Meta wants to put students and teachers in Quest VR headsets

woman using vr goggles outdoors — Photo by Bradley Hook on Pexels.com

Meta plans to make Quest VR headsets a key tool for classroom learning, offering students immersive educational experiences. The push for VR in education raises questions about the future of learning and student engagement. Despite concerns like cybersickness and limited accessibility, Meta sees VR technology as a promising avenue for transforming education.

Meta will release a suite of visually engrossing education apps for teachers to use with students ages 13 and older in time for the fall 2024 semester.
Teachers will be able to manage multiple Quest devices at once without preparing and updating each device individually.

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Essential Resources to Guide Your AI Journey

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Jisc, a technology organization in the UK, has compiled a selection of resources to support different stages of AI maturity, including strategic resources, supporting students and learners, supporting staff, maintaining academic integrity, safe responsible use, and AI tools. The resources include blogs, reports, videos, podcasts, and training courses covering generative AI, accessibility, assessment, bias, ethics, and AI tools. Jisc is also developing new resources to support the move to the operational stage, such as pre-procurement selection criteria for generative AI tools and a generative AI skills training program for staff.

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

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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.

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.”

Schooling for Democracy in a Time of Global Crisis

And away we go…

“I am convinced that people are much better off when their whole city is flourishing than when certain citizens prosper, but the community has gone off course. When a man is doing well for himself, but his country is falling to pieces, he goes to pieces along with it, but a struggling individual has much better hopes if his country is thriving.”

Is that a line from the newest radical left-wing idealist politician?

Nope.

It’s Pericles. In Athens. In 431 BC.

If we choose to believe Thucydides.

Stewart Riddle emphasizes the importance of public institutions in caring, democratic societies, where markets and market relations are subordinate to the public good and the production of a thick democracy. He suggests that economic systems that foster individual wealth accumulation and rampant greed must be replaced with economic systems that foster sustainability and reindustrialization. Investment into people’s livelihoods within their local communities is emphasized, and people should be allowed to engage in meaningful, collaborative work.

Of course, for me, this sounds similar to the work of instituting a graduate profile in schools rather than relying on the tired, outdated, and ineffective measures of standardized testing. Connecting students with authentic learning opportunities, encouraging them to work on hard problems that don’t have simple answers, and contributing to their communities for the benefit of the many and not the few are key to shifting away from the late-stage capitalist disaster we live in now.

Marcus Aurelius said, “What harms the bee, harms the hive,” emphasizing that if we are harming anyone in society, the whole society suffers. This was never more apparent than during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, as some cried that their individual freedoms were more important than the good of everyone, essentially placing themselves above everyone else.

Connecting students with opportunities to enact real change within the structures of education can only improve our society. Will we still have people who think they are more important than anyone else? Of course.

But maybe we can raise up a generation of action-takers who want what is best for everyone.

Teachers increasingly embrace ChatGPT — students not so much

children sitting on chair in front of table — Photo by Max Fischer on Pexels.com

According to a survey conducted by the Walton Family Foundation and Impact Research, the use of AI tools among teachers has seen a significant increase, growing 13 percentage points from winter to summer. The survey found that 63% of teachers are now using AI, up from 50% in February. On the other hand, student participation has also increased but at a slower pace, rising from 33% to 42% during the same period.

The survey results revealed that a large majority of teachers (84%) who have used ChatGPT reported that the AI technology has positively impacted their classes. As the use of AI in education continues to grow, Common Sense Media announced plans to develop an in-depth AI ratings and reviews system to assess AI products used by children and educators on responsible AI practices and other factors.

The article also mentions that while some districts have blocked ChatGPT and other AI-powered tools, others are exploring how the technology can improve education workplace practices. As interest and use intensify, many education professionals are searching for guidance and credible sources of information on ways to safely and effectively incorporate AI.

How Teachers Are Using ChatGPT in Class

children using laptop — Photo by Max Fischer on Pexels.com

Larry Ferlazzo shares a round-up of educators who share their unique experiences incorporating AI tools like ChatGPT into their teaching methods.

Mary Beth Hertz, a high school teacher, leverages AI to educate her students about the nuances and biases inherent in artificial intelligence. She encourages her students to interact with ChatGPT, fostering a deeper understanding of AI’s strengths and limitations. In her entrepreneurship class, ChatGPT is used as a tool to refine mission statements and business pitch language.

Paul Wilkinson, a teacher of secondary English and social studies, employs AI to devise learning challenges for his students and provide them with comprehensive feedback. He uses AI to create curriculum-based content, formulate rubrics, and offer personalized feedback to each student. He also designed a reflection assignment to enhance students’ metacognitive skills.

Mick McMurray, a teacher specializing in marketing and entrepreneurship, uses ChatGPT as an assistant for student assignments. He crafted a series of ChatGPT prompts for a high school marketing class project, leading to an engaging “choose your own adventure” reading experience for the students.

Of course, the article underscores that while the use of generative AI in K-12 settings is still emerging, it holds the potential to boost student creativity, enhance writing skills, and provide students with a clear understanding of AI’s limitations. The educators involved believe that when used wisely, AI tools can serve as valuable partners in the learning journey.

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