ISCI 761 Library Blog

       I'll start by saying that I really don't care for AI.  This may provoke an immediate reaction; after all, by saying so, I'm aligning myself with the luddites and traditionalists of the world.  It's undeniable that AI has exploded in both popularity and mass-market availability over the years, and the articles this week certainly make a compelling case for how to use it in the classroom.  The Shakespeare translator, for example, represents a huge potential application in pedagogical AI- and it's far from the only example.  In coming years, I firmly believe we'll see more and more implementations in all areas, from information search and retrieval to image generation to difficulty scaling, and in many ways, it will likely make life easier- both for students and educators. However.     I have a fundamental problem with generative AI; a holdover from my friendship with several digital artists- the problem I have is with the ethics of ...

  One of my top priorities this year has been to lay the groundwork for a Makerspace initiative in my school library.  I have researched the benefits of Makerspaces, priced out materials like 3D printers and sewing supplies, and prepared budget proposals to present to our school board, all in service of securing funds for establishing a pilot program.  What I had *not* previously considered was that not every offering needs to be high tech or resource intensive; Enter the Perler Beads.     I came across this idea while browsing the Don’t Shush Me library blog, which has a wealth of ideas for operating a school library.  I hadn’t considered beading as a potential inclusion in my program, but after reading over the article in question, I found myself sold.  In short, these are small, plastic beads that can be arranged on a pegboard in order to make shapes, similar to pixel art.  Afterwards, heat is applied to slightly melt them, resulting i...

  1:1 initiatives - this week, our view of them has bordered on the hagiographic; we’ve seen the ways in which they can shore up the digital divide and promote equity, all the while enabling new vectors of instruction heretofore unavailable to the classroom.   Unfortunately, ther e may be a little bit more to the s tory.     I want to be clear that, in principle, I am in full agreement with the philosophy behind 1:1 programs .   I think that, properly implemented , they can be an absolute boon to students, and can help make learning more accessible and equitable across all strata of race, class, gender, and ability .   I would, additionally, oppose any luddite interpretation which downplays the transformative potential of digital learning or the flipped classroom model .   All of these are , in my opinion, part of the future of pedagogy, and should be wholeheartedly embraced;   However, I would also like to note, from experience, that a 1:1 ...