.
Speaking of money, banking, interest rates, the economy, and more, also see:
On 08/03/2024,
in business, dangers of the status quo, Daniel S. Christian, economics, parents/guardians, society, United States, vendors, youth,
by Daniel Christian
On 08/01/2024,
in art, creativity, design, digital photography, photography, United States,
by Daniel Christian
In ‘Old Growth,’ Mitch Epstein Travels the U.S. to Capture Monumental Ancient Relics — from thisiscolossal.com by Kate Mothes and Mitch Epstein
On 08/01/2024,
in design, education, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, learning theories, teachers, United States,
by Daniel Christian
Designing your classroom — from edutopia.org
As back-to-school season approaches, we know you’re gearing up to design your next classroom. It can be daunting to craft a space that does it all: boosts academic achievement, fosters collaboration, *and* makes students feel welcome and included.
That’s why we’ve curated a brand-new collection of 25 articles and videos—packed with research-backed insights and actionable strategies—to help find a layout that works best for you and your students. Topics range from optimizing your classroom walls to creating an environment that supports a wide range of executive functioning skills. Whether you’re a teacher or an administrator, these essential resources are designed to guide you through every stage of classroom setup.
Also from edutopia.org, see:
A Starter Pack of Resources for New Teachers — from edutopia.org
We’ve pulled together articles and videos in which educators—both veteran and new—share what they wish they knew on day one about classroom design, assessment, working with parents, and more.
Also re: the K-12 learning ecosystem, see:
- As climate changes fuels hotter temperatures, kids are learning less — from hechingerreport.org by Jessica Kutz
Rising temperatures mean dehydrated, exhausted kids, but some policy makers are starting to take notice - 5 More of My Favorite Beginning-of-Year Resources — from thebrokencopier.substack.com by Marcus Luther and The Broken Copier
And just like last year’s post, I’ve included templates/tools you for your classroom - Advice for New Teachers From a Teacher of the Year — from edutopia.org by Rebecka Peterson
Try implementing four simple ways of thinking to help guide you through your evolution as an educator.
On 08/01/2024,
in blended learning, content development, aggregation, repositories, digital learning, education, education technology, hybrid learning, instructional design, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, more voice more choice more control, online media, student-related, teachers, United States, web-based collaboration,
by Daniel Christian
Virtual Coaching Videos: Answering Your Questions — from catlintucker.com by Catlin Tucker
(Emphasis below by DSC — and I would like to thank Catlin and people like her who are sharing their knowledge — free of charge — as they help others learn and grow!)
I am excited to announce the launch of a new video series on YouTube called “Virtual Coaching.” I have the privilege of working with thousands of educators every year who are expanding their teaching toolboxes to include blended learning models, UDL, and student-led instructional strategies. I understand how challenging it can be to shift practice. I encourage the educators I work with to reach out if they hit bumps, have questions, or need support as they implement new instructional models. Every year, I field hundreds of questions from the educators I work with and people who read my blog or listen to my podcast.
Having a reliable resource to ask questions and receive timely, practical responses when trying something new is crucial. That’s the goal of my new video series, “Virtual Coaching.” I want to answer your questions, tapping into my experiences and resources as a teacher, coach, and professional learning facilitator. I hope these videos will be valuable as you strive to design and facilitate engaging, effective, and equitable learning experiences.
Each virtual coaching video is designed to provide you with actionable advice that you can apply immediately. These videos cover various topics, including implementing new teaching strategies, overcoming classroom challenges, and exploring innovative ways to engage students. Time is a limited commodity, so I keep my videos short and sweet. The goal is to provide my community of educators with support, insights, and inspiration without overwhelming you or consuming too much of your time.
Also from Catlin, see:
Why Don’t We Trust Students? — from catlintucker.com by Catlin Tucker
As someone who regularly works with teachers on topics like blended learning, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and student-led learning, one recurring theme I encounter is control. There’s a pervasive fear among educators when it comes to releasing control and allowing students to take more ownership and responsibility for their learning. This begs the question: Why don’t we trust our students? What is it that we really fear?
If we maintain all the control, we hinder our students’ ability to develop the essential skills they will need in the future. The rapidly changing demands of the workplace and life require individuals who are self-motivated, adaptable, and capable of critical thinking and problem-solving. By not allowing students to take more responsibility for their learning, we risk leaving them unprepared for these future challenges.
From DSC:
This item re: control makes me think of this graphic, which readers of this blog will recognize.
On 07/26/2024,
in 21st century, law schools, leadership, Legal operations, legal reform, legal technologies, legislatures / government / legal, strategy,
by Daniel Christian
Forget everything you think you know about law firms — from jordanfurlong.substack.com by Jordan Furlong
Preface your strategic planning by explicitly rejecting all the accumulated conventions of the law firm model. The (legal) world has changed. Open up your strategic vistas. Prepare to start brand new.
Push aside the invisible guardrails of what’s been done before. Don’t take for granted any “normal” aspect — positive, negative, or neutral — of how your law firm looks and behaves, how it’s constituted, who it serves, who works there, how it creates value, how it competes, how it makes money. It’s all up for grabs.
…
But the real advantage now will belong to those strategic planners ready to go further and question all our assumptions about the law firm itself. You can’t conduct effective strategic planning or future-proofing for your firm unless you first shake yourself loose of every conventional “fact” about what law firms are, what they’re for, and how they operate. Those assumptions have become burdens. They will slow you down and compromise your strategy.
From DSC:
This advice seems appropriate for many businesses to do these days!
On 07/26/2024,
in A/V -- audio/visual, digital learning, education technology, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, health, higher education, immersion, innovation, interactivity, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning spaces, society, sociology, telemedicine / telehealth / virtual health, tools, training / L&D, United States, universities, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, vision/possibilities, XR - extended reality,
by Daniel Christian
Researchers develop VR training to tackle racial disparity — from inavateonthenet.net
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a VR training system for physicians, aimed at tackling racial and class health disparities.
…
“Ultimately, this virtual reality training system could become a viable tool for practicing communication with diverse patients across different types of health care professions. “There’s no reason why nurses couldn’t also use this across different health care contexts — not just for Black maternal health, but chronic pain, diabetes or some of these other health issues in which we know that there are disparities based on markers of difference such as race or class”.
Two additional VR training modules are under development, aimed at promoting self-reflection by helping medical students to identify their own biases and learn how to mitigate them. The third module will focus on students practicing intercultural communication skills through interactions with a virtual patient, an approach that is seen by the researchers as more cost-effective than recruiting people for role playing with medical students.
From DSC:
I’ve often thought that VR could be used to help us walk in someone else’s shoes….to experience things as THEY experience things.
On 07/26/2024,
in Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), business, career development, change, corporate / business world, United States, workplace,
by Daniel Christian
More people with disabilities are joining the U.S. workforce. Here’s why — and where they’re working. — from linkedin.com by Taylor Borden
“People with disabilities have been wanting to work, eager to work, capable of work,” he explained. “But it wasn’t until this huge change in the way we approached work that the opportunities presented themselves,” he continued.
People with disabilities have been entering the U.S. workforce at record levels over the past three years, the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows. A recent analysis from LinkedIn’s Economic Graph team suggests an increase in more amenable company policies and working accommodations contributes to this trend.
In May 2024, more than half (54.3%) of LinkedIn members who self-identified as having a disability applied for remote positions. What’s more? Since March 2021, members with disabilities have consistently accounted for a higher share of job applications to remote positions than members who report no disabilities.
Despite the opportunities created by the ADA — and the rise of remote work — many people with disabilities still face barriers in the workforce. LinkedIn’s data scientists and editors parsed the data to identify the most common roles for workers with disabilities, how those with disabilities are progressing in their careers and how employers can continue to support more inclusive hiring.
On 07/26/2024,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Adobe, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, business, corporate / business world, emerging technologies, Facebook / Meta Platforms, game-changing environment, Google, health, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, intelligent systems, NVIDIA, Open AI, technology (general), tools, trends, United States, vendors, vision/possibilities,
by Daniel Christian
we think there is room to make search much better than it is today.
we are launching a new prototype called SearchGPT: https://t.co/A28Y03X1So
we will learn from the prototype, make it better, and then integrate the tech into ChatGPT to make it real-time and maximally helpful.
— Sam Altman (@sama) July 25, 2024
“Who to follow in AI” in 2024? [Part I] — from ai-supremacy.com by Michael Spencer [some of posting is behind a paywall]
#1-20 [of 150] – I combed the internet, I found the best sources of AI insights, education and articles. LinkedIn | Newsletters | X | YouTube | Substack | Threads | Podcasts
Also see:
- “Who to follow in AI” in 2024? [Part II] — from ai-supremacy.com by Michael Spencer [some of posting is behind a paywall]
Part II – #19-34 - “Who to follow in AI” in 2024? [Part III] — from ai-supremacy.com by Michael Spencer [some of posting is behind a paywall]
Part III – #35-55
Along these lines, also see:
Lots of folks talk about AI influencer content, but these AI influencers are also just damn good humans ?@rowancheung@nonmayorpete@decisionleader@rachel_l_woods@emollick@conorgrennan@sineadbovell@DonAllenIII@ManuVision@karenxcheng
*non-exhaustive, too many to include
— Allie K. Miller (@alliekmiller) July 13, 2024
AI In Medicine: 3 Future Scenarios From Utopia To Dystopia — from medicalfuturist.com by Andrea Koncz
There’s a vast difference between baseless fantasizing and realistic forward planning. Structured methodologies help us learn how to “dream well”.
Key Takeaways
- We’re often told that daydreaming and envisioning the future is a waste of time. But this notion is misguided.
- We all instinctively plan for the future in small ways, like organizing a trip or preparing for a dinner party. This same principle can be applied to larger-scale issues, and smart planning does bring better results.
- We show you a method that allows us to think “well” about the future on a larger scale so that it better meets our needs.
Adobe Unveils Powerful New Innovations in Illustrator and Photoshop Unlocking New Design Possibilities for Creative Pros — from news.adobe.com
- Latest Illustrator and Photoshop releases accelerate creative workflows, save pros time and empower designers to realize their visions faster
- New Firefly-enabled features like Generative Shape Fill in Illustrator along with the Dimension Tool, Mockup, Text to Pattern, the Contextual Taskbar and performance enhancement tools accelerate productivity and free up time so creative pros can dive deeper into the parts of their work they love
- Photoshop introduces all-new Selection Brush Tool and the general availability of Generate Image, Adjustment Brush Tool and other workflow enhancements empowering creators to make complex edits and unique designs
.
Nike is using AI to turn athletes’ dreams into shoes — from axios.com by Ina Fried
Zoom in: Nike used genAI for ideation, including using a variety of prompts to produce images with different textures, materials and color to kick off the design process.
What they’re saying: “It’s a new way for us to work,” Nike lead footwear designer Juliana Sagat told Axios during a media tour of the showcase on Tuesday.
.
AI meets ‘Do no harm’: Healthcare grapples with tech promises — from finance.yahoo.com by Maya Benjamin
Major companies are moving at high speed to capture the promises of artificial intelligence in healthcare while doctors and experts attempt to integrate the technology safely into patient care.
“Healthcare is probably the most impactful utility of generative AI that there will be,” Kimberly Powell, vice president of healthcare at AI hardware giant Nvidia (NVDA), which has partnered with Roche’s Genentech (RHHBY) to enhance drug discovery in the pharmaceutical industry, among other investments in healthcare companies, declared at the company’s AI Summit in June.
Mistral reignites this week’s LLM rivalry with Large 2 (source) — from superhuman.ai
Today, we are announcing Mistral Large 2, the new generation of our flagship model. Compared to its predecessor, Mistral Large 2 is significantly more capable in code generation, mathematics, and reasoning. It also provides a much stronger multilingual support, and advanced function calling capabilities.
Meta releases the biggest and best open-source AI model yet — from theverge.com by Alex Heath
Llama 3.1 outperforms OpenAI and other rivals on certain benchmarks. Now, Mark Zuckerberg expects Meta’s AI assistant to surpass ChatGPT’s usage in the coming months.
Back in April, Meta teased that it was working on a first for the AI industry: an open-source model with performance that matched the best private models from companies like OpenAI.
Today, that model has arrived. Meta is releasing Llama 3.1, the largest-ever open-source AI model, which the company claims outperforms GPT-4o and Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet on several benchmarks. It’s also making the Llama-based Meta AI assistant available in more countries and languages while adding a feature that can generate images based on someone’s specific likeness. CEO Mark Zuckerberg now predicts that Meta AI will be the most widely used assistant by the end of this year, surpassing ChatGPT.
4 ways to boost ChatGPT — from wondertools.substack.com by Jeremy Caplan & The PyCoach
Simple tactics for getting useful responses
To help you make the most of ChatGPT, I’ve invited & edited today’s guest post from the author of a smart AI newsletter called The Artificial Corner. I appreciate how Frank Andrade pushes ChatGPT to produce better results with four simple, clever tactics. He offers practical examples to help us all use AI more effectively.
…
Frank Andrade: Most of us fail to make the most of ChatGPT.
- We omit examples in our prompts.
- We fail to assign roles to ChatGPT to guide its behavior.
- We let ChatGPT guess instead of providing it with clear guidance.
If you rely on vague prompts, learning how to create high-quality instructions will get you better results. It’s a skill often referred to as prompt engineering. Here are several techniques to get you to the next level.
On 07/23/2024,
in faith, global / globalization, hearts -- matters of the heart, relationships, religion, society,
by Daniel Christian
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority.
Psalm 36:5-7 New International Version
5 Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the skies.
6 Your righteousness is like the highest mountains,
your justice like the great deep.
You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.
7 How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!
People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
Matthew 16:15-16 New International Version
15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 19:14 New International Version
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”