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shirlleycoyle · 5 years

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Netflix’s ‘The Great Hack’ Misses The Big Picture

“Who has seen an ad that has convinced you that your microphone is listening to your conversations?” David Carroll asks his students at the beginning of The Great Hack, Netflix’s new documentary about data privacy and online disinformation. Carroll chuckles nervously as almost every hand in the classroom shoots up.

The response is unsettling, but maybe not so surprising—a fitting introduction to a story about Cambridge Analytica, the now-infamous firm that provided the Trump campaign with ad-targeting data during the 2016 election. The company, as we now know, scraped Facebook quiz data to construct millions of psychographic profiles, which it then used to hyper-target voters with custom-made campaign ads. As whistleblower Christopher Wylie succinctly puts it later in the film, Cambridge Analytica isn’t a data science firm, but a “full-service propaganda machine.”

But while The Great Hack’s narrative about privacy and information warfare will be eye-opening to many, it largely fails to illustrate the bigger picture. The real “great hack” isn’t Cambridge’s ill-gotten data or Facebook’s failure to protect it. It’s the entire business model of Silicon Valley, which has incentivized the use of personal data to manipulate human behavior on a massive scale.

A few years before anyone had heard the name Cambridge Analytica, former Harvard Business School professor Shoshana Zuboff coined a term for this phenomenon: Surveillance Capitalism. As she defines it, Surveillance Capitalism is an economic “logic of accumulation” that involves extracting personal data in often-unrecognizable ways, creating “new markets for behavioral prediction, modification, and control” that exploit this data as its primary resource.

In other words, it’s the entire M.O. of companies like Facebook and Google, which depend on users providing a constant stream of photos, likes, and other useful data that can be used to map relationships, measure emotional responses, and yes, serve ads. And when it comes to ads, the holy grail of advertising is having the ability to predict peoples’ behavior—and thus, manipulate it.

Consider this quote from Zuboff’s 2015 paper, which is attributed to an anonymous data scientist at an unnamed Silicon Valley company:

“The goal of everything we do is to change people’s actual behavior at scale. When people use our app, we can capture their behaviors, identify good and bad behaviors, and develop ways to reward the good and punish the bad. We can test how actionable our cues are for them and how profitable for us.”

As a writer and educator who has covered privacy for over a decade, I consider this quote the perfect summation of the Silicon Valley mindset. It’s my go-to reference when someone tells me that they’re creeped out by government surveillance, but totally fine with corporations like Amazon and Facebook collecting their data. Nefarious government programs like face recognition and predictive policing don’t just come out of the ether. They are an inevitable consequence of a system that incentivizes the endless accumulation of data for profit, which in turn fuels the machinery of government surveillance that is frequently wielded against immigrants, activists, and other marginalized groups.

When Cambridge Analytica came under the media spotlight, I hoped that maybe it would start a conversation about the surveillance industrial complex and the underlying capitalist structures that drive it. But The Great Hack focuses most of its running time on dissecting the symptoms: Specifically, how a company came to possess the terrifying power to sway elections, and how Facebook failed to stop it.

In one sequence, Brittany Kaiser, a dubiously-motivated former Cambridge executive and one of the film’s main subjects, explains how the company’s propaganda machine worked. It would first target “persuadables,” people whose psychographic profiles suggested they were open to suggestion. Once their specific triggers were identified, content was tailor-made to target their deepest fears and insecurities. “We bombarded them with ads,” Kaiser says in a voice-over, “until they saw the world the way we wanted them to. Until they voted for our candidate.”

The Great Hack / Netflix

Naturally, the film’s main antagonist is Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix. He’s an undeniably sketchy dude, and the film shows him giving statements that are later contradicted by Kaiser and others, dodging media questions, and caught on hidden camera bragging about his conquests—including offering to use sex workers to entrap and discredit political opponents. We watch him squirm in hearings before the UK Parliament, where he is grilled about how his company’s manipulations scored victories for both the Trump campaign and the far-right Brexiteers, who first set in motion the U.K.’s tortuous departure from the European Union.

We then see brief clips of members of Congress tsk-tsk’ing Mark Zuckerberg about Facebook’s failure to prevent the whole debacle—to which Zuckerberg offers his standard, now-meaningless lines about being “very sorry” and promising to “do better.” But unlike Nix, the film seems to assume some amount of good faith in Zuckerberg, and in the tech industry as a whole.

In one scene toward the end of the film, Guardian journalist Carole Cadwalladr, who reported heavily on the Cambridge Analytica story, takes to the TED stage to confront Zuckerberg, Jack Dorsey, and other tech leaders. Addressing “the gods of Silicon Valley,” she pleads with them to consider the harm they’ve done, and change their ways for the sake of democracy.

“This technology that you have invented has been amazing, but now it’s a crime scene, and you have the evidence,” says Cadwalladr. “And it’s not enough to say that you will do better in the future.”

The clip is intended as an empowering moment. We see a journalist speak truth to power and demand accountability from the tech platforms that mediate our world. But Cadwalladr doesn’t seem to consider that Silicon Valley titans like Zuckerberg—now a veteran of countless privacy scandals and subsequent apology tours—simply don’t care.

Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission hit Facebook with a $5 billion fine for a long history of privacy violations dating back to 2010. While unprecedented, the “punishment” was actually a great deal for the company, which made roughly four times that amount in revenue last quarter. When the judgement was announced, Facebook’s stock price didn’t even take a dent—it actually went up.

Even better for Facebook, the fine effectively absolved the company and its executives for nearly a decade’s worth of privacy debacles and deceptive practices—including allowing Cambridge Analytica to harvest data from 87 million people.

Surveillance Capitalism is the business model of Silicon Valley. If endless accumulation of data is the central logic of the industry, can we really expect anything to meaningfully change? Instead of asking how Facebook should be punished, shouldn’t be asking whether Facebook should exist at all?

At the conclusion of The Great Hack, it’s ironically Julian Wheatland, Cambridge Analytica’s former CEO, who touches on what should be the film’s central tragedy: that this whole disaster was hard-coded into the very system that gave birth to modern day Silicon Valley in the first place.

“There was always going to be a Cambridge Analytica,” he confesses to the camera. “It just sucks for me it was Cambridge Analytica.”

Netflix’s ‘The Great Hack’ Misses The Big Picture syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

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automatismoateo · 4 years

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Praying isn't gonna stop wars. It never has. More people have been killed in the name of God than have been saved by him or because of him. via /r/atheism

Submitted January 08, 2020 at 02:53AM by saman65 (Via reddit https://ift.tt/37N7Owa) Praying isn't gonna stop wars. It never has. More people have been killed in the name of God than have been saved by him or because of him.

Wasn't sure where to post this. But I had to get it out. I just saw #Prayforpeace trending on twitter and thought shit, every f ing time. I picked this sub because I think the topic is related to religion just as it is political and I needed a forum where people are more ciritical thinkers than politicially biased.

This is a long one. Read if you care enough. I’m not promising to say something outrageous. Just what I think, have seen and know.

Iran is a complex country, as I’m sure most countries are. There is this great video I recommend you all to watch it from this Amazing American dude who travels all around the world! Give it a chance!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TWNXneUrMY&t=1s

I can go into how we were happily living under a secular democratic system for a short period of time after centuries of having a Kingdom and a dictator to rule us. I always wonder what could we achieve if we didn’t have oil, if Musaddegh wasn’t as hounrable as he was and would have become a friend to the west, negotiating on a deal that would have worked for both sides, even more for the US. I have pride but I would have wanted a good relation with the west even if that meant selling out your assets/resources to a foreign nation for cheaper because the alternative has been misery for the majority of Iranians, especially in the last 15 years.

What I know is that we had a secular system, with laws based on humanity and ethics not some guy from 1400 years ago who wasn’t even a Persian. Musaddegh didn’t sell out, he was toppled, Shah was installed. Shah did great things economically which in itself is a whole story but there were still many people living in poverty who didn’t like Shah living lavishly like a KING when they could barely afford a roof over their head.

He also oppressed religious minorities to some extent, banned headscarfs and persecuted activists. Anyhow he fucked up and people believed fell for right wing promise of a religious (and secular at the same time!) Mulla revolution that will bring oil money to everyone’s table, people, not only the ones in charge!

People believed in him, Khomeini, and it turned out his promise was a lie. The opposite happened. Almost no one except the people in charge has seen any of that oil money in the past 4 decades

I come from a small town where all schools, hospital, roads, pipeline, and basically every bit of infrastructure are built by donations from a few wealthy and generous people we have.

Some facts that are barely discussed in English speaking forums. Like how 80-90% of people working for the regime and more important politicians have dual nationalities along with their spouses and kids. MANY from the US and Europe.

Ali Larijani who is the speaker of the Parliment, very anti American(politics)and also happens to also be the Leader Khamenei’s son in Law, has a daughter who lives on Ohio and has finished her medical school there. So you see in the case of a war, almost none of them are gonna get hurt. Their families will be out of Iran in matter of days.

On the recent news and incident.

I have not seen many people, in anyone in the west describing the situation in Iran correctly. Why? Well one because they are right to not believe the MSM and government’s narrative but none are talking to actual Iranians directly, neither pro Trump nor anti war people in the west.

Don't take me and my stats for my word. What I have said or am saying could be asked from any Iranian. You can find hundreds of us on social media and more than a few of them know how to communicate basic messages in English. Just talk to them. I would suggest visiting our country to get the truth but at this time I don’t recommend it at all( unless you are an activist ) but it is still risky because you can’t really report the whole truth from there. The government would only allow half of it( the part people being angry at the west, not the entire reality and the majority being angry toward the government)

Pro government people are mourning his death and anti government people ( the majority) are not. I can't say what percentages of Iranians are unhappy with the government but I know for a fact that we are in the majority, well over 70% if you ask me. Among the younger generation, which are the majority of Iranians that number is well above 90%.

If these numbers seem irrational and unrealistic, well ask yourself or look up and read the US's congress and Senate's approval rating. It isn't any better.

The anti government portion is more worry of the possibility of a war because they don't wanna die for a system they despise while pro government people are expecting demand a retaliation.

98% of people in the west are looking at this as it is a black or white situation while this couldn't be any more gray.

Soleimani was fighting isis in Iraq( in itself a good thing ) in a war that again, the majority of Iranians don't support. Iran’s alliance in Syria is of a diplomatic nature not based on humanity or saving people from isis or whatever.

Soleimani was also the guy in charge of repressing anti government protest in Iran for decades, including 2008 uprising over a rigged election ( it was actually funny how rigged it was but they still got away with it). Thousands of protesters were gunned down under his command. The protests about three months ago also resulted in over 500 death . The sad part is both the left, right nor independent channels I watch and follow really reported on this topic.

If a war breaks out, the true victims of this situation are without a doubt the majority of Iranins, getting screwed by both the Iranian regime and US government, just as we are now.

The sanctions don’t hurt the rich or the government. It hurts the middle class and poor which consist the majority of Iranians.

Living expense has increased 3,4 folds, while waging the same or doubling at max. Property value/rent has risen almost anywhere from 5-10 times ( in response to our currency tanking over sanctions Hence the poor has become extremely poor and the middle class has become poor while the wealthy which owns property and materials like cars have become millionaires and extra wealthy even wealthier!

The cheapest (one of the shittiest available) car made in Iran, Kia Pride, (a newer version an old Kia Pride model) goes for 70 M toman brand new. The same car was 6 million a decade ago. I remember it being 6 million since I was a kid and …. That’s where we are after 10 years of sanctions.

Ok I will end this rant now

Neither pro war nor anti war people in the US are right on their report of the situation.

pro war people:

Soleimani is bad (true but not for the reason they say.)

Iran government bad(true, but is US government doing anyone any good?)

95% want government gone( not really that high. Unfortunately US's response and actions has given government more support no matter how much they suck. Trump killing Soleimani this way pushes people who are in the middle to the government’s side. So will a war. Saddam’s invasion with West’s “go ahead and blessing” only made the recently won revolution more popular, so will a war waged against a despised regime and forcing people to fight for a system that has oppressed them all their life, taking away the basic freedom and choices a human deserves.

I’d like to believe the regime doesn’t have more than 20% support but I don’t have a number on that. It is hard to conduct independent surveys with the limited freedoms of speech and press we have. if you live among Iranians, it won’t take you more than a week to realize the majority want a total reform.

-90% would love us to bomb them!(false). Like I said, the Iranian civilians will pay the highest cost for that war. Looking at our neighbors, they don’t seem to be better off than they were before US’s invasion.

Anti war people:

-Soleimani was good(false. Fighting isis doesn't make him a good guy! He wasn't fighting them to defend his people, for a good cause even though he believed that. Iran’s fight against ISIS has nothing to do with what the majority of Iranians wanted).

-Iran government good: (false) Not all of them are pushing this narrative. Secular talk and Kim Iverson on youtube have both correctly reported that Iranians are very unhappy with their government. Yet 95% of the left, anti war voices on the right and independents who are calling out Trump on this ignore this part. I know why they are doing it though. One you agree with the CIA’s talking point that X is a bad guy, then they say “well we have to do something about it don’t we?” and many people with good intentions would think that’s the right thing to do! Manufacturing conset I suppose it is called. Or maybe I’m wrong. But in this case, the bad guy is really bad! I’m upset they don’t say it but what I care more is me, my relatives and my compatriots not getting bombed. So I’m thankful to every anti war voice on the left, right and independent, even if they are reporting what goes on inside Iran not accurately.

-The majority don't want a war(true!) I don’t think this needs an explanation.

I'm personally not saddened even for a bit over Soleimani’s death news, but the possibility of a war has made me quit worry. I’ve always been afraid of war. Not dying in it but surviving it while many of the people I know and care for don't.

My number are my opinions and what I perceive. I encourage everyone to their own research on the things they can find online and talk to Iranians, the one who live in Iran, if you want to know how they feel about this situation! You will find many people angry at the government who would love anything, including a war, as oppose to the current situation but the majority don't want a war.

I’d like to leave it with a positive note which is a fact. Americans are probably the most liked(more like adored!) nationality for Iranians. Again I encourage all you to watch Peters video on Iran. Take his word for it not mine

For me personally, the most welcoming and warm people I have met in my life have been Americans and I have lived a few countries.

This war isn’t between us, the people, but sadly it is us who have to fight the wars. Praying and asking God to help isn't gonna do shit. Speaking to each other, believing in ourseleves, it can make a difference.

Forgive my grammar,spelling and poor writing skills.

Peace.

#reddit

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trendingnewsb · 6 years

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39 of the best celebrity responses to Keaton Jones’ powerful video about bullying.

Last week, a Tennessee woman named Kimberly Jones posted a video of her son Keaton online. It went mega-viral.

The video, which has been viewed on Facebook more than 20 million times since posting, shows Keaton in tears over being bullied at school. There’s a sense of despair and helplessness in his voice that no child should have to feel, but too many have.

“Just out of curiosity, why do they bully?” a distraught Keaton asks his mom. “What’s the point of it? Why do they find joy in taking innocent people and finding a way to be mean to them?”

This is Keaton Jones, he lives in Knoxville and he has a little something to say about bullying.http://pic.twitter.com/coyQxFp33V

— Everything TN (@Everything_TN) December 9, 2017

The video clearly resonated with people — some who have been bullied, some who have been the bully — and within hours, words of support began to roll in from around the world, including some notes from some high profile people.

Hollywood has Keaton’s back.

Avengers Chris Evans and Mark Ruffalo came up big for the little guy.

Stay strong, Keaton. Don’t let them make you turn cold. I promise it gets better. While those punks at your school are deciding what kind of people they want to be in this world, how would you and your mom like to come to the Avengers premiere in LA next year? https://t.co/s1QwCQ3toi

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) December 10, 2017

Little buddy, I was bullied when I was a kid. You are right #ItGetsBetter! You are my own personal super hero. Protect Yo Heart. You got a pal in the Hulk. https://t.co/fRTAENcmV4

— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) December 10, 2017

As did Eleven from “Stranger Things,” offering her friendship.

Keaton, this is so accurate. Why do people do this? I think your sooo cool Keaton! I wanna be your friend ( but srsly) ur freakin awesome ❤️ https://t.co/LD7Q762bL9

— Millie Bobby Brown (@milliebbrown) December 9, 2017

The delightful Tom Cavanagh of “The Flash” voiced his support for Jones and against bullies everywhere.

Hey Keaton We here on “The Flash” are on your side – and against bullies everywhere.⚡️ #TheFlash @CW_TheFlash #StandWithKeaton https://t.co/svn8FTZmaT

— Tom Cavanagh (@CavanaghTom) December 11, 2017

Same with Beth Behrs of “Two Broke Girls.”

Keaton Jones you are amazing. So brave and strong and a beautiful human! Sending love from California! https://t.co/AALuA27r0Z

— Beth Behrs (@BethBehrs) December 10, 2017

He got some love from members of “The Walking Dead” cast.

Hey #KeatonJones Just saw your video about the tough time you’re going through. Not sure if you’re a Walking Dead fan but if it happens that you are then please be in touch as I would love to see you and your family @WalkrStalkrCon show in Nashville next year. On me. X

— Tom Payne (@justanactor) December 10, 2017

My dude. Lotta folks got your back. Me included. I’ll come down and have a chat with anybody getting on your nerves. You’re awesome my man. Be strong. Always. You will win because you are the better man. Believe that. Xojd

— Jeffrey Dean Morgan (@JDMorgan) December 10, 2017

Even Gaston and LeFou (a couple of fiction’s most famous bullies) weren’t having it.

I was bullied my whole childhood. Bullying makes me sick. Keaton, it will get better. I promise. These bullies will be a story you will tell one day when you are big and strong and mightier than all of them. https://t.co/8yEqalWfHd

— Luke Evans (@TheRealLukevans) December 10, 2017

This is my message for Keaton. Love you buddy http://pic.twitter.com/pdYK5E7JRk

— Josh Gad (@joshgad) December 10, 2017

Broadway star Ben Platt offered a few words of support.

Keaton- your vulnerability, honesty and emotional intelligence already show how much more powerful, valuable, unique and human you are than any of the bullies you talked about. I have no doubt it will get better and we will all do our part to make sure it does. We love you. https://t.co/JN9hCU49pY

— Ben Platt (@BenSPLATT) December 10, 2017

And so did voice actors Susan Eisenberg and Kevin Conroy, who provided the voices for Wonder Woman and Batman, respectively, on the animated “Justice League” TV show.

Stay strong, Keaton… You are not alone!! #KeatonJones #StopBullying http://pic.twitter.com/ASTUxPlgD4

— Susan Eisenberg (@susaneisenberg1) December 10, 2017

Keaton you are not alone. Please believe that it gets better in time. Bullies are really very weak and not worthy of your tears. I was bullied and grew up to play Batman, how cool is that?! https://t.co/wVWj7PkqLe

— Kevin Conroy (@RealKevinConroy) December 10, 2017

“Coco” director Lee Unkrich and “Ghostbusters” mastermind Paul Feig stepped up.

.@Lakyn_jones Hi! I directed Coco and Toy Story 3. If Keaton ever wants to visit Pixar, he has an open invitation! http://pic.twitter.com/Xv43RONyDr

— Lee Unkrich (@leeunkrich) December 11, 2017

Keaton, you are an amazing kid, a beautiful unique person. You are one thousand times better than any bully. You are right that it will get better one day. You will thrive. Keep learning, stay positive, laugh at how small-minded they are & keep being yourself. @STOMPOutBullyng https://t.co/1rjbarEYDO

— Paul Feig (@paulfeig) December 11, 2017

Some of the biggest stars in professional sports showed up, as well.

LeBron James called bullies “straight up wack, corny, cowards, chumps.”

Damn right! Bullies are straight up wack, corny, cowards, chumps, etc, etc! Keaton keep your head up buddy and push forward! You’re the best https://t.co/pqDgay77l9

— LeBron James (@KingJames) December 11, 2017

Cubs slugger Anthony Rizzo and Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen both offered words of kindness and comfort.

Keaton,U are not ugly, U are amazing. U r my hero for sharing ur story & continuing the conversation about the harm of bullying.Stay Strong! https://t.co/HaO2NqP4SP

— Anthony Rizzo (@ARizzo44) December 11, 2017

This breaks my heart. I stand with you Keaton. You are 1 million times stronger than those bullies. https://t.co/XmGwVYLUjF

— andrew mccutchen (@TheCUTCH22) December 10, 2017

Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Bernard Blake urged Jones to “never be ashamed of who you are.” Former NFL star Antonio Cromartie stepped in to say that bullies are often just insecure about themselves, asking him to be strong.

Keaton I, along with my @CSUFootball and @packers brothers wanted you to know that we stand against bullying. @Lakyn_Jones #StandWithKeaton http://pic.twitter.com/qReeMlDp71

— Bernard Blake (@BamBam_Blake23) December 10, 2017

Keaton you are a handsome young man who is made in the image God. The kids that bully you are very insecure about themselves. And it’s a shame that the parents of those kids won’t be accountable for their kids actions. Keaton Jones I’m here for you buddy. Be Strong young man

— ANTONIO CROMARTIE (@CRO31) December 10, 2017

Former NFL wide receiver Donté Stallworth urged caution for people suggesting that the bullies be confronted with hostility, asking people who really want to make a difference to try to do it through lessons of love.

We all know kids can be little shits at times—especially when it’s a group of them. We have to teach them to be better people as well through love and leading by example. They are kids, they can change their behavior through love.

— Donté Stallworth (@DonteStallworth) December 9, 2017

“Bullying is bullshit,” summed up World Cup champion Ali Krieger. “We need to start coming together, supporting each other and most importantly, standing up for beautiful kids in this world like Keaton.”

This brings tears to my eyes..bullying is bullshit! We need to start coming together, supporting each other and most importantly, standing up for beautiful kids in this world like Keaton. https://t.co/PxGHusq0Dp

— Ali Krieger (@alikrieger) December 11, 2017

Similarly, the music world had words of encouragement and support for Jones.

Demi Lovato predicted that Jones would come out of this experience much stronger than he entered it. Enrique Iglesias called the video “heartbreaking.”

I #StandwithKeaton. Keaton baby, just know you’re not alone. There are so many people who come out of bullying so much stronger and you will be one of them!! God bless you sweetheart. https://t.co/LdCAy2lDHu

— Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) December 11, 2017

Heartbreaking to see this. Keaton you’re strong to say these things and care so much for others. #TeamKeaton https://t.co/hgp0ehnn8Y

— Enrique Iglesias (@enriqueiglesias) December 10, 2017

“This extremely raw and real moment has brought hope and truth to so many people,” wrote Kevin Jonas. Nickelback called Jones “a brave young man,” asking if there was anything the band could do for them.

Keaton jones you are a hero. This extremely raw and real moment has brought hope and truth to so many people. Be you and be forever fearless. Never give up. You are loved!

— kevin jonas (@kevinjonas) December 10, 2017

“Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.” Stay strong Keaton, you’re a very brave young man and a lot of great folks have your back. @Lakyn_Jones if there is anything we can do for Keaton, please let us know. #StandWithKeaton #StopBullying

— Nickelback (@Nickelback) December 11, 2017

Justin Bieber and Snoop Dogg posted words of support on Instagram. “The fact that he still has the sympathy and compassion for other people when he’s going through it himself is a testament to who he is,” said Bieber.

A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on Dec 10, 2017 at 7:20pm PST

Say lil Man U gotta friend in me for life hit me on dm so we can chop it up love is the only way to beat hate 👊🏾☝🏾

A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) on Dec 10, 2017 at 7:50am PST

Anti-bullying activists, models, and YouTube sensations all got in on the act as well.

Monica Lewinsky offered a few kind words, saying that she’s sorry Jones is being treated this way, saying that other kids “would be lucky to be friends with [Jones].”

keaton, i’m so sorry you’re being treated this way. you don’t deserve one ounce of this pain. they would be 💫lucky💫 to be friends with you. it’ll get better. #KeatonJones #KeatonJonesIsAwesome https://t.co/IZoJQ60eY2

— Monica Lewinsky (@MonicaLewinsky) December 10, 2017

Model Mia Kang said Jones is her “absolute hero,” offering to fly out and visit him at school for lunch.

Keaton Jones you are an absolute hero. Anyone know how I can get in touch with this kid? I’ll fly out n have lunch with him at school any day. https://t.co/FmTqdvh8hK

— Mia Kang (@MissMiaKang) December 10, 2017

Logan Paul offered to chat with Jones on FaceTime and send some gear his way.

Hey @Lakyn_Jones I messaged your mother yesterday about Keaton… send me a DM, let’s get me on a FaceTime with Keaton and get him some Maverick gear 🤗

— Logan Paul (@LoganPaul) December 11, 2017

Politicians across the political spectrum offered words of kindness and courage.

Senator Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) thanked the young man for his courage, and Representative Joe Kennedy III (D-Massachusetts) asked others to look to Jones as a positive example.

Keaton, I know Tennesseans and people across our country join me in saying thank you for your courage. Bullying isn’t acceptable, especially in our schools. We’re all with you! #StandWithKeaton

— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) December 11, 2017

We can all learn from Keaton Jones. #StandWithKeaton #StopBullying https://t.co/VkiN5cMWCO

— Rep. Joe Kennedy III (@RepJoeKennedy) December 11, 2017

Responding to an offer from UFC head Dana White to visit the organization’s headquarters, Donald Trump Jr. offered the Jones family a place to stay. Jane O’Meara Sanders of the Sanders Institute urged action over platitudes, calling on the country to “stand up to bullies — in our schools and communities, on social media and in politics and the White House.”

This boy is incredibly brave and the video really got to me. @danawhite, If he takes you up on your offer to see UFC Headquarters, I would be honored to host him and his family at our place if they need somewhere to stay. https://t.co/EWx05o0yI0

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 11, 2017

💔 It will only “get better someday” if we ALL stand up to bullies – in our schools & communities, on social media & in politics & the White House. Keaton & every other child, teen & adult deserves to be defended against aggression. Please speak up. 💔 https://t.co/JCMPsaBjMd

— Jane O’Meara Sanders (@janeosanders) December 10, 2017

Media personalities joined the chorus with offers of support and workplace tours.

Jemele Hill and Sean Hannity offered Jones and his family tours of ESPN and Fox News, respectively. NBC’s Stephanie Ruhle pointed to Jones as a motivation for a more honest, brave, and kind world.

Hey Keaton, unfortunately you aren’t alone. A lot of kids are bullied, but they will be so uplifted by your courage. You’re a hero, young man. You are treasured and valued. Let me know if you’d ever like to visit ESPN. You can be my special guest. https://t.co/N8mkUTYnEy

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) December 11, 2017

If someone can get to me the name of the school, the principal, school board members i will gladly make the calls myself and fix this. Also if anyone knows Keaton and his parents, i will gladly fly them to NYC to be my guest & visit Fox News. https://t.co/uFyp2r2Yn7

— Sean Hannity (@seanhannity) December 10, 2017

At a time when hate wants to reign supreme, let #KeatonJones be our #mondaymotivation – be honest, be brave & be kind. Have a great day at school Keaton! #yougotthis

— Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) December 11, 2017

HLN’s S.E. Cupp shared a story about being bullied as a child, saying, “It’s got nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.” Sunny Hostin, from “The View,” ended with a reminder that “being different makes you special.”

Keaton buddy, I was bullied just like you. It’s got nothing to do with you and everything to do with them. We love you, little man. Your squad’s BETTER than theirs! 👍🏻💪🏻😘 https://t.co/Z4U0soTCcT

— S.E. Cupp (@secupp) December 10, 2017

The bullies are the problem Keaton. Not you. Always remember being different makes you special. @Everything_TN https://t.co/K9VBbrYSQx

— Sunny Hostin (@sunny) December 10, 2017

It’s wonderful to see so many people, from so many backgrounds, come together in support of this one boy.

It’s worth remembering, however, that he’s not the only child in the world being bullied.

According to StopBullying.gov, 28% of U.S. students in grades 6 through12 have experienced bullying. 30% of students have admitted to being a bully to others. School bullying creates a hostile environment not conducive to learning and puts students’ physical, emotional, and mental health at risk.

If Keaton Jones’ story inspired you to take action, check out the StopBullying prevention toolkits for students, parents, teachers, and community members.

Read more: http://ift.tt/2AdMv6B

from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2zUwbqq via Viral News HQ

#IFTTT #Viral News HQ

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piecesofstardust · 6 years

Text

Tech Activist: Superhero-in-Training

I had the amazing opportunity to give the Sunday Spotlight talk at #VSTE17 this year. Here’s the transcript.

Hello, my name is Kim Wilkens and I’m a tech activist. I wasn’t always a tech activist. I used to just really like tech and I worked in tech, but I didn’t see a need to “fix” anything or advocate for change. Let me tell you a story.

I have always loved tech. It started with the TRS-80 my dad brought home when I was in high school. Sure, the games were fun, but I was never as good as my brother at those. What got me excited was learning BASIC programming and being able to type my papers faster than anybody else I knew. I started college as a math major. I happened to take an intro to computer science course as an elective and I fell in love with being able to take control of a computer and make it do my bidding.

I started working at IBM as a co-op during college and then was hired after graduation. I was a very ambitious young woman and very early in my career I started looking for opportunities to get into management. I was lucky to find a female mentor who took me under her wing and helped get on the first rung of the corporate ladder.

In 1998, I had my son. My grand plan was be back at work after my 6-week leave, but all did not go as planned. Then we moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, I quit my job to stay at home and I became a freelance test and web design consultant.

I feel like I literally stumbled into teaching. My best friend got a gig for me setting up a computer lab at her school, then the principal there encouraged me to teach technology. I’m still not sure why I said yes or why he offered a completely untrained person the job, but I fell in love with my new vocation, especially working with middle school students.

So no, I wasn’t always a tech activist. I used to just really like tech and I worked in tech, but I didn’t see a need to “fix” anything or advocate for change. That was until I went to the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing conference. Like many of you coming to VSTE, I went there to learn about the latest tools and curricula in technology education to bring back to my school. I did learn about those things, but I also learned about a very disturbing trend in computer science education and technology careers. Can you guess what it was?

It’s that number right there. That number has haunted me since I heard it. See, I naively thought that things were probably looking up for women in technology. But instead, I learned that when I was in college was the height of women studying computer science – 37%. In 2010, the year I went to that conference, women represented just 18% of computer science graduates! And as if that wasn’t enough, I learned that pay is still unequal and that high-value and high-income jobs in the tech sector are still mostly occupied by men.

It made me so mad and sad and frustrated and I wanted to know what the hell happened. I mean, technology innovations have fundamentally changed the way we work, communicate, govern and educate, yet girls are five times less likely than boys to consider a career in technology. So what did I miss? Let’s rewind and see.

NPR’s Planet Money did a story called When Women Stopped Coding and one thing they found is that having access to these first home computers was a decisive factor in more boys pursuing and excelling at computer science than girls. Maria Klawe, president of Harvey Mudd College and champion for increasing the representation of women in tech, came to a very similar conclusion that she shared at a Grace Hopper conference. She believes that many of the stereotypes we’ve got in computing now came about when PCs found their way into the home and schools. The first games were shooting games because they were the easiest to create with the limited resources of the early PCs. That grabbed male interest and they grabbed the computers. So a big thank you to my dad and brother for not locking me out of that clubhouse!

I started college as a math major, but an encounter with a math professor turned me off that subject. I went in with a problem and was told this was something my whole gender struggled with. Seriously dude, isn’t this 1984? I went to a small liberal arts college, so there weren’t a lot of math professors to choose from. Luckily, I had taken that CS course as an elective and based on that experience I changed my major to computer science.

When I started studying CS, all my professors and most of the students were male. When I started working at IBM, a majority of my co-workers were male. The few women in leadership positions seemed to approach their rise upward like most of the men - looking ahead, but not looking back. Luckily I found a female mentor. Against the advice of the mostly male managers, I left development to work with her in publications (most definitely not seen as a step up). Within 18 months, I became manager of the publications team (younger than all my employees). I soon added some developers to the team and eventually became a release manager responsible for all phases of the product development process for a major product update.

For about a dozen years, I had a thriving career at IBM. After being a release manager, I became a product planner which opened up the world to me as I got to travel all over the place to spread the good word about our product. My final job at IBM was a test manager for the game development division. Yes, it turns out you can earn a living playing video games. However, I was soon to become another troubling statistic about women in tech - that after about 12 years, approximately 50 percent of women leave their jobs in STEM fields—mostly in computing or engineering. Just to put that in perspective, that is twice the quit rate of men leaving tech.

By this point, I finally began to sense that things were not right with the tech world. Here’s what I wrote in my blog when I turned 40: “For several years, I was humming along quite nicely in my feminist cause, but then I had a child, left corporate America, turned 40 and had a huge identity crisis. I had done well in a man's world, but now I found myself in the world of motherhood. How was I supposed to excel at something I had no training for? What was happening to my feminist agenda? I thought I was helping to pave the way for the women after me to be treated as equals, but instead I was just playing by the rules of corporate America and they no longer seemed adequate for my life. I felt like a rebel without a clue.”

Needless to say, what I learned at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing Conference really rocked my world! If you are familiar with the Hero’s Journey, this was definitely my “call to adventure” moment! At this point, I could refuse the call or become a reluctant hero.

So that’s the beginning of my story, but I wonder what your story is or what your students stories are? Where are we all on our hero’s journey?

Because, let’s face it, there’s no shortage of problems that need solving. And I believe those solutions will largely involve some sort of technology.

This past October, I went on my third pilgrimage to MozFest in London. MozFest is an annual “tech” conference that Mozilla puts on, but it’s really hard to describe because it’s different that any other tech conference I have ever been to. This year it was a space where internet health issues and the larger implications for society were not only acknowledged, but actively being addressed by a diverse, committed and growing group of people. There are 5 key components of internet health that Mozilla is working on and there’s some good news and some bad news:

Privacy & Security: The Internet only stays healthy if we trust it as a safe place – to explore, transact, connect, and create. Our privacy and security online is under constant threat.

Good news: Hundreds of millions of people are taking charge of their personal Web experience by installing ad-blockers.

Bad news: 91% of adults agree that consumers have lost control of how personal information is collected and used by companies.

Openness: The Internet was built on the promise that any one of us might create the next big thing. But in order to keep creating, imagining, and reinventing our future online, the building blocks of the Web must be open to all.

Good news: There are now an estimated 1 billion Creative Commons-licensed works online that encourage reuse, including texts, photos, and music.

Bad news: People are getting cut off from other viewpoints because of the digital bubble they are living in.

Decentralization: The Internet owes much of its success to openness: its open, shared structure has made it easy for everyone to build, surf, and thrive on it. But a few big companies are closing in, closing doors, and creating walled gardens that concentrate their ownership and control of the Web.

Good news: As of December 2016, 47 countries currently have laws in place to protect Net Neutrality.

Bad news: On December 14, the FCC will vote to replace current rules enforcing Net Neutrality.

Digital Inclusion: The more voices, perspective, languages, and people contributing to the Web, the richer the experience for everyone. But the whole Internet is not yet accessible, welcoming, and safe for all.

Good news: Wikipedia continues to be a free fountain of knowledge to the tune of 16 billion pageviews a month in 284 languages.

Bad news: 73% of Internet users have seen someone harassed online and 40% have personally experienced it.

Web Literacy: People everywhere should have the knowledge they need to tap into the full power of the Internet – and use it to make their lives and the world better. This means everyone needs to be able to read, write, and participate online.

Good news: The growing trend towards integrating coding into the core curriculum across the U.S.

Bad news: 82% of American middle-schoolers assessed couldn’t tell the difference between an ad labeled “sponsored content” and a real news story on a website.

That’s just tech-related problems. What about all the other problems? Addressing climate change, equal access to education, eradicating poverty. We live in a world with a lot of problems, but we also live in a time with powerful technology tools to help us create solutions. As technology educators, we possess a superpower, the ability to inspire the next generation in technology.

“With great power comes great responsibility”. That may be a line from a comic book superhero’s uncle, but it’s no less true in reality. How do we super empower students and teachers to tackle these real-world problems and wield their technology powers for good? I’ll share some things I’ve learned as a superhero-in-training working with students and teachers at St. Anne’s-Belfield school, Tech-Girls and beyond.

First, I want to share a framework that has been super helpful on my journey. It’s the Design Thinking process. It’s a way of looking at problems from the point of view of those it affects and iterating on solutions. I first learned about the Design Thinking alongside high school students in the Bio-Med Tech-Girls program. More on that story later. First, what is design thinking?

As I was preparing for VSTE, a colleague shared a version of the Design Thinking process created by the Mount Vernon Institute for Innovation specifically for use by K-12 educators and students. I am going to use it to weave the rest of my story and I hope you will consider how you can use it in yours.

The first step is discovery.

This is the stage of researching, observing and immersing yourself in your environment. Looking for what’s not quite right? What problem catches your eye?

For instance, once I learned about the gender gap problem in tech, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. In fact, my family will tell you I became kind of obsessed with it. I would talk with: family, friends, colleagues, teachers, students, strangers on twitter, pretty much anywhere and with anyone who would listen to me. When I went to get my Master’s in Education, I bent any project I could toward studying this problem. I discovered so many things.

What’s the problem?

So I’m wondering what problem is haunting you? Maybe it’s something you are already working on or passionate about or maybe it’s been a thought lurking in the back of your mind. Whatever it is, it may seem too big, too overwhelming to even think about solving. We’re going to need some superpowers.

What are your superpowers?

After a lot of research & a lot of talking to people in the community & a lot of soul searching, I founded Tech-Girls in 2012 with a mission to empower girls to imagine and achieve their future dreams in our tech-savvy world.

In 2013, I went back to the Grace Hopper conference to learn and re-connect. At the conference, I had the opportunity to hear Anita Jones speak. Wow - was I blown away! I learned that she is a computer science legend who broke glass ceilings in academia, government and corporate America. When I got the opportunity to meet her in person, I just blurted out to her that I wanted to help solve the gender gap problem and had started Tech-Girls to do just that. She called me audacious.

I can’t tell you how empowering it was to hear that from one of my new heroes. As a part-time student, part-time teacher and full-time mother, I wasn’t feeling very audacious, but as the founder of Tech-Girls, I could do that! I decided audacity would be one of my superpowers.

I also figured out pretty quickly that making change happen involves a lot of stepping outside my comfort zone - you know, like sharing my story in front of hundreds of people. It turns out I have this really fantastic out of my comfort zone detector and when it goes off, it freaks me out! This I have discovered is another superpower. It’s the not so subtle way that one part of my brain tells me, ‘hey that sounds super scary’ and the other part says ‘so, you should probably go for it’.

If you are like me, you may not think you possess superpowers and sometimes they sure aren’t obvious. So I tried an experiment. I crowdsourced a list of superpowers at VSTE. I tweeted out requests to think about someone you look up to and share the qualities that you admire about them on a padlet. My hope is that we can use this list to acknowledge the superpowers we see in each other. Looking at it also reminds me that we’ve all got potential superpowers within our grasp, but also that we can’t possibly do this superhero stuff alone. We need a team.

Who is on your team?

To solve big hairy problems, going it alone just isn’t possible. When I started thinking seriously about founding Tech-Girls, I wrote a blog post about my idea and tweeted it out far and wide, tagging other girl-focused organizations to get their expert opinions. Through that I got support and connections with Black Girls Code, Girl Develop It, ChickTech, CyberJutsu Girls and Geek Gurl Diaries. Ironically, it was also through social media that I made some connections in Charlottesville who were interested in helping out.

I met the first member of the Tech-Girls team on a 10-miler training run - see I told you I was totally serious about sharing this problem with anyone who would listen. She was a high school junior and joined up right away. With her help, I was able to connect to a teacher who opened the door for us to host meetups at her school. Finding and engaging supporters, collaborators and cheerleaders became a critical component to making Tech-Girls work.

The next phase of the Design Thinking process is to empathize - to walk that mile in someone else’s shoes. I didn’t know about the Design Thinking process when I first started Tech-Girls, but I did know that I needed to understand what the problem was from the girls’ point of view. I started looking for opportunities to connect with girls and learn from them. I asked the girls what they thought the problem was and I heard things like:

there’s a lot of peer pressure to be cool & computer science is not seen as cool

computer science sounds complicated & boring

there are so many bad stereotypes out there, like showing interest in computer science means you have “no life”

I also asked them what alternate realities in their world would help address the problem:

we need to show more female role models in technology

help them understand computing is more about people than about computers

associate computer science with positive and fun subjects

This feedback was invaluable in creating programming for Tech-Girls.

In 2014, the perfect job found me - K-8 Computer Science Program Coordinator at St. Anne’s-Belfield School. Even though I was full steam ahead with Tech-Girls, I just couldn’t pass up this opportunity because I believed it would be a “proof of concept” of another avenue to help solve the gender gap problem. I just had 2 requests before signing on: Tech-Girls would still be a priority for me & we would share everything we learned on our journey integrating CS into the classroom.

A research study from the Girl Scouts reported that although 74% of teen girls are interested in STEM subjects, they don’t pursue this interest for 3 reasons:

They don’t believe other girls their age are interested in a career in STEM

They are uncomfortable being the only girl in a group or class.

They feel they have to work harder than their male counterparts to be taking seriously.

If everyone in a class is exposed to computer science, then they are all empowered to move from being technology consumers, to technology creators, collaborators and activists.

My job is to integrate computer science into all the K-8 classrooms, but I knew from previous experience, that asking a teacher if I could bring CS into a project or lesson, was asking them to take a risk. I have found that if the idea of incorporating new technology into the curriculum is anxiety inducing for an educator, add computer science to the equation and the fear factor seems to amp up ten-fold. The fear of change and not being able to keep up in the midst of rapid and rampant technological advancement is very real.

Educators are dealing with paradigm shifts brought on by technology use inside and outside the classroom. Meanwhile, youth continue to find new and inventive ways to engage with technology with or without our guidance. Acknowledging this fear and the need to work within the unknown is key. Sometimes I need a good quote to guide me through my fear. This has been my go to inspiration this past year.

“You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope.” ~ Thomas Merton

I mentioned I went to MozFest this past October, but in 2016, I had the amazing opportunity to help plan the Web Literacy space at MozFest. Stepping into this role was definitely stepping out of my comfort zone, but I used my handy dandy comfort zone detector superpower to turn my first reaction of fear of the unknown into a sign that this new thing is exactly what I was supposed to do. I also knew that I was not on this journey alone. Being part of the Mozilla Learning Network and #teachtheweb movement has been such an amazing experience. It’s a community that cares deeply about empowering people of all ages to learn “the most important skills of our age: the ability to read, write and participate in our digital world.” Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?

I attended a planning retreat in Berlin with all these amazing superhero-type people. I found the whole experience to be a time of embracing paradox. I felt tension between hurrying up to get things done and slowing down to fully appreciate the experience; finding opportunities to collaborate and finding time to be alone; taking in new ideas and standing firm on my ideals; wanting to share my ideas with the group and not daring to let my ignorance show. The result was that out of my comfort zone feeling that is both scary and exhilarating, daunting and awesome.

Learning is also a paradox. I think this is especially true when we are talking about learning tech. Anyone in tech knows there is no keeping up with all the changes and yet, we’ve got to continue learning in order to keep creating it. As a teacher of computer science, I know that when I introduce a new tool or concept, I will not have all the answers to the questions and problems the students will encounter. In fact, the more tech I teach students, the more I become a learner alongside them. The space we created at MozFest reflected this paradox of learning and invited everyone in to embrace it.

Here’s the description of the space we created: Demystify the Web! Grab your ticket to our carnival of learning! All who enter will gain the most important skills of our age: the ability to read, write and participate in our digital world. Mozilla Learning invites teachers and learners of all ages to join our funhouse of web literacy. Embrace the unknown! Experience the thrills! Imagine and share the full potential of the web with everyone.

The next phase of the Design Thinking process is to experiment. As I said before, my first experience with Design Thinking was through the Bio-Med Tech-Girls program. This is a week-long collaboration between Tech-Girls, the Biomedical Engineering Department at UVA and St. Anne’s-Belfield School. This program grew out of one of my failed experiments. I had submitted a Tech-Girls proposal to the i.Lab at UVA, a startup incubator for UVA students and community members. I wanted to create web storefront of STEM curricula, workshops and services geared toward girls. My application was rejected, but one of the reviewers, David Chen, remembered my idea. David is the Coulter Program Director at UVA BME and at a chance meeting, he said he wanted to collaborate with Tech-Girls.

This past summer we held the 4th annual Bio-Med Tech-Girls program. We had 15 young women participating from 8 schools around the region. They had a broad array of interests coming into the program including math, science, engineering, biology, nursing, robotics and coding. During the program, participants got hands-on with creating technology, behind-the-scenes lab tours at UVA Biomedical Engineering and inspiration from guest speakers. They also solved a real-world problem through a design challenge like improving life for an amputee or someone with cerebral palsy.

On Friday afternoon, the community is invited to see what the girls created and it is truly inspiring to see what they come up with in such a short time-frame. The design challenge is also a highlight for the girls. A couple of pieces of feedback that first year really stood out to me:

I've never done anything like it before. All of the other engineering things I've been to always showed us other people's projects, but never got to offer us an opportunity to do a project ourselves.

You gave us a real problem and expected us to come up with a good solution, and even have us build a prototype. Normally adults don't understand younger people are able to do this stuff.

My experience learning about the design thinking process with the girls and seeing how much of an impact it made on them had me thinking that I needed to bring this experience to students at St. Anne’s. The thing about Design Thinking is that you are really putting the learning in the hands of the students and none of you really know where it’s going to end up. I knew just the teacher who would take a leap of faith with me - 8th grade science teacher Tom Weis. Together, we created the Design Thinking & Robotics project.

For this type of assignment, it’s important to identify the design constraints of the project. We brought in robotics with the Hummingbird Robotics kit which I discovered at VSTE several years ago. It’s an amazingly versatile platform that lets you build up creations around robotic components. Wo also borrowed the cerebral palsy patient profile work from Bio-Med Tech-Girls.

We kicked off day one by introducing teams of students to the Hummingbird Robotics kit in what I like to call “hole in the wall learning”. Inspired by Sugata Mitra’s “Hole in the wall” project, the idea is to get students hands-on with the kit as soon as possible and let them figure out how to test the lights, servos, motors and sensors. We gave them handouts on connecting electronics and programming them, but mostly this was a trial and error activity.

Next was working on empathy. Typically, you gain empathy for your patient by getting to know them...BUT what if you can’t interact with your patient? You can gain empathy by trying to step into the shoes of someone with cerebral palsy, so we gave them a homework assignment to try out everyday activities with limited use of their arms. Together, we reflected on the homework experience recording results on an empathy map. Next we had teams researching problems like the one their patient was experiencing. Could they find videos that show what challenges their patient might be facing? Could they find information about what solutions exist today?

Next students created need statements based on the problems their patient was facing. Each team picked one need statement to take to the next stage of brainstorming. During this stage, no idea is too crazy and the more ideas the better. Each team member come up with at least 5 ideas independently. After all ideas were on the table, teams worked to narrow them down and eventually pick one solution to take to prototype stage. Before they began to prototype, they had to draw out a design that included materials they needed as well as a description of how the solution would work.

Finally, we dumped a bunch of maker materials into the middle of the room and they got to work prototyping, testing and refining.

What they ended up with and presented on day 7 of the project was kind of amazing. Here are some examples.

The final step is to produce something, so that you can get feedback to make it better. One thing that David Chen always stresses with the Design Thinking process is that you’ve got to try out your ideas and get feedback. He’ll often have the Bio-Med Tech-Girls in the hallways at UVA trying out their ideas and asking for feedback from people they run into.

With Tech-Girls, I started out by organizing meetups for middle school girls. Those first months, I was lucky to get 6 girls in a room. It felt very slow going. In 2013, I found out about an event that Paula White was hosting called Girls’ Geek Day. Since this was right up my alley, I volunteered. That first event had 30 girls with 15 volunteers offering a wide variety of STEM-related activities. Based on my previous Tech-Girls experiences, I knew this format was a winner.

I joined Paula as a co-conspirator and we have seen Girls’ Geek Day grow with feedback and collaboration from the girls, parents and volunteers. Girls’ Geek Days are hosted once a month in elementary schools across the community. They are usually attended by 50 to 70 girls with 20+ community volunteers running activities each session. You can learn more about this program and ideas on how you might recreate in your community at our session on Monday.

One of the projects I’ve worked on that I think best represents testing and iterating on an idea is the SPARK! Hackathon. It is also a great example of super empowering kids and learning. Zach Minster, the 9-12 Computer Science Coordinator and I started the SPARK! Hackathon as a way to share the enthusiasm we have found in students who discover computer science & coding with the thriving tech community in Charlottesville. What we discovered during the planning and running of the event is that students are eager for opportunities to collaborate with others and work on meaningful projects while the tech community is eager to hear their ideas and help them create.

The hackathon happens over a weekend in January and we invite high school students from around the region to participate - no previous experience required. We call Saturday, a “learnathon” and we recruit tech professionals to come in and teach workshops throughout the day. Here are some of the workshop selections from last year: Cities that Talk, Intro to GitHub, Social Media for Entrepreneurs, Mobile Apps, Project Management, Intro to coding for the web and many more.

Saturday evening, four sponsor companies present real-world problems and the students self-select into teams to solve them. Last year the focus was on IoT (the internet of things) and problem statements included finding ways to use IoT to track patient health, using wearables to stop being distracted by your phone and helping people with multiple sclerosis manage their social interactions. Here’s a behind-the-scenes video from our first hackathon.

What I remember most clearly from that first hackathon experience was the moment we really handed it over to the students. We had recruited volunteers, organized the workshops, got companies on board to present problems, but at 6pm on Saturday after hearing the problem presentations, we truly turned it over to them. It was scary and exhilarating, daunting and awesome.

We are working on the 3rd annual SPARK! Hackathon. I really believe it is student-driven learning at it’s best! Last year, we brought students on board as mentors. This year, we’re excited to have students as collaborators in the planning and design process. They are helping us make the invitation as inviting a possible. The hackathon is open to high school students anywhere in the state, so please consider this your invitation for you and your students to join us January 27 & 28!

I realize that just doing it isn’t as easy as it sounds, but we are constantly asking this of our students, so modeling it is important. That’s why we wanted to take the SPARK! Hackathon experience and bring it to educators. So this summer, St. Anne’s hosted the Computer Science Institute for regional educators. If educators were willing to take a risk on this experience, we promised them 3 things:

an opportunity to learn and get hands on with new computer science skills and tools;

to come away from the experience with a lesson plan infused with CS to try out in their classroom

to connect with a community of educators who can provide support and guidance on their journey into computer science integration.

Our keynote speaker was Jeffrey Spies, the CTO of the Center for Open Science. Our theme was learning to learn and he was so spot on in his remarks, it actually gave me chills. He challenged us to rethink the frustration of failure.

His mantra is "Learning is frustrating. Frustration is expected. Everyone feels this way." He went on to share that “women and underrepresented minorities will face different challenges than others. They may interpret frustration more negatively.” Instead of viewing frustration with tech as a cue that we are 'not good at it’, we need to understand that it is just a normal part of the learning process. As learners, we need to fearlessly embrace the frustration of failure and believe in our ability to learn from it. This is known as a growth mindset and it leads to a lifelong love to learning in any field.

We live in a world with a lot of problems, but we also live in a time with powerful technology tools to help us create solutions. As technology educators, we possess a superpower, the ability to inspire the next generation in technology.

What I learned at the Grace Hopper Conference really rocked my world! It sent me on a journey of discovery, observation, experimentation and iteration!

I hope something rocks your world at VSTE - whether it’s an amazing educator, a cool tool or a problem that needs solving.

Embrace your hero’s journey! Acknowledge your superpower! Find your team! And then start telling your story - I can’t wait to hear it!

Resources & Credits:

Full slidedeck

Mozilla Internet Health Report

Mount Vernon Institute for Innovation: Design Thinking

Bio-Med Tech-Girls

Generation STEM: What girls say about science, technology, engineering and math (Girl Scouts)

Design Thinking & Robotics

Girls’ Geek Day

SPARK! Hackathon

CS Institute

Presentation template by SlidesCarnival

#vste17 #mozfest #biomedtechgirls #sparkhackathon #girlsgeekday #designthinking #csinstitute

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mavwrekmarketing · 7 years

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Image: ambar del moral/mashable

Katie Karpetz is a business witch.

No, really. Karpetz, a Canadian who identifies as a bog witch because of her unruly hair, is literally in the business of selling products marketed specifically for other witches.

SEE ALSO: Instagram shares magical ‘Harry Potter’ illustration to mark 20-year anniversary

She sells everything from vintage amethyst tower wands designed to soothe insomnia, to custom-made “witch bottles” whose recipes are top secret. For the uninitiated, a witch bottle acts as a “recharging” agent for different parts of the psyche.

Her preferred medium for displaying and advertising her inventory? Her Instagram account, @WitcheryWay.

A post shared by The Witch (@witcheryway) on Jul 5, 2017 at 7:21am PDT

Karpetz is not alone. A quick Instagram search for the hashtag #WitchesofInstagram will garner you over 700,000 results, and many of them are selling witchy wares.

There is no one particular path of witchcraft all of these business witches follow. Some identify as Wiccan, while others ascribe to Paganism, and others still prefer the term secular witchcraft. A lot of witches dont like to label their beliefs, and instead say what sort of traditions influence them the most, such as Germanic paganism, Hoodoo, root work (folk-based witchcraft), or Brujeria (Hispanic-based witchcraft).

The products the Instagram witches sell are as vast and diverse as their spiritual paths. There are magazines curated especially for witches, tarot cards with original illustrations, herbs and oils with various protection and healing properties, amulets and pendants, and, of course, an abundance of crystals.

Whats more, there exists a community among these Instagram business witches, in which the account owners often personally know and support each other with promotions, free of charge.

Everyones pretty supportive, radical feminists, building each other up, and giving shout outs to each other, said Christy Patton, founder of the New Orleans School for Esoteric Arts and operator of the witchy-lifestyle Instagram account, @NolaEsoteric.

We buy each others products, and we put them on our own Instagram stories.

A post shared by Nola Esoteric (@nolaesoteric) on Jun 28, 2017 at 12:51pm PDT

Christie Patton and Josie Campos of Nola Esoteric (left to right)

However, many of these self-made business witches did not start their Instagram accounts with the intention of building occult business empires. Karpetz began her account five years ago as a private space where she could post all the witchy stuff [she] was into, as well as items she was making for herself.

In the beginning it was just for me, Karpetz said of her Instagram account, which now has over 50,000 followers, in an email to Mashable. What started [the business] was a witch bottle I had created; after I posted it on Instagram people were asking where they could buy it.

A community of online activists

The Instagram witches are mostly self-taught through books, art, and the internet; Patton was actually inspired to start her school because of the lack of esoteric art teachers in New Orleans. However, most witches agree that witchcraft is, by nature and history, a solitary venture. That is why having the Instagram community is so unique.

We have become really close friends with some really amazing witches on Instagram, Patton said. We have friends all over the world.

Instagram is also used for promotions and feedback; most business witches actually sell their products on an accompanying website or Etsy store. Mashable reached out to Instagram for comment regarding its policy on promotion.

The promised benefits of the products range from personal improvement, such as making oneself more focused, to widespread good, like destroying fascism. Instagrams interface also allows customers to post a review as a comment right on the photo of whichever product is being advertised.

We all make very natural products for spiritual people because were ethically radical, said Josie Campos, Patton’s esoteric apprentice. We want change.

A post shared by Nola Esoteric (@nolaesoteric) on Jul 19, 2017 at 12:46pm PDT

Campos said she noticed this radical shift in the Instagram business witch community following the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The organization W.I.T.C.H. has seen a resurgence, a sizable number are signing up to hex the patriarchy, and, as an act of protest, Patton and Campos sold a special tea they created to honor the election results.

We collaborated with another Instagram witch, @cattailapothacary, and created this tea blend called This Tea Grabs Back, Patton said. It was made of cat herbs. (Don’t worry, the tea didn’t involve actual cats, just feline-named herbs and plants like pussy willow).

Its about how we as witches and as women could resist together, Campos added. And that even though we currently have to exist within a capitalist system, we can do it ethically.

Patton believes the political climate following the election has led to a surge in witchcrafts popularity as a whole, which she says she has seen, albeit anecdotally, reflected in her own business.

Witchcraft has been a big thing because of that feeling of hopelessness, Patton said. Especially right now, now that hopelessness is more accentuated. Most people are looking for answers and looking for change, and theyll keep practicing witchcraft if it helps them feel better.

Commercialization: for better or worse

Its hard to miss the recent commercialization and popularization of witchcraft in mainstream culture. Lana Del Rey has tweeted out the best dates for spell-casting and Urban Outfitters now sells crystals (and perfume with crystals in it), spell books, and tarot cards.

At the stroke of midnight Feb 24, March 26, April 24, May 23

Ingredients can b found online http://pic.twitter.com/PsjNpIODZE

Lana Del Rey (@LanaDelRey) February 24, 2017

Many of the Instagram witches dont take issue with magic becoming more mainstream. They do, however, have a problem with the methods mainstream retailers use. Campos and Patton wanted to stress that their products are created differently from those of a big-box chain.

All our herbs are organic and fair trade; we grow them ourselves,” Patton said.

A post shared by Urban Outfitters (@urbanoutfitters) on Nov 19, 2016 at 9:51am PST

Patton, Campos and the other business witches of Instagram are aware that many people who buy their products and witchy products from other stores are not interested in becoming practicing pagans. The idea of a witchy aesthetic has become something cultivated by many millennials, and they know it.

It doesnt bother us if theyre just interested in that. If youre interested in the aesthetic, I hope you stay for the products, Patton said.

Patton and Campos call these people dabblers, and warned that dabbling in witchcraft is not advisable.

When youre dabbling youre not taking yourself seriously, Campos said. Its dangerous and something people shouldnt try; its not just fun, muggles, Harry Potter its a spiritual belief.

Some members of the community disagree; they do not see a danger in people trying on witchcraft for size. Sarah Telaar (Gwen Hawk on social media) who is from Germany and runs the popular Instagram account @ancient_hearts, said one of her products in particular is aimed at newcomers.

I feel like a certain range of products, like my Herb Witch Boxes that are really popular, go out to people that are new to witchcraft or want to start learning more, Telaar said via email to Mashable. Which is absolutely perfect because these products are designed as starter kits for beginners.

A post shared by Ancient Hearts (@ancient_hearts) on Jun 15, 2017 at 9:43am PDT

Not all Instagram witches, however, are okay with the appropriation of the occult as an aesthetic. Olivia McMaster, a practicing Wiccan who is active in the Instagram witch community, said she finds the idea of a witchy aesthetic irksome.

I find it disrespectful to an extent, she said in an email to Mashable. While being interested in a faith or culture is great, using our symbols and traditions for your aesthetic isnt ok. Its a culture and a tradition and something that I and other witches take seriously, and commercializing our religion is hurtful.

McMaster did contend, however, that the commercialization did have some benefits. It gets the publics attention to the truth about witchcraft, she said. Its not like American Horror Story: Coven. Were real people with an amazing and unique and diverse religion, and I wish people saw the real us, not the make-believe, Hollywood depiction of witches.

Moving forward: the future of the business witch

The movement of magic into mainstream culture, Patton said, has allowed many older witches to come out of the broom closet, and be open and proud of their spirituality.

McMaster agreed that the publics fear of witches and witchcraft has begun to dim in recent years. We can be more vocal about our beliefs nowadays, and on social media, people are seemingly more accepting, she said.

As for the future, the witches believe that, despite the current state of affairs in the world, the future is bright. Patton and Campos are even planning to open a physical store to sell their products and, presumably, advertise their wares on Instagram. They view their enterprise as more than just a store they see it, and their social media presence, as a way to shape the future.

A post shared by Nola Esoteric (@nolaesoteric) on Nov 12, 2016 at 8:16pm PST

Its about re-educating the next generation, Patton said. All these old, white dudes will be dead in 15 to 20 years, and we have to be able to shape how the world will change. Instagram is just one tool to do that.

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