Hapgood

Saw this today. Watson is going to solve OER! Wait what? Only a thousand lessons? Divide that by six grade levels and that’s about 166 lessons per grade. Figure you probably teach 80 lessons a year… So Watson, with its supposed brain the size of a planet, is going to do what for you exactly? Continue reading

Misinformation is an asymmetrical phenomenon, occurring more in sources followed by Republicans than Democrats. There are historical reasons that explain this: the creation of a right-wing media system was heavily funded and subsidized by corporations and donors in a way that left-wing media never has been. This isn’t to say that the left couldn’t become Continue reading

I live in Washington. If I go and buy a USB drive for $10, Washington gets about 80 cents. If I buy a copy of Microsoft Word for $100, Washington State gets more than $8. Services aren’t always taxed, but probably should be.  It seems to me as we’ve moved from products to services we’ve Continue reading

The effects of data theft have been enormous this past year, but the situation is likely to get worse. Why? Because right now we are looking at the theft of only slivers of fairly traditional information. But we now live in a world where every device and service you consume is collecting data on you. Continue reading

Here’s a thing going around Facebook today: Chicago mayor Rahm Emmanuel banned Trump from Chicago! So did Rahm just go Rahm-bo? Did he ban Trump from the city? Clicking through and seeing the headline on the actual article suggests a less dramatic story: And the quote in context? [Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel] added: “Chicago, our Continue reading

“HIV dissidents” or “denialists” are people who doubt or reject the fact that AIDS is caused by HIV. This view often results in the death or illness of its believers, and occasionally in the deaths of children who have no say in the matter. One of the fascinating things about HIV denialism is that the primary cause Continue reading

I was struck this week by Benjamin Doxtdator’s latest post on showing students how to engage with social media in a way that subverts its purposes. On listening as an act of resistance. Of getting past glorifying connection as an end to that important question of purpose.  I wanted to jot down a few quick thoughts Continue reading

I still don’t know quite what I’m doing with my newsletter, twenty weeks in. I’ve been writing quite a bit there. But should I also put that stuff on the web? Usually I do a series of long pieces and quick hits for it. But yesterday I did a quick round up of news from Continue reading

Here’s a simple activity you can try in your class: Have students execute a Google search that is a question. Then have the students look at the top five results, and using lateral reading pick the source that is most likely to be authoritative and the source they think is least authoritative. Have them talk Continue reading

So this is not a photo assignment (reverse image search will get you nowhere!). But here’s a photo anyway, for aesthetic reasons: It’s a quote from current U.S. Defense Secretary General Mattis emblazoned on a coffee mug: “I come in peace. I didn’t bring artillery. But I’m pleading you with tears in my eyes: if Continue reading