The Scout Report -- Volume 27, Number 2

Published in 2018 and now available as an open-access text, Machine Learning for Data Streams is a great guide for "data stream mining and real-time analytics." The book is authored by a group of computer science experts, Albert Bifet (Telecom Paris Tech, France), Ricard Gavalda (Politecnica de Catalunya, Barcelona), Geoff Holmes (University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand) and Bernhard Pfahringer (University of Auckland, New Zealand). Their expertise shows in this practical, hands-on reference manual. To view the contents, navigate to the Open Access tab and click the "View HTML" section. Here, readers will find an introduction to big data and analytics, tools and methodologies for data stream mining, and several different tutorials on the MOA (Massive Online Analysis) framework. Readers looking for information on a particular subject within data and analytics will want to check out the Index, which embeds links to appropriate pages. Plus, a bonus of this online format is that it allows readers with their own subject-matter expertise to post comments (note that they will need to be approved by an administrator before they become public-facing). [EMB]

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Eat My Globe is a podcast created by TV personality, author, and cook Simon Majumdar and produced by April Simpson, in collaboration with the UCLA Department of History and its Public History Initiative. Five seasons of the podcast are available online, dating from October 2018 through the present. The show is an especially pleasant listen for anyone longing to travel, but prevented by the pandemic. Most episodes start with some jokes and puns between Majumdar and Simpson. Then, they dive into content. Topics from season 5 include "Plaice & Thyme: The History of the Cookbook," "Not Despised at the Best Tables: The History of Caviar," and "The History of Curry" in two parts (which, among other things, tells the story of how curry became the most common take out food in the United Kingdom). While it is not easy to tell the running time of individual podcasts at the link above, listeners will find free transcripts (annotated transcripts, which include all the references and resources cited, can be purchased as PDFs). Eat My Globe is also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and the iHeartRADIO app. [DS]

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Social studies and government teachers may want to bookmark this site as they dive into spring semester curriculum planning. Curated by the American Bar Association's Division for Public Education, the lesson portal contains an array of materials that build a foundation for how the legal system affects various aspects of our lives. Lessons are arranged by elementary, middle, and high school grade levels. Though the content covered for each level varies slightly, some topic areas include Civic Engagement, Due Process, and Law and Literature. Educators preparing for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 18, may enjoy the Equal Protection lesson plans, which include "Realizing the Dream Today" (specifically analyzing aspects of his vision for equality). Educators looking ahead to Constitution Day (celebrated each September) will find constitutional law-themed curriculum available for each grade level. In addition to these educator-specific resources, the Division for Public Education also produces a variety of tools for the general public that may be of interest to all readers. [EMB]

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Languages provide an important window into cultural heritage and identity, yet "over 40 percent of the world's approximate 7,000 languages are at risk of disappearing." The Endangered Languages Project works to combat this endangerment crisis by providing a repository to store and study languages and linguistic resources. The project was launched with assistance from Google, the First Peoples' Cultural Council, and the Institute for Language Information and Technology at Eastern Michigan University. Today, the First Peoples' Cultural Council, the Endangered Languages Catalogue/Endangered Languages Project (ELCat/ELP) team (based at the University of Hawaii-Manoa), and the Governance Council continue to carry out its mission. On the site, users can explore an endangered languages map to learn about at-risk languages in their area and investigate the more than 7,000 resources dedicated to various aspects of language preservation. Resources are divided into categories, including Language Research and Linguistics, Language Education, and Language and Technology. Readers can also contribute resources for the project. After making an account (click on "Create your account" in the top-center of the home page to do so), users can upload relevant information including conversation tools, cultural documents, and research items. The site is viewable in multiple languages by clicking the "Change Language" button at the top of the page. [EMB]

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Every young person deserves an opportunity to see themselves as a scientist and a superhero (though the two are not always that different), and The Ella Project helps make that possible, especially for girls who are underrepresented in the STEM field. The project brings STEM and STEAM disciplines to life with its comic book series. These books follow protagonist Ella the Engineer, an adventurous and curious leader who uses science, engineering, and coding skills to solve various mysteries. Readers may also enjoy the Virtual Readings and Toolkit section which includes recorded readings for "virtual storytime," plus activities to add to the fun. Stay tuned for additional classroom resources currently in production. The site also curates a Stories section, which shares the biographies of barrier-breaking women in STEM fields. These women have made waves as entrepreneurs, data scientists, biochemists, and more. In addition to discussing their career paths, they dish out advice for the next generation of women in STEM. The Ella Project was co-founded by a father-daughter duo wanting to create an entertaining and empowering outlet for young people, especially young women, pursuing STEM careers. [EMB]

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"Kiwew" is the Cree word for "he goes home," a fitting title for this deeply personal podcast that follows writer David A. Robertson as he explores his lesser-known family history and "connects with his Cree identity." Robertson invites listeners into conversations with various family members, facing his "identity crisis" head on and sharing the "joy [he] feels when [he] discover[s] another piece of [his] family's history." Each installment in the five-part series is around 20 minutes long, or 100 minute in total. Episodes build on each other, working through ancestral records, early memories, uncovered secrets, and revelations about family, identity, and tradition. Robertson concludes with his reflections for the future: continued healing by passing down his new-found stories to future generations. Though produced for CBC Radio (linked above), listeners will also find Kiwew on Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts. Readers who enjoy the series may also want to pick up Robertson's new memoir, Black Water: Family, Legacy and Blood Memory, or follow along with his other storytelling and literary endeavours on Twitter, @DaveAlexRoberts. [EMB]

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Amy Brady composed this list for Chicago Review of Books in November 2019. Though the list was compiled for Native American Heritage Month (celebrated each November), Brady opens by acknowledging that "reading work by Indigenous authors should be something we do all year long." As readers continue to curl up at home during the pandemic (and through a cold winter, depending on location), now is the perfect time to check out these titles. Brady reached out to colleagues and companions to compile this list which includes memoirs, science fiction novels, poetry collections, and more, indicative of a range of genres and diverse Indigenous narratives. Highlights include There There by Tommy Orange (included on The New York Times Book Review's "10 Best Books of 2018" list) and How We Became Human by Joy Harjo (the U.S. Poet Laureate). Each book is featured alongside a short bio, so readers can easily locate a good fit for their taste. The comments following the post provide some additional suggestions. [EMB]

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Storytelling is an important tool for everyone, but it can be especially powerful for young people who "spend more than 53 hours a week on average with entertainment media, more than any other activity but sleeping." Vision Maker Media (an organization uplifting "Native narratives" through creation, development, and training programs) and MIGIZI (a nonprofit with a similar mission of empowering Native youth with an emphasis on storytelling) created this Youth Media Guide to empower the next generation of storytellers by providing opportunities to explore and learn about various aspects of media production. Readers can request a mailed copy of the book, or access it online as a PDF. The guide describes the power of storytelling, outlines key considerations for successful youth media programs, describes various content forms, and provides training exercises. Additionally, the index highlights youth media pieces and links out to other media guides, lesson plans, and youth media organizations. Funding for this media guide was provided by Acton Family Giving, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the NoVo Foundation, the Claire M. Hubbard Foundation, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. [EMB]

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Thanks to the Library of Congress's YouTube channel, readers can enjoy Joy Harjo's inaugural reading as U.S. Poet Laureate. Harjo, a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is the first Native American to serve in the role. Harjo has authored several books of poetry, as well as other creative writing works, and has received numerous accolades for her work. She calls herself "the least likely person to be a poet," and notes that poetry taught her important life lessons such as the power of listening. Clearly, Harjo and poetry were a match meant to be. Here, Harjo celebrates the beginning of her new role as Poet Laureate (the 23rd individual to serve in this role) and recites some of her work. After some introductions, Harjo's hour-long performance takes listeners on a chronological journey through her portfolio. Additionally, readers will enjoy musical interludes presented by Harjo alongside her band members, Howard Cloud, Robert Muller, and Larry Mitchell. [EMB]

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The Sharing Through Story platform focuses on Indigenous texts and literacy resources that educators can implement in their classrooms to acknowledge and celebrate the original storytellers. These resources include a Literacy Seed Kit (a list of "culturally relevant resources," and texts accompanied by teaching guides); an Indigenous Literature Kit (a more than 300-page professional development tool for educators to advance reconciliation); interviews with authors and educators (as Cree First Nation Elder Jerry Wood notes, storytelling includes "unwritten books and our way of teaching and learning,"); and guides on selecting Indigenous texts for classrooms (with an eye towards authenticity and respect). This resource collection is closely aligned with its parent organization's mission. Empowering the Spirit curates content that "increase[s] awareness and understanding of First Nations, Metis and Inuit histories, perspectives and ways of knowing." These resources were created in partnership with the Alberta Regional Professional Development Consortia and thanks to funding from Alberta Education. [EMB]

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Designed to help Indigenous communities narrate and preserve their history, Mukurtu is a wonderful resource for storytellers (and story consumers). Since its feature in the 04-26-2019 Scout Report, the platform has continued to add to its impressive portfolio as a tool for film projects, audio archives, virtual photo albums, and other creative endeavours.

Mukurtu is a free content management system (CMS) that describes itself as "a grassroots project aiming to empower communities to manage, share, narrate, and exchange their digital heritage in culturally relevant and ethically-minded ways." This open-source platform was developed in conversation with Indigenous communities, creating a tool that empowers communities to create digital archives that meet their cultural needs while also enabling them to share their culture online. Its core features include traditional knowledge labels, community records that "provide space for multiple cultural narratives," cultural protocols that allow indigenous communities "to determine fine-grained levels of access to [their] digital heritage materials based on [their] community needs and values," and a feature that lets users import and export items while preserving their metadata. Under the Showcase tab, readers will find links to 10 existing Mukurtu sites as examples of how this CMS can be implemented. Mukurtu is a Drupal-based CMS with an accompanying iOS, iPadOS, and Android mobile app allowing users to create and upload content on the go. Mukurtu is developed and maintained by the Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation at Washington State University, and it is supported by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, among others. [JDC] [EMB]

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