Educator’s Notebook #434 (January 3, 2024)
INTRODUCTION
Happy New Year! A new look, and more to come...
Happy New Year, Readers! And welcome to the first iteration of a new format for the Educator’s Notebook: all the same articles and commentary, but with a different layout.
For me, every year past the year 2000 feels like the distant future — and here we are, in what actually looks like the distant future, sometimes a utopia, sometimes a dystopia: artificial intelligence, space ships, global lockdowns, climate change, global interconnectedness, and new surprises all the time. Through it all, the imperative for education remains constant.
My commitment to education has always been grounded in the belief that strong education systems are necessary for a peaceful, healthy future for humanity. I’m grateful that pursuing this work means engaging with passionate, smart and caring education professionals; that it means the joy of working with young people, whether they are in elementary school or in college; that it means tackling wicked problems that require, at their core, an understanding of our human experience: how we thrive, how we overcome challenges, and how we find purpose.
Since returning to the United States, I’ve been engaging in a series of projects and work environments that have explored what it takes to create successful learning experiences for students, and I look forward to sharing more about them in the weeks ahead. To get started, I’ve been upgrading the Educator’s Notebook in order that it might expand to provide more useful information and community to readers in the months ahead. More to come.
To bring more people on board, please consider sharing this newsletter with colleagues and inviting them to subscribe. They can subscribe by visiting the refreshed website for The Educator’s Notebook.
In the meantime, welcome back from your holiday breaks! Enjoy a rich issue this week, with a student reflection on freedom of speech in schools, illuminating approaches to teaching math, the return of calls for cell phone bans, and much more, including a robust AI section near the end.
All these and more, enjoy!
Pete
A shell found on a beach over the holidays. A reminder of the cycles of the year, and how we grow.
FEATURED
What Students Are Saying About Accountability At Schools
“Many commenters said, in no uncertain terms, that students need to be held accountable for their academics and behavior… They said policies like the 50 percent rule were unfair… And that leniency didn’t prepare young people for post-high school success… But some saw the benefits of a “grade floor” in certain situations… While others suggested alternative ways to help students who were struggling.”
Brilliant Student Essay About The Lack Of Meaningful Discussion
“I see teenagers unintentionally becoming more unforgiving and judgmental rather than open-minded and compassionate. When we can’t or don’t talk freely, we lose the chance to find real common ground, acknowledge complexity or grasp that even our own opinions can be malleable. If we listen only to those who already agree with us, we won’t make wider connections. We won’t grow. Some people told me not to write this piece — that I could get canceled online, cut off by peers and perhaps even rejected by colleges. That’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“The Teaching Profession In 2023 (In Charts)”
“To make sense of the state of the profession, Education Week compiled some of the most significant findings related to teachers that were published this year. Much of this research comes from the EdWeek Research Center’s own surveys, which went out regularly to nationally representative samples of teachers, principals, and district leaders to gauge their opinions on topical issues.”
Review: “What We Learned In 2023 About Gen Z’s Mental Health Crisis”
“The main line of our work so far can be summarized like this: We have shown that there is an adolescent mental health crisis and it was caused primarily by the rapid rewiring of childhood in the early 2010s, from play-based to phone-based. It hit many countries at the same time and it is hitting boys as well as girls, although with substantial gender differences.”
ARTS
ASSESSMENT
“Giving Retakes Their Best Chance To Improve Learning”
“To successfully implement reassessment options, educators must have in-depth knowledge of the theory and research that justifies the reassessment process, along with clear notions of the elements that must be in place to ensure it works.”
ATHENA
COGNITIVE SCIENCE
CREATIVITY
CURRICULUM
DIVERSITY/INCLUSION
HEALTH
HIGHER ED
HUMANITIES
“Was The Civil War About Slavery?”
“Yes.”
Microculture And Macroculture: Which Is Dominant, And Who Will Win
Plagiarism Or Not? Five Passages For Comparison
“Harvard’s president, Dr. Claudine Gay, is accused of lifting words, phrases and sentences from other sources without proper attribution. Most, if not all, of the examples below are written in technical and academic jargon, not meant to convey sweeping or original ideas… Here are five examples of Dr. Gay’s work that are under scrutiny, comparing her writing with that of the scholars listed.”
LANGUAGE
What Is A Syllable? Academics Discuss.
“Yes “We” Can: Swapping Pronouns Can Make Messages More Persuasive”
Do Kids Use Dictionaries In An Age Of Siri?
Lol, rsrsrs, 7777: How Different Cultures Laugh Online
LEADERSHIP
“The Emotional Landscape Of Leadership”
“What It's Like To Be A High School Principal” - An Interview Transcript
Does Your Board Need A Cybersecurity Expert?”
OTHER
“10 Most Significant Education Studies of 2023”
“There was plenty of good news in the mix—and fascinating news, too. Neuroscientists continued to push the envelope on mapping the human brain, using cutting-edge technology to get a sneak peek at the “brain synchrony” between students and teachers as they learn about complex topics, and a comprehensive review of social and emotional learning confirmed, once again, that there’s no substitute for caring, welcoming school environments.”
Hand Drawn Map Of The World With Animals For Each Habitat
“How To Help Students Without Being A Savior”
“So if we see all these pressing needs, and we’re not supposed to try to meet them ourselves, what is a healthier approach? Venet encourages teachers to put their energy into helping students find the resources they need, and when those resources are not available, addressing the systemic issues that create those scarcities.”
Echolocation For The Blind: A Short Documentary
“When Daniel asks Nathan, an avid skateboarder [who is blind], whether people have tried to tell him not to pursue his hobby, Nathan responds, “Well, usually, if they say you shouldn’t be doing that, I say, ‘Screw you, I don’t care,’ because there’s no way to stop me.” There’s a palpable sense of purpose and optimism in all of Daniel’s interactions. And he believes that this film will change the way people think about blindness.
Competitive Debate Drives Improvement For Students
“Encouragingly, the largest gains were notched among the students who were lowest performing prior to joining debate, suggesting the activity does not simply benefit those who are already excelling academically. More broadly, the study also found positive impacts of debate participation on graduation and college enrollment. The study did not find significant effects of debate participation on math scores, school attendance, or disciplinary infractions.”
“At What Point Does The Santa Myth Become A Harmful Deception?”
“For their paper in Developmental Psychology, they asked children aged six to 15 how they found out Santa wasn’t real, and the emotions they experienced afterwards. Then they asked 383 adults to remember how they came to disbelieve in Santa.”
“The Teacher’s Lounge” [Flim]: When Idealism Hits Reality In Schools
PEDAGOGY
On Using Drawing As A Pedagogical Tool. Even For Non-Artists.
“The aesthetic quality of a student’s lesson-based drawing has little bearing on learning. My students grumble about it, but as they get used to drawing as part of their routine work, they start to notice changes.”
“In Effective Classrooms, Relationships Are A Priority”
A Math Puzzle, An Extraordinary Pedagogical Approach
SAFETY
SOCIAL MEDIA
“Teens, Social Media, And Technology, 2023”
“Despite negative headlines and growing concerns about social media’s impact on youth, teens continue to use these platforms at high rates – with some describing their social media use as “almost constant,” according to a new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens. The survey – conducted Sept. 26-Oct. 23, 2023, among 1,453 13- to 17-year-olds – covered social media, internet use and device ownership among teens.”
STEM
What Is Science? How Does It Work? Why Does It Matter?
“too many science classes focus on what science knows instead of how it knows, leaving too many unable to spot claims that seem scientific…but aren’t. Science literacy is more than memorizing facts – it’s understanding how the process of science works.”
“Stella’s Stunners: 700 Engaging And Challenging Mathematics Problems”
Archaeomagnetism: How Interdisciplinarity Solved A Huge Mystery
“In fact, the team’s results show that the strength of the magnetic field in Mesopotamia was more than one and a half times stronger than it is in the area today, with a massive spike happening sometimes between 604 B.C. and 562 B.C. By combining the results of archaeomagnetic tests and the transcriptions of ancient languages on the bricks, the team was able to confirm this spike likely occurred during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II. Hand in hand with the sciences, the LIAA trail was illuminated by historical accounts of descriptively similar events, recorded from ancient authors as far west as the Iberian peninsula and well into Asia.”
SUSTAINABILITY
TECH
Calls Grow To Ban Phones In School
“We’re dealing with something more than kids watching Tik Tok during science class. Those hoping to ban phones see them as an unhealthy interference with nearly every key function schools are meant to serve… Ok, let’s ban students from using their phones during the school day. I’m sold. That’s probably the easy part. How can this policy be implemented so it works?”
VISUAL DESIGN
WORKPLACE
“6 Workplace Trends Leaders Should Watch In 2024”
Motoko Rich On How Teachers Are Portrayed In TV And Film
“Movies and television rarely show teachers, well, teaching. All kinds of professions, from police work to law to medicine, are routinely distorted in popular culture. But for the most part, competence rather than charisma is seen as a prerequisite for success in those fields… But in films and shows about teachers, the focus is on the teacher’s “connecting on an individual level with the students,” said James E. Ryan, dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, “and not so much about the craft of teaching.” Teachers more typically serve as emotional mentors than instructional guides: Tina Fey’s character in “Mean Girls” is a math teacher, but her main role is as social conscience of the school.”
A.I. Update
A.I. UPDATE
Almost Half a Year with AI...
With four months of an AI-infused school year under our belts, the relationship between AI and learning is starting to mature. Students are hungry to talk more about A.I., teachers are increasingly integrating AI into their own planning and into student learning experiences, and industry is starting to focus further on specific use cases and value propositions for educators.
How we use it to drive meaningful learning will be an ongoing focus not just this year, but in years to come, especially as the technology develops further and further. If you missed my reflection last month on how we might begin to redefine academic excellence in an age of AI, it is posted here.
To get the new year started, explore the articles below, ranging from some excellent summaries of how AI can be useful to educators, to a number of important developments in the broader AI industry.
These and more, enjoy!
Pete
Left: A shell generated by ChatGPT with the prompt: “Create a picture of the top of a shell, inspired by the attached picture.” Right: the attached picture. It’s notable that the AI created concentric circles instead of spiraling layers. 
An actual shell found over the holidays, likely of the kind that fed ChatGPT’s model.
TECH/AI: FEATURED
“6 Ways To Use ChatGPT To Save Time”
“In the paragraphs that follow, I’ve divided these tasks into the following categories: planning instruction, handouts and materials, differentiation, correspondence, assessment, and writing instruction and feedback.”
Students Really Want To Talk About AI With You
““I don’t want A.I. or ChatGPT to become like this Ping-Pong game where we just get caught back and forth weighing the positives and negatives,” said Naomi Roth, a 12th grader who helps lead the Human Rights Club. “I think kids need to be able to critique it and assess it and use it.””
TECH/AI: EDUCATION
“How Do I Cite Generative AI In MLA Style?”
Webinar Recording: How To Use AI for Lesson Planning
Webinar Recording: Prompt Engineering For Educators
On TeachFX And How AI Can Support Teachers In Class
“One of the big challenges of providing teacher feedback at scale has been instructional coaches’ caseloads. While AI can’t replace that human contact, it can tag and process classroom transcripts much faster than humans. So coaches potentially can use data from AI tools to tailor their feedback to teachers, if they can’t themselves observe teachers as frequently.”
“AI Can Do Your Homework. Now What?” An Excellent Video Essay
More On The Absence Of A Surge In A.I. Driven Cheating
“Among the high school students who said they had used an A.I. chatbot, about 55 to 77 percent said they had used it to generate an idea for a paper, project or assignment; about 19 to 49 percent said they had used it to edit or complete a portion of a paper; and about 9 to 16 percent said they had used it to write all of a paper or other assignment, the Stanford researchers found.”
“AI Is Transforming Corporate Learning Even Faster Than I Expected”
“Can I Use AI On This Assignment?” - An Excellent Guide For Students
“Levels of AI Use – Full Description – Disclosure Requirements”
Are You Using AI In Innovative Ways? Here’s A Chance To Share It
“Are you using AI to save time, improve learning outcomes, or transform your classroom? We want to amplify your impact and celebrate your accomplishments. As part of the inaugural ASU+GSV AIR Show, we’re establishing a cohort of exemplary AI Classroom Innovators: a group of passionate and pioneering educators who want to share their AI experience with others!”
TECH/AI: ETHICS AND RISK
AI-Driven International Misinformation Campaigns Are Already Huge
“The 10-minute post was one of more than 4,500 videos in an unusually large network of YouTube channels spreading pro-China and anti-U.S. narratives.. Some of the videos used artificially generated avatars or voice-overs, making the campaign the first influence operation known to the institute to pair A.I. voices with video essays.”
Misinformation Is Misinformation: Never Mind Deepfakes, There Are Cheapfakes
“The AI Election Is Here”
“Here are three dispatches highlighting the various ways that candidates — and crucially, third parties — seem ready to use AI as America chooses its next president.”
“A History Of Fake Things On The Internet” - An Interview
Summary: The Impact Of GenAI On Black Communities
TECH/AI: GOVERNMENT AND LAW
“AI Cannot Patent Inventions, UK Supreme Court Confirms”
“AI Cannot Be Patent ‘Inventor,’ UK Supreme Court Rules”
“Rajvinder Jagdev, an intellectual property partner at Powell Gilbert, said the ruling followed similar decisions by courts in Europe, Australia and the U.S. and has "given certainty that inventors must be a natural person.”"
“Pakistan’s Imran Khan Delivers Speech From Behind Bars, Using AI”
High Profile Lawyer Uses AI In Trial, Unaware Of Fictitious Cases
“The fictitious citations were used by the lawyer in a motion submitted to a federal judge… The ensuing chain of misunderstandings and mistakes ended with Mr. Cohen asking the judge to exercise “discretion and mercy.””
AI Copyright Cases Are Now Proliferating. (But Will Any Of Them Win?)
TECH/AI: INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT
GenAI Is Beginning To Pervade Our Devices
“As The AI Era Begins, Reddit Is Leaning Into Its Humanity”
TECH/AI: USES AND APPLICATIONS
AI Significantly Increases The Speed Of Legal Work
“AI assistance reduced the amount of time that participants took to complete the tasks roughly uniformly regardless of their baseline speed. In follow up surveys, we found that participants reported increased satisfaction from using AI to complete legal tasks and that they correctly predicted the tasks for which GPT-4 would be most helpful.”
More On How GenAI Increases Productivity
“Compared to a group of workers operating without the tool, those who had help from the chatbot were 14% more productive, on average, based on the number of issues they resolved per hour. The AI-supported agents ended conversations faster, handled more chats per hour, and were slightly more successful in resolving problems. Notably, the effect was largest for the least skilled and least experienced workers, who saw productivity gains of up to 35%.”
“Using A.I. To Talk To The Dead”
An All-A.I. News Channel? Uh-Oh
Five Prompt Frameworks
OpenAI Provides Prompt Engineering Tips
On AI Art’s Reversion To The Mean: Humans Need To Be More Human
“A.I. cannot innovate. All it can produce are prompt-driven approximations and reconstitutions of preexisting materials. If you believe that culture is an imaginative human endeavor, then there should be nothing to fear, except that — what do you know? — a lot of humans have not been imagining anything more substantial… To make something count, you are going to have to do more than just rearrange precedent images and words, like any old robot. You are going to have to put your back into it, your back and maybe also your soul.”
GenAI Aids White-Collar Work In Creative Tasks The Most
“Dr. Lakhani and his colleagues devised a larger, controlled experiment to measure how ChatGPT would affect more than 750 white-collar workers. That study, which is under review at a scientific journal, indicated sharply mixed results in the consultants’ work product. ChatGPT greatly improved the speed and quality of work on a brainstorming task, but it led many consultants astray when doing more analytical work.”
OpenAI Hires Artist In Residence