beca sits on the bed, gently letting Juniper squirm free from her arms. Juniper curls up at the foot of her bed, ears twitching excitedly. “I hope you don’t mind, I just gave her some food. She was waiting for us when I woke up.”

Us, Chloe thinks happily. She smiles, reaching out to grab the front of Beca’s shirt to draw her in for a kiss. Beca responds immediately, hands coming up to frame Chloe’s cheeks gently, tilting her head, like she is responding to Chloe’s unspoken word. Us, she seems to echo in her kiss. Look at us.

Scratch perfection, Chloe thinks. This is all she needs.

fin.

[paperbackrevolution]

“Book People”: a response

I have been thinking about an essay I read on Jezebel for the last while. It fit in so nicely with something I have been mulling over for months: readers. I mean serious readers. The kind of people that track their reading, that keep up with the publishing industry, that can relate to bookish memes, that overthink how their bookshelf is organized, and that seek out like-minded readers to interact with on social media. This essay, by Joanna Mang, uses a phrase for these kinds of readers: ‘Book People’. Mang uses it in a derogatory manner, and I have heard it used as such before though in those cases I believe the phrase Book Snob would have been more fitting. For Mang, Book People, are not the good sort of reader, but I want to unpack that in a bit.

Mang’s article is titled “We Have to Save Books from the Book People”. I actually only found it through a response written at Book Riot by Tika Viteri (“Back-Talking the Tone Police: Book People are Not Your Enemy”). Essentially, after rereading Mang’s essay a half dozen times (to try and follow the meandering argument and to seek what the point was) I think Mang is arguing a few things: that classics should still be taught in high school and not argued about on twitter, that English teachers bear no responsibility to encourage reading, and that Book People are bad for liking books a whole lot and have a Secret Plot to keep the publishing industry running. What any of this has to do with the title of her article remains unclear.

Mang opens her essay by complaining about people complaining on twitter. Specifically, people that are complaining about the classics they had to read in high school. The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter, and Catcher in the Rye are all mentioned. Even more specifically Mang is upset at the redundancy of these arguments, that they come up again and again. I mean she is definitely correct, because once someone talks about something no one else is allowed to talk about that thing ever again. Ever. Right? I doubt it is the same person rehashing this conversation daily, more likely Mang has stumbled across or perhaps actively searched out these conversations as they are being had by different people. I mean as far as I know there are more than a handful of people using twitter, right? And if it is the same person dredging up this conversation daily, I have a suggestion: unfollow them. Problem solved. But then if that had happened, we would not have this essay to unpack.

Mang seems upset that people on twitter say that they felt forced into reading books that they did not enjoy. According to Mang anyone that disliked these books did so because these books are classics that they just failed to understand. Mang mentions that with a good lesson plan anyone can like classics, but perhaps they did not have a good teacher with a good lesson plan or maybe it is because they just did not connect with the book. Not everyone must like classics simply because they are part of the canon. A book’s inclusion within the canon does not mean that it is necessarily enjoyable to read or study for every single person. It simply means that it was influential in some way. I can recognize and value the significance of a classic novel and still also dislike the reading experience.

I did find it ironic that these conversations on twitter are doing exactly what Mang says she encourages her students to do: “When I teach literature, my goal is to give students the tools and confidence they need to attack and write about texts, to “talk to” the text rather than receive it passively” (Mang 2021). On these twitter threads we have people reflecting back on books that they were required to read in school. But because they are engaging with these texts on twitter it cannot count as the same thing? I have come across some fascinating analysis on classic books on social media that would have made my English professors proud. I fail to see the problem here.

Mang then goes on to speak about the notion of whether certain books should or shouldn’t be taught in school to avoid “turning kids off” reading, since this is often an extension of those twitter conversations. This is something that people in education have been honing for years. A quick google search reveals many theories, pedagogies and lesson plans that can help encourage reading. Teachers and other education experts are out there exploring options to encourage reading in their students. Why though? Why do we want turn children in to readers? Mang suggests that Book People have an odious plot to save the book-as-object which I will unpack in a moment. But maybe it is actually because it increases empathy? Or because it builds vocabulary? Because it prevents cognitive decline as we age? Because it is a stress reducer? Might even make you live longer? Improves general knowledge? Improves writing skills? Aids sleep? Could even help prevent alzheimers? I think it could be at least one of those reasons, especially since most of these studies explain that these benefits do not come from reading those three books back in high school but as a sustained habit over a lifetime. Though Mang, an educator, also states in her article “It’s not an English teacher’s job to make students love reading; an English teacher’s job is to equip students to read and communicate” (Mang 2021). Which I think is certainly true, but (thankfully) many other educators are attempting to go beyond the pressure to yield good test results and are still trying to help their students become readers. Of course, as Mang does mention, the formation of a sustained reading habit is based on more than a single factor (Mang mentions “parental attitudes, family wealth, the student’s disposition and other sources of stimulation”). Why this should excuse English teachers from even trying to encourage reading is lost on me. Further I also wonder what the point there is in teaching students how to actively engage with books if they are not continuing to read outside of school? Why bother with English class at all if this is the case?

I am not here to say that schools should not teach classic literature or should not encourage students to engage with the canon, I am here, however, to say that we can also all go on to complain about it on the internet afterward. If someone does not find value in these conversations, then they are free to tune them out.

After talking about education and American schools’ reading lists, Mang finally gets to the part about Book People. Mang differentiates between readers and Book People stating:

“A reader is someone who is in the habit of reading. A Book Person has turned reading into an identity. A Book Person participates in book culture. Book People refer to themselves as “bookworms” and post Bookstagrams of their “stacks.” They tend towards language like “I love this so hard” or “this gave me all the feels” and enjoy gentle memes about buying more books than they can read and the travesty of dog-eared pages. They build Christmas trees out of books. They write reviews on Goodreads and read book blogs and use the hashtag #amreading when they are reading. They have TBR (to be read) lists and admit to DNFing (did not finish). They watch BookTube and BookTok. They love a stuffed shelf but don’t reject audiobooks and e-readers; to a Book Person, reading is reading is reading” (Mang 2021).

Let’s dig into this before we get to the conspiracy. Just because I am baffled by the snobby tone of this paragraph, and I do not understand what is wrong with any of this.

A Book Person has turned reading into an identity: Just as many people do with any hobby, they tend to entrench themselves within it. People who hike seriously can and have turned that into an identity, they’re hikers. But just about everyone can walk so hikers should then not make their hobby part of their identity? Sometimes people really, really enjoy something and it becomes a big part of their daily life. What is wrong with that?

A Book Person participates in book culture: A culture can form around a social group. So, if we have a hobby group, which is a kind of social group, it is not hard to imagine that eventually a culture would build up around it. So then, yes, people would then also participate in that culture.

Book People refer to themselves as “bookworms”: What I am most puzzled by are the quotation marks, as if this nickname is something strange and new. The first known use of the phrase bookworm dates back to the 1590s and is defined as “a person unusually devoted to reading and study”. Yeah, it is a little dorky, but many hobbyists across various hobbies have silly names for the people of their hobby. Star Trek fans call themselves Trekkies or Trekkers and apparently train enthusiasts call themselves railfans. It’s a hobby thing.

and post Bookstagrams of their “stacks”: As for this, I think this is an example of a fascinating development among readers. Robert A. Stebbins, a scholar of leisure activity and hobbies, has long denied that reading could be considered a ‘serious’ hobby or what he refers to as a Serious Leisure Pursuit (SLP). He has maintained that reading is a prime example of a casual pastime, and even explores his stance in more depth in the book The Committed Reader: Reading for Utility, Pleasure and Fulfillment in the Twenty-First Century. He argues that reading cannot be a SLP due to the solitary nature of reading and the lack of a social world. To Stebbins a social world is a social network group made up of hobbyists and others connected to that hobby. Social media has changed that, however, allowing serious readers to form a social world and also find ways to make the act of reading more social itself. Book clubs have always been an attempt by readers to make reading more social. But social media allows these attempts to get closer to the mark. Readers on twitter host reading sprints to encourage people to read together at the same time. Others host read-a-longs on various platforms such as instagram to encourage a more engaging version of a book club that invites readers to read the same book section by section. And some booktubers (Book People on youtube), host live videos that invite their subscribers to grab a book and read with them. I will digress here for now, but this is something I plan on exploring more on this blog in the future. Put simply, what Mang is disparaging here is actually evidence of reading achieving SLP status under Stebbins’ hobby model. This is simply an active social world of readers.

They tend towards language like “I love this so hard” or “this gave me all the feels”: This is simply how people tend to talk on the internet? Especially amongst fandom communities, of which there is huge overlap in bookish communities. This is hardly exclusive to Book People.

and enjoy gentle memes about buying more books than they can read: memes are things people share on the internet. I am failing to see the issue with this. Again, not something exclusive to book people. What I am starting to see here is that Mang seems to take issue with internet culture in general, more so than with Book People.

and the travesty of dog-eared pages: Only Book Snobs care if other people dog-ear their own books. I am using the phrase Book Snob to distinguish between avid readers and people that find the book-as-object almost sacred. There can be overlap, certainly, but not all Book People see books this way.

They build Christmas trees out of books: No books were harmed in the making of those christmas trees. Oh, is this where the title comes in? Are we saving books from becoming christmas trees? I promise it doesn’t hurt the books.

They write reviews on Goodreads: I am confused by what is wrong with this. Mang stated earlier in her article that and I quote again, “when I teach literature, my goal is to give students the tools and confidence they need to attack and write about texts, to “talk to” the text rather than receive it passively.” How is reviewing a book not doing exactly that? Not all reviews are as aggressive as an essay can be perhaps, but it is still an act of engaging with a text rather than simply consuming it. Further, many Book People likely either have access to or want access to ARCs (advanced reader copies) from publishers and part of that deal is writing an honest review in exchange for the free copy of the book. So that would be them holding up their end of that deal. I am uncertain if Mang takes issue with goodreads in particular or with writing reviews in general.

and read book blogs: People that are active within a hobby often seek out other like-minded individuals. And beyond that most book bloggers are reviewers. Meaning people may be seeking reviews of a book to help them curate their reading selection.

and use the hashtag #amreading when they are reading: another example of Mang’s dislike of internet culture. People use hashtags to help get their media piece to others that may enjoy it or find commonality with it. They are using this form of metadata as it was intended.

They have TBR (to be read) lists: I think non-serious readers have TBR lists as well, but I think they tend to be more unconscious in nature. For example, a non-serious reader may vaguely know that there are some classics that they want to get to, or maybe the latest hyped general fiction novel. Book People are hobbyists, and if we used Stebbins’ model, they are serious hobbyists. They take their chosen leisure pursuit seriously and as such it is on their mind a lot because they intend to spend a significant amount of time pursuing that activity. So, it seems only natural that they may want to organize the content that they want to consume. It appears to me that Mang is more upset that this hobby group has formed in-group vocabularies. This means that only people residing within the group will understand some of the words or phrases used. This is a natural progression of language. You need words to succinctly capture the meaning of something. In this case, many readers have lists of books they want to read, rather than saying all of that it gets shortened down to TBR.  

and admit to DNFing (did not finish): Are we saving books from not being fully read? Many of the books that Book People are reading are for enjoyment. If you are not enjoying something, why would you continue it? Do you watch the entirety of a season of a tv show that you are hating? No. Finish a snack that is making you want to vomit it back up? No. Same logic for books. To suggest you must complete a book simply because it is a book is more like Book Snob behaviour. This seems so common sense that I am again inclined to point to this as evidence of Mang’s distaste for in-group vocabularies more than the idea of not reading a book.

They watch BookTube and BookTok: This is further example of the community and social world that readers are setting up on the internet. People typically like making connections and further, making connections over something you share in common is natural. The internet made this easier, and social media has made it easier still. This is just evidence of readers seeking connections with other readers.  

They love a stuffed shelf but don’t reject audiobooks and e-readers; to a Book Person, reading is reading is reading: This line is fascinating. Because following this, Mang’s article takes a turn toward a conspiracy about how Book People are trying to save the book-as-object since ereaders have threatened the physical book. And yet here, as part of her definition of Book People, she disparages Book People for finding value in ebooks and audiobooks. Mang herself becomes the Book Snob here, rejecting other book formats. Ebooks are convenient, you can have access to hundreds of books from your chosen device (I like to use my phone personally not an ereader). And audiobooks are great for when you are performing another task such as chores or driving. Both formats also allow people with disabilities better access to books. Audiobooks are perfect for people with visual impairments or who struggle to read. And with ebooks the size of the font can be changed to allow the book to be turned in to a large print book as needed and can even allow the font to be changed into a dyslexic-friendly font. To suggest that ebooks or audiobooks are not real books or don’t count as books is just blatantly ableist.

Let’s get to the conspiracy now. Mang claims that reading became an identity and a culture in response to the decline of interest in reading. She also continues on to say that not only is reading threatened by other media and diversions, but that ebooks and audiobooks distract from physical books. And so with the book-as-object threatened by television and alternate book formats, physical books became more precious. She even goes as far as to say books are fetishized. And then Mang says, “This could be why those arguing that classic books alienate young readers suggest 21st Century titles as substitutions: if we want to keep the book alive, we have to read, and more to the point buy, the books being produced now” (Mang 2021).

So let’s make this clear. According to Mang, Book People are people who have made reading an identity and revel in book culture. And Mang also already said that Book People “love a stuffed shelf but don’t reject audiobooks and e-readers; to a Book Person, reading is reading is reading”. But then Mang changes her argument and says that all of this is about the physical book. So, the people that complain about classics they read in high school on twitter, some of which are Book People, are all actually attacking classic literature because it may turn children off reading which would be bad because that would mean that less people are reading books regularly which is bad because then it means that less people are buying books which is bad because the book-as-object is precious and must be protected and perpetuated.

Riiiiight. I believe Mang conflated Book People with Book Snobs partway through this essay. They are not one in the same and by Mang’s own definition, Book People see any format of book as worthwhile. Meanwhile a Book Snob would uphold the physical book-as-object as the supreme format. So saying that Book People are behind this conspiracy simply does not hold up under scrutiny. Not that this conspiracy should carry much weight at any rate.

But then Mang wipes that argument away, saying that Book People are not that practical. That actually their purpose in complaining about classics books on twitter is solely to revolutionize American schools’ text selection policy. Further Mang seems to think that people ranting about their least favourite classic novel on social media is all about putting pressure on teachers and public education to shape their students into model human beings. When in reality, sometimes one simply needs to whine about a bad book, even if it’s a classic.

At the end of all of this, I am left simply confused about this essay. Firstly the title: “We Have to Save to Save Books from the Book People”. What books are we saving from Book People and how exactly do we go about doing it? Are we saving classics? Or are we saving the current school reading list books? Or physical books? Or ebooks? Perhaps it is that books are somehow being ruined by those that worship that book-as-object? I propose that Mang just thought it sounded good, especially seeing as how it does little to pertain to the wandering argument of this essay.

Secondly, I am also confused about what exactly is the point of this essay. The three main conclusions reached at the end of it seem to be that 1) arguing about classics on twitter does not impact text selection policy in schools, 2) teachers bear no responsibility in encouraging their students to make reading a habit, and 3) that books are not sacred objects. So what?

While I disagree with Mang’s essay, I do still find value in some of the points she brings up, and in her definition of Book People. I have been casually curious about the leisure studies, and where committed readers fit within leisure studies, for the last couple of years. Mang may not understand what she sees before her, but she did see something. It is that insight that has finally spurred me to dig into the social world of committed readers, or as Mang calls them, Book People.

[forestwater87]

A big box o’Gwenvid AU ideas: A is for "Aww” and “Angst” and “AAAH”

This post is fucking rad as balls, and I started thinking of fun AU ideas . . . until I remembered that I already have approximately 2 billion WIPs already and don’t necessarily know if any of these have legs as actual fics. But it was fun to think about, so here we are! This is the first of . . . presumably 26 of these? Who knows, but this post we have:

Accidental Marriage AU

In which Campbell convinces incredibly wealthy investors known for their focus on “family values” that the Camp is a sweet family business run by a husband-and-wife team of counselors. The problem, of course, is that it isn’t sweet and its head counselors aren’t married. Campbell only has enough booze to fix one of those situations. 

He’ll figure the rest out in the morning. He thinks better with a hangover, anyway.

(Yes I think this one would be awesome in Campbell’s POV. You cannot change my mind on this.)

Actor AU

Okay, real talk this would just be @whiskyarts​‘s gameshow AU. Because I kinda love the idea of Jerk!David who just pretends to be a sweetheart for the cameras. Except I would cover it with my filthy Gwenvid hands and make it shippy in that antagonistic-hatemance-eventually-turns-into-something-resembling-feelings. There would be lots of angst and snark and sparkly clothes and I would love it and probably no one else would.

Alien AU

An Interplanetary Anthropologist, Gwen, manages to land a position on the Campbell after years of education and networking and plain old hard work. She is an employee of the most impressive warship in the galaxy -- sure, it’s gone to seed a little bit in the last few decades, but it still has its shine if you look at it sideways and squint a little -- and more importantly, it’s work experience! Paid work experience . . . as a janitor.

When the Campbell picks up a POW that the ship’s commander plans to (illegally) sell to the highest bidder, Gwen decides to treat it as an opportunity to build a real-life case study on one of the universe’s rarer life forms while it’s within arm’s reach. But the more she learns about the strange, sunny alien who was his platoon’s only survivor, the more uncomfortable she is with letting him disappear into her captain’s nefarious dealings and -- 

Oh fuck, this is The Shape of Water, isn’t it? I mean, I’ve never seen The Shape of Water but I’m pretty sure that’s what this is. Fuck. Goddamn it. Fuck.

Amnesia AU

David takes a rogue bus to the . . . well, everything -- something that’s more or less routine by now -- and hits his head hard enough to knock him out for almost a full day. When he wakes up, he’s the same cheerful David the camp is used to . . . except for three strange new things:

He doesn’t know where he is or what he’s doing -- doesn’t, in fact, remember anything after some vague memories of childhood.

He’s completely terrified of the forest, and especially of Spooky Island.

He has no idea who Cameron Campbell is, but he’s quite positive he hates him.

Android AU

Actually @ciphernetics​ and I put this idea together a little while ago! Basically Camp Campbell has a state-of-the-art off-brand helper android named David, who is a perfect camp counselor, childcare provider, and comes equipped with the finest Forest Survival software Cameron Campbell could find for free online in half an hour.

Gwen, the new (requisite human) hire, hasn’t ever really interacted with androids, and doesn’t especially want to now. David is used to the distrust, even outright hostility -- very few of the campers seem to like him, and he knows that his presence can be unsettling to humans, and look, it isn’t a D:BH AU okay? It just looks like one, and acts like one. And is one.

Angel/Demon AU

Um the perfect Angel/Demon AU literally already exists, but they only wrote one chapter back in 2017 and never updated, and that makes me absurdly sad. Regardless, David being very bad at being a demon and Gwen being very bad at being an angel is the ideal setup for this kind of AU, in my humble opinion. 

However, David being an angel trying to reform his fallen ABFEL (angel buddy for eternal life!), who probably became a demon over something stupid and probably horny, also sounds extremely cute. They’re still friends, even though that is against literally all of the rules, and they secretly meet and hang out. David is convinced he can bring her around, and Gwen insists that she hates having him hanging off her nonexistent wings all the time. 

Honestly, probably neither of those things are true. Gwen wasn’t cut out for heaven -- and probably, neither is David.

Apocalypse AU

Cameron Campbell was probably doing something dangerously stupid in the hopes it could make him money. That, or the Quartermaster was doing something dangerous for reasons only he could ever understand. Hell, maybe that’s what that weird Daniel guy’s cult was trying to do. Whoever was doing what, they ripped a hole in their dimension at the bottom of Lake Lilac, and all sorts of awful things start creeping through.

There were signs, of course -- that weird fish-monster certainly didn’t come in through customs -- but an inopportune explosion, or wayward firework, or the rumblings of Sleepy Peak Peak, or something ripped a hole in the fabric of reality big enough for Lovecraftian monsters to start crawling through. There’s no stopping it. Really, there’s no chance of even fighting it. 

The second the rift opens, the story becomes one of just trying to stay out from under the Elder Gods’ feet.

Arranged Marriage AU

I think the easiest way to make this one work is by making either David or Gwen Campbell’s actual biological child -- maybe an heir, albeit to a highly illegal fortune and a mountain of credit card debt. But Campbell gets in trouble, the kind of trouble where he’s gambled everything and the only collateral he has left is a kid he got saddled with because their mother had better lawyers. A kid he’s been more than happy to put to work for the last 20-something years, who happens to have caught the eye of a ludicrously wealthy magnate -- not for her own sake (though Campbell would’ve been open to that too) -- but for her child, one she loves more than anything and keeps carefully shut away until the Right Person comes along.

His kid isn’t necessarily the right person, but for the first time in his life Cameron Campbell has a genuine treasure on his hands.

And, like all the fake treasures he’s passed off over the years, he just has to find a way to shine them up and make him a fortune.

Artist AU

Gwen is a starving artist living in a rat-infested hovel in the city, scraping by on a series of uninspired landscapes she paints on postcards and the goodwill of friends, family, and significant others. One day, a bright young man bounces up to her “studio” (it’s a cardboard box outside the park) and tells her excitedly that he’s been looking for her for weeks; he thinks her postcards are the most beautiful things he’s ever seen, and he would like to know if she’d be interested in moving down to a cabin by the lake. He runs a summer camp, he explains, and he knows they’d all be honored if she would teach them art lessons -- and of course paint in her spare time! The views are indescribable, and he’s sure she’ll have no shortage of inspiration.

She weighs the cost of what little artistic dignity she has remaining against room, board, and a steady paycheck for three months, and takes the job immediately.

Art Student AU

Put them in an art college -- maybe condense the ages so that the campers are like, younger students? -- and have Gwen as the Serious Art Student who cares a lot about theory and form and doing things right, and she’s constantly irritated by her classmate David, who sits at the same table as her and has declared them art buddies, and is convinced that the point of art is just to have fun and do your best! Maybe force them to do a group project together and really see them clash.

(Alternatively, there is the infinitely more shameless route of one being an art student and the other being a newd model for figure drawing. I am obviously much too classy to ever insinuate such a thing, but if someone was really looking for a way to write smuht . . . it’s sitting right there. On a table. nekkid. I HAVE TO CHANGE THE SPELLING TO MAKE THIS GO IN THE TAGS ARE YOU KIDDING ME)

Athlete AU

There are 4 major ways this one can go, I feel like:

Basically HSM: Gwen is a small part in her school’s musical (techie, maybe, or the orchestra) and lanky jock David -- which is the most hilarious phrase ever but he’s probably a runner or tennis player, something light on muscles and heavy on speed and springiness -- who’s well-mannered and cheerful but not the brightest, is put into the show as an extra-credit way to bump up his GPA so he can keep sporting his sports, and it turns out he’s both very good at and super enthusiastic about it.

A little like HSM, but as grown-ups: Gwen is the head of the drama/art department, which has just faced heavy cuts to support the superstar sports program, and she furiously storms over to the head coach’s office to let him know exactly what she thinks about him and his stupid meathead jocks. Of course, when the man who opens the door is a sweetheart beanpole with big eyes who already knows her name, she finds it hard to keep up her righteous indignation. And when it turns out that he was completely ignorant of the hit her department took from the budget cuts (or maybe not ignorant, just terminally oblivious) and is almost as upset as she is to hear about it, she’s forced to reconsider everything she’d assumed about Coach Greenwood; maybe he’s not the enemy after all, but someone with whom she can formulate a new battle plan.

Reporter/Famous Athlete AU: Either Gwen is a professional sportsball person and David is the shy, bumbling photographer eager to prove himself, or she’s the plucky, intrepid reporter and David is a good-natured professional athlete who she’s determined to interview.

Teammates AU: Professional or amateur sports team, and they’re just trying to scrape their way out of the bottom of the league without killing each other. 

Author AU

There are a lot of potential interpretations of this AU, but my personal favorite is Gwen as a novelist with two distinctly differing careers: as G. E. Santos, the high-concept writer whose books are critical darlings in the maybe 3 publications that care about such things but whose sales can’t quite crack the triple digits; and as Annabelle Elizabeth, whose steamy erotica regularly tops the bestseller lists and is reviled by all of G. E.’s colleagues as “populist genre trash.” 

The only person alive who knows about her Jekyll-and-Hyde author personas (besides her older sister Audree, who plays the part of charismatic and sensual Annabelle flawlessly) is her editor, David. He’s an odd choice, as her colleagues in both fields have pointed out -- reading her romance novels with his pen in one hand and the other covering his eyes, peeking through his fingers to write tremulous notes in the margins; stumbling through her ponderous literary works with a dictionary in his lap and his tongue between his teeth, poring through them like he’s learning a new language -- but he’s the only person Gwen will allow to touch her writing. 

Maybe it’s because he always seems like her biggest fan. Maybe it’s because she’s known him since they were at a summer camp together years ago. Maybe it’s because he believes in her in a way no one else does -- in a way she absolutely doesn’t believe in herself.

David is, for reasons she’s not entirely sure how to explain even to herself, the only person she trusts.

Avian (Bird People) AU

Centuries ago, it was said, avians were a rarity, an aberrant mutation to be locked up and intently studied but never trusted. Some people thought they were antichrists, a sign of the end times, when all normal humans would be destroyed and only the strange bird-people would remain.

In a way, maybe they were. Because when the earth’s crust ripped open and flooded the planet with magma and boiling water miles deep, avians were the only ones who could take to the sky.

Not all of them, certainly. In fact, most were locked up in detention centers and laboratories when the Swamp formed, and were unable to escape in time. Considering the people who could get to high enough elevations to escape the deluge, there were decades afterwards where the decimated human population outnumbered the avian one. Those were periods of tension, outright war and tentative alliances -- even romances, the kinds of great love stories that dragged both avian and human populations a few generations along when one or both of them should’ve died out.

That was over two hundred years ago, however. Now the Swamp is a murky expanse of scalding water and the boiled remains of civilization transformed into unrecognizable muck, with islands of “land” cobbled out of what remains. This is where the avians live, now. And humans don’t live anywhere, not anymore.

At least . . . that was what they thought.

[emmahvn-blog1]

hello <3 i am diana of house gay™, first of her name, mother of cats, lana del rey stan, lover of all things pink. akhdksd anyway,,, u can call me di or diana either works !! i am nineteen yrs old, go by she/her pronouns, and reside in the est timezone !! somethings u should kno about me...i am a girl group stan first and a human second ( stan loona stan twiceblackvelvet stan fromis 9 etc ). i am a sansa stark enthusiast ( sansa hive please interact ) and a libra askdhdkh. that’s basically all there is 2 me, so now let’s move on 2 my girl, emma han !!

- ̗̀ ❛ muse 14, jang yeeun, she/her. ❜ ̖́- did you hear about the monaco trip? it’s legendary at ucla. emma han is going, i’m so jealous. their instagram makes it seem like they’re pretty coy and they’re all about peach colored blush & fresh cut flowers. can you believe they’re only twenty and they’re going on a free trip to monaco for the summer? hopefully they don’t let their unappeasable side show too much on the trip. ( diana, she/her, est )

okay where do i begin...let it b known i am winging this as i write it,,, so if it’s messy n i ramble i am SO sorry

let’s take it back 2 the beginning,,, emma was born on a lovely autumn morning in new york city ( let it b known she’s a libra ). she is the first and only child to her parents, and her mother named her after her favorite jane austen heroine, emma woodhouse

even at a young age, emma much preferred being in the company of her mother. she was kind, affectionate, and wise beyond her years. her father, on the other hand, had a colder disposition and wasn’t too keen on showing emotion. he wasn’t necessarily a bad person, but emma often felt like she was in the presence of a stranger around her father

emma and her mother were inseparable. her mother taught her to always be kind and reminded her to be humble. in a world so cruel, her mother was like a beacon of light, and emma wanted to be just like her

she had a picture perfect childhood. for a while, it was just her, her parents, and the family cat, luna. despite not being particularly close to her father, she admired the love her parents shared. it was real and pure. the two were opposites who brought out the best in each other

soon, emma learned that her perfect little life wouldn’t always be perfect. caught in the midst of a winter storm, her mother fell victim to a tragic car accident. at just eleven years old, emma’s life was changed forever. her life was beginning to mimick the heroine she was named after, who also lost her mother at a young age

after the death of her mother, her father went stone cold. he completely shut emma out, leaving her to mourn her mother’s death on her own. unable to cope with the loss of her mother, emma began making up stories about the whereabouts of her mother when people around her began to ask. one week, her mother was vacationing in the bahamas, and the next she was visiting family in the hamptons. emma grew into the habit of making up stories about her mother, though it wasn’t long before she began to lie about other things as well

her lies were mostly harmless, at least she always intended them to be. unfortunately, their were times people got tangled into her stories and were hurt in the process. much like an addiction, lying was a habit she couldn’t quit

after living in new york for a few more years following the death of her mother, her father packed them up and they moved to the sunny city of angels, LA, for a fresh new start

emma looked at the move as a way to start again. she decided to leave her pain behind in new york, as her mother would have wanted. emma vowed to remain kind and honor her mother’s memory by being the person she always taught her to be

at school, emma worked hard. she completed her high school education in the city of love itself, paris, france. before entering high school, her father became president of ucla, guaranteeing she would always have a spot at the school, but emma refused to rely on what was given to her. she wanted to earn it. emma was at the top of her class in high school, taking on challenging classes and becoming student body president. 

during high school in france, emma discovered her passion for design. she spent her free time making clothes and donating them to women’s shelters

while in france, she also found herself wrapped up in a love story with a french boy...or two. emma loves love, however, she has never been one to settle because she is never satisfied. she thought she was in love with one boy up until she met another who stole her attention. emma desperately wants to be in love, and she has been a few times, but nothing has ever lasted

after her french excursion, she returned back to LA a changed woman, almost unrecognizable to her father. she was certain about what she wanted to do with her life, which was fashion. she began studying fashion marketing and design at ucla

her cat luna is still alive btw and she is a proud cat mom

personality wise, i would describe emma as someone who can be extremely sociable, but tends to be more reserved unless put in a situation that encourages her to open up. she’s free-spirited and her head tends to always be in the clouds, probably daydreaming about love and her future success in the fashion world. she’s extremely idealistic, which may also be the reason shes never satisfied. overall, aesthetic wise i would describe her as classic and chic, inspired heavily by french fashion and living. emma can sometimes be a bit of a narcissist in the sense that she truly believes she’s like a modern-day jane austen heroine destined for something great. she can be a bit snobby at times, but her intentions are never bad...if she’s ever angry/annoyed i feel like she’d be super passive aggressive like the type of person who expects u to kno u fucked up without actually telling u anything ajdjdhkh (rip). she gives me pisces moon vibes but i havent decided for sure yet ajshddhkhd 

anyway !! plot w me please <3 my discord is give me a fromis_9 comeback#5522 if ur on discord and u like this post, i’ll message u for plots !!! i’m so excited to get started ahh

this is random but i’m rly down for a step sibling plot if it fits with anyone’s backstory. i feel like it would be sooo interesting seeing emma’s reaction to her father moving on and also to not being an only child

omg how did i forget 2 mention,,,, emma is bisexual

me when i saw how long this post is:

[cazort]

I want to chime in on this thread to disagree with something said WAAAY above, this:

the purpose of learning to read is not to foster a life-long love of reading. it is to learn to read. that is, to learn to parse a text for meaning. you don’t have to enjoy it, but you do have to interact deeply with it and analyze it, which you are forced to do because you are being graded. enjoyment is only needed if the class isn’t hard enough and students aren’t properly forced to engage with the text, which they should be.

There’s so much I disagree with in here.

For one, this thread is about reading classics, which as later comments point out, are often written in marginally-archaic to highly-archaic language which is not an effective tool for teaching the basics of reading, or even more advanced reading of the type that is going to be necessary for most people in their lives.

But for two, enjoying reading is actually important. If you force kids to do something that they find unintuitive or inaccessible, many of them will resist it and put little effort into it, and those who enthusiastically dive in and put effort into it will often get little out of it.

For three, grading is a terrible motivator, and it often kills or at least diminishes kids intrinsic motivation. Most kids want to learn to read in order to access information. I’ve seen kids delve into stories they love, technical manuals way over their head because they want to build or fix something, or historical or scientific texts just because they find the material interesting. Kids also often want to get on social media and websites (including ones they might not be legally allowed) where they start reading and writing to engage with topics important to them.

Even people who don’t necessarily love reading for its own sake, already have a lot of motivators besides grades, like wanting to get a job, wanting to be able to function in society, wanting to have their skills and intellectual abilities respected by others, and perhaps the most important, wanting to be able to communicate effectively, be understood by others, perhaps even wanting to be persuasive in writing.

Also, “forcing” kids to do work doesn’t work. I have teaching experience in college, which is similar to high school in some ways. Kids can and do cheat and plagiarize. And it is simply not possible for teachers to catch all examples of this. Also, kids can and do fail. Furthermore, what is even much more likely is for kids to “slide by”...their heart isn’t really in the work so they do the bare minimum, or they do a half-assed job good enough to get maybe a B or C, and the school moves them on because it’s just not realistic to set high enough standards that would fail half the class, even if few of them are actually getting what is intended out of the class. This sort of thing is even more common in primary and secondary schools than in college.

I personally think there is no need for the average person to ever read “classics”. If someone wants to, then great. They can choose to take a class that focuses on it. Or a mandatory class that gives students choice of what to read, can give them classics as an options. The school can make them available in the library. And teachers can provide tools to help people to understand archaic terminology and constructions, as a way of making this stuff more accessible to them. There are a lot of ways a school can encourage people to go down this route, of their own initiative.

The essentials of education though, are being able to read and write things of the here-and-now, being able to communicate in writing in the ways that are expected of most people. There are so many things that are more important than reading classics, that are omitted from most education, things like reading and understanding the basics of legal contracts (how many people sign leases? loan contracts? employment contracts? agree to terms and conditions of websites? pretty much everyone in our society) or navigating the terminology of government websites to file taxes or apply for various government benefit programs? How about interacting with people on social media, in various formats where conciseness of language is important? What about corporatespeak and work emails, and the languages of HR and cover letters and job applications and the responses to them?

We hammer kids with stuff not relevant to their daily lives while omitting huge portions of the language that is critically important to function, and then we wonder why people struggle so much and get depressed in their 20′s.

Yeah no. I wholly disagree with the attitude expressed in the above comment. We need educational reform. We need education that is more relevant, and we need education that works with, rather than against, people’s intrinsic motivation.

Ban grades. And ban the mandatory teaching of anything that is not essential so that we can free up the resources to teach people what they actually need to have in order to function in our society.

Anyway unpopular opinion probably but the school system (and general book snobbery) fucks up by trying to force kids to read "classics" before they have the mental and emotional development to appreciate them.

This post is me telling you to consider revisiting that classic book you read in the 7th grade that you hated because the ability to understand a lot of literature gets unlocked later, for reasons a lot to do with emotional maturity

[neetpreviousyearquestion]

Online Schooling, can it be the future of education?

Online Schooling, can it be the future of education?

Online learning is education that takes place over the internet. It can also be referred to as e-learning. As the world is transforming itself into a digital world, education itself is transforming as e-learning. E-learning can be provided to every student anywhere, anytime. E-learning is essentially a form of electronic learning which derives education through the internet.

E-learning is itself independent and does not require a specific place or time to study. The flexibility makes education more accessible to people that may not necessarily be able to commit a large amount of time to attend classes. Nowadays, every student has access to a quality of education anywhere in the world. E-learning is all about accessibility and inclusivity. Digital tools can deliver personalized instructions based on learning. We all know, technology has become an integral part of our society in the past couple of years. So transforming education as digital learning can be successful for students as it saves more time and makes students understand more at their own place and time.

In critical times of pandemics, such as COVID-19 that has brought the world to an almost complete lockdown., online education is turning out to be the savior in these tough times. Online learning is also enthusiastically adopted by companies. Companies providing services like e-learning have been the most helpful one for our coming youth. Zigya is one of them that provides free e-learning services for students of class 8th onward and other competitive exams like JEE, NEET, etc. They provide the best resource material for students to understand and learn better. Students can even appear for free mocks to enhance their performance. They have designed their pattern in such a way that they build self-reliance among the students.

Visit: www.zigya.com

E-learning has been on the rise in recent years, largely due to the convenience, cost, and accessibility the system offers compared to traditional learning. The five most promising features of online learning are as follows:

•          Online Learning Offers Convenience And Pliability

•           High-Quality Student-Tutor Interactions

•          More Students Can Enroll At Once

•          Web-Based Learning Will Grow In Popularity

•          Better Learning Experience

Learning online has countless advantages which are contributing to people choosing it over more traditional education. It also allows you to teach yourself and can take all of the time that a student needs to grasp ideas before moving on. E-learning will continue to grow and become popular amongst students.

[jennymusictherapy-blog]

3 Things About Being A Music Therapist That Others Don’t Tell You About

1) It takes a lot of hard work and dedication to become a board-certified music therapist. 

“The education of a music therapist is unique among college degree programs because it not only allows a thorough study of music, but encourages examination of one’s self as well as others.” -American Music Therapy Association (AMTA). 

Although the required coursework vary from school to school, completing my music therapy requirements at Berklee College of Music was challenging. Every semester I had an average of 8 courses/semester (Berklee goes by semesters, not years) and each class consisted of 1-2 credits, at most 3. These classes included music theory, arranging, conducting, ear training, music technology, psychology, private lessons, ensemble, music therapy, development seminars, electives, and general studies. Courses specific to music therapy included 5 levels of supervised practicum fieldwork in facilities that served individuals with disabilities in the community. I was assigned to work at a school setting with children diagnosed with cerebral palsy for my first practicum, and this was my first direct hands-on client experience with music therapy. I was then placed at a nursing home for my second practicum that focused on geriatrics in which I served groups of elderly who were diagnosed with depression and Alzheimer’s disease. Then I got to work with homeless women in my next practicum, adults with developmental disabilities in the one after that, and children and babies in intensive care units during my final practicum at Boston Children’s Hospital. Courses in addition to each practicum focused on specific areas, such as P1 (practicum 1) in Special Education, P2 in Geriatrics, P3 in Research, P4 in Psychiatry, and P5 in Medicine. Although you’re required to work for about 7-8 weeks at your chosen facility (1-2hrs once a week) and that may not seem like much, having to balance studying, completing research, doing homework assignments, practicing instruments, preparing for concert recitals, recording music, attending meetings, memorizing songs, and overall figuring out my life as both a musician and a music therapist was very challenging. Although my main focus was music therapy, I still needed to focus on vocal performance as I was graded for my musical skills, not just for my clinical work. There are numerous amounts of documentation and clinical writing involved as well, and each practicum is paired with courses related to what you’re learning and dealing with in that specific practicum. Music therapy courses at Berklee require not only sitting at your desk listening to lectures, finishing up tasks and passing exams, but they require active participation such as public speaking, group work, role playing, advocating, and playing instruments. In other words, it’s about practicing and developing skill through action than just having mere knowledge about each course. Meditation and self-care practices are also taken place inside classrooms where you get to be in an open and vulnerable space with others, tap into your own personal thoughts, emotions and feelings, and focus on self-awareness and awareness of others. There is a lot of individual attention that you get from professors who have high expectations of their students (Berklee’s student-teacher ratio- 11:1), and because I got to learn in such small, inclusive classroom environments with direct patient contact at fieldwork, I grew massively in my musical and clinical knowledge and abilities. Because I was pushed to actively participate and throw myself into uncomfortable situations, I’ve grown immensely through my learning. It’s great that we get to apply what we learned in class directly into practice at our practicum sites and receive feedback from our supervisors on site who are also professional music therapists. Classrooms feel like workshops, and practicums feel like small unpaid internships. It’s challenging to be seen and trained as a musician, professional, and therapist inside classrooms when we’re still students and sometimes don’t feel mature enough to handle the ups and downs of social and emotional experiences throughout the whole process. But real growth happens when you’re out of your comfort zone and that’s how Berklee was like for me and for many others who are currently music therapy students. We are constantly pushed to feel uncomfortable in our learning. 

Then after you’ve completed all of your training at school which usually takes about 4.5-5 years, you graduate (hurray!) and then go search for an internship to receive your degree. This is the last step you need to complete before receiving your official diploma and becoming a professional music therapist. My internship took place at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in which I worked 40 hours/week, unpaid, for 6 months. Although there are some paid music therapy internships, most are not and require you to work 6-9 months depending on the site. Then once you complete your internship, you are finally eligible to sit in for the certification exam. Once you pass the exam, you are finally acquired the credential Music Therapist-Board Certified (MT-BC). 

2) Therapy > Music. 

I say music therapy is 70% therapy and 30% music. We are using music as a tool to reach non-musical goals. So it’s not just about performing and entertaining patients/clients and wowing them through your musical skills, it’s about using music purposefully and intentionally through the connection and relationship you build with your patients/clients to help them reach their goals. We do music WITH the patient, not just TO the patient. It doesn’t mean you have them to follow you, you adapt yourself to follow them. This is also the main difference between music education and music therapy- while music education focuses on musical knowledge and skills that follows a standard, rigid curriculum with no adaptations to meet the patient’s specific needs, music therapy adapts the music to meet each patient’s specific goals and needs. Music therapists are trained to see the needs of patients with disabilities and special needs on a deeper level, and therefore know how to use effective strategies to target those specific needs through music. Here is an example I can provide from my internship- I’ve worked with several cancer patients at CHOC and at the time, many were undergoing stem cell transplants and chemotherapy. Going through treatment can be extremely stressful and scary for kids, especially when their family isn’t around to keep them company through challenging times. Kids need to be in supportive environments where there is structure, autonomy/independence, and relationship support. In order to target these three elements, my main goals for music therapy were to provide structured and predictable environments, increase their autonomy and control, and build rapport. To provide structure, I used familiar music for predictability and songwriting scripts; for autonomy support, I allowed patients to make their own choices about lyrics, melody, how they wanted the song to sound like; and for relationship support, I focused on building rapport through discussing about the content of the song, brainstorming ideas together, and interacting throughout the overall songwriting process. Providing specific music interventions that are tailored to their experiences helps create a safe space and allows them to drive benefit from music and be successful in therapy. So music therapy isn’t just focusing on the musical elements- rhythm, melody, harmony, timbre, pitch, dynamics- but it’s focusing on the musical elements to be used clinically in purposeful ways. It’s more about the interaction, the connection with the patient/client rather than the music itself. Because our main focus is therapy, music therapists utilize a variety of methods and don’t necessarily have a traditional, fixed way of doing things when providing music and playing instruments. I’ve used the back of my guitar as a drum once, the side of my guitar as a slide for stuffed animals, boomwhackers to slide eggs through the tube rather than whacking them on hard surfaces to make sounds (which is how you would “normally” play it), the back of a floor drum as a pot to cook pretend soup with kids, xylophone blocks as cake for dessert, a drum mallet to strum the guitar, and I can name other ways where I’ve used music creatively, thinking outside the box for patients. You have to think what are the GOALS you’re trying to reach, and how are you using music as a TOOL to reach those goals? Music therapists use music both traditionally and non-traditionally to reach non-musical goals. Unlike a traditional music educator who plays guitar to teach students how to strum and has everyone to follow, music therapists could use a guitar to teach how to strum, use it for play using toys, move it around in different positions and be flexible with the overall use of the instrument that follows the patient and their response to music. Music therapists are aware of how to utilize music to engage and target specific needs of individuals from the moment-to-moment experience. 

3) You never know what to expect as a music therapist. 

There are no fixed answers to anything. We need to let go of expectations and assumptions about various situations and circumstances, especially during sessions. I remember my supervisor who is a board-certified music therapist with almost 20 years of experience with music therapy, telling me he still gets nervous to this day walking into patient rooms, because it is a new experience for him each time. It is crucial that we remain open to whatever happens, to lean onto discomfort, to let go of the need to control and to simply go with the flow. I had one patient at CHOC where, when I went to check-in to ask if he was in the mood for some music, he responded with an enthusiastic “yes!” and gave me a huge smile. He seemed to be feeling a lot better than the last time I saw him when he was undergoing chemotherapy, so I got excited and started thinking to myself what songs would be good for him and which instruments I could use for those songs. I told him I’d be right back with my instruments which only took 5 minutes and walked right back to his room, only to see he was now crying after his mom refused to feed him chicken nuggets. He was not allowed to eat before his procedure, and he looked at me and shook his head. I had no choice but to put aside the session plan I had for him and adjust myself fully to that moment. I decided to pull out an ocean drum and strum relaxing chords on my guitar to provide relaxation and calm his emotions, and matched my humming to my guitar. I had no idea how the session was going to go after that and what to expect out of it, but I trusted my gut in that moment and decided that that was what was best for him. Then the next day, I walked into his room again to see he was feeling a lot better and was bursting with energy throughout the session so I matched myself to his energy level and provided that high stim he needed. Being a music therapist means you’re constantly having to deal with fluctuations (fluctuating referral calls, fluctuating moods of patients and families, fluctuating health conditions) and overall spontaneity- so it’s crucial that music therapists are flexible, open-minded, and adaptable to various circumstances. The only things to expect as music therapists are to expect the unexpected, expect discomfort, and expect the unknown. 

[condensed-theorem-shop]

Providence

Another glowfic setting.

I have written about Providence previously here and here. The name is @curiosity-discoverer-of-worlds​’s invention; he’s also devising a magic system for it, which I am Very Enthusiastic about.

The following is excerpted/prettied up/expanded from chat logs about the setting.

(cut for length)

<FacelessDude> I'm unsure how people in bad home situations leave?

<Moriwen> It’s straightforward for a Provider: go to college, go get a job, get married. Harder on a Caretaker, but it's not like there's some kind of law against moving out and setting up a household on your own.

<FacelessDude> Maybe they can leave to be part of a new household in a new settlement?

<Moriwen> Yeah, setting up with a group of people in similar situations is totally plausible. Another option might be asking to move in with a connected family group -- your Provider parent's birth family, or a married Provider sibling's family.

<Moriwen> There's also a class of jobs-for-Caretakers, in which you move in with some other family and get given room and board and a small salary in exchange for providing a Caretaker-y service, and those are popular among Caretakers who want to leave their home situation, though uncommon in an absolute sense (overall it’s really uncommon for a Caretaker to have a proper job like that).

<Moriwen> “Live-in aide” would be an example -- something like "help elderly person who has trouble moving around" would normally just be done by one of the household Caretakers, but, like, if you've got a severely disabled kid who needs actually-trained assistance, you might get a Caretaker to move in with you for that.

<Moriwen> A major job-for-Caretakers ("major" being relative, still) is "family therapist,” which means a specific thing in this setting.

<Moriwen> If someone's not treating their kids well, and it doesn't rise to the level of abuse but they're also not shaping up with family pressure, one of the aunts or uncles might report them to family court (which is a whole thing), and a very common result from that is a court order to have a family therapist live with you for a while and help you break out of harmful dynamics.

<Moriwen> Because on the one hand they're really concerned with child welfare, but on the other hand "remove person from family" is considered pretty extreme.

<Moriwen> I picture the family therapists as being kind of like Supernanny, if you've ever seen that.

<FacelessDude> I have, albeit I was also picturing something vaguely like a "life coach"?

<Moriwen> That too! They do a lot of, like, "so that interaction seemed like it left everyone frustrated, let's work through some better ways to deal with this situation."

<Moriwen> You can hire one voluntarily, too, and it's not that uncommon to do so -- like if you just can't get along with your in-laws, or Aunt Bertha keeps undermining everyone's parenting, or something.

<Moriwen> Providence is super pro-child-rights, partly because the combination of "spanking is super illegal and your extended family will so report you" and "you can TRY taking away your kid's x-box for talking back but if your sister-in-law thinks your kid was speaking truth to power she can invite him over to her suite and give him candy" means that Earth-style discipline does not so much function.

<Moriwen> So your options are kind of "express disapproval, hope that your relationship with kid is good enough for them to care" or "talk to kid, explain convincingly why you want them to do a thing."

<Moriwen> You can try to, like, refuse to let your family near your kid, but (a) hard when you live in the same building, and (b) they can take that to family court, and unless the kid expresses not wanting to be around them or you can make a really good case they're subtly abusive, the judge will be Super Unsympathetic.

<Alicorn> Or you can convince extended family that consistent discipline is indispensable.

<Moriwen> Right, yeah, so if you can get the whole extended family in on it, you can manage discipline, which for most families means that you can do punishment but only in really clear-cut situations (no dessert, you hit your sister).

<Moriwen> Obviously it's possible to get an entire extended family who are just awful but it's harder, especially because Providers aren't going to be super excited to marry into that family.

<Alicorn> With regard to that: in the same way it's good to have lots of caretakers come up in your household, is it worrying if your caretaker kids move away?

<Moriwen> Yes, definitely -- like, obviously there can be explanations ("they're super noise sensitive and just could not tolerate the family size") but having it happen more than once looks really bad.

<FacelessDude> Comparable to someone changing their gender behavior just to leave the bad situation?

<Moriwen> Comparable in some ways! Maybe some kind of cross between that and "young teenager making serious attempt to run away from home," in how unusual/worrying it is.

<Moriwen> There's not mandatory schooling -- most people do homeschooling, with various family members available to tutor specific subjects, and it's not government-regulated.

<FacelessDude> Do they have any sort of centralized testing?

<Moriwen> No, except for, like, SAT-equivalents for applying to colleges/jobs. So if you want to teach your kids absolutely nothing, and your kids are fine with that, you can get away with it.

<Moriwen> But there are public schools, and it's super illegal to prevent your kid from going to them. (Few enough people use them that they can be largely individual-tutoring-based also.)

<Moriwen> So a few super poor people send their kids there, or people who just happen not to have the resources in their family for tutoring. But also, if at any point your kids decide they want an education, they can show up to school and say "I want to go here now" and someone will sit down with them and help them figure out an education plan.

<Moriwen> (And if they thinks they’re going to get in trouble for that, they can tell someone there, and that's the sort of thing that gets a serious investigation and maybe a court-ordered family therapist.)

<Moriwen> So you get a mix of different kinds of students in the public schools. Some of them go there full-time -- kids from really poor families, or from families who just weren’t giving them an education, or who just showed up one day and said "I hate my family's teaching style just teach me."

<Moriwen> But you also get teenagers showing up being like "I love my family okay but can you please teach me about evolution now" and coming every afternoon for a week to have evolution tutoring and that's it for their public schooling. Or maybe they don’t have anyone in their family who can teach them music, so they just come for one period a day to learn that.

<Moriwen> It’s not even that unusual to have a kid show up at the public school saying “I brought my work from home, the baby’s fussy and I can’t focus,” and they have quiet study rooms for just that sort of thing, and the tutors will help you if you have questions and otherwise leave you alone.

<Moriwen> Or to have a whole family of kids showing up in the morning saying “hey, our family’s getting ready to move, the whole house is in chaos with packing and no one has time to teach us, they sent us here just for the next couple of days -- we’re supposed to be learning about adding fractions and parts of speech, here’s the lesson outline they had prepped,” and the tutors will work with that.

<FacelessDude> One thought on worldbuilding is that the family setup makes exploration/settling in other continents harder. Like, not impossible, but ... I’m thinking of how being sent to the Americas and Australia was a punishment?

<Moriwen> Yes, it makes sense for there to be more of that. And, like, I'm sure you still get "entire family picks up and moves to America to escape religious oppression.” And the occasional "well, this sucks, but we're brutally poor, so the two of us are just going to have to go move out to the frontier and start a new family.”

<FacelessDude> Yeah, but it's a bigger production. And it also makes it much harder to do "send one and then they will pay for the rest to go along." Not impossible, and you still have a version of that but with provider groups. But it does not make it easier.

<Moriwen> Yeah. Still happens, but harder and less frequent.

<FacelessDude> Yeah, there’s more inertia. Possibly some people will decide to start the household before going to the new frontier too.

<Moriwen> ...ooh, actually, I bet a lot of historical settlement is less messed up in Providence! Because if you're a Provider and really want to go explore a new place, "move there, marry native, integrate into culture" starts to look really appealing.

<Moriwen> Like, historically, some of the less messed-up settlement seems to have happened when people just intermarried with the native population a bunch, and I can see a ton of that happening here.

<FacelessDude> This also leads into the other bit of worldbuilding, which is the shape of their urbanspace. I was thinking their cities are not necessarily denser, but they are definitely more sprawled? Because while "move a day’s walk away from your family" might not be the same sacrifice as moving to another continent, it's still a sacrifice.

<Alicorn> Adjoining apartments.  When new people move in, plaster over the doors to any apartments they don't want included. You can still live in skyscrapers like this, it's just a bit harder.

<Moriwen> Yeah, I think cities are probably bigger both horizontally and vertically.

<FacelessDude> Yeah, and I also think they are more likely to be interconnected by inhabited bits? Like -- they still have wilderness, but it's easier to avoid, because City B and City A have more villages in between. And there is more regular public transportation between cities, and it's safer.

<FacelessDude> I was also imagining that the inventions of new ways of transport and communication were a bigger deal. And maybe they got the concept of "video letters" earlier too? Basically things that amount to "make me feel closer to home through better communication" were more widespread.

<Moriwen> Yes, this seems right. And I imagine they're really big on public transport, yeah. There’s the population density, and the fact that it's hard to figure out how many cars you need for a household like that (if everyone wants to go different places at once maybe you need a dozen! but that's silly most of the time), and the fact that they're big on children having freedom of movement.

<FacelessDude> And also I was thinking that movie projectors became -- kinda like a typical household appliance? At least until TV was invented. And public theaters are still a thing, but one way they could be different is the possibility of "family sized" rooms or something. With nice seats, maybe also meals, because it’s like a "family night out."

<Alicorn> Like karaoke rooms but for theater.

<Moriwen> Yeah! I like that.

<FacelessDude> If people found out  about Jeandad in Providence, would he be burned at the stake?

<Moriwen> Ha. Not literally but, like, if everything came out there would probably be people agitating for him to get the death penalty.

<Moriwen> That wouldn’t actually be the case in our world. Nothing he does is even potentially a capital crime in the US. Heck, the odds are very good cps wouldn't even end up doing anything, given that they're a nice middle-upper-class family and Jean will insist very convincingly he is ~so happy~.

<Moriwen> But in Providence the lines are much brighter -- any kind of corporal punishment is go-straight-to-jail-do-not-pass-go illegal. And people in Providence take relationships with inherent power dynamics seriously. The classic cases are considered to be parent/child, teacher/student, doctor/patient, and officer/soldier; aggravated physical or sexual abuse by the person with power in any of those relationships can potentially be a capital crime.

[jon-newcomb]

Jon Newcomb Visits Austin’s Thinkery Children’s Musem

Part One of ‘Jon Newcomb Austin Reviews’ Series

Parents and kids alike love Austin's hands-on children's museum where science, innovation, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) exhibits get families finding out and chuckling. Thinkery is Austin's version of a children's museum. The environment itself challenges your mind (and some may call it a bit too crowded at times). Jon Newcomb visit Thinkery all the time and has quite a bit to review about it.

Thinkery is an effective method for kids to establish analytical skills, crucial thinking, and curiosity about the world around them. The exhibitions and programs motivate children-- along with their caregivers-- to fix imaginative obstacles, check out a range of products, and to establish brand-new ways to complete unknown jobs. Through these activities, children get the tools and confidence to grow and establish into enthusiastic, innovative, long-lasting STEAM learners and thinkers.

The Many Benefits of Thinkery

Children find out through play-- whether it's a child-led expedition of the connections between water and sound in Currents; together with an adult directing your own Stop Motion Animation Station motion picture in Innovators' Workshop, an exploration of experiences in Kitchen Lab; experimentation with motion in a Move Studio barrier course; diving into fictional worlds during Storytime; or checking out an idea with new products making your own cardboard production in a Spark Shop making activity. Play helps develop the ability to envision, perceive, factor, and issue solve while developing a foundation for a life time of learning.

Build Knowledge

Kids start to establish an understanding of STEAM concepts as infants. To support this, Thinkery offers enjoyable, engaging, high-quality STEAM experiences that cut across disciplines and set the phase for how they approach learning into adulthood. Thinkery kids check out cause and effect with electrical power and switches throughout a Scribble Bot Birthday Party, have fun with patterns manipulating colors in Light Lab, test structure and function developing a catapult in Camp, and examine the size and function of tiny structures at Micro Eye.

While all kids are born with an innate sense of interest about the world around them, they require grownups to cultivate, guide and enhance their interests in STEAM. By offering chances for caregivers and moms and dads to share in a cheerful, positive STEAM finding out experiences and to see themselves as crucial parts of their kid's early learning, it sets children up for future success.

Cultivate Curiosity

Nurturing clinical thinking is necessary for developing curious, bold and innovative long-lasting STEAM students and thinkers. Thinkery utilizes the process of query to promote clinical thinking. We "hand the reins" to kids and adults to explore what they discover curious-- which leads to asking concerns, making discoveries, and screening those discoveries in the search for brand-new understanding.

Promote Positive Adult-Child Relationships

Thinkery supports grownups in the vital work of parenting and caregiving. Adult engagement within a free-choice learning environment is multi-faceted and necessarily varied. Thinkery supplies multiple entry points for adult engagement, incorporating opportunities for grown-ups to observe - a child to produce a work of art at Paint Wall, help with-- an enhancement on a co-designed bridge at Build Landscape, and collaborate with-- creating a temporal "household portrait" in Frozen Shadows.

History of Thinkery

Austin Children's Museum was founded in 1983 by a grassroots group of teachers and parents who wanted regional kids to have more cultural and educational chances. At that time, it was a "museum without walls"-- the founder drove tabletop exhibitions around town in her station wagon and provided activities and programs in schools, parks, libraries and, yes, even shopping malls.

In 1987, they settled into their first brick-and-mortar home-- a 5,000-square-foot building on W. 5th St. For the next 10 years, they presented exhibitions, experiences and curricula for local kids and households. Throughout this time, they established exhibits that traveled to other kids's museums around the country, acquiring rather a track record.

By the mid-1990s, Austin was flourishing, and they had outgrown their home. Fortunately, the community acknowledged the significance of the organization and supported an expansion project. The outcome was the 1997 relocate to downtown Austin's warehouse district. Transferring to the 2nd St. center through a 10-year, rent-free lease was a huge action for Austin Children's Museum, however they understood when they opened the doors that Austin was growing and we 'd eventually need to expand.

In December 2013, Austin Children's Museum became Thinkery and opened at its brand-new location-- a 40,000-square-foot facility in the Mueller neighborhood. Thinkery delivers its mission through a variety of displays and programs that concentrate on science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics (STEAM). Museum activities focus on academic experiences led by personnel, so each visit is various from the last!

My Review

Today I'm excited to tell you all about our current see to Thinkery. Tess likes going to the interactive museum and I love enjoying her expand her mind in numerous ways. Whether it's through art, building with logs, designing airplanes, or pretending to run a farm-to-table dining establishment.

Area

Thinkery is located in the Mueller location, which is simply east of I-35 near Dell Children's Hospital. The entrance to Thinkery is a few steps away from Mueller Lake Park's Playground.

If you're headed there on a weekend early morning or weekday early morning after traffic wanes, you can arrive in about 25 minutes from the Four Points area. With traffic, however, it could be closer to 45 minutes.

Parking

Thinkery visitors can have up to 3 hours of parking validated in the McBee Street District Garage which is ideal across the street from (but behind) Thinkery With children in tow it can take about 5 minutes to obtain from your car, however, so strategy accordingly.

Exploring Thinkery.

Immediately kids love climbing up all over the lock ness beast at the entrance. Lake Mueller Park Playground will interest kids of any ages. It can get crowded!

When you first walk into Thinkery, you'll immediately find a huge train table, an electronic camera for taking silly images (which then get blown up on the wall-- the kids like to see themselves up there), and a giant block table.

Ongoing Exhibits

The Thinkery routinely updates their permanent displays and each is created for hands-on learning. Here are some favorites that kids will love to explore:

Currents

Currents functions hands-on water activity stations for households to explore fluid dynamics and discover the connections between water and sound. The museum offers smocks and hand dryers however load a modification of clothes or a towel in case you are worried about your kid getting too wet!

It can get crowded, however it's extremely nice that there is a confined "baby" space in the middle for parents with both older and more youthful kids. Genius! So moms and dads can wait their infant however watch on and engage with their older kid( ren) at the very same time.

Trigger Shop

Next we headed to the Spark Shop where kids can find out all about aerodynamics. You can also design your own gliders and launch them in the air in this space.

Light Lab

Light Lab allows families to investigate the impact of color, light and shadows. Visitors can draw with light, freeze shadows, and build light structures utilizing mini and magnets blocks with LEDs. On this wall, you could push on the various pressure zones to get it to alter a variety of colors.

Our Backyard

Our Backyard is an amazing outside play area that welcomes museum goers to scale the heights of an accessible, custom-made climber, or rest under the branches of our native elm tree. This is Thinkery's outdoor play area. There you will discover a separate water play area, a huge playscape (tailored towards older kids), a location where kids can construct with foam noodles, and more.

Let's Grow

Upstairs you'll discover the Let's Grow Exhibit which includes a farmer's market, a play space for more youthful kids (0-3), a reading nook, and more. Kids LOVE the farmer's market.

Repeating Events

Every Wednesday, the museum remains open late for Community Nights from 4-- 8 p.m., admission is by donation. There is likewise a Bilingual Storytime on Wednesdays beginning at 6 p.m.

For households with children ages 4 and up, Think Lab allows for expedition of intricate procedures and usage of real scientific tools. Inspect their website for the schedule.

Toddlers take control of the museum during Baby Bloomers, when the museum is open just for visitors ages 0-- 3 years and their households. Held Mondays (9 a.m.-- noon) and Saturdays (9-- 10 a.m.), the program is produced for the earliest students. Saturday Baby Bloomers activities are restricted to the second level of the museum, so other ages can still access other locations of the museum during the event.

Every Winter, The Thinkery uses Gingerbread Workshops where families utilize fresh gingerbread and sweet treats to construct gingerbread houses. Make your appointments in advance.

Plan Your Trip to Thinkery Today!

Okay, so if you can't tell, we enjoy Thinkery. My review didn't even cover half of whatever they provide. I want I could but there are still areas of the museum we have not hung out in, and as the kids age I'm sure we'll start to find even more.

Admission

General admission to Thinkery is $10 for anybody 2 years old and up. Thinkery provides wonderful subscription bundles for households and I completely suggest getting one. Although we can't make it to Thinkery as typically as we 'd like, we probably happen as soon as every two months and it's nice to not need to pay anything each time! Plus, members have numerous other advantages, consisting of early gain access to on a couple Sundays every month and a discount rate at the present shop.

[chocolate-brownies]

Being an ally to LGBTQ+ people doesn’t have to be hard or scary. If you’re feeling a bit lost on how to make your classroom a safe space for LGBTQ+ people, then you are probably starting your journey into allyship. Allyship is defined by the actions we take rather than an identity. Since actions come from awareness, expanding our knowledge is the first step.

Diversity and inclusion educator Aaron Rose says the best place to start is to, “Move from assumption to connection, really practice not assuming that you don’t have LGBTQ+ people in your classes already and practice not assuming people’s sexuality, gender identity, and pronouns upon seeing them. Leave space for people to tell you who they are.”

This shift in awareness and how we view people in our classrooms is the first and most important step to creating a welcoming and safe space. The following suggestions are from LGBTQ+ yoga teachers, practitioners, and advocates who offer ways you can begin to shift that awareness into action.

Share Your Pronouns

You can’t tell someone’s gender by looking at them anymore than you can tell by first glance if someone is an only child. The easiest way to open dialogue with your students about pronouns is to normalize the conversation. For example, begin class with, “Hi everyone, my name is Sarah, my pronouns are she/her. Today we’re going to focus on….” and continue to set the intention for class. This lets LGBTQ+ people know you acknowledge you can’t see gender and it normalizes discussion about pronouns for everyone.

Use Non-Gendered Language and Cues

Ask yourself how assumptions about gender and gender expression influence your cues. For example greeting the room with “Hi friends/folks/everyone” instead of “ladies, guys, etc” is a great way to be inclusive. Avoid statements like “the ladies/guys will love/hate this pose” and try to make cues more comprehensive. An example of a comprehensive non-gendered cue would be, “People with tight hips will find this helps relieve tension.”

Seattle-based teacher Michelle Sciarappa says that the “worst case scenario is that folks won’t notice any difference and you carry on knowing you’ve made an effort to be inclusive. Best case scenario is that folks feel comfortable and welcome in your classes.”

Establish Consent In the Classroom

There are multiple ways to engage in dialogue about consent that range from asking people before touching, flipping the palms up in child’s pose, or using consent cards. The goal here is giving people the space to advocate for themselves; empowering them to make their own choices and to not have that choice taken away from them. The acronym Planned Parenthood uses to discuss consent is FRIES. Consent should be Freely given, Reversible, Informed, Enthusiastic and Specific. Libby Nicholaou founder of Setu—an inclusive online yoga community—suggests that the method isn’t necessarily as important as your attention to it. Says Nicholaou, “Choose something that makes you more aware that there are people in the room.”

Mindful Adjustments

For many LGBTQ+ people, physical adjustments are not always welcome or helpful. Body dysmorphia, effects of HRT (Hormone Replacement Therapy), and healing from sexual/physical traumas are all points of consideration when offering physical adjustments.

Teacher Adam Barrameda advises: “Try not to gender bodies as you approach adjusting them but rather treat all bodies with the same respect.” It’s considered best practices to avoid adjustments of the chest area. Students may have had top surgery, be wearing a binder that limits thoracic movement or have body dysmorphia or trauma in that area. It’s also worthy to note that the effects of HRT are poorly understood and documented and students undergoing HRT may experience joint pain, muscle fatigue and could be prone to ligament and tendon damage.

The best way to know what a student needs is to foster opportunities for communication. In the same way that you may ask, “Please let me know if you have any injuries or are pregnant,” it’s easy to add on “are going through HRT, or don’t like assists” to your class opening.

Advocate for LGBTQ+ People

While changes in your classroom are important, what happens when you expand your awareness to the studio environment? Does your studio have private gender neutral bathrooms and changing rooms? Are there any LGBTQ+ teachers on staff and are they supported by management? Says practitioner Kiyoul Lucas Huh, “Teachers who are vocally queer/out makes the space more welcoming.” If you are a well-received and respected teacher in your community, advocating for diversity in the staff can make a big difference.

Be A Student

Every yoga teacher knows that to be a teacher is to be a perpetual student. To best serve your student base it’s important to listen to LGBTQ+ people who are advocates in the community. Be aware that not all LGBTQ+ people have the same experiences or needs. The best way to be an ally is to listen and learn from generations of LGBTQ+ people who have a wealth of knowledge and experience in creating and advocating for inclusive spaces. As you continue on the path of allyship remember to never speak for LGBTQ+ people but rather support and turn up the volume on the voices who are already speaking.

These are just a few ways that you can begin to take actions in allyship to LGBTQ+ people. The Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu mantra encourages us to ask how our thoughts, words and actions lead to the happiness and freedom of others. Ask yourself how you can broaden your awareness and education to ensure that your classroom is not exclusionary. Look at allyship as something to add to your daily yoga practice. Ask “What is something I can do today?” What small change in the way you view and interact with the world, what assumptions about gender and sexual orientation can you shed, so that you are contributing to that happiness and freedom we are all seeking?

—

Monica Pirani is a Queer Femme (she/her), writer, LGBTQ+ advocate, educator, and creative based in Brooklyn. Monica is passionate about education and fostering community. In her spare time she teaches yoga and meditation and is an avid plant person growing her collection.

1

The post 6 Ways to Be a LGBTQ+ Ally in the Studio appeared first on Wanderlust.

[cryptswahili]

What is the IOTA Academy?

It is pertinent for individual cryptocurrency projects to keep evolving. Especially when it comes to getting more developers excited about certain ecosystems, no efforts should be spared. The IOTA Foundation has recently unveiled its IOTA Academy., which is designed to accelerate the development of this ecosystem There are also three different course formats to choose from, which is rather interesting.

The IOTA Academy has Arrived

As the name somewhat suggests, the IOTA Academy will serve a very specific purpose. It is the new go-to place for aspiring developers who want to get involved in this ecosystem accordingly. Additionally, there will be numerous online training options, combined with blended training courses for those who prefer that option.  While this may seem like a developer-oriented venture first and foremost, that is not necessarily the case whatsoever.

According to the official blog post, it seems there will be a list of additional training exercises for non-coders as well. It is always pertinent for projects to attract as many people as possible, including those who do not necessarily have the coding skills required at this time. The IOTA Academy will seemingly target students, enthusiasts, and even corporate project managers. How successful this venture will be, remains to be determined.

Somewhat Controversial Pricing Structure

Unlike some of the other cryptocurrency and blockchain projects, the courses provided by IOTA Academy will not come free of charge. This particular aspect will undoubtedly get some people irritated, although the information is provided in collaboration with the IOT1 Academy. As such, the course material has its own price tag. It might not necessarily seem all that affordable to some, although those prices may come down over time.

The purchased courses come in digital form and can be accessed through a dedicated Multi Device Learning App. This application works on desktop and mobile, allowing enthusiasts to access the material whenever they want and through any device. A rather interesting approach, although it is evident the IOTA Foundation is dedicated to making this new venture a long-term success.

Different Course Formats

To make this project more appealing, the IOTA Academy will offer three types of course formats. The main option is digital-only, with content being made accessible through the app only. It is a six-week online training course, but one that won’t allow participants to contact anyone for help. This seems to cater more toward experienced developers. For those who want to contact trainers, the Blended training option might be worth exploring. It also offers challenges and practical tasks to make the course a lot more interactive.

Last but not least, there is a Blended Seminar option. It includes the same as Blended training, but also offers on-site seminars in Berlin through a three-day course. This option is also available to international users, as the necessary arrangements can be made in the process. All of the participants will receive a certificate of attendance, which will be visible on the Tangle.  Students can also get officially IOTA Developer certified if they choose to explore that option.

Disclaimer: This is not trading or investment advice. The above article is for entertainment and education purposes only. Please do your own research before purchasing or investing into any cryptocurrency.

Image(s): Shutterstock.com

The post What is the IOTA Academy? appeared first on NullTX.

[Telegram Channel | Original Article ]

[cryptobrief]

It is pertinent for individual cryptocurrency projects to keep evolving. Especially when it comes to getting more developers excited about certain ecosystems, no efforts should be spared. The IOTA Foundation has recently unveiled its IOTA Academy., which is designed to accelerate the development of this ecosystem There are also three different course formats to choose from, which is rather interesting.

The IOTA Academy has Arrived

As the name somewhat suggests, the IOTA Academy will serve a very specific purpose. It is the new go-to place for aspiring developers who want to get involved in this ecosystem accordingly. Additionally, there will be numerous online training options, combined with blended training courses for those who prefer that option.  While this may seem like a developer-oriented venture first and foremost, that is not necessarily the case whatsoever.

According to the official blog post, it seems there will be a list of additional training exercises for non-coders as well. It is always pertinent for projects to attract as many people as possible, including those who do not necessarily have the coding skills required at this time. The IOTA Academy will seemingly target students, enthusiasts, and even corporate project managers. How successful this venture will be, remains to be determined.

Somewhat Controversial Pricing Structure

Unlike some of the other cryptocurrency and blockchain projects, the courses provided by IOTA Academy will not come free of charge. This particular aspect will undoubtedly get some people irritated, although the information is provided in collaboration with the IOT1 Academy. As such, the course material has its own price tag. It might not necessarily seem all that affordable to some, although those prices may come down over time.

The purchased courses come in digital form and can be accessed through a dedicated Multi Device Learning App. This application works on desktop and mobile, allowing enthusiasts to access the material whenever they want and through any device. A rather interesting approach, although it is evident the IOTA Foundation is dedicated to making this new venture a long-term success.

Different Course Formats

To make this project more appealing, the IOTA Academy will offer three types of course formats. The main option is digital-only, with content being made accessible through the app only. It is a six-week online training course, but one that won’t allow participants to contact anyone for help. This seems to cater more toward experienced developers. For those who want to contact trainers, the Blended training option might be worth exploring. It also offers challenges and practical tasks to make the course a lot more interactive.

Last but not least, there is a Blended Seminar option. It includes the same as Blended training, but also offers on-site seminars in Berlin through a three-day course. This option is also available to international users, as the necessary arrangements can be made in the process. All of the participants will receive a certificate of attendance, which will be visible on the Tangle.  Students can also get officially IOTA Developer certified if they choose to explore that option.

Disclaimer: This is not trading or investment advice. The above article is for entertainment and education purposes only. Please do your own research before purchasing or investing into any cryptocurrency.

Image(s): Shutterstock.com

The post What is the IOTA Academy? appeared first on NullTX.

[shirlleycoyle]

Long Lost ‘Zork’ Source Code Uploaded to GitHub, But Few People Understand It

In 1977, four members of MIT’s Laboratory for Computer Science Dynamic Modeling System started writing a seminal work of interactive fiction. Published later in three parts by Infocom, Zork (along with Zork II and Zork III) is one of the earliest text adventure games, and the start of Infocom’s legacy in interactive fiction. The games told stories using a choose-your-own-adventure style. You reach the end of a hallway. Which way do you choose? The player types their answer to continue the story. But beyond simple commands, Infocom’s games were able to understand more complex sentences, which gave it a depth other games of the era didn’t have.

Infocom was eventually bought out by Activision in 1986, but was quickly shut down a few years later. There are more modern collections of Infocom games available, keeping the spirit of Zork alive, but the source code, which could teach us how Infocom managed to create such a sophisticated game at the time, had been deemed lost. That is, until this week, when internet archivist Jason Scott uploaded a collection of all Infocom text adventures and interactive fiction games’ source codes to GitHub, including the Zork games and Infocom’s video game adaptation of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

“They are the source coded and formulas to make some of the best-selling computer games of the 1980s,” Scott told Motherboard. “Infocom games were always in the top 10 for years, and well-regarded at the time.”

But while source code is historically significant, few people will understand how it actually works.

All of Infocom’s games were created using the Zork Implementation Language (ZIL), which is based on another old programming language called MIT Design Language (MDL), which itself was based on a the programming language Lisp.

“[ZIL] is written to create adventure games in an environment people haven’t used commercially in over 25 years,” Scott said. “And even then, it was about 15 people.”

Most people will probably parse through the code at a surface level, with “a passing interest in seeing how the adventure games they played as kids were defined by this code,” Scott added. But for a niche group of programmers, it’s a collection of information that’ll propel their research forward. The “ZIL – Zork Implementation Language” Facebook group, created two years ago by ZIL enthusiasts Jesse McGrew and Adam Sommerfield, has been teaching and supporting the language, but has struggled to find original ZIL source code to use as a reference. Sommerfield told Motherboard that for the ZIL and text adventure communities, the source code files are a huge discovery for enthusiasts.

“Aside from the historical value in being finally able to look at the code, understand the thought process, [and] maybe even get a glimpse into the minds of the Imps—Infocom Implementers—you have the fact that resources and reference material for learning ZIL has received a massive shot in the arm,” Sommerfield said.

Infocom developer and one of the MIT students who created Zork Dave Lebling is part of the Facebook group, too, Sommerfield said, and sometimes “provides guidance” to users. Steven Meretzky, another Infocom developer, has also reached out in support, thanking the group for “keeping the [ZIL] torch lit.”

Using a compiler created by McGrew, the ZIL Facebook group is now testing the code—and it’s working. One user has got all three Zork games to compile. This leaves things open for ZIL enthusiasts to tinker with the code and test it in-real time, packing on additions and modding existing games. But the licenses here are tricky; Scott noted that these were given to him anonymously and “not considered to be under an open license,” he wrote in the repository notes. That’s because Activision owns the IP.

Scott had previously uploaded “a collection of digitized scans from a large cache of documents” in 2015 related to Infocom, “The Infocom Cabinet.” It’s got notes, journal entries, and forms collected by Meretzky. In 2017, Scott published Infocom: The Documentary on YouTube. But the preservation of the source code is key in documenting the historical importance of these games. “Ten years ago I was handed the image of a development hard drive for Infocom,” Scott said. “It was thought this was all lost, but obviously, it wasn’t.”

Scott wrote in the GitHub documents that the files “represent a snapshot of the Infocom development system at time of shutdown,” but that there’s no way to compare the files available to the official games, which means the source code files are “canonical, but not necessarily the exact source code arrangement for production.”

“This collection is meant for education, discussion, and historical work, allowing researchers and students to study how code was made for these interactive fiction games and how the system dealt with input and processing,” Scott wrote.

But for those only interested in browsing the source files, there’s stuff in there for you, too. Scott told Motherboard that Infocom enthusiasts will enjoy peeking at the in-jokes typed into the code—”Game over is listed as JIGS-UP,” Scott mentioned—and to relive each game’s puzzles and variables, parsing the built-in secrets of their designs.

Long Lost ‘Zork’ Source Code Uploaded to GitHub, But Few People Understand It syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

[zipgrowth]

‘Prohibition Will Get You Nowhere’: Writer and Activist Cory Doctorow’s Message to Schools and Educators

It’s not unheard of for an instructor to tee up a YouTube video for a lesson, only to have the content blocked by the school or district’s censorware. And while administrators might have good intentions when they decide to use censorware, censorship is often only effective for those who play by the rules.

It’s one reason why writer and activist Cory Doctorow thinks schools and educators should rethink their approach to surveillance and censorship. In science fiction novels like “Little Brother,” he has explored the implications of mass surveillance, and on the popular blog Boing Boing, he has written on topics such as net neutrality, open access and user privacy.

EdSurge recently sat down with Doctorow in San Jose, Calif. at Worldcon, a science fiction convention, to get his take on everything from surveillance in K-12 schools to open access publishing in higher education.

To listen, you can subscribe to the EdSurge On Air podcast on your favorite podcast app (like iTunes or Stitcher). Or, you can read highlights from the conversation below, which have been edited and condensed for clarity.

EdSurge: Schools today expose students to technology in a variety of ways, be it through Minecraft or an iPad. Do you think that the way schools are exposing kids to tech is helping them be creative, or are those ways too stifling?

Doctorow: The promise of technology is its ability to provide individualized interactions for the people who use it, and education is clearly not a one-size-fits-all activity. One of the crises of education, especially tech education, is that we try to walk this line between the things that we are afraid of kids doing, and the things that we hope they’ll do. And it requires, or it results, at least, in a high degree of control.

So, I don't know that I have any great answers about creativity. When I think about electronic media and pedagogy, though, the thing that I worry about is how our systems of protecting kids from the real dangers of the internet revolve around surveillance. And [schools] normalize surveillance, so [students] are necessarily incompatible with any kind of self-help measures to understand surveillance and to eliminate or moderate the amount of surveillance [they’re] under.

So, if you are a student whose school is completely reliant on surveillance tools to stop you from seeing genitals or whatever it is they're worried about, then anything you do to learn about how that system works and how to stop it ends running against the school's own core defense mechanism.

We really do need kids to understand and be literate about surveillance. We're in this great global conversation about social media and what Shoshana Zuboff calls "surveillance capitalism," and kids are perfectly capable of understanding that stuff. If there's anyone who understands what it means to be manipulated by people who think they have your best interest at heart, it's kids. And I think we need to re-think the whole program because it can't be grounded in surveillance if we are also going to produce good citizens who understand and resist surveillance.

There's an argument being made these days that there's a need for more surveillance in schools. Where do you stand on that issue? How much surveillance do you think is appropriate?

The reason the debate is hard is because we are talking about short-term instrumental goals and long-term strategic goals. So, obviously, a school's purpose is to produce well-rounded, self-actualizing, self-starting, full-fledged citizens who are capable of participating in a democracy, and being in the workplace, and having good interpersonal relations.

If you took another domain like interpersonal relations, you could say, "Well, bullying is a problem." Bullying is a problem. The problem of bullying could be prevented by just not letting kids talk to each other. That would be a short-term instrumental goal that would absolutely take a real bite out of bullying, but we can understand immediately why it's not a good one.

And so, normalizing surveillance for kids on the one hand ill-equips them to be literate about surveillance in the world. But on the other hand, it means that a lot of the things that we hope that they'll learn to moderate on their own instead gets moderated by extrinsic motivations. Instead of having good interrelations with other people because good interrelations are fulfilling and produce good outcomes, your good interrelations exist as a formal exercise that you engage in for fear of reprisals.

Whenever we talk about education, we struggle with intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. We want intrinsically motivated students, but extrinsic motivation is powerful. It's quick, and it achieves instrumental goals.

So, at a certain point, we say, "Well, we don't care if the reason you're not bullying the kid next to you is because you've realized that bullying is wrong, or you're afraid of being punished for bullying; what we care about is that the kid next to you isn't bullied.” And that is a totally legitimate argument, but it also produces someone who, as soon as the fear of reprisal goes away, may return to bullying.

If we are going to use surveillance of kids to achieve some instrumental goal, it has to be as a wedge to open a space in which we can teach kids to achieve the same goal without that extrinsic threat of retaliation.

You’ve written a lot on the issue of net neutrality, which was recently reversed. How do you think that reversal is going to affect higher education institutions?

It affects higher education institutions as a subset of the way it affects all of our lives because, of course, the internet is like the nervous system that binds together everything we do in the 21st century. Everything we do now involves it and everything we'll do shortly from now will require it.

Allowing cable operators and phone companies to act as gatekeepers means that all the things that we rely on pluralism or competition to promote, are endangered. It's not like they'll be killed, but they'll be harmed, and there's a kind of spiral where the rich will get richer, and the poor will get poorer. The people with a lot of eyeballs will get more eyeballs, and the people with fewer eyeballs will have a harder time getting a foothold on an eyeball. I guess that's kind of a weird metaphor.

I think [reversing net neutrality] is catastrophic for all human endeavor. But I also think it's a mistake to think of net neutrality as being won or lost.

Do you think that higher-ed institutions will be at the forefront of that struggle?

Well, they have been. You have things like WiscNet in Wisconsin, where there are statewide fiber networks—really, really good next generation networking—being done through a combination of an academic project and a kind of self-help measure because Wisconsin is very rural. You have these state institutions that are really spread out. I think that there are lots of educational institutions that are de facto [internet service providers].

I wanted to ask you about OERs. It seems like open educational resources are something that people always think are about to take off, but they never really do take off. Why do you think that is? Why do you think they haven't had their lasting moment?

Well, I think that they have [taken off] in the sense that the fight is over about Wikipedia. Any educator who says, "Don't use Wikipedia," instead of teaching their students how to use Wikipedia is an idiot. You're just doing it wrong at that point because even if you hate Wikipedia, your attitude should be harm reduction—because prohibition will get you nowhere.

In terms of open access [journals] like [Public Library of Science]… they're leading edge. Nobody anymore says, "Oh, a PLOS isn't a real journal." They may say, "Well, in my discipline, I am much more likely to get tenure if I'm publishing in a, you know, Springer Journal." But nobody is like, "I'm going to look down at you because you're in PLOS ONE." Being in PLOS ONE is a big deal.

I think the short-run of open access has been less successful than its most enthusiastic boosters would have hoped. But its long-term trajectory is really obvious because we have such a broadly-indexed set of [articles at the pre-publication stages].

What else should our audience know about the work you’re doing?

I always meet students. When I go and do young adult tours, and I go to secondary schools, I meet students who've read Little Brother, and they're like, "How do I hack my school's censorware?"

I always say, ‘Don't do that,’ because if you do that, you could get expelled. Or you could even be charged criminally under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. It's really risky…. What you need to do is do ethnography. Go and ask your fellow students and teachers about over-blocking and under-blocking. And then, ask them about their circumvention methods because the other thing we know is that these tools don't work. They only block people who are playing by the rules, but it's not hard to defect from playing by the rules. So, document the ways in which these are inadequate to the purpose that they're set for.

Then, learn how to use the Freedom of Information Act to find out how much your school board has paid for this censorware. Then, learn how to use stock market filings to figure out who is behind your censorware because they're the dirtiest companies in the world—their primary customers are not corporate America, and they're not schools; their primary customers are repressive regimes in the Middle East, and Asia and sometimes in autocratic African states. And they repackage stuff that's used by dictators to spy on their population to help corporate America and educational institutions spy on their stakeholders, their users. So, find out who the war criminals are who get to see all of your data, who get to offshore every click you make.

And then present it. Present it at the PTA. Present it at the board meeting. Call up local journalists and say, 'Do you know how much my school district paid out of your tax dollars to buy inadequate software from war criminals that everyone knows how to get around, and interferes actively with our education, while letting us see eye-watering pornography that none of us want to see?’

And that, I think, is an exercise that teaches real media literacy and also has a chance of affecting change. Even if it never affects any change, those kids will leave the school understanding how to think in the round, holistically about the economic, technical, social and market forces that surround the technologies they use.

‘Prohibition Will Get You Nowhere’: Writer and Activist Cory Doctorow’s Message to Schools and Educators published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness