ideas that challenge / comfort / inspire
a sign of mediocrity
/It's a sign of mediocrity when you demonstrate gratitude with moderation. -Roberto Benigni
Louisville school surprises kindergartner by giving her service dog a yearbook photo
/Read the story at the Courier Journal
Solo Performance
/A mountain of studies has shown that face-to-face brainstorming and teamwork often lead to inferior decisionmaking. That’s because social dynamics lead groups astray; they coalesce around the loudest extrovert’s most confidently asserted idea, no matter how daft it might be.
What works better? “Virtual” collaboration—with team members cogitating on solutions alone, in private, before getting together to talk them over. As Susan Cain (who wrote Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking) discovered, researchers have found that groups working in this fashion generate better ideas and solve problems more adroitly. To really get the best out of people, have them work alone first, then network later.
Sounds like the way people collaborate on the Internet, doesn’t it? With texting, chat, status updates, comment threads, and email, you hash over ideas and thoughts with a pause between each utterance, giving crucial time for reflection. Plus, you can do so in private.
(The) overall the irony here is pretty gorgeous. It suggests we’ve been thinking about the social web the wrong way. We generally assume that it has unleashed an unruly explosion of disclosure, a constant high school of blather. But what it has really done is made our culture more introverted—and productively so. Now if we could just get some doors on those cubicles.
Clive Thompson writing in Wired Magazine
Heat & Light
/It is fairly easy to produce heat, but very tough to produce light. -Jim Lehrer
Articles of Interest about the virus, higher ed & research - May 23
/***THE VIRUS
What Can An Employer Do When An Employee Refuses To Comply With COVID-19 Workplace Requirements?
A face mask requirement does not violate your constitutional rights
How safe is it to use public bathrooms right now?
Does ADA law allow persons with disabilities to not wear a mask in a business?
***HIGHER ED
Campus Climate Surveys Are Useful but Not Perfect, GAO Says
Need Proof That College Rankings Don’t Matter? Ask The Editor Of Science
University Leaders Are Failing (opinion)
Is it time for higher ed to move away from time-based learning?
University Of California System Will Drop SAT, ACT Requirement For Admissions
Where did all the for-profit college commercials go?
USF To Pay $2.5M Over Alleged False Claims For Student Grants Following Whistleblower Complaint
***HIGHER ED & THE VIRUS
How the humanities can help on the front line of the pandemic
Why Covid-19 Could Force Colleges to Fix Their Transfer Problems
***SUMMER CLASSES
Summer enrollment at Arizona State University is at an all-time high
***THE FALL SEMESTER
Does Anthony Fauci Think Colleges Should Reopen? We Asked Him.
One in five college students say they may not return in the fall.
Viral outbreak hits nearly empty University of Texas campus: What will happen this fall?
COVID-19 QuickPoll Results: Fall Planning for Education and Student Support
Several colleges plan to end in-person instruction by Thanksgiving
What's going to happen at colleges this fall? Here are 15 scenarios
Ithaca College fall semester set to begin, in-person, October 5
NYU Plans to Resume In-Person Classes for Fall Semester
Purdue University president says some professors will teach behind Plexiglas
The difficulties of enforce social distancing measures on campuses next fall
Mid-June emerging as a key decision point FOR The Univ of California system
Scientists: Testing capacity may be adequate for colleges to open this fall
***LAYOFFS & FURLOUGHS
OU announces layoffs for 53 faculty, at least 94 administrators
Lamar University to make cuts due to the coronavirus
***HIGHER ED & FINANCE
Colleges are increasingly suspending or trimming employee retirement plan contributions
***HIGHER ED IN COURT
Federal judge dismisses lawsuit concerning Grand Canyon University's recruiting practices
University of Missouri among colleges sued for tuition refunds after coronavirus shutdown
Student Files Class Action Lawsuit Against Harvard Following Coronavirus Closure
***TEACHING ONLINE
Six Practical Approaches for Teaching Writing Online
Cambridge University to scrap face-to-face lectures for entire year due to pandemic
Universities beware: shifting classes online so quickly is a double-edged sword
Teacher evaluation form for spring semester 2020 (satire)
Copyright ownership concerns abound in the rapid shift to remote instruction
***ONLINE CHEATING
Professors take new measures to prevent online cheating
Academic Dishonesty and Testing: How Student Beliefs and Test Settings Impact Decisions to Cheat
***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
Dallas Theological Seminary Adds 2 New Degrees and Expands 100% Online Offerings
Cedarville University Appears to Have Manipulated a Sexual Harassment Complaint
Cal Baptist athletic director resigns
‘Male Athlete of the Year’ named at Point Loma Nazarene
***RESEARCH
Scientists must resist the temptation to say no evidence is ever quite good enough
In psych, economics, and some parts of medicine and biology about 60% of the papers do not replicate
Resistance and insubordination in science
Are women publishing less during the pandemic? Here’s what the data say
Our findings stress the superiority of markup formats in Peer review over the prominent PDF format
Retractions in Rehabilitation and Sport Sciences Journals
What doctors must know about medical preprints
A deluge of poor-quality research is sabotaging an effective evidence-based response
***STUDENT LIFE
Expressing a minority political view on some campuses is difficult (opinion)
5 Socially Distanced Side Hustles For College Students During The Pandemic
***CAMPUS CRIME
***SEXUAL HARASSMENT & ASSAULT
Law Professor in Title IX Case Leaves Marquette
Chadron State to pay $900,000 in settlement of Title IX lawsuit
Bard College Music Student Sues School, Citing Instructor’s Conduct
Weeping
/It is mentally ill to weep over fakery on the screen and not cry over the reality on the street. (unknown)
We can be too clever for our own good
/Unthinking is the ability to apply years of learning at the crucial moment by removing your thinking self from the equation. Its power is not confined to sport: actors and musicians know about it too, and are apt to say that their best work happens in a kind of trance. Thinking too much can kill not just physical performance but mental inspiration. Bob Dylan, wistfully recalling his youthful ability to write songs without even trying, described the making of “Like a Rolling Stone” as a “piece of vomit, 20 pages long”. It hasn’t stopped the song being voted the best of all time.
In less dramatic ways the same principle applies to all of us. A fundamental paradox of human psychology is that thinking can be bad for us. When we follow our own thoughts too closely, we can lose our bearings, as our inner chatter drowns out common sense. A study of shopping behaviour found that the less information people were given about a brand of jam, the better the choice they made. When offered details of ingredients, they got befuddled by their options and ended up choosing a jam they didn’t like.
If a rat is faced with a puzzle in which food is placed on its left 60% of the time and on the right 40% of the time, it will quickly deduce that the left side is more rewarding, and head there every time, thus achieving a 60% success rate. Young children adopt the same strategy. When Yale undergraduates play the game, they try to figure out some underlying pattern, and end up doing worse than the rat or the child. We really can be too clever for our own good.
Ian Leslie, writing in The Economist
Articles of interest about the virus & religion - May 21
/***THE VIRUS
Coronavirus infection isn't just about hygiene and distance. It's about time, too
Hong Kong controlled the coronavirus with the help of face masks. Here’s how.
How to Get Kids to Wear a Face Mask During the Pandemic
What Contact Tracing Tells Us About High-Risk Activities
***THE VIRUS AND RELIGION
Pastor dies from coronavirus after laying hands on infected followers, declaring them healed
Some evangelicals fear the 'mark of the beast' from a coronavirus vaccine
How coronavirus pandemic will alter Communion rituals for many US Christians
What’s really behind Republicans wanting a swift reopening? Evangelicals
***RELIGION
NIH chief Francis Collins wins Templeton Prize
Mel Gibson's Passion of the Christ Sequel Could Alienate Evangelicals
A new documentary reveals Jane Roe's anti-abortion pivot was "all an act"
More young adults are leaving religion, but that’s not the whole story, say researchers
Despite Bad News, Evangelical Philosophy Is Flourishing
Authorities announce forfeiture of ancient Gilgamesh tablet from Hobby Lobby's Museum of the Bible
What does an executive pastor do?
Ravi Zacharias, popular evangelical defender of the Christian faith, dies at 74
***RELIGION & THE LAW
Photo Agency Sues Evangelical Youth Pastor Over Bieber Picture
Mississippi church suing on virus restrictions burns down
***RELIGION & THE LAW
Photo Agency Sues Evangelical Youth Pastor Over Bieber Picture
Mississippi church suing on virus restrictions burns down
***DENOMINATIONS
VID-19 delayed a United Methodist schism—but it has left LGBT members in limbo
Churches leave Mennonite denomination over theology, LGBT stance
Giving advice
/It is easy when we are in prosperity to give advice to the afflicted. -Aeschylus
time to cheer
/Encourage others and cheer for them. Having an appreciation for how amazing the people around you are leads to good places – productive, fulfilling, peaceful places. So be happy for those who are making progress. Cheer for their victories. Be thankful for their blessings, openly. What goes around comes around, and sooner or later the people you’re cheering for will start cheering for you.
52 Media Job Sites
/Looking for a job in media? Here are 52 sites to check out: Media Job Sites
Articles of interest about the virus, higher ed, frauds & more - May 18
/***THE VIRUS
An expert explains how to assess risk when reconnecting with friends and family
Dying to go out to eat? Here's how viruses like Covid-19 spread in a restaurant
Dogs caught coronavirus from their owners, genetic analysis suggests
How long does coronavirus live on clothes and shoes? Here's what we know
***THE VIRUS & SCIENCE
Science communication in the age of Coronavirus (podcast)
Communicating science’s inherent uncertainty and avoiding its use as a weapon during a crisis
***FAKES & FRAUDS
How Dangerous Coronavirus Conspiracies Spread
Virus Conspiracists elevate a new champion
Manipulated images in Academia: hiding in plain sight?
Publishers launch joint effort to tackle altered images in research papers
***HIGHER ED & THE VIRUS
Coronavirus Will End the Golden Age for College Towns ($)
How the coronavirus will accelerate the dismantling of the higher education system (podcast)
Corporate Education Will Never Return To The Classroom
Colleges acceptance rates may go higher as schools start aggressively courting applicants
How 3 small colleges in turnaround mode are adapting to the pandemic
How COVID-19 is driving a long-overdue revolution in education
Universities face another challenge amid coronavirus crisis: Fewer graduate students
Leaders of historically black colleges and universities say they’ve been hit hard by virus
***COLLEGE FINANCE
These California Colleges Have the Lowest and Highest Student Loan Debt-to-Income Ratios
Coronavirus set to chop $2 billion from California higher ed — but financial aid survives
USC to raise tuition 3.5% whether classrooms reopen or not
Colleges Around The Country Are Expecting Shortfalls Despite Rich Endowments
Colleges On Life Support Face 3 Choices: Death, Merger, Or Survival
***FURLOUGHS & LAYOFFS
Faculty Cuts Begin, With Warnings of More to Come
Faculty Cuts Begin, With Warnings of More to Come
Arkansas-Little Rock Lays Off 13 Professors
***THE FALL SEMESTER
Daunting considerations beyond testing for coronavirus infection, when it comes to reopening
How Much Will Enrollment And Tuition Revenues Be Down In The Fall?
'Unrealistic' for colleges and universities to reopen this fall: Fmr. Education Secretary
Incoming students at Harvard Medical School will start fall semester online
Coronavirus Could Create a Hodgepodge of Campus Life in the Fall
Concordia Announces Fall Semester Will Take Place Online
Reopen schools when it’s safe for students, not for the convenience of adults
Poll: College students would attend class in fall even without vaccine
***HIGHER ED IN COURT
Who Is Responsible If A University Reopens And A Student Dies From Covid-19?
These two law firms have filed 28 coronavirus-related lawsuits against universities, and counting
Can students really sue colleges over online learning? Lawyers weigh in
Colleges Worry They'll Be Sued if They Reopen Campuses
NJ parents sue Maryland colleges for tuition refunds after coronavirus shut down campuses
***TEACHING ONLINE
9 Next Steps to Make Online Education More Engaging
How to survey college students about the shift online
Ideas to make your synchronous online classes more fun
Some U.S. schools are pulling the plug on distance learning
The Remote Learning Diaries: How to Turn Your Home Into an Effective Remote Learning Environment
Lessons learned: 9 takeaways from teaching online during COVID-19
Transitioning to Distance Learning: Three Tips for Teachers
I’m teaching on Zoom, and I’ve got to admit: My students are missing out
A Google body language consultant shares how to relax and be confident on Zoom
***ONLINE CHEATING
Should Students Be Monitored When Taking Online Tests?
Fourteen Simple Strategies to Reduce Cheating on Online Examinations
Student Cheating at Issue as College Board Rolls Out Online AP Exams
***CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS
A Small Religious University In West Texas Foreshadows What May Become Of Higher Education
St. Edward's University announces layoffs amid coronavirus pandemic
Campbell University students will receive private dorm rooms for upcoming school year
Betsy DeVos directs $500,000 from coronavirus relief to private college confused by some with cult
Even with season on hold, PLNU’s Hommes out to prove he belongs in the NBA
Calvin Receives $22 Million Gift to Open Business School
***CALVIN UNIVERSITY
Calvin Receives $22 Million Gift to Open Business School
Calvin University to test all students, staff for coronavirus this fall
Calvin University gathers 5,000 COVID-19 tests for students
***LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
What happened when Jerry Falwell Jr. took on journalism over COVID-19
Liberty University eliminates philosophy department
***THE HUMANITIES
A new report offers some data on the Humanities from before the pandemic
***RESEARCH
Understanding Preprints (a cartoon)
What are innovations in peer review and editorial assessment for? (opinion)
To guard against rushed and sloppy science, build pressure testing into your research
There is no black and white definition of predatory publishing
Meet this super-spotter of duplicated images in science papers
Integrity of randomized controlled trials: challenges and solutions
Rice University settles grant misuse claims for $3.7 million
Ten common statistical errors from all phases of research, and their fixes
***STUDENT MEDIA
College journalists writing the rulebook during pandemic
Senior year derailed, a high school journalist pushes toward one last deadline
***STUDENT LIFE
Quarantine class of 2020: Virtual internships surge during coronavirus pandemic
***STUDENT LIFE: FINDING JOBS
Cal State Fullerton Career Center director provides tips for finding jobs virtually
***STUDENT LIFE: SDSU
Some SDSU students locked into leases
SDSU Students Deflated By News Of An Online-Only Fall Semester
***SEXUAL HARASSMENT & ASSAULT
ACLU sues Betsy DeVos over new rules on campus sexual harassment and assault
Build yourself a great story
/How will you use your gifts? What choices will you make?
Will inertia be your guide, or will you follow your passions?
Will you follow dogma, or will you be original?
Will you choose a life of ease, or a life of service and adventure?
Will you wilt under criticism, or will you follow your convictions?
Will you bluff it out when you're wrong, or will you apologize?
Will you guard your heart against rejection, or will you act when you fall in love?
Will you play it safe, or will you be a little bit swashbuckling?
When it's tough, will you give up, or will you be relentless?
Will you be a cynic, or will you be a builder?
Will you be clever at the expense of others, or will you be kind?
I will hazard a prediction. When you are 80 years old, and in a quiet moment of reflection narrating for only yourself the most personal version of your life story, the telling that will be most compact and meaningful will be the series of choices you have made.
In the end, we are our choices.
Build yourself a great story.
Jeff Bezos, speaking to the Princeton Class of 2010 (watch the video here)
when we have lost our way
/It is an old and ironic habit of human beings to run faster when we have lost our way; and we grasp more fiercely at research, statistics, and technical aids in sex when we have lost the values and meanings of love.
Rollo May
Articles of Interest about the virus, journalism, fakes, and more - May 15
/***THE VIRUS
Scientists reveal an alarming unintended consequence of wearing masks
When Can We Expect A Coronavirus Vaccine?
Loud Talking Makes transmission of Coronavirus worse
How Skype lost its crown to Zoom
***JOURNALISM
This year’s AP Stylebook updates
U.S. drops to 45 in ranking of countries based on freedom of the press
A Guide to Photogrammetry Photography
Audio journalism is a powerful tool for stories that fall through cracks
‘Numbers alone aren’t enough’: an interview with Caroline Chen
***REPORTING ON THE VIRUS
Explanatory journalism is entering a golden age in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic
Trump supporters harassed Arizona reporters for wearing masks
Covering science at dangerous speeds
Reporting on colleges’ finances amid COVID-19: 6 tips from Moody’s Investors Service
Journalists accused of trespassing on Liberty University campus will not be prosecuted
***THE BUSINESS OF JOURNALISM
NYT reports record new subscriptions, warns of major ad losses
Quartz to Lay Off 80 Employees
***FAKES & FRAUDS
Hackers are impersonating Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet for phishing scams
American conspiracy theories are entering a dangerous new phase
UFO Conspiracy Theorists Offer 'Ascension' From Our Hell World for $333
A disgraced scientist and a viral video: how a Covid conspiracy theory started
***SOCIAL MEDIA
TikTok Boom! How the Exploding Social Media App Is Going Hollywood
Facebook will pay $52 million in settlement with moderators who developed PTSD on the job
***WRITING & READING
Two Book Startups Compete Where Amazon Won’t
For Bookstore Owners, Reopening Holds Promise and Peril
***LANGUAGE
How to use Gboard's translate feature on your iPhone to translate texts as you type them
French Linguists Conclude The Debate Over The Gender Of The Word 'COVID-19'
***LITERATURE
17 Historical Fiction Books That Will Immerse You In A Different Era
Five novels from the 19th century that will help you understand modern America better
***POETRY
Poet’s work published in Cherokee language
Corrugated Steel Shelves Line a Church-Turned-Poetry-Shop in Shanghai
The Fearless Invention of One of L.A.’s Greatest Poets
A poet's distanced farewell to his students is an anthem for the times
Beyond Meaning: Joseph Brodsky’s Poetry of Exile
Learning the Lyrics of God: How to Read the Bible’s Poetry
***PRIVACY & SECURITY
Your Boss Is Watching You: Work-From-Home Boom Leads To More Surveillance
Articles of Interest about Religion
/***RELIGION & THE VIRUS
Franklin Graham Is Taking Down His NY Hospital, but Not Going Quietly
Evangelical church leaders vow to reopen sanctuary doors early in Southern California
Why Do So Many Christians Buy Into Conspiracy Theories Like ‘Plandemic’?
Is your church going online during the pandemic? Some Privacy and Copyright Considerations
***RELIGION AND POLITICS
More Americans say Trump administration has helped evangelicals than other groups
GOP Ohio state lawmaker refuses to wear face mask because faces are the 'likeness of God'
Christian leaders Eric Metaxas, David French debate evangelicals and Trump
***RELIGION & THE LAW
Professor who wrote about killing evangelicals awarded $25k over college dismissal
Fundamentalist father told not to teach hateful beliefs to children
Judge rules in favor of stay-at-home order in church's lawsuit
Supreme Court Weighs Whether Religious Schools Can Fire Lay Workers
Church Sues Zoom After Bible Study Hacked With Pornography
***RELIGION & BUSINESS
Largest Christian Radio Company Faces Financial Crisis Due to Coronavirus Downturn
***RELIGIOUS CELEBRITIES
Megachurch pastor and author, who died of apparent 'self-inflicted gunshot wound'
Televangelist Jim Bakker is recovering from a stroke, his wife says
TV pastor Jim Bakker has a lawyer for unproven Covid-19 treatment case
Nicole C. Mullen describes being physically abused by her first husband in a new book
***DENOMINATIONS
Vote to potentially split United Methodist Church delayed due to COVID-19
There’s a new Baptist sex abuser database, but SBC action is still needed
***CATHOLICS
Newly Unsealed Vatican Archives Lay Out Evidence of Pope Pius XII's Knowledge of the Holocaust
Marin priests offer drive-up confession amid pandemic
***CONVERSION THERAPY
the right person
/Instead of focusing on the search for the right person, focus on becoming the right person.
The important Tool of Silence
/Your most important tool when a fellow human being is in distress is silence. Don’t be afraid of silence; learn to hold it. Although it may feel uncomfortable to you, it won’t to them. They’re working through painful thoughts and feelings, so don’t rush them. People will start opening up if you don’t interrupt.
Moya Sarner writing in The Guardian
a time of destruction
/In a time of destruction, create something. -Maxine Hong Kingston