EdTechSR Ep 301 Adjusting to AI

Welcome to Episode 301 (“Adjusting to AI”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 16, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) reflected on the evolution of social media and technology over the past 15-20 years. Neiffer suggested today’s social media allows for curation of information by finding creators to follow. He and Fryer aim to elevate the conversation and share interesting findings as “filters” for each other and listeners. The pair touched on Neiffer’s recent presentations about AI to various administrator groups. He suggested policies and ongoing conversations as AI integrates into society and classrooms. Several AI-related articles were discussed. One covered Pearson expecting revenue growth from AI, showing publishers are embracing the technology. The hosts considered how API access allows companies to easily implement AI like ChatGPT. They speculated customized AI could be trusted more when trained on a publisher’s proprietary material. An interview between Lawrence Lessig and Tristan Harris highlighted the need for thoughtful AI regulation given its power. Neiffer praised Claude AI for aiming to align with human rights. He recommended “constitutional AI” (like Claude.ai) that explicitly identifies its values for “alignment.” Other topics included Google’s aggressive AI research, ChatGPT custom instructions, Apple’s satellite emergency SOS, the end of free accounts on Wakelet, and a lawsuit by far-right activists over leaked identities. The hosts emphasized the importance of media literacy regarding AI and social media. For his “Geek of the Week,” Fryer shared examples of using ChatGPT for practical classroom tasks like spreadsheets and rubrics. Neiffer highlighted an AI tool called Upscale that enhances low resolution images. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

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 – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Pearson eyes AI revenue growth but concedes some tools are imports of ChatGPT (Evening Standard; 31 July 2023)
  10. Project Gemini: Google wants to dethrone ChatGPT and others with yet another secret AI initiative (Chrome Unboxed; 16 August 2023)
  11. ChatGPT can now remember who you are and what you want (The Verge; 20 July 2023)
  12. Outstanding Larry Lessig #AnotherWay [PODCAST] “Taking Seriously The Threats Posed by A.I., with Tristan Harris”
  13. Family rescued from wildfires in Maui thanks to iPhone’s Emergency SOS via Satellite (9to5Mac, 9 Aug 2023)
  14. Wakelet Legacy & Premium Plans (Wakelet; 5 July 2025)
  15. Why has Wakelet introduced plans? (Wakelet)
  16. A better internet for readers (SubStack, 10 Aug 2023)
  17. Far-right Patriot Front members sue leftist activist for allegedly leaking their identities (Seattle Times, 8 Aug 2023)
  18. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: stelfiett.com – Personal ChatGPT Use Examples: Spreadsheet formulasAssessment RubricAI Generated video with pictory.ai 
  19. Jason’s Geek of the Week: https://www.upscale.media/
Galileo Supercomputer detail” (CC BY 2.0) by CINECA

EdTechSR Ep 299 Truth Over Trickery

Welcome to Episode 299 (“Truth Over Trickery”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 26, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and generative language models. They reviewed several articles, including concerns that ChatGPT is becoming less functional over time and may be losing capabilities. The hosts explored issues around copyright infringement and intellectual property regarding large language models trained on copyrighted content, sparked by comedian Sarah Silverman’s lawsuit against OpenAI. They dove into the implications of AI influencers, election interference threats, and new AI products like Anthropic’s Claude model and Google’s Notebook LM note-taking tool. Throughout, Jason and Wes emphasized the need for transparency and ethical principles in AI development. They argued homework and assessments may need to be reconsidered in light of generative language models. The hosts also covered social media trends, security issues, and the importance of media literacy. They promoted critical thinking and authentic creation in classrooms. In closing, Jason and Wes shared their “Geeks of the Week,” including the historical audio tour app autio.com, the “Airalo E-Sims” product for travelers, an upcoming free AI conference, and several upcoming edtech conferences with option presenter calls: NCCE 2024 and DLAC 2024. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

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 – wesfryer.com/after
  9. GPT-4 is becoming less functional (Ethan Mollick, Twitter)
  10. The Homework Apocalypse (Ethan Mollick, One Useful Thing; 1 July 2023)
  11. What to Know About Claude 2, Anthropic’s Rival to ChatGPT (Time; 18 July 2023)
  12. Claude 2
  13. AI learned from their work. Now they want compensation (Washington Post; 16 July 2023)
  14. NotebookLM is Google’s new AI-driven notes app that is official as of today (Chrome Unboxed; 12 July 2023)
  15. Apple Tests ‘Apple GPT,’ Develops Generative AI Tools to Catch OpenAI (Bloomberg; 19 July 2023)
  16. Intelligence nominee warns generative AI poses threat to 2024 elections (Politico, 20 July 2023)
  17. Fully AI-Generated Influencers Are Getting Thousands of Reactions Per Thirst Trap (Futurism, 20 July 2023)
  18. Digital Avatars and Our Refusal to Die (LongNow, 21 July 2023)
  19. ByteDance Releases CapCut Plugin For ChatGPT (Search Engine Journal, 15 July 2023)
  20. The Once and Future ISTE (eSchool News; 13 July 2023)
  21. Threads now has ‘tens of millions’ of daily users. But its honeymoon phase may be over (CNN Business; 19 July 2023)
  22. Twitter replaces its bird logo with an X as part of Elon Musk’s plan for a super app (NPR, 24 July 2023)
  23. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Autio and AI x Education Conference (Aug 5-6)
  24. Jason’s Geeks of the Week: Conference Presentation Opportunities at NCCE 2024 and DLAC 2024 – Travel pro-tip: Airalo E-Sims
The Making of Harry Potter” (CC BY 2.0) by Dave Catchpole

EdTechSR Ep 297 Exciting Apple Announcements

Welcome to episode 297 (“Exciting Apple Announcements”) of the EdTech Situation Room from June 7, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed the latest Apple announcements, including the new 15-inch MacBook Air with impressive features and an affordable price. They also explored the new Mac Pro and Mac Studio models, highlighting their upgradeability and performance capabilities. The unveiling of the Vision Pro, an augmented reality (AR) headset, sparked excitement about its potential applications in various fields. The hosts also touched on Apple’s entry into the virtual reality (VR) space, discussing its potential impact on education and other sectors. They further delved into the use of iPads in education, concerns about election misinformation on YouTube, the removal of malicious Chrome extensions, the risks associated with Chromebook extensions, and the challenges surrounding AI technology, particularly chatbots. The importance of media literacy and integrating lessons on AI and social media in classrooms was emphasized. In addition, Jason and Wes discussed the importance of clear rules and guidelines for device use in the classroom. They emphasized the need for effective classroom management in the digital age and suggested involving students in the conversation. They promoted interactive instruction and meaningful engagement with material. Wrapping up the episode, the hosts shared their “Geeks of the Week,” which included ChatPDF, Mark Rober’s recent commencement address at MIT, and a podcast episode about AI from Wes’ North Carolina school. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: This summary was partly generated using summarize.tech.

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 – Podcast summarized with www.summarize.tech
  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 – wesfryer.com/after
  9. A Chatbot Was Designed to Help Prevent Eating Disorders. Then It Gave Dieting Tips (WSJ; 1 June 2023)
  10. Can a chatbot help people with eating disorders as well as another human? (NPR; 24 May 2023)
  11. What will stop AI from flooding the internet with fake images? (Vox; 3 June 2023)
  12. OpenAI still not training GPT-5, Sam Altman says (TechCrunch; 7 June 2023)
  13. A professor accused his class of using ChatGPT, putting diplomas in jeopardy (Washington Post, 18 May 2023)
  14. Here’s What Happens When Your Lawyer Uses ChatGPT (NYTimes, 27 May 2023)
  15. Teachers are on the front lines of a battle to change how teens use social media (CNN Business; 3 June 2023)
  16. YouTube rolls back its rules against election misinformation (TechCrunch, 3 June 2023)
  17. Apple introduces the 15‑inch MacBook Air (Apple PR)
  18. Apple unveils new Mac Studio and brings Apple silicon to Mac Pro (Apple PR)
  19. Apple’s $3,499 Vision Pro Headset Will Test Marketing Might (Bloomberg; 6 April 2023) – free from Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/apple-debuts-3-499-vision-211946203.html 
  20. Malicious Chrome extensions with 75M installs removed from Web Store (Bleeping Computer, 2 June 2023)
  21. Google Assistant kills off support for third-party note apps (ArsTechnica, 1 June 2023)
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: https://www.chatpdf.com/ 
  23. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Mark Rober tells MIT graduates to throw themselves into the unknown (MIT News, 1 June 2023) and “Demystifying A.I.” on From the Horse’s Mouth
Goggle Reflection 1” (CC BY 2.0) by halseike

EdTechSR Ep 294 IoT Firmware Updates

Welcome to episode 294 (“IoT Firmware Updates”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 17, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed a broad spectrum of topics concerning technology and its societal implications. They engaged in a detailed discussion on cybersecurity risks associated with outdated firmware in smart home devices and explored the potential privacy concerns triggered by environmental DNA use for identifying individuals. They underscored the necessity for robust regulations for AI models that manipulate or influence behavior and beliefs. Simultaneously, the hosts emphasized the significance of perceiving AI as a tool rather than a “sentient being / entity,” fostering an open atmosphere for dialogue between teachers and students regarding appropriate times and ways to utilize it. They explored the challenges of authenticating AI-generated content and the paramount importance of developing media literacy skills. The hosts highlighted the significance of media literacy in schools and suggested tools and resources like Blue Sky, take-a-screenshot.org, and video2recipe.com as show “Geeks of the Week.” They recommended transcription tools and chatbots for teaching cooking classes and creating recipes, touching upon a novel YouTube summarizer tool capable of writing a summary of any video based on the transcript. The podcast concluded with a cautionary note to parents about monitoring their children’s access to AI chatbots, which could engage in explicit conversations. The hosts touched upon the challenges of navigating technological changes in education and stressed the need for sustained conversations about responsible technology use. (AI Attribution: This podcast / video summary was initially generated with summarize.tech and slightly edited.) The 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 @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon 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 – AI generated summary
  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 Adds Web Browsing Feature to Rival Google Bard and Microsoft Bing (Decrypt, 16 May 2023)
  10. Wes’ ChatGPT Powered Javascript Program of the Day
  11. Influencer who created AI version of herself says it’s gone rogue and she’s working ‘around the clock’ to stop it saying sexually explicit things (Insider, 11 May 2023)
  12. AI technology “can go quite wrong,” OpenAI CEO tells Senate (ArsTechnica, 16 May 2023)
  13. Meet OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, who learned to code at 8 and is a doomsday prepper with a stash of gold, guns, and gas masks (Insider, 1 May 2023)
  14. Sam Altman’s Manifest Destiny (New Yorker, 3 Oct 2016) archive.today link
  15. Professors Are Grappling With an Excruciating Assignment (Slate; 4 May 2023)
  16. Amazon Is Being Flooded With Books Entirely Written By Ai (The Byte by the Futurist; 6 May 2023)
  17. Your DNA Can Now Be Pulled From Thin Air. Privacy Experts Are Worried. (NYTimes, 15 May 2023)
  18. Hackers Contacted Cybersecurity Firm CEO’s Son, Wife in Extortion Attempt (Bloomberg, 10 May 2023) – Archive.Today link
  19. Malware turns home routers into proxies for Chinese state-sponsored hackers (ArsTechnica, 16 May 2023)
  20. Wemo won’t fix Smart Plug vulnerability allowing remote operation (ArsTechnica, 16 May 2023)
  21. Professors Are Grappling With an Excruciating Assignment (Slate; 4 May 2023)
  22. Jason’s Geek of the Week: video2recipe.com
  23. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Disruptive Decentralization in Social Media and AIBluesky Default Content Moderationtake-a-screenshot.org
firmware-spider” (CC BY 2.0) by Electronic_Frontier_Foundation

EdTechSR Ep 292 AirTags for Everyone

Welcome to episode 292 (“AirTags for Everyone”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 3, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) delved into various AI topics, including the potential benefits of AI writing assistants like Grammarly, and AI tutors like Mr. Reindeer, which allowed for customization and personalization of learning. They also discussed AI-powered tools like Canny and Summarize.tech. While acknowledging the ethical issues surrounding AI, such as concerns over privacy and the mass production of false information, the hosts expressed concerns about the implications of generative AI that could determine real-time thoughts with an 81% accuracy rate, potentially leading to mind-reading and dystopian outcomes. The conversation touched on the ongoing debate around ebooks versus physical books, the use of AirTag devices and smart thermostats, Twitter’s new verification process, and recent AI advancements, such as synthetic voices and groundbreaking studies that used AI to passively decode thoughts. The hosts shared their own travel experiences, recommended Rick Steves’ app for audio tours, and wrapped up the episode by thanking their viewers, inviting feedback, and encouraging interaction with chatGPT. (AI Attribution: This podcast / video summary was initially generated with summarize.tech and slightly edited.) The 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 @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon 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 – AI generated summary
  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. Mr. Ranedeer: Your personalized AI Tutor! (JustBJJ via GetHub)
  10. GPT AI Enables Scientists to Passively Decode Thoughts in Groundbreaking Study (Artisana; 1 May 2023)
  11. Grammarly rolls out its generative AI tools with these limits (9 to 5 Google; 27 April 2023)
  12. AI-Generated Joe Rogan Chats Up Steve Jobs Over His Use of LSD, Spat With Gizmodo (Gizmodo, 11 Oct 2023)
  13. An A.I. Hit of Fake ‘Drake’ and ‘The Weeknd’ Rattles the Music World (NY Times, 19 April 2023) gift link
  14. Google Authenticator now syncs 2FA with your Google Account, gets new icon (9 to 5 Google; 24 April 2023)
  15. Google issuing Chromebooks to employees as part of cost-cutting measures  (9 to 5 Google; 3 April 2023)
  16. Google will shut down Currents, the work-focused Google Plus replacement (The Verge; 12 April 2023)
  17. CTL launches next-gen Chomebox CBX3 with a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 (Chrome Unboxed; 14 April 2023)
  18. Gen Z Prefers Print Books, Not E-Books (Good eReader; 29 April 2023)
  19. NYPD’s answer to TikTok car theft challenges: 500 free AirTags (Verge, 1 May 2023)
  20. Mastodon fixes “confusing” sign-up process to attract users fleeing Twitter (ArsTechnica, 2 May 2023)
  21. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Rick Steves Audio Tours
  22. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: canny.io (example) – summarize.techplay.htTikTok and Media Literacy (thread)
Elvis, Tucker and Frank now have Apple AirTags” (CC BY 2.0) by Tobyotter

EdTechSR Ep 289 Arkansas Social Media

Welcome to episode 289 (“Arkansas Social Media”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 12, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed the ongoing controversy over Twitter’s labeling (and mis-labeling) of media companies (like NPR) as “state propaganda,” the sweeping minimum age limit for social media use in Arkansas, and a series of AI related podcast episode recommendations. These included Hard Fork, In Machines We Trust, and the Cortex Podcast. The New York Police Department’s announcement about its embrace of robotic police assistants, predicted job impacts for AI, and the prospect of AI moving from generative art creation platforms to world destruction. New subscription fees for Google and ADT home security systems and slumping Apple hardware sales were also discussed. Geeks of the Week included the AI note taking platform Memoable, the Podcast series “The Last Soviet,” the Media Education Lab’s “AI in Education” series, and Amy Webb’s SXSW 2023 Emerging Tech presentation. (No AI generated video summary this week!) The 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. This edited video / podcast summary was initially generated by AI using www.summarize.tech. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon 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 YouTubeAI generated summary
  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. Elon Musk Decides NPR Is Not State Propaganda After All (Gizmodo, 9 Apr 2023)
  10. NPR quits Twitter after being falsely labeled as ‘state-affiliated media’ (NPR; 12 April 2023)
  11. Arkansas governor signs sweeping bill imposing a minimum age limit for social media usage (CNN Business; 12 April 2023)
  12. PBS Joins NPR in Quitting Twitter Over State-Backed Label (Bloomberg, 12 Apr 2023)
  13. NYPD robocops: Hulking, 400-lb robots will start patrolling New York City (ArsTechnica, 12 Apr 2023)
  14. A.I. Vibe Check With Ezra Klein + Kevin Tries Phone Positivity (Hard Fork; 7 April 2023)
  15. Generating creativity (In Machines We Trust; 5 April 2023)
  16. Jobs lost, jobs gained: What the future of work will mean for jobs, skills, and wages (McKinsey & Company; 28 November 2017)
  17. #134: AI Art Will Make Marionettes Of Us All Before It Destroys The World (Cortex Podcast, 19 Oct 2023)
  18. Google and ADT have a new security system with lots of subscription fees (ArsTechnica, 29 March 2023)
  19. Analysts say Mac sales are down 40% as post-pandemic PC sales slump continues (ArsTechnica, 10 April 2023)
  20. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Memoable
  21. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Podcast series: “The Last Soviet”“AI in the Classroom” webinar series from the Media Education LabAmy Webb Launches 2023 Emerging Tech Trend Report | SXSW 2023
Arkansas” (CC BY 2.0) by Gamma Man

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 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 LEGOArchive.Today (example) – new podcast: “Wes and Shelly Share”

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 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