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 300 Educators Eye AI Ethics

Welcome to Episode 300 (“Educators Eye AI Ethics”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 2, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) welcomed viewers to the milestone 300th episode of the EdTech Situation Room on August 2, 2023. They discussed technology’s rapid advancements, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), and how educators can thoughtfully integrate new tools into the classroom. The hosts reflected on the show’s history analyzing educational technology news over 299 prior episodes. They outlined the main topics to be covered, including AI, tech policy, Apple, Google, social media, and their weekly “Geeks of the Week” recommendations. Jason and Wes delved into several Google Chrome updates, examining their implications for users and schools. They critiqued proposed regulations cracking down on tech giants in Canada and Europe as going too far in restricting online linking and personalized ads. However, the hosts agreed greater privacy protections are needed in the U.S. Shifting to AI, the hosts were excited by Claude, Anthropic’s new AI chatbot alternative to ChatGPT. They were impressed with Claude’s ability to mimic a user’s writing style when provided samples and to generate content based on analyzing uploaded PDFs. Jason and Wes discussed AI’s potential to transform assessments, emphasizing the need for educators to thoughtfully integrate it into their practice. They also covered several other AI topics, including ethical AI development, using AI in Hollywood productions, and the Worldcoin project linking cryptocurrency to biometric facial/retinal scanning. In closing, Jason and Wes shared their “Geeks of the Week,” including downloadable instructions for 6800 Lego kits and the Google Robotics Lab Segment of the July 28th New York Times Hard Fork Podcast. 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. What Is Worldcoin? Here’s What To Know About The Eyeball-Scanning Crypto Project Launched By OpenAI’s Sam Altman (Forbes, 24 July 2023)
  10. Netflix Pulls AI Content Creation From Job Listing After Backlash (Newswekk; 31 July 2023)
  11. The Writers’ Strike Over AI Is Bigger Than Hollywood (The Markup; 29 July 2023)
  12. Google will ‘supercharge’ Assistant with AI that’s more like ChatGPT and Bard (The Verge; 31 July 2023)
  13. Dario Amodei, C.E.O. of Anthropic, on the Paradoxes of A.I. Safety and Netflix’s ‘Deep Fake Love’’ (New York TImes; 21 July 2023)
  14. OpEd: Lindsey Graham and Elizabeth Warren: When It Comes to Big Tech, Enough Is Enough (NYTimes, 27 July 2023) #GiftLink
  15. Meta loses battle in EU, will ask for consent to show personalized ads (ArsTechnica, 1 Aug 2023)
  16. Elon Musk’s Unmatched Power in the Stars (NYTimes, 28 July 2023) #GiftLink 
  17. Meta starts blocking news in Canada over law on paying publishers (Reuters, 1 Aug 2023)
  18. Google Chrome officially removing the download bar for a new tray UI (9to5Google, 2 Aug 2023)
  19. First look at the new Microsoft 365 Chromebook integration (About Chromebooks; 24 July 2023)
  20. ‘No sign’ Apple will launch generative AI in 2024, says Kuo (9to5Mac, 2 Aug 2023)
  21. Jason’s Geek of the Week: You Can Download Instructions for More Than 6,800 LEGO Kits for Free (LifeHacker; 29 July 2023)
  22. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Google Robotics Lab Segment, NYT Hard Fork Podcast (28 July 2023, at 40:00) – Mastodon share
Anders Sandberg on the Ethics of Uploading” (CC BY 2.0) by david.orban

EdTech Situation Room Episode 116

Welcome to episode 116 of the EdTech Situation Room from November 29, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the past week’s technology news through an educational lens. Topics for the show included the continued growth of mobile broadband connectivity worldwide, the expanded availability of Google Fi, and varying opinions about Google’s new Pixel Slate tablet. The milestone last week of Microsoft surpassing Apple as the world’s most valuable company, Microsoft’s HoloLens AR goggle contract with the U.S. Army, and the scientist who defied the international community by using CRISPR to genetically engineer a human baby were also discussed. OpEds about the unpredictability of Internet effects as shown by the popularity of chess as an online spectator sport, and the rise of “surveillance capitalism” via targeted advertising were also highlighted. The successful landing of the Insight space probe on Mars this week and Europe’s threat to shut down Google News by charging for linking to 3rd party news websites were topics rounding out the show. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can (normally) 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.

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. Mobile broadband is faster than Wi-Fi in 33 countries (The Verge; 27 November 2018)
  9. What Internet Use Will Look Like in 2022 (PC Magazine; 27 November 2018)
  10. Project Fi is now Google Fi, and it will work with iPhones and most Android devices (The Verge; 28 November 2018)
  11. Details from Google on Google Fi (Google Blog; 28 November 2018)
  12. Pixel Slate and Pixel Slate Keyboard review: Portability and productivity at a premium price (About Chromebooks, 27 November 2018)
  13. Google Pixel Slate review: Pro tablet, mediocre laptop (Android Central; 27 November 2018)
  14. Google keeps failing to understand tablets (The Verge, 29 November 2018)
  15. Microsoft becomes world’s most valuable company after passing Apple for first time since 2010 (The Telegraph, 28 Nov 2018)
  16. US Army soldiers will soon wear Microsoft’s HoloLens AR goggles in combat (MIT Technology Review, 29 Nov 2018)
  17. Chinese scientists are creating CRISPR babies (MIT Technology Review, 25 Nov 2018)
  18. The Chinese CRISPR baby debacle takes another dark turn (Wired, 28 Nov 2018)
  19. CRISPR Co-Inventor ‘Disgusted’ (Bloomberg, 28 Nov 2018)
  20. Chess Is the Killer App (Bloomberg, 13 Nov 2018)
  21. Targeted Advertising Is Ruining the Internet and Breaking the World (Motherboard, 16 Nov 2018)
  22. NASA’s Mars InSight probe touches down on red planet (The Guardian, 26 Nov 2018)
  23. We are the first humans to see a Mars sunset. But Twitter doesn’t have it right. (Cincinnati.com – USA Today, 29 Nov 2018)
  24. Google News may shut over EU plans to charge tax for links (The Guardian, 18 November 2018)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 102

Welcome to episode 102 of the EdTech Situation Room from August 8, 2018, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed an update to this summer’s MacBook Pro Throttling Controversy, the upcoming death of Flash functionality in 2020, and the importance of being wary when you see pop-up ads to “update flash” and other software on your computer. The recent decisions by Apple, YouTube/Google and Facebook to ban / take down websites and media channels of Alex Jones / InfoWars was also addressed, along with Facebook’s takedown of suspected Russian network pages. Jason shared a shout-out to the helpful updating software “Ninite” for Windows, and Wes shared a shout out to his school’s “Digital Citizenship Conversations” website as well. The perils of digital voting was discussed, along with the ongoing controversy over 3D printable guns. Amy Webb’s recent prediction that “smartphones will be gone in 10 years” and other trends identified through her “Future Today Institute.” The recent news that voice-based phone calls are finally in decline in Britain, Logitech’s purchase of Blue Microphones, a cautionary tale for users of free VPN services whose data is sold to advertisers, and an eye opening Guardian article about Russian hacking forums were also highlighted in the show. Google’s required use of physical identity keys for two step verification and the perils of using SMS as well as app-based verification methods for two step authentication was explored as well. Geeks of the week included Promevo (by Jason) and Explorables (by Wes). Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming shows, and share feedback with us about the show on Twitter or via a comment on our website.

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. Update: Apple Addresses MacBook Pro Throttling Controversy After Working With YouTuber Dave Lee (MacRumors; 24 July 2018)
  9. Senator Asks US Government to Remove Flash From Federal Sites, Computers (Bleeping Computer, 25 July 2018)
  10. Ninite: Install and Update All Your Programs at Once
  11. Op-ed – Alex Jones is a crackpot—but banning him from Facebook might be a bad idea (ArsTechnica, 6 Aug 2018)
  12. Facebook confirms discovery of new ‘inauthentic’ social media campaign ahead of US midterm elections (The Verge; 31 July 2018)
  13. Facebook takes down suspected Russian network of pages (CNN; 31 July 2018)
  14. Digital Citizenship Conversations website from Casady School
  15. Experts criticize West Virginia’s plan for smartphone voting (ArsTechnica, 8 Aug 2018)
  16. 3D-printed (and CNC-milled) guns: Nine questions you were too afraid to ask (5 Aug 2018)
  17. Smartphones will be gone in 10 years (Amy Webb in Business Insider, 30 Oct 2017)
  18. 235 Emerging Tech Trends For 2018 (Amy Webb, 25 March 2018)
  19. Amy Webb: Futurist and Author
  20. Future Today Institute
  21. Voice calls drop despite smartphone fever (BBC News; 1 August 2018)
  22. Logitech Buys Blue Microphones (PC Magazine; 31 July 2018)
  23. Be Careful With Free VPNs: Your Data Might Be Going to Advertisers (PC magazine; 31 July 2018)
  24. My terrifying deep dive into one of the largest dark web hacking forums (Guardian, 24 July 2018)
  25. Google – Security Keys Neutralized Employee Phishing (Brian Krebs, 23 July 2018)
  26. Google made the Titan Key to toughen up your online security (CNet; 25 July 2018)
  27. Reddit Breach Highlights Limits of SMS-Based Authentication (Brian Krebs, 1 Aug 2018)
  28. Have I Been Hacked / Pwned (use your email address to check if it was part of historic information hacks)
  29. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Promevo – G Suite and Chromebook Reseller
  30. Wes’ Geek of the Week: “Explorables: snippets of complexity” by @DirkBrockmann

EdTech Situation Room Episode 58

Welcome to episode 58 of the EdTech Situation Room from July 19, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week was a special episode dedicated specifically to “Net Neutrality” and the ongoing campaign to oppose corporate telco lobbying for Internet fast lanes. Visit http://edtechsr.com/links to access all referenced links from our show. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed what net neutrality is and why it’s important, how it impacts schools as well as the economy, and why we need to advocate for net neutrality not only with the FCC but also with our elected representatives and senators in Congress. Follow us on Twitter @edtechSR to stay up to date about upcoming shows. Please try to join us LIVE online if you can, normally on Wednesday nights at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central / 8 pm Mountain / 7 pm Pacific.

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. Book: The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World by Larry Lessig – 2001 (@lessig)
  9. Book: Telecosm: The World After Bandwidth Abundance by George Gilder – 2000 (@scandalofmoney)
  10. Save The Internet – Free Press (Includes timeline of the Fight for Net Neutrality)
  11. Net Neutrality (WikiPedia)
  12. FIGHT: The WIRED Guide to Net Neutrality (Wired, 12 July 2017)
  13. Day of Action: Sen. Ron Wyden on What’s at Stake in the Battle for Net Neutrality (Wired, 12 July 2017)
  14. Why Net Neutrality Matters Even in the Age of Oligopoly (Wired, 22 June 2017)
  15. The End of Net Neutrality Could Shackle the Internet of Things (Wired, 6 June 2017)
  16. Comcast Looks All Set to Keep Controlling Your Cable Box. Yay. (Wired, 2 Feb 2017)
  17. Net Neutrality Vision Graphic
  18. If FCC gets its way, we’ll lose a lot more than net neutrality (ArsTechnica, 12 July 2017)
  19. Why Net Neutrality Matters (Virtualization and Cloud Review, 12 July 2017)
  20. Binge On | Video Streaming without Using Your 4G LTE Data (T-Mobile)
  21. Will SpaceX become world’s biggest telecoms provider? Probably. by @gavinsblog (15 July 2017)
  22. Google, Facebook, Netflix lobbyist tells the FCC not to destroy net neutrality (The Verge, 12 April 2017)
  23. Larry Lessig (@lessig) on Net Neutrality and Google [VIDEO] – Part 1 and Part 2
  24. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Jason’s ChromeOS Software Project
  25. Wes’ Geeks of the Week:
    1. Circle with Disney ($100 plus $10/month for Circle Go. Track screentime by app/platform, filter/block websites and apps, set usage limits)
    2. How to see what the kids are doing on their phones (Francis Navarro, Komando.com, 9 July 2017)

EdTech Situation Room Episode 23

Welcome to episode 23 of the EdTech Situation Room from September 28, 2016, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Martin Horejsi hosted the show and dived into a variety of technology related topics. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) was out on assignment this week and was not able to join live. Topics for episode 23 with Jason and Martin included the recently released Horizon Report (K12 Edition) and a great discussion about classroom learning spaces. They also discussed Elon Musk’s recently updated vision for Mars colonization, and the uses of technology to both fact check and distract viewers Monday night during the first U.S. Presidential candidate debate. Martin’s geek of the week was the TI-Innovator Hub, and Jason’s was the Flash Forward Podcast. Check out the episode shownotes for links to referenced articles and geeks of the week. Check out past episode shownotes on http://edtechsr.com/links and be sure to follow @edtechSR for updates on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechsr as well as on Facebook. If you listen to the show, please submit our listener survey using the shortened link http://wfryer.me/edtechsr which forwards to a Google Form. Your feedback and suggestions on the show are appreciated!

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  2. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  3. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  4. Video version on YouTube
  5. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach)
  7. Martin Horejsi (NCCE Board bio – University of Montana contact info)
  8. NMC/CoSN Horizon Report > 2016 K-12 Edition
  9. VIDEO – 6 min highlight summary
  10. Why making, coding, and online learning are the real trends to watch (eSchoolNews, 14 Sept 2016)
  11. Elon Musk Outlines His Crazy, Very Real Plan to Colonize Mars (Slate Future Tense, 27 September 2016)
  12. Elon Musk: We Must Leave Earth For One Critical Reason (Futurism, 11 Sept 2016)
  13. Presidential Debate Sets Viewership Record (Wall Street Journal, 27 September 2016)
  14. First Presidential Debate Breaks Twitter Record (Hollywood Reporter, 26 September 2016) (and is Disney going to buy Twitter?)
  15. Jason’s Geek of the Week:  Flash Forward Podcast
  16. Martin’s Geek of the Week: TI-Innovator Hub