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Why Am I Still Using Social Media?

Posted by Dean Shareski on in facebook, joy, linkedin, questions, twitter 0 Comment

This post was last updated on 2 days ago at 2 days ago

Since the inception of social media which emerged in and around 2005-07, it has gone from something as silly and useless to essential and powerful to dangerous and divisive. Perhaps all of those elements remain in some respects but certainly, the danger and divisiveness is the dominant narrative. If you’ve watched The Social Dilemma or done any other extensive reading, you’re quite aware of the harm it has and continues to cause our society. There isn’t a current issue that isn’t ripe for controversy, misinformation and vitriol. We’re overheating everywhere.

When I joined Twitter in 2007, it was definitely a silly and seemingly useless space. There were no such thing as followers, hashtags or mentions. As someone interested in the power of connectivity and networking, I found it to be a fantastic way to find interesting people. While some were already using it as a space to share serious and useful content, I just wanted to get to know others. As an educator is was a virtual staff room. A place where educators would come together to try and get away from the challenges of teaching but … Read the rest

Delight 13: Press Record

Posted by Dean Shareski on in delight, facebook, linkedin 0 Comment

This post was last updated on 1 month ago at 1 month ago

This post is part of a series of posts I’m writing on delight.

I’m big PVR/DVR guy. I record sports, news, shows, you name it. I realize in an age of streaming, the PVR has become somewhat antiquated but it’s still a useful tool for me. Specifically for sports. Given the amount of sports I like to consume, without it, it would be both impossible given many events are on at the same time as well as incredibly time-consuming given the length of these games and events.

For example, I’ve developed some strategies that get me through an NFL game very quickly. My remote has a 30 second advance button. Given there are 40 seconds between plays, a quick press will have me with the teams at the line of scrimmage ready to execute the next play. Fast forwarding over all the commercials and I can see every play in just over an hour. I also watch a lot of golf. If I’m following a particular player, I’ll fast forward to see all their shots and if it’s a close tournament, may watch the last couple … Read the rest

Delight 12: Older Kids Playing with Younger Kids

Posted by Dean Shareski on in delight, facebook, linkedin 0 Comment

I’m so grateful to be able to watch my granddaughter Harriet develop. I’ll freely admit that as a father of four, my recollection of my own kids’ childhood is fuzzy. Partly due to the passage of time and partly because all parents are focused on protection and providing that they can be less attentive to the joys of growing up.

We live in a neighbourhood with lots of young kids. Unlike many kids their age, they play outside and it seems to be a bit of a throwback to my Wonder Years. Not only that but they are kind and caring. So when Harriet comes to visit, we often walk around to see if any are playing outside. She’s watched them play before and had small interactions but today they invited her to play with them.

They let her tell them a story, played The Three Little Pigs, tag and taught her London Bridge. I stayed well back and watched. It was a delight. Not just how Harriet loved the attention but how the kids showed patience and creativity as they played.

One of my beliefs is that children should not be confined to learning and experiencing the world … Read the rest

Education’s Dysfunctional Relationship with Happiness

Posted by Dean Shareski on in facebook, joy, linkedin 0 Comment

This post was last updated on 5 months ago at 5 months ago

If you asked parents “What is it that you want for your kids?” You’d have an overwhelmingly common response of: “I just want them to be happy?” While they may add other things like health, a job they love and good relationships, happiness would top that list and likely cover all those other things as well. So if happiness is what most parents want for their kids, why are schools so afraid to use the word or actually teach happiness?

Certainly there is a legacy that still believes that happiness, fun, play and joy are not compatible with all mighty goal of academic rigour. While most educators may not be this explicit in stating this, it remains an unspoken belief. Whenever children are laughing, having fun, playing its often seen as “childish”. We might tolerate it but we also might be quick to transition to more serious work. While I’m generalizing here, my guess is that you can place this in a specific context in your world. As Jal Mehta says:

People have a lot of false dichotomies in their heads, like either they learn the content

… Read the rest

Delight 11: Not Capturing the Moment

Posted by Dean Shareski on in delight, facebook, linkedin 0 Comment

This post was last updated on 7 months ago at 7 months ago

In case you weren’t aware, people and their phones can be a bit problematic. If you’re one of the rare breeds who is happy with the relationship you have with your phone, I bow to you. But most people I know are working to get better and even break up with their phone.

I read Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport a few months ago and am working on a number of the ideas from that book. One thing I’m doing more is not bringing my phone with me when I leave the house, particularly when I know there might be a reason to bring it. Taking my granddaughter Harriet for a walk in the neighbourhood is certain to bring a moment worth capturing. Occasionally I’ll forget my phone but instead of rushing back to get it, I’ll leave it. What I still have to resist is the urge to reach for it to capture something she’s doing. But then I’m quickly whisked back into her world and to live it with her. Sometimes we come back and relive the mini-adventure with her mom or grandma and

… Read the rest