EdTechSR Ep 285 Sydney is Scary

Welcome to episode 285 (“Sydney is Scary”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 1, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed the latest developments in artificial intelligence (AI), tech corrections, Google and Apple news, privacy, social media, hardware news, media literacy, and geeks of the week. One significant topic of discussion was OpenAI’s announcement of an API for ChatGPT and Whisper Speech to Text Tech. The hosts noted that this development could result in a host of new tools that utilize the power of the OpenAI platform and ChatGPT, enabling developers to create new and innovative solutions. They also cautioned against blindly accepting the information generated by AI tools and suggested that users fact-check the information they receive. The hosts also discussed the potential impact of ChatGPT on education, specifically on essay writing, assessment, and college admissions. They noted that ChatGPT’s capabilities pose significant challenges to traditional essay writing and assessment methods and that its ability to generate convincing responses could potentially disrupt the college admissions process. Another topic discussed on the show was Facebook’s new fee for verification. The hosts compared this fee to a protection fee and noted that while they would not pay to have a checkmark next to their name on social media platforms, some users might pay the fee to avoid having their data traded. Overall, the hosts emphasized the importance of experimenting with AI tools and sharing the results with the community. They also urged caution when using such tools and stressed the need to fact-check the information they generate. The show provided valuable insights into the latest developments in education technology and their potential impact on the future of education. Geeks of the Week included Camel – Camel – Camel, Durable AI website generator and “The Last Soviet” podcast. AI Use Disclosure: ChatGPT was used to summarize and generate the topics for this show description. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter and on Mastodon!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: @neif@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: @wfryer@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @wfryer ) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Archive.today – website capture (similar to Archive.org WayBack Machine)
  10. OpenAI announces an API for ChatGPT and its Whisper speech-to-text tech (The Verge; 1 March 2023)
  11. Bing’s A.I. Chat: ‘I Want to Be Alive. 😈’ (New York Times; 17 February 2023) 🎁Link – archive.today version
  12. A Conversation With Bing’s Chatbot Left Me Deeply Unsettled (New York Times; 17 February 2023)🎁Link – archive.today version
  13. Sunday Special: An Episode of ‘Hard Fork’ (NYTimes The Daily)
  14. Microsoft limits Bing chat to five replies to stop the AI from getting real weird (The Verge; 17 February 2023)
  15. Microsoft “lobotomized” AI-powered Bing Chat, and its fans aren’t happy (ArsTechnica, 17 Feb 2023)
  16. Google’s AI chatbot Bard makes factual error in first demo (The Verge; 8 February 2023)
  17. Sci-fi becomes real as renowned magazine closes submissions due to AI writers (ArsTechnica; 21 February 2023)
  18. Inside the Minds of Spiders, Octopuses and Artificial Intelligence (Ezra Klein podcast, 24 Feb 2023)
  19. Episode 409: ChatGPT takes on the smart home (Internet of Things Podcast, Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin C. Tofel, 9 Feb 2023)
  20. Ban TikTok? (Today Explained podcast, 21 Feb 2023) – Mastodon quote on Project Texas
  21. Project Texas: The Details of TikTok’s Plan to Remain Operational in the United States (Lawfare, 26 Jan 2023)
  22. YouTube tests adding podcasts to ‘Create’ button alongside other new podcast tools & analytics (9 to 5 Google; 20 February 2023)
  23. Apple flexes lobbying power as Apple Watch ban comes before Biden next week (The Hill; 17 February 2023)
  24. Will Meta Begin Charging for Verified Accounts?  Yes!  (Snopes; 28 February 2023)
  25. Twitter’s two-factor authentication change “doesn’t make sense” (ArsTechnica, 20 Feb 2023)
  26. Facebook’s new $12 fee is straight out of Don Corleone’s playbook (Washington Post, 23 Feb 2023) #GiftLink
  27. Social media used to be free. Not anymore. (Vox, 21 Feb 2023)
  28. Jason: Camel Camel Camel
  29. Wes: Durable AI website generator and The Last Soviet Podcast
“Sydney AI from Microsoft (MidJourney)” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

EdTechSR Ep 284 ChatGPT and Truth

Welcome to episode 284 (“ChatGPT and Truth”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 8, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed Microsoft’s announcement of integrating Chat GPT into Bing search engine, AI-generated TV shows and the potential of AI technology, and President Biden’s plans to regulate big tech, particularly in terms of protecting user privacy. We also discussed the Importance of augmented reality and virtual reality in computing and personal experiences with Chrome OS Flex and its benefits. Geeks of the Week included “Zillow and Open Door” on the website Charlotte Voices, Wes’ Podcast Subscriptions, and another travel tip from Jason: Use Google Flights and book DIRECTLY with the airline! AI Use Disclosure: ChatGPT was used to summarize and generate the topics for this show description. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter and on Mastodon!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: @neif@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: @wfryer@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @wfryer ) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. From the “Make ‘em handwrite it” Dept.: This genius student uses the power of AI and a 3D printer to ‘handwrite’ their homework (PC Gamer; 3 February 2023)
  10. The AI boom is here, and so are the lawsuits (Vox; 2 February 2023)
  11. 4chan Members Allegedly Used Eleven Labs To Create Disturbing Audio Content In Celeb Voices (IBT; 31 January 2023)
  12. Bing (Yes, Bing) Just Made Search Interesting Again (The New York Times; 8 February 2023)
  13. Hands-on with the new Bing: Microsoft’s step beyond ChatGPT (The Verge; 8 February 2023)
  14. Runway Gen-1
  15. China’s Answer to ChatGPT Is Called ‘Ernie’ (PC Magazine; 7 February 2023)
  16. AI-generated Seinfeld parody suspended by Twitch for transphobic content (Mashable, 6 Feb 2023)
  17. State of the Union address calls for Congress to pass antitrust and data privacy legislation (9 to 5 Mac; 8 February 2023)
  18. Now Twitter Blue subscribers can write 4,000-character tweets (The Verge; 8 February 2023)
  19. Google says Lens and Maps Live View are ‘prelude to [its] long-term vision’ for AR (9to5Google, 1 Feb 2023)
  20. Use Microsoft 365 and OneDrive? They’re getting better on Chromebooks (About Chromebooks; 3 February 2023)
  21. Today’s Event Video: Google presents : Live from Paris (8 Feb 2023) “Your camera is your new keyboard”
  22. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: “Zillow and Open Door” on #CLTvoices & Wes’ Podcast Subscriptions (Dec 2022)
  23. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Jason’s Travel Tips… use Googel Flights and book DIRECTLY with the airline!
“ChatGPT and Truth” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

EdTechSR Ep 283 AI Promises and Perils

Welcome to episode 283 (“AI Promises and Perils”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 1, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed topics including Internet censorship / content moderation, TikTok bans, “The Tech Correction,” artificial intelligence, free speech, and media literacy. They also shared their thoughts on the impact of technology on education, safety concerns related to installing apps, and the intersection of technology and performance-based assessments. Additionally, they mentioned some news articles, including Indian police detaining students over a banned BBC Modi documentary, a decades-old law obstructing a nationwide TikTok ban, the U.S. Air Force’s plan to install surveillance tools powered by AI technology in Central Command sites, and recent layoffs in the tech industry. The hosts shared their experiences with using AI tools like GPT-3 and discussed the potential implications of AI-generated content for student learning and assessment. They also mentioned some other articles related to AI, including one on the potential of AI to improve the accuracy of cancer diagnoses and another on the risks of bias in AI decision-making. Overall, the podcast offered a thoughtful and informative discussion on the latest trends and issues in the world of technology and education. (AI Disclosure: This show summary was initially created by ChatGPT. The show title was also influenced by ChatGPT queries.) Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes:

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter and on Mastodon!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: @neif@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: @wfryer@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @wfryer ) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Apple should be required to let iPhone users sideload apps, Biden admin says (ArsTechnica, 1 Feb 2023)
  10. White House goes after app store ‘gatekeepers’ Apple and Google (The Verge; 1 February 2023)
  11. Smartphone Shipments Are Imploding. Is Apple’s iPhone Next? (CNet, 31 Jan 2023)
  12. Apple beefs up smartphone services in “silent war” against Google (Ars Technica; 25 January 2023)
  13. Microsoft has laid off entire teams behind Virtual, Mixed Reality, and HoloLens (Windows Central; 20 January 2023)
  14. AI-powered surveillance sought for US Central Command (Defense News, 31 Jan 2023)
  15. Gmail creator says ChatGPT might ‘destroy’ Google within 2 years (BGR, 30 Jan 2023)
  16. The AI Ethics War Will Make the Content Moderation Debate Look Like a Picnic (Observer, 20 Jan 2023)
  17. Netflix stirs fears by using AI-assisted background art in short anime film (ArsTechnica, 1 Feb 2023)
  18. OpenAI announces ChatGPT Plus at $20 a month (The Verge; 1 February 2023)
  19. GPT Zero
  20. Scores of Stanford students used ChatGPT on final exams, survey suggests (Stanford Daily; 22 January 2023)
  21. ChatGPT passes MBA exam given by a Wharton professor (NBC News; 24 Janaury 2023)
  22. Decades-old law forms biggest obstacle to nationwide TikTok ban, lawmaker says (ArsTechnica, 30 Jan 2023)
  23. Indian police detain students over BBC’s Modi documentary (Deutsche Welle, 25 Jan 2023)
  24. When Fox entered the hen house (Robert Reich, 26 Jan 2023)
  25. Jason’s Geek of the Week: MidJourney
  26. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Top Gun: Maverick – Official Trailer IN LEGO – Archive.Today (example) – new podcast: “Wes and Shelly Share”

EdTechSR Ep 282 OpenAI Kenyan Laborers?

Welcome to episode 282 (“OpenAI Kenyan Laborers?”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 25, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed AI, Apple news, Google news, Twitter news, media literacy, security, connectivity, miscellaneous tech topics, and “Geeks of the Week.” Specific topics included: OpenAI and Microsoft have announced a multi-billion-dollar partnership extension. The Alperovitch Institute published an article discussing a five-day experience with ChatGPT. Microsoft’s new AI can simulate anyone’s voice with just 3 seconds of audio. The Observer published an article about the AI ethics war and how it will make the content moderation debate look like a picnic. Apple recently released a new full-size HomePod with new features, and has reportedly delayed AR glasses and is putting all hopes on mixed reality headsets. AT&T will pay out a $60 million settlement to thousands of customers, and there is hope that Google won’t kill off “Assistant Memory.” The DOJ is suing Google for ad dominance and wants to break the company up. The Supreme Court is poised to reconsider key tenets of online speech. There has also been an upturn in affordable Chromebooks and Google Docs has become a better listener with more accurate voice typing tools. On a separate note, white nationalist Nick Fuentes is back on Twitter. (end of summary) The previous show summary was generated by ChatGPT by OpenAI. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter and on Mastodon!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: @neif@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: @wfryer@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @wfryer ) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. OpenAI and Microsoft announce extended, multi-billion-dollar partnership (ArsTechnica, 23 Jan 2023)
  10. Five Days in Class with ChatGPT (Alperovitch Institute, Thomas Rid, 22 Jan 2023)
  11. Microsoft’s new AI can simulate anyone’s voice with 3 seconds of audio (Ars Technica; 9 January 2023)
  12. The AI Ethics War Will Make the Content Moderation Debate Look Like a Picnic (Observer; 20 January 2023)
  13. Apple’s full-size HomePod is back with new features (ArsTechnica, 18 Jan 2023)
  14. Apple Reportedly Delays AR Glasses and Puts All Hopes on Mixed Reality Headsets (GizModo, 18 Jan 2023)
  15. Why It’s Okay to Buy A Mac With Only 8 GB RAM (How-to Geek; 17 January 2023)
  16. The new Mac mini is proof that Google needs to rethink Chromeboxes (Android Central; 19 January 2023)
  17. AT&T to pay out $60M settlement to thousands of customers (WBTV Charlotte, 20 Jan 2023)
  18. I really hope Google doesn’t kill off “Assistant Memory” before it sees the light of day (Chrome Unboxed; 31 December 2022)
  19. CES 2023 highlights an upturn in affordable Chromebooks (Chrome Unboxed; 10 January 2023)
  20. Google Docs becomes a better listener with more accurate voice typing tools in its latest update (Chrome Unboxed; 10 January 2023)
  21. The DOJ sues Google for ad dominance, wants to break company up (ArsTechnica, 24 Jan 2023)
  22. White Nationalist and Nazi Nick Fuentes Is Back on Twitter (New Republic, 24 Jan 2023)
  23. Supreme Court Poised to Reconsider Key Tenets of Online Speech (NYTimes, 19 Jan 2023) #GiftLink
  24. OpenAI Used Kenyan Workers on Less Than $2 Per Hour to Make ChatGPT Less Toxic (Time, 18 Jan 2023)
  25. You Toot Too, Right? – Twitter API fallout, Section 230, TikTok ban, tech layoffs, AmazonSmile RIP (TwIT Podcast, 23 Jan 2023)
  26. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Dan Willingham’s New Book: Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy
  27. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: AirTable of Pending Journalists for Verification on PressCheck and TextSplit for iOS
Photo by Glenn Horgan on Unsplash

EdTechSR Ep 281 Stories of Piracy

Welcome to episode 281 (“Stories of Piracy”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 18, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed ChatGPT / Artificial Intelligence / AI, new Apple product news, “tech correction” / social media / Twitter news, and some copyright / licensing / “right to repair” news. A “lessons learned from CyberWar in Ukraine” article was also highlighted. Geeks of the Week included an ABC feature video about students at Wes’ school creating a prosthetic leg for a golden retriever dog, and used USB-C chargers compatible with Mac laptops on eBay. Jason and Wes also shared some stories about music and DVD piracy from the past, giving this episode its title. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter and on Mastodon!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: @neif@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: @wfryer@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @wfryer ) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. ChatGPT Thread from Tiffany Peltier
  10. Torry Trust ChatGPT Slide Deck
  11. Stop feeding the hype and start resisting (Iris Van Rooij, 14 Jan 2023)
  12. Every new Apple product coming in 2023 (Macworld; 18 January 2023)
  13. Seattle public schools sue social media companies for allegedly harming students’ mental health (CNN Business; 9 January 2023)
  14. Twitter continues to disrespect developers with weak explanation on third-party clients not working (9 to 5 Mac; 17 January 2023)
  15. Is Twitter dying? And what would that mean for journalism? (Columbia Journalism Review, Mathew Ingram, 12 Jan 2023)
  16. Parler owner laid off 75% of staff and has only 20 employees left, report says (ArsTechnica, 11 Jan 2023)
  17. Belarus Legalizes Pirating Media From ‘Unfriendly’ Countries (PC Magazine; 10 January 2023)
  18. John Deere relents, says farmers can fix their own tractors after all (ArsTechnica, 9 Jan 2023)
  19. Defending Ukraine: Early Lessons from the Cyber War (Brad Smith, Microsoft, 22 June 2022)
  20. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Dog who lost leg to cancer gets a prosthetic leg thanks to clever high schoolers (WCNC Charlotte, 18 Jan 2023)
  21. Jason’s Geek of the Week: MacBook USB-C Chargers… used?
“FBI Anti-Piracy Warning!” (CC BY 2.0) by bizmac

EdTechSR Ep 280 LastPass Security Breach

Welcome to episode 280 (“LastPass Security Breach”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 11, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week’s topics include the recent breach of password manager LastPass and what that means for users, as well as security best-practices overall. (Spoiler: Keep using a recommended password manager!) Additional security articles discussed included leaked addresses of millions of Twitter users, and a Supreme Court decision allowing the NSO iPhone hacking (Pegasus spyware) case to move forward. On the Google front, the 2022 Chromebook of the year, enhanced spam prevention in Google Voice, and a review of the “Framework Chromebook” were highlighted and analyzed. Lastly, a variety of articles on the artificial intelligence / AI front were explored. These included articles highlighting the ability of ChatGPT to write malware, a college student’s software program to “detect” AI-authored essays, and others. Geeks of the Week included the search engine Neeva, youtubetranscript.com, and a free Chrome extension which facilitates summarization of YouTube video transcripts using ChatGPT. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR and Mastodon (@edtechsr@mastodon.education) for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter and on Mastodon!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: @neif@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: @wfryer@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @wfryer ) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. LastPass users: Your info and password vault data are now in hackers’ hands (Ars Technica; 22 December 2022)
  10. Hackers reportedly leak email addresses of more than 200 million Twitter users (The Guardian; 5 January 2023)
  11. Supreme Court declines to block WhatsApp lawsuit over NSO phone hacking (TechCrunch, 9 Jan 2023)
  12. A New Chat Bot Is a ‘Code Red’ for Google’s Search Business (NY Times, 21 Dec 2022, Gift Link)
  13. A college student created an app that can tell whether AI wrote an essay (NPR; 9 January 2023)
  14. Microsoft’s new AI can simulate anyone’s voice with 3 seconds of audio (ArsTechnica, 9 Jan 2023)
  15. Controversy erupts over non-consensual AI mental health experiment (ArsTechnica, 10 Jan 2023)
  16. ChatGPT is enabling script kiddies to write functional malware (ArsTechnica, 6 Jan 2023)
  17. My pick for 2022 Chromebook of the Year (About Chromebooks; 2 January 2023)
  18. Google Voice Can Now Flag Suspected Spam Calls (CNET; 30 December 2022)
  19. Review: Framework Chromebook is what enthusiasts have been waiting for (9 to 5 Google; 10 January 2023)
  20. The best Chromebooks for work (ZDnet, 9 Jan 2023)
  21. Jason has moved to… 1password.com
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Search Engine neeva.com
  23. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: youtubetranscript.com and YouTube Summary with ChatGPT (Example)
“Anonymous computer hacker over abstract” (CC BY 2.0) by focusonmore.com

EdTechSR Ep 279 AI Transformation Arrives

Welcome to episode 279 (“AI Transformation Arrives”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 4, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This edited summary of our show was (initially) algorithmically generated with ChatGPT. Dr. Jason Neiffer, the executive director of the Montana Digital Academy, was joined by Dr. Wes Fryer to discuss AI news and its impact on education. Dr. Neiffer mentioned that AI technology was evolving quickly, and he had been having conversations with trusted advisors, friends, teachers, and other state Virtual School administrators about it. He also mentioned that some people were concerned about AI replacing the need for homework and the potential end of English class, but he believed that AI technologies like ChatGPT were not the end of English class. He also mentioned an article about the focus on handwriting as an alternative and expressed skepticism about its validity. Dr. Neiffer also mentioned that he had been experimenting with researching other ways to use ChatGPT. Overall, the show discussed the impact of AI and other technology advancements on education and the challenges they presented. In addition to discussing AI and its impact on education, the show also covered other topics in technology and education. Dr. Neiffer and Dr. Fryer discussed Google and Apple updates, the tech correction and social media, and the CES (Consumer Electronics Show) happening in Las Vegas. They also discussed the topic of mobile phones and the trouble they can cause. Geeks of the Week included Texting Story Maker and suggestions for what to do with old technology. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR and Mastodon (@edtechsr@mastodon.education) for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter and on Mastodon!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: @neif@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: @wfryer@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @wfryer ) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Awesome ChatGPT Prompts
  10. Rob Lennon on Twitter
  11. Advanced AI Will Make Scams Harder to Spot: Here’s Why (Make Use Of; 2 Janaury 2023)
  12. How China is building a parallel generative AI universe (TechCrunch; 31 December 2022)
  13. Here’s how teachers can foil ChatGPT: Handwritten essays (Washington Post; 29 December 2022)
  14. ChatGPT is just a taste of a “monster” GPT-4 says Gary Marcus (DeCoder; 26 December 2022)
  15. Jason’s Wakelet: Articles About AI
  16. What Are the Dangers of Third-Party App Stores? (Make Use Of; 1 Janaury 2023)
  17. MacBook owners have two months to claim up to $395 over butterfly keyboard woes (The Verge; 4 January 2023)
  18. Good luck explaining a TikTok ban to young people (Vox; 24 December 2022)
  19. ‘Do you have white teenage sons? Listen up.’ How white supremacists are recruiting boys online. (Washington Post, 17 Sept 2019)
  20. [PODCAST] How to save kids from online extremism – Conversation with Joanna Schroeder
  21. Confronting Conspiracy Theories and Organized Bigotry at Home A Guide for Parents and Caregivers
  22. Beijing’s Plan to Control the World’s Data: Out-Google Google (Newsweek, 7 Sept 2022)
  23. Wes’ Wakelet: China and Data Harvesting
  24. Makiivka: Russia blames missile attack on soldiers’ mobile phone use (BBC, 4 Jan 2023)
  25. US DOJ: United States versus Greenwood and Crahan
  26. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Texting Story Maker – chat-animator.com
  27. Jason’s Geek of the Week: What to do with old tech!
“Frontier supercomputer” (CC BY 2.0) by oakridgelabnews

EdTechSR Ep 278 2022 Year in Review

Welcome to episode 278 (“2022 Year in Review”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 29, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. For the first time, the following summary of our show was algorithmically generated with ChatGPT. In this video, the hosts of the EdTech Situation Room, Wes Fryer and Jason Neiffer, discussed the state of education technology in 2022, in their final episode of the year. They discussed the weather conditions in their respective locations, with Dr. Neiffer mentioning the super storm that went through his area, and the negative 27 degrees Fahrenheit temperature he experienced. They also mentioned the wind chill in other parts of the state, which was as low as negative 67 degrees Fahrenheit. They then proceeded to review some of the major headlines in education technology for the year 2022 and discussed where they thought these topics would head in 2023. The hosts also welcomed a new live viewer, Lisa Durff, and mentioned that more information could be found on their website, edtechsr.com. They mentioned that the first headline they would discuss was the continued adoption of online and distance learning due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They discussed the challenges faced by educators and students in this new environment and the need for more support and resources to help with the transition. They also mentioned the potential for more blended learning models in the future, combining in-person and online instruction. The second headline they discussed was the increasing use of artificial intelligence and machine learning in education. They talked about the potential benefits of these technologies, such as personalization and automation of certain tasks, but also raised concerns about privacy and ethics. The third headline they discussed was the growing emphasis on media literacy and digital citizenship in education. They talked about the importance of preparing students to navigate the digital world and the challenges of misinformation and disinformation. Throughout the discussion, the hosts provided their own perspectives and insights on these topics, drawing on their own experiences as educators and experts in the field of education technology. They also invited viewer participation and engagement through the live chat feature. (End of ChatGPT summary.) Geeks of the Week included a Winter Storm Elliott visualization (from Wes) and Jason’s preferred RSS Reader, inoreader.com. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR and Mastodon (@edtechsr@mastodon.education) for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter and on Mastodon!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: @neif@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: @wfryer@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @wfryer ) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Winter Storm Elliott visualization
  10. Jason’s Geek of the Week: RSS is back for me??!  www.inoreader.com/
“Fireworks” (CC BY 2.0) by Imran Shahabuddin

EdTechSR Ep 277 Generative AI Alarms

Welcome to episode 277 (“Generative AI Alarms”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 22, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed artificial intelligence developments and controversies, the ongoing Twitter dumpster fire, TikTok security concerns, and a facial recognition headline from New York which sounds like a headline from China. Rumors of third party iOS app stores coming to Europe soon, and the punishment FTC fine of Epic games were also highlighted. Geeks of the Week included “Hotel Tonight” and #edtechSR tagged posts on Mastodon by Wes. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter and on Mastodon!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: @neif@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: @wfryer@mastodon.cloud – Twitter: @wfryer ) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Jason is collecting AI and Education Articles on Wakelet
  10. Canva Magic Write: https://www.canva.com/magic-write/ 
  11. Fotor AI Image Generator: https://www.fotor.com/features/ai-image-generator/ 
  12. AI writer: https://lex.page/
  13. Hate Speech’s Rise on Twitter Is Unprecedented, Researchers Find (NY Times, 2 Dec 2022) – #GiftLink
  14. Should You Leave Twitter for Mastodon? (Ethan Zuckerman, 7 Nov 2022)
  15. TikTok personality journalists continue to rise (Nieman Lab; December 2022)
  16. Warner: Parents should be ‘very concerned’ about TikTok (The Hill; 20 November 2022)
  17. Senate votes to ban TikTok use on government devices (The Hill; 14 December 2022)
  18. TikTok privacy and security – Is TikTok safe to use? (Kaspersky)
  19. Algorithm Warfare: How Elon Musk uses Twitter to control brains (George Lakeoff Substack, 14 Dec 2022)
  20. Mastodon 101 from Jeff Jarvis (YouTube)
  21. Mastodon Tips – 30 min screencast tutorial (Wes’ blog, 21 Dec 2022)
  22. “Facebook downranks content that links to other sites on the internet.” (via Cory Doctorow)
  23. Shadow Banning: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow_banning
  24. Face Recognition Tech Gets Girl Scout Mom Booted From Rockettes Show — Due to Where She Works (NBC New York; 19 December 2022)
  25. Apple is reportedly preparing to allow third-party app stores on the iPhone (The Verge; 13 December 2022)
  26. iPhone app sideloading? Developers can’t agree whether it’s a blessing or a disaster waiting to happen (iMore; 20 December 2022)
  27. Epic Games fined $520 million in FTC’s Fortnite privacy case (Axios, 19 Dec 2022)
  28. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Hotel Tonight
  29. Wes’ Geek of the Week: My #edtechSR tagged posts on Mastodon
“Alarm” (CC BY 2.0) by chilliam.wen

EdTechSR Ep 276 Tech Gift Ideas

Welcome to episode 276 (“Tech Gift Ideas”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 15, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) shared gift ideas / stocking stuffers for the tech geeks in your life! Recent articles about artificial intelligence / AI’s potent creation and creative capabilities, social media articles about new government TikTok bans, and whether “we need another Twitter” were highlighted. Google, ChromeOS, YouTube, and Google Sheets updates were also discussed. Geeks of the Week included a “Student Media Hall of Fame” and the updated version of XSplitVcam software, which now supports “lower third” messages. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter and on Mastodon!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. ZMI USB Battery Pack
  10. Anker 622 Magnetic Battery (MagGo)
  11. Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation)
  12. BAOFENG UV-5R Dual Band Two Way Radio ($20)
  13. Wyze Color Bulb (2 for $18)
  14. Wyze Robot Vacuum (sold out – $294)
  15. Gourmet Bear Mix ($18)
  16. DoNotPay is launching an AI chatbot that can negotiate your bills (The Verge; 13 December 2022)
  17. AI is finally good at stuff, and that’s a problem (Vox; 7 December 2022)
  18. Wes’ “Creativity and AI” Wakelet
  19. Canva magic write: https://www.canva.com/magic-write/
  20. Maryland is the latest state to ban TikTok in government agencies (NPR; 7 December 2022)
  21. Gov. Greg Abbott bans TikTok on state phones and computers, citing cybersecurity risks (Texas Tribune; 7 December 2022)
  22. Indiana Sues TikTok for Security and Child Safety Violations (New York Times; 7 December 2022)
  23. Marco Rubio pushes TikTok ban in Congress (The Verge; 13 December 2022)
  24. We don’t need another Twitter (The Verge; 7 December 2022)
  25. Google delays start of Manifest V2 Chrome extension deprecation (9 to 5 Google; 12 December 2022)
  26. Google Chrome adding Memory and Energy Saver modes on Mac, Windows, and Chromebooks (9 to 5 Google; 8 December 2022)
  27. YouTube will now show how long it takes for a video to process after uploading (9 to 5 Google; 13 December 2022)
  28. Google Sheets get a new project tracking Smart Canvas feature (Chrome Unboxed; 11 December 2022)
  29. Jason’s Geek of the Week: www.xsplit.com/ — now with lower third support!
  30. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Wes’ Student Media Hall of Fame (on Wakelet)
“What’s in My Bag 2020-08-09” (CC BY 2.0) by Kainoki Kaede