Stand Up for Science rally on March 7th
PLUS: My disagreement (podcast) with Alex Kotran, founder of aiEDU
I’m in England this week to lead a workshop on AI in education with their National Institute of Teaching yet somehow also serving as lead organizer for the Texas chapter of the Stand Up for Science rally that’s taking place…next Friday. This is a nationwide effort in support of science and knowledge, and fighting against the encroaching darkness of American autocracy, so if that’s something you care about—and it damn well should be—please turn out on March 7th. For friends in Texas, our rally will go from 4-7pm and will be held on the South Capitol steps in Austin.
With me having no time to write anything substantive, how about a new podcast with yours truly debating Alex Kotran, founder of aiEDU, on the role of AI in education? This was a live event held at NYC’s Ed Tech Week last year and an enjoyable one—as you’ll hear, Alex is not a wild-eyed enthusiast for AI, or at least, he wasn’t when this Disagreement took place. We do cross swords over whether we need to prepare kids to be AI literate or AI ready or whatever. My position remains constant—we need to foster more critical thinking about the role of AI in education, mostly by adults. I’m finding it increasingly surreal to see education organizations and “thought leaders” continue to enthusiastically hype AI while the project of American democracy teeters on the edge of collapse. To wit:
Gonna need all the philanthropic funders and venture capitalists in education who read this Substack—and there are many of you, I see your email addresses—to start connecting the dots here.
On that cheery note, it’s time for a pint. Once more: Please Stand Up for Science on March 7th. We need to act.