A master printer makes his last print

What makes a 500-year-old printing process new? Master printer and publisher Jacob Samuel has brought etchings—prints created by transferring ink from a metal plate to paper—into the 21st century through collaborations with more than 60 contemporary artists. In this video, we filmed Samuel making his last print.

As he inks, hand wipes, and rolls his final print through the press, he reflects on his philosophy. “My goal is to leave no fingerprints,” he says. All you see is the artist’s work. I’m just another pencil. I’m just another brush. But I want the pencil to be sharpened really well. I want the brush to be sable. And to do that and be completely spontaneous, I trust the materials.”

Truly, an exercise in mastery learning.

Students are missing more school–and maybe that isn’t bad

You’re already hearing a lot of noise about student attendance and how many kids are chronically absent since the COVID-19 pandemic. You’ll hear people saying how much kids need to be in school, especially those who are “behind” and need to “catch up.”

Hogwash.

If kids are sick, they need to stay at home. As do their parents rather than going to a job and spreading the sickness. Did we learn nothing from a global pandemic that began just four short years ago?

“Learning loss” is the current buzzword bandied about by Pearson-infused cronies who want students to take more tests and get more focused learning so that they can score higher on end-of-the-year standardized tests that don’t mean anything. Learning loss comes from a deficit perspective which implies that students learned nothing during school closures.

Which is a ridiculous sentiment. Students learned all kinds of things during pandemic school closures, including maybe the most important lesson that standardized tests don’t matter.

If students are sick or think they may be sick, they should stay home. We now have structures in place to keep them connected when they’re gone. Or perhaps we’ve abandoned those structures just like we’ve abandoned common sense around attendance.

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Embracing AI isn’t just about using flashy edtech

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@add_rien_20?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Adrien</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/diagram-2IX3TlrCuZQ?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>

Prince George’s County Public Schools, under the leadership of Superintendent Millard House II, is at the forefront of integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into their educational system. House believes that AI tools like ChatGPT can revolutionize classrooms by equipping students with essential digital-age skills.

House’s focus on technology and AI aligns with the district’s commitment to preparing students for a technologically advanced future. The partnership with the AI Education Project, as part of Maryland Gov. Wes Moore’s broader economic initiative, aims to provide cutting-edge education to students, teachers, staff, and school leaders. The district has also prioritized AI literacy and training, empowering nearly 1,500 educators to confidently use and innovate with AI tools. Addressing challenges such as data privacy, algorithmic bias, and ethical use, Prince George’s County Public Schools is dedicated to shaping a future where their community thrives in the age of AI.

AI is no longer a futuristic concept; it is a tangible reality with the potential to enhance and individualize the educational experience for a student population with diverse needs and teachers in our district. So far during the course of this school year, we have trained nearly 1,500 educators. It was amazing to watch the excitement on the staff’s faces when they got to engage with AI tools to support their work and help their students understand the power of AI.

Common Sense launches AI tool reviews

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@possessedphotography?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Possessed Photography</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/robot-playing-piano-U3sOwViXhkY?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>

One of my favorite places to check for reviews of tech tools, sites, and such is Common Sense Media. I like their content so much, that I use their digital citizenship curriculum in my schools.

They’ve launched an AI tool review system to help everyone understand a little more about the current AI invasion.

Key components of the initiative include:

AI Product Reviews: Common Sense Media recognizes that AI is a socio-technical system, meaning it’s inseparable from the humans and processes that shape its development and use. Their AI product reviews provide contextual analysis, examining how these products fit within society and identifying potential blind spots in AI systems. These reviews serve as “nutrition labels for AI,” detailing a product’s opportunities, considerations, and limitations.
AI Principles and Assessment: The initiative grounds its AI product reviews in eight principles that reflect Common Sense Media’s values for AI. These principles create a shared understanding and guide for evaluating AI products.
Review Categories: AI products are categorized into three types: Multi-Use (like generative AI for chatbots, image creation, translation tools), Applied Use (specific-purpose AI not designed for kids, like streaming recommendations), and Designed for Kids (AI specifically built for children’s use at home or in school, including educational products for teachers).

Currently, they have 10 reviews posted, including reviews for ChatGPT and Bard.

16 November 2023

Quote of the Day

“To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, Donald Trump does not appeal to “the better angels of our nature.”” (Michael V. Hayden, The Assault on Intelligence)

Musical Interlude

Philip Glass has a new album releasing in January 2024, recorded at his home during the pandemic.

This is my piano, the instrument on which most of the music was written. It’s also the same room where I have worked for decades in the middle of the energy which New York City itself has brought to me. The listener may hear the quiet hum of New York in the background or feel the influence of time and memory that this space affords. To the degree possible, I made this record to invite the listener in.
– Philip Glass

Long Read of the Day

Taruna Goel highlights how digital literacy has transformed from basic computer skills to a complex skill set involving creation, curation, and critical evaluation of digital content.

This framework includes eight thematic competencies: ethical and legal; technology; information literacy; digital scholarship; communication and collaboration; creation and curation; digital well-being; and community-based learning. Through a scenario involving an educator, Professor Emily, and a student, Alex, the article demonstrates the integration of these competencies into the educational journey, emphasizing that digital literacy is crucial for academic, professional, and personal success in a digitally-driven world

The Digital Literacy Framework is a part of the overall B.C. Digital Learning Strategy developed by the Digital Learning Advisory Committee, a collaboration between the Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills and the post-secondary system. The Digital Literacy Framework has been developed to enhance digital literacy knowledge, skills, and abilities across post-secondary communities. The framework includes eight thematic competencies within digital literacy: ethical and legal; technology; information literacy; digital scholarship; communication and collaboration; creation and curation; digital well-being; and community-based learning.

Photo of the Day

I didn’t realize it this morning, but it’s Red Cup Day at Starbucks. In my ignorance, I also didn’t know that many baristas walked out today to fight for better wages. Kudos to them. And thanks for my demon cups.

Final Thoughts

I love tools that let us learn more about our universe, especially when they are available online.

Astronomers have created the Siena Galaxy Atlas, freely available online. The SGA catalogs 383,620 galaxies, a small fraction of the estimated 200 billion to two trillion galaxies in the observable universe. This atlas stands out for its extensive coverage and advanced data collection, encompassing 7,637 downloadable pages with detailed information on each galaxy’s size, morphology, and images in optical and infrared wavelengths.

The data is drawn from three Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument Legacy Surveys, making it one of the largest surveys ever conducted. The SGA is noted for being the first cosmic atlas to feature light profiles of galaxies, providing a unique insight into their brightness changes from center to edge. It’s a valuable resource for scientists studying galaxy evolution, dark matter distribution, and gravitational waves, as well as for enhancing the public’s understanding of the universe.

The Florentine Codex brings new light to Aztec culture

The Florentine Codex, a 16th-century document, provides insight into the Mexica (Aztec) culture during the Spanish conquest. This detailed manuscript is now available online, making previously inaccessible information about Indigenous resistance and heroism available to the public.

This accessibility enables a more comprehensive understanding of history, fostering cultural empathy. By integrating such resources into digital citizenship education, we can develop a more empathetic and informed society.

14 November 2023

Quote of the Day

“Nontraditional students appear to be more at home and successful as learners in classrooms where teachers connect them to subjects in new ways. The students we interviewed recognized and appreciated teachers’ efforts to get to know them and to create classroom settings that encouraged academic engagement and expression of ideas. Yet nontraditional students describe most of their classes as highly structured, teacher-controlled, and regimented.”

Jal Mehta, A Pernicious Myth: Basics Before Deeper Learning

Musical Interlude

Daft Punk is releasing a “drumless” version of their 2013 “Random Access Memories,” and I am absolutely here for it. Here’s the drumless version of “Motherboard”

Long Read of the Day

No one fully understood how smartphones or social media would transform every aspect of our life in the span of fifteen years. AI is a dynamic field, and its impact on education is beyond what any of us could probably comprehend today. The only way we can keep up is by building strong guardrails and regularly assessing and evaluating the extent to which AI tools are enhancing educational outcomes. We must also constantly anticipate and respond to unintended consequences as they emerge. This should include information from academic assessments, surveys, and feedback from teachers and students. The data collected should be used to refine AI implementation strategies and inform policy decisions.

Let’s get this right.
– Khaled Ismail

Photo of the Day

At my daughter’s academic team match last night, I thought I’d grab a quick pic of one of the library shelves. Apparently, there are some Brandon Sanderson fans at this school.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you’ve probably heard me talk about my obsession with Notion as my primary productivity tool. I do my best to put everything in my Notion workspace in some form.

Today, Notion released a beta of the “Q&A” feature that allows you to “talk” with the information in your workspace.

I’m chasing the ultimate content curation strategy with my own Zettelkasten implementation, and this may just be the final piece to the puzzle form. Imagine having quick access to the thousands of articles, highlights, and more you have stored in your Notion workspace. All just by asking a simple question.

Pretty frickin’ cool.

Fill the hours more meaningfully

“The month of November makes me feel that life is passing more quickly. In an effort to slow it down, I try to fill the hours more meaningfully.” – Henry Rollins

Is it just me, or are the short work weeks the ones filled with craziness? It’s been a crazy busy week around these parts, and it’ll be even crazier as we head toward Thanksgiving.

Anyway, here we go…

10 Things Worth Sharing

This week’s 10 things…

Political Scientist Ian Bremmer Breaks Down the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Ummm… did you know there’s a sequel to the greatest film ever made to teach kids how to handle emotions? Yes, there’s an Inside Out 2 on the way.
Why libraries are being considered “dangerous”
An interesting problem worth investigating: Visualizing the World’s Space Debris by Country Responsible
Help your students improve their concentration
Why Don’t Americans Use the Metric System? (because ‘MERICA!!!!)
7 principles for AI in education
Innovation spreads faster when you can observe it happening. Seeing is believing.
Alice Keeler has a great FigJam activity on gratitude you can use with your whole class (FigJam, btw, is my recommended replacement for the soon-to-be-extinct Jamboard)
Finally, I wonder if the Manifesto of the Idle Parent could be modified into a Manifesto of the Idle Teacher. Certainly, we should push our students to do more and more of the work on their own as they grow, giving us time to help those who still struggle. Oh, and give us time to drink coffee…

BONUS: I’ve been jamming to this album from Azymuth, a Brazilian jazz-funk band. It’s fantastic and makes for great background music while you work

8 November 2023

Quote of the Day

“Anyone anywhere could publish to everyone everywhere.” (Lawrence Lessig, Code)

Ah, the dream of a democratized publishing platform. A place where all voices could be heard regardless of background or socioeconomic status.

I’ve often said, “The greatest promise of the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice.”

And I’ve also said, “The greatest problem of the Internet is that it gives everyone a voice.”

It’s a bit of a Stockdale Paradox in that while we realize the great benefits of having a way to connect people around the world, sharing ideas and information in an attempt to make the world a better place, we must also realize that there are people who will take advantage of that system for their own advancement or to spread their horrible, destructive ideals.

The only cure I know is to keep doing good things and hope that others follow suit.

Musical Interlude

Pegasus by Arlo Parks (ft. Phoebe Bridgers)

Got the red eye

Just to be near, ’cause my head eats me alive

You’re makin’ sure I’m eatin’

I call my mother just to tell her that I’m happy

Long Read of the Day

With the most recent Israeli/Palestinian conflict dominating the news cycle, it’s a good time to remind all of us that there should be a more nuanced approach to the situation. No one side is completely in the right and no one side is completely in the wrong.

However, when calls are made from either side that inflame the situation, no one wins. There must be a measured response.

In schools, we do our best to teach our students empathy. It’s definitely something that can be applied to this—and many other—volatile situations.

What we should guard against is inflammatory language:

Last week, Tlaib circulated a video on X, formerly Twitter, that sharply criticized President Joe Biden for supporting Israel’s military retaliation against Hamas in Gaza. She went on to justify a highly inflammatory Palestinian-resistance slogan. “From the river to the sea,” she wrote, “is an aspirational call for freedom, human rights, and peaceful coexistence.”

The burden of promoting a more civil discourse shouldn’t fall only on Tlaib and others sympathetic to the Palestinians. Supporters of Israel should not assume that pro-Palestinian means pro-Hamas. Students on many campuses genuinely view Israeli administration of the Palestinian territories as immoral; to portray their activism as mere anti-Semitism is to stifle legitimate inquiry. To defend any and all Israeli military actions by pointing out that Hamas started the war is to deny Israel agency.

Photo of the Day

Treat yourself to the bewitching sight of barred spiral galaxy M83 — which comes alive with detail in this new image by the Webb telescope’s MIRI instrument.

Final Thoughts

Kentucky just wrapped the latest gubernatorial election, and, thankfully, the voters have chosen to return Andy Beshear for a second term. While there are a number of issues with the rest of the statewide government, I’m happy to have Andy still in that position.

The alternative would have been a puppet of right-wing extremists and would likely have done little to advance anything of worth in Kentucky.

That is, of course, my informed opinion. Which, as the great Harlan Ellison would say:

“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.”

7 November 2023

Quote of the Day

“When religion and politics travel in the same cart, the riders believe nothing can stand in their way. Their movement becomes headlong—faster and faster and faster. They put aside all thought of obstacles and forget that a precipice does not show itself to the man in a blind rush until it’s too late.” (Frank Herbert, Dune)

Musical Interlude

I ran across a great TikTok account a few days ago, Somewhere Soul, and have loved the music recommendations. Here’s an album from Azymuth, a Brazilian jazz-funk trio.

https://open.spotify.com/album/4I9UOJK8FuHBPel9IFMIMT?si=tf5dKm-vR3m9hmijksloRg

Long Read of the Day

The best piece I’ve seen on the downfall of Twitter (I, too, have been on the platform since 2007) and why I’m not really paying attention to it any longer.

If you see a man claim that he’ll have ‘full self-driving’ working ‘next year’ for half a decade and can’t make fun of that just a little, you are probably blinding yourself too, but it does’t matter much. And maybe you don’t care much about this, or have decided not to see it. But I was on Twitter since 2007, and built a meaningful part of my career on it, and I won’t be posting at all, for the foreseeable future, because I think it does matter.
https://www.ben-evans.com/benedictevans/2023/10/23/leaving-twitter

Photo of the Day

Yellowstone National Park South Boundary Trail: Colter Peak viewed near the Yellowstone River and Thorofare Creek confluence

Final Thoughts

Big life update today: I’ve found the final member for my dissertation committee. It’s a small milestone, but a milestone nonetheless. Each day, this journey becomes more real. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

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