education

Parks, America, and Reading

/ Sarah / 1 Comment

It’s Thursday! Not Friday. Go to work tomorrow. When you don’t have to work, though, you can go outdoors! Because July is Park and Recreation month. So. If you’re not working, and it is nice outside, go outside. Weekend, planned. Just for you.

Bruce is a jungle dog.

National parks are a great place to go outdoors. The National Parks Conservation Association is taking care to recognize people who identify as LGBT+ by doing more to preserve historical locations important to the legacy of LGBT+ life in the United States. More national parks, more important history preserved, lives validated. Recognized.

Mostly white people visit national parks. Fact. As of 2011, “only 7 percent of visitors to the parks system were black.” It hasn’t always been this way. The Boston Globe interviews geographer Carolyn Finney, who is recapturing the role of African-Americans in the history of the national parks system and the environmentalist movement.

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Are you digitally literate?

/ Sarah / 1 Comment

Crossposted from Medium, an evaluation from the depths of tech support

Working in tech support has its ups and downs, but is ultimately rewarding. Digital literacy—the ability to confidently and capably use and understand technology—is something that is often lacking from the people I support, from high school students to retirees. I mentally evaluate people on their level of digital literacy, not to judge or mock them, but to best assist them. The more self-aware a customer, the easier it is for us to help them. Rather than disparage the oft-perceived “stupidity” of the people that seek my assistance, I’d rather turn my attention toward improving their basic digital literacy skills.

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