Just learned that the 77's and Lost Dogs both had new albums last year. I'm 20 again. #the77s #7&7is

www.77s.com

Many apologists here: "It's not spyware if it's not actively spying".

We went through this over and over from Win95 past WinXP and the overwhelming consensus was "spy capable + no user approval = spyware".

Making the grade: a history of the A–F marking scheme This article provides a historical interpretation of one of the defining features of modern schooling: grades. As a central element of schools, grades—their origins, uses and evolution—provide a wi...

It was pointed out that Yale's major role in the development of the A-F grading system in the early 1800's was for the purpose of ranking students for honours - exactly the reason given in the report. Come full circle.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

bsky.app/profile/thad...

Coincidence that many of the recommendations are very politically conservative (no tech in classrooms, curve grades)?

A little introspection by #Yale would have shown that everything detail in the recommendation 13 contradicts the very first sentence of the self-same recommendation.

To much elitism bias went into this recommendation. Rather than restoring trust by *upholding standards* and learning outcomes, they want to lean on the reputation of Yale to give meaning to high marks.
"Ooh, and 3.5 at Yale, that's hard!"
Even if the student really mastered things

The report recommendation starts "Grades exist to communicate what a student has learned." Sounds good.

But then it goes on to recommend curving grades to 3.0 mean - for the sole purpose of ranking and sorting students! Completely divorcing the grade from the course learning outcomes.

What are grades for? Could be one of two things. 1. Show how much the student has learned. 2. Rank and sort students. These are two *different* things.
Standard-based grading, mastery grading issues grades only cares about the former. An A student competently learned >85% of the material.

Yesterday's release of Yale University's report on Trust in Higher Education has *really* bad advice on grading. Unfortunately, it will be overshadowed by the controversial "device-free" classroom recommendation.
president.yale.edu/sites/defaul...

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University of Waterloo @UWaterloo This account is no longer active. Looking to stay connected with the University of Waterloo? News: uwaterloo.ca/news/ Bluesky: uwaterloo IG: uofwaterloo FB: university.waterloo LI: uwaterloo Thank you

University of Waterloo is leaving Twitter. We need all Canadian colleges and universities to do the same if they're still there. The Canadian social site Gander would be a good option. 🍁

#edusky #canada #education

Can you get the ATC and pilot radio? I miss that.

Oh look, here's "Government of Canada White Paper: Data Sovereignty and Public Cloud" www.canada.ca/en/governmen...

A better title... We know there’s a sovereignty risk, but we’ll proceed anyway. Perfect example of bureaucratic risk normalization rather than risk elimination. 🙄

That's great.
Much better than sticking my nose into the mirror past the focal point! 😄

Me: Wearing my Cal sweatshirt
Guy: Did you go to Berkeley?
Me: I did, long time ago now.
Guy: What did you study?
Me: Physics
Guy: Let me ask you something. How did Bruce Lee do all those things? He was incredible.

90% switched to @vivaldi.com and it's been quite good so far. Linux and Windows.
Only hiccup is the occasional need to use a USB device with web interface (IOLab), which doesn't seem to work in Linux.
Using @1password.bsky.social too.
Next to migrate away from gmail to proton.

Bad call, but John Schneider needs to be fired for that stupid display of "tough guy".

How would you measure the rotation rate of a fidget spinner? Let's use your phone's magnetometer with #phyphox.

Sweden goes back to basics, swapping screens for books in the classroom Sweden is bringing back books amid declining test scores.

Can we do this?
No more Google Slides, no more Google notes.

arstechnica.com/science/2026...

Knock knock, no one’s there. Study finds scientists’ jokes mostly fall flat Survey examines how often academics attempt jokes during conference talks — and how these attempts at comedy land.

Scientists do have a bit of a reputation as being rather humourless.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Ontario mandated e-learning to expand course options. Some worry it's being used to boost marks | CBC News Six years after the Ontario government made e-learning a mandatory requirement for a high school diploma, students don't appear to be taking online school to diversify their course selection as the pr...

Ontario e-learning was a *bad* idea. I know students this this is an easy English A - but doing math this way? Bad.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

How AI giants tried to storm the last stronghold of the human mind: the math olympiads EL PAÍS reconstructs what many media outlets sold as ‘the news story of the year,’ and some of its protagonists described as a ‘disgrace’: the supposed ‘gold medal-level performance’ by big tech, whic...

How AI giants tried to storm the last stronghold of the human mind: the math olympiads.
Over the past four months, EL PAÍS has spoken with a dozen people about what happened on the Sunshine Coast in Australia between July 10 and 20, 2025.
english.elpais.com/technology/2... by @pflis.bsky.social

Pernicious sales tactic: Updating your meeting invite after I declined and deleted to get it *back* in my calendar.
THREE TIMES.
Blocked and junk reported your email.

How did I miss that?

What are Brock, Trent, Lakehead, Laurier, Windsor (and York) going to do when UofT cracks 100,000 undergrads? When literally every uni's financial strategy is to *grow* out of their problems? (Even McMaster and Waterloo do not plan for 1.5% growth.)

After 30 years in the classroom I know grade inflation is out of control. The race to the top has to end The first year I taught high school in Ontario, the 2001-02 school year, I had only a handful of students who achieved final grades in the 90s. During my last

Why? It's never been easier to get into Toronto or Waterloo. Grade inflation is one. (See the two recent op-eds in the Toronto star). Second, each 0.5% drop in admission averages scoops up 50~100 more students.

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www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...

In physical sciences, the growth of UofT and Waterloo is such that 10 years ago, they were ~28% of students. Today, they're 45%. OF the 15 universities in Ontario that offer science, 70% go to 5 schools.

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The net gain of students in physical sciences by UofT offsets the net loss of several other Ontario universities.

For the last decade, in most fields, the siphoning of students has led to a net loss of students at many Ontario unis.
The net gain of students in physical sciences by UofT *alone* offsets the net loss of several other Ontario universities.

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In 2025, "U of T is twice the size of the next largest university in Ontario, enrolling roughly 1 in every 6 university students in the province".
In a generation, 1 of 5 degree holding adults in Ontario will be UoT grads.

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The next decade at UoT plans for 1.5% growth. If they reach their actual growth of about 3%, they will reach 100,000 *undergraduates* in 5 years. 8 if 1.5%.

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