Please do a bad job of putting your courses online

It’s not only a very interesting time for the world at large, it’s also quite an interesting time in the online learning world. So many educators are being asked to suddenly transition to the format, often with little or not preparation. My son even met an elementary school teacher who is suddenly trying to figure out how to give art lessons to 6-year-olds virtually.

As somebody who makes most of her living from developing online learning I struggle frequently with questions about its strengths and limitations. “Please do a bad job of putting your courses online” by Rebecca Barrett-Fox encourages teachers to be mindful about the needs and priorities of their students, and also the amount of time it would take to design a quality online course.

DVDs Not Dead Yet

Article about A-list fiction films, but the point is that DVDs are still very much alive.

I've finally been reading through emails from a listserv I subscribed to for media librarians, and am seeing that a lot of them still want the physical media. Reasons include the fact that some professors find the DVDs look and sound better, the DVDs often include public performance rights, many films are still only available this way, and they don't have to worry about limited time frames for the rights. However, a number of them are having to fight with bureaucrats who covet the space in the library, and/or think that everything is better online.

Empathy Is Taught To Students Ages 6 To 16 In Denmark Schools

Just sharing a short article on the priorities of schools in Denmark.

Since 1993, the Denmark education system has included mandatory classes teaching empathy to their students, and one hour each week, during “Klassens tid,” students aged six to 16 years old are taught empathy lessons.

From an evolutionary standpoint, empathy is a valuable impulse that helps humans survive in groups. The empathy lessons are believed to help them strengthen their relationships, succeed in work, and prevent bullying.

I’ve never had a job where I had to apply test-taking skills. Even those who need to occasionally take tests to maintain certifications or obtain credentials need a lot more than a knowledge of test-taking strategies to be successful and productive at their jobs. It breaks my heart how focused we Americans are on teaching kids to take tests these days, when it won’t serve them, or our country, very well in the future.