Jamie

How do you politely ask someone not to feed your work to ai to “improve” it?

Why should corporations have all the fun of making Christmas two full months long? Go ahead neighbors, put up your lights today, there are no rules.

And yet somehow they want me to be excited about all this? No thank you

Shocking. This feels similar to the claims that whatever percent of teachers are currently actively using AI and when you break it down it’s just because it’s been automatically added to all the tools we use and therefore increasingly more difficult to avoid.

So I clicked through to try to find that out, because I’m calling bs on this study, and all it does is take you to a post about a pro AI in education “summit” that quoted the same statistic but also does not link the research. Did they just survey the people AT the AI event?

Deeply fascinated by the photoshop requests Reddit. Why are so many people interested in creating false memories? I get cutting out a bad ex from an otherwise good pic. But make us look like we’re someplace else? Changing the way family members look? Do I misunderstand the purpose of pictures?

But the whole moment of a hourly employee lecturing me about how we have to help feed people because the government isn’t while I’m buying discount housewares? Like what are we even doing.

Yesterday I got guilted by a cashier who wanted me to add a donation to the food bank with my purchase and I’m still annoyed about it. Not at the cashier, it’s just what he’s been told to do. I have and I do donate to what I can, when I can. But I don’t donate so corporations can get tax breaks.

Generally correct, but I dislike the actively trying to kill it. Let things become organically uncool! Trust the process!

Honestly, 6 7 doesn’t bother me and I actually think it’s pretty funny, but everybody’s parents just killed it with their Halloween costumes, so on to the next one.

I told my students that I like those little weird twizzlers, if they happened to get any while trick or treating that they didn’t want, and they acted like I told them I like black licorice! “Ew, you probably like candy corn too.”

I mean. It’s fine? No strong feelings

“Ms._______, is my y2k outfit historically accurate?”

(Evaluates Henley with layered tank tops, flare jeans tucked into uggs and large belt over shirt)

“Well done.”

My hunch is that there’s something else that made her dump him. I don’t know why but he gave me a serious ick from the moment they got out of the pods.

Finally, “my students understand I get to do it and they don’t” does not teach the lesson you think it does. I work hard and am authentic because that’s what I’m teaching my students to be. What are you teaching your students to value? What actually matters to you?

Everything I’m ready here is about speed to “get things done.” Learning is a process. We do things faster, then what?

Literally what is the point of being alive if you’re teaching them the goal is just to “finish” things?

Back to point 1. Being a historian is evaluating the historical works that exist and using critical thinking skills to understand events, analyze perspectives, corroborate historical interpretations, etc. using genAI to make those figures say stuff they didn’t say literally undermines history.

2. Valuing speed of feedback over authenticity of feedback is dehumanizing and shows students what they are worth to you. If they are going to put the time and effort into authentic writing, they deserve your time and effort to give feedback. We are professionals, we can do our own jobs.

Respectfully, no.
1. Using generative AI to “roleplay” as dead historical figures is unethical, full stop.
You do not have the right to put words in their mouth. It doesn’t matter that it’s a famous historical figure. They did not consent to this. It’s beyond a slippery slope.

Every day I find out more and more of my coworkers are using ChatGPT for things. The number one use they admit to? “Making my email sound better.”

When did we all start believing that we weren’t good enough to do our jobs? You’re a professional. You are qualified to write that email.

Some high schoolers came back to say hi this afternoon.

“We’re so glad your class was hard because now it’s so much easier to do well in high school!”

Literally the best thing anyone could say to me.

From the bottom of my heart, I don’t understand how anyone who works with young people, anywhere, but particularly in education, justifies giving them access to something this dangerous. Not only allowing it, but giving it to them and encouraging it. What is wrong with us?

No one should use it for anything. But I think this particular pattern is about to be repeated in a lot of places where it makes perfect sense that people doing the actual work are using what society has pushed them to, and then the people in charge claim ignorance and no fault when it backfires.

Notice how it’s an intern and a clerks fault though? Everyone in charge (in every industry) is pushing “use ai, it’s more efficient, it does all your work for you” and the second they get caught, it’s oh gee gosh the lower level employees are responsible.

I was really excited when Duolingo added Yiddish, because no other language app had it. I quit when they announced they would be “AI first.” It was a total bummer and I still miss it.

It sucks that an app so many people genuinely join bc of a desire to learn has no interest in actually teaching.

Hebrew calligraphy in dark green stretches in lines across the image. Negative space makes room for a simple representation of an inflatable frog costume with a blue bandana. That shape consists of the English translation of the Hebrew, in a lighter green, and in much smaller text. -- Famously, the Egyptian tyrant causes Egypt to be overrun with frogs because he refuses to free the Hebrew people, but there are additional details that make this a fun one to ponder. For one, the Hebrew says "the frog came up" - ONE frog - even though the rest of the time it says "frogs." So there are a few explanations rabbis have come up with to explain this. One is that a single frog multiplied to create swarms. A more creative explanation is that there was a singular giant frog who traveled and brought destruction. Jewish social media was sharing videos of the Portland Frog protester with the caption, "One Big Frog! One Big Frog!" Of course the frog protesters did multiply, and many were seen in crowds all over the world on "No Kings" Day. This calligraphic work takes the verses addressing the frog plague and combines them to form a simple rendering of the Portland Frog protester. The frog figure itself is made up of the English translations of the Hebrew around it. At the bottom left my signature is in the shape of a lily pad.

"Tzefardea Tzedek" (Frog of Righteousness)

As soon as the Portland Frog became a meme, Jewish social media blew up with jokes about the 2nd Passover plague - tzefarde'a (frogs) - and the Rabbinical commentary around it. I knew I had to make a calligraphy piece encompassing all of it. (more in alt.)

Cancelled Spotify. That was hard to talk myself into because of how much I can’t avoid using products and services from other evil companies. But small actions are worth something.

And! My new @constitutionctr.bsky.social civic calendar! Could not be more timely.

Blue shirt with “library, a place where all belong” in both English and Spanish

First up, my excellent new library shirt (ignore the wrinkles)

Got the mail for the first time in like two weeks and there were two fun surprises!

Heathers? That could be first.