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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
Welcome to episode 275 (“Twitter, Mastodon and AI”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 7, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the rise of Mastodon and the demise of Twitter, continuing conversations from episode 274 almost a month ago. My what a lot of technology news happened in the past month! Confusion and problems over Elon Musk’s new “anyone can pay for Twitter verification” policy, the significant uptick in hate speech on Twitter since Musk took over the platform, the importance of social media verification not only among journalists but also for African-American users on “Black Twitter,” were explored. The remarkable capabilities of “Lensa AI ,”to create avatars from uploaded selfie photos, shock and awe among educators over generative AI content creation platforms (summarized well in the Atlantic article, “The College Essay is Dead” were also explored. The episode post image was created using the generative AI platform, “MidJourney.” 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!
Welcome to episode 274 (“Twitter Dumpster Fire”) of the EdTech Situation Room from November 9, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) talked extensively about the chaos which is Twitter post Elon Musk’s acquisition. LumaFusion video editor on Android, Google Lens capabilities, and Google Photos upgrades (including a video editor) were also discussed. The now legendary myth of Google’s incognito mode, innovative solar panels, the new “Arc” web browser, the proclaimed “death of social media,” and school sanctioned webcam student surveillance were topics rounding out this weeks’ show. 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 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!
Welcome to episode 273 (“TikTok for News”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 26, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed recent Apple hardware and software update announcements, media literacy articles, artificial intelligence powered article / content creation tools and photo manipulation software, and an exciting videoconferencing announcement involving Zoom and Google Meets. The open source announcement of podcasting software Pocketcasts and the end of Lego Mindstorms were additional highlighted articles. Geeks of the Week included Storyblocks, a Michael Wesch conference podcast from 2013, Novel AI, and a free collection of 12,000 vintage cooking recipes. 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 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific or 3 am UTC. All shownotes are available on http://edtechSR.com/links. Stay savvy and safe!
