Media Literacy Roundup: 9 July 2024
Periodic links and ideas from Wes Fryer
Happy summer! (For subscribers in the Northern Hemisphere of our amazing planet. Happy winter if you’re down under!) I hope this highly intermittent newsletter update finds you well and rested, maintaining your hope and optimism in our shared institutions as well as our fellow human beings. Given all that is happening in the world politically, that can seem like a tall order at times. Hopefully some of these links can help.
Here’s what’s on tap for this issue:
Maintaining Hope and Optimism
Teaching the Conspiracies: Part 2
Free Oral History Workshops
Space Coding Camp CLT
AI Presentation for Rotary
Latest “Wisdom with Wes” Videos
Learning at the Kennedy Space Center
My Troubling Facebook Suspension
1. Maintaining Hope and Optimism
I wasn’t joking when I shared my hope that you are maintaining hope and optimism in both people and institutions in the introduction to this update. Despair and nihilism in the face of political polarization and controversial political topics today are serious problems we face individually and as communities.
I shared some related thoughts about this on July 4th this year on the HealOurCulture.org project website. Amidst so much uncertainly, there are some important things I DO know:
It is good for us to seek and build COMMUNITY with each other: with neighbors, with family, and with friends.
Despite mainstream media and social media headlines to the contrary, there are powerful and important reasons to remain hopeful and even idealistic in the challenging era of human history in which we live.
If you’d prefer an 11 minute video dose of reflection and determined optimism along these lines, check out Episode 27 of my “Wisdom with Wes” YouTube series, titled, “Space Exploration, Civil Rights and Governance.”
2. Teaching the Conspiracies - Part 2
Later this month I’ll be teaching and facilitating a two week micro-credential course through the Media Education Lab titled, “Teaching the Conspiracies - Part 2.” This builds on a six week course I taught last Spring as part of the MediaEd Institute, also sponsored by the Media Education Lab, but focuses in greater depth on both historical as well as contemporary CONSPIRACY THEORIES. All the curriculum and resources from my Spring 2024 course are now publicly available on my media literacy website.
Here’s the official description of this upcoming $45 micro-credential online course:
The 2-week course "Teaching the Conspiracies: Part II - Historical & Contemporary" offers educators and adults an essential toolkit for navigating and understanding the complex landscape of conspiracy theories. Participants will explore historical and contemporary conspiracies, learning to apply the SIFT (Stop, Investigate, Find, Trace) web literacy framework and lateral reading techniques to evaluate online information critically. The course emphasizes creating and sharing media products like sketchnotes and InfoPics, engaging in reflective discussions, and fostering informed citizenship. Through interactive learning and practical assignments, participants will develop enhanced critical thinking and media literacy skills, gaining insights into the cultural impact of conspiracy theories and their role in civic responsibility. This course not only enriches professional portfolios with a completion certificate but also prepares participants to teach and facilitate media literacy lessons effectively.
More information (including registration details) are available on the Media Education Lab’s website. If these topics are of interest to you, I’d love to have you join in this unique and innovative “blended learning” opportunity, which will include both LIVE as well as “anytime learning” pedagogy.
The course runs from July 21 - August 5, 2024, with live (online via Zoom) meeting dates on July 22nd, July 29th and August 5th, 2024.
Please share this opportunity with others too who may be interested!
3. Free Oral History Workshops
I’m sharing a 2 part, free oral history workshop series for the Mint Hill Historical Society this coming Saturday, July 13 and the next Saturday, July 20. These will each be an hour and a half long, from 9 to 10:30am, and held in “The Barn” at the Historical Society: 4311 HILLSIDE DRIVE, MINT HILL, NC. An informational flyer suitable for printing or forwarding via email is available in PDF format, which includes FREE registration information / instructions how to RSVP.
Please share this with others in our greater Charlotte, North Carolina community who might be interested!
More information and free resources about FAMILY ORAL HISTORY and community oral history is available on the Storychasers.org website, which I continue to maintain and build as a personal passion project. I’ll be linking the workshop curriculum / handouts on that site prior to part 1 of this workshop series on Saturday.
I hope you can join us!
4. Space Coding Camp CLT
I love teaching students how to think computationally using code! That was the focus of my presentation on “Minecraft Mars,” or (officially) “Minecraft Makecode meets Mark Watney and Mars Colonization” at the end of June at the Kennedy Space Center. (More about this later in this update!)
Building on those experiences and my love of all things “Space,” I’m leading a 3 day coding summer camp July 23 - 25, 2024, here in Charlotte, North Carolina for middle school students. Details and registration are available via EventBrite.
If you know a middle school aged student who might be interested in space, coding, or GAME CREATION, please share this link with them and encourage them to register!
5. AI Presentation for Rotary
Back in March 2024 when I visited my dad in Manhattan, Kansas, for Spring Break, I shared a presentation titled, “Stories About AI” for both the Manhattan Rotary Club as well as residents at Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community, where dad lives. Those slides and resources are archived on my website, ai.wesfryer.com.
In a week and a half, on Wednesday, July 17th, I’ll be sharing another presentation about Artificial Intelligence for Rotary, but this time in Monroe, North Carolina. Their club meets from 7:30 to 8:30 am at The Derby Restaurant (1012 Skyway Dr, Monroe, NC.) If you live in the Charlotte area you’re welcome to join us!
6. Latest “Wisdom with Wes” Videos
In a sure sign I’m getting older, last spring I started a YouTube video series I titled, “Wisdom with Wes.” These are 5 to 10 minute videos (usually) in which I try and share some wise insights into life and our complex culture. It’s eclectic and fun, and hopefully (also) useful to someone else.
Since my last Substack update, these are the new “Wisdom with Wes” episodes I’ve recorded:
Choose to Rejoice (Ep 23 - 7.5 min)
Being Fully Present (Ep 24 - 4 min)
Trusted Voices (Ep 25 - 5.5 min)
Feed the Birds (Ep 26 - 8.5 min)
Space Exploration, Civil Rights and Governance (Ep 27 - 11.5 min)
I hope you check out some of these videos, and let me know what you think via a comment here on Substack!
6. Learning at the Kennedy Space Center
At the end of June, Shelly (my wife and I attended the SPACE 2024 (the “Space Port Area Conference for Educators”) at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at Cape Canaveral. It was awesome! I took and shared over 200 photos from the conference in this Flickr album.
In addition to sharing the slides, and audio from my presentation about our “Minecraft Mars” middle school coding unit, I also wrote a couple blog posts from workshop sessions I attended. I need to write up more! Here are those links you can check out:
Minecraft Makecode meets Mark Watney and Mars Colonization (SPACE 2024 Conference, Kennedy Space Center, Florida) - slides and audio recording
Blog Post: “Host an Astronomy Night”
Blog Post: “Plants in Space”
My video: SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch at Cape Canaveral! (2 min)
My video: Building Landing Pads on Mars in Minecraft Education (6 min)
8. My Troubling Facebook Suspension
On July 1st, without warning, my Facebook account was suspended by an AI algorithm. This situation remains unresolved as of this writing on July 7, 2024. You can read more background on this post I shared on Medium. If you have any connections to Meta / Facebook employees that might be able to help me, please reach out and let me know!
Until next time… stay safe and keep finding ways to remain HOPEFUL!