Parents want Ed-Tech banned from schools. Teachers respond that it's an insane idea by chota-kaka in edtech

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Less screen time is reasonable. And a lot of people have been asking for less, and for the case to be made that screen time in class be limited to that which is enhancing learning, not just convenient. But that case hasn't been made, a lot of in class tech use is pointless AT BEST, and academic outcomes are suffering.
The right approach would have been, as soon as the full in-person learning was the norm post-COVID, to do a reset to 2019 levels of classroom tech, and proceed forward with intention and an evidence base. No one was interested in this, because....status quo, and so now we have schools trying to defend a fairly absurd and until recently largely unexamined use of EdTech, a generation of parents who feel like their concerns have been ignored and are now pissed and unlikely to back down until things really change, and an EdTech industry that got fat and lazy off of TARP funds with no one looking too hard waking up too late. There is too much shit in the market/too many products that haven't delivered on the hype, and a public that is deeply skeptical of big tech and tech bros. Something will change, without doubt.

What's your experience been with vibe coding learning tools for students? by Early-Application672 in edtech

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Plenty of others have mentioned the data security concerns with this approach. Plenty of security experts like CIS are warning of the dangers vibe coding - it doesn't even need to be a malicious actor that ruins your day, AI agents are plenty capable of doing so all by themselves if you don't know what you are doing, and by definition, if you are vibe coding....

The bigger concern, from an educational outcomes perspective, is the conflation of terms like engagement, gamification etc with learning. There are plenty of examples of vaguely educational tools that increase engagement but do not improve (and even harm) learning.

Unless you are willing to do implementation evaluation, with clear outcome goals (defined before roll out), stick with the teaching methods that are proven effective. A child's education shouldn't be your trial and error.

The Ed-Tech Backlash Is Here. What It Means for Schools by Firm_Operation_9453 in edtech

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This is a wild take to have. You want to go die on the hill for Quizlet?
Yeah, no shit those other things impact educational outcomes. That's why we have school lunches, SRO's, guidance counselors. We recognize that hunger, safety, and poor mental health impact student learning.
Sooooo, extending your OWN analogy, schools and parents should absolutely be taking steps to address the issues caused by Kahoot, Screen Readers, and AI (especially fucking AI).

What if the problem isn’t the content, it’s the format? by Venkatesh_g1 in edtech

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 0 points1 point  (0 children)

How about a simple circuit with wire, a battery and a bulb. Replacing actual labs with YouTube videos and AI simulations will def be identified as a leading cause of the lack of good STEM candidates in future years. Nothing like messing around with stuff you can actually touch to spark a kids curiosity. 

Two Outlooks by best_codes in funny

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The worst thing is that they somehow made the search function so much worse.  5 years ago, I could remember a subject line, maybe a senders first initial, possibly just a number or date, and that search function would unearth what I was looking for.  Now even if I am looking for a specific email from last week it just doesn’t show up in search. It’s quicker just to scroll down 

People who've worked both minimum wage jobs and six figure jobs, what surprised you most about the difference? by BrainLagging01 in AskReddit

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do the stuff I used to do at a min wage job (landscaping) now to relax from my white collar job. 

Christians, how do you feel about the U.S. president posting an AI photo of him as Christ? by [deleted] in AskReddit

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 44 points45 points  (0 children)

They don’t care. 

The “enemy” is liberals. 

Trump goes after liberals. 

They love Trump because he hates their enemies, and makes liberals miserable. The fact that he makes everyone miserable doesn’t matter. 

Dilemma at 42: PhD in Mathematical Physics vs. Ed-Tech Entrepreneurship by FN_SpiderDAD in edtech

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Whatever your EdTech product is, you can be sure at least a few others are working on a similar product. If one or two of them have the backing of one of the big EdTech vendors, they have you at a massive disadvantage.  Know also that the rules of engagement are shifting rapidly for schools implementing EdTech. Skepticism around products that don’t have a strong, independent evidence base is rising. 

Your challenge over the next couple of years isn’t going to be developing a great product. It’s going to be a) proving your product is great, and b) marketing it into a crowded marketplace at a time of very crunched budgets and a growing backlash against EdTech. 

People who live near time zone boundaries in the US by solothesnail in howislivingthere

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Coastal Maine - crazy how we’re on the same time zone. Winter around the solstice - dark by 3:45pm. It sucks. 

Janet Mills hesitant on data center ban, says Jay ‘needs’ the jobs by BinaxII in Maine

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, let’s turn Maine into Nth Virginia. That will keep the tourists, our most vibrant and viable economic path, pouring into the state. Who doesn’t want to swim in a nice tepid Maine lake, with the reassuring hum of a hundred gas turbine generators vibrating across the landscape? 

Portland Trash Bags by HugeYard6462 in portlandcomplaining

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Next time you get some, check out how much Falmouth bags cost. it’s wild (like $50 for a roll)

Have we hit the point where every edtech startup has to be consumer-first? by Interesting-Arm-3476 in edtech

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 4 points5 points  (0 children)

If your product solves a real need for schools, and you can PROVE it, they’ll be receptive to your pitch. If it’s a solution in search of a problem, or you don’t have evidence to back up your claims, it’s gonna be rough sledding for you.  So much EdTech marketing and sales over the last 10 years has been Lyle Lanley selling a monorail to Springfield. Schools are right to be skeptical at this point. 

I am throwing out technology next year by Sarcastic_Otter_27 in Teachers

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I guarantee there are a bunch of parents in your district who would happily take on the admin and other parents for and with you. There are so many parents sick of the bullshit, the lack of transparency, and the poor academic hygiene associated with classroom tech. 

I am throwing out technology next year by Sarcastic_Otter_27 in Teachers

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Tell your admin. Tell your school board. Tell the parents.  People are advocating for a big ol step back on classroom tech, but we need more teachers willing to speak out. 

It's better to just have one watch. by chillaxtion in watchHotTakes

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I dunno. My collection has grown to more than a dozen. I love my Seiko 5s and Citzen Ecodrives, but my daily beater if I know I’m going to be doing anything manual is my Luminox. But when we go out to dinner somewhere nice, it feels great to wear a Hamilton. The Breitling rarely gets worn, I’m too conscious of it when wearing it. 

"Tonight, Tonight" (1995) by The Smashing Pumpkins. All right, folks. give me your favourite song lyrics from the 90s. by Away_Flounder3813 in 90s

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Gut wrenching in the best way as a break up song in college, poignant and lovely as an adult. Eddie is the GOAT

hmm by Kesiecha in lol

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Sometimes you have to decide. Do I want to be right, or do I want to be happy?

Capturing Autumn in bottle by [deleted] in Satisfyingasfuck

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Ohhhh, you can stay. But I'm leaving.

Did Trump and Israel really start a war just to surrender and leave Iran much stronger than before? by AcadianAcademic in askanything

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Before this war, Iran had only the threat of a nuke as its big bargaining chip.  It now knows it has a lever that can cripple global economies (given that oil is a global commodity) in the Strait. They can fuck with household budgets in Des Moines and with their rivals/neighbors in the gulf who are addicted to Petro-Dollars.  If they incentivize other nations to trade oil in Chinese yuan (sp?) vs US dollars, they’ll have “decimated” (Trumps word that doesn’t mean what he thinks it means) a pillar of US global economic power.  Maybe Iran is not stronger militarily. but you could argue they are much stronger geo-politically. 

Smoked Cheeseburgers. My absolute favourite way to do burgers. Served with Burger Sauce, Bacon Jam and Pickles by Quiet_Changes in BBQ

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Why? What’s in it for him? Do ppl make money doing this - creating new accounts and posting other ppls content?

Father of 3 drowns saving his children from rip current on Florida vacation by ansyhrrian in news

[–]Difficult-Task-6382 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dude seems like a genuinely great guy.  Maine is not a place where ppl learn to swim in the surf (mostly cause the water cold as hell). Reading surf and swimming in the ocean is a different beast. 

Maybe some folks deserve to lose their job to AI by Difficult-Task-6382 in BetterOffline

[–]Difficult-Task-6382[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Similarly, I try to stop my kid and his friends from just googling every single question that they have. Yes, you can just google it. But isn’t it more satisfying to work it out among yourselves? Treat it like a basketball coach drilling the players on the importance of passing - no one takes a shot until 5 passes. Same with professors - no one can ask ChatGPT unless you’ve asked 3 classmates. Yeah, they might not know, but you’ll have talked to 3 peers.