The Scout Report -- Volume 26, Number 34

Educators and caregivers of high school students may be interested in AI4ALL Open Learning, a free program designed to connect students "with [a] relevant and approachable AI education." Before registering for the program, readers may want to watch the brief introductory video on the Open Learning page. As this video notes, AI4ALL was founded on the belief that its participants "can shape the future of AI for the better." And, the program is created and led by community facilitators with a commitment to inclusion. The curriculum contains more than 30 hours of materials and activities, as well as facilitator guides. Plus, it is designed for students with varied interests, demonstrating that AI touches many careers, from engineering to art. For more information on the program, check out the "Open Learning Platform Tips" guide found on the FAQ page (linked at the bottom of the site). To access the learning modules (including "AI & Drawing," "AI & COVID-19," and "AI & The Environment"), readers will need to register for a free account. [EMB]

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Published monthly, Art Times brands itself as "Africa's Leading Visual Arts Publication." At the link above, readers will find featured stories, events, and exhibits from throughout Johannesburg. To view the magazine in its entirety, scroll to the bottom of the page; there readers can subscribe by email or click the "View All Our Magazines Online!" thumbnail (which brings visitors to an external viewing site). On this site readers will find the latest issue, as well as archived installments dating back to 2009. Issues highlight exhibits from The Melrose Gallery in Johannesburg and upcoming art auctions and events. Additionally, like a traditional publication, they contain a plethora of images and essays. For example, the August 2020 issue includes a piece about how artists are coping with COVID-19 changes, and the July 2020 issue has an article on "art [and] algorithms" (discussing the influence of "net art," a genre of online work). [EMB]

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What makes a great engineer? Soft Skills Engineering, a weekly podcast by and for software developers, demonstrates that much of the success stems from "the non-technical stuff." Hosts Jamison Dance (a product engineer) and John Smith (a software developer) launched the show "to help software developers level up their engineering skills beyond writing code." With ample bits of wit and wisdom, the duo tackles topics like "technical leadership" and "code review etiquette," among many more. The more than 200 episodes are available on Apple and Google Podcasts, as well as the link above. Wherever listeners tune in, they may want to read each episode's description, which includes the listener questions answered within. Those interested in submitting their own questions for Dave and Jamison to answer on an upcoming show can do so via the Ask a Question tab. Soft Skills Engineering is supported by various engineering companies, including: Vettery, the O'Reilly Velocity Conference, Pluralsight, Algolia, and DevMountain. [EMB]

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History teachers may be interested in this resource, Mapping Contemporary Challenges to Island Hul'qumi'num Peoples' Territories, which "presents a series of interactive maps illustrating the ongoing challenges to the exercise of land, resource and governance rights from development and conservation efforts within Hul'qumi'num peoples' territory." The site combines maps and historical text to highlight the erasure of Indigenous rights, especially regarding land use. Content is organized into several different sections, allowing it to be easily divided into lesson plans. Additionally, the site's Home page links to the "Hul'qumi'num Treaty Group's Strategic Land Use Plan (2005)," an eight-section land use plan that "describe[s] the Hul'qumi'num people's vision for how land and intertidal (beach) resources should be used, managed and protected to sustain them indefinitely and provide benefits for Hul'qumi'num people." Dr. Brian Thom from the University of Victoria (UVic) led the project, with support from the INSTEAD and CICADA projects, and the UVic Ethnographic Mapping Lab. [EMB]

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Those looking for something to augment their TV viewing are in luck. The Martha Graham Dance Company YouTube Channel provides videos of recent performances from 2020, archival selections dating back to the 1930s, interviews with dancers and choreographers, and compilations that were previously aired on television. Welcoming viewers to the channel is a short video with artistic director Janet Eilber, featuring snippets of several stunning performances. The rest of the channel's videos range in length from brief clips to longer pieces. For example, viewers will find a 30-minute recording of Appalachian Spring from the 1940s, with choreography and costumes by Martha Graham and music by Aaron Copland. Readers will also find an hour-long interview between Lloyd Knight, a dancer who joined the Company in 2005, and Lorenzo Pagano, who joined in 2012. Readers looking to stay active may enjoy the "Graham On Demand" fundamental videos, where viewers can learn dance techniques from the professionals. [DS]

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September is International Update Your Resume Month, offering a great excuse to use CV Maker. This tool is designed specifically for resume optimization, helping users "create beautiful, professional resumes in minutes." While certain features require a paid user subscription, the basic content is available free of charge. Click the "Create a CV Now" button to get started. After filling in basic personal, educational, and work experience information, readers can generate polished products with the existing design templates. The home page highlights several of these templates for users to get a feel for what is available. Looking for additional assistance? Check out the Help and Resume Tips sections (linked at the bottom of the home page). The Resume Tips page provides a short but useful guide to framing resumes for a particular audience and proofreading for quality and clarity. Readers should also note that CV Maker is available in more than 30 languages. [EMB]

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On a mission "to increase the number of culturally responsible Black Engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community," the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) provides a wealth of academic and professional development resources. Students, Professionals, and Parents & Educators will find sections designed with their audience in mind on the site. For example, learners may wish to explore scholarship and leadership opportunities. Students may also wish to make an account to access extra resources like the Resume Writing Services tool (found in the Students section under Jobs & Internships). Professionals may wish to enroll in an online career course (readers should note these courses are not free). The site also frequently updates job and internship boards, perfect for eligible candidates searching for their next STEM position. To stay up to date on NSBE's latest news, readers may wish to sign up for their newsletter (via a form at the bottom of the home page). The National Society of Black Engineers is supported by a variety of corporate partners and through contributions from members. [EMB]

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Both readers who are entering the job market for the first time and those returning after a career change may benefit from Minnesota State's CAREERwise platform. This resource provides a collection of "online tools for Minnesotans in the areas of career planning and education." Under the Explore Careers tab, users will find useful resources such as the Career Cluster Interest Survey (matching interests with potential career paths) and the Start Exploring Careers page (highlighting more than 800 career opportunities). Prospective students may want to begin with the Plan Your Education tab. Though geared toward students at Minnesota State colleges, some of the tools are universal. For example, the Prepare for College section (under Plan For Success) features tips for adult students returning to the classroom after life experience. Under the Find a Job tab, readers may want to check out the various guides to creating resumes, writing cover letters, and interviewing. The site even features a specific section on "COVID-19 Job Search Resources," with a list of virtual job fairs and current openings. CAREERwise is supported by Minnesota State's Workforce Development Department. [EMB]

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Looking for advice on personal and professional life? The Switch, Pivot, or Quit podcast may be of interest of interest. Hosted by Ahyiana Angel, a former sports publicist and current author, the podcast "shar[es] stories of women who have learned best practices through personal and professional development resulting in sound advice and actionable tips." With more 250 episodes, as of this write-up, the show covers a variety of topics, including: self-confidence (Episode 258), working remotely (Episode 257), and increasing productivity (Episode 243). These episodes range in length, with options for a quick listen to start the day or a longer lunch break companion. Solo episodes feel like a pep talk directly from Angel to the listener, and other episodes include guests for a panel of insights. The podcast garnered attention for its empowering message and valuable advice, including features in Apple Podcast's "Inspiring Women" and "Bold Women" collections. Tune in on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and Spotify, and find additional show notes at the link above. [EMB]

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Compiled by the American Library Association (ALA), these Career Development Resources offer various templates and tips to "help you prepare for a productive and effective job search as well as enhance your career development efforts." Last updated in July 2020, these valuable materials are categorized by topic (for example, "Cover Letters" and "Networking"), with each broad category containing several specific tools. For example, the Interviewing section houses sets of sample questions, while the Resumes section offers visitors a collection of design and format guides. Additionally, at the top of the Career Development Resources page readers can download a printable version of the ALA's "Career Development Resource Guide," with more than 50 pages of insights on everything from professional etiquette to negotiating salaries. The guide also contains a useful "Evaluating Yourself" template that invites users to take inventory of their skills and interests and consider compatible career paths. [EMB]

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jc is a wrapper that converts the output of many standard command-line tools and a number of common file types to JSON for easier manipulation in scripts or processing with JSON-literate tools such as jq. In the Examples section (found by clicking the "EXAMPLES.md" link), users can find numerous sample invocations covering a myriad of uses including: finding large files in a directory, summarizing installed Python packages, processing XML files, and many more. The Parsers section of the jc site lists the commands and formats that are understood out of the box. Users can also extend jc with their own custom parsers written in Python. Readers can install jc using either Python's pip package manager or with their operating system's package manager. Installation instructions are provided in the Installation section of the JC site. [CRH]

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The JSON Incremental Digger (jid) is an interactive tool to inspect and filter JSON data using a jq-like query language. Users start jid by pointing it at a JSON file. By default, with no query entered, jid simply pretty-prints and colorizes the data it was given. Users can then type in a query. As they type, the data will be filtered down to show the matching portions. To speed up the query building process, jid provides the user with tab completions and autosuggestion of query terms. The Usage section of the jid README provides a few brief illustrations of how the tool can be used. In the Releases section of jid's site, users can locate binaries for Windows, macOS, Linux, and several flavors of BSD. Most distributions and BSDs also provide a version of jid from within their official package repositories. [CRH]

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Last featured in the 07-14-2017 Scout Report, Khan Academy's Navigate Your Career unit continues to be a great resource for those preparing to enter the job market. Since this resource was featured, Khan Academy has added many more units to their Careers section, offering additional guidance for job seekers.

Well known for its instructional videos in mathematics and science, Khan Academy also launched this Navigate Your Career unit as part of its Careers section. The resource, which is designed for both students who are exploring their first career as well as for those who are considering a job change, features interviews with a variety of professionals, as well as instructional written material and videos. As of this write-up, professions profiled include a freelance journalist/podcaster, a hairstylist, and a director of photography. These written and video materials cover job search topics ranging from networking to salary negotiation, as well as providing helpful hints for those seeking to build their own business. Readers who enjoy this unit may want to check out the Careers section of Khan Academy's site for additional guidance through units that address preparing for and navigating the job market.

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