ElizabethwithaZ
@elizabethwithaz.bsky.social
Technology, education, and other random thoughts.
Reposted by ElizabethwithaZ
Any budding computer scientist should read 'The Machine Stops', a short story published in 1909 by EM Forster of period drama fame. How reliant on computers should we become? How important is dependability? Here is my CS4FN article inspired by reading it in school English
cs4fn.blog/2025/11/16/t...
cs4fn.blog/2025/11/16/t...
The Machine Stops: a review
Image by Amy from Pixabay How reliant on machines should we let ourself become? E.M. Forster is most famous for period dramas but he also wrote a brilliant Science Fiction short story, ‘The M…
cs4fn.blog
November 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Any budding computer scientist should read 'The Machine Stops', a short story published in 1909 by EM Forster of period drama fame. How reliant on computers should we become? How important is dependability? Here is my CS4FN article inspired by reading it in school English
cs4fn.blog/2025/11/16/t...
cs4fn.blog/2025/11/16/t...
Reposted by ElizabethwithaZ
One reason why elite schools (Columbia, Brown, Cornell) caving to Trump’s illegal impoundment and extortion is so galling — a betrayal, really — is that they would have won had they fought. By giving up, they guaranteed every other school will have to fight harder.
Judge bars Trump from immediately cutting funding to the University of California | CNN Politics
The Trump administration cannot immediately cut federal funding to the University of California or issue fines against the school system over claims it allows antisemitism or other forms of discrimina...
www.cnn.com
November 15, 2025 at 1:02 PM
One reason why elite schools (Columbia, Brown, Cornell) caving to Trump’s illegal impoundment and extortion is so galling — a betrayal, really — is that they would have won had they fought. By giving up, they guaranteed every other school will have to fight harder.
The job that has increased so much is going into companies that have bought "AI" products and making the products actually do something useful. So, de-automating automatization. Great topic for social impacts in #CSed.
The 800% Job Boom Nobody’s Talking About
The bottleneck isn’t building AI anymore. It’s making it work for people who’ll never understand how it works.
medium.com
November 16, 2025 at 4:59 PM
The job that has increased so much is going into companies that have bought "AI" products and making the products actually do something useful. So, de-automating automatization. Great topic for social impacts in #CSed.
Reviewing proposals for a conference, and you can really spot a lot of the software-generated text because it just goes on and on and barely says anything. I'm so frustrated having to deal with this from grown adults. Why do they deserve my time/feedback when they didn't even write it?
November 11, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Reviewing proposals for a conference, and you can really spot a lot of the software-generated text because it just goes on and on and barely says anything. I'm so frustrated having to deal with this from grown adults. Why do they deserve my time/feedback when they didn't even write it?
Giving up on writing and having software generate text instead doesn't seem like a great solution to the problem of writer's block. You may as well just say, "Don't write."
I've been reading more about Ohio State's initiatives and saw this on their teaching and learning website. There are a lot of ways to help students at these early stages of the writing process but I'm not sure what problem is solved by producing "reams of raw content."
November 10, 2025 at 3:51 PM
Giving up on writing and having software generate text instead doesn't seem like a great solution to the problem of writer's block. You may as well just say, "Don't write."
Reminds me of Grace Hopper on parallels between automobiles and computers:
"When we built [automobile infrastructure]...we forgot transportation as a whole. We've done a lousy job of managing transportation as a whole."
"When we built [automobile infrastructure]...we forgot transportation as a whole. We've done a lousy job of managing transportation as a whole."
November 8, 2025 at 2:21 AM
Reminds me of Grace Hopper on parallels between automobiles and computers:
"When we built [automobile infrastructure]...we forgot transportation as a whole. We've done a lousy job of managing transportation as a whole."
"When we built [automobile infrastructure]...we forgot transportation as a whole. We've done a lousy job of managing transportation as a whole."
Student: "Do we have to do the challenge problems?"
Me: "No, but you might feel left out, because a lot of people are doing them."
Student: "That's okay, I have JOMO."
Me: ... "Joy of missing out?"
Student: *grins*
#EduSky
Me: "No, but you might feel left out, because a lot of people are doing them."
Student: "That's okay, I have JOMO."
Me: ... "Joy of missing out?"
Student: *grins*
#EduSky
November 6, 2025 at 10:21 PM
Student: "Do we have to do the challenge problems?"
Me: "No, but you might feel left out, because a lot of people are doing them."
Student: "That's okay, I have JOMO."
Me: ... "Joy of missing out?"
Student: *grins*
#EduSky
Me: "No, but you might feel left out, because a lot of people are doing them."
Student: "That's okay, I have JOMO."
Me: ... "Joy of missing out?"
Student: *grins*
#EduSky
This is the first time I've ever had a real line at a polling place! I didn't realize it'd be so busy on an off year.
November 5, 2025 at 12:49 AM
This is the first time I've ever had a real line at a polling place! I didn't realize it'd be so busy on an off year.
Quantum is the new AI...
November 3, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Quantum is the new AI...
How messed up does a school have to be for IXL to cancel its contract? At what point does an ed tech company look at what you're doing to kids and say "Yikes, I'm out"? The liability concerns must be off the charts.
www.wired.com/story/ai-tea...
www.wired.com/story/ai-tea...
Parents Fell in Love With Alpha School’s Promise. Then They Wanted Out
In Brownsville, Texas, some families found a buzzy new school’s methods—surveillance of kids, software in lieu of teachers—to be an education in and of itself.
www.wired.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:21 PM
How messed up does a school have to be for IXL to cancel its contract? At what point does an ed tech company look at what you're doing to kids and say "Yikes, I'm out"? The liability concerns must be off the charts.
www.wired.com/story/ai-tea...
www.wired.com/story/ai-tea...
So many horrific things in here. The one that stands out the most is the little girl who'd been losing weight from stress and reported being told by adults at school that she couldn't have her snack until she'd meet her learning metrics. Heartbreaking.
There is so much to unpack here, I don't know where to begin.
🧵
🧵
Parents Fell in Love With Alpha School’s Promise. Then They Wanted Out
In Brownsville, Texas, some families found a buzzy new school’s methods—surveillance of kids, software in lieu of teachers—to be an education in and of itself.
www.wired.com
October 27, 2025 at 10:16 PM
So many horrific things in here. The one that stands out the most is the little girl who'd been losing weight from stress and reported being told by adults at school that she couldn't have her snack until she'd meet her learning metrics. Heartbreaking.
Reposted by ElizabethwithaZ
These powerful people want this to become the model not just for private schools but for public schools. The push toward AI in K-12 has to be understood as the desire to dehumanize education in every sense of the word and to turn children into grunts ready to sacrifice themselves in the workplace.
October 27, 2025 at 12:39 PM
These powerful people want this to become the model not just for private schools but for public schools. The push toward AI in K-12 has to be understood as the desire to dehumanize education in every sense of the word and to turn children into grunts ready to sacrifice themselves in the workplace.
Just saw that @csteachersorg.bsky.social has changed their presenter guidelines such that representatives from companies or non-profits aren't eligible for the normal submission process and must pay-to-play. I've got mixed feelings about this. (1/2)
#CSed #TeamCompSci #EdTech
#CSed #TeamCompSci #EdTech
October 22, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Just saw that @csteachersorg.bsky.social has changed their presenter guidelines such that representatives from companies or non-profits aren't eligible for the normal submission process and must pay-to-play. I've got mixed feelings about this. (1/2)
#CSed #TeamCompSci #EdTech
#CSed #TeamCompSci #EdTech
Vibe vacationing.
A new iPhone app, Endless Summer, uses AI to create photorealistic vacation photos starring you — no travel required
Too burned out to travel? This new app fakes your summer vacation photos for you | TechCrunch
A new iPhone app, Endless Summer, uses AI to create photorealistic vacation photos starring you — no travel required
techcrunch.com
October 21, 2025 at 5:17 AM
Vibe vacationing.
Reposted by ElizabethwithaZ
Tomorrow is the deadline to register to vote in the California November election.
Register or confirm your voter registration today:
Register or confirm your voter registration today:
Online Voter Registration | California Secretary of State
California Online Voter Registration website. Register to vote online, save a stamp!
registertovote.ca.gov
October 19, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Tomorrow is the deadline to register to vote in the California November election.
Register or confirm your voter registration today:
Register or confirm your voter registration today:
Impacts of technology on cognition in general, with some nice analysis of #EdTech
"It’s only software developers and drug dealers who call people users."
"It’s only software developers and drug dealers who call people users."
"AI" is leading us into a "golden age of stupidity". #TeamCompSci
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
Are we living in a golden age of stupidity?
From brain-rotting videos to AI creep, every technological advance seems to make it harder to work, remember, think and function independently …
www.theguardian.com
October 19, 2025 at 3:50 PM
Impacts of technology on cognition in general, with some nice analysis of #EdTech
"It’s only software developers and drug dealers who call people users."
"It’s only software developers and drug dealers who call people users."
Got kindly warned by a colleague today that my position on computing technologies being 'cultural artifacts that reflect and reinforce cultural values' was dangerously left, and I should be careful. At least that's the most 'left' thing I've said at faculty meetings. It's standards-based...
#CSed
#CSed
October 18, 2025 at 2:29 AM
Got kindly warned by a colleague today that my position on computing technologies being 'cultural artifacts that reflect and reinforce cultural values' was dangerously left, and I should be careful. At least that's the most 'left' thing I've said at faculty meetings. It's standards-based...
#CSed
#CSed
Reposted by ElizabethwithaZ
The fact that it’s billionaires telling educators and students this is a tool that empowers and democratizes should be more than enough to make you skeptical.
Young people already have tools they need support developing and using—their minds, bodies, and voices.
Young people already have tools they need support developing and using—their minds, bodies, and voices.
October 16, 2025 at 4:12 PM
The fact that it’s billionaires telling educators and students this is a tool that empowers and democratizes should be more than enough to make you skeptical.
Young people already have tools they need support developing and using—their minds, bodies, and voices.
Young people already have tools they need support developing and using—their minds, bodies, and voices.
I'm so befuddled by people who do this to summarize academic papers. There's an abstract right there at the beginning.
October 13, 2025 at 12:50 AM
I'm so befuddled by people who do this to summarize academic papers. There's an abstract right there at the beginning.
Why are the people who are doing this even teachers? If you don't think it's worthwhile to engage with student work, why choose this profession?
This is truly grotesque. Teachers should not be using this stuff. If a school was pushing it on teachers who work with kids I care about, I'd make a big effing stink until they stopped. We have to not give into this.
October 12, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Why are the people who are doing this even teachers? If you don't think it's worthwhile to engage with student work, why choose this profession?
Reposted by ElizabethwithaZ
so what will it look like when the industry implodes and researchers cannot help but conclude that this stuff is junk; but simultaneously, states are still keenly paying for it, subsidizing and underwriting it, and even changing laws and regulations to make space for it?
October 1, 2025 at 4:41 PM
so what will it look like when the industry implodes and researchers cannot help but conclude that this stuff is junk; but simultaneously, states are still keenly paying for it, subsidizing and underwriting it, and even changing laws and regulations to make space for it?
In related news, I'm developing a course on the impacts of smoking. I'm concerned about the health impacts, and I want to teach students how to smoke responsibly, in a way that supports better respiratory health.
I would like to see more about this proposed course, but I am not optimistic based on this initial reporting. It sounds like a course on how to be a good tech consumer with emphasis on how important it is to be a tech consumer.
September 29, 2025 at 4:44 PM
In related news, I'm developing a course on the impacts of smoking. I'm concerned about the health impacts, and I want to teach students how to smoke responsibly, in a way that supports better respiratory health.
Had my students choose a recent news article on a data center and list the positive and negative impacts on the local community.
Student: "sediment in the water, running out of water, expensive water..."
Me: "What about the positive impacts?"
Student: "Um... none, really?"
Student: "sediment in the water, running out of water, expensive water..."
Me: "What about the positive impacts?"
Student: "Um... none, really?"
September 27, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Had my students choose a recent news article on a data center and list the positive and negative impacts on the local community.
Student: "sediment in the water, running out of water, expensive water..."
Me: "What about the positive impacts?"
Student: "Um... none, really?"
Student: "sediment in the water, running out of water, expensive water..."
Me: "What about the positive impacts?"
Student: "Um... none, really?"
I still think the best thing about "Stargate" is that it's named after a movie in which the government was so excited to leverage some newly discovered tech, and then it just led them to an environmentally devastated world in which humans were enslaved and literacy was outlawed. So fitting.
September 24, 2025 at 6:35 PM
I still think the best thing about "Stargate" is that it's named after a movie in which the government was so excited to leverage some newly discovered tech, and then it just led them to an environmentally devastated world in which humans were enslaved and literacy was outlawed. So fitting.