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Texas' annual reading test adjusted difficulty yearly, masking improvement
a year ago
- Texas children's reading test performance remained flat from 2012 to 2021 despite increased education spending.
- The STAAR test adjusts difficulty annually, maintaining a consistent failure rate regardless of actual student improvement.
- Test design resembles norm-referenced assessments, comparing students to peers rather than fixed standards.
- Norm-referenced tests ensure a fixed percentage of students fail, masking potential educational gains.
- STAAR's design impacts school funding, district takeovers, teacher accreditation, and even local home values.
- Marginalized students (racially, economically, or linguistically) are disproportionately affected by this testing approach.
- The Texas Education Agency did not respond to requests for comment on these findings.
- Future research will explore if similar testing designs are used in other states or federally.
- The 2022 STAAR redevelopment changed test format but retained problematic scoring methods.
Japan's govt launches Minecraft map to educate about flood disaster prevention
a year ago
- The Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel is recreated in Minecraft to educate players about flood control infrastructure.
- Players can simulate flood control operations, including pump operations and tunnel cleaning, within the Minecraft world.
- The initiative aims to teach children the importance of infrastructure and flood control through interactive gameplay.
- The Minecraft world data is available for download, requiring Minecraft Bedrock Edition version 1.21.1 or later, or Education Edition version 1.21.03 or later.
- Usage notes include the need for Minecraft Realms for console players and disclaimers regarding support and data integrity.
US crushes study abroad dreams, Asian countries rush to pick up the pieces
a year ago
- Over 6,800 international students face visa uncertainty and potential deportation due to U.S. visa restrictions.
- Hong Kong and Japan are offering support to displaced students, with Hong Kong allowing full-time international undergraduates to take part-time jobs.
- Japan's Ministry of Education is urging universities to admit affected students, with the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University leading the efforts.
- Kyoto University's International Undergraduate Program (iUP) offers financial aid and does not require prior Japanese language skills.
- Asian universities are becoming more attractive to global students due to high-quality education and inclusive policies.
- Japan's Global 30 and Top Global University Project aim to increase international student intake.
A 1976 Video That Explains Basic Computer Terms
a year ago
- A 1976 video explains basic computer terms through acting and animation.
- Features a computer expert (Jane) helping a business owner (Harry) understand computers.
- Explains concepts like hardware, software, input, processing, memory, and output.
- Emphasizes that computers process information faster but are not to be feared.
Teachers Are Not OK
a year ago
- Teachers and professors express deep concerns about the impact of generative AI tools like ChatGPT on education.
- AI tools are being used by students to cheat, leading to an explosion in academic dishonesty cases.
- Educators struggle with inconsistent policies on AI use, creating confusion for students.
- Some teachers have shifted to in-class writing and oral exams to ensure students do their own work.
- AI-generated content often lacks originality and critical thinking, making it difficult to assess student learning.
- Teachers report spending excessive time grading work that may have been generated by AI, leading to frustration.
- Students using AI often cannot explain or defend the content they submit, showing a lack of understanding.
- The widespread use of AI tools has led to a crisis in teaching, with educators questioning the future of their profession.
- Some teachers refuse to use AI on principle, while others feel pressured to adapt to remain relevant.
- The integration of AI in education has created a culture of mistrust between teachers and students.
Trump's war on Harvard is destroying an American strength [video]
a year ago
- Fareed argues that Trump's war on Harvard is weakening America by attacking top-tier universities.
- Top-tier universities in America produce world-class research and attract global students, strengthening the country.
- The Trump administration's actions are seen as undermining these institutions, making America weaker.
Dear High Schoolers, Time Is Precious
a year ago
- High school academic achievements like SAT scores and AP classes have minimal long-term impact on daily life.
- Society and institutions like the College Board create undue stress by overemphasizing elite college admissions.
- Wealth and success are influenced more by attitude and uncontrollable factors than by the prestige of the university attended.
- High school should focus on personal growth, relationships, and discovering fulfillment rather than just college applications.
- Many students overlook that lesser-known colleges can meet their needs just as well as prestigious ones.
- While elite universities offer advantages like networking and research opportunities, the cost in stress and lost learning time may not justify the pursuit.
- Grades and test scores lose significance after college enrollment, but personal growth remains valuable forever.
- High school students should prioritize enjoying their teenage years and exploring interests over short-term academic pressures.
Re: My AI skeptic friends are all nuts
a year ago
- AI skepticism is often misunderstood, with critics missing key pain points.
- Outsourcing critical thinking to AI risks deteriorating human problem-solving skills.
- AI can handle mundane tasks but shouldn't replace learning fundamental skills.
- Over-reliance on AI in education and coding may lead to a lack of skilled developers.
- AI-generated content is increasingly polluting training data, degrading model quality.
- Programming requires creativity and lateral thinking, which AI currently lacks.
- AI plagiarism and hallucinations pose significant risks, especially for learners.
- Guardrails, oversight, and documentation are essential for responsible AI use.
- Schools' reliance on AI for assignments and grading is problematic.
- AI will repeat mistakes without human-like learning or understanding.
Every LLM buzzword explained as a fantasy story (RAG, MoE, LoRA, RoPE, etc.)
a year ago
- The Lexiconia Codex is a fantasy story that explains LLM (Large Language Model) concepts through metaphors and magical elements.
- The story is divided into eight chapters, each representing a different aspect of LLMs, such as structure, tuning, retrieval, prompting, agents, internal mechanics, evaluation, and deployment.
- Key LLM concepts explained include Transformer Architecture, Tokenization, Embeddings, Autoregression, Context Window, Token Cost, Pretraining, Fine-tuning, RLHF (Reinforcement Learning with Human Feedback), LoRA (Low-Rank Adaptation), RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation), Prompt Engineering, Chain-of-Thought, ReAct, LLM Agents, Mixture of Experts (MoE), Rotary Position Embeddings (RoPE), Flash Attention, Sparse Attention, MMLU, TruthfulQA, Hallucination, Grounding Score, LLMOps, Token Limit, Context Window, Streaming Inference, and Guardrails.
- Each chapter uses a magical analogy to explain technical concepts, making them more accessible and memorable.
- The story emphasizes the importance of understanding these concepts for effective use of LLMs in real-world applications.
- The final chapter summarizes the journey and encourages readers to apply their newfound knowledge.
AI can 'level up' opportunities for dyslexic children, says UK tech secretary
a year ago
- UK science and technology secretary Peter Kyle advocates for AI to enhance opportunities for dyslexic children, citing a lack of human capacity to support them adequately.
- Kyle, who is dyslexic and uses AI himself, emphasizes AI's potential to transform education by understanding individual learning characteristics and acting as a personalized tutor.
- Jamie Oliver launches a campaign for better teacher training and earlier dyslexia screening, highlighting that around 6 million people in the UK have dyslexia.
- AI is seen as a tool to level the playing field for dyslexic students, shifting educational focus to problem-solving and critical thinking, areas where dyslexics often excel.
- Kyle addresses concerns about AI in exams but supports the current robust exam system for assessing potential.
- The Dyslexia Association's CEO notes AI's role in improving access to learning for dyslexic students but cautions it should not replace good teaching.
- Kyle discusses the government's plans for AI legislation, including working groups post the data bill, to address copyright and safety concerns in AI training.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: Turning Illiteracy into a Gift of Reading
a year ago
- Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides free books to children from birth to age five.
- The program is co-funded by Dolly Parton and local community partners in multiple countries.
- Inspired by her father’s illiteracy, Dolly created the program to foster a love for reading.
- Over 200 million books have been distributed since the program started in 1995.
- Children receive 60 books by age five, including bilingual and Braille titles.
- The program is free, with costs covered by Dolly Parton and local communities.
- Dolly wrote one of the books, 'Coat of Many Colors,' based on her childhood.
- The program aims to improve early childhood literacy and strengthen family bonds.
- Dolly Parton’s education was limited, but she received honorary doctorates.
- The Imagination Library continues to expand, with a goal of distributing a billion books.
Members of the Fulbright scholarship board resign, accusing Trump of meddling
a year ago
- All 12 members of the Fulbright scholarship board resigned in protest against Trump administration's interference in the selection of award recipients.
- The administration denied awards to a substantial number of pre-selected candidates and subjected 1,200 foreign awardees to an unauthorized review process.
- The board members accused the administration of acting unlawfully and undermining the integrity of the Fulbright program and America's credibility abroad.
- The Fulbright program, established nearly 80 years ago, promotes international exchange and American diplomacy, awarding about 9,000 scholarships annually.
- Notable Fulbright alumni include heads of state, Nobel and Pulitzer prize winners, and other distinguished individuals.
- The State Department dismissed the resignations as a political stunt, claiming the board members were partisan appointees.
- The Trump administration's actions are seen as undermining the merit-based selection process and the program's insulation from political influence.
- The board members hope Congress, the courts, and future boards will prevent further degradation of the program.
- The resignations coincide with increased scrutiny of international students by the Trump administration, including stricter visa vetting and pressure on universities.
When do girls fall behind in maths? Gigantic study pinpoints the moment
a year ago
- A large study in France reveals that the 'mathematical gender gap' begins in the first year of school.
- Boys and girls start with similar math scores, but boys pull ahead within four months, with a more significant gap after 12 months.
- The study suggests that environmental factors in school, not innate differences, are responsible for the gap.
- Recommendations to address the gap include reducing math anxiety, encouraging equal participation, and fostering curiosity outside the classroom.
- The study analyzed nearly three million children across different cohorts, socioeconomic groups, and regions, showing the gap's universality.
- The gap's emergence is linked to the start of formal education, not age, as shown by comparing children born just days apart in different school years.
- Researchers emphasize the need for broad policy interventions to address the gap, as it affects all groups universally.
AI is eating our brains. MIT study: Your brain on ChatGPT
a year ago
- Study examines cognitive cost of using LLMs in educational essay writing.
- Participants divided into LLM, Search Engine, and Brain-only groups.
- EEG used to measure cognitive engagement and neural connectivity.
- LLM group showed weakest neural connectivity and low essay ownership.
- Brain-only group exhibited strongest neural networks and highest ownership.
- LLM-to-Brain participants had weaker connectivity; Brain-to-LLM showed better recall.
- Findings suggest LLM use may decrease learning skills over time.
- Study highlights cognitive and practical impacts of AI in education.
ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills, According to a New MIT Study
a year ago
- A study from MIT’s Media Lab found that ChatGPT users showed lower brain engagement and underperformed in neural, linguistic, and behavioral levels compared to those using Google Search or writing without assistance.
- ChatGPT users became lazier over time, often resorting to copy-and-paste, and produced essays that lacked originality and were described as 'soulless' by English teachers.
- Participants who wrote essays without any tools showed the highest neural connectivity, associated with creativity, memory, and semantic processing, and expressed higher satisfaction with their work.
- The study suggests that reliance on LLMs like ChatGPT could harm learning and brain development, especially in younger users, by bypassing deep memory processes.
- Researchers inserted AI traps in the paper to catch hallucinations, such as incorrect claims about the version of ChatGPT used.
- A follow-up study on software engineering and programming with AI showed even worse results, indicating potential risks to critical thinking and problem-solving in the workforce.
- Other studies, like one from Harvard, found that while generative AI increases productivity, it may reduce motivation.
Show HN: I Built a Site That Curates Weird YouTube Rabbit Holes Daily
10 months ago
- Deep Dives launched on May 30th, offering comprehensive rabbit holes with hours of curated content.
- Internet Rabbit Holes feature fascinating and weird video explorations from unusual corners of the internet.
- Kids Say the Darndest Things offers funny and surprising quotes from children.
- How Computers Actually Work Inside provides a deep dive into computer technology.
- Weird Things People Do During Video Calls showcases hilarious and strange video call antics.
- People Living in Unusual Places explores unique homes and dwellings worldwide.
- How to Save Money Fast shares money-saving hacks and tips.
- DIY Lighting Projects offers creative lighting ideas for home improvement.
- Beginner Weight Training provides easy-to-follow workouts for fitness newbies.
- How to Reduce Stress Naturally shares quirky tips for stress relief.
- Best Exercises for Seniors includes senior-friendly workouts.
- How to Build Endurance offers tips for improving stamina.
- Healthy Lunch Ideas for Work suggests nutritious and tasty meals.
- Full Body Stretching Routine helps with relaxation and flexibility.
AtomicOS – A security-first OS with real crypto and deterministic language
10 months ago
- AtomicOS is a security-first educational operating system built from scratch.
- Prioritizes security over performance with features like AES-128 encryption, SHA-256 hashing, and MMU.
- Philosophy: 'Security first, then stability, then performance'.
- Key features include custom bootloader, protected mode, memory guards, W^X enforcement, and deterministic execution.
- Tools required: i686-elf-gcc, nasm, qemu-system-i386, and make.
- Build and run instructions provided for different versions (v0.3, v0.4, demo).
- Directory structure includes kernel, tempo (language compiler), and docs.
- Memory layout details: Kernel Space, User Space, and Kernel Mirror.
- Security implementations: AES-128, SHA-256, and hardware-enforced MMU.
- Limitations: No network stack, file system, or device drivers (except basic VGA).
- MIT License with attribution requirements and name protection for forks.
- Contributions welcome via fork, feature branch, pull request process.
- Documentation includes Language Specification, Reality Check, and Test Evidence.
- Original author: Ignacio Peña (2024).
- Motto: 'No exploits, no crashes, no lies.'
One radio station educates Afghan girls under Taliban rule
10 months ago
- Radio Begum is the only women-led radio station in Afghanistan, providing educational programs for girls banned from formal education by the Taliban.
- The station broadcasts lessons in subjects like geography, maths, and English, reaching nearly three million Afghan girls.
- Radio Begum operates under strict Taliban restrictions, avoiding politics, music, and laughter, focusing only on education, health, and religion.
- Despite facing raids and suspensions, Radio Begum continues to broadcast in most provinces, adapting to increasing Taliban restrictions.
- The station serves as a rare refuge for Afghan women to work together, as the Taliban has shut down many women-run businesses and spaces.
- Growing isolation under Taliban rule has led to rising suicide rates among Afghan women, according to the United Nations.
- Many girls, like 16-year-old Hafsa, rely on Radio Begum for education, as they are too afraid to attend secret schools due to Taliban threats.
Children in England growing up 'sedentary, scrolling and alone', say experts
10 months ago
- Children in England are growing up sedentary, scrolling on phones, and alone due to a decline in play.
- Experts recommend banning 'no ball games' signs, raising the digital age of consent to 16, and restoring play in education.
- A £125m annual funding is urged for a national play strategy to address the issue.
- Lack of safe outdoor spaces and the decline of youth clubs contribute to less playtime.
- Children report limited, costly, or removed play spaces and insufficient playtime during school.
- Finland's approach integrates play throughout the school day, with frequent breaks enhancing attentiveness.
- The UK government acknowledges the importance of play and nature for children's development.
Quebec provides universal childcare for less than $7 a day
10 months ago
- Leah Freeman pays only C$93 every two weeks for childcare in Quebec, Canada, thanks to a subsidized program.
- Quebec's universal childcare program, established in 1997, aims to provide equal opportunities, support working mothers, and boost government revenue.
- The program offers high-quality early education, unionized jobs, and has helped reduce gender pay gaps and child poverty rates.
- Quebec's model was inspired by U.S. research on early childhood education's economic and social benefits.
- The system is parent-run, with state support covering costs, ensuring quality and accessibility.
- Despite its success, challenges like long waitlists and underrepresentation of low-income families persist.
- Canada is expanding the Quebec model nationwide, aiming for C$10-a-day childcare by 2026.
- The U.S. faces a childcare crisis, with high costs and limited access, but some states are experimenting with subsidized programs.
- Quebec's educators recently went on strike over low pay, highlighting ongoing struggles within the system.
- The cultural shift in Quebec views universal childcare as a fundamental part of societal infrastructure.

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#education

Texas' annual reading test adjusted difficulty yearly, masking improvement

Japan's govt launches Minecraft map to educate about flood disaster prevention

US crushes study abroad dreams, Asian countries rush to pick up the pieces

A 1976 Video That Explains Basic Computer Terms

Teachers Are Not OK

Trump's war on Harvard is destroying an American strength [video]

Dear High Schoolers, Time Is Precious

Re: My AI skeptic friends are all nuts

Every LLM buzzword explained as a fantasy story (RAG, MoE, LoRA, RoPE, etc.)

AI can 'level up' opportunities for dyslexic children, says UK tech secretary

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library: Turning Illiteracy into a Gift of Reading

Members of the Fulbright scholarship board resign, accusing Trump of meddling

When do girls fall behind in maths? Gigantic study pinpoints the moment

AI is eating our brains. MIT study: Your brain on ChatGPT

ChatGPT May Be Eroding Critical Thinking Skills, According to a New MIT Study

Show HN: I Built a Site That Curates Weird YouTube Rabbit Holes Daily

AtomicOS – A security-first OS with real crypto and deterministic language

One radio station educates Afghan girls under Taliban rule

Children in England growing up 'sedentary, scrolling and alone', say experts

Quebec provides universal childcare for less than $7 a day