Welcome!
- MS SLL Students: While we have talked about digital literacies during our noon meetings, we haven't had the opportunity to take a deep dive into all of the concepts. With that said, you have gotten a nice introductory exposure to the topics included under the umbrella of "digital literacies", and these links will help you to begin to consider your Personal Knowledge Management (PKM) tools, systems, & workflows.
- SLPD Students: We have taken a deep dive together into these constructs, and you are building your own personal systems. While the info in "A Brief Introduction" is not new to you, I hope you find some of the links in "Helpful Resources" and "Navigation & Topics" to be of use as you continue to iterate your system over time.
🛑 Important Notes:
I want to address the fact that the vast majority of players in this landscape are white and male. There are few BIPOC folks writing about these topics and even fewer women. The male perspective is evident in some of the work linked here, and it is certainly evident if you move beyond this page.
Additionally, some of these folks prescribe to concepts of “productivity” from which I am actively dismantling. With some of these folks, I find myself needing to look past some less-than-savory covert and/or overt messaging about grind/hustle culture, hyper-individualism, and winner/loser mentality.
What do I mean dismantling from the notion of “productivity”...well, it’s a long story. Sparing you the gory details, while I have long been practicing “meaningful and intentional productivity”, I had to come to grips with the idea that I derived my value from doing and producing. While I have read a good deal on this topic, nobody has been more impactful on my journey than Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry. If you follow one link on this page, click to follow The Nap Ministry on Instagram. 💕
A Brief Introduction
If you are not in my Digital Literacies course, you may not have considered digital literacies or the PKM framework. These links will be helpful to you in your journey and expand upon the info we discussed in our noon meeting.
Helpful Resources
Here is a roundup of some of my favorite (both historical and current) resources for all things digital - as well as things my geeky heart has enjoyed 🙂
- Blogs & YouTube Channels
- The Sweet Setup
- If I am looking for an app or an actual piece of tech, The Sweet Setup is typically my first stop to get the lay of the land (if I don't know it already). They also write solid posts on tech and create worthwhile classes to explore (I personally enjoyed the DayOne journal app class).
- A (slight) digression...
- Shawn Blanc, the founder of The Sweet Setup also started Tools & Toys, which takes a similar approach to both tech and non-tech items. I follow this blog as well - check it out!
- The New York Time's Wirecutter is similar to Tools & Toys. While I recommend it, full access requires an NYT subscription.
- Steve Dotto's DottoTech channel is terrific for reviews as well as "how to" videos.
- Ali Abdaal's YouTube channel covers a wide array of topics, including how he uses various tech & apps within his system. He also addresses note-taking and studying.
- David Sparks' blog MacSparky goes deep into the Mac ecosystem. He also has some wonderful courses for purchase.
- To take a deep dive into productivity and task managers (particularly Asana) as well as other related topics, Paul Minor's blog and YouTube channel can be helpful.
- Mike Vardy writes about his tool use as well as his habits that support his work in his blog The Productivityist.
- Harold Jarche, the creator of the Seek-Sense-Share PKM frameworks continues to post on and explore applications of his framework.
- The Strive to Fit is the YouTube channel of a current ED physician, but her posts go back to her time in UG and med school. If you are interested in apps for studying and note-taking, you might enjoy some of her older posts.
- The Asian Efficiency blog and its podcast, The Productivity Show, definitely played an important role in my development many years ago (2011). You mind find some of its material to be of use. That said, I seldom read or listen anymore, as it has taken a decidedly different turn in its messaging and approach. YMMV.
- Are you an academic or interested in academia? Robert Talbert blogs primarily at the intersection of tech/productivity and academia.
- Podcasts
- Beyond the To-Do List features all types of guests in the digital and general productivity space.
- Mac Power Users is led by Davide Sparks, of the previously mentioned MacSparky blog. For Mac/Apple lovers only 😄
- The Productivityist Podcast is produced by Mike Vardy, of the previously named blog of the same name.
- Reply All is an enjoyable podcast that targets the intersection of life and technology.
- Another David Sparks production, Automators, is for folks who want to level up into automation on their Macs. Likely not super interesting for those new to exploring some of the apps and systems.
- I can't go without including the OG of this type of podcasting, Merlin Mann. Merlin was huge in the productivity space.
- He has multiple podcasts with multiple friends/tech folks/productivity folks, and I think I have listened to most of them at one time or another. I think a good deal of enjoyment of his work relies upon a relatively deep history regarding both the content as well has his (and his colleagues) histories. Back to Work, with co-host Dan Benjamin, is favorite of his podcasts, and it was the most formative in my development in my early years of listening to podcasts (2011-ish).
- He actually was the one to coin the phrase "Inbox Zero" around 2010, though many (including him) have gone to eschew that phrase as outdated in the current digital era.
- One more thing on "inbox zero" - Robert Talbert, (mentioned in the preceding section), make a good case for what "inbox zero" can mean now - and why it can be freeing. It is from an academic perspective, but I think the basic message is content agnostic.