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Three items in this week's Field Journal circle around AI. None of them land with a dichotomous answer. Tazin Daniels wants the humanists and poets in the room where AI decisions get made, Josh Brake asks what writing is for before asking whether to use AI for it, and later this week on the podcast, Remi Kalir shares open prompts for bringing ethics questions into any class. In between, I traded in my screen recorder, gathered your small acts of self-kindness, and queued up an old favorite song with an important reminder for these last weeks of the year. |
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Episode 646
Using the Faculty Critical Engagement Pyramid, with Tazin Daniels
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Tazin Daniels maps five ways faculty engage with AI, from apprehensive to advancing, on episode 646 of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast. During the conversation, Tazin urges us to ensure that our wrestling with AI includes all disciplines. She asks:
Why should we let only the folks in engineering, computer science, and data science be the ones driving the decisions around AI? We need the humanists; we need the philosophers; we need the writers, the poets, the anthropologists. |
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How To Think About AI and Writing
We have to start by getting to the bottom of what writing is for
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Josh Brake wrote a powerful post that describes his wrestling with writing his thoughts, as there's so much nuance that's needed in the discourse. Josh describes how more than disclosure is necessary, regarding AI use. He writes:
While appropriately disclosing AI use is important, this is only part of the story. The more significant questions are about the use itself, not simply transparency about it. The piece ends with Josh's invitation for us to avoid purity tests regarding AI, but instead to center our dialog on what function writing serves and how that may impact our choice of whether to use AI.
How to Think About AI and Writing, by Josh Brake
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Quick-Capture Video / Screencasting Tool
There was a Cap-sized hole in my life
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I have been using Loom for my quick-capture videos for a while now. However, after being acquired, they started requiring people to log in to view the short videos I was trying to share. Once that started happening, I immediately began looking for something else. After some research on similar tools, I came across the Cap app and have been loving it so far. On Cap's website, they get straight to the point about what their tool can do for us:
The open source screen recorder for everyone. Record your screen, then share it as a link the moment you stop or polish it in the built-in editor. It's available as a native application on the Mac, Windows, Linux, and Chrome. You can record using their Instant Mode, which they describe:
...uploads while you talk, so there is nothing to wait for. Paste the link anywhere and people watch in the browser, no account needed. They also have another method of recording they call Studio Mode. That's for those videos you may want some more polish on. You can easily add zooms, various layouts, captions, and animated text and titles. They have a free plan that gets you 25 Instant Mode videos and unlimited videos you store on your computer.
Cap (referral link: you get 20% off your first year when you sign up)
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About Acts of Self Kindness
I received replies that felt like gifts made just for me, and hopefully you'll sense that, too.
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Last week, I asked about small acts we like to do to be kind to ourselves. Here's what some of you shared. |
Gary Meacher
I’ve found a lot of benefit in reframing a task as a gift to my future self. If I do [x] now, I’ll be doing future me a favor. In reality, it is probably a zero-sum game of taking from my current self to give to my future self—but the act of being intentional about the choice pushes it over the zero-sum and adds value in some odd way for me.
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Susan Bramlett Epps
On mornings when I don't have an early class or meeting, I'll sit on my back steps with a cup of hot chocolate. My dog, who is really too large to be a lap dog, will often come sit on my lap, and we just sit, enjoying a few moments of quiet before the craziness of the day begins.
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Carol Quade
I think I will give myself grace as a kindness to myself. I will remind myself that no one will judge me if I can't be everything to everyone all the time and that I am more than who I am today. We are all allowed to be a little tired, a little overwhelmed, a little frustrated, and a little quiet from time to time. That doesn't mean we don't still care.
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Nadine
I am one of those people who absolutely cannot go to bed without taking a bath. The problem though, is that once I have taken it, I am AWAKE! So, to be kind to myself (and allow for normal sleeping hours), I force myself not to begin any work on my computer for the evenings before going to bathe. Doing so at 1am is not ideal when the work rabbit bites at 11pm the previous night!
Anyways, that is something I am working on for myself - not always with great success.
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This week, I'm wondering:
What's one way you would like to shape the rest of your year with intention?
Hit reply to let me know. I'll choose a few to include in the next Field Journal. Let me know in your reply if you prefer to remain anonymous, as otherwise, I'll assume it is ok to include your name.
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An Old Favorite
Don't Lose Sight - Acoustic-ish
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I've recommended this song by the band Lawrence before, and it has shown up toward the top of my listens for a couple of years now. This time of year (as well as others), it is important for us to remind ourselves with exuberance (and plenty of vibrato):
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THIS WEEK ON TEACHING IN HIGHER ED
Remi Kalir shares Pressing Prompts, open activities for bringing AI ethics questions into any classroom.
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Teaching in Higher Ed Podcast
Listen with us each week.
The Teaching in Higher Ed podcast brings together over 25,000 followers to conversations about the art and science of facilitating learning.
Get your ears on for the conversation. Listen through to the recommendations.
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Bonni Stachowiak
Committed to human flourishing through learning + teaching
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