Author Archive

Tackling Data in Libraries

Tackling Data in Libraries: Opportunities and Challenges in Serving User Communities

Submit proposals at http://www.iolug.org

Deadline is Friday, March 1, 2019

Submissions are invited for the IOLUG Spring 2019 Conference, to be held May 10th in Indianapolis, IN. Submissions are welcomed from all types of libraries and on topics related to the theme of data in libraries.

Libraries and librarians work with data every day, with a variety of applications – circulation, gate counts, reference questions, and so on. The mass collection of user data has made headlines many times in the past few years. Analytics and privacy have, understandably, become important issues both globally and locally. In addition to being aware of the data ecosystem in which we work, libraries can play a pivotal role in educating user communities about data and all of its implications, both favorable and unfavorable.

The Conference Planning Committee is seeking proposals on topics related to data in libraries, including but not limited to:

  • Using tools/resources to find and leverage data to solve problems and expand knowledge,
  • Data policies and procedures,
  • Harvesting, organizing, and presenting data,
  • Data-driven decision making,
  • Learning analytics,
  • Metadata/linked data,
  • Data in collection development,
  • Using data to measure outcomes, not just uses,
  • Using data to better reach and serve your communities,
  • Libraries as data collectors,
  • Big data in libraries,
  • Privacy,
  • Social justice/Community Engagement,
  • Algorithms,
  • Storytelling, (https://web.stcloudstate.edu/pmiltenoff/lib490/)
  • Libraries as positive stewards of user data.

smartphones for learning and policies

6 ways to use students’ smartphones for learning

By Kelsey Ehnle 12/26/2018 BYOD Mobile learning Tools

https://www.iste.org/explore/articleDetail?articleid=528
Smartphones also provide an easy way for teachers to “inspire students to positively contribute to and responsibly participate in the digital world,” as espoused by the ISTE Standards for Educators.
research shows that when students are engaged in their learning — and they’re almost always engaged with their phones when given a choice — they are less likely to succumb to distractions.

1. Create short videos.

Videos can express any type of learning in any style, from music videos to interviews, book trailers, historical re-enactments, tutorials and stop animations.

Flipgrid is the one of the best educational video-creation sites

2. Access an online dictionary and thesaurus.

Find synonyms in many languages at Open Thesaurus!
Linguee
.

PONS or LEO. Question about a verb conjugation? Go to LEO or Canoo (for German)

3. Collaborate and share with Padlet and Twitter.

4. Scan QR codes.

5. Listen to podcasts and read the news.

6. Compete against classmates!

Quizlet and Kahoot, Gimkit

https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=kahoot

6. Use the apps, obviously.

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Gartner predicts that nearly 38 percent of companies will stop providing devices to workers by 2017 — but 20 percent of those BYOD programs will fail because of overly restrictive mobile device management measures. So how can IT pros devise a BYOD strategy that stays afloat? Here are six guidelines to accommodate legitimate IT concerns without sinking a policy’s odds of success:

Look to Existing Policies

Before creating a BYOD policy, take a look at existing HR and legal procedures. Many email, VPN, and remote access security policies can be applied to mobile devices, as well.

Provide Training and Education

Employees are using personal devices at work, whether the company realizes it or not. But that doesn’t mean they are using them correctly. Employees often use  file-sharing and other tools of their choosing without IT’s knowledge, which could put sensitive corporate data at risk. Use a BYOD policy to trainemployees how to correctly use their applications

Specify Devices

BYOD isn’t limited to smartphones. According to Gartner, a “new norm” is emerging in which employees manage up to four or five devices at work.

Enforce Passwords and Encryption

passwords aren’t foolprool. Data encryption is an additional security measure

A smart BYOD policy doesn’t mean IT is off the hook. Rather, successful policies rely on IT and employees sharing security obligations.

Set Ownership Expectations

Employees often fail to realize that all data on their devices is discoverable, regardless of whether the device is personal or company-owned. The question of who owns what is still a legal gray area, though companies increasingly take the liberty to remote wipe employees’ personal devices once they leave their job. Avoid the guessing game with a clear exit strategy.

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more on BYOD in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=byod
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=mobile+learning

Facial Recognition issues

Chinese Facial Recognition Will Take over the World in 2019

Michael K. Spencer Jan 14, 2018
https://medium.com/futuresin/chinese-facial-recognition-will-take-over-the-world-in-2019-520754a7f966
The best facial recognition startups are in China, by a long-shot. As their software is less biased, global adoption is occurring via their software. This is evidenced in 2019 by the New York Police department in NYC for example, according to the South China Morning Post.
The mass surveillance state of data harvesting in real-time is coming. Facebook already rates and profiles us.

The Tech Wars come down to an AI-War

Whether the NYC police angle is true or not (it’s being hotly disputed), Facebook and Google are thinking along lines that follow the whims of the Chinese Government.

SenseTime and Megvii won’t just be worth $5 Billion, they will be worth many times that in the future. This is because a facial recognition data-harvesting of everything is the future of consumerism and capitalism, and in some places, the central tenet of social order (think Asia).

China has already ‘won’ the trade-war, because its winning the race to innovation. America doesn’t regulate Amazon, Microsoft, Google or Facebook properly, that stunts innovation and ethics in technology where the West is now forced to copy China just to keep up.

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more about facial recognition in schools
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims/2019/02/02/facial-recognition-technology-in-schools/

Mindfulness And Trauma-Informed Teaching

Why Mindfulness And Trauma-Informed Teaching Don’t Always Go Together

Katrina Schwartz Published on 

https://www.kqed.org/mindshift/52881/why-mindfulness-and-trauma-informed-teaching-dont-always-go-together

Teachers are turning to the practice as a simple way to restore calm to the classroom, help students find some quiet space, and build self-regulation skills. Some teachers say their personal mindfulness practicehas helped them respond more calmly to students and helps them keep perspective.

“This isn’t about calming down,” said Sam Himelstein, a clinical psychologist, trainer and author who has spent most of his career working with incarcerated youth. “Calming down is great and it is a skill that youth can get better at. But if we’re talking about mindfulness, at its core, we are just talking about being present with whatever it is.”

Larry Rosenberg the dog-mind versus the lion-mind.
Reacting with the mind of a lion allows a person to say, “I’m angry right now,” and that little bit of metacognitive space between the person and the thought allows them to choose how to respond.

TRAUMA SENSITIVE MINDFULNESS

  • Students don’t take the activity seriously
  • Students are triggered by silence because it feels like a storm is brewing, so they don’t want to be quiet
  • Students feel too many requests are made of them without the requisite trust being built up
  • Students exhibit avoidance behavior

Guidelines for teachers using mindfulness:

  • Don’t force it
  • Don’t focus on the logistics like sitting with eyes closed
  • Somatic awareness, like counting breaths, could be a good place to start. “There’s different types of awareness. Sometimes we’re really aware of what’s going on in the mind and sometimes we’re more aware of what’s going on in the body,” Himelstein said.
  • Think about the child’s window of tolerance and whether he is already triggered or not. “It’s good to strike when the iron is cold in a lot of these cases,” Himelstein said.
  • Build relationships

SELF CARE

Cultivating a trauma-informed classroom is much harder when educators themselves are burnt out. Building relationships, not reacting defensively to student behavior and taking time to listen to students can feel nearly impossible if the adult is barely making it through the day.

several categories of self-care, according to Himelstein:

  1. Regular cultivation of relaxation response (3Rs): things like watching TV, going into nature, getting a massage.
  2. Effortful training: These are things like more sustained meditation or exercise where the payoff comes over a longer time period.
  3. Creativity: something that gives purpose and adds vibrancy to life. Writing, reading, painting or other passions are examples.
  4. Advocacy: everything from learning to say “No” (set boundaries), to working at a higher level to impact policy or structural change.

Facial Recognition Technology in schools

With Safety in Mind, Schools Turn to Facial Recognition Technology. But at What Cost?

By Emily Tate     Jan 31, 2019

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2019-01-31-with-safety-in-mind-schools-turn-to-facial-recognition-technology-but-at-what-cost

SAFR (Secure, Accurate Facial Recognition)

violent deaths in schools have stayed relatively constant over the last 30 years, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. But then there’s the emotive reality, which is that every time another event like Sandy Hook or Parkland occurs, many educators and students feel they are in peril when they go to school.

RealNetworks, a Seattle-based software company that was popular in the 1990s for its audio and video streaming services but has since expanded to offer other tools, including SAFR (Secure, Accurate Facial Recognition), its AI-supported facial recognition software.

After installing new security cameras, purchasing a few Apple devices and upgrading the school’s Wi-Fi, St. Therese was looking at a $24,000 technology tab.

The software is programmed to allow authorized users into the building with a smile.

“Facial recognition isn’t a panacea. It is just a tool,” says Collins, who focuses on education privacy issues.

Another part of the problem with tools like SAFR, is it provides a false sense of security.

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more on surveillance in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=surveillance

more on privacy in this IMS blog
https://blog.stcloudstate.edu/ims?s=privacy

McGill AI facility

McGill, UMontréal unveil state-of-the-art AI facility

https://montrealgazette.com/business/90000-square-foot-mila-ai-institute-opens-in-mile-ex?utm_source=Academica+Top+Ten&utm_campaign=ac1e0f7b62-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_01_30_06_14&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b4928536cf-ac1e0f7b62-47756305

350 researchers, 200 graduate students, and 150 professionals in the AI sector. “We need AI, we need machine learning, we need the development of new technology to get people more efficient

VR Education Apps

7 Best VR Education Apps

Lauren Barack  June 19 2018 Visit Mars, swim with sea otters and trek to Mt. Everest’s Base Camp

https://www.gearbrain.com/7-best-vr-education-apps-2579317090.html

Victory VR is known for its science curriculum which is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards.

The BBC Earth: Life in VR app works on Google Daydream devices, like the new Lenovo Mirage Solo

Google Expeditions Android and iOS app is a virtual field trip that uses a Google Cardboard viewer.

Unimersiv is in the business of educational experiences — works on both Samsung Gear VR and the Oculus Rift, and takes viewers underwater to explore the Titanic and to one of our closest planets through the “Mars: Curiosity Rover,” app

Discovery VR app. The app works on nearly every single VR platform: Google Daydream, Samsung Gear VR, HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and Google Cardboard viewers using both iOS and Android devices.

Merge Cube is a $15 foam block

The Apollo 11 VR app. work with HTC Vive, Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR, and also Oculus Go

 

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