Welcome to episode 327 (“AI Search Evolution”) of the EdTech Situation Room from May 22, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) discussed various topics, beginning with Jason’s recent trip to Japan, where he visited Hiroshima and experienced some unique weather patterns. The conversation quickly transitioned to an in-depth look at current technology news and its implications for education. Key discussions included the return of controversial figures to social media platforms, the impact of fractured social media ecosystems on communication and professional development, and the potential and challenges of federated social media platforms like Mastodon. The hosts emphasized the importance of educators exploring and understanding these evolving platforms to better navigate the digital landscape. The episode also highlighted significant updates from Google I/O and Microsoft, focusing on their AI advancements and new product announcements. Jason and Wes analyzed Google’s move to integrate AI into search results, comparing it to science fiction-like interactions and pondering its future implications for advertising, media, and user behavior. They also delved into Microsoft’s controversial “Recall” feature, which captures screenshots of users’ screens every few seconds, raising substantial privacy and security concerns. The hosts wrapped up with their “Geeks of the Week” segment. Jason recommended the Logitech Options+ software for enhancing mouse functionality with AI features, while Wes shared a personal throwback by showcasing a 1978 remix of Star Wars and a practical video on managing email effectively for a productive digital life. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @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 a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!
Welcome to episode 322 (“Openness Challenges Authoritarianism”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 20, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer and Dr. Wesley Fryer navigated through the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, education, and policy. The episode offered in-depth discussions on the implications of new AI developments, with a particular focus on Google’s AI challenges and Microsoft’s latest endeavors in integrating AI into Windows. The conversation also touched on Apple’s strategic moves in AI and the broader impact of AI on educational practices and cybersecurity. Amid these discussions, the show highlighted the importance of open-source platforms in combating authoritarian regimes, as exemplified by Taiwan’s digital transformation under the leadership of its Digital Minister, Audrey Tang. The episode underscored the power of openness and transparency in fostering trust and democracy in the digital age. “Geeks of the Week” included insights into Stephen Johnson’s collaboration with Google on the Notebook LM project, showcasing the potential of AI in enhancing writing and creative processes. Additionally, the EFF’s podcast episode on “Open Source Beats Authoritarianism” was spotlighted, offering listeners a glimpse into Taiwan’s successful use of open-source principles to revolutionize government transparency and citizen engagement. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, @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 a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!
Welcome to episode 321 (“AI Integration Insights”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 6, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (aicentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com) explored the ever-evolving landscape of artificial intelligence and its profound implications for education and technology. Amidst the scenic backdrop of the NCTIES conference in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the anticipation of spring break, the co-hosts delved into pressing topics that captivate the attention of educators and tech enthusiasts alike. The conversation kicked off with insights into the significance of AI integration in educational settings, reflecting on how these technologies are reshaping teaching, learning, and professional development. The co-hosts examined the latest developments in AI legislation, highlighting its impact on educational technology and policy. The discussion ventured into the realm of digital privacy, with a focus on recent executive orders aimed at curbing the sale of personal data to foreign entities, underscoring the ongoing challenges and ethical considerations surrounding data privacy and security. A highlight of the episode was the exploration of innovative AI tools and platforms, offering a glimpse into the future of education and the potential of AI to enhance learning experiences. Dr. Neiffer shared his experiences with AI integration in the Montana Digital Academy, while Dr. Fryer provided insights from his role as a middle school media literacy and STEM teacher. In light of the NCTIES 2024 conference, the co-hosts discussed the importance of collaborative professional development and the exchange of ideas among educators. The episode also touched on broader implications of AI on educational practices, the dynamics of digital education, and the role of technology in addressing contemporary challenges in the education sector. “Geeks of the Week” included notable mentions of the latest AI-driven educational tools and resources, offering valuable insights for educators aiming to leverage technology in enhancing learning environments. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow us on Facebook, Mastodon and Substack, 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 a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!
Welcome to episode 320 (“Privacy and Platform Shifts”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 21, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer and Dr. Wesley Fryer, joining from their diverse locales of Montana and North Carolina, dove into a rich dialogue exploring the evolving landscape of digital privacy, the shift in platforms due to new technological integrations, and the profound implications for educators and learners. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, the co-hosts unpacked the potential of AI in revolutionizing not just educational practices but also the broader societal interactions, drawing attention to the pressing issues of digital droughts affecting agricultural economies and the potential for wildfire risks. The discussion ventured into the realms of policy, with insights into legislation aimed at protecting youth online, and the innovative strides in virtual reality, highlighting the quest for immersive learning environments. As digital citizenship continues to be a pivotal theme, Fryer and Neiffer emphasized the importance of navigating the complexities of tech integration with foresight and ethical consideration. “Geeks of the Week” included an exploration of perplexity AI as a tool for enhancing research and the groundbreaking developments in virtual reality, pointing towards a future where education transcends traditional boundaries. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow our @EdtechSR page on Facebook, mastodon.education/@edtechsr on Mastodon for updates, subscribe to us on Substack, 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 a custom GPT on ChatGPT, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!
Welcome to episode 317 (“Digital Privacy Predicaments”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 17, 2024, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (AIcentrist.com) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) delved into pressing issues surrounding digital privacy, the ethical implications of AI in education, and the latest advancements in EdTech tools and platforms. Highlights of the discussion included the evolving landscape of digital privacy laws, innovative uses of AI in the classroom, and the potential impacts of new technology policies on educators and students. The episode also covered key updates from major tech companies and their influence on educational technology. “Geeks of the Week” featured insightful resources and tools beneficial for educators. Although the specific “Geeks of the Week” links from this episode are not provided here, they typically include cutting-edge educational tools, tips, and articles shared by Jason and Wes, contributing to the professional growth of educators and the enhancement of learning environments with technology. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @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 a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!
Welcome to episode 268 (“Age of Bossware”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 31, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed what to expect from Apple’s iPhone 14 event, the ongoing mystery of Apple’s “Self Repair Program,” and the impracticality of DIY repairing iOS and MacOS. Other topics included Google’s Chrome browser PWA store, the expansion of Google’s residential Fiber Internet service, and an announced partnership between T-Mobile and SpaceX for Starlink and 5G cellular service. The questionable Constitutionality of student digital test surveillance, the advent of “bossware” (workplace surveillance software,) and a terrible situation involving a father sending a photo of his young child to a doctor ending up losing all his Google account access forever were subjects rounding out this week’s show. Geeks of the Week included OpenCore Legacy Patcher (a free way to run latest MacOS on older Apple hardware,) software to bulk-edit Google Calendar events, NASA Artemis wallpaper, and a great “Land of the GIANTS” podcast episode on “The Facebook Election.” 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 266 (“AI for Excel”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 10, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed features in ChromeOS 104 and 105, an AI bot for Excel formulas, and an increased price for Twitter Blue. Google’s warrantless video permissions for police, survey results about political violence in the U.S., and GenZ search preferences for TikTok over YouTube were also highlighted topics. Additionally, subscription based cars, and latest Meta’s chatbot fail were explored Geeks of the Weeks included Kible and Ad Observatory. Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn’t have time to talk about in this week’s show in your email inbox! 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 254 (“ChromeOS Oh My”) of the EdTech Situation Room from March 30, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google / ChromeOS news, Microsoft news, Apple news, technology headlines from the ongoing war in Ukraine, BigTech / The “Tech Correction,” and one article about Space Force. Geeks of the Week included an excellent Ezra Klein interview with Margaret Atwood, and early bird pricing for NCCE 2022! Check out our shownotes for links to all the articles we discussed, and subscribe to our Substack to receive all the links we discussed and also didn’t have time to talk about in this week’s show in your email inbox! 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 244 (“Join our SubStack”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 5, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the case of two California teachers secretly recorded talking about LGBTQ student outreach, who used student laptop monitoring software to identify prospective club members. The DuckDuckGo privacy desktop web browser and Americans’ distrust of social media companies were also discussed. On the Google front, the new capability to host up to 500 meeting participants in a Google Meet videoconference for paying Google Workspace customers, changes to the “Your News Update” for the Google Assistant, and the potential dangers (according to the EFF) of the Google Chrome “Manifest V3” user tracking standard were highlighted. UBlock Origin as a free ad-blocking extension for Chrome and FireFox was extolled / recommend, and Google’s announced “major improvements” to Android were explored. Lastly, some tales of algorithmic poor choices by automated podcast advertisement selection programs were discussed. Geeks of the week included MapCrunch, James Webb space telescope links, and a good (but troubling) podcast about fascism in America by Vox Conversations. 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. Please sign up for our NEW SubStack newsletter to receive all our show links each week in your inbox, including links we are not able to discuss on edtechsr.substack.com. Stay savvy and safe!
Welcome to episode 241 (“Twitter Upgrade Benefits”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 8, 2021, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the monetization of user location data (including minors) by Life360 and other companies, Twitter’s new “Twitter Blue” upgrade service, and Instagram’s forthcoming chronological feed feature. The latest chapter in the Apple vs. Epic legal battle,Microsoft’s new Office UI, and a surprising discouragement by MS Windows to users downloading the Chrome browser. The story of Chinese superstar Peng Shuai’s courageous accusations of sexual assault against a high ranking government official was discussed, and her subsequent disappearance as part of a government campaign to silence her voice as well as others speaking out for women’s rights in China. Google’s foray into 3D telepresence and a backstory update on the Missouri governor’s mystifying accusation of a journalist as a hacker for viewing public webpage source code were discussed. The release of ChromeOS 96 and the developing “shadow war in space” between the United States, Russia and China were final topics in this week’s show. Geeks of the week included a great Scribble Maps tutorial from Richard Byrne, and an excellent Ezra Klein Show podcast about “superforecasters.” 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!
