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“We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus,” declared the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security
Sure, folks. Nothing to fear here…
This isn’t the first time flying objects have been reported over New Jersey. In 1938, Orson Welles’ “War of the Worlds” radio broadcast made people panic.
Here it is, remastered for your listening pleasure…
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Through esports, students are exposed to the technical aspects of gaming, learning skills that can be directly applied to real-world STEM concepts. Nia Cannon, an instructional technology specialist and gifted lead teacher at King, witnessed firsthand how the availability of technology can spark interest in STEM activities. “Having more access to technology has boosted my students’ interest in STEM activities not only through esports, but also in other areas like robotics and coding,” she said. “They now have the tools to explore gaming, build skills, and connect it to real-life STEM ideas, making learning more fun and engaging.”
As a former esports coach, I’ve seen students quickly grow into leadership as part of these teams. Their care and investment in the games and in doing well are serious motivators and encourage real connections.
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Either democracy was on the ballot in November or it wasn’t, and if it was, it makes no political, ethical or strategic sense to act as if we live in normal times. – Jamelle Bouie
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Hopefully you’ve had a chance to recover from the inbox bombardment that is Black Friday, Small Biz Saturday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday.
Does anyone else think we should do the giving stuff before all the buying? Or just do the giving and skip the buying?
Here’s a list of ideas for holiday gifts for someone special, or for yourself. Many of these come from my own favorite stuff pile or a bookshelf somewhere.
Notebooks/Journals – Let me confess to you that I have become a notebook enthusiast over the past few years. The amount of time spent on finding just the right book with the right paper to work with the right pen is…staggering. My daily journal is a Leuchtturm1917 120G, having heavier paper than their standard notebook. My commonplace diary of quotes is a Hobonichi Techo 5-year journal that sits next to my desk at home. My daily driver for scribbling to-dos and random thoughts is a simple Field Notes memo book in a leather cover, although I mostly use the National Parks editions because our national parks are cool and maybe the best idea ever.
Writing tools – I worked at an office supply chain for over a decade and have tried every pen you’ve heard and many you haven’t. For me, there is no more tried and true companion than the humble Pilot G2 0.7mm, or one of its variants. They just work. A close runner-up is the newer Sharpie S gel. I use a Pentel Twist-Erase 0.5 mechanical pencil sometimes and keep Blackwing pencils around for writing marginalia in books.
Media – I’m buying more physical media these days. Not just books, but vinyl albums and blu-ray discs. Why? Here’s an example: December 6 (today) is the last day that you can stream Voltron: Legendary Defender on Netflix. Currently, there’s no streaming home for this great series. The real bummer is the full series has never been released on physical media. So, when I see good deals, I try to grab them. For the movie buff in your life, there’s always the Criterion Collection; Shout Factory tends to have older titles, A24 has some of the best new titles out there, and Kino Lorber does a great job of curating an eclectic mix of great films and tv shows. Oh, and everyone needs a Studio Ghibli film in their library.
Tech stuff – Notion is my indispensable tool for organizing all the things digitally. The Logitech MX Master 3S is the best everyday usage mouse on the planet. The AppleTV 4k is still the best streaming media box on the market.
OK, I’ve bombarded you with enough stuff to fill everyone’s stockings or just your own. Next week, I have some thoughts cooking from the first line of Brandon Sanderson’s newest Stormlight Archive book and why virtual schooling solves some specific needs in the education space.
Stay frosty, folks.
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I’m at my desk right now, thinking about how much crap I’ve accomplished today (it was quite a bit) while at the same time remembering that all of it, every last bit, will be gone one day.
Productivity is great and marking things off of lists is fulfilling but let’s not forget that the universe is rolling on past and doesn’t see much, if any, of what we do. Such is the pain of this existence, but also the joy.
Even if no one ever reads anything I write or sees anything I do, I’ll have done it and my little piece of the world will be better for it, even if only for a little while.
The same is true for you and your work. Never mind that you believe the work you do is trivial. All work is trivial. So why not have a little fun with it?
Here’s your reminder to not take yourself so seriously. Yes, you should want to do more and be more and make a change in the world for the better. Because someone else needs it to be better.
But the people around you need you to be your best. You bring light to this world. Keep going.
Quote of the Day
Musical Interlude
Right before Thanksgiving, the recently Hall of Fame inductee Dave Matthews Band played a weekend at Madison Square Garden. The Sunday Show turned into a fundraiser for hurricane relief and OH MY, what a show it was.
You can watch the entire show here:
Or, maybe you just want to see some highlights, like Bela Fleck joining DMB for “The Last Stop” live for the first time in 25 years…
Or Dave joining new favorite Goose for a cover of Bruce Hornsby’s “The Way It Is”…
Long Read of the Day
With my dissertation work focusing on virtual schools, I’ve been reading more and more about Connectivism, a theory that George Siemens described as a “learning theory for the digital age.”
Stephen Downes wrote more about this theory and you may enjoy reading about it:
“Knowledge has many authors, knowledge has many facets, it looks different to each person, and it changes moment to moment. A piece of knowledge isn’t a description of something, it is a way of relating to something.” – Stephen Downes
Yep, here’s another article. The more I write, whether it’s journaling, note taking, or anything in between, the more fascinated I am with how people have used notebooks throughout history to manage their thoughts.
Whatever he was thinking, Kerouac likely transferred it to one of his many notebooks. They remain a testament to his creative mix of discipline and rebellion. Kerouac wrote doggedly, but loosely. He set out to be a great writer, but he would do it his way.
Final Thoughts
Yes, I’ve been absent a lot lately. I’ll blame it on Alexander’s mule driver. And I’ll be back on Friday with more awesome things to share.
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Yet there is little evidence that classroom use of these previous technologies forced classroom teachers to rethink, much less reshape, instruction. Nor have I found convincing evidence that these technologies altered fundamentally how teachers teach, increased student engagement, or raised test scores.
So I have concluded that those pushing AI use in classrooms fail to understand the complexity of teaching.
Yes, there have been any number of technological revolutions meant to forever change the landscape of teaching and learning. Most of these revolutions have fallen by the wayside or have never seen their true potential realized. I’m looking at you, 1:1 computing initiatives.
I’m of the mind that the failures of these technologies to revolutionize teaching and learning don’t fall on the technologies. They are, after all, just tools with no consciousness, no agenda, and no determination of how best to use them.
That part is up to us, the human implementors of said tools. When we can’t figure out how to leverage tools properly or, as is far more often the case, refuse to implement the tools, failure is assured.
Far too often, I hear the argument from some teachers that, “What I’m doing works, and I don’t need to learn anything new,” or the ever-so-sinister, “I only do my learning in the summer and don’t have time for this.”
Perhaps most damnable is this statement: “Technology has never been shown to increase test scores, so we don’t need to use it.”
Because all we’re worried about is test scores. And that’s the real problem.
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OpenAI has partnered with the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School to launch a new course titled “AI in Education: Leveraging ChatGPT for Teaching.” This initiative aims to empower educators to effectively integrate generative AI into their teaching practices, enhancing learning experiences.
The class is just as much about what you as a teacher can do with AI to make your life better and make you a more effective educator, a less stressed out educator, as much as it is about how do you create assignments for your students? – Ethan Mollick
Professors Lilach and Ethan Mollick, co-founders of Wharton’s generative AI lab, co-teach the course. They emphasize the program’s dual focus: assisting educators in using AI to improve their teaching efficiency and developing assignments that engage students with AI tools.
Ethan Mollick notes that while discussions about AI in education often center on concerns like cheating and plagiarism, the course aims to highlight AI’s positive transformations to pedagogy. By embracing AI, educators can create more dynamic and personalized learning environments.
This collaboration reflects a broader trend in higher education to adapt to technological advancements and prepare educators and students for the evolving landscape of AI in the classroom.
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In 1930, renowned philosopher Bertrand Russell shared his personal “Ten Commandments” for virtuous living, offering timeless guidance on personal integrity and ethical conduct. Originally published in the magazine Everyman, these principles reflect Russell’s deep contemplation on human behavior and morality.
Here are Russell’s ten commandments:
Do not lie to yourself.
Do not lie to other people unless they are exercising tyranny.
When you think it is your duty to inflict pain, scrutinize your reasons closely.
When you desire power, examine yourself closely as to why you deserve it.
When you have power, use it to build up people, not to constrict them.
Do not attempt to live without vanity, since this is impossible, but choose the right audience from which to seek admiration.
Do not think of yourself as a wholly self-contained unit.
Be reliable.
Be just.
Be good-natured.
Russell elaborated on these commandments, emphasizing the importance of self-honesty, the ethical use of power, and the value of reliability and justice in personal conduct. He believed that virtues like punctuality, keeping promises, and refraining from treachery are essential for social obligations. His insights continue to resonate, offering a framework for ethical living in contemporary society.
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Open Education isn’t just about creating and using free tools for education. It’s about connecting with the ideas around open education and open source to create a more equitable space for us all.
Clint Lalonde shares two ideas on how open education can support digital literacy skills, as outlined in the British Columbia post-secondary Digital Literacy Framework.
While the first idea of having students edit/add Wikipedia articles is great, the second one, using GenAI tools to modify open texts, is a winner.
The second example I used focused on educators, and I picked a more contemporary example of using an open textbook with Generative AI to develop ancillary support materials using the open textbook as the reference material. When I was at the Open Education conference in Providence a few weeks ago, there were a few presentations about how educators are using GenAI with openly licensed materials to modify, adapt, or create ancillary resources. A particularly powerful example of this is instructors uploading a chapter of an openly licensed textbook to a GenAI tool, then asking the tool to rewrite the chapter to adjust the reading level.
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