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LochNessAlec

@lochnessalec.bsky.social

High school teacher (español). I rant about my job, politics, and TTRPGs. He / him / él

56 Followers  |  238 Following  |  160 Posts  |  Joined: 19.10.2024  |  2.0139

Latest posts by lochnessalec.bsky.social on Bluesky

It’s hilarious while at the same time frustrating. It would be like if there was a big social movement for teachers to incorporate Google Glass into the curriculum in 2013. Laymen think education should be about trend chasing rather than good fundamentals.

12.01.2025 00:56 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Now, a story. Once a drunk man in a bar on NYE heard that I was a Spanish teacher and smugly said, “Y’know you gotta teach em CULTURE, not just language,” like he was God’s gift to education. Everyone’s got a bold idea about what needs to be taught in our rooms. They dont even know what we DO teach!

12.01.2025 00:41 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

When we teach students that recognizing the good qualities of something ELSE’S work is all that matters, we teach them that consuming is more important than creating, that passivity is more important than initiative. But kids need to experience both the process AND the product. 9/?

12.01.2025 00:41 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

…offsetting *some* intellectual load of rote calculation, so that time and energy are focused on internalizing and applying greater principles of mathematics. A calculator is a world of difference away from a little robot on your shoulder analyzing the problem for you and clunking out an answer. 8/?

12.01.2025 00:41 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

…the problem you are trying to solve. There are a number of intellectual processes you must internalize before you use one to solve a complicated problem. An algebra student with a calculator in hand still needs to internalize SOME principles of algebra to be successful. The device is more about 7/?

12.01.2025 00:41 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Let’s contrast AI with the introduction of the calculator to math classes. I’m sure there have been anti-calculator math teachers in history, but there are key differences that make them a real intellectual tool while AI is not. Calculators are precision devices, only operable if you UNDERSTAND 6/?

12.01.2025 00:41 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

This is completely aside from my personal disgust with the state of AI. These comments are just poorly thought-out, with no real idea in mind for what they’re looking for. Just like so many complaints of yore about needing to “teach taxes,” it sounds quippy but fails at the planning stage. 5/?

12.01.2025 00:41 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

The best candidate for checking AI “work” is someone who HAS DONE THAT WORK ON THEIR OWN BEFORE. Do they really think a student who writes all their own essays and knows what good content looks like is going to be suddenly lost if their future job requires overseeing / curating AI work? 4/?

12.01.2025 00:41 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

The best case scenario I can imagine for this is that they want classes about how to check an AI’s work before submitting it. How to edit it / verify its good qualities. Those skills… are acquired if you teach the classes as normal. 3/?

12.01.2025 00:41 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

It’s often commented on posts about students using AI to cheat. So I know they’re not suggesting curriculum about the development/ ethics of AI, which would be actually enriching. No, from the context it’s clear that they’re just asking the teacher to hold your hand while using the cheat tool. 2/?

12.01.2025 00:41 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

I keep seeing takes about how teachers need to “incorporate AI into their curriculum.” I hate it, and I want to know what they even MEAN by this. I have SO many questions. Do they want like, a class where you learn how to prompt an AI bot? That doesn’t take more than five minutes to figure out!! 1/?

12.01.2025 00:41 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 2    📌 0

I’m confused. BG3 is just D&D 5e. Are people returning your pitches accusing you of just making D&D 5e again?

03.12.2024 15:15 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

If you’ve got good face follicles I’m afraid you’ll become Gandalf unless you continually cut it, yeah.

01.12.2024 17:06 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

“What does that mean?”
THE RETURN:
An unstoppable current meets an immovable object. Turns out, the immovable object won.

26.11.2024 14:28 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

“Hey, Kim. Someone shot the statue. Do you think it’s related to the case?”
“Eh? It’s just some punks vandalizing public property.”
THE RETURN (Impossible) [Success]: The bullet was traveling for a long time. Fifty whole years it’s been flying until this statue stopped it.

26.11.2024 14:28 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

I once wrote a whole list of 24 original skills for teaching rather than detective work. Maybe I can find it somewhere.

26.11.2024 14:15 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

THE RETURN would be a fantastic Disco Elysium skill, especially because it’s both a David Lynch work and an in-game prophetic event.

THE RETURN. Feel the currents of history. See how the past affects the future. For: patient cops. Pendulum enthusiasts.

26.11.2024 14:14 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 2    📌 0

Agree totally

25.11.2024 20:34 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Yes, see later in the thread for my thoughts on this. To me it’s a good bluff to illustrate how unfun it would be to allow this. I would not implement it in practice though

25.11.2024 20:32 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

On top of all this, and I say this as a veteran player as well as GM, it’s way more fun to be a fan of the others at your table. If they want to be cool for two seconds, let them. They put a lot of effort into crafting this moment. Your GM has let you have a hundred cool moments yourself.

25.11.2024 20:25 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

And do you really want to open up that door to both sides? Cool, the GM now gets a surprise round every session bc the Kobolds decide to attack while you’re speaking. I wouldn’t rly do that, but it illustrates how unfun it all is.

25.11.2024 20:25 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Thus you run the risk of robbing yourself of exposition in exchange for, what exactly? A Marvel movie moment where the rude hero goes “Psssh, whatever dude! Isn’t it stupid that this villain is monologuing! How unrealistic!” The gag’s been done before.

25.11.2024 20:25 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

This is often done with the false expectation that the player will get some kind of advantage by surprising the villain. But your initiative roll will be just the same regardless of if you wait or jump the gun! There’s no way the villain is “surprised” you attacked them after storming their lair.

25.11.2024 20:25 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Maybe they have hostages in a secondary location! Maybe they have secret leverage to make some kind of deal with you. Maybe you have a common enemy they wish to discuss. What if he was just about to explain that this lair will self destruct in five minutes?

25.11.2024 20:25 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Often this is done with some expectation of “realism.” Why would I listen to a villain monologue at me when I could fight? Many reasons! The same reason you want to listen to a Jigsaw video. They could explain key stakes about the situation.

25.11.2024 20:25 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

One of my guilty frustrations as a GM is when a player interrupts a BBEG monologue to say “Whatever I cast fireball.” I won’t rob my player of their free will, but in this thread I’ll discuss a few strategic / roleplay arguments AGAINST doing this.

25.11.2024 20:25 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

This is rly tough. I suppose it’s all about implementation. If you want a story on corruption, it can be done, but would definitely want to avoid the strange flawed race allegories like those in movies like Bright/Zootopia. How do you foresee using non-humans to explore corruption?

25.11.2024 02:36 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

3) Learn what your go-to battle strategy will look like. Bards have many “concentration” spells which stay in place for a long time. Usually you cast one on turn 1, then on following turns do something different while holding the spell up. Damage spells, healing spells, weapons? You do you.

25.11.2024 02:18 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

2) Bards have a reputation for magic that buffs their allies, but in practice most of their best spells are about disabling enemies. Hold Person, Fear, Hypnotic Pattern are great spells that stop enemies from doing *anything* useful on their turns.

25.11.2024 02:18 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

1) Bard magic is described as coming from music, but it doesn’t have to be. Talk to ur DM about alternative arts if they interest you. Dance, poetry, etc. I was once a Navy Captain whose magic came from inspiring speeches. He wasn’t flimsy, he charged ahead and led through example.

25.11.2024 02:18 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 2    📌 0

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