EdTechSR Ep 187 – Embrace CloudReady in Our Pandemic

Welcome to episode 187 (“Embrace CloudReady in Our Pandemic”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 12, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Russia’s announcement to skip phases 2 and 3 in rushed vaccine trial, Chromebook and device shipment delays for schools and individuals, and the wonders of Neverware’s CloudReady software for running ChromeOS on older Intel-based computer hardware. Microsoft’s new Surface Duo laptop, changes to Google Play Music, and screentime for kids (and adults) during the pandemic were also discussed. Additional topics included the limits of home connectivity bandwidth, the importance of “filtering the exoflood” of polluted information around us, and recent government initiated interruptions in Internet connectivity and social media platform access in Belarus following a contested election. Tips for upgrading a 2020 iMac, a recent webinar on “Know Your Power: Know Your Rights” (shared by Peggy George,) and Charter Telecom’s push for residential Internet data caps with the FCC were also highlighted. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Shownotes

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org – Media Literacy resources: medialiteracy.wesfryer.com
  8. Russia skips COVID-19 vaccine trial, says millions to be vaccinated this month (ArsTechnica, 11 Aug 2020)
  9. From the Editor’s Desk: Navigating the Chromebook crunch of 2020 (Android Central, 9 Aug 2020)
  10. Neverware CloudReady for Education (Run ChromiumOS on your older Intel-based computer hardware)
  11. HomeEdition (free) Neverware CloudReady
  12. Getting started with Minecraft: Education Edition on the Chromebook (Microsoft Minecraft Blog, 12 Aug 2020)
  13. Microsoft’s dual-screen Surface Duo arrives September 10 for $1,399 (TechCrunch, 12 Aug 2020)
  14. Google says it’s working hard to address YouTube Music complaints (ArsTechnica, 11 Aug 2020)
  15. I Was a Screen–Time Expert. Then the Coronavirus Happened. (New York Times, Anya Kamenetz @anya1anya, 27 July 2020)
  16. Book: The Art of Screen Time: How Your Family Can Balance Digital Media and Real Life Kindle Edition by Anya Kamenetz
  17. What happens when you reach your limit online (The Verge, 28 July 2020)
  18. Filtering the Exoflood: Strategies for Media and Information Literacy (Workshop resources from Wes Fryer)
  19. Belarus Is Trying to Block Parts of the Internet Amid Historic Protests (Vice, 10 Aug 2020)
  20. Internet disruption hits Belarus on election day (NetBlocks: Mapping Internet Freedom, 9 August 2020)
  21. How to upgrade iMac (2020) RAM and save up to $2000 in the process (9to5Mac, 9 Aug 2020)
  22. Link from @pgeorge: “Know Your Power: Know Your Rights” (presentation slides) by Robert Bare for Long Beach Public Media (Facebook video archive)
  23. Charter tries to convince FCC that broadband customers want data caps (ArsTechnica, 11 Aug 2020)
  24. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Make the 2013 Google Pixel New Again (via iFixIt)
  25. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Loom Desktop App OverviewProfessor Fleming’s Course iMovie TrailerGoogle Docs Cheat Sheet by @ShakeUpLearningHarris County Library Ad

EdTechSR Ep 182 – Awash in Digital News

Welcome to episode 182 (“Awash in Digital News”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 1, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed our need for media literacy and information filtering strategies, and our ongoing “technology correction” reflected in advertiser protest pressure on Facebook for content moderation. The exciting announcement by Microsoft to offer a public beta of Minecraft Education Edition on Chromebooks, significant announcements by Apple at WWDC 2020 last week, Google’s privacy changes for new users, and potential dangers of CRISPR human genome editing were other topics addressed in the show. Wes’ Geeks of the Week included a support article about providing handwritten feedback on Google Docs via an iPad and Google Classroom, Google Meet tips and tricks, and Kast (a software program for watching web videos together). Jason’s Geek of the Week was a new “undelete” utility for Windows10 users. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org – Media Literacy resources: medialiteracy.wesfryer.com
  8. Our Ability to Process Information Is Reaching a Critical Limit (One Zero; 28 June 2020)
  9. You Are Here: A Field Guide for Navigating Polarized Speech, Conspiracy Theories, and Our Polluted Media Landscape by Whitney Phillips (@wphillips49) and Ryan M. Milner (@rmmilner) – free online book – fantastic perspectives on media literacy
  10. Summer Institute on Digital Literacy by @MedEduLab
  11. Journalists believe news and opinion are separate, but readers can’t tell the difference (The Conversation; 22 June 2020)
  12. Facebook Groups Are Destroying America (Wired, 17 June 2020)
  13. YouTube bans Stefan Molyneux, David Duke, Richard Spencer, and more for hate speech (Verge, 29 June 2020)
  14. The Making of a YouTube Radical (NY Times, Kevin Roose, 8 June 2019) – also see the “Rabbit Hole” Podcast
  15. Advertisers are running from Facebook. What’s next? (Engadget, 30 June 2020)
  16. Join the Minecraft: Education Edition Chromebook Beta (Minecraft EE, 29 June 2020)
  17. Apple will let you port Google Chrome extensions to Safari (TechCrunch, 25 June 2020)
  18. Marques Brownlee’s Video: WWDC 2020 Impressions: Widgets and The Great Transition! (22 June 2020)
  19. Google just announced it will automatically delete your location history by default (Verge, 24 June 2020)
  20. Google Will Delete Your Data by Default—in 18 Months (Wired, 24 June 2020)
  21. CRISPR gene editing in human embryos wreaks chromosomal mayhem (Nature 25 June 2020)
  22. Help Students Fight Misinformation One Click at a Time (KQED Education, 30 June 2020)
  23. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Google Classroom – Draw or  Annotate on Student Work and Google Meet Tips and Tricks (Carrie Lopez, MSON Conference) and Kast (share videos live)
  24. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Windows New Undelete File Utility

EdTech Situation Room Episode 162

Welcome to episode 162 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 15, 2020, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Microsoft’s new Edge Chromium web browser, Instagram’s new policy to hide ‘faked’ images, ‘Techlash” against the big tech companies on college campuses, and new research about blue light and sleep with our digital screens. More U.S. states mandating media literacy education, the arrival of WiFi 6 at last, the NSA’s laudable decision to share a zero day exploit with Microsoft, and an update on recent drone formation sightings at night in eastern Colorado were also highlighted topics. On the security front, terrible password advice from the South China Morning Post and an update emergency for FireFox highlighted by U.S. Homeland Security officials were discussed. Boeing employees provided a good case study and reminder for us all about email retention with recently revealed “FAA mocking” messages, SpaceX as the world’s top satellite operator, and a recent critical article in Oklahoma City news about the Norman Public Schools’ laptop initiative rounded out the show. Geeks of the Week included Luke Miani’s YouTube Channel (amazing hacks and repurposing of older MacOS and iOS devices), Twinkly, and the “No Dumb Questions” podcast episode 72 on “How Did Humans Find Hawaii?” Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.orgWes’ Media and Digital Literacy Curriculum / Classroom Website
  8. Microsoft’s new Edge Chromium browser launches on Windows and macOS (The Verge; 15 January 2020)
  9. Instagram is hiding faked images, and it could hurt digital artists (The Verge; 15 January 2020)
  10. ‘Techlash’ Hits College Campuses (New York Times; 11 January 2020)
  11. Forget What You Think You Know About Blue Light and Sleep (Time; 10 January 2020)
  12. More States Say They’re Teaching Media Literacy, But What That Means Varies (Education Week, 8 Jan 2020)
  13. Wi-Fi 6 is finally here (The Verge; 11 January 2020)
  14. The NSA Could’ve Used This Major Windows Security Flaw for Intel Work. Instead, It Told Microsoft About it (Time; 14 January 2020)
  15. Theories Persist About Mystery Drones Seen in Rural Region (AP via Snopes, 15 Jan 2020)
  16. Terrible Password Security Advice: How to protect your smart home devices from hackers: smart speakers, robotic vacuums, video doorbells – all are vulnerable (South China Morning Post, 14 Jan 2020)
  17. The U.S. Government Says You Need to Update Firefox Right Now (Digital Trends, 10 Jan 2020)
  18. Boeing Employees Mocked FAA Privately In Emails Before 737 Max Disasters (NPR, 10 Jan 2020) – Good email retention case study and reminder
  19. SpaceX is now the world’s largest satellite operator (ArsTechnica, 6 January 2020)
  20. ‘They want them gone’: Norman parents complain of school devices (The Oklahoman, 14 Jan 2020)
  21. Thoughts on Content Filtering, Parent Education, and School Laptop Initiatives (Wes Fryer, 14 Jan 2020)
  22. Most U.S. teens who use cellphones do it to pass time, connect with others, learn new things (PEW Research, Aug 2019)
  23. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Luke Miani YouTube Channel
  24. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Twinkly and How Did Humans Find Hawaii? – No Dumb Questions Podcast Episode 72 (@nodumbqs) – reddit discussion thread)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 142

Welcome to episode 142 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 24, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed why data privacy is complicated, the FTC’s $5 billion fine of Facebook, the limitations of SMS for 2 factor authentication (2FA) / multi-factor authentication (MFA), and exciting recent Apollo 11 50 year anniversary moon landing media coverage. Updates to Google’s smartwatch software (WearOS) as well as ChromeOS, Apple’s expected announcement of its new $3000 MacBook portable, the return of MDM-powered parental control apps like MyPact to the iOS App Store, and Apple’s pleas to avoid 25% tariffs on Chinese manufactured electronic components were also highlighted. The increasingly fractured landscape of podcasting (sadly coming to a walled garden paid app near you,) the prospect of “Peak Podcast” time, and Jason’s recent experiences with the wild world of urban electric scooters (where “the repo man” now thrives) were discussed with a remarkable tone of clarity laced with humor. Geeks of the Week included the DarkNet Diaries podcast (@darknetdiaries) and the “Timeline” tool from the Knight Foundation. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. Why You Can’t Just Ask Social Media To Forget You (Mind Matters, 1 July 2019)
  9. F.T.C. Approves Facebook Fine of About $5 Billion (New York Times; 12 July 2019)
  10. Judge allows suit against AT&T after $24 million cryptocurrency theft (ArsTechnica, 23 July 2019)
  11. MOON LANDING: Apollo 11 Had a Hidden Hero: Software (Wall Street Journal; 14 July 2019)
  12. Wear OS in 2019: Here’s where it is, and where it needs to be [Video] (9 to 5 Google; 23 July 2019)
  13. This Latest Addition Makes Virtual Desks In Chrome OS 76 My Favorite New Feature (Chrome Unboxed, 21 July 2019)
  14. LTE Chromebooks Could Soon Be Far More Common (Chrome Unboxed, 24 July 2019)
  15. 16-inch MacBook Pro rumored to launch in October with ~$3000 starting price (9 to 5 Mac; 23 July 2019)
  16. OurPact returns to App Store, reviving debates about Apple’s impartiality (ArsTechnica, 12 July 2019)
  17. Apple asks Trump administration to exclude Mac Pro parts from tariffs (ArsTechnica, 23 July 2019)
  18. How podcasts grew into a multimillion-dollar industry (The Verge; 19 July 2019)
  19. Have We Hit Peak Podcast? (New York Times; 18 July 2019)
  20. Apple Plans to Bankroll Original Podcasts to Fend Off Rivals (Bloomberg; 16 July 2019)
  21. They Said You Could Leave Electric Scooters Anywhere — Then The Repo Men Struck Back (The Verge; 24 July 2019)
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: DarkNet Diaries podcast (@darknetdiaries)
  23. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Timeline by Knight Lab (@knightfdn) (Example: Fryer Family Media Timeline)
Fryer Family Media Timeline

EdTech Situation Room Episode 137

Welcome to episode 137 of the EdTech Situation Room from June 6, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was out on assignment, so Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) welcomed special guest Dave Quinn (@EduQuinn) to break down some of the technology headlines from recent weeks. Topics addressed included YouTube’s important policy change regarding censorship of hate speech, the “SIFT Approach” (Stop, Investigate, Find, Trace) for media literacy by Mike Caufield, and Mike’s recent post on the “Curation/Search Radicalization Spiral.” The 30 year anniversary of Tiananmen Square, Tiananmen’s “Tank Man” image (perhaps the most heavily censored photo on our planet today), and a few updates from Apple’s WWDC 2019 conference this week were also highlighted. Geeks of the Week included Doug Belshaw’s (@dajbelshaw) “Thought Shrapnel” website, a good spirited video by Boeing about AirBus, a new Google report on emerging education trends, and the free K-2 reading / eBook site Rivet. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Dave Quinn (@EduQuinn) – The Inspired Learning Project
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. YouTube bans neo-Nazi and Holocaust-denial videos in push against hate speech (ArsTechnica, 5 June 2019)
  9. Caulfield SIFT Approach
  10. Caulfield Curation / Search Radicalization Spiral
  11. Tiananmen Square: The moment a student leader returns for the first time (BBC, 4 June 2019)
  12. Tiananmen’s tank man: The image that China forgot (BBC, 3 June 2019)
  13. Apple’s new iPadOS includes mouse support for iPads (Verge, 3 June 2019)
  14. With antitrust investigations looming, Apple reverses course on bans of parental control apps (TechCrunch, 4 June 2019)
  15. Microsoft demos Minecraft Earth at Apple’s WWDC event (Verge, 3 June 2019)
  16. Dave’s Geek of the Week: Doug Belshaw’s Thought Shrapnel
  17. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: VIDEO by Boeing: Airbus, We’re Glad You’re Here (via @smartereveryday), 8 emerging trends for K-12 Education from Google and Rivet (@rivet_app over 2000 leveled free books for K-2 students)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 136

Welcome to episode 136 of the EdTech Situation Room from May 29, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed school cybersecurity, a shocking iPhone security vulnerability for WhatsApp, NASA’s free media library, and copyright issues in Houston ISD as well as for YouTube Creators. Distorted political videos about Nancy Pelosi, Google’s disappointing move to disable ‘modern browser ad blocking extensions,’ and the new iPod Touch from Apple were also discussed. The availability of “Adobe Premiere Rush” for Android, Chromebook support expiration dates, and projected price increases for cheap Chromebooks were topics rounding out the show. Geeks of the Week included a Google Home podcast mystery, the killer robot documentary, “Slaughterbots,” and the “Against the Rules” podcast, from Michael Lewis. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Shownotes

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. School fights fear as part of defense against network intrusions (Oklahoma City Free Press, 29 May 2019)
  9. WhatsApp Rushes to Fix Security Flaw Exposed in Hacking of Lawyer’s Phone (NYTimes, 13 May 2019)
  10. Auction for a laptop full of malware closes at $1.2 million (Engadget, 27 May 2019)
  11. NASA Makes Their Entire Media Library Publicly Accessible And Copyright Free (DIY Photography, 20 April 2019)
  12. Federal jury: HISD staff repeatedly violated copyright laws, owe company $9.2M (Houston Chronicle, 24 May 2019)
  13. Houston Got Sued And Now You’re Freaking… (Heather Lister, 28 May 2019)
  14. Youtubers And Record Labels Are Fighting, And Record Labels Keep Winning (The Verge; 24 May 2019)
  15. Distorted Nancy Pelosi videos show platforms aren’t ready to fight dirty campaign tricks (The Verge; 24 May 2019)
  16. Google to restrict modern ad blocking Chrome extensions to enterprise users (9 5o 5 Google; 29 May 2019)
  17. New iPod touch delivers even greater performance (Apple.com; 28 May 2019)
  18. Apple releases new iPod touch featuring A10 Fusion chip, 256 GB storage option (9to5 Mac, 28 May 2019)
  19. Buying A New Chromebook? Don’t Forget To Check The Expiration Date (Chrome Unboxed, 28 May 2019)
  20. Adobe Premiere Rush Lands On Android Today, Chromebooks Support Coming Soon (Chrome Unboxed; 21 May 2019)
  21. Why Prices Of Google’s Cheap Chromebooks Will Rise In The Long Term (Forbes; 19 May 2019)
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: “Against the Rules” podcast, from Michael Lewis
  23. Wes’ Geek of the Week: VIDEO: Slaughterbots (8 min, Nov 2017) via “Controlling Killer Robots” (Episode 30 of “What’s New Podcast” @podcastwhatsnew @dancohen interviewing @DeniseGarcia100)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 120

Welcome to episode 120 of the EdTech Situation Room from January 3, 2019, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed 2018 “Tech Report Cards” from the Verge on Apple, Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Microsoft. The proliferation of bots and fake content online, and the challenges this presents for online media metrics as well as media literacy, was highlighted. The release of thousands of works into the public domain in the United States, thanks to the non-renewal of the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, and an instance of ground-breaking brain surgery rounded out topics for the show. Geeks of the week included an article sharing tips for getting the most out of your Amazon Kindle eReader, and the open source software Burn for MacOS. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links.

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. The Verge 2018 Tech Report Cards: AppleGoogleFacebookAmazonMicrosoft
  9. iPhone XR Sales Crash Increases Apple’s Neverending Nightmare (Forbes, 17 Dec 2018)
  10. Apple says cheap battery replacements hurt iPhone sales (The Verge, 2 January 2019)
  11. Five Ways to Look at Apple’s Surprise Bad News (The Atlantic, 2 Jan 2019)
  12. iOS 2022 (Robert Scoble, 10 Nov 2018)
  13. Why parents and students are protesting an online learning program backed by Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook (Washington Post, 20 Dec 2018)
  14. The year in tech: Facebook, Facebook, Facebook (Columbia Journalism Review, 27 Dec 2018)
  15. Amazon Is Paying People $20 an Hour to Deliver Packages Using Their Own Cars — and the Competition Is Cutthroat (Time, 17 Dec 2018)
  16. How Much of the Internet Is Fake? Turns Out, a Lot of It, Actually. (NY Magazine, 26 Dec 2018)
  17. Mickey Mouse and Batman will soon be public domain—here’s what that means (ArsTechnica, 1 Jan 2019)
  18. Public Domain Day advent calendar #14: Tarzan and the Golden Lion by Edgar Rice Burroughs (John Mark Ockerbloom, 14 Dec 2018)
  19. How to Download the Books That Just Entered the Public Domain (Motherboard, 2 Jan 2018)
  20. Guitarist Has Brain Surgery, and Strums All the Way Through (NYTimes, 21 Dec 2018)
  21. Jason’s Geek of the Week: New Kindle?  Use it to the max!
  22. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Burn (open source DVD burning software for MacOS)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 114

Welcome to episode 114 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 14, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the past week’s technology news through an educational lens. Topics for the show included college students at UC Berkeley developing browser extensions to identify political bot accounts on social media, prospects for liberal democracy portrayed in PBS Frontline’s recent series “The Facebook Dilemma,” and issues of both trust and due process involving Facebook, content takedowns and smart assistants like Alexa and Google Home. Microsoft’s problems with recent Windows10 updates and its new crowdsourced feedback process for updates, and new research on the value of doodling for learning and retention were also discussed with a shout out to Sylvia Duckworth’s (@sylviaduckworth) new book on sketchnoting. The “Shift Happens” video series 10 years later, problems with drone videos and wildlife harassment, Google’s pleas to content creators to help oppose new copyright legislation in Europe, and a Mozilla report identifying the “creepiest” tech gifts this holiday season from a privacy / surveillance standpoint rounded out the show. Geeks of the week included FFWorks / FFMpeg for video encoding, Thankful Bot from the Noun Project, a funny U.S. election meme on Twitter, and the virtual keyboard project CopyChar. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC.

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. The College Kids Doing What Twitter Won’t (Wired, 1 Nov 2018)
  9. BotCheck.me
  10. The Facebook Dilemma Part 1 and Part 2 (PBS Frontline, 29 & 30 Oct 2018)
  11. Facebook Is the Least Trusted Major Tech Company When it Comes to Safeguarding Personal Data, Poll Finds (Fortune; 8 November 2018)
  12. Human rights groups want Facebook to offer ‘due process’ for takedowns (The Verge; 14 November 2018)
  13. Instagram starts rolling out dashboard that shows how much time you spend on it (Verge, 14 Nov 2018)
  14. Alexa, Should We Trust You? (The Atlantic, November 2018)
  15. Microsoft re-releases Windows 10 October 2018 Update today after pulling it offline (The Verge; 13 November 2018)
  16. Microsoft to focus on Windows 10 quality after a buggy year (The Verge; 13 November 2018)
  17. Drawing Is the Fastest, Most Effective Way to Learn, According to New Research (Inc Magazine, 31 Oct 2018)
  18. The Surprisingly Powerful Influence of Drawing on Memory (Sage Journals, 30 Aug 2018)
  19. “How to Sketchnote: A Step-by-Step Manual for Teachers and Students” by Sylvia Duckworth @sylviaduckworth
  20. Has ‘Shift’ Happened? Revisiting a Viral Video From 2008 (EdSurge, 6 Nov 2018)
  21. That Cute Baby-Bear Video Reveals a Problem With Drones (The Atlantic, 6 Nov 2018)
  22. A Final Update on Our Priorities for 2018 (YouTube Creator Blog, 22 Oct 2018)
  23. Google CEO’s China argument doesn’t hold water (Columbia Journalism Review, 9 Nov 2018)
  24. Mozilla Releases Creepy Gift Report (Mozilla Foundation)
  25. Wes’ Geeks of the Week:  FFWorks (backstory), “Thankful Bot” by @nounproject and the Twitter meme – “me voting in 2016 vs. me voting in 2018”
  26. Jason’s Geek of the Week: CopyChar.CC – Virtual Keyboard

EdTech Situation Room Episode 111

Welcome to episode 111 of the EdTech Situation Room from October 17, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) and special guest Beth Holland (@brholland) discussed the past week’s technology news through an educational lens, as well as a variety of educational issues relating to digital citizenship and digital equity. Co-host Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) was on special assignment. Topics highlighted in this week’s show included algorithmic literacy, privacy, digital equity, digital citizenship, media literacy, digital literacy, Internet safety, digital citizenship week, and more. Other topics included the National Educational Technology Plan, the ongoing code wars between nation states, and the power of social networks / human connections in unlocking opportunity and innovation. The digital divide in rural America, the perils of IoT cameras in our homes, the Media Education Lab’s Mind over Media Project, Imagineering in Storytelling, and geomaps of Lewis and Clark’s journey of discovery rounded out the week’s topics. Check out our shownotes on edtechSR.com/links. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. Note we will be starting earlier than usual occasionally to accommodate guest schedules in upcoming weeks, so please check Twitter for those updates.

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Beth Holland (@brholland) – blog: brholland.com
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. The Social Institute@thesocialinst
  9. Duck Duck Go (search engine without tracking social profiles)
  10. FireFox Focus (privacy-focused web browser)
  11. Friends Don’t Let Friends Use the Edge Web Browser (or Bing for Search) (Wes Fryer, 13 Oct 2018)
  12. Mind of Media: Analyzing Contemporary Propaganda (by Renee Hobbs @reneehobbs and the Media Education Lab)
  13. Summer Institute in Digital Literacy by the Media Education Lab
  14. Free Speech in the Age of Algorithmic Megaphones (Wired, 12 Oct 2018)
  15. Family Online Safety Institute
  16. Winning And Losing The Code War – Interview with John P. Carlin (NPR 1A, 16 Oct 2018)
  17. Searching for Alternative Facts: Analyzing Scriptural Inference in Conservative News Practices (Data & Society, 2018)
  18. National Educational Technology Plan
  19. Higher Education Supplement to the National Education Technology Plan
  20. From Digital Divide to Innovation Divide (EdTech Researcher, 22 Sept 2018)
  21. About a quarter of rural Americans say access to high-speed internet is a major problem (Pew Research Center, 10 Sept 2018)
  22. Digital Equity Toolkit from CoSN
  23. Stanford History Education Group, Evaluating Information Executive Summary
  24. Facebook’s Portal Camera And The Growing Privacy Concerns Of Bringing Cameras Into Our Homes (Forbes, 8 Oct 2018)
  25. MLTalks: Experiential Storytelling with Walt Disney Imagineering (4 Oct 2018)
  26. The Lewis and Clark Trail from Space: NPS Story Map Journal (National Park Service)
  27. Beth’s Geeks of the Week: iCivics and Mind Over Media Project and Who You Know: Unlocking Innovations That Expand Students’ Networks by Julia Freeland Fisher (@juliaffreeland)
  28. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Uni – Magic AI Friend: Relax in a magical world (iOS) and “Dawn of the Code War – America’s Battle Against Russia, China, and the Rising Global Cyber Threat” by John P. Carlin & Garrett M. Graff ( – More #book2read reccs
  29.  Peggy George’s Geek of the Week Tiffany Whitehead (@librarian_tiff), “Fighting Fake News: Media Literacy for Students”