Magpies and Octopi

Left foot, right foot. Left foot, right foot. * Since we last picked our kids up at school, four months ago, we have taken two walks a day around our neighborhood on the south side of Chicago. I th…

Katisha Smith writes: "Here are 12 pioneering Black American librarians you’ve probably never heard of, but should definitely know. However, this is not an exhaustive list and represents only a fraction of the black librarians who have made significant contributions to librarianship. Hopefully, learning more about these library pioneers will inspire further exploration of other trailblazing Black American librarians."

In praise of intellectual freedom, community, and the ecstasy of serendipitous discovery.

Judy Willis writes: "The experiences we have with narratives starting as young children establish supportive conditions in the brain for learning and remembering, based on a foundation of emotional connections to the experience of being read to or told stories. In addition, the familiarity of the narrative pattern becomes a strong memory-holding template."

David Holahan writes: "The pricey paintings and other cultural treasures that were plundered by Nazi Germany have made headlines and been fodder for Hollywood movies. But Hitler’s assault on the written word, the theft and destruction of countless books and religious tracts – estimated well in excess of 100 million – was arguably far worse and has gone largely unreported."

These resources may give you ideas and strategies for approaches to visual design for eLearning.

Arianna Rebolini writes: "Though some people may think the job involves more shushing than rallying, many librarians consider "making America read again" to be a radical political proposition."

Connie Malamed writes: "Were you a little busy last year? Is it possible you missed one of these nearly Pulitzer Prize winning articles on The eLearning Coach? If so, I’ve collected the twelve most popular articles written in 2016. So when everyone is talking about them at cocktail parties, you can join in. It’s okay. You can thank me later."

Alison Park writes: "A few more resources for educators, parents/guardians, youth... heck, for anyone who's not just disappointed with "losing" this election, but emotionally, morally and socially anxious about what this election portends for the liberty and safety of all, not just some, people in the US. "

(Image via VictorMM/Pixabay)

James Patterson writes: "But an adult who absorbs words only through captions, tweets, posts, memes and—at best—smartphone-­screen-size articles is not literate. Not in my book anyhow. I’d argue—and not just for the sake of my day job as a ­novelist—that if we’re not in the habit of reading books or, at least, long-form articles that take us the better part of an hour in the course of an entire day, we are fundamentally damaging our society’s fabric, and our future."

“What do we have to hold on to? Only the certainty that nothing will go according to design; our hopes are newly built wooden houses, sturdy until someone drops a cigarette or match.”

How do the best stories work? John Mullan examines what today’s TV dramatists can learn from the masters of the trade

Arnold Bennett’s How to Live on 24 Hours a Day explores a meaningful life by addressing the age-old question: how can we make the best use of our time?

Why do we love our favorite stories? Do they need a beginning, middle and end, and a character who changes by the conclusion? Masters of storytelling explore new answers to age-old questions of the craft.

How do people find the creative inspiration necessary for generating unique ideas and solutions? Check out 18 suggestions for getting more creative.

Breathing and posture techniques can help you tame your hard-wired fight-or-flight response, alleviating anxiety and improving clarity and creativity.

Ceridwen Dovey on how bibliotherapists Ella Berthoud and Susan Elderkin prescribe fiction for healing and self-exploration.

Working hard but not improving? You're not alone. Eduardo Briceño reveals a simple way to think about getting better at the things you do, whether that's work, parenting or creative hobbies. And he shares some useful techniques so you can keep learning and always feel like you're moving forward.

Studies have shown that holding a warm drink makes people rate strangers more highly, says Dan Glaser

Donna Wilson and Marcus Conyers write: "The brain’s prefrontal cortex, which functions as the control center for executive functions such as planning, goal setting, decision making, and problem solving, undergoes significant changes during the teenage years. In an NPR interview, Laurence Steinberg, author of Age of Opportunity: Lessons From the New Science of Adolescence, notes that ages 12 to 25 are a period of extraordinary neuroplasticity. “Science suggests that it’s important for kids to be challenged and exposed to novelty in order to facilitate healthy development of brain systems that are important for things like self-regulation,” Steinberg says."