Shamelessly Sure

It took about 20 years to weaponize the Internet. It took about 10 years to weaponize social media. It took less than 5 years to weaponize artificial intelligence. We have to create curious, critical consumers of information. We have to have students who challenge the things that are presented to them as unquestionable fact. We need a populace who doesn’t just “take their word for it.” Information literacy is not the most important thing schools teach. But it’s right behind reading and writing. Continue reading Shamelessly Sure

Shifting Bias

Twenty years ago, I was in the market for a new car. I wanted a mid-size sedan that was safe, reliable, and had good fuel economy. I gathered data from NHTSA and the EPA and combined it with reviews and reliability assessments from Edmunds, Car & Driver, and other resources. I had a lovely spreadsheet with all of the characteristics I cared about for every … Continue reading Shifting Bias

Facts and Feelings

We are living in an age when information is no longer scarce. The Internet gave everyone access to the information. It was sold to us as an information superhighway. Think of all of the wonderful resources you have right at your fingertips with this fantastic, revolutionary technology. Then, interactive web tools came along and made it really easy for anyone to post content online. We … Continue reading Facts and Feelings

My Word

On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog. In 1993, Peter Steiner captured the sentiment that I was trying to convey to my students. The Internet was the great equalizer. Middle school students can be pretty judgmental. If you don’t have the right clothes, or the right hairstyle, or like the right kind of music, or have the right body type, or reject the right … Continue reading My Word