A question: is Cognitive Load Theory another example of the emperor’s new clothes?
Illustration of algorithmic objectivity, generated in ImageFX
Computing discussion topic
A topic to discuss with your students perhaps: the hidden bias in algorithms.
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On this day: Do kids still need to learn how to code?
A week or so ago we were chatting to a neighbour. She said she thinks her daughter, who looked about six years old, should learn how to code, as that’s the future. Didn’t I agree? I’m afraid I said that didn’t.
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dystopian visions, by Terry Freedman
Dystopian Visions: A Sound of Thunder, by Ray Bradbury (updated)
One of my favourite stories, this one by Ray Bradbury looks at the possible consequences of making a small, apparently insignificant, change in the past.
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Dystopian Visions, by Terry Freedman
Dystopian Visions: The Machine That Won the War (Revisited)
What really happens when a computer is invented that can make every decision in a war?
Read MoreDystopian Visions: Flowers for Algernon Revisited
One of the well-known tropes in science fiction — especially the sort of sci-fi you see in comics and superhero films — is the mad scientist.
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Dystopian Visions, by Terry Freedman
Dystopian visions: The Cold Equations Revisited
The potentially devastating consequences of a drive for efficiency to the nth degree are shown in this science fiction story.
Read MoreDystopian visions: Disappearing Act Revisited
I especially worry about the displacement of subjects like art, drama, music, history and geography, all of which are vitally important but which seem to be treated as the poor cousins in the curriculum. Yes, STEAM is better than STEM, but it’s not enough.
Read MoreDystopian visions: My Object All Sublime revisited
What if an amazing technology like time travel were used purely and simply as a form of punishment?
Read MoreDystopian visions: Computers don't argue (Updated with reference to AI)
The writer does an excellent job of both reflecting the annoyance of dealing with a computer program that has no flexibility as well as no intelligence, and highlighting the need for programs to invite human input when the consequences of not doing so can be catastrophic.
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Blogger, by Terry Freedman
Writing for blogs
Every so often I read some pundit, or usually a journalist pretending to be a pundit, suggesting that blogs are dead. What can I say? They’re not.
Read MoreReflections: What's the point of book reviews?
So many authors think they ought to be the recipient of the Nobel prize for literature.
Read MoreElevator speeches
Sometimes, the elevator speech I hear was presumably crafted whilst going from the top floor to the bottom floor in a very tall building.
Read MoreEdtech Diary: Wake up and smell the coffee
When I worked as a Technology Coordinator, a large part of my job was to encourage teachers in all subjects to make use of educational technology in their lessons and, even better, to build it into their schemes of work. It was something of an uphill struggle sometimes...
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Created in Bing Image Creator
Success redefined
I’ve been thinking about definitions of success recently.
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Quick look: Desirable difficulties in action
The idea of desirable difficulties has always appealed to me. In my teaching I’m partticularly in favour of applying Vygotsky’s concept of the zone of proximal development.
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AI for bloggers?
In my recent blogging course, I abandoned my carefully-prepared lesson, or part pf it, threw caution to the winds, and suggested to the class that we experiment with using AI for writing blog posts. Here’s a partial blog post it came up with, which you will agree is utter rubbish…
Read MoreI prefer a malignant super computer to a benificent one
Imagine being in the situation where your kitchen won't allow you to rustle up an egg in case you burn yourself.
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Review of Destination Time Travel, by Steve Nallon
A book on temporal adventures may seem like an odd inclusion here, but it can actually be used in many ways.
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It’s a start! Photo by Terry Freedman
Money, money, money -- again
This is an updated version of an article I published on my writing website in 2015. In my experience, it absolutely applies to artists, teachers and other creatives as well as writersor consultants.
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