Inside View

To Read and Be Read as Legacy

I AM COUNTING down the number of Mondays remaining in my university teaching career and with around four dozen Mondays on my academic schedule I've started thinking about what I will leave behind and who would be interested in the remnants of 25 years of my teaching on the same campus. I'm journaling these thoughts as part of an enjoyable secondary learning experience (something I learned from Mark Guerin of Leargas).

I reckon the small building holding eight classrooms that are viewable through the red anchor on campus will still be standing well beyond its useful life. And the information technology infrastructure will keep ticking over. In fact, the IT services will undoubtedly improve while the building's roof continues to leak.

It's those IT services that concern me--in a good way. I've uploaded and refined more than a terabyte of high quality academic material onto the campus SharePoint services. I can search that material with standard finder tools as well as with Microsoft Copilot's large language library. But since the Office Graph has not been enabled for our information services, it's unusual for anyone to serendipitously discover what I'm teaching. And that means very little cross-modular collaboration between lecturers and researchers.

Invisible Legacy with Office Graph Shut Off

I've often wondered if I should petition Science Foundation Ireland for PhD funding to study this shortfall in academic institutions. I know that most items I express about Creative Commons sharing through Open Education Resources falls on deaf ears. And I also know there's a hornet's nest just underneath any discussion about ownership of academic materials. These are some of the sentiments underpinning the reason for limited discovery of emerging material across all the higher level academic institutions in Ireland.

Knowing these deep-seated sentiments, I wonder if I can ever hope to leave behind a polished legacy. This is the idea I'm sharing with the Congregation Unconference discussion about Legacy in November 2024.

The Legacy of Critical Thinking and Creativity

One of the most significant moments of my teaching career happened when I was politely moved well off the firing line as a lecturer in 2023. Thanks to the personable intervention of Marie Walsh, I got a chance to explore a Special Advanced Programme about Critical Thinking. It involved a week-long session on the campus of Polytechnic Leiria in Portugal. While in workshops with students from seven different countries, I had several opportunities to learn how to think critically while formulating creative solutions. Some fellow students commended me for showing them how to think outside of the box. When this happened, I felt recognised for one of my legacy skills while also realising I have not carved out a thought space for this important skill set. And perhaps that failure to enjoy the spotlight will be burned into my legacy.

The Legacy of Just Reading

Since she was three, I've been inspired by watching Mia (now 16) read. Perhaps Mia picked up some of her love of reading by watching her mom and dad read more books than screens. But as I write this, I realise I should be a better role model.

I've written about the importance of learning how to read better and have shared personal insights on enhancing reading skills. One of my daily routines involves reading things I've highlighted, using a service called Readwise.

And perhaps my legacy should be simply advocating the joy of reading. It's something that would help my 13 year old son in school as he tries to compensate for poor reading scores.

So as I scroll through other contributions made by people who will attend the Congregation 24 Unconference, I'll bring a few books to be left behind in the various meeting venues around the town. I'll write my name inside the front cover of the books so people will know they're touching part of my legacy as I highlight and share some words on pages I hope others will read too.

[Bernie Goldbach has 55 Mondays remaining as a third level lecturer in Ireland.]

Recommended Mobile Journalism Tools

by Bernie Goldbach in Clonmel

AFTER THREE MONTHS of hard use, I can unreservedly recommend the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 as a primary tool for mobile journalism.

I bought the camera and its accompanying DJI Wireless Mic II from Harvey Norman in Waterford after discovering DJI wasn't stocking Whelan Cameras in Limerick fast enough. I got the extremely stable Manfrotto mini tripod from Whelans years ago but they don't sell it anymore so there's Amazon for a fast delivery option.

Here's a breakdown on the equipment.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Camera costs €585 from Harvey Norman or Amazon

DJI Wireless Mic 2 costs €359 from Whelan Cameras

Manfrotto Mini Tripod costs €39 from Amazon

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 runs out of stock quickly and that might mean new adopters may need to purchase it as part of the Creator Combo.

The Creator Combo wasn't available in Ireland when I purchased the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 by itself. I need the battery handle that complements the Osmo Pocket 3. That 950mAh battery extends the camera's operating time by approximately 62%. It also supports hot swapping and has a USB-C port for connecting external audio devices. And I will need the Pocket 3 carrying bag because the camera moves around in my shoulder bag even when snapped into its plastic case. So I've made a wishlist that specifies these additional accessories with things like a wide-angle lens and camera filters.

If you want to get inside info about how Dylan and I create content that attracts more than 1000 views, please subscribe to my Create and Share Newsletter. We use the Osmo Pocket 3 camera to produce YouTube clips such as interview with Amy in our favourite chipper below.

My AI Says My Workflow Starts with My Notes

by Bernie Goldbach in Clonmel

I'VE STARTED MOST MORNINGS with prompts to my favourite AI. Today I asked Mem.ai to guide me in a process that ensured the results of my questions would include trustworthy evidence from high quality sources. Its first set of answers drilled down into my personal knowledge management (PKM) system.

I Didn't See The Other Aircraft

by Bernie Goldbach in Clonmel

DURING MY 3000 FLYING HOURS I vividly remember two occasions when we were cleared to land on a runway that was occupied by another aircraft or by a vehicle. In both cases, I didn't see the conflict but a crew member sitting in the jump seat pointed out the problem.

Knowing this, I believe the JAL crew landing their Airbus on Flight 516 in Haneda yesterday didn't see anything on the runway as they prepared to land with clearance.

Higher Education For Good Launches

by Bernie Goldbach in Clonmel

CATHERINE CRONIN launches Higher Education for Good in Galway today and I've asked our main library to add the book to our local reference section. In the book, editors Catherine Cronin and Laura Czerniewicz break down neoliberalism in higher education through a critical lens. They argue that the neoliberal influence has led to a pervasive austerity logic that constricts not just budgets, but every facet of what higher education does.

Ireland's Ban on Smartphones for Pre-Teens

by Bernie Goldbach in Clonmel

WE HAVE A tech-savvy 12yo in our home and he's facing restrictions on his use of a smartphone while on school grounds. Even though he doesn't bring a phone to school, he's watching with interest as the Irish Minister for Education Norma Foley writes a memo to Cabinet. The Minister wants a nationwide policy where parents are discouraged from buying smartphones for children of primary age.

Skinning my Second Brain

by Bernie Goldbach in Leiria, Portugal

I AM COMPLETING a short advanced programme with RUN-EU and started sharing my research methods with colleagues. I depend heavily on advice I got from Tiago Forte about the PARA method. The acronym PARA stands for Projects, Areas, Resources, and Archives. I believe this concept is best explained by Maggie Appleton in her Medium post "Building a Second Brain: The Illustrated Notes".

Repurposing Old Phones FTW

by Bernie Goldbach in Clonmel

I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY extended the upgrade cycle for our mobile phones and now expect the handsets to work at least five years before being refreshed. Today, I've started pushing the functionality of an iPhone we bought in 2018 by using it as a daily transcription device.

Back into Notion h/t @redgregory1

by Bernie Goldbach in Clonmel

I'VE RESTARTED  my daily flow with Notion as part of my Personal Knowledge Management, spurred on by Larry G. Maguire and helped massively by Sarah Brennan's excellent YouTube tutorials. I'm writing this blog post to remind myself I owe RedGregory at least five coffees because of her free templates and excellent online teaching style.

Thinking about my Secondary Learning

by Bernie Goldbach in Waterford

WHILE ATTENDING a hands-on training session in Waterford, I was challenged by Mark Guerin to reveal a facet of my secondary learning outcomes. I believe reflective journaling is primary evidence of my secondary learning. [1] [2] If my students can produce high quality reflective journaling, they have achieved gold stars for secondary learning outcomes.