I hope that you are well, and if you’re working in education, that you’re not too snowed under by the amount of work that needs to be done as we all approach the start of the academic year.
It’s around this time that I panic a little and have to be reminded that I have done this before and that the questions I have about what my students will be like, how they’ll approach the material, and whether they will engage with the subjects, will be answered, hopefully in a positive way.
I’ve spent a few days in the office running a workshop and meeting students and was at home the rest of the week preparing course syllabi. I’m a little bit behind where I should be, and already people are nibbling away at the time that I’ve set aside next to catch up. It’s, it’s not their fault at all, these are all important conversations, so I’m teasing out some availability.
What I have almost no time for at the moment is riding my bike or reading, but I managed somehow to do a bit of both. I’m reading The Underground Railroad by Colson Whiteread (affiliate link) and it is a brilliant book, riveting narrative, despite harrowing depictions of slavery and the shocking barbarity of the slave owners. I’m reading a few pages each night before I go to bed and find myself heading upstairs earlier and earlier.
I haven’t sketched or painted in a few weeks either, and there’s a dearth of photos in my stream to add to this newsletter. I need to find some more moments, but it will be a challenge. It’s all about work. Chaos propels me.
Stephan
Teaching & Learning
We ran an excellent workshop during the week, re-introducing the Global Languages & Cultures Room to colleagues in the department. It was mostly great because the attendees were such high caliber and offered so much in terms of ideas and conversation. Most had visited the room before, so we were able to skip the intro parts and jump straight to play and possibilities.
It is becoming clear that the interest is in storytelling, and I shared a few things that I saw in my travels last semester and we added some suggestions for new projects which immediately sparked ideas and some concrete proposals. There is a good understanding of the way that immersive technologies can be used to tell stories of culture and language. I’m starting to think too that academics who might not feel well served by traditional media, might see possibilities in XR. Some stories, especially those revealed through research, aren’t linear. Our understanding of history and culture can be fragmented and incomplete.
This idea of telling a story that is not fully formed, where so many pieces are missing, formed the basis of a conversation with a colleague about a project that we hope will take us on a journey; not only revealing places that our subject may have visited, but we hope, by reaching deep into the past that we can find traces of emotion, of fear, anxiety, and hope that ripple across the water from past to present.
Life Lessons
I’m working on a couple of AR projects at the moment inspired by the posters and stories produced by Amplified. We put a few of the posters up in our room and I shared the project with my colleagues who thought it was brilliant and fascinating. I think AR is often overlooked (by me) as a technology, but it is one that bridges the real world with the digital, and projects such as this can be incredibly engaging. Again, its effectiveness rests on the strength of the content. Contributors are well-chosen and the art (some of it by Sheppard Fairey) is top-notch. I’m hoping they are going to continue with the project and we’ll see more examples.
Lost and Found
Not sure what to make of this incredible architectural wonder in the Nevada desert, it took fifty years to construct, in one of the most remote and inhospitable places on earth.
I’m very interested in seeing this unusual documentary about ‘Brandon Lee’ the thirty-year-old who somehow fooled teachers into thinking he was a regular pupil, attending school in Glasgow. It’s unusual because Brandon refused to be on camera, so his words are lipsynced by the actor Alan Cumming.
I’m very worried about how the cost of energy, along with food and high petrol prices will affect people back in the UK. Small businesses are closing down and many millions are suffering already. There is food poverty, children are not getting meals and families are making choices between food or heating. There is talk about this here in the states too, and the winter will be especially harsh. I wish this was the issue that might drive people to the polls, to vote for those who are thinking about ways to ease that suffering, rather than serve themselves.
Finally, I stopped to read this article about how isolation and loneliness may cause heart disease and stroke, especially in so-called Gen Z 18-22-year-olds who are active in social media but struggle to form friendships and participate in IRL social activities. I also read an article (but I can’t find it anywhere) that looked at research that Gen Z’s are also risk averse and don’t drink nearly as much as their elders. The article suggested that while adopting healthier lifestyles is obviously a good thing, they are “old before their time” and missing out on certain life experiences (I don’t think they meant being sick in alleyways), rather than traveling, meeting people, and doing stupid stuff, which is all part of growing up.
Thank you
Okay, if I get this all done in the next few minutes then I can go for a bike ride. I’ll try and record the audio version of this newsletter too and load it in. Unfortunately, substack doesn’t tell me how many of you had a listen to last week’s newsletter, and I’d be interested to know, leave me a like or comment if you did. I really want to know what you think. Is it too rough and ready? Should it be polished up a bit, let me know.
We have a weekend of soccer tournaments ahead of us, the weather looks good and I’ll cover myself in sunscreen and find a hat. My eldest spent the week at tryouts and it sounded like an ordeal akin to BootCamp. His legs are aching, but he got into the team he wanted, so he’s happy. He seems to cope, and I’m the one that is squeamish, I have a strong dislike of shouty coaches.
Thank you for reading and listening, take care.
See you next week.