EdTech Situation Room Episode 77

Welcome to episode 77 of the EdTech Situation Room from December 13, 2017, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wes Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google’s recent announcement to discontinue web store apps, the importance of the open web, and the upcoming net neutrality vote by the FCC. Additional topics included the prevalence of email tracking and whether or not this surveillance is something to be concerned about, the upcoming shutdown of Storify, Google Assistant coming to older Android devices, and a recent PBS Frontline Special (“Putin’s Revenge”) as well as Guardian article about the weaponization of the web by Russia. Geeks of the week included a recent article about going anonymous online with the Tor browser (Jason) and the expensive, hybrid human/digital assistant “Fin” (Wes). Please check out all our shownotes (including articles we did not have time to address in this week’s show) on http://edtechSR.com/links and follow us on Twitter http://twitter.com/edtechSR for updates.

Shownotes:

  1. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
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  6. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  7. Wes Fryer (@wfryer) – blog: speedofcreativity.org
  8. Google Kills Apps In Web Store For Mac and Windows: Some Thoughts (Chrome Unboxed; 13 December 2017)
  9. Chrome OS Fighting To Keep Control Of US Education Market (Android Headlines; 7 December 2017)
  10. How Email Open Tracking Quietly Took Over the Web (Wired, 11 December 2017)
  11. Storify is shutting down and will delete all posts next May (The Verge; 12 December 2017)
  12. Concerns grow among YouTubers, Twitch personalities as net neutrality vote looms (Polygon, 13 December 2017)
  13. Let’s calm down. No matter what happens with net neutrality, an open internet isn’t going anywhere. (Recode, 13 December 2017)
  14. The FCC is voting to repeal net neutrality on Thursday. Here’s how to watch live. (Recode; 13 December 2017)
  15. Google Assistant finally rolling out to Android tablets, expands phone support to 5.0 Lollipop (9-5 Google, 13 December 2017)
  16. Fake news and botnets: how Russia weaponised the web (Guardian, 2 December 2017)
  17. Putin’s Revenge on PBS Frontline (@frontlinepbs)
  18. Jason’s Geek of the Week: The Grand Tor: How To Go Anonymous Online (Wired; 9 December 2017)
  19. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Fin (@finexploration) via Drop.io WikiPedia article & @lessin