Edtech Situation Room By @techsavvyteach & @wfryer

Welcome to episode 289 (“Arkansas Social Media”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 12, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed the ongoing controversy over Twitter’s labeling (and mis-labeling) of media companies (like NPR) as “state propaganda,” the sweeping minimum age limit for social media use in Arkansas, and a series of AI related podcast episode recommendations. These included Hard Fork, In Machines We Trust, and the Cortex Podcast. The New York Police Department’s announcement about its embrace of robotic police assistants, predicted job impacts for AI, and the prospect of AI moving from generative art creation platforms to world destruction. New subscription fees for Google and ADT home security systems and slumping Apple hardware sales were also discussed. Geeks of the Week included the AI note taking platform Memoable, the Podcast series “The Last Soviet,” the Media Education Lab’s “A

Welcome to episode 288 (“Beware IoT Firmware”) of the EdTech Situation Room from April 5, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed the potential of AI and chatbots to deliver on the promise of intelligent personal assistants, and the importance of cybersecurity when purchasing Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The conversation addressed the recent TikTok ban in Montana and the importance of protecting privacy and consumer rights, with careful regulation and legislation being necessary. The hosts also discussed media literacy, social media platforms adopting paid subscriptions, and the need to regulate the use of AI to protect privacy. The potential dangers of using AI in research and education and the concerns surrounding the development of artificial general intelligence were also highlighted. Jason and Wes discussed the increasing prevalence of AI and encouraged educators to embrace it in the classro

where technology news meets educational analysis

where technology news meets educational analysis

where technology news meets educational analysis

Welcome to episode 284 (“ChatGPT and Truth”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 8, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed Microsoft’s announcement of integrating Chat GPT into Bing search engine, AI-generated TV shows and the potential of AI technology, and President Biden’s plans to regulate big tech, particularly in terms of protecting user privacy. We also discussed the Importance of augmented reality and virtual reality in computing and personal experiences with Chrome OS Flex and its benefits. Geeks of the Week included “Zillow and Open Door” on the website Charlotte Voices, Wes’ Podcast Subscriptions, and another travel tip from Jason: Use Google Flights and book DIRECTLY with the airline! AI Use Disclosure: ChatGPT was used to summarize and generate the topics for this show description. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live

Welcome to episode 283 (“AI Promises and Perils”) of the EdTech Situation Room from February 1, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed topics including Internet censorship / content moderation, TikTok bans, “The Tech Correction,” artificial intelligence, free speech, and media literacy. They also shared their thoughts on the impact of technology on education, safety concerns related to installing apps, and the intersection of technology and performance-based assessments. Additionally, they mentioned some news articles, including Indian police detaining students over a banned BBC Modi documentary, a decades-old law obstructing a nationwide TikTok ban, the U.S. Air Force’s plan to install surveillance tools powered by AI technology in Central Command sites, and recent layoffs in the tech industry. The hosts shared their experiences with using AI tools like GPT-3 and discussed the potential implications

Welcome to episode 282 (“OpenAI Kenyan Laborers?”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 25, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed AI, Apple news, Google news, Twitter news, media literacy, security, connectivity, miscellaneous tech topics, and “Geeks of the Week.” Specific topics included: OpenAI and Microsoft have announced a multi-billion-dollar partnership extension. The Alperovitch Institute published an article discussing a five-day experience with ChatGPT. Microsoft’s new AI can simulate anyone’s voice with just 3 seconds of audio. The Observer published an article about the AI ethics war and how it will make the content moderation debate look like a picnic. Apple recently released a new full-size HomePod with new features, and has reportedly delayed AR glasses and is putting all hopes on mixed reality headsets. AT&T will pay out a $60 million settlement to thousands of customers, and

Welcome to episode 281 (“Stories of Piracy”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 18, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) discussed ChatGPT / Artificial Intelligence / AI, new Apple product news, “tech correction” / social media / Twitter news, and some copyright / licensing / “right to repair” news. A “lessons learned from CyberWar in Ukraine” article was also highlighted. Geeks of the Week included an ABC feature video about students at Wes’ school creating a prosthetic leg for a golden retriever dog, and used USB-C chargers compatible with Mac laptops on eBay. Jason and Wes also shared some stories about music and DVD piracy from the past, giving this episode its title. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow

Welcome to episode 280 (“LastPass Security Breach”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 11, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week’s topics include the recent breach of password manager LastPass and what that means for users, as well as security best-practices overall. (Spoiler: Keep using a recommended password manager!) Additional security articles discussed included leaked addresses of millions of Twitter users, and a Supreme Court decision allowing the NSO iPhone hacking (Pegasus spyware) case to move forward. On the Google front, the 2022 Chromebook of the year, enhanced spam prevention in Google Voice, and a review of the “Framework Chromebook” were highlighted and analyzed. Lastly, a variety of articles on the artificial intelligence / AI front were explored. These included articles highlighting the ability of ChatGPT to write malware, a college student’s software program to “detect” AI-authored essays, and others. Geeks of the Week included the search engine Neeva, you

Welcome to episode 279 (“AI Transformation Arrives”) of the EdTech Situation Room from January 4, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This edited summary of our show was (initially) algorithmically generated with ChatGPT. Dr. Jason Neiffer, the executive director of the Montana Digital Academy, was joined by Dr. Wes Fryer to discuss AI news and its impact on education. Dr. Neiffer mentioned that AI technology was evolving quickly, and he had been having conversations with trusted advisors, friends, teachers, and other state Virtual School administrators about it. He also mentioned that some people were concerned about AI replacing the need for homework and the potential end of English class, but he believed that AI technologies like ChatGPT were not the end of English class. He also mentioned an article about the focus on handwriting as an alternative and expressed skepticism about its validity. Dr. Neiffer also mentioned that he had been experimenting with researching other ways to use Ch

Welcome to episode 278 (“2022 Year in Review”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 29, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. For the first time, the following summary of our show was algorithmically generated with ChatGPT. In this video, the hosts of the EdTech Situation Room, Wes Fryer and Jason Neiffer, discussed the state of education technology in 2022, in their final episode of the year. They discussed the weather conditions in their respective locations, with Dr. Neiffer mentioning the super storm that went through his area, and the negative 27 degrees Fahrenheit temperature he experienced. They also mentioned the wind chill in other parts of the state, which was as low as negative 67 degrees Fahrenheit. They then proceeded to review some of the major headlines in education technology for the year 2022 and discussed where they thought these topics would head in 2023. The hosts also welcomed a new live viewer, Lisa Durff, and mentioned that more information could be found on thei

Welcome to episode 277 (“Generative AI Alarms”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 22, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed artificial intelligence developments and controversies, the ongoing Twitter dumpster fire, TikTok security concerns, and a facial recognition headline from New York which sounds like a headline from China. Rumors of third party iOS app stores coming to Europe soon, and the punishment FTC fine of Epic games were also highlighted. Geeks of the Week included “Hotel Tonight” and #edtechSR tagged posts on Mastodon by Wes. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 9 pm Eastern / 8 pm Central / 7 pm Mounta

Welcome to episode 276 (“Tech Gift Ideas”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 15, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) shared gift ideas / stocking stuffers for the tech geeks in your life! Recent articles about artificial intelligence / AI’s potent creation and creative capabilities, social media articles about new government TikTok bans, and whether “we need another Twitter” were highlighted. Google, ChromeOS, YouTube, and Google Sheets updates were also discussed. Geeks of the Week included a “Student Media Hall of Fame” and the updated version of XSplitVcam software, which now supports “lower third” messages. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights

Welcome to episode 275 (“Twitter, Mastodon and AI”) of the EdTech Situation Room from December 7, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the rise of Mastodon and the demise of Twitter, continuing conversations from episode 274 almost a month ago. My what a lot of technology news happened in the past month! Confusion and problems over Elon Musk’s new “anyone can pay for Twitter verification” policy, the significant uptick in hate speech on Twitter since Musk took over the platform, the importance of social media verification not only among journalists but also for African-American users on “Black Twitter,” were explored. The remarkable capabilities of “Lensa AI ,”to create avatars from uploaded selfie photos, shock and awe among educators over generative AI content creation platforms (summarized well in the Atlantic article, “The College Essay is Dead” were also explored. The episode post image was created using the

Welcome to episode 274 (“Twitter Dumpster Fire”) of the EdTech Situation Room from November 9, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) talked extensively about the chaos which is Twitter post Elon Musk’s acquisition. LumaFusion video editor on Android, Google Lens capabilities, and Google Photos upgrades (including a video editor) were also discussed. The now legendary myth of Google’s incognito mode, innovative solar panels, the new “Arc” web browser, the proclaimed “death of social media,” and school sanctioned webcam student surveillance were topics rounding out this weeks’ show. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9

Welcome to episode 273 (“TikTok for News”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 26, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed recent Apple hardware and software update announcements, media literacy articles, artificial intelligence powered article / content creation tools and photo manipulation software, and an exciting videoconferencing announcement involving Zoom and Google Meets. The open source announcement of podcasting software Pocketcasts and the end of Lego Mindstorms were additional highlighted articles. Geeks of the Week included Storyblocks, a Michael Wesch conference podcast from 2013, Novel AI, and a free collection of 12,000 vintage cooking recipes. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtech

Welcome to episode 272 (“Metaverse Confusion Likely”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 12, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed the 2022 "Hype Cycle" for educational technology in the United States, the merger of ISTE and ASCD, Tim Cook's view of the metaverse, the new $1500 VR headset from Meta / Facebook, and Microsoft prescience in creating its tablet computer series. Web apps as a leading attack vector for security attacks, election worker cyber-attacks, and another Alex Jones civil trial judgement were also discussed topics. Geeks of the Week included software enabling MacOS updates for older hardware systems, FEMA's "Build a Kit" website for emergency preparedness, a $22 portable Chinese-manufactured HAM radio, and a power meter tester for USB-C devices. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a s

Welcome to episode 271 (“Ad-Free Education YouTube”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 21, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed Google news, YouTube news, Mark Zuckerberg and Meta’s financial troubles, Ian Bogost’s case in The Atlantic that “People Aren’t Supposed to Talk This Much,” and a Pentagon’s announced review of “clandestine psychological operations.” Additional topics included Zoom’s new calendar and email tools, iPhone 14 reviews, Canva’s new “visual worksuite,” and bans of AI-generated image content. Geeks of the Week included Visible, Govee smart lights and a reboot of Storychasers. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normal

Welcome to episode 270 (“Ransomware at School”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 14, 2022, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (@wfryer) discussed a recent ransomware incident in Los Angeles schools, iPhone 14 updates announced at Apple’s recent event, at TikTok news including the thread their platform poses to Google and the spread of misinformation via TikTok. Stable Diffusion’s AI generated images were also explored, including reports that China is blocking AI-created political content. Geeks of the Week included “Seat Guru” from Jason and an online safety tip from Wes. Our show was live streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as our Facebook Live page via StreamYard.com, and compressed to a smaller video version (about 100MB) on AmazonS3 using Handbrake software. Please follow us on Twitter @edtechSR for updates, and join us LIVE on Wednesday nights (normally) if you can at 10 pm Eastern / 9 pm Central