Teachers' Corner: Professional Development
Our library has a great collection of books for teachers. During the school year, we will present one or two at a time at the All Staff Assemblies. All our suggestions will also be shown here - for inspiration. The idea is to spread a culture of reading both for pleasure and for professional development among students and staff alike!
Irresistible, The Rise of Addictive Technology and the Business of Keeping Us Hooked, by Adam Alter
The major difference to "traditional" substance addiction lies in the therapy, not in the behaviour itself. One can treat drug addictions or alcoholism by encouraging abstinence, but most behaviour addictions need to be changed into controlled consumption rather than avoidance. We need technology to some extent, and learning how to control it must therefore be part of our education.
This book offers an overview of some of the temptations that trigger addiction, including cliffhanger sequences, positive feedback loops and social interaction. Being knowledgeable about what happens in our brains when we engage in internet consumption is a crucial tool for prevention. |
“It’s hard to exaggerate how much the “like” button changed the psychology of Facebook use. What had begun as a passive way to track your friends’ lives was now deeply interactive, and with exactly the sort of unpredictable feedback that motivated Zeiler’s pigeons. Users were gambling every time they shared a photo, web link, or status update. A post with zero likes wasn’t just privately painful, but also a kind of public condemnation: either you didn’t have enough online friends, or, worse still, your online friends weren’t impressed. Like pigeons, we’re more driven to seek feedback when it isn’t guaranteed.”
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The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone, by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett
A well researched and comprehensive study including most developed democracies, The Spirit Level shows clear evidence that equal societies do better overall on health, education, and general safety and wellbeing. The two authors have analysed and compared data to highlight the effect of equality on all parts of a community, not just the poor.
In a more competitive, unequal society, stress-related issues and anxiety affect the wealthy to a higher extent than in a more equal society as well. Food for thought, and for action. |
Why is it relevant for teachers?
"New developments in neurology provide biological explanations for how our learning is affected by our feelings." "We learn best in stimulating environments when we feel sure we can succeed." |
Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari
"Large numbers of strangers can cooperate successfully by believing in common myths. Any large-scale human cooperation – whether a modern state, a medieval church, an ancient city or an archaic tribe – is rooted in common myths that exist only in people’s collective imagination." Yuval Noah Harari |
In his provocative account of human development over time, Harari creates a narrative that is both compelling and thought-provoking. Humans, he argues, distinguish themselves by their ability to create and maintain myths, by their power to unify large populations through the imaginative stories they invent.
From early hunter gatherer communities in Africa, over the cognitive and agricultural revolution, to the great empires and finally to our overpowering technological mastery of the environment, he illustrates his premise by creating his own unifying narrative. And it is not over yet. For humankind has gained the creative power to destroy itself and the world. What narratives are we going to following into the future? |
How Democracies Die, What History Reveals About Our Future
Klaus Schwab, The Fourth Industrial Revolution
"Hence, conversations among educators and developers about the ethical standards that should apply to emerging technologies of the fourth industrial revolution are urgently needed to establish common ethical guidelines and embed them in society and culture."
Klaus Schwab |
It is interesting to read an appeal to educators in a book by the founder of the World Economic Forum in Davos. After describing the massive paradigm shifts that we are currently experiencing due to what Klaus Schwab calls the fourth industrial revolution, he admits that we are facing difficult responsibilities which cannot be solved by the ever advancing technologies alone. In order to make the era of machine learning and artificial intelligence fruitful rather than disastrous for humankind, international treaties are needed, but they are insufficient - as they tend to lag behind the technological status quo.
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A provocative and inspiring look at the future of humanity and science from world-renowned scientist and bestselling author Martin Rees
Humanity has reached a critical moment. Our world is unsettled and rapidly changing, and we face existential risks over the next century. Various outcomes—good and bad—are possible. Yet our approach to the future is characterized by short-term thinking, polarising debates, alarmist rhetoric, and pessimism. In this short, exhilarating book, renowned scientist and bestselling author Martin Rees argues that humanity’s prospects depend on our taking a very different approach to planning for tomorrow. |
Focus on the Reading Brain - Maryanne Wolf
Maryanne Wolf has spent decades researching the reading brain, and the changes that occur when we learn to read and to discover the parallel universe of fiction. Reading is an acquired skill, and if we don't use it, we will lose some of our capability. In her two ground-breaking books, Maryanne Wolf shows the importance of continuing to read in an increasingly digital world. She makes a strong case for a biliterate brain: one that can move easily between different media. Deep reading for pleasure has been on decline since the advent of the internet and smartphones, but it has a vital function in the development of empathy, concentration and social skills.
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“When we pass over into how a knight thinks, how a heroine behaves, and how an evildoer can regret or deny wrongdoing, we never come back quite the same; sometimes we're inspired, sometimes saddened, but we are always enriched. Through this exposure we learn both the commonality and the uniqueness of our own thoughts -- that we are individuals, but not alone.”
― Maryanne Wolf (Proust and the Squid)
― Maryanne Wolf (Proust and the Squid)