OLDaily

How AI Can Support Teachers, Not Replace Them
Rod Berger, edCircuit, 2019/05/09

This is a short article in support of a fifteen minute podcast. The headline made me thing of that old adage, "If a computer can replace a teacher, it should." Of course, the point being made here is that it can't. Why not? "By freeing up time, teachers can better concentrate on the human skills of creativity and social-emotional growth... Think of it as a personal assistant, so that the teacher, as a professional, can truly dedicate the maximum amount of time catering to every single child’s need. That will be the pinnacle." I hear this line of reasoning a lot, but not so much thought is given about jut what a teacher's job looks like after most of the actual work is being done by an AI. I've argued in the past that the concept of the 'teacher' - which is essentially a bundling of a large number of different roles - doesn't make much sense any more.

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Most Academic Advertising Is Immoral ...
Jason Brennan, Bleeding Heart Libertarians, 2019/05/09

I have to lead with a language warning, because some publications just don't care whether they offend readers. Anyhow. I don't think the argument offered here is especially convincing. Here's the gist: we would condemn the drug industry if it made the same promises a college does without proper standard testing, clinical trials or randomized controlled experiments. Maybe. But the preponderance of evidence does show that people who get an education earn more, reason better, and make greater contributions to society. To me the real ethical question for education is the same as for medicine and pharmaceuticals: the high cost of access. But that, I guess, would make me a socialist, not a libertarian. So why link to this article? I think it's useful for people to see the arguments against a public education system being lined up so we can better understand that the status quo is something that is coming under increasing scrutiny and questioning.

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Trans-inclusive Design
Erin White, A List Apart, 2019/05/09

One comment Jutta Treviranus has often made to me is that if we begin from a perspective of designing for accessibility, we improve the experience for everyone, and not only the people who really need accessible resources. As I read this article I came to conclude that the same is true of trans-inclusive design. For example, consider the case of names. Most trans people change their name when they transition, but many online systems cope very poorly with name changes in general. But why not allow people to select their own display names? To name their own genders? And why not allow people to select their own titles (or, as is my preference, none at all)? The article examines some other factors to consider as well.

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Deloitte’s 2019 Global Blockchain Survey
Linda Pawczuk, Rob Massey, Jonathan Holdowsky, Deloitte, 2019/05/09

From this report (52 page PDF) from Deloitte: "As blockchain is expected to continue along a traditional path of maturation and self-discovery, signs of dissonance and caution may reflect the technology’s health as it likely evolves into a more grounded business solution. Indeed, blockchain is gaining traction and acceptance in more industries, from fintech to technology to media to telecommunications to government to life sciences and health care."

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