Join us tomorrow for our conversation about The Digital Delusion!
April 22, 7:00 PM ET
Register on our Events page: www.civicsoftechnology.org/book-clubs
www.civicsoftechnology.org/blog/read-th...
And it's not just your typical writing class!
This week, we are sharing highlights from a symposium led by @mariekheath.bsky.social and Stephanie Smith Budhai at AERA - with discussion from @dankrutka.bsky.social
www.civicsoftechnology.org/blog/ghosts-...
How??? How did this ad get made???
That imagery is legitimately disturbing.
I guess they were going for dark humor, but wow did they miss that mark. If this is the place you go to sell your product.... well, wow.
Today, @banvillemorgan.bsky.social shares how she challenges her students to critique the argument that we have nothing to fear from surveillance provided we have "nothing to hide."
Read about her approach and hear from three of her students!
www.civicsoftechnology.org/blog/nothing...
We're putting together a Critical Tech Hall of Fame!
And we want you to be a part of it.
Read about it here!
www.civicsoftechnology.org/blog/welcomi...
I am not surprised by these results, but they are nevertheless really important to confirm empirically. Kudos to these researchers www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
Amazing! Now - just now - we have *finally* solved the eternal problem of education: access to information. Never before has this been possible! Never! We shall call it: The robotic information superhighway. Learning shall be democratized. And personalized.
THIS
I found out about this a few months back and it is absolutely dystopian. So glad that 404 is reporting on it. If you use Zoom, please listen so that you can take precautions.
podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
AI: The latest labor-saving tech for teachers
Today, @alliethrall.bsky.social, @jbpleasa.bsky.social, and @dankrutka.bsky.social write about how they have been questioning the "labor-saving" narrative with future teachers:
www.civicsoftechnology.org/blog/questio...
New article! @jbpleasa.bsky.social, @dankrutka.bsky.social, and I share insights from a collaborative self-study, in which we engage pre-service teachers in technoskeptical inquiry that questions the time-saving promises of AI for teachers.
Surprisingly, one of the first articles was using AI for therapy. Author Rhik Samadder took a rather comedic approach, a "look at these wacky times" sort of piece. Light AI fare. Mostly harmless.
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
I'm now a couple weeks into the "AI for the People" newsletter series from The Guardian. So far, the overall vibe has been "light AI fare." Pretty straightforward practical suggestions (prompting strategies, basic use cases), a bit of "gee whiz." Mostly harmless?
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
We’re also hosting an upcoming Civics of Technology tech talk on April 15 at 8pm ET, where we’re creating a digital space for caregivers, children, adolescents, and others to gather to commiserate, share tactics, plot future actions, and enjoy each other’s company. RSVP at:
EdTech is NOT inevitable. Join the community. Share your work of resistance.
www.civicsoftechnology.org/blog/caregiv...
Midweek blog post: Signs that (Ed)Tech has entered its decadent phase?
www.civicsoftechnology.org/blog/a-good-...
It's worth reading the study. It's a good one. This figure is probably one of the most important findings: people will deny the influence of this tech, even in a lab context where it's kind of obvious the AI bias has been dialed way up!
Our research study's recruitment flyer. The flyer reads, "Call for Research Participants! Caregivers Challenging Ed-Tech in Schools. Across the United States, caregivers are pushing against educational technologies (ed-tech) in K-12 schools. We want to know why and how caregivers are questioning technology in the classroom. Who can participate? Caregivers with one or more children attending K-12 school in the United States, who...Currently and/or in the past worked to challenge the purposes and roles of ed-tech in your children's K-12 schooling. What is involved? Complete one ~15-minute survey. Participate in one ~60-minute recorded Zoom interview (optional). Questions? Contact our Research Team. Dr. Charles Logan. Northwestern University. charles.logan1@northwestern.edu. Dr. Tony Talbert. Baylor University. Tony_Talbert@baylor.edu. Allie Thrall. Baylor University. Allie_Thrall@baylor.edu. To participate, please complete our survey here: https://tinyurl.com/CaregiversEdTech
Are you a caregiver concerned about ed-tech in K-12 schools in the United States and engaging in work to challenge how your child’s school uses ed-tech?
If so, Tony Talbert, @alliethrall.bsky.social, and I invite you to participate in our new project. Join the study at tinyurl.com/CaregiversEd...
A great piece that offers some valuable perspective on some of the current anti-edtech movements.
Check out our newest addition to the curriculum library, courtesy of @mariekheath.bsky.social
www.civicsoftechnology.org/blog/new-cur...
This book is truly lovely. How can playing games, with all their contrived scoring systems and rules, be so wonderful --- when real-world scoring/rule systems can be so destructive?
<highly recommend the audiobook!>
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735252...
I've noticed that LLMs love to give the advice to "sharpen," and I'm trying to figure out why. There might actually be an interesting project here - cataloguing the vapid words/phrases that LLMs use.
Just wanted to let you know that I did it. I may live to regret it. Will keep you posted XD
I got to this part and just started screaming in terror.
This is what happens when people get hyper-focused on the narrowest "misuse" cases. MagicSchool DOES have certain compliance and safety features that ChatGPT does not. But all this is really just distracting from the real question: Is any of this actually *good* for our schools?
Is it worth getting this newsletter just to see what sorts of yarns are being spun?
Here's the Gallup report referenced. I have mixed feelings about this. Will it catalyze any efforts to raise teacher pay? This sort of news item doesn't help with recruitment, that's for sure.
news.gallup.com/poll/702599/...
Waiting for the pitch from tech bros that GenAI is going to save teachers time to focus on what really matters: their side jobs.
If you're interested in trying to make sense of a book that's become quite popular in the fight against Big Tech in schools by invoking the work of Jonathan Haidt alongside the Luddites, then the next @civicsoftech.bsky.social book club is for you. We'll gather on Wednesday, April 22 at 7pm ET.
