Lack Of Freedom for #Missouri #Texas #Arkansas Women
Ajax and Cassandra by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, 1806 via Wikipedia
Why does our culture endorse this approach? Makes me want to read Cassandra Speaks again.
Missouri law requires women seeking divorce to disclose whether they’re pregnant — and state judges won’t finalize divorces during a pregnancy. . . . Texas and Arkansas have similar laws. It’s impossible to know how often women are unable to leave marriages due to pregnancy. Some people may not even try to file for divorce because of the law… …lawyers might simply tell them to come back when they’re not pregnant.
A Parable for Your Consideration
TexTeacher offers the Parable of the Two Towers. It is worth a read:
Once there were two young brothers who were given a task to discover a way to stop the dragon which kept burning the flags that flew from the top of the castle. Read more
The parable embraces risk-taking and conversation with those whose positions you don’t understand.
How often have I thought, “Better to avoid that argument or tough conversation than try to connect and explore issues with the other?” The stakes are lower than being burned to cinders by a dragon.
AI and Audible
This is worrisome news…I love the audio stories via Audible, especially narrators like R.C. Bray and John Lee. I sincerely hope other narrators won’t lose their jobs. I understand why it is happening but sigh.
In November, Amazon announced a tool that lets authors transform their eBooks into narrated audiobooks using a new synthetic speech AI. Since then, over 40,000 audiobooks have been produced on Audible using this technology, some in as little as 52 minutes. source: The Neuron reports
GB1: Harnessing #Adobe Express: The Blogger's Ultimate Toolkit for Content Creation
Photo via Pexels
Guest blog by Leo Krause, Outreach Coordinator at Adobe Express
In the fast-paced world of digital content, bloggers are constantly on the lookout for tools that can simplify and enhance their creative process. Adobe Express emerges as a powerhouse, offering a plethora of features that are tailor-made for bloggers aiming to elevate their content. This article hosted by blogger Miguel Guhlin delves into how Adobe Express can be a game-changer for bloggers, helping them create stunning visuals, engaging videos, and compelling web pages with ease.
Streamlining Design with Adobe Express
Adobe Express shines by providing an intuitive interface that allows users to produce professional-quality graphics without needing extensive design skills. Here’s how bloggers can make the most of these features:
Templates Galore
Adobe Express boasts a rich library of templates that serve as the perfect starting point for various types of blog-related graphics. Whether it’s Instagram posts, Facebook headers, YouTube thumbnails, or blog banners, there’s a template for practically every need. These templates are customizable, which means you can adapt them to fit your brand’s colors, fonts, and style effortlessly.
Quick and Easy Customization
With a simple drag-and-drop interface, bloggers can edit and customize designs quickly. Adobe Express allows the adjustment of elements such as text, icons, and logos, enabling bloggers to tailor their visuals to match the tone and theme of their posts.
Asset Integration
For those who subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Express offers seamless integration with other Adobe products. This means you can access assets from Adobe Stock or use images from Lightroom directly within your designs, providing a cohesive workflow that enhances productivity.
Video Creation with Adobe Express
Video content has become a staple in the blogging world due to its high engagement rates. Adobe Express includes tools that make video editing straightforward and accessible, even for those without prior video editing experience:
Simple Video Editor
The video editor in Adobe Express allows you to create compelling videos by adding motion to still images, inserting text overlays, and incorporating music. It’s designed for quick edits, making it ideal for bloggers who need to produce quality video content rapidly.
Video Templates
Similar to graphic templates, Adobe Express offers a variety of video templates that can kickstart your video creation process. These are especially useful for creating consistent branding or recurring video series on your blog.
Social Media Optimization
Adobe Express provides options to format videos for social media platforms, ensuring that your content looks its best on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube. This is crucial for bloggers who rely on social media to drive traffic to their websites.
Enhancing Web Presence with Adobe Express
A strong web presence is essential for successful blogging. Adobe Express aids in building and maintaining an appealing and professional-looking blog with minimal effort:
Web Page Creation
Adobe Express isn’t just about images and videos; it also includes tools to design web pages. These tools are straightforward, allowing bloggers to create promotional pages, newsletter sign-ups, or event announcements without needing to code.
SEO-Friendly Features
The web design tools in Adobe Express are built with SEO in mind, ensuring that pages created with the tool are optimized for search engines. This is particularly important for bloggers looking to increase their visibility and reach a wider audience.
Mobile Optimization
With mobile internet usage surpassing desktop, it’s crucial for bloggers to ensure their content performs well on mobile devices. Adobe Express web pages are automatically optimized for mobile, which enhances user experience and accessibility.
Adobe Express stands out as an invaluable tool for bloggers who are eager to produce high-quality, engaging content efficiently. Its blend of user-friendly design, video editing, and web development tools makes it a versatile asset in any blogger’s toolkit. By leveraging the power of Adobe Express, bloggers can not only save time but also maintain a competitive edge in the bustling digital landscape. Whether you are a seasoned blogger or just starting out, integrating Adobe Express into your creative process can significantly enhance your blogging success.
Dropbox Breach
Oops. How many is this now, Dropbox?
We’re reaching out because on April 24th, we became aware of unauthorized access to the Dropbox Sign (formerly HelloSign) production environment. Upon further investigation, we discovered that a threat actor had accessed Dropbox Sign customer information. You are receiving this message because your information was in the data the third party accessed.
What happened
We can confirm that Dropbox Sign customer information such as emails, usernames, phone numbers, hashed passwords, multi-factor authentication, and general account settings were obtained. Based on our investigation, there is no evidence of unauthorized access to the contents of customers’ accounts (i.e. their documents or agreements), or their payment information.
What we’re doing
When we became aware of this issue, we launched an investigation with industry-leading forensic investigators to understand what happened and mitigate risks to our users. In response, our security team reset users’ passwords, logged users out of any devices they had connected to Dropbox Sign.
Source: Email etc….
Guest Bloggers Welcome
Welcome to the Guest Blog category. This area will feature guest blog entries from colleagues as well as others. I retain editorial control over the guest blog entries, however.
Topics
A blog entry where you share how you’ve had “another think” about a topic due to new evidence. Desired blog entries range across the spectrum of education, and are focused on the following:
- Artificial Intelligence (for, against, or happy medium)
- Book Reviews about any of these topics
- Critical Thinking
- Educational Technology
- Logic
- Philosophy (e.g. Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, etc.)
- Skeptical Thinking
- Science Literacy
- Technology and Privacy (e.g. Encryption)
- Writing strategies
Avoid spammy emails, ok? Ok, more info below.
Thank You for Your Interest!
Thank you for your interest in contributing to Another Think Coming blog as a guest author! Feel free to drop me an email using the REPLY VIA EMAIL link at the bottom of this entry to share an idea.
Process
If one of your submitted ideas is accepted to move forward, I will reach out to you to request a draft. If you have any questions about the process, feel free to ask.
Compensation
There isn’t any. I don’t want any money for hosting a guest blog entry or anything else, nor do I pay or give out anything except sincere thanks and appreciation.
Thank you again for your interest in contributing to this publication and for your work promoting critical thinking.
Regards, Miguel Guhlin
Writing by Hand
Reach for paper and pen…
a paper published in Frontiers in Psychology suggests, concluding that “whenever handwriting movements are included as a learning strategy, more of the brain gets stimulated, resulting in the formation of more complex neural network connectivity.” source
3-2-1: Med-Gemini #AI
“Could the problem be pleurisy?” I was standing at the emergency room of a local hospital chatting with an ER doctor. A family member had been suffering something that was driving her crazy and sent her to emergency room several times, causing for sleepless nights. “Yes, it could be that,” the doctor said. The family member immediately looked at me. She knew I’d used an AI to whittle down her various diagnoses from the symptoms shared. The doctor appeared impressed I had made a diagnosis. But it had been easy using Perplexity to ask questions. In the end, though, I’m not a doctor. I only pretend to be one with an AI at my fingertips.
I can’t help but wonder if solutions like Google’s Med-Gemini will be the same. per that Gadgets 360 article, the claim is:
Google claims Med-Gemini will provide more factually accurate, reliable, and nuanced web search results compared to Gemini. Source: Gadgets 360 (see link above)
Here’s an AI-generated 3-2-1 on it to give you a quick overview.
3 Simplified Ideas about Med-Gemini:
- Better Medical Decisions: Med-Gemini helps make smarter medical decisions by understanding complex medical questions and providing accurate answers.
- Works with Different Data Types: This AI can handle both text and images like ECGs, making it useful in various medical situations.
- Handles Detailed Information: Med-Gemini is good at working through long medical records and videos, helping doctors get a comprehensive view of a patient’s medical history.
2 Direct Quotes:
- “Med-Gemini-L 1.0 achieves a new state-of-the-art accuracy of 91.1% on MedQA (USMLE).”
- “Med-Gemini models can reason over lengthy medical records and videos, setting a new bar on medical instructional video question answering.”
1 Question to Consider:
- How will Med-Gemini change the daily work of doctors and nurses once it’s fully integrated into hospitals?
Technology in Schools: A Long History of Issues
Should we even be using AI given the negative impact on climate, the environment, on disadvantaged people? Or, as Helgztech put it so delicately:
And you’re comfortable with exploiting the labor of those whose work was scraped to create the AI output? The unacknowledged writers and artists? And the underpaid workers who trained the models? And the power consumption?
Let’s recap that argument with a bit more detail. See citations at the end of this blog entry for links supporting each of Helgztech’s points.
Did You Know?
Major U.S. newspapers sue OpenAI, Microsoft for copyright infringement
Eight newspapers are suing OpenAI and Microsoft for using their articles to train AI systems without permission. The newspapers claim this is copyright infringement and want the AI systems to be stopped and destroyed. The lawsuit raises questions about copyright laws and their application to AI development. (AI generated summary of Axios article
The Problem with AI
If you’re wondering about Helztech’s assertions, let’s review them again:
- AI use exploits the labor of people in third world countries who have to sort through tons of yucky content (e.g. porn) to filter out what is appropriate and what is not. These are data labellers, delivery couriers, and content moderators who engage in large volumes of monotonous, mentally draining labor. Counter: Advocate for fair wages, better working conditions, and proper recognition for workers.
- AI steals from writers and artists, not giving them any credit for their work that it vacuumed up off the web and elsewhere to become a faceless, unattributable blog of information that it can draw upon when developing responses to the multitude of questions and prompts people ask it to respond to. Counter: In regards to data scraping and intellectual property, proper attribution, increased respect for IP rights, and compensation issues need to be worked out.
- AI uses inordinate amounts of power for hours to weeks during taining, causing equipment to run at high capacity. This results in increased energy consumption. AI equipment, due to its high capacity usage, results in the use of lots of energy, both for computation and for the liquid cooling systems (which involves a lot of water usage, often in places that can’t afford to spare the water) Counter: Ensure that AI system become more efficient and rely on clean energy sources going forward.
This can’t be the first time in human history technology has resulted in ethical challenges and issues.
Technology and Humanity: A Recap of Ethical Concerns
The following is sourced from Claude.ai. It suggests that many transformative technologies through history have dealt with similar ethical challenges: Here are some examples of other technologies in human history that faced similar ethical concerns, and how those issues were addressed:
| Technology | Ethical Concerns | Resolutions |
|---|---|---|
| Industrialization and factories (late 18th to 19th century) | - Exploitation of labor, including child labor - Unsafe working conditions - Pollution and environmental damage |
- Labor laws and regulations (e.g., minimum wage, maximum work hours, safety standards) - Unionization and collective bargaining - Environmental regulations and policies |
| Automobiles (early 20th century) | - Safety risks to drivers and pedestrians - Pollution and environmental impact - Displacement of workers (e.g., horse-drawn transportation) |
- Development of safety features (e.g., seat belts, airbags, crash testing) - Emissions standards and regulations - Transition to new jobs in the automotive industry |
| Nuclear energy (mid-20th century) | - Safety risks and potential for accidents - Environmental impact of nuclear waste - Proliferation of nuclear weapons |
- Strict safety protocols and regulations - Development of safer reactor designs - International treaties and monitoring to prevent weapons proliferation |
| Genetic engineering and biotech (late 20th century to present) | - Unintended ecological consequences - Ethical concerns around modifying life - Inequitable access and potential for enhancement |
- Regulations and oversight by agencies like the FDA and EPA - Bioethics committees and guidelines - Ongoing public dialogue and policy discussions |
| Social media and online platforms (early 21st century to present) | - Privacy concerns and data exploitation - Spread of misinformation and echo chambers - Displacement of traditional media and journalists |
- GDPR and other data privacy regulations - Fact-checking and content moderation efforts - Antitrust scrutiny and discussions around regulation of tech giants |
I am sure that the table shown above doesn’t even come close to capturing the exploitation of labor, as well. As I write this, an example comes to mind. One that I grew up with as a boy in the Republic of Panama.
The Panama Canal
I grew up in the shadow of the Panama Canal, where an estimated total of 27,609 workers (many brought over from Caribbean countries) died during its construction. Those deaths came about as a result of yellow fever, malaria, and other tropical diseases.
However, the human toll doesn’t include the environmental impact, water usage, economic and social inequality of the Panamanian people, and Panamanian sovereignty.
Even if you consider all that’s wrong with the Panama Canal, its use continues today. The Panamanian government gets an average of $2.5 to $3.4 billion dollars from 2017-2021. Revenue generated by those who ship products through the Canal is in the billions.
Where there is money to be made, it’s the practice of human beings to do whatever it takes to get it. Like the Panama Canal, I don’t see human beings stopping all development and use of AI.
Al in Schools
Some would argue that these points do not negate the benefits and positive use cases of AI once the concerns are addressed. There’s nothing wrong with AI usage by the public since the money makers and everyone else already recognize the value of AI development and use.
You may be asking, “What about AI in schools?” Should we be using AI in schools given the valid points Helgztech makes? It’s really an ethical question, right? But it doesn’t matter at this point. We keep repeating a pattern of technology being pushed into schools, regardless of the ethical considerations.
In each case, there were edtech advocates who encouraged the use of technology in K-12 classrooms, modeling their use, staging learning events around it. If those people had, en masse, decided to do something else, what would have been the result? Would the technology still have found its way into schools?
In considering the examples that appear further down below, I asked Claude.ai those questions. I don’t disagree with the response:
If the edtech advocates (K-12 educators) had collectively decided not to promote or model the use of these technologies with ethical concerns, it’s likely that the adoption of these technologies in schools would have been significantly slower or more limited. Educators play a crucial role in shaping the use of technology in classrooms, and their endorsement or resistance can greatly influence the widespread adoption of any given technology.
In the absence of educator support, several scenarios could have unfolded:
Limited adoption: Without the advocacy and modeling by educators, many schools may have been less inclined to invest in or implement these technologies. This could have resulted in a more piecemeal or sporadic adoption, with only a few schools or districts choosing to use them.
Delayed implementation: The lack of educator buy-in could have delayed the widespread implementation of these technologies, giving more time for ethical concerns to be addressed or for alternative solutions to be developed.
Increased scrutiny: If educators had collectively raised concerns about the ethical implications of these technologies, it could have led to increased public scrutiny and pressure on the companies developing them. This could have prompted more proactive efforts to address the ethical issues before widespread adoption.
Alternative solutions: In some cases, the absence of educator support for a particular technology could have created a void that encouraged the development and adoption of alternative, more ethically-sound solutions.
However, it’s important to note that while educator support is a significant factor, it’s not the only one that influences the adoption of technology in schools. Other factors, such as market forces, political pressures, and the influence of technology companies, also play a role. In some cases, these factors may have still driven the adoption of certain technologies, even without the full support of educators.
Additionally, not all educators may have been aware of or concerned about the ethical implications of these technologies, and some may have advocated for their use despite these concerns.
In conclusion, while the collective decision of edtech advocates to not promote or model the use of ethically concerning technologies would have likely slowed or limited their adoption in schools, it may not have completely prevented their eventual implementation. Nonetheless, educators have a significant influence and responsibility in shaping the use of technology in K-12 classrooms, and their stance on ethical issues can make a substantial difference.
I’m not sure I could have said it better myself.
Examples of Technologies in K-12: 1980s and Onward
Both tables below were generated by Claude.ai:
| Technology | Ethical Concerns | Resolutions |
|---|---|---|
| Channel One News (1990s) | - Commercialization of education - Forced exposure to advertising - Biased or inappropriate content |
- Criticism led some schools to opt-out or seek alternatives - Increased media literacy education efforts |
| Internet access in schools (1990s) | - Exposure to inappropriate content - Online safety and privacy risks - Digital divide and unequal access |
- Implementation of content filters and firewalls - Digital literacy and cyber safety education - E-rate funding and initiatives to bridge the digital divide |
| Webcams in classrooms (2000s) | - Privacy concerns for students and teachers - Potential for misuse or unauthorized access - Chilling effect on classroom behavior |
- Strict guidelines for webcam use and placement - Secure storage and access controls for recordings - Opt-out policies for students and teachers |
| Biometric identification (2000s) | - Collection and storage of sensitive biometric data - Potential for data breaches and misuse - Consent and privacy concerns for minors |
- Strict data protection and encryption measures - Limit use to specific purposes (e.g., lunch lines) - Opt-out options and alternative identification methods |
| RFID tracking (2000s) | - Surveillance and privacy concerns - Potential for data misuse or unauthorized access - Consent and privacy issues for minors |
- Limited use to specific purposes (e.g., library books) - Secure data storage and access controls - Opt-out options and alternative tracking methods |
| Classroom management software (2010s) | - Excessive surveillance and control - Data privacy and security risks - Potential for misuse or bias in application |
- Transparent policies on data collection and use - Strict data protection measures and access controls - Regular audits and reviews for fairness and effectiveness |
Consider this list:
Here are some examples of technology being deployed in K-12 schools, along with their effectiveness, ethical concerns, and resolutions:
| Technology | Deployment | Effectiveness | Ethical Concerns | Resolutions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facial recognition systems | Used for attendance tracking, campus security, and monitoring student behavior | Mixed results; accuracy concerns, especially for students of color | Privacy violations, potential for misuse and bias, lack of student consent | Strict guidelines for use, opt-out policies, transparency about data collection and usage |
| Online learning platforms (during COVID-19) | Widespread adoption for remote learning during school closures | Varied effectiveness; issues with access, engagement, and learning outcomes | Digital divide and inequity, student data privacy, screen time concerns | Providing devices and internet access, training for teachers and students, data protection policies |
| AI-powered adaptive learning software | Personalized learning paths and content based on student performance | Promising results for individualized learning, but limited evidence of long-term efficacy | Algorithmic bias, privacy concerns, reduced teacher autonomy | Ensuring diverse training data, human oversight, and transparency; protecting student data; empowering teachers |
| Social media monitoring tools | Tracking students' social media activity to identify potential threats or concerning behavior | Questionable effectiveness; high rates of false positives and limited prevention | Invasion of student privacy, chilling effect on free speech, disproportionate impact on marginalized students | Clear policies on monitoring scope, student and parent notification, opt-out options, data retention limits |
| Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) | Immersive educational experiences and simulations | Engaging for students, but limited research on learning outcomes; high costs and technical challenges | Potential for physical discomfort, psychological impact, and addiction; unequal access | Age-appropriate content, time limits, adult supervision, ensuring equal access for all students |
| Wearable devices (e.g., fitness trackers) | Tracking student physical activity and health data for PE classes and wellness programs | Can encourage physical activity, but accuracy and long-term engagement are concerns | Student privacy, data security, potential for body shaming or unhealthy competition | Opt-in policies, strict data protection, focusing on overall wellness rather than individual metrics |
Citations for Assertions
To support the assertions regarding problems with AI, consider the following:
| Assertion | Supporting Citations |
|---|---|
| AI is exploiting the labor of those whose work was scraped to create the AI output. | [1], [2], [4], [9], [12] |
| The unacknowledged writers and artists. | [4], [9], [15] |
| The underpaid workers who trained the models. | [1], [2], [3], [13], [16], [17], [18] |
| AI power consumption. | [3], [5], [6], [7], [8] |
Citations:
- [1] www.linkedin.com/pulse/art…
- [2] www.noemamag.com/the-explo…
- [3] www.spglobal.com/commodity…
- [4] www.aje.com/arc/ai-an…
- [5] www.scientificamerican.com/article/t…
- [6] www.vox.com/climate/2…
- [7] spectrum.ieee.org/ai-energy…
- [8] www.nytimes.com/2023/10/1…
- [9] www.creativindie.com/the-creat…
- [10] link.springer.com/article/1…
- [11] www.ll.mit.edu/news/ai-m…
- [12] hasdata.com/blog/web-…
- [13] theconversation.com/long-hour…
- [14] www.imf.org/en/Blogs/…
- [15] houstonlawreview.org/article/9…
- [16] www.washingtonpost.com/world/202…
- [17] https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/zx6jm5/how_ai_innovation_is_powered_by_underpaid_workers/
- [18] www.bloomberg.com/news/arti…
- [19] www.axios.com/2024/04/0…
Evidence vs Certainty and The Constitution of Knowledge
As I’ve shared in the past, one of the reasons I started Another Think Coming was how often I found myself revisiting old ideas that were no longer accurate or reflective of new information.
You wake up one morning and the preponderance of the evidence has forced you to reconsider what you long held dear. You realize that you are plain wrong, so you’ve got another think coming about everything you once held dear or thought true.
To that end, I focus a lot in this blog on sharing quick ideas and going deeper into critical thinking, AI, etc. In this entry, I explore some of the things I read in Jonathan Rousch’s The Constitution of Knowledge, a book I heartily recommend.
An Aside: The other part of Another Think Coming blog is that I had grown bored with my writing at the intersection of education, technology, and leadership at Around the Corner. While you can still access the old content (and search it) at mguhlin.blogspot.com, I decided to step away from those ideas. I’d started that blog to wrestle with Web 2.0 ideas, social media, and all that. Now, I’m in a different place.
Dealing with Uncertainty
I loved this quote from Michel de Montaigne because it captures the general equivalence all human beings are set up with that makes it so hard to argue that my certainty is better than your’s, when chances are, it’s as flawed. In fact, it’s probably what frames the problem with “both sides” arguments:
“The uncertainty of our senses makes everything they produce uncertain.”
Read that again. We can’t simply rely on our senses.
Certainty versus Evidence
In his blog entry, David Truss affirms the epistemological crisis we are all facing. He says:
We are living through an epidemic of certainly at the expense of evidence. Selectively chosen facts are sprinkled on emboldened ideas that sit like concrete, embedded deep in the minds of people who are certain they are right.
Contrary evidence is tossed aside. If it doesn’t fit my truth or my world view then, it’s wrong, it’s misinterpreted, it’s fake news.
One of the real struggles people have is knowing how to resolve this issue. How do you know who or what to believe? How certain can you be of any perspective, including your own? David’s reflection reminds me of a Thinking Clearly podcast featuring Jonathan Rauch
He is the author of several books, but the most relevant is The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth.
Why Do Are We So Certain?
“The certainty epidemic is growing and it’s getting harder and harder to sift through the BS, and actually know what evidence to follow,” says David Truss. This isn’t a new problem, though. Throughout history, we have seen people struggle with their own cognitive biases, the power of the tribe, and more.
In his book, Rauch makes the following points:
- Once a belief becomes important to the way we think about ourselves or important to the group we identify with, changing it becomes very costly (The Identity-Protective Cognition by Dan Kahan)
- Hundreds of thousands of year of practice at believing whatever will keep us in good standing with our tribe, even if that requires denying, rationalizing, misperceiving, and ignoring the evidence in front of our nose…if a belief performs the function of defining a group and knitting it together, it plays the social role of a sacred or religious belief.
- When facts challenge the belief the congregation will defend its faith by denying the facts.
How do you overcome human programming that make us willing to deny the facts when they go in the face of how we think about ourselves or the group we belong to?
My hope was, as David Truss expresses, that we would be able to live up to “…the idea that we continue to learn and reformulate our theories and make them better.”
But we know that’s not always going to happen. What we know, our ability to evaluate evidence is more than simple intellectual exercise.
As Rauch points out in his book, citing Cailin O’Connor and James Owen Weatherall, we must recognize that cognition is a group process:
“Our ability to successfully evaluate evidence and form true beliefs has as much to do with our social conditions as our individual psychology.”
Clearly, more is needed.
Revisiting Bacon
In The Constitution of Knowledge, Rauch does a spectacular job of summarizing history of how a constitution of knowledge was created.
One of the citations is Sir Francis Bacon:
Knowledge comes not from what truth seekers believe, but what they do: Make observations and perform experiments which eliminate wrong answers and point us toward right ones.
Using this method, we can overcome the inherent flaws of our senses and cognition (Idols of the Tribe), the limits of our individual experiences and parochial viewpoints (Idols of the Cave), and the errors of received dogmas and superstitions (Idols of the Theatre).
This is powerful stuff. To summarize:
Knowledge doesn’t come from what people think, but from what they do. They watch, try things out, and learn which answers don’t work and which ones do. This way, we can get past our natural mistakes and limits, and the wrong ideas we’ve been taught.
In his blog entry, David describes the issue of confirmation bias…that we look for facts that support our perspective, discarding the ones that don’t fit. Instead, we need to find ways to prove our hypothesis of how things work, wrong. What is the error in our thinking?
We need to be willing to be people who are willing, as Charles Sanders Peirce says (as cited in Rauch’s book), “…at all times to dump [their] whole cartload of beliefs the moment experience is against them.”
Given how much we invest into our beliefs as children, it is hard to do.
Knowledge and Truth Are Public
“Knowledge can be made only when it can be validated by others. Unless truth be recognized as public, as that of which any person would come to be convinced if he carried his inquiry,” is a tough excerpt from a quote by Rauch.
Without community, you can believe whatever you want. It’s not until you drag your truth into the commons that others can test it to see if it is true.
That is the process Bacon appears to have identified…making observations and then testing and experimenting.
Those who do will never be 100% certain of the truth, but the increasing evidence and scientific consensus (based on individual experiments by others) can shift you from a hypothesis to a widely accepted theory.
Another Think Coming
As David points out in a follow-up blog entry, dumping your beliefs in light of new evidence requires courage:
It always surprises me the that changing of one’s opinion is seen as weak. To me it’s a sign of strength.
Openly admitting that you’ve changed your mind based on new evidence is a superpower. Source: David Truss, Changing Our Opinions
We all have another think coming, don’t we?
Book Bans: History Cover Up
Ruby Bridges on book bans:
The excuse that I’ve heard them give is that my story actually makes, especially White kids, feel bad about themselves…
“I believe that it’s just an excuse not to share the truth—to cover up history. I believe that history is sacred—that none of us should have the right to change or alter history in any way.”
Relief that Makes You Weep
What relief I have as a parent that my children made it through college, one of them persevering through the COVID pandemic to graduate. Relief that makes you weep, especially when I read the following:
Most students at colleges that close give up on their educations altogether. Fewer than half transfer to other institutions, a SHEEO study found. Of those, fewer than half stay long enough to get degrees.
Many lose credits when they move from one school to another and have to spend longer in college, often taking out more loans to pay for it (source.)
How many are affected by this situation of closing colleges? Better sit down for this:
The rest join the growing number of Americans — now more than 40 million, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center — who spent time and money to go to college but never finished.
I know trade schools and other venues offer options but being college educated, the second in my family after my mother who went to teacher college in Panama, it still means something. I would rather college plus technical certifications than simply the latter.
The Impediment: Where Your Heart is Set
Doesn’t this sound familiar?
“Remember that it’s not only the desire for wealth and position that debases and subjugates us, but also the desire for peace, leisure, travel, and learning. It doesn’t matter what the external thing is, the value we place on it subjugates us to another . . . where our heart is set, there our impediment lies.”
—EPICTETUS, DISCOURSES, 4.4.1–2; 15
If you’re like me, it may have reminded you of some scripture passages:
“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21, NIV).
AI at Work
despite many generative AI tools being readily accessible, most people don’t know how to apply them to their work. (source)
Interesting. Maybe folks don’t want to use AI because it will learn about their work from the questions and context data they train it on.
I have found people love AI when they see what a time-saver it is. It’s not brain surgery or anything.
Banning LGBTQ+ Teachers #Texas
“…banning educators who fall under the umbrella of being trans, nonbinary, or gender nonconforming is not only a violation of their rights, but also, it would do a huge disservice to students across the state of Texas.” via KXAN
Sigh. Texas. I so agree with statements like this one:
“It goes against every right so many fought for and died to protect,” said an Austin ISD educator. “Our constitution was built on the ideas of the freedom of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. These laws are directly going against this. Our country is built on diversity and freedoms, to strip this away is un-American.”
What do you think? Is an unAmerican, intolerant Texas the place you want to be? Unbelievable.
The more diverse we are, the better. Let’s leave people alone and focus on seeing what they do to maker America better instead of persecuting them.
Survivor's Guilt: How Do You Handle Coworkers' Layoffs?
In education, I’ve noticed how important is for people to always be upbeat and positive. It’s a bit of a strain having to endure people doing their best to avoid losing it. If something bad happens, it’s important to acknowledge it.
“Big” Reasons for Layoffs. What do the numbers say?
- U.S. companies announced over 90,000 job cuts in March 2024, marking a 7% increase from February.
- The technology industry continues to see substantial layoffs, with over 46,000 layoffs reported in the first two months of 2024 alone
- High-profile companies like Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have made significant cuts
- K-12 education is facing layoffs due to expiration of federal pandemic relief funds, declining enrollments, budget challenges, seniority-based layoffs, etc.
Dealing with It
But when you’re watching people drop around you, you wonder, “Shouldn’t we pause for a moment as a group of human beings to acknowledge what’s happening here? That person lost their job. That person decided to leave because of a toxic workplace. My goodness, why can’t we speak to each other about this except in hushed whispers in the parking lot?” You know what I mean. We’ve all been there.
I can remember the first time it happened. And the second. And the third. The morbid fascination of watching someone lose their job, get escorted to the door. Some times, it’s that gal who said she was suffering from workplace injuries but then danced her way to the door of her car in the parking lot when she thought no one was looking.
Except, too bad, so sad, the video feed to the parking was on and the top honcho saw it. That guy wasn’t happy. The injured, not really, person lost her job pretty quickly. You don’t feel much sympathy for her. She was lying.
But there are others who lose their jobs, and you know it’s politics or whatever. Incompetent leadership. Alleged insubordination. A refusal to let things go because the boss is wrong. Or, all those “big” reasons for layoffs. And, the feeling of that person’s separation is awful. You’re still there.
You survived.
Layoff Survivor Guilt
It’s a feeling I’ve had a few times over my career:
Layoff survivor guilt is a natural response to the emotional turmoil of witnessing colleagues lose their jobs while one remains employed. Surviving employees may experience a range of emotions in response, including relief, guilt, anxiety, and uncertainty about their own future within the organization (source).
What’s hilarious is the suggestion in the article above:
Organizations should prioritize open communication, emotional support, and professional development opportunities for surviving employees to help them cope with layoff survivor guilt.
As if. As if open communication was REALLY an option. As if PD, or even acknowledging the REAL problem was possible. I’ve been in workplaces like that, too. You know, where they say, “Hey everybody, if you need to talk about Jerry separating from here, come talk to me, the person who fired him. I can show you the way.”
Yeah. Right.
District Level Craziness
Anyone who works in schools has seen how principals get separated from their campuses. They get moved from one campus to the next. Then, they get a posh HR spot. Or put in charge of some area that they know nothing about. I had an assistant superintendent who ended up as assistant superintendent of technology SIMPLY BECAUSE they didn’t want him being in charge of schools. Why didn’t anyone ever demote me into a six figure paying job? Sheesh. ;-)
The goal, the newly minted CTO told me, was to humiliate him into leaving. He knew nothing about the job. Nothing. So, he grabbed a spoon and scooped up that humiliation and ate it right up. Terrible. School admins do it all the time.
Another situation is when a new superintendent walks in the door. For whatever the reason, the people in the job aren’t to his/her liking. So, the super decides to clean house, even though, these people are well-established and doing a wonderful job in their position. As they walk out the door at the end of the year (if they make it that long), they smile and wave and act like they aren’t getting screwed over by a megalomaniac supe who’s only going to be hitting the road him/herself in a few years because they couldn’t deliver on their crazy agenda.
I watch those people leave, and I can’t help but shake my head in disgust. You hope for divine justice, karma, or anything, but the truth is, there isn’t anything. It’s the way things are. You can continue doing your job, gather evidence that ends up being a hit job on the new boss (and it doesn’t work because the people who hired the new boss have too much ego and “face” invested in ensuring that person’s success), or just walk away yourself.
How To Deal with Survivor Guilt
After awhile, you learn to deal with the guilt of still having a job. You remind yourself that you’re still getting a paycheck. You throw yourself into your work, experiment with new ideas, get in touch with why you still love your work, even if the building is crumbling around you (building is a euphemism for culture in this self-talk). You make lists of all the things you enjoy doing, and how all that might go away if you decide to go somewhere else.
You wait for some mystical power (uh, no) to exercise retribution on the person(s) causing all the survivor guilt. When I think about “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord,” quote I realize how perfectly religion has been developed to keep us all conforming.
You can find tons of places that offer advice on how to survive the layoff of a coworker or more than one. I focus on being creative, on making stuff. I remind myself that as long as I keep creating, I’m employable. I also sharpen my resume, my portfolio site, make a list of new skills I want to learn.
Then, I mourn. I make a list of the people that are gone. I ask myself, “What did I do to ease their passing?” That might be a kind note, a letter of recommendation, a farewell lunch.
And, then…I let them go. I keep moving with my WHY firmly in mind. You realize that really, you set yourself up. You set yourself up with false expectations of what success is. You remember that…
11 Actions To Take
You decide to:
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Offer guidance to those who act without considering the consequences.
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Support and uplift those who are disheartened.
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Assist those in need and show patience to everyone.
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Ensure that harm is not returned with harm.
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Strive for the well-being of each other and all people.
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Find joy in every moment.
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Remain open-minded and grateful in all situations.
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Keep your enthusiasm and curiosity alive.
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Be open to new ideas and experiences, but critically evaluate them.
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Embrace what is beneficial.
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Avoid harmful actions and influences.
And, somehow, everything is OK.
“You shouldn’t give circumstances the power to rouse anger, for they don’t care at all.” —MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.38
Dark Use of #AI in School Setting
What a shocker. The principal who was targeted actually got removed from work for a bit.
Baltimore police have arrested Dazhon Leslie Darien, the former athletic director of Pikesville High School (PHS), for allegedly impersonating the school’s principal using AI software to make it seem as if he made racist and antisemitic remarks.
How to Identify AI Audio
Another source shares this tidbit:
Experts told The Baltimore Banner and police that the recording, which briefly resulted in Eiswert’s suspension, has a “flat tone, unusually clean background sounds, and lack of consistent breathing sounds or pauses.”
UNESCO released a 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report
UNESCO released a 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report. As you might suspect, the report makes these claims.
The Fading Attraction of EdTech
I had a laugh (then a cry) about this image:
Image above via Larry Cuban on Technology in Schools as cited by Dr. Gary Ackerman (@garyackerman@qoto.org)
Today, I am still enthusiastic about technology in schools. It is the enthusiasm of someone who uses technology every day to create and make. For me, technology inspires me, enables me to create in ways I couldn’t do without it. That is the promise of technology. But, our continued pursuit of edtech hyped solutions in K-12 to radically improve student achievement was never sustainable. Now, I am seeing the same pattern with AI.
Let us make an end of edtech hype, relegate technology to an everyday tool that amplifies our creativity and connects us to one another in fundamental human ways, like knowing how to read and write do.
Doubting Thomas
Now, I find myself in the position of a doubting Thomas, a disbeliever, who sees how edtech advocates (including myself) believed in several big lies about teaching and learning with technology. Those may have included:
- Technology heightens engagement, and engagement leads to increased student learning and academic achievement
- Constructivist approaches work, and technology is best paired with these approaches over traditional methods
- Phonics doesn’t work, pleasure reading works better
- Projects, Problems, and Inquiry-based learning can do the heavy lifting of engaging minds and getting them to process ideas in ways that leads to long-term information retention
It is sobering to realize how much truth, and inaccuracies, exist in those ideas. But if they aren’t the whole truth, then what is? And, should I worry so much about it now that I know better? After all, isn’t the whole idea to prove something wrong to find what is true?
Stop Drinking the Kool-Aid
For many who drank the Kool-Aid, the secret sends them down the path of folly. It is time to wake up. And, some have.
A lot of people have caught on, perhaps due to the perceived remote learning fiasco (you know, when thousands of teachers had to teach remotely without the benefit of years of blended learning experience, and students simply didn’t learn as well resulting in low scores on extremely expensive, high-stakes assessments on national and international tests. These expensive exams were paid for with taxpayer funding to little purpose).
This is evident as you look at these graphs in Joanna Glasner’s (@jglasner) article, Edtech is No Longer a Funding Fave.
UNESCO Report Claims
Let’s take a look at each of these claims in turn. To do that, I’m going to group them into “buckets” of interest:
Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning
- Good, impartial evidence on the impact of education technology is in short supply.
- There is little robust evidence on digital technology’s added value in education.
- A survey of teachers and administrators in 17 US states showed that only 11% requested peer-reviewed evidence prior to adoption.
- A review of 23 mathematics applications used at the primary level showed that they focused on drill and practice rather than advanced skills.
- In Peru, when over 1 million laptops were distributed without being incorporated into pedagogy, learning did not improve.
- In the United States, analysis of over 2 million students found that learning gaps widened when instruction was exclusively remote.
- Mere proximity to a mobile device was found to distract students and to have a negative impact on learning in 14 countries.
Professional Development for Educators
- Teachers often feel unprepared and lack confidence teaching with technology.
- Only half of countries have standards for developing teacher ICT skills.
- Few teacher training programs cover cybersecurity.
- Around two-thirds of education software licenses were unused in the United States. (if teachers don’t know how to use edtech, it will sit unused).
Environmental Impact
- One estimate of the CO2 emissions that could be saved by extending the lifespan of all laptops in the European Union by a year found it would be equivalent to taking almost 1 million cars off the road.
Consider this information, and you get some sobering takeaways:
- EdTech has a negative effect on teaching and learning
- Teachers lack professional development to use edtech they have, much less emerging technology
- Saving the planet may involve NOT equipping every child in school with short-term laptops (like Chromebooks) and double use time
If you add AI’s environmental impact to the list above, it can be quite sobering.
AI’s Take on My Notes Above
I asked Perplexity Pro to evaluate the claims made above, providing additional citations. Below, you will find the results:
Evidence-Based Teaching and Learning
- The report underscores the scarcity of good, impartial evidence on the impact of education technology, noting that technology evolves faster than it can be evaluated, with education technology products changing every 36 months[1].
- It mentions the lack of robust evidence on digital technology’s added value in education and highlights a survey where only 11% of teachers and administrators in 17 US states requested peer-reviewed evidence before adoption[1].
- A review of 23 mathematics applications used at the primary level showed a focus on drill and practice rather than on developing advanced skills[1].
- The distribution of over 1 million laptops in Peru without integration into pedagogy did not improve learning, illustrating the importance of incorporating technology into teaching strategies[1].
- In the United States, an analysis involving over 2 million students found that learning gaps widened with exclusive remote instruction, emphasizing the challenges of online learning[1].
- The report also points out that mere proximity to a mobile device can distract students and negatively impact learning, a finding observed across 14 countries[1].
Professional Development for Educators
- Teachers often feel unprepared and lack confidence in teaching with technology, highlighting a significant gap in professional development[1].
- Only half of the countries have established standards for developing teacher ICT skills, indicating a lack of uniformity in teacher training on technology use[1].
- The report notes that few teacher training programs cover cybersecurity, underscoring a critical area of need in the digital age[1].
- It also mentions that around two-thirds of education software licenses were unused in the United States, suggesting that without adequate training, educational technology often remains underutilized[1].
Environmental Impact
- The report includes an estimate of the CO2 emissions savings that could be achieved by extending the lifespan of all laptops in the European Union by a year, equating it to removing almost 1 million cars from the road[1]. This points to the significant environmental impact of technology in education.
These findings from the UNESCO 2023 Global Education Monitoring Report present a nuanced view of the role of technology in education. While technology holds immense potential for enhancing learning, its implementation and impact are contingent upon careful consideration of evidence-based teaching practices, adequate professional development for educators, and awareness of environmental implications[1].
Citations
Meta.ai Launches: Guardian of Privacy?
Ok, you’ve heard that Meta.ai is now available for free. The question is, “What features are in place to secure your data? Can you trust Meta/Facebook/Threads/Instagram/Whatsapp/Messenger?”
Facebook, now Meta, has faced numerous privacy issues while maintaining its supremacy as the top social media network in the world. This includes the infamous Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data scandal of the 2010s, FTC privacy charges, data harvesting or scraping incidents and more. (source)
You can imagine free AIs sucking up your data, using it to train their AI, but failing to safeguard your content that becomes theirs as soon as you enter it.
Facebook AI use reported by Wired: “Meta’s online ad library shows the company is hosting thousands of ads for AI-generated, NSFW companion or “girlfriend” apps on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger. They promote chatbots offering sexually explicit images and text, using NSFW chat samples and AI images of partially clothed, unbelievably shaped, simulated women.” source
After all, it IS Facebook we are talking about. ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity offer safeguards and give you the option of opting out your data to train their AI. But what about Meta.ai?
Nope. Not an option.
Be careful to put nothing sensitive or confidential into AI chatbots.
Sample Results
Prompt
What is the scientific consensus on the effectiveness of Prevagen?
Response from Meta.ai
The scientific consensus on the effectiveness of Prevagen is as follows ¹ ² ³ ⁴:
Lack of Strong Research: There isn’t strong research that apoaequorin taken by mouth boosts memory.
One Small Study: The Prevagen website points to one small study that was sponsored by the supplement’s maker.
Flawed Study: Some neuroscientists had a different take on the results. They said the study didn’t show that people who took Prevagen benefited significantly more than the placebo group.
No Clear Proof: Experts usually don’t consider the findings of one small study as clear proof of anything. FDA Stance: The U.S. FDA has not evaluated Prevagen for safety and effectiveness and has tried to curb claims that it may help memory.
AARP Recommendation: A group of scientists, doctors, scholars, and policy experts brought together by the AARP said it couldn’t recommend any ingredient or supplement marketed for brain health after reviewing the available research.
Alzheimer’s Association Caution: The Alzheimer’s Association cautions that claims about memory-enhancing dietary supplements are mostly based on very little science.
Sources
