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Ruthlessly Evaluate Every Classroom Tech Tool

I love the title of this article by Jessica Grose:

Every Tech Tool in the Classroom Should Be Ruthlessly Evaluated

It makes me think of a gardener ruthlessly pruning roses in a garden, pulling out weeds, making space for growing things. Ok, that’s the extent of my gardening knowledge.

Pruning Digital Tools and Failed Instructional Strategies from Classrooms

Whether it’s ineffective technology or failed instructional strategies, it’s time to stop doing what doesn’t work. Don’t you agree?

As we see a wave of AI tools finding their way into classrooms, schools and districts, you have to wonder, Where’s the evidence? Again and again, we keep coming back to digital tools to somehow accomplish something they weren’t designed for from the get-go: Ensuring deep learning happens, and that students are able to apply that learning to new situations.

How Can We…?

Kassandra Rios asks this question in a post on the Elon Musk owned network:

How can educators teach students to use AI in the classroom? #EdTech #teaching #learning #EdTechInTheClassroom #AI #education

At the time, my response included the following:

There are several different types of instructional strategies aligned to surface, deep, or transfer learning. For students in surface to deep learning, I don’t recommend AI since you want to build student critical thinking. I see definite applications during transfer learning, where students are applying what they have learned to new, novel situations for rapid prototyping (e.g. quickly trying out new solutions or getting AI to anticipate results).

Then, I mention an article I wrote on Flexible Grouping. But the more I think about it, the less convinced I am at AI’s utility to directly impact student learning. Most of the edtech tools I see are really productivity tools, information management focused. AI tools definitely fall into this category. I can see their use in the classroom by teachers, but for students, that means short-circuiting or denying them the learning and critical thinking they need to be engaged in.

A key quote from Jessica Grose’s article is this one:

And while there are certainly benefits to using tech as a classroom tool, I’m convinced that when it comes to the proliferation of tech in K-12 education, we need “a hard reset,” as Julia Freeland Fisher of the Christensen Institute put it….

We need a complete rethink of the ways that we’re evaluating and using tech in classrooms; the overall change that I want to see is that tech use in schools — devices and apps — should be driven by educators, not tech companies.

What if we COULD do a hard reset, STOP PAYMENT on all the recurring payment technology tools in schools. There’s certainly competing priorities for that funding. After all, how much would a district-wide LMS cost a 50K student school district? At least one full-time professional educator, no? And, what about the investment in computer labs and portable labs used for high-stakes assessments? From my own experience, the cost is considerable…from a few hundred thousand to millions every few years, depending on the size of the school district.

But the goal isn’t to get rid of technology everywhere. It IS to re-evaluate, “ruthlessly,” as Grose puts it, the technology that we allow in the classroom that directly impacts instructional efforts. Those tech tools, or digital tools, should be put on a list, and then evaluated for evidence. “What’s the scientific consensus on the use of XYZ popular tool in the classroom? Anecdotal evidence isn’t allowed.”

I suppose that the truth is, a better response to Kassandra’s question is, “What evidence is there that shows the efficacy of AI for use by students?”

The Artificial Intelligence Playbook

In a new book, The Artificial Intelligence Playbook, the authors say the following:

In this spirit, we invite you to consider AI as a virtual teaching assistant that can provide support to you. We hope that the tools in this playbook provide teachers with more opportunities to directly interact with their students, which not only is the reward of teaching but also is irreplaceable by a computer.

In the description, the focus is on AI as a virtual teaching assistant. I can definitely see the value of this for educators. In their virtual book jacket (a book I just started reading, BTW), the authors (or is it the publishers?) tout the book as highlighting:

  • Compose Writing Prompts and Avoid Plagiarism
  • Manage Content
  • Foster Student Engagement
  • Meet Students’ Instructional Needs
  • Assess Student Learning
  • Continue Lifelong Learning

Again, I can’t argue with those uses of AI. All of that is certainly made easier by AI (except the “Avoid plagiarism”…AI detectors are notoriously bad…see the scientific consensus with citations on them at the end of this post). The question isn’t whether teachers can use AI to make their jobs easier and less onerous.

Rather, the question is, “What evidence is there that supports using AI to impact student learning?”

And, so far, the evidence is lacking. Unless you consider that, so far, AI is being hyped as the cure to education ills. Yet, we already know what works in schools. More technology isn’t it. Instead, it’s high-effect sized instructional strategies that work.

Scientific Consensus on AI Writing Detectors

The following is taken from Perplexity Pro’s response to my prompt:

What is the scientific consensus on the use of AI detectors to stop students from having AI chatbots compose their writing?

As you read the response below, ask yourself, “Is my school or district investing in these ineffective technologies?”

Response

The scientific consensus on the use of AI detectors to stop students from having AI chatbots compose their writing suggests that these detectors are not entirely reliable.

According to the research, AI text classifiers, such as GPTZero and OpenAI’s own AI text classifier, have been found to misclassify a significant portion of human submissions as AI-generated and vice versa.

For instance, OpenAI’s Text Classifier misclassifies 5% of student submissions as AI-generated, and 49% of ChatGPT’s submissions as human-generated.

GPTZero has a higher false positive rate of 18%, but a lower false-negative rate of 32%[5].

Moreover, these detectors are susceptible to obfuscation attacks. A simple attack involving running the ChatGPT-generated text through a paraphrasing tool like Quillbot significantly increased the false-negative rates for both classifiers. After such an attack, the false-negative rate for OpenAI’s text classifier jumped from 49% to 98%, and for GPTZero, from 32% to 95%[5].

These findings indicate that while AI detectors can be a part of the strategy to identify AI-generated text, they cannot be solely relied upon due to their limitations in accurately detecting AI-written content and their vulnerability to simple manipulation techniques. The consensus suggests that a more nuanced approach, possibly combining AI detectors with critical human evaluation and changes in assessment strategies, might be necessary to effectively address the issue of AI-generated submissions in academic settings[2][3][5].

Citations:

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Ads On My Windows 11 Machine?

To offset this foolish trend by Microsoft, I have been testing living 100% in Linux Mint on a Microsoft Surface (take that you ad-monger!). so far, not bad.

Microsoft is starting to enable ads inside the Start menu on Windows 11 for all users. After testing these briefly with Windows Insiders earlier this month, Microsoft has started to distribute update KB5036980 to Windows 11 users this week, which includes “recommendations” for apps from the Microsoft Store in the Start menu. via The Verge

Can you imagine when this reaches school desktops running Windows 11? Channel One debacle. But it won’t come to that…Chromebooks for the win.

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The Budgetary Cliff: 2025

This has to be the scariest article ever…what will the impact be on all those professional learning facilitators, conferences, and more as the education budgets for countless districts implodes? How far will the shockwave reach as schools reduce in force? How will teachers caught in the mushroom cloud survive? How will politicians be held accountable for this short funding of schools that will dump professionals into unemployment?

Schools are about a year out from a budgetary cliff. The combination of declining student enrollment and the expiration of federal relief funds will make the spring 2025 budget season particularly painful in many districts across the country.

…districts will need to lay off 384,000 full-time staff, or an equivalent number of part-time staff. Since schools tend to lay off part-timers first, this figure may be undercounting the total jobs at risk. via The 74

If you haven’t read the notices, in Texas alone, many school districts are already in process to enact a massive reduction in force.

  • Austin ISD (Texas) could raise taxes, cut positions to help with potential $60M deficit Read more
  • Austin ISD Plans to Cut at Least $30 Million from It’s Next Budget Read more
  • Texas school districts face tipping point with incoming budget cuts, measures taken to prevent resignation Read more
  • Cy-Fair ISD (Texas) officials prepare for budget cuts ahead of FY 2024-25 Read more
  • SAISD to cut hundreds of positions in fall 2024 as federal COVID funding expires Read more
  • and there are more….

It may be doom and gloom. For some, it offers an opportunity to do something else than run the maze of rows, picking and collecting and schooling, legislators have set up and administrators oversee.

And, what part will AI play in consuming those jobs left vacant by the RIF’d?

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AI: A Snake in the Academic Garden of Eden

That tempter of old has crept again into the garden offering forbidden knowledge, knowledge unearned and undeserved, once again.

Tony Wan writes a wonderful article on the subject of AI, covering key points we must all remember as we rush to bite the apple from the tree of knowledge, forbidden fruit.

It doesn’t offer any real answers to the question of AI in schools short circuiting and potentially atrophying student’s critical thinking. That aside, it is worth reading, especially this point:

When groundbreaking technologies enter schools, old skills and habits make way for new ones. Some we may not miss much, like cursive handwriting. Other conveniences come at a cost: Typing on keyboards has largely replaced writing by hand, even though research shows the latter is better for memory and learning (and for carpal dexterity). Reading in print improves comprehension more than digital text, even though our eyes are fixated on screens these days.

So what do we gain and lose when students use artificial intelligence to write?

via Tony Wan’s EdSurge article, What Do We Gain and Lose When Students Use AI to Write?

Alas, I have made my way back to cursive writing, reading in print, an old man doddering among the ruins of yesteryear, and it is bliss to slow my mind down. Perhaps, that is the result of AI, an accelerated movement to a stunning conclusion that forces us back to basics, an ejection from the digital paradise.

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All is Well

“All is well” by Henry Scott Holland

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Reports of #AI Being Dumb Shouldn't Stop You

Image Source: Generated in Bing’s Image Creator AI, then modified with Sketch.io. Based on Craig Alanson’s Expeditionary Force series featuring the best AI of all, Skippy “Trust the Awesomeness.”

Is AI dumb? If you read Seth Godin, "ChatGPT is dumber than it looks,” maybe it is. Of course, he explains why that is so:

The reason AI language models are dumb is that they don’t actually know anything, the model is simply calculating probabilities. Not about the unknown, but about everything. Each word, each sentence, is a statistical guess.

He then goes on to point out that he uses Claude.ai with specific instructions as to how to best do so. He’s not alone in doing so.

AI Can Boost Productivity 20-40%

The authors of The Neuron newsletter write:

Despite the hyperbolic forecasts we often hear from tech CEOs about AI during earnings calls, here’s a reality check: AI in 2024 isn’t all that impressive. Yeah, we said it, don’t @ us. That’s not to say it’s worthless—if leveraged properly, today’s AI can boost productivity by 20-40% in areas like coding, writing, and HR.

Really? Dumb?

You know when your organization or team says, “Oh, they don’t know anything or they’re not really all that good,” about a competitor? It makes me wonder, “Am I suffering from superiority bias?”

I suspect the real reason we’re saying AI is so dumb is that we’re afraid of what that really means for us. If AI is smart, intelligent, or at least, good at mixing words together in ways that make sense to our monkey brains (you know, break it down Barney style), then it’s smart enough to not be called dumb.

Having relied on AI for data analysis, I’m inclined to think it’s pretty smart. Whether I’m using Perplexity or Claude, I can see that it’s able to do things that would take me hours to do myself. What’s even more incredible, ensuring the right prompt with sufficient context, interactive dialogue and explanation can be quite helpful to the AI. It’s the kind of clarifying conversation you would have with a human being.

What am I arguing for here? Nothing really. Only that we should stop calling AI dumb. Instead, let’s be realistic about its capabilities without ascribing godlike intelligence to language learning models running on huge server farms.

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Inflammation and Long-Term Memory Connection

When your students say, learning hurts their brain, believe them…

New research reveals that the process of remembering something long-term comes at a cost – specifically, inflammation in the brain and DNA damage in nerve cells, as the memories get ‘fused’ into neurons and stored.

But our findings suggest that inflammation in certain neurons in the brain’s hippocampal region is essential for making long-lasting memories."

Source: Science Alert

Cool, huh? More study needed but it’s fascinating.

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HellDivers 2 Teaches Lessons

In the screenshot of above of my son and I, in transit to a mission, he’s the one determining which mission to go on, while I stand looking on off the left.

“Get a cup of Liber-TEA,” yells a Helldiver as he flings a grenade into the oncoming horde of mechanicals. Yes, I have joined that group of people playing Hell Divers 2, a game that smacks of Starship Troopers (the movie). See the game play in this video:

The game is engaging and becomes better after you buy better armor and weapons, although not required. Last night, I had the opportunity to play with my son and found it a strange experience. Before I share about my Hell Divers gameplaying experience with my son, allow me to reflect on a gaming experience long ago when he was but a boy, 20 years ago.

Teachable Lessons from Game Social Dynamics

In Enemy Territory, which I found myself playing in my thirties, my five year old son joined me in this team oriented game. We were both on the side of the Allies, fighting against the German soldiers. In an act only my son can explain, he started shadowing another player on our team who played the role of engineer. As an engineer, the player could plant mines. Unfortunately, with a little effort, my son’s character was exploding the mines without suffering damage due to friendly fire. This meant that the extensive minefield laid down by a teammate was for naught.

The admin booted my five year old son from the game. I had been on another part of the map, and had not seen why. Neither had my son told me he had been booted, but I noticed his absence and that he had moved from the converted bedroom into an office into the playroom. He was, uncharacteristically, silent. When I found out what happened from him, using it as a teachable moment for him to admit he had been wrong to blow up a team member’s mines, I corresponded with the game admin and explained the situation.

A father himself, he understood and allowed my son back in the game.

Hell Divers 2

In a strange role reversal, I found myself huffing and puffing (my character, not I) behind my son, trying to keep up as he effortlessly wiped out the robots coming to attack us and block us from achieving our objectives. I called down cluster bombs and orbital fire, only to accidentally wipe out my team mates and myself. The other players complained through group audio chat of my actions, and my son made light of the matter, taking action to allow me to respawn (to reinforce in gamespeak) in the game.

As it happened several times, it was quite simple for me to see the stunning change in roles. Where once I had been the expert, the intermediator to explain away the mistakes of my son, now he did the same for me.

It was a touching moment and I will treasure it.

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Drink and Eat for Life is Brief #Food #FriedEggs #SanAntonio #Texas

What a wonderful wall decoration featuring this saying, or “dicho:”

It says, “Eat and drink for life is brief.” You could also say, “Eat, drink for life is short.”

The food at El Catrin Mexican Restaurant was delicious. It consisted of:

Huevos rancheros

Huevos divorciados

My wife and I also ate the mollete, which is chorizo, refried beans, and white cheese piled atop half a bolillo piece of bread…I regret that combination of flavors disappeared so fast, I didn’t get a chance to snap a picture.

Huevos Motuleños

Dessert

I’ll post the pictures of the dessert later. Tres Leches and chocolate cake. The slices are HUGE.

The Menu

Here are some of the other plates that you can get at El Catrin in San Antonio, Tx:

And, for those of you who prefer breakfast tacos:

Find their website online and treat yourself to deliciousness.

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Books Unbanned: A Shameful Account of American Censorship

I don’t understand why some folks engage in censorship, especially here in America. When I read reports like Books Unbanned I reflect on my own experiences with reading.

Werewolves and Cave Bears

My first experience with books centered around exciting conventional reads, like Max Brand and Louis L’Amour westerns. I also read e.e. “Doc” smith as sci-fi and many others. I learned of America’s history (albeit it, fake) from Dana Fuller Ross' Wagon West series, which enabled me to get the big picture of American history and do well in school. Historical fiction that improved my grades…who would have thought?

These books became heirlooms that ended up, in their entirety, in my daughter’s care, all lovingly read and explored. She’s now a Ph.D at a university in another state, having suffered no ill effects from wide reading. I have since graduated to digital books, not wanting to deal with the paper of print books, a decision that I regret not at all with fiction.

With nonfiction, I prefer print books to pore through and take notes from. With fiction, I seldom re-read, since touching a book or viewing its cover immediately recalls the story to my mind. Quite frustrating for an avid reader…for a long time, the best story I ever read was the forgettable one, since that meant I could read it again and again.

While my interests were mostly Western and Sci-fi, I occasionally stumbled upon books that made me open my eyes a bit then look around to see who might be reading over my shoulder.

These stories included the first time I had seen someone write about sex in the context of werewolves. The story was terrifying In itself, but that the seductress was also a werewolf has stayed with me. It was my first exposure to sex in a book, and all the more memorable, assuming mythic proportions unequalled since. Obviously, I still don’t read books with a lot of sex in them. Maybe I should have.

Jane M Auel’s Clan of the Cave Bear introduced me to horrible things that happen to women…and made me sensitive to how men treat women. From neanderthals in Cave Bear to humans in love in The Valley of the Horses, I came to a better understanding of sex and the potential conflicts between people, no matter their species.

These books shifted my thinking, along with Dana Fuller Ross’ Wagons West series. I learned a tremendous amount from them, even if it was inaccurate.

A Lesson

Given the freedom to read, I didn’t seek out sex and pornographic writing. That has always been a valuable lesson. Sure, like any young man, I was curious about human relations. But I knew reading wasn’t to be reduced to prurient accounts by characters limited to words on a page. Still, the encounters, the secret whispers and fumbling, tucked away in voluminous print volumes taught me something.

Embracing Exploration, Freedom

Having grown up in Panama and America, I came to value the espoused values of freedom from censorship and exploration (or at least the freedom).

“Young people are trying to understand their place in this world. Of course they’re exploring. And I want my children to live in a world where exploration is celebrated rather than admonished. The mental health toll of forcing everyone to assimilate to binaries is brutal." Source: Danah Boyd, Struggling with a Moral Panic Once Again

It is one I put into practice when I trusted my own children to be free range readers, to choose what they read and decided to pursue then measure that against the values my wife and I instilled in them.

Books Unbanned

As I read this report, I see a generation of youth who are restricted in their reading by fear-mongering and fearful cults, who don’t believe in the values they espouse. I love these songs from my childhood, and though I wish I could set them aside, I remember how I felt when I sang them, so I cling to them.

John Michael Talbot’s Be Not Afraid

You shall cross the barren desert/ But you shall not die of thirst/ You shall wander far in safety/ Though you do not know the way/ You shall speak your words in foreign lands/ And all will understand/ You shall see the face of God and live/ Be not afraid/ I go before you always/ Come follow me/ And I will give you rest/

Dan Schutte’s Though the Mountains May Fall

“Though the mountains may fall and the hills turn to dust/ Yet the love of the Lord will stand/ As a shelter for all who will call on his name/ Sing the praise and the glory of God

I remember and believed these promise of these songs, the story that there was nothing I could not face without a loving being by my side.

A Dark Faith Grounded in Preternatural Fear

But the faith that censors children’s reading habits, that quakes in fear of an unloving god that sups on the fear of believers, that causes them to rise up in hate to persecute and terrorize, that is not my faith.

As I read the report at Books Unbanned, of children struggling to find stories where they are represented, I can’t imagine if my parents had said, “No, you can’t read that because it’s evil.”

This library card is important to me because it gives me access to high-quality educational and cultural resources that I would not be able to afford otherwise. As an online high school student, I do not have a physical library nearby that I can visit, so having an eCard makes me feel connected.” —Age 17, Texas

[My state’s] ‘divisive concepts’ law [has] forced many public school history teachers to censor their teaching for fear of being reported by parents…” —Age 23, New Hampshire

In the end, I would have found a way. As these children have to unearth and confront the hypocrisy and lies of their parents and communities, seeking only the truth of their experience in the world….

The Backlash is Coming

The backlash is coming, when these censored children realize the truths concealed from them. Oh, how awful will the regret be for the angry book burners and ban makers be. And for the others? They will simply be irrelevant, along with their fear and threats.

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Moving Files Around

Interested in moving large files from one device to another? I know I was after setting up an obsolete Win10 machine with Linux Mint to give it new life. One of the things I want to do is quickly move files from one device to another. While I had experimented with Syncthing, I had failed utterly with FTP server setup and client. Honestly, it’s been so long since I’ve dabbled in this, I was tempted to use sneakernet (via USB flash drive) to load the files. But, I persevered.

Syncthing is a continuous file synchronization program. It synchronizes files between two or more computers in real time, safely protected from prying eyes. Your data is your data alone and you deserve to choose where it is stored, whether it is shared with some third party, and how it’s transmitted over the internet. Source: Syncthing

Rather than persist with Syncthing, which has worked quite well for PC to PC transfers, I decided to give ResilioSync a try. It has an iOS app, which is one of the devices I want to try moving files to and from.

Resilio Sync

Although it’s a proprietary solution, I said, “Why not give it a shot?” (cue horror stories, right?). Of course, it looks like to get advanced features, one would have to pay for it. I am only using the free features for a one-time transfer, then I’m going to re-evaluate whether I want to use this much more.

Back to Syncthing

Ok, so that was a really short test. Syncthing just worked, even offering QR codes to connect my devices. In no time, I had data moving from one machine to the other. The only hitch was purchasing a $4.99 iOS app, Moebius Sync. Aside from that, all my files were transferred in a jiffy!

Highly recommend!

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Converting RSS Feed to OPML with Claude.ai

Perhaps, I’m easily amazed at how AI makes hard things easy. I stumbled across a micro.blog RSS feed file earlier this morning, saved it to my phone, then, maybe, went back to sleep. Later this morning, I tried to import the micro.blog RSS file into Feedbro, a fantastic browser-based RSS feed reader/aggregator. No luck. Feedbro can only handle OPML.

How to get that microblog RSS file converted into OPML?

Claude.ai to the Rescue

I found a few websites online that might do it, but it involved a lot of copying and pasting. I decided to give Claude.ai a try, and voila! After pasting in the text of the RSS file into Claude, giving it a simple prompt, it created an OPML file for me.

Import File into Feedbro

I loaded the AI-generated OPML file, and now...

Ok, it didn’t work. That try didn’t work at all. It was worth a shot. I’ll have to step back and give it another try later.

Second Try

So, I told Claude.ai, it didn’t work:

As a result, Claude generated a new file. I imported that version in:

But it didn’t work. Since there were duplicates, I removed duplicates, and edited the properties for the unique feeds:

And, it worked!

But I still wondered, could Claude modify the file to get it where it needed to be? The answer is YES:

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Attitudes Towards Evolution, Evolve

Evolution is an old debate, and every year, I learn something new about it. I still remember studying this in my Catholic High School, explaining it at nineteen years of age to my girlfriend (later my wife). I can’t imagine how we would have continued if she had believed in the literal interpretation of Genesis a la story of creationism or so-called “intelligent design.” That would have been a show-stopper. Fortunately, I had already read heretical works like Dick Westley’s Redemptive Intimacy (which you can find in the Internet Archive). Before we get into evolution, let’s clarify some terms.

via the incomparable Melanie Trecek-King, Thinking Is Power (see explanation below)

Clarifying Terms and Science

One of the best explanations about science comes from Melanie Trecek-King. In her article, Science: What it is, how it works, and why it matters," she explains the following vocabulary that goes with the diagram she offers (see image above):

These terms are often a source of great confusion for non-scientists, as they can have drastically different meanings in everyday usage. A hypothesis is a testable explanation for a fairly narrow set of phenomena. They’re based on current scientific knowledge and observation, not wild guesses.

A scientific theory is a broad explanation for a wide range of phenomena. When evidence accumulates for multiple related hypotheses, they’re combined into a single, clear, and powerful explanation. Well-supported theories have been rigorously tested and have high predictive power. Examples include the theories of evolution, cells, germs, gravity, and relativity.

A scientific consensus is the collective position of evidence and/or experts (which is based on evidence). Recall that science is a social process: evidence is collected and evaluated as a community. A scientific claim is never accepted as “true” until it has gone through a lengthy process of careful scrutiny by fellow experts. Establishing a consensus can take significant time and evidence, but it’s the most trustworthy knowledge available at any given moment. The more diverse the community, the stronger the consensus, as they’re more likely to find each other’s biases and blind spots.

Improper Use?

Now that I’m sensitized to the difference in hypothesis and theory, I hear their improper use every day. That’s why it makes perfect sense for people to have negative attitudes about “The Theory of Evolution.” For them, the word theory is defined as a guess that isn’t based on current scientific knowledge and lacks evidence. However, the opposite is true…evolution is a scientific theory with evidence that tends towards a high level of certainty with near absolute proof (see diagram above).

You might find this breakdown of these and other scientific terms helpful.

What is the Scientific Consensus?

These days, I use Perplexity Pro to find answers to questions, like this one:

What’s the scientific consensus on Prevagen memory enhancement?

It’s been quite helpful. I also rely on Bartz’s CRITIC and Trecek-King’s FLOATER, two acronyms that can be applied to any news story or scientific study that “changes everything.”

But I digress. Let’s get back on the topic of evolution and changing attitudes.

My Own Thoughts on Evolution

I still remember doing my “own research” for a voluminous high school research paper. I remember scoffing at creationism, intelligent design at the time after reviewing all the evidence for the theory of evolution. However, I did not have as clear an understanding. I imagined that evolution and God might both exist in the same space.

No doubt this was a result of my reading of those scientists who did the science and said something along the lines of, “Science is about evidence, and has no opinion about God and faith.” Who can blame these agnostics and closet atheists given the scary violent antics of fundamentalist Christians on topics like abortion, evolution, etc.?

You know, these two graphs and the studies they link to are quite concerning.

Image Source: National Center for Science Education

Attitudes Towards Evolution, Evolve

I found the following report via the National Center for Science Education to be quite interesting reading:

As the hundredth anniversary of the Scopes “monkey” trial of 1925 approaches, a new study argues that the attitudes of American Gen Xers toward evolution changed toward acceptance and away from uncertainty as they aged, using a longitudinal dataset based on periodic surveys of 5000-odd participants born in the heart of Gen X over a 33-year period, from middle school to middle age.

“Research on attitudes toward science typically uses a single survey or a series of surveys of different participants,” explained lead researcher Jon D. Miller of the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan.

“Using the three-decade record from the Longitudinal Study of American Life enabled our study to investigate how attitudes develop and shift over formative decades in the same individuals.”

“Acceptance of evolution went from a plurality position between 38% and 44% to a majority position between 54% and 57%," commented co-author Glenn Branch, deputy director of the National Center for Science Education. “At the same time, as participants matured, their uncertainty about evolution reduced, from 37% when they were in high school to between 11% and 13% when they were adults.” (Source: Awesome or bogus? The development of Gen X’s attitudes towards evolution, NCSE Monitor)

That’s good news, isn’t it? That a change in attitude is possible. This change, along with the increase of the “nones," must be aggravating for fundamentalist believers. We are all dragged kicking and screaming into an awareness of the truth, our tightly held fantastical beliefs burning up in the sunshine of evidence and scientific consensus.

It’s Not About God, But Humans' False Stories

Our stories of creation, evolution, all fall short of the reality of what happened. The former tries to explain through supernatural means how we came to be without any knowledge or evidence except made-up tales from long ago. The latter tries to analyze existing evidence, gathering everyone’s best research and scientific consensus. Of the two, the scientific consensus is the more reliable.

However, both still fall short of the awesome reality of what actually happened. We weren’t there, we didn’t see it, all we have are the remains of yesterdays long gone. I have no problem, as a believer, tossing out holy books and stories of people who didn’t have a clue about what happened. I do have one about tossing out evidence and scientific consensus.

Neither changes that we must remain loving, kind, and caring for each other. Hmm….

THE HUMANIST TEN COMMANDMENTS

  1. Thou shalt strive to promote the greater good of humanity before all selfish desires.

  2. Thou shalt be curious, for asking questions is the only way to find answers.

  3. Harm to your fellow human is harm to humanity. Therefore, thou shalt not kill, rape, rob, or otherwise victimize anyone.

  4. Thou shall treat all humans as equals, regardless of race, gender, age, creed, identity, orientation, physical ability, or status.

  5. Thou shalt use reason as your guide. Science, knowledge, observation, and rational analysis are the best ways to determine any course of action.

  6. Thou shalt not force your beliefs onto others, nor insist that yours be the only and correct way to live happily.

  7. If thou dost govern, thou shalt govern with reason, not with superstition. Religion should have no place in any government which represents all people and beliefs.

  8. Thou shalt act for the betterment of your fellow humans, and be, whenever possible, altruistic in your deeds.

  9. Thou shalt be good to the Earth and its bounties, for without it, humankind is lost.

  10. Thou shalt impart thy knowledge and wisdom gained in your lifetime to the next generation, so that with each passing century, humanity will grow wiser and more humane. (source)

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Reputable? Yes! National Center for Science Education

In an upcoming blog entry on evolution attitudes changing, I cite some info from the National Center for Science Education. I ran into the group on Facebook, so I was curious as to whether it was a reputable organization. You might enjoy their Misconception of the Month.

Prompt to AI: Is the National Center for Science Education a reputable organization?

A pretty straightforward question.

Ask Perplexity Pro

So, I asked Perplexity Pro to see what it might come up with. This is what it came up with. Information between the lines is AI response:

Yes, the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is considered a reputable organization. According to Media Bias Fact Check, the NCSE is rated as a pro-science source with high factual reporting and high credibility[1]. The organization is recognized for its advocacy for science education and support for the consensus of science. It is a non-profit organization that was founded in 1981 and is affiliated with the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The NCSE’s mission is to educate the press and the public on the scientific and educational aspects of controversies surrounding the teaching of evolution and climate change, and to provide information and resources to support these topics in public school science education[1][2].

The NCSE is funded through donations from individuals and science foundations and does not use emotional words, respecting the consensus of experts in the given scientific field[1]. It is also described as the United States' “leading anti-creationist organization,” promoting science in classrooms and providing resources to teachers[2]. The organization has a history of opposing the teaching of religious views in science classes in America’s public schools and is involved in various activities and programs to support science education[2].

Furthermore, the NCSE conducts high-quality research to better understand science education and has been involved in significant legal cases such as Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District, which tested the constitutionality of intelligent design in public school science classes[2][3]. The organization also publishes peer-reviewed articles, book reviews, and news related to science education[2].

In summary, the NCSE’s long-standing commitment to promoting and defending science education, its affiliation with respected scientific organizations, and its active role in research and advocacy all contribute to its reputation as a credible and reputable organization in the field of science education[1][2][3].

Citations:

Claude.ai’s Response

Since I was curious about Claude.ai’s (Opus Pro version), I asked the same question and got this response:

The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) is a non-profit organization based in the United States that defends the teaching of science, particularly evolution and climate change, in public schools. They are generally considered reputable by the scientific community for their work in combating misinformation and promoting science education.

Some key facts about the NCSE:

  1. It was founded in 1981 and has been actively involved in supporting teachers and schools facing challenges to teaching evolution and climate change.

  2. The organization is endorsed by many scientific societies, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Academy of Sciences, and the National Science Teachers Association.

  3. NCSE provides resources, support, and expertise to teachers, schools, and other organizations to help them teach science accurately and effectively.

  4. The staff and board of directors include many respected scientists, educators, and legal experts in the fields of evolutionary biology, climate science, and science education.

  5. Critics of the NCSE often come from groups that oppose the teaching of evolution or question the scientific consensus on climate change. However, the NCSE’s positions align with the overwhelming majority of scientific evidence and the consensus of experts in relevant fields.

Overall, while no organization is immune to criticism, the National Center for Science Education is widely regarded as a reputable advocate for science education by the scientific and educational communities.

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Burn It Down. Goodbye, Windows 10

Have a Windows 10 device in your life? Then it may be time to look for that exit strategy. Running a Surface Book laptop, I realized that I didn’t want to mess with Windows 10 craziness. So, I decided to trade it in for GNU/Linux machine. Of course, I decided that before finding out that the onboard webcam won’t work under Linux. Sigh. That necessitates an inexpensive USB webcam purchase (and software purchase of Webcamoid). Aside from that “little” detail, everything works smooth.

Microsoft is getting ready to annoy its faithful Windows 10 user base with yet another prompt. This time, Microsoft wants Windows 10 users to switch from using a local account to their online Microsoft account. via Mashable

That’s sad. At work, I have a Windows 10 machine with awesome specs (it’s a behemoth of a laptop, I don’t know who thought it would be a good piece of equipment to lug around (I inherited it from my predecessor), which is what prompted me to invest in a Surface laptop back then). While I like Windows 11, it won’t run on that Lenovo w540 (as I recall). So, Linux Mint Cinnamon has been running great on the Windows 10 machine.

The real issue is, “What am I going to carry around when facilitating workshops?” The truth is, a Google Chromebook will fill the need quite well. Too bad my Lenovo Chromebook Duet died last week, leaving me without a small form factor device. Bummer.

You know, I’d carry the Surface running Linux Mint, but I need to do some more testing before I trust myself and it in front of a large audience during a presentation. The testing will start next week. Wish me luck. If not, I may end up asking for someone to buy me a….

OR

StarLite 12.5-inch

This looks intriguing but expensive.

  • 2.5" 2880x1920 IPS touchscreen
  • Intel N200 Alder Lake-N processor
  • 16GB RAM, up to 2TB SSD
  • Detachable backlit keyboard with trackpad
  • Supports Ubuntu, Elementary OS, Mint, Manjaro and more

Cool, huh? Configured the way I want it would run $832. Sigh. I can dream, eh?

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Changing Image Creation Dates #TechTips #ImageModification

“How do you change the time a screenshot was created?” asked a friend yesterday. What a curious question, I thought. “What’s up?” I asked? So, she explained the situation that required a file that she generated after a deadline to have a certain date and time. Apparently, the people who would receive the image would check.

Putting aside whether I should help her skirt the rules, I wondered, “How does one do that?” Although there were a wealth of tutorials available online, the one I settled on involved a freeware program.

Step 1 - Getting the Right Software

You can find a lot of websites that say they will let you alter the “metadata” or “EXIF” data. To be honest, I found myself a bit confused at all the claims. And, what was needed was to change the date. This tutorial at Organize Pictures was spot on. The author explains it in this way:

Before learning how to change photo date and time, you need to know what a digital photo date and time is. This piece of photo metadata is called a photo’s timestamp. Every camera records when a digital photo has been taken. This information is being recorded in the EXIF photo metadata and it is saved with a JPEG photo in a field called Date Picture Taken. Now, different software may call this field slightly differently, but they all refer to a digital photo’s timestamp.

The freeware software to get the job done is XnView, and it’s available in Windows, Mac, and GNU/Linux flavors.

XnView MP is provided as FREEWARE (NO Adware, NO Spyware) for private or educational use (including non-profit organizations). If you enjoy using XnView, Don’t hesitate to help the developer with a small donation. (Note: XnView is the source for the image appearing immediately below showcasing its interface).

Step 2 - Changing the Date and Time in a Photo/Image

These steps below have been modified from the Organize Pictures tutorial to reflect my journey:

  1. Click once on the image thumbnail
  2. Right click on the image thumbnail
  3. Go to Metadata option, which will expand to offer several options, including “Change timestamp”

  1. Adjust the date and time (as shown in the image below) then
  2. Click “Write”

And, that’s it! Pretty easy.

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AI Creators Are Not Responsible for What Harm May Result #AI #mgshare

Leonardo da Vinci failed, if he hoped to keep men and women in ships safe:

… I do not publish nor divulge [methods of building submarines] by reason of the evil nature of men who would use them as means of destruction at the bottom of the sea, by sending ships to the bottom, and sinking them together with the men in them.

– Leonardo da Vinci

Considering my friend’s requests about image timestamp modification recently, I was thinking about the ethics of technology how-to on the world around it. When formulating a sense of ethics, one might ask, “How does this harm human beings? What is the impact of a technology, a scientific process, on people and those things that keep them afloat?

I found this quote from Arthur Galston in Kaj Sotala’s A brief history of ethically concerned scientists quite interesting. Galston was the inventor of Agent Orange:

I used to think that one could avoid involvement in the antisocial consequences of science simply by not working on any project that might be turned to evil or destructive ends. I have learned that things are not all that simple, and that almost any scientific finding can be perverted or twisted under appropriate societal pressures. In my view, the only recourse for a scientist concerned about the social consequences of his work is to remain involved with it to the end.

His responsibility to society does not cease with publication of a definitive scientific paper. Rather, if his discovery is translated into some impact on the world outside the laboratory, he will, in most instances, want to follow through to see that it is used for constructive rather than anti-human purposes.

Of course, anyone who has relied on technology, dealt in information (like a journalist) faces this dilemma. Should one provide information that may be used against others? That may harm others? Where’s the line in the sand?

What About AI

While government collusion with aliens, zombies, and other bad things have been ruled out due to ridiculousness, a lot of folks are worried about AI and its impact. An article from The Digital Learning Institute offers, as do many others, a sanguine opinion of AI’s use in education:

Simply put, educators need to have an open mind as to what they can do with this tool, and how it can assist both teachers and students to reduce their workloads. Seeing it as an opportunity can open several doors for learning opportunities – and more.

Naysayers and doomcriers are either hiding amidst the outpouring of support for AI to be used in every human endeavor, or embracing their role as modern day Cassandras, ignored no matter how accurate their predictions.

Value-laden technology refers to technological artifacts that have inherent values due to their design, functions, and goals. In some cases, scientists and engineers focus on the technical aspects of creating such technology without considering the moral implications, which can lead to ethical dilemmas.

The genie is, as usual, out of the bottle. There’s no stopping this, right? Even if you could pull a Da Vinci on AI, there’s too much money in it:

[It is] not a recommended general approach, as it may limit the progress of society by withholding valuable knowledge. Instead, ethical scientists should evaluate each situation individually and ensure safety and responsible use of technology while encouraging its beneficial applications. In the context of AI and machine learning, such as with ChatGPT, it is crucial to consider the ethical implications of its use in education.

While it can offer numerous benefits, such as personalized learning, virtual tutoring, language learning, exam preparation, and writing assistance, there are also potential shortcomings, such as providing wrong answers, biased translations, repetitive copy, lack of depth, and long-winded sentences.

Therefore, it is essential for educators and students to use AI tools like ChatGPT responsibly, understanding their limitations and ensuring the correct data is given. AI should act as a supporting role in developing students' creativity, critical thinking, and authentic content creation. Source: Conversation with Perplexity Pro

Focus on Technical, Not Ethical

In my own efforts, I have focused on the “how-to” use AI without giving much thought to the “ethics.” The how-to is a focus on the technical side of using AI to make mundane tasks easier to navigate. But is that really all there is for K-12 education?

Worse, how can such conversations even be had in a politically charged environment that is K-12 schools today? Just the other night during my walk, I was listening to the podcast, Those who can’t teach…anymore. This fascinating podcast focuses on how politically charged school environments have become, leading to the exit of long-time, award winning educators.

In the podcast, one of the teachers (Atkinson) shares:

“…There were immense changes in education, in our society, and politics in the way that people thought about each other and treated each other, and it started to come into my classroom. . .I used to be able to have a conversation with kids about a current issue. And 100% explore both sides of that issue…How can you really teach kids to think of the world in which they live if you can’t broach these subject?”

Now, take AI in schools. I bet most of those who are bringing AI into schools and every other human endeavor are spending little to no time considering its impact. Except for fight or flight, it’s just not a safe topic. No teacher is going to say to an administrator, “I don’t want to learn MagicSchool.ai or XYZ tool” because to do so sends a message about them.

Are You a Stick in the Mud?

In reflecting on my own adoption of AI, which I love, I have kept an eye on the impact AI has on people, climate, and others. But at a certain point, you realize, this is coming. The best I can do is ride this bomb down to the ground and see what I can do, as Galston says, to follow through for human purposes. That is, to be constructive and minimize the amount of harm done to human beings.

But it makes me wonder. Don’t we end up just following our technology from one disaster to the next, cleaning up (if that) the previous disaster with the new one coming? How many times have you read…

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) can contribute to the fight against climate change. Existing AI systems include tools that predict weather, track icebergs and identify pollution. AI can also be used to improve agriculture and reduce its environmental impact, the World Economic Forum says. The World Economic Forum

Yeah. A lot. It makes me think of Supercell’s Clash Royale’s bomb-riding goblin (image source:

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Do Hard Stuff Daily

What about dental care? David Truss writes this sermon about doing hard stuff. But is dental care even mentioned once?

Flossing is hard. Most dentists recommend it. Lots of people don’t do it.

Harder Things Bring Results

David Truss makes this point:

Harder things bring results that you can see, and feel… and done often enough, the hard journey itself gets easier, even if the individual tasks remain hard. That’s the end goal, to make the hard things that are good for you easier to do, than the easy things that aren’t good for you.

via Daily Ink

You know, I can’t argue with him about it too much. The more I work out, the more pounds I lose. But for a lazy person, the desire to find that point of “just enough effort” to get the desired result is highly motivating. And, some things aren’t worth your time….

The scientific consensus on flossing and long-term dental care suggests that while evidence on flossing’s effectiveness in reducing plaque and gingivitis is mixed and sometimes of low quality, it remains a recommended practice as part of a comprehensive oral hygiene routine. Flossing, along with toothbrushing and professional dental care, contributes to the prevention of periodontal disease, tooth decay, and tooth loss, potentially enhancing oral health and longevity. Despite debates and varying levels of evidence, maintaining good oral hygiene through practices including flossing is considered beneficial for long-term dental health and retention. via Perplexity.ai on the question of flossing

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Image: Make your Teaspoon Count

Reposting this from Neil DeGrasse Facebook group:

Imagine I said something profound connecting our experience creating and being a part of a team with this bee pic…..

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What Is Valued at Work vs What Matters

The things bad managers value in their employees?

  • Technical skill
  • Lack of complaints about stupid ideas managers foist on staff in their bid to be relevant, innovative, responsive to the market
  • Obedience
  • Initiative aligned to organization goals, but not too much
  • Patience while company takes forever to adopt what is obvious

Those are my takeaways from watching managers work. But I like this bit of wisdom from Doug “Blue Skunk” Johnson:

…[it is not] the best worker (engineer, teacher, mechanic, nurse, etc.) that gets ahead, but the person who is able to manage and lead good workers and so create an effective workplace.

Goal setting, project management, problem resolution, budgeting, evaluations are done by educated people - not trained people. source: Blue Skunk blog

Update

Special thanks to Cass M for the suggestion of the word “bad” above