Apologies for missing last week, work caught up with me and I had to prioritize other things although you're always in my thoughts dear reader. I did start writing last week, and just as late-night news trickled through of the death of Supreme Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsberg, a champion and defender of women's rights in the US. She became the first tenured female professor at Columbia Law School before moving on to the Court of Appeals and then the Supreme Court. To many, she became of symbol of the struggle for equality within the law and a voice of reason in what many consider an unfair society.
In the conversations that have taken place in our language department, and while some may see the struggle against racism centered in the American experience; it is clear talking with international students and those of us from overseas that the protests have made us reflect on racism and Black lives in our own countries or how civil unrest is handled by authorities and those in positions of power. Language is not neutral in this respect, and we need to think critically about how it is employed and talk to students about the language we see and hear in news headlines, online discussions, or interviews that codify or condone systemic racism.
This week we want to continue providing links to stories and news from around the world, useful resources, and tools that you can use in teaching & learning. If you would like to comment on the content or have something to share then we invite your contributions and responses either by hitting reply and sending us an email or through our social media channels Instagram and Twitter.
Welcome to the New World: Waking up in Trump's America is a graphic novel written and illustrated by Jake Halpern and Michael Sloan. It follows the story of the Aldabaan Family from Homs, Syria as they make their way from a Jordanian refugee camp to their new home in the US. There are two reviews, one at the Guardian and another via It's nice that - and the book is available from Bloomsbury.
People, Places, and Things
By now you will have read hundreds of articles and posts concerning teaching during the pandemic, but if you can afford the time to read one more, then this is worth it. Teaching: Tips for Helping Students Through Another Tough Semester Professors can’t control the stress students face outside of class. But they can avoid adding to it unnecessarily.
Enjoyed reading this article in FLTMag about the BU Digital Russian Poetry Project, an innovative feature of this resource is the section called GRAPHICA (visual interpretations of the poems presented in highly stylized, simplified drawings done by a graphic artist).
According to this article from Wired, Covid-19 is history's biggest translation problem and what people are doing to address the health-language gap.
I'm rationing myself to one article on immersive technologies, and this one from Engadget has some good recommendations for AR apps you can use in the classroom.
Highlighting Black Intellectuals/Artists & Cultural Agents
As part of the work of the Anti-Racist Working Group in Modern Languages, at CMU, we would like to highlight the work of Black Intellectuals/Artists/Cultural Agents throughout the world. It is not simply about the token inclusion of Black individuals, but an underlying transformation from a culture of denial and exclusion to a consideration of diverse traditions of knowledge. We know that we can’t properly teach our modules without incorporating these perspectives into the curriculum. We begin our series with the singer, poet, and writer Concha Buika.
We want to encourage you to include Concha Buika in your teaching this week, there are many aspects of her work that may be interesting to explore. You can find out more about her here and here.
On Screen
I've enjoyed this series over the years featuring actor Ewan MacGregor and his friend Charlie Boorman on their motorcycle adventures, this time they're going to travel the length of the Americas from South to North. The premise might seem a little contrite but the encounters are fascinating, and their openness as friends and travelers is engaging and at times surprising.
In an izakaya, a chef notices a group of special guests. He decides to serve them a variety of signature dishes...
Tools and Resources
Apple released the latest iOS 14 for phones and tablets, those teaching with iPads will be pleased that there are better menu and library functions, improved facilities for students and colleagues, and better performance all around.
If you're new to using an iPad for teaching, then one app that I always recommend is Explain Everything, which is more than a virtual whiteboard, but a powerful video, animation, and slideshow creator. Here's a video with a good overview and more info.
Audio tools are powerful on iPad and if you're looking to record students or direct them to apps where they can create podcasts or send audio files, Bossjock Jr, is one such app and there's an excellent video of our friend Joe Dale talking through its use in a language classroom.
This incredible image is from a series of Alexey Vasilyev’s photos of the remote Russian territory of Yakutia (also known as Sakha). Brrr.... (via Kottke.org)