In 1994 I set out with my wife to discover the best place to buy a computer system -- and discovered a lot of sexism along the way.
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books to be reviewed by Terry Freedman
Navigating nonfiction books
One of the first things I look for when reviewing a non-fiction book is whether or not it contains an index. If it does, the next thing I check is whether the index is actually useful.
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Dystopian Visions, by Terry Freedman
Dystopian Visions: The Machine That Won the War
What really happens when a computer is invented that can make every decision in a war?
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Dystopian Visions, by Terry Freedman
Dystopian visions: The Cold Equations
The potentially devastating consequences of a drive for efficiency to the nth degree are shown in this science fiction story.
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Too protective by half?
Why I dread the thought of benign algorithms (Updated)
Science fiction writers would have us believe that intelligent machines will either enslave us or get rid of human beings altogether. But what if they were extremely benign and protective towards us? What could possibly go wrong?
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Reflecting, by Terry Freedman
I don't agree with Cognitive Load Theory (CLT). Here's Why
A question: is Cognitive Load Theory another example of the emperor’s new clothes?
Read MoreDystopian visions: Computers don't argue
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.
Read MoreDystopian Visions: Flowers for Algernon
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: The Snowball Effect
In The Snowball Effect, by Katherine Maclean, the focus is on mathematics, or an innovation called “social mathematics” to be accurate. This probably sounds rather dry, but it was really quite prescient.
Read MoreProduct placement technology: a step too far
There’s something a bit “iffy” about inserting an advert into a programme that wasn’t there originally.
Read MoreDystopian visions: My Object All Sublime
What if an amazing technology like time travel were used purely and simply as a form of punishment?
Read MoreThe blog is dead. Long live the blog
From an educational point of view, we should encourage students to work out which form of writing is most appropriate for the job in hand, not encouraging them to drop one type of writing all together.
Read MoreDystopian visions: Disappearing Act (Updated)
<UPDATED> 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.
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Dystopian visions
Coming soon…
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Discussing, by Terry Freedman.png
Trump, Twitter and all that
If you are willing and able to engage your class in discussions about the ed tech issues of the day, recent events in the USA provide rich pickings.
Read MoreAutomatic Writing part 2
What might it be like to be able to write an article straight from your head?
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Robot Reporter, by Terry Freedman
Automated writing part 1
The Guardian newspaper has published an article “written” almost entirely by AI. How worried should writers be?
Read MoreBook review: The Meritocracy Trap
I’ve gone slightly off-topic with this book review, but I thought it provided an interesting thesis which may be useful to consider as part of bigger picture than only technology.
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An unintended consequence of driverless cars
Will the advent of fully autonomous cars herald the end of the road movie? Is that another way in which technology could affect culture?
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Reflections
Reflections from a teacher training course 1
My reflections on a first session I taught on a teacher training course are still apposite today.
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