teaching – Mike Paul

Eight Books to Read If You’re in a Creative Slump

notebooks — Photo by Julia Joppien on Unsplash

Struggling with a creative block can feel like being stuck in quicksand—every effort to escape seems to pull you deeper into frustration. You stare at the blank page or screen, willing for an idea to spark, but nothing clicks. Before you resign yourself to despair, let these seven remarkable books be your lifeline. Each one offers a unique perspective on overcoming creative hurdles, from grappling with perfectionism to finding inspiration in unexpected places. Dive into these stories of struggle and triumph, and rediscover the magic of creativity in the most unexpected ways.

The Luminous Novel by Mario Levrero

Levrero’s diary kept during his Guggenheim fellowship, chronicles his struggle to write a novel. It captures the essence of a creative block with dry humor and honesty. His distractions and failures reveal that creative work often involves attempting the impossible and finding meaning, even in failure.

Sale

The Luminous Novel

Levrero, Mario (Author)
English (Publication Language)
431 Pages – 08/03/2021 (Publication Date) – And Other Stories (Publisher)

Scratched by Elizabeth Tallent

Tallent’s memoir explores her 20-year struggle with perfectionism after early literary success. Through her dense, introspective prose, she examines how perfectionism stifles creativity, ultimately learning to embrace imperfection and reality over-idealized art.

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Scratched: A Memoir of Perfectionism

Hardcover Book
Tallent, Elizabeth (Author)
English (Publication Language)
240 Pages – 02/25/2020 (Publication Date) – Harper (Publisher)

Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon

Chabon’s novel follows Grady Tripp, a writing professor stuck in a never-ending manuscript. Amidst personal chaos, Tripp’s creative struggle highlights how we create our own obstacles. The book offers solace and humor for anyone feeling creatively isolated.

Wonder Boys: A Novel

Chabon, Michael (Author)
English (Publication Language)
368 Pages – 04/29/2008 (Publication Date) – Random House Trade Paperbacks (Publisher)

Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson

Johnson’s book shifts focus from individual creativity to environments that foster innovation. Exploring how ideas develop through serendipity and collaboration encourages cultivating variety and openness in one’s creative process.

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Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation

Johnson, Steven (Author)
English (Publication Language)
344 Pages – 10/04/2011 (Publication Date) – Riverhead Books (Publisher)

So Many Olympic Exertions by Anelise Chen

Chen’s novel blends fiction and nonfiction. It follows Athena’s struggle with her dissertation amidst personal tragedy. The book critiques society’s obsession with achievement through sports metaphors and offers a reevaluation for those stuck in their projects.

Sale

So Many Olympic Exertions

Chen, Anelise (Author)
English (Publication Language)
232 Pages – 06/27/2017 (Publication Date) – Kaya Press (Publisher)

What It Is by Lynda Barry

Barry’s unique work combines a graphic memoir, a meditation on creativity, and an activity book. Her collages and exercises emphasize play and relinquishing control to revive creativity, arguing that embracing the unknown can overcome creative blocks.

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What It Is

Used Book in Good Condition
Hardcover Book
Barry, Lynda (Author)
English (Publication Language)
209 Pages – 05/13/2008 (Publication Date) – Drawn and Quarterly (Publisher)

Out of Sheer Rage by Geoff Dyer

Dyer’s account of his failed attempt to write about D.H. Lawrence is filled with humorous distractions. His book demonstrates that the obligations of creative work are not as rigid as they seem, offering a liberating perspective on tackling creative blocks.

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Out of Sheer Rage: Wrestling with D. H. Lawrence

Dyer, Geoff (Author)
English (Publication Language)
256 Pages – 11/10/2009 (Publication Date) – Picador (Publisher)

The Paris Review Interviews, Vol. 1

This collection features interviews with great writers discussing their creative processes and struggles. The practical advice and diverse voices provide reassurance and inspiration, emphasizing that there are many ways to create art and encouraging readers to be true to themselves.

Sale

The Paris Review Interviews, I: 16 Celebrated Interviews (The Paris Review Interviews, 1)

The Paris Review (Author)
English (Publication Language)
528 Pages – 10/17/2006 (Publication Date) – Picador (Publisher)

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Meta wants to put students and teachers in Quest VR headsets

woman using vr goggles outdoors — Photo by Bradley Hook on Pexels.com

Meta plans to make Quest VR headsets a key tool for classroom learning, offering students immersive educational experiences. The push for VR in education raises questions about the future of learning and student engagement. Despite concerns like cybersickness and limited accessibility, Meta sees VR technology as a promising avenue for transforming education.

Meta will release a suite of visually engrossing education apps for teachers to use with students ages 13 and older in time for the fall 2024 semester.
Teachers will be able to manage multiple Quest devices at once without preparing and updating each device individually.

Everything I’m writing is s#*%

Greetings Starfighters,

Happy first (partial) week of spring here in the Northern Hemisphere—our southern neighbors rejoice as they head into my favorite time of year…

I’ve walked around most of this week not knowing what day it was or just being off a day. I’m quite certain this is all due to still recovering from the nonsense of daylight savings time (because we’re not saving anything). Yet, we move along into the vast unknown of tomorrow.

Also, has anyone else adjusted their reading goal for the year? I’m really behind and am not sure I can catch up with all that life brings my way. But, recognizing your limits is key and knowing that the only person I’m competing against is myself is also helpful when I feel defeated.

Anyway, here are 10 cool things I wanted to share this week:

10 Things Worth Sharing

Creativity is Humanity
As usual, I’ve gone down another musical rabbit hole that began with finding the amazing Hermanos Gutiérrez and has taken me into some very chill musical vibes. If you need a nice smooth start to your day, I have some great finds for you.
English learners stopped coming to class during the pandemic. One group is tackling the problem by helping their parents.
I’m always on the hunt for new creatives and curious to see their creative processes. This week, I found Jacob Collier by way of Matt Mullenweg of WordPress fame. Collier joins Paul Davids in this video to discuss learning to play the guitar, tweaking the rules, and changing everything to suit your style.
In Star Wars news this week (you knew there was going to be a geeky moment soon), the trailer for the new “The Acolyte” series dropped this week, giving us a first glimpse at the time 100 years prior to anything Star Wars-related we’ve seen on any screen. There’s even a Wookiee Jedi.
How do US teachers teach? We don’t know, and it’s difficult to figure out.
While I’m a huge fan of exploration and creative work that sometimes takes us on grand adventures that aren’t so productive, sometimes there is no other option than to do the work of learning.
Ten books from MIT faculty to expand your knowledge of teaching, learning, and technology
Speaking of doing the work of learning and creativity, what if you made your classroom or workspace a living display of your creativity like Lynda Barry?
Lastly, when you feel like the work you do is complete and utter garbage—don’t we all get that way at times?—remember that you’re not alone. The novelist Percival Everett says, “I’m pretty sure everything I’m writing is shit…I’m just trying to make the best shit I can.”

That’s it for this week. The Spring Break edition will arrive in your inbox next week.

P.S. – I’m going through all my old comics lately and am amazed at some of the ads. Here’s this one with a cameo from Vincent Price to make your own shrunken head…

Ten books from MIT faculty to expand your knowledge of teaching, learning, and technology

As we head into Spring Break and, soon, into summer, you may already be building your reading list.

I know not everyone is busy marking professional learning books like me (yes, I have a sickness), but if you are, I have some recommendations.

Here are 10 books shared by MIT Open Learning faculty that explore teaching, learning, and technology. The books cover topics such as innovation in manufacturing, creating Android apps, sociable robots, educational technology, the science of learning, and workforce education.

One of my favorites, Failure to Disrupt, is on the list. I believe that text is required reading for anyone in the educational technology space if you’re brave enough to admit that we are often wrong about what technology can do in our schools.

How Do Most U.S. Teachers Teach?

photo of woman tutoring young boy — Photo by Julia M Cameron on Pexels.com

Finding a definitive answer to how most U.S. teachers teach is difficult for various reasons. There are over 13,000 school districts in the U.S., with almost 100,000 schools and 3.2 million teachers, making it hard to track how each teacher teaches.

University researchers play a significant role in discovering this information, but very few such professors do this, and it takes time to observe classrooms and gather data.

Well, whose job is it to find out how most U.S. teachers teach? University researchers. Sadly, there are too few such professors who do exactly that and those that do seldom write articles or books that become “must reads” for teachers and the general public.
Larry Cuban

However, some studies and surveys have relied on direct observations, teacher self-reports of classroom instruction, teacher autobiographies, and historical records of classroom lessons to find out how U.S. teachers teach.

Falling Into Fall Break

I shared this note with my team on our last day before Fall Break. I hope you find encouragement here, as well.

“Every person needs to take one day away. A day in which one consciously separates the past from the future. Jobs, family, employers, and friends can exist one day without any one of us, and if our egos permit us to confess, they could exist eternally in our absence. Each person deserves a day away in which no problems are confronted, no solutions searched for. Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us.”
Maya Angelou, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now

boy walking on wooden pathway beside plants during day — Photo by Harrison Haines on Pexels.com

Fall Break

You may have already figured this out, but Fall Break is my favorite break of the year. We’ve navigated the busyness of beginning a new school year and made some progress toward our goals. For me, this break comes at the perfect time. The weather cools, mornings begin on the back porch with a cup of coffee, and evenings end with a backyard fire. It’s not so much a break as it is a pause—the deep breath before diving into winter. I need this break. You need this break. We all need a moment away.

Blaise Pascal wrote, “All of humanity’s problems stem from our inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” Most adults lead very busy lives. Teachers, arguably more so. Rarely do we have a moment during our day to call our own, even if it means we just have the chance to catch our breath.

During the break, I encourage you to find time to call your own. Amidst all the plans we make for fun and family, find some time to hide away from it all. Forget, for a few moments, the demands of the classroom, of testing, of dealing with parents, and the demands of your administration and coaches.

You need rest. Spirit, soul, and body all need a break from time to time to face this madness we call life.

The great Stoic philosopher Seneca said, “The mind must be given relaxation; it will rise improved and sharper after a good break.” Stephen Covey reminds us of the 7th habit of Highly Effective People to “sharpen your saw.” Make sure to take care of yourself. We all did this pretty well during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I fear we may have lost some of these lessons in our return to the world of deadlines and demands.

Please take time for yourself over the break. You won’t regret it.

Larry Cuban on the “F” Word

depressed woman having headache and stress — Photo by Alex Green on Pexels.com

No, not that “F” word.

Larry Cuban shared his thoughts on leveraging failure as a valuable step in the learning process, something I’ve tried to convey to teachers and students over the years.

Cuban begins by recounting his career journey, which spans from his start as a high school teacher in 1955 to his time as a district superintendent and later as a professor at Stanford. He emphasizes that his career, while marked by many successes, was also filled with failures, which he believes are often overlooked in discussions about career progression.

Cuban writes, “While on the surface my long career as an educator appears as an unvarnished success albeit a modest one, it was a zig-zag path with cul-de-sacs and, truth be told, a road pitted with potholes of failure.” He argues that failures are an integral part of success and that society’s tendency to avoid discussing failures does a disservice to the reality of most people’s career trajectories.

He shares several instances of his own failures, including being rejected for teaching positions, struggling to connect with certain students, failing to reduce racial tensions in a department he administered, and being turned down for numerous superintendent posts and a deanship at Stanford’s School of Education. He also discusses his failures in getting published, with many of his submissions being rejected by publishers and editors.

Cuban emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and learning from failures. He quotes several famous figures to illustrate his point, including basketball star Michael Jordan, Winston Churchill, and Maya Angelou. He writes, “Defeats were doors that closed in my face. Yet other doors opened.” He explains that failures can lead to new opportunities and that persistence in the face of failure can lead to eventual success.

In conclusion, Cuban states, “Looking back at my career and the mix of success and failure make clear to me how complex the interaction between winning and losing is.” He underscores the importance of adopting a growth mindset and learning from failure, making it clear that success and failure are integral parts of any career journey.

Teaching AI Ethics

Leon Furze’s blog post titled “Teaching AI Ethics: The Series” presents a comprehensive guide to understanding and teaching the ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The series, initially a single post, has been expanded into nine detailed posts, each focusing on a unique ethical concern related to AI, including bias, discrimination, environmental issues, truth and academic integrity, copyright, privacy, datafication, emotion recognition, human labor, and power structures.

Designed primarily for K-12 education but also applicable to tertiary-level discussions, each post provides case studies, discussion questions, and lesson ideas to facilitate a deeper understanding of these complex issues. The aim is to equip students with the necessary knowledge to navigate the ethical landscape of AI in an increasingly digital world.

Innovating Pedagogy 2023: Exploring New Forms of Teaching, Learning and Assessment

The Innovating Pedagogy 2023 report, published by The Open University, explores ten innovations that have the potential to provoke major shifts in educational practice. The report is designed to guide teachers, policymakers, and educational technologists in making informed decisions about new forms of teaching, learning, and assessment.

Learning through Open Data: Open data is publicly available information that can be freely used, modified, and shared. The report suggests that open data can be used as a teaching tool to develop students’ data literacy skills, critical thinking, and understanding of complex issues.
Student-led Analytics: This innovation involves students in the process of collecting, analyzing, and using their own educational data to support their learning. It empowers students to take control of their learning and make informed decisions.
AI Teaching Assistants: AI teaching assistants can provide personalized learning experiences, answer students’ questions, and give feedback on assignments. They can support teachers by taking over routine tasks, allowing teachers to focus on more complex aspects of teaching.
Micro-credentials: Micro-credentials are digital certificates that recognize small amounts of learning or skills. They offer flexible pathways for lifelong learning and can be stacked to form a larger qualification.
Learning through Multisensory Experiences: This approach uses technologies such as virtual and augmented reality to provide immersive learning experiences. It can help students understand complex concepts and develop skills in a safe and controlled environment.
Humanistic Knowledge-Building Communities: These are online communities where learners and teachers collaboratively create knowledge. They foster a sense of belonging and support the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Learning from Robots: Robots can be used in education to support learning in various ways, such as teaching coding or providing social and emotional support to students.
Blockchain for Learning: Blockchain technology can be used to create secure, transparent, and tamper-proof educational records. It can also support the recognition of micro-credentials and facilitate the sharing of learning records across institutions.
Decolonizing Learning: This involves challenging the dominant Eurocentric perspective in education and incorporating diverse knowledge, cultures, and ways of knowing into the curriculum.
Action-Oriented Learning: This approach involves students in real-world problem-solving and social action. It develops skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, and civic engagement.

The report (available here) emphasizes that these innovations are not standalone solutions but should be integrated into a broader pedagogical strategy. It also highlights the importance of considering ethical issues, such as data privacy and the risk of AI bias, when implementing these innovations.

Tag: teaching

Eight Books to Read If You’re in a Creative Slump

The Luminous Novel by Mario Levrero

Scratched by Elizabeth Tallent

Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon

Where Good Ideas Come From by Steven Johnson

So Many Olympic Exertions by Anelise Chen

What It Is by Lynda Barry

Out of Sheer Rage by Geoff Dyer

The Paris Review Interviews, Vol. 1

Meta wants to put students and teachers in Quest VR headsets

Everything I’m writing is s#*%

10 Things Worth Sharing

Ten books from MIT faculty to expand your knowledge of teaching, learning, and technology

How Do Most U.S. Teachers Teach?

Falling Into Fall Break

Larry Cuban on the “F” Word

Teaching AI Ethics

Innovating Pedagogy 2023: Exploring New Forms of Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Wednesday Assorted Links