Jacob Babb's Avatar

Jacob Babb

@jacobbabb.bsky.social

Writing professor, horror reader, mandolin player. I publish about writing program administration, writing pedagogy, and horror film and literature.

781 Followers  |  1,404 Following  |  273 Posts  |  Joined: 24.08.2023  |  2.1771

Latest posts by jacobbabb.bsky.social on Bluesky

Post image

New research from MIT found that those who used ChatGPT can’t remember any of the content of their essays.

Key takeaway: the product doesn’t suffer, but the process does. And when it comes to essays, the process *is* how they learn.

arxiv.org/pdf/2506.088...

18.06.2025 07:32 β€” πŸ‘ 3743    πŸ” 1542    πŸ’¬ 204    πŸ“Œ 382

"Thank goodness we’re simultaneously experimenting on millions of students. This is a very good way to generate reliable data.

A large language model would have a hard time detecting the sarcasm in that previous sentence, but I hope it’s clear to my human readers."

12.06.2025 12:25 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

So let me get this straight: masks are bad and un-American if worn to fight a pandemic, but good if worn by people claiming to be government agents when they kidnap people off the street

10.05.2025 15:06 β€” πŸ‘ 40368    πŸ” 11511    πŸ’¬ 1007    πŸ“Œ 498
Preview
Basic fitness for writers No, seriously!

Wrote a thing because I want to yell at writers and anyone who works sitting down to take care of themselves. Thanks for reading!
gabinoiglesias.substack.com/p/basic-fitn...

09.05.2025 19:10 β€” πŸ‘ 130    πŸ” 20    πŸ’¬ 11    πŸ“Œ 10

A Chicago Pope implies the existence of an MLA Pope and APA Pope

08.05.2025 17:36 β€” πŸ‘ 29143    πŸ” 8234    πŸ’¬ 39    πŸ“Œ 780

So excited about this book! I just heard @kashana.bsky.social describe student loans as a way to punish the working class for trying to better themselves. Which is, obviously, why we need to do heists to get rid of student debt!

07.05.2025 17:52 β€” πŸ‘ 177    πŸ” 38    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 2
Post image

History does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes.

01.05.2025 02:27 β€” πŸ‘ 7999    πŸ” 3296    πŸ’¬ 237    πŸ“Œ 131
Preview
Draft executive order outlines plan to integrate AI into K-12 schools A policy under consideration by the White House and seen by The Post instructs federal agencies on how to incorporate artificial intelligence into classrooms.

"Federal agencies would be instructed to take steps to train students in using AI...The agencies would also be asked to partner with the private sector...All educators should undergo professional development to integrate AI into all subject areas, the draft order says."

22.04.2025 12:53 β€” πŸ‘ 189    πŸ” 72    πŸ’¬ 52    πŸ“Œ 258
Preview
Republicans are stealing a North Carolina judicial race. They won't stop there. It's January 6 without the insurrection.

GOP court decision overturning Democratic victory in North Carolina Supreme Court race is 5 alarm fire for democracy. It’s January 6 without the insurrection. Make no mistake, if GOP succeeds in stealing election in NC, they’ll use that playbook everywhere www.motherjones.com/politics/202...

08.04.2025 14:17 β€” πŸ‘ 2039    πŸ” 1015    πŸ’¬ 41    πŸ“Œ 57

I've always said it as though you just cut the "ic" off of rhetoric. But I always joke with my students that because I'm a North Carolinian (as are most of them, but still), it often comes out more like "rheter."

26.03.2025 18:46 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 0

I've taught your first MB novella a few times in an undergrad SF course, and we've had conversations about how we as readers end up gendering Murderbot as we read, but because Murderbot never uses any gender-specific terms that our imagining can tell us more about ourselves as readers.

26.03.2025 13:22 β€” πŸ‘ 374    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2
Preview
Speaking Out for Democracy and US Higher Education Speaking Out for Democracy and US Higher Education To add your name to this statement, go to https://bit.ly/DemocracyAndHigherEdSign We publicly affirm our commitment to the enterprise of higher educ...

Education is under attack. All who stand for the freedom and flourishing of the US postsecondary education system can sign on to a statement affirming and committing to core values that shape education. Read: bit.ly/DemocracyAnd...
#AcademicSky #HigherEd #DisabilityStudies #DisabledInAcademia

24.03.2025 01:18 β€” πŸ‘ 42    πŸ” 18    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 2

Schumer a few weeks down the road, probably: β€œOkay, so he defied the Supreme Court. Big deal.”

23.03.2025 14:48 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

every college, corporate, and nonprofit president right now

22.03.2025 14:27 β€” πŸ‘ 16344    πŸ” 4941    πŸ’¬ 126    πŸ“Œ 168

Which is why they want to destroy it.

20.03.2025 22:33 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Good time to remember that an executive order is not a law and that multiple other EOs of this corrupt regime have already been blocked by the courts.

20.03.2025 22:12 β€” πŸ‘ 193    πŸ” 39    πŸ’¬ 7    πŸ“Œ 0
Video thumbnail

β€œThe ecosystem of research and the creation of new knowledge in universities has been so powerful for American prosperity, American freedom, American ingenuity. To have that disrupted by government overreach is a disaster for this country.” β€”Wesleyan University President Michael Roth on
@msnbc.com

16.03.2025 11:56 β€” πŸ‘ 1589    πŸ” 531    πŸ’¬ 18    πŸ“Œ 51

β€œBecause what we are witnessing is not just an attack on academia or a set of fiscal reforms or a painful political rebalancing. It is an attack on the conditions that allow free thought to exist. We may not yet know its full cost, but we will feel its consequences for decades.”

16.03.2025 13:23 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Image of a text message where the No Surrender Fund asks for a donation to retake the House majority in 2026.

Image of a text message where the No Surrender Fund asks for a donation to retake the House majority in 2026.

After I literally just said I wasn’t giving a dime to the Democratic Party for the foreseeable future, this text arrives. The nerve to ask for money after 10 Dem senators voted yes on cloture today.

14.03.2025 23:12 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Blake Allen on Twitter: β€œBe prepared for an eruption in base anger that Democrats have not really experienced in a long time if they give Republicans the votes for cloture. They are not happy with the direction the party is going, and it will be seen as a surrender to Trump’s impounding of funds/DOGE”

Blake Allen on Twitter: β€œBe prepared for an eruption in base anger that Democrats have not really experienced in a long time if they give Republicans the votes for cloture. They are not happy with the direction the party is going, and it will be seen as a surrender to Trump’s impounding of funds/DOGE”

We want Democrats to play hardball and use their leverage to stop the Trump-Musk coup.

14.03.2025 01:12 β€” πŸ‘ 2408    πŸ” 571    πŸ’¬ 93    πŸ“Œ 42

I 100% understand that.

12.03.2025 23:53 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I was just looking at your abstract in the Cs program this afternoon and thinking it sounds super interesting. Also, yep, that’s a whole lot for anyone to do.

12.03.2025 22:19 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

The Department of Education is (was?) responsible for:

βœ…Distributing & monitoring spending for special-ed & low-income students;
βœ…Facilitating postsecondary financial aid; &
βœ…Civil rights enforcement

Impossible to see how dismantling it will do anything but hurt kids & students.

11.03.2025 23:21 β€” πŸ‘ 139    πŸ” 60    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 1

tesla car vehicles will have more legal protections than trans people

11.03.2025 19:59 β€” πŸ‘ 10099    πŸ” 2531    πŸ’¬ 162    πŸ“Œ 40

It’s amazing to find out at this late date how much the rule of law depended on people simply deciding, on a voluntary, daily basis, not to break the law.

10.03.2025 22:26 β€” πŸ‘ 20483    πŸ” 2877    πŸ’¬ 603    πŸ“Œ 240

β€œUnusual governing arrangement” is an interesting way to characterize illegal pillaging of the federal government and the American people.

08.03.2025 21:52 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The Regime just cut off $400 million worth of federal funding for Columbia University in NYC because of the Gaza protests that took place there in 2023. This is an incredibly sinister attack on first amendment rights. MAGA despises universities as much as anything else. This is an egregious attack.

07.03.2025 17:38 β€” πŸ‘ 433    πŸ” 135    πŸ’¬ 33    πŸ“Œ 24

It's good to see some institutions standing up.

06.03.2025 19:27 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I reached that point this week as well! Blurry high five!

06.03.2025 01:46 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Trump on β€œTruth Social”: β€œAll Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests.
Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Trump on β€œTruth Social”: β€œAll Federal Funding will STOP for any College, School, or University that allows illegal protests. Agitators will be imprisoned/or permanently sent back to the country from which they came. American students will be permanently expelled or, depending on on the crime, arrested. NO MASKS! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Trump tonight: β€œI brought back free speech in America. It’s back.”

Trump this morning:

05.03.2025 03:03 β€” πŸ‘ 1346    πŸ” 419    πŸ’¬ 46    πŸ“Œ 21

@jacobbabb is following 20 prominent accounts