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#student digital learning platform
swa-adhyayan · 1 year
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Swa-Adhyayan, Best Digital E Learning Platform K-8 Students allows the students to master various skills
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Benefits of Educational Apps being extended to the Swa-learners at the platform. The students at platform are provided with separate dashboards with teachers, parents and the school authorities. The teachers at the platform are provided with facilities that enables them to control the learning journey of the student at the platform. Student Digital Learning Platform provides them with the facility of using online amenities for conducting in depth study and analysis.
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stepseduworldblog · 6 months
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Unlocking Opportunities: How a Trusted Education & Career Coach Facilitates Study in the UK
In the vibrant city of Dubai, where innovation meets tradition, the journey of Trusted Education & Career Coaches and consultants unfolds with promising opportunities and transformative innovations. As Dubai continues to position itself as a global hub for education and business, students in the region are witnessing a dynamic evolution in the way they learn, explore career paths, and prepare for the future. In this blog post, we delve into the multifaceted aspects of education and career opportunities for Dubai students, from emerging trends in learning to the diverse pathways in the professional realm.
Virtual Reality Classrooms: Stepping into Tomorrow
Imagine students donning VR headsets, transported to ancient civilizations or exploring molecular structures up close. Virtual reality classrooms are revolutionizing learning, turning textbooks into immersive experiences. In Dubai, where innovation is a way of life, VR classrooms are poised to reshape traditional learning paradigms.
One of the defining characteristics of modern education in Dubai is the integration of cutting-edge technologies that enhance learning experiences. Virtual reality (VR) classrooms have emerged as a game-changer, offering students immersive and interactive environments that transcend traditional teaching methods. Imagine a history lesson where students can virtually visit ancient civilizations or a science class where they explore complex molecular structures up close. VR classrooms not only make learning engaging but also foster deeper understanding and retention of concepts.
#AI-Driven Learning Platforms: Personalized Pathways to Success#Meet your digital mentor: AI-driven platforms that adapt to your learning style. From personalized lesson plans to instant feedback#AI enhances the educational journey for Dubai students studying in the UK. Imagine an AI coach guiding you through challenges or recommendi#Alongside VR#artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing education through personalized learning platforms tailored for students studying in the UK.#adaptive assessments#and real-time feedback. Dubai students benefit from AI-powered tools that cater to their unique strengths and areas of improvement#paving the way for personalized learning journeys that optimize academic success.#Global Networking Opportunities: Connecting Dubai to the World#Networking is key in a globally connected world. Dubai students access a vast network through virtual conferences#collaborative projects#and cross-cultural exchanges. The world is at their fingertips#broadening horizons from their classrooms.#Dubai's cosmopolitan environment opens doors to a rich tapestry of global networking opportunities for students. Through virtual conference#and cross-cultural exchanges#students in Dubai connect with peers#experts#and mentors from around the world. This global network not only expands their academic horizons but also nurtures valuable relationships an#Blended Learning: Bridging the Physical and Digital Divide#Welcome to blended learning#where traditional meets digital. Dubai embraces hybrid models#combining in-person interactions with online resources. This approach caters to diverse needs#customizing the learning experience.#Moreover#blended learning equips Dubai students with essential digital literacy skills#critical thinking abilities#and adaptability to thrive in the digital age. As technology continues to evolve#the integration of digital learning tools and resources enhances Dubai's education ecosystem#preparing students for success in an increasingly digital and interconnected world.#Skills of Tomorrow: Nurturing Creativity and Critical Thinking
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eLearning and Digital Education, Hyderabad | Digital Teacher
eLearning and Digital Education, Hyderabad | Digital Teacher
Read More at: https://www.digitalteacher.in/e-learning-digital-education
Find eLearning and digital education in Hyderabad, Telangana. E-learning is a priceless gift to the learning and education sector. Digital Content has eliminated the distance barrier and made learning a pleasant and joyful experience.
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#eLearning #DigiClass #SmartClassSolution #SmartClassroom #DigitalClassroom #SmartClass #Software #Technology #Education #OnlineEducation #EducationTechnology #DigitalTeacher #DigitalEducation
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jantanow · 25 days
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उड़ान यूथ क्लब ने दिग्विजय महोत्सव का किया शुभारंभ, क्विज एवं लेखन प्रतियोगिता में ऑनलाइन कीजिए प्रतिभाग
बागपत। नेहरू युवा केन्द्र बागपत (Nehru Yuva Kendra Baghpat) से संबद्ध उड़ान यूथ क्लब (Udaan Youth Club) द्वारा दिग्विजय दिवस (Digvijay Diwas) को महोत्सव के रूप में मनाए जाने की पहल की गई है जिसके अंतर्गत विभिन्न शैक्षिक गतिविधियों (educational activities) का आयोजन कर ऑनलाइन माध्यम (online platform) से हजारों लोगों को दिग्विजय दिवस के इतिहास (history of Digvijay Diwas) से परिचित कराते हुए नागरिक…
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magicmarks · 7 months
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Digital learning in engineering enhances understanding and retention, improves academic performance, fosters practical skills, and encourages global collaboration.
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prabhatjairam · 7 months
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How to Find the Best Online Teaching Portal
The education system is transitioning to a new phase in the domain of the latest technology, where digital tools enable students to have continuity in learning without a break. Online learning offers several tools, such as PDFs, videos, diagrams, flowcharts, infographics, etc., that develop a deeper understanding of students' problem-occurring topics or contents. It facilitates interactions between educators and students and opens education to a larger population.
As online learning has grown over the last few years and has experienced mainstream acceptance, millions of teachers and students are adopting the eLearning approach. It helps students access education not readily available in certain geographical boundaries. Many prestigious universities and institutions engaged themselves in offering online courses while increasing learners' interest and participation levels in online classrooms. 
Online teaching is springing up in the market, providing learners with wide-ranging opportunities to modify their education into something that accurately fits them. Sometimes, learners get stuck in finding the best online tutoring platform to get exposure to multiple courses. The digital teaching portal gives students access to multiple specialized courses that may be outside of a local learning institution. This blog post will overcome students' problems and bestow the best tips for acquiring appropriate online teaching portals. 
What do you mean by online teaching?
Online teaching is a student-centric approach to educating students or learners through the Internet. It is a teaching process in a virtual, online, or networked environment where students and teachers participate from different locations. Educators can teach any topic or skill from their comfort zones with various techniques such as Zoom video calls, webinars, one-on-one video calls, etc.
The best thing about online teaching is its accessibility and flexibility. Students and teachers don't need to rush here and there for active interactions and collaborations. Online instructors help in maintaining and developing efficient learning environments. Through eLearning portals, tutors can provide a quality educational learning experience by utilizing the positive aspects of digitalization.
"Study24hr.com" is an online teaching portal that offers hundreds of courses. It is a brilliant learning portal because it focuses on making learning fun, interactive, and engaging, especially for youngsters. Most courses are audited for free, but access to various courses comes with premium versions. The courses include audio and video content regarding material and the most demanding topics. Students can post their questions and ask doubts from their teachers or experts.
What is the need for online teaching portals?
Virtual teaching portals allow students and teachers to associate and connect on an online platform with the help of digital devices. It allows them to store their documents or files and utilize them according to their convenience. Online teaching benefits in the following ways:
It enhances a better balance of work and studies without giving up on other activities.
There's the added flexibility that fits everyone's schedule.
It offers virtual collaboration opportunities to access information sharing even when teachers and students are not physically close to each other.
Through virtual teaching, time management skills can be developed.
Online teaching enables learners and educators to set their own learning pace.
Hold learners accountable.
Each student can get attention individually.
Get more articles on -  Daily Booster Article| study24hr.com
Tips for finding the best eLearning portals
The best teaching portal is learner-centric and lets students control how and what they want to learn. Besides, it facilitates collaborative learning where students can share ideas and discuss their problems in a friendly environment. Here are the alluring tips to help learners find the best online teaching platforms.
Mobile friendly
Students prefer to access learning portals via mobile. An online teaching portal should be mobile-friendly as it allows children to continue learning after work or during the weekend without sitting in front of a laptop or computer screen. Students cannot have a perfect experience if any teaching portal doesn't work correctly on smartphones.
Integrates technology
Technology provides access to information, which is why its presence in online learning portals is essential. Utilizing different types of technology in virtual classrooms enhances learners' engagement and participation. It creates pathways for differentiated instruction to fulfill the unique requirements of students. Moreover, by posting homework assignments online, teachers can integrate technology into the classroom via learning platforms like Blackboards, moodle, etc.
User friendly
It's crucial for teaching portals to focus on usability for their students. The most informative and illuminating eLearning courses can lose their worth if usability is not a top priority. So, the best online portal always meets all its user-friendly criteria to avoid students' confusion or frustration. It should be well-organized, intuitive, and easy to navigate, which can help learners to achieve the desired results.
Flexible and customizable
By offering flexibility and customization, online teaching portals allow students to use platforms according to their expectations. It enhances learners to decipher when and how they want to learn by tailoring their course to their capabilities. Furthermore, it allows students to modify certain features to improve their experience. 
Budget-friendly
Implementation of any online teaching portal should be budget-friendly. It must offer lower and more affordable prices so students can easily access their desired courses. If any eLearning portal charges high prices, it might be out of the budget for many children who can't afford it. Hence, it's better to think carefully while setting up the pricing policy.
The Last Word
Undoubtedly, the best online teaching portal is where students can enhance their skills and find achievable outcomes. While students may find it time-consuming to review every detail that describes each portal, it accommodates their efforts and needs. On the contrary, "Study24hr.com" delivers the best teaching techniques that improve students' enhancement and learning skills.
Let's try out a wide range of courses with "Study24hr.com" and make your research fulfilled. It allows you to have a test drive through its amazing content, blogs, infographics, etc. The portal's teachers, instructors, and experts give their best to satisfy students' needs and wants. So, without further delay, visit "Study24hr.com" to accomplish your goals.
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universalinfo · 1 year
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How to Keep Your Students Engaged: A Comprehensive Guide to Digital Platforms and Techniques
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Introduction:
As a personal tutor or teacher, you want to make sure that your students are engaged and motivated to learn. Fortunately, with the advent of digital technology, there are now various ways to create a more interactive and dynamic learning environment that can help improve students’ participation and retention of knowledge. In this guide, we’ll explore some of the best digital platforms and techniques that you can use to engage your students and help them learn effectively. We’ll also provide tips and strategies to help you find the right approach for your students.
Digital Platforms for Engaging Students
When it comes to engaging students, there are various digital platforms that can be used to enhance the learning experience. Here are some examples:
Learning Management Systems (LMS):
LMSs are online platforms that provide a central location for organizing course content, tracking student progress, and providing feedback. Some popular LMSs include Blackboard, Moodle, Canvas, and Edmodo.
Gamification:
Gamification involves integrating game mechanics into non-gaming contexts, such as learning. Gamification platforms like Classcraft, Kahoot, Quizlet, and Duolingo can be used to create interactive learning experiences, quizzes, and games that promote student engagement and motivation.
Video Conferencing:
Video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Skype are becoming increasingly popular for remote learning. They allow teachers to hold virtual classes, facilitate group discussions, and collaborate with students in real-time.
Social Media:
Social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok can be used to engage students outside of the classroom. Teachers can use these platforms to share educational content, post discussion questions, and create polls to encourage participation.
Interactive Whiteboards:
Interactive whiteboards like SMART Boards, Promethean Boards, and MimioBoards allow teachers to create interactive and dynamic lessons that incorporate multimedia elements like videos, images, and audio.
Augmented Reality (AR):
AR is a technology that overlays virtual content in the real world. Teachers can use AR apps like QuiverVision, Aurasma, and Metaverse to create interactive and engaging learning experiences that allow students to explore and interact with virtual content.
Virtual Reality (VR):
VR is a technology that creates a completely immersive virtual environment. Teachers can use VR headsets like Oculus Quest, Google Cardboard, and HTC Vive to create engaging and interactive learning experiences that allow students to explore and interact with virtual environments.
By using these digital platforms, teachers can create a more dynamic and interactive learning experience that promotes engagement and motivation. However, it’s important to choose the right platform that aligns with your teaching style and goals, and that suits your students’ needs and preferences.
Techniques for Engaging Students:
When it comes to engaging students, there are various techniques that teachers can use to create a more dynamic and interactive learning experience. Here are some techniques to consider:
Active Learning:
Active learning involves engaging students in the learning process through activities like discussions, group work, and problem-solving. This technique promotes critical thinking skills, improves retention, and increases motivation. Some examples of active learning include case studies, role-playing, and simulations.
Personalization:
Personalization involves tailoring the learning experience to meet the needs and interests of individual students. This technique can be achieved through adaptive learning platforms, personalized learning plans, and individual feedback. Personalization creates a more engaging and relevant learning experience for students, promoting motivation and retention.
Collaboration:
Collaboration involves students working together to achieve a common goal. This technique promotes teamwork skills, communication skills, and creativity. Collaboration can be achieved through group work, peer review, and online discussions.
Feedback:
Feedback is a crucial component of effective learning. It provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their progress, identify areas for improvement, and make adjustments. Feedback can be given through one-on-one discussions, rubrics, and comments on assignments.
Flipped Classroom:
In a flipped classroom, students watch pre-recorded lectures or read materials before class and then use class time for interactive activities, discussions, and group work. This technique promotes active learning, collaboration, and critical thinking skills.
Mindfulness:
Mindfulness is a technique that involves being present and fully engaged in the moment. This technique promotes self-awareness, emotional regulation, and stress reduction. Mindfulness can be achieved through meditation, breathing exercises, and body scans.
Project-Based Learning:
Project-based learning involves students working on a project that integrates various skills and knowledge. This technique promotes creativity, critical thinking skills, and collaboration. Examples of project-based learning include research projects, science experiments, and multimedia presentations.
By using these techniques, teachers can create a more engaging and effective learning experience for their students. It’s important to choose techniques that align with your teaching style and goals, and that suit your students’ needs and preferences. Teachers can experiment with different techniques and adapt as necessary to create a successful learning environment for their students.
Tips and Strategies for Choosing the Right Digital Platform or Technique:
Understand your student’s needs and preferences: Before choosing a digital platform or technique, it’s important to understand your student’s learning styles, interests, and preferences. Consider conducting a survey or asking for feedback to get a better understanding of what your students need and want from their learning experience.
Consider your own teaching style and goals: Different digital platforms and techniques will work better for different teachers and subjects. Consider your own teaching style and goals, and choose a platform or technique that aligns with your teaching philosophy.
Experiment and adapt: Don’t be afraid to try new platforms and techniques, and be willing to adapt if something isn’t working. Remember that the goal is to create a learning environment that is engaging and effective for your students, so be open to feedback and willing to make changes as necessary.
Examples and Case Studies:
To illustrate the effectiveness of digital platforms and techniques for engaging students, here are some examples and case studies:
Learning Management Systems (LMS):
A study published in the Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange found that using an LMS like Blackboard significantly increased student engagement and achievement. The study involved a group of college students who used Blackboard to access course content, submit assignments, and participate in online discussions. The researchers found that the use of Blackboard resulted in higher levels of participation, more frequent communication with the instructor, and improved academic performance.
A high school science teacher in California used Canvas to organize his course content and provide students with instant feedback on their assignments. He reported that students were more engaged and motivated, and he was able to provide personalized feedback that helped students improve their understanding of the material.
Gamification:
A study published in the International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education found that using a gamification platform like Kahoot significantly increased student engagement and motivation. The study involved a group of university students who used Kahoot to take quizzes and complete assignments. The researchers found that the use of Kahoot resulted in higher levels of engagement, increased motivation, and improved academic performance.
A math teacher in New York used Classcraft to gamify his classroom, creating a fantasy-themed game where students earned points and rewards for completing math assignments. He reported that students were more motivated to complete assignments and showed a deeper understanding of the material.
Video Conferencing:
A case study published in the Journal of Educational Technology Development and Exchange found that using a video conferencing platform like Zoom can be an effective tool for engaging students in remote learning. The study involved a group of high school students who used Zoom to attend virtual classes and participate in group discussions. The researchers found that the use of Zoom resulted in higher levels of engagement, increased interaction with classmates, and improved academic performance.
Social Media:
A case study published in the Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education found that using social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram can be an effective tool for engaging students outside of the classroom. The study involved a group of university students who used Twitter and Instagram to follow course-related hashtags, engage in discussions, and share educational content. The researchers found that the use of social media resulted in higher levels of engagement, increased communication with peers and instructors, and improved academic performance.
Active Learning:
A case study published in the Journal of College Science Teaching found that using active learning techniques like case studies and problem-based learning can be an effective tool for engaging students in science courses. The study involved a group of college students who used case studies and problem-based learning activities to explore complex scientific concepts. The researchers found that the use of active learning resulted in higher levels of engagement, increased motivation, and improved academic performance.
Personalization:
A case study published in the Journal of Educational Technology & Society found that using a personalized learning platform like Khan Academy can be an effective tool for engaging students in math courses. The study involved a group of middle school students who used Khan Academy to access personalized math content and receive individual feedback. The researchers found that the use of Khan Academy resulted in higher levels of engagement, increased motivation, and improved academic performance.
Project-Based Learning:
A case study published in the Journal of Social Science Education found that using project-based learning can be an effective tool for engaging students in social studies courses. The study involved a group of high school students who worked on a semester-long project that involved conducting research, creating multimedia presentations, and presenting their findings to the class. The researchers found that the use of project-based learning resulted in higher levels of engagement, increased motivation, and improved academic performance.
Overall, these examples and case studies demonstrate the effectiveness of different digital platforms and techniques for engaging students. Teachers can use these tools to create a more dynamic and interactive learning experience that promotes engagement, motivation, and academic success.
Conclusion:
Engaging students is essential for effective teaching and learning, and digital platforms and techniques can be powerful tools to help achieve this goal. By understanding your student’s needs and preferences, considering your own teaching style and goals, and experimenting with different platforms and techniques, you can create a dynamic and interactive learning environment that promotes engagement, motivation, and learning. Remember to be flexible, open to feedback, and willing to adapt as necessary, and you’ll be well on your way to creating a successful learning experience for your students.
Content source: https://jbhtutoring.com/sb/keep-student-engaged-guide-digital-platforms-techniques/
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How lock-in hurts design
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Berliners: Otherland has added a second date (Jan 28) for my book-talk after the first one sold out - book now!
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If you've ever read about design, you've probably encountered the idea of "paving the desire path." A "desire path" is an erosion path created by people departing from the official walkway and taking their own route. The story goes that smart campus planners don't fight the desire paths laid down by students; they pave them, formalizing the route that their constituents have voted for with their feet.
Desire paths aren't always great (Wikipedia notes that "desire paths sometimes cut through sensitive habitats and exclusion zones, threatening wildlife and park security"), but in the context of design, a desire path is a way that users communicate with designers, creating a feedback loop between those two groups. The designers make a product, the users use it in ways that surprise the designer, and the designer integrates all that into a new revision of the product.
This method is widely heralded as a means of "co-innovating" between users and companies. Designers who practice the method are lauded for their humility, their willingness to learn from their users. Tech history is strewn with examples of successful paved desire-paths.
Take John Deere. While today the company is notorious for its war on its customers (via its opposition to right to repair), Deere was once a leader in co-innovation, dispatching roving field engineers to visit farms and learn how farmers had modified their tractors. The best of these modifications would then be worked into the next round of tractor designs, in a virtuous cycle:
https://securityledger.com/2019/03/opinion-my-grandfathers-john-deere-would-support-our-right-to-repair/
But this pattern is even more pronounced in the digital world, because it's much easier to update a digital service than it is to update all the tractors in the field, especially if that service is cloud-based, meaning you can modify the back-end everyone is instantly updated. The most celebrated example of this co-creation is Twitter, whose users created a host of its core features.
Retweets, for example, were a user creation. Users who saw something they liked on the service would type "RT" and paste the text and the link into a new tweet composition window. Same for quote-tweets: users copied the URL for a tweet and pasted it in below their own commentary. Twitter designers observed this user innovation and formalized it, turning it into part of Twitter's core feature-set.
Companies are obsessed with discovering digital desire paths. They pay fortunes for analytics software to produce maps of how their users interact with their services, run focus groups, even embed sneaky screen-recording software into their web-pages:
https://www.wired.com/story/the-dark-side-of-replay-sessions-that-record-your-every-move-online/
This relentless surveillance of users is pursued in the name of making things better for them: let us spy on you and we'll figure out where your pain-points and friction are coming from, and remove those. We all win!
But this impulse is a world apart from the humility and respect implied by co-innovation. The constant, nonconsensual observation of users has more to do with controlling users than learning from them.
That is, after all, the ethos of modern technology: the more control a company can exert over its users ,the more value it can transfer from those users to its shareholders. That's the key to enshittification, the ubiquitous platform decay that has degraded virtually all the technology we use, making it worse every day:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/19/twiddler/
When you are seeking to control users, the desire paths they create are all too frequently a means to wrestling control back from you. Take advertising: every time a service makes its ads more obnoxious and invasive, it creates an incentive for its users to search for "how do I install an ad-blocker":
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/07/adblocking-how-about-nah
More than half of all web-users have installed ad-blockers. It's the largest consumer boycott in human history:
https://doc.searls.com/2023/11/11/how-is-the-worlds-biggest-boycott-doing/
But zero app users have installed ad-blockers, because reverse-engineering an app requires that you bypass its encryption, triggering liability under Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This law provides for a $500,000 fine and a 5-year prison sentence for "circumvention" of access controls:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/12/youre-holding-it-wrong/#if-dishwashers-were-iphones
Beyond that, modifying an app creates liability under copyright, trademark, patent, trade secrets, noncompete, nondisclosure and so on. It's what Jay Freeman calls "felony contempt of business model":
https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/
This is why services are so horny to drive you to install their app rather using their websites: they are trying to get you to do something that, given your druthers, you would prefer not to do. They want to force you to exit through the gift shop, you want to carve a desire path straight to the parking lot. Apps let them mobilize the law to literally criminalize those desire paths.
An app is just a web-page wrapped in enough IP to make it a felony to block ads in it (or do anything else that wrestles value back from a company). Apps are web-pages where everything not forbidden is mandatory.
Seen in this light, an app is a way to wage war on desire paths, to abandon the cooperative model for co-innovation in favor of the adversarial model of user control and extraction.
Corporate apologists like to claim that the proliferation of apps proves that users like them. Neoliberal economists love the idea that business as usual represents a "revealed preference." This is an intellectually unserious tautology: "you do this, so you must like it":
https://boingboing.net/2024/01/22/hp-ceo-says-customers-are-a-bad-investment-unless-they-can-be-made-to-buy-companys-drm-ink-cartridges.html
Calling an action where no alternatives are permissible a "preference" or a "choice" is a cheap trick – especially when considered against the "preferences" that reveal themselves when a real choice is possible. Take commercial surveillance: when Apple gave Ios users a choice about being spied on – a one-click opt of of app-based surveillance – 96% of users choice no spying:
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/05/96-of-us-users-opt-out-of-app-tracking-in-ios-14-5-analytics-find/
But then Apple started spying on those very same users that had opted out of spying by Facebook and other Apple competitors:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/14/luxury-surveillance/#liar-liar
Neoclassical economists aren't just obsessed with revealed preferences – they also love to bandy about the idea of "moral hazard": economic arrangements that tempt people to be dishonest. This is typically applied to the public ("consumers" in the contemptuous parlance of econospeak). But apps are pure moral hazard – for corporations. The ability to prohibit desire paths – and literally imprison rivals who help your users thwart those prohibitions – is too tempting for companies to resist.
The fact that the majority of web users block ads reveals a strong preference for not being spied on ("users just want relevant ads" is such an obvious lie that doesn't merit any serious discussion):
https://www.iccl.ie/news/82-of-the-irish-public-wants-big-techs-toxic-algorithms-switched-off/
Giant companies attained their scale by learning from their users, not by thwarting them. The person using technology always knows something about what they need to do and how they want to do it that the designers can never anticipate. This is especially true of people who are unlike those designers – people who live on the other side of the world, or the other side of the economic divide, or whose bodies don't work the way that the designers' bodies do:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/20/benevolent-dictators/#felony-contempt-of-business-model
Apps – and other technologies that are locked down so their users can be locked in – are the height of technological arrogance. They embody a belief that users are to be told, not heard. If a user wants to do something that the designer didn't anticipate, that's the user's fault:
https://www.wired.com/2010/06/iphone-4-holding-it-wrong/
Corporate enthusiasm for prohibiting you from reconfiguring the tools you use to suit your needs is a declaration of the end of history. "Sure," John Deere execs say, "we once learned from farmers by observing how they modified their tractors. But today's farmers are so much stupider and we are so much smarter that we have nothing to learn from them anymore."
Spying on your users to control them is a poor substitute asking your users their permission to learn from them. Without technological self-determination, preferences can't be revealed. Without the right to seize the means of computation, the desire paths never emerge, leaving designers in the dark about what users really want.
Our policymakers swear loyalty to "innovation" but when corporations ask for the right to decide who can innovate and how, they fall all over themselves to create laws that let companies punish users for the crime of contempt of business-model.
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I'm Kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.
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If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/24/everything-not-mandatory/#is-prohibited
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Image: Belem (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Desire_path_%2819811581366%29.jpg
CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en
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unschool · 2 years
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Get trending online course certificates to start your career
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Undoubtedly, the IT industry will become more competitive as technology advances. Employees and employers recognize the significance of IT certifications to get an edge against other pools of IT professionals in the industry. Fortunately, Unschool brings online courses with a 100% internship program. The motive is to go the extra mile for their careers. We help students to earn knowledge and give them internship opportunities to get a brief understanding of the domain.
Trending IT Online Course Certifications
IT certifications are “designations demonstrating a professional’s competency in a specific facet of technology.” They are earned after an educational course. Participants must fulfill the standards required to prove they have the skills and knowledge about specific IT disciplines.
These certifications cover app development courses, advanced artificial intelligence courses, full-stack development courses, and much more. You can get in-depth knowledge and upskill yourself to crack a job.
If you want to advance your IT career, consider earning the relevant certifications from Unschool below.
1. Android App Development using Java
You will learn a mobile app development course for beginners to understand programming knowledge. After Java, we will take you through the basics of Android, followed up by animations, video playing, and android game designing. You will also learn how to integrate SQLite database and Shared Preferences, using external API to make weather data post calls and implementing FCM Notifications using Firebase.
2. Full Stack Development
The Full-Stack Developer course is designed to meet the changing role of developers in this world of ever-developing technologies. Get the chance to learn the entire process of development from industry experts! The course is designed with care for those with little to no experience in web technologies but who are eager to start a career. The course will enable you to design websites and web applications effortlessly.
3. Advanced Artificial Intelligence Certification
Artificial Intelligence marks the foundation of all the current trends like Machine Learning, Deep learning, Reinforcement learning, and more. Therefore, having foundations in Artificial Intelligence itself is critical and assists you in comprehending inside out to earn the required knowledge before jumping into Machine Learning and Deep Learning. However, it demands no background knowledge in Computer Science or Mathematics but the quest to learn and understand new stuff. So gear up for an advanced artificial intelligence course with Unschool now.
4. Advanced Python
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kookies2000 · 5 months
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TADC Actor AU
An AU where the characters are actors, Roger Rabbit style. We had fun in the Bunny Doll Burrow.
Characters list
Pomni 📖
A quiet girl who writes books in her free time. She started her career on TV in Japan, where she was born. She was under contract to do commercials and modeling until she moved to the USA to study accounting. She meets Caine when he opens an account with her. Thanks to him, she gets into show business again in a much healthier manner. Helping in commercials again and smaller roles in films. After she and Caine get married, he helps her get her first major role as the Jester in The Amazing Digital Circus series.
Caine ⭐️
Was born into show business. Literally, his mom went into labor in the middle of a circus act, and she had to birth him inside the pool behind the circus tent. His family owns a circus in Vegas and is known as the most glamorous family in Nevada. Because of this, he started as a child star and learned how to maintain a healthy work environment for performers thanks to his family. His family hired Bubble to be his agent when Caine turned 18. Because of his impressive record in show business, bright and happy personality, he is a well-known A tier actor. He agreed to play the ringmaster in TADC as long as his wife, Pomni, can have an audition.
Ragatha 🎀
Super kind and sweet. Started show business in college with her best friend Kaufmo. The two were close and did auditions together. She is mostly known for smaller films that are very artsy. Those 3 hour long films that have a hidden meaning? Yeah, she likes doing those kinds of films. Art runs in her vains, and she doesn't care much about how much money she gains. As long as she has enough to get by in life and does what she enjoys, she is happy. She does modeling thanks to Kaufmo, acting like a part-time agent for her. One day, Kaufmo calls her up about a role he's auditioning for in TADC and convinces her to audition. At the auditions, she meets a bunny who is also auditioning for the role Kaufmo is auditioning for. She gets the role, and so does Kaufmo. Until one rainy day, they get into a car crash, causing Kaufmos death.
Jax 🐰
A ball of fluff with an ego. He is well loved by many actors and others in the show business. He helps out mostly backstage as an understudy on Broadway, stunt double, and a vocal and actor coach. He helped and taught famous actors like Angel Dust from Hazbin Hotel, Rocky from Lackadaisy, and N from Murder Drones. His students describe him as a fun, whacky, and kind guy. He does impressions, too. He substituted for Angel Dust's voice in the song Addiction when he was sick. And he substituted other lines for other stars when they couldn't. Like when Rocky was recovering from vocal surgery, Jax took over and did the monologue Rocky does while he throws dynamite. Jax auditioned to be the bully in TADC and met a kind doll. But he didn't get the part that day. Until a month later, he gets a call that they are recasting, and he got the part. Tadc will be his first major role in his career, and he's beyond excited to be a part of it.
Gangel 🎭
A steamer and a theater kid since middle school. She streams video games, reactions, and acting/singing tips. Her goal is to get to 1 million followers on her platforms and have fun. She was bullied as a kid and just wants to make others happy. She gets help from her fiancé Zooble in her streams. She loves posting everything she does and gets over excited by everything. Her favorite things to react to are anime shows, and she loves video games. One day, she hears about the auditions for TADC and rushes Zooble to audition with her. Zoobel refuses to audition and just takes Gangel. Gangel gets a part, and she streams it right away. She has trouble keeping secrets, by the way. She'll most likely post about anything by accident.
Zooble 🔺️
Tattoo artist and owns her own shop. She was never interested in acting or singing. They were always bullied for looking different than most toons. Very quiet, camera shy, and keeps to themselves. Until someone makes fun of Gangel. They are super supportive of their fiancé and help Gangel whenever they can. They aren't afraid to go internet warrior mode if they see someone picking on Gangel. One day, Gangel begs them to take her to the auditions for TADC. At the studio, the ones in charge automatically take a liking to Zoobles unique look. Mentioning how it matches the circus theme. They wanted to create a role just for them, but Zooble tried to reject the offer. Until Gangel convinces them.
Kinger ♟️
Both a director and actor with his wife Queenie. He is a family man and makes some of the best movies. He loves musicals and helps with soundtracks. He started doing show business in his mid twenties when he found a talent in storytelling and started making scripts. Step by step, he became a director and actor. He didn't really audition for TADC. They called him up if he could help write the show, and he just somehow ended up in the show when they couldn't find a good fit for the role of Loony Man.
Bubbel 🫧
Part time agent, part time fashion designer and full time drag queen. Enough said.
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juliametzgerart · 8 months
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I have shared versions of this on other platforms before, so I might as well make a tumblr edition: here some tips for MtG portfolios I gathered and might be interesting for some people who follow me. 1. Since this is a trading card game, here comes the obvious one first: Always keep in mind that these are card illustrations, they have to be readable in super small. Which means that strong silhouettes and value structures are a must have. If you work digital, check the zoomed out version on regular basis, or even have some jpgs to check their thumbnails in your file browser. That can give you an idea about their readability. Traditionally you can of course take some steps back, or take some photographs to look at smaller previews on your devices. Also: print illustrations often come out darker than their screen versions, be careful with your darks! It's rather easy for things to go muddy, even if they look good on screen. In doubt, increase the brightness a bit. It's okay to have different versions for screen and print to meet their needs.
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2. Be versatile about your topics and compositions. Zoom in, zoom out. Don't fall into the trap of your own comfort zone zoom level of showing things, or one way of doing things. It can be positive to offer purposefully unusual options.
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3. Be aware of the focus. If you have a magician with a staff, ask yourself if the card is about the staff(artifact), the mage (creature) or perhaps even the spell. The composition and focus of the illustration should shift accordingly! Clear action is important for readability – since that is not just visual hierarchy here, but also storytelling. Which brings me to the next point: 4. Good narrative matters, but mechanics matter even more. So, again, be very aware of your illustration's focus. You can potentially add extra elements for the story to make it more fun, but it should not get too convoluted, and even less should it distract from what the card it actually about. If you come up with your very own ideas for a portfolio this is of course much more open than if you work from a description. But you can find a bunch of official MtG descriptions online which are super useful for training.
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5. Show care. Plan the illustration, get the references in place. It's the best time to get good habits in place, and really finish the pieces. Don't make them weaker by going too fast, that is not convincing. It just lets people assume worse things for tight deadlines. This does not mean everything needs to be rendered to death - but shape design should remain thoughtful and purposeful even where soft and lost edges are used.
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6. It's potentially okay to have your specific stylistic or thematic niche. It can mean less assignments at times, but can also mean more special ones. It's cool though for your voice to be visible as long as the other needs of the product are met.
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7. Never stop using those references. Get them, make them, use them - take them seriously. (at least for any of the more realistic styles). It's one of the most repeated tips for any student to actually just use more references. They do a ton to get complicated things like anatomy and lighting right, but also cultural references and versatility. Many of the best Magic artists also make the best references – it's not a coincidence. Learn from the people who have already established themselves, they have great wisdom to share. 8. Your quality has to match the current roster. Yeah, sorry, no way around that one. You need at least to be as good as the currently "worst" artist in the roster to have a chance. And the ADs need to be sure that even on a bad day your art can meet their quality bar. Which is the reason why you likely need several art pieces at the required level, to prove it wasn't just some lucky fluke. Though once you're really there, that also means a bit less pressure to perform, since you're likely comfortable at your skill level and can only go up from there.
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swa-adhyayan · 10 days
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Hybrid learning, Swa-Adhyayan, LMS for K-8 students with Digital-Space
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violetpixiedust · 8 months
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king!steve harrington x virgin!suicides!reader x punk!eddie munson. (18+) ౨ৎ
thinkin’ about king!steve being cut off from his dad a lot earlier than his unplanned gap-year, sporadically- to the students of hawkins high- the summer before senior year. however, the stray beer bottles floating in the pool and the image of richard harrington’s son lying in a puddle of his own puke, laid atop a pile of red solo cups in the entry way of his mansion was the final straw for the man of the house. his dad wanted to teach him a lesson in hard work, chastising steve that “he start learning independence before pursuing his future.” the man a year your senior takes up yard work as a way to make quick cash. physical labour if you will. you’re laid atop the pavement stairs in front of your residence in your prettiest little bikini, soaking up the summer sunlight as you suckle upon your cherry ice pop. steve’s sun-kissed skin is coated in a light sheen of sweat, thick locks glowing bronze in the unforgiving indiana sun, naming him its muse. he’s parading a rusted, ancient lawn mower around the spotty front yard, one without an engine, belonging to mrs. o’neill who sleeps soundly in her rocking chair atop her balcony. steve’s honey gaze naturally pulls itself to you. his already fitted blue jeans that bond themselves to his hairy legs tighten as a sugary, ruby red glaze drips onto your torso. it’s cherry flavouring soaks into your pink tongue after you gather it with your manicured fingers, suckling upon your digits successfully. he accidentally mows your elderly neighbour’s pathway, metal scratching against the pavement deafeningly- except the elder woman simply sniffles before falling back to her slumber. a breathless giggle escapes your glossy lips, twiddling your sticky fingers at the boy who whips his head towards you at the joyous sound, witnessing his knees buckle before the cacophony of metallica begins to approach the pair of you. steve stares in shock as eddie “the freak” munson pulls up to your place, a smirk drawing themselves over the pale boy’s lips that were already nursing a cigarette at the sight of you, doe eyed and sensual. the sun kissed boy slumps over the lawn mower as you flutter your eyelashes at the metalhead, manicured toes curling in your platform sandals. you pop up from your place on the stairs at eddie’s playful honk, discarding the remains of your popsicle on the sidewalk for a family of ecstatic ants. steve’s lips fall agape as you walk over to the passenger side of the van facing him, winking hotly in his direction before lifting yourself into the vehicle. he swallows dryly as eddie kisses you deeply, violently, nicotine coated tongue assaulted by the fruity sweetness of yours. a roached cigarette dangles between his ringed fingers, neglected as he manhandles you. the only thing that pops steve out of his staring is a honk behind eddie’s van, startling the pair of you apart before tommy’s voice destroys the dreamlike sequence. “sometime today, freak!” and steve swears he sees you send him a cheeky smile through the open windshield before you speed off, eddie’s tattooed middle finger waving in the air towards tommy. untouchable.
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Ryan W. Briggs, Max Marin, and Ellie Rushing at Philadelphia Inquirer:
BETHEL PARK, Pa. — In the sea of caps and gowns, Thomas Matthew Crooks hardly stood out. Few people clapped when his name was called. A YouTube video of his graduation two years ago from Bethel Park High School shows a slender and bespectacled student receiving his diploma with a soft smile. But the class of 2022 awoke Sunday to learn that the 20-year-old Allegheny County man was notorious, the shooter in the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump during a rally that left an ex-firefighter, Corey Comperatore, dead and two other attendees wounded. U.S. Secret Service counter-snipers killed Crooks moments after he opened fire on the Saturday night rally from a nearby rooftop. The FBI said Sunday they believed he acted alone. He had not been on the bureau’s radar.
Crooks’ actions shocked residents in his hometown, sparked countless conspiracy theories online, and prompted investigators to begin combing through every aspect of his life, looking for motive. The mystery has been fueled by a near-total absence of Crooks’ social media postings, political writings, or other digital fingerprints. Several former classmates appeared on national television Sunday, quickly casting Crooks as a stereotypical loner who was bullied heavily during his time at Bethel Park. One of them, Jason Kohler, told reporters Sunday that students tormented Crooks “almost every day” and that he often wore “hunting” outfits to class. “He was just an outcast,” Kohler said, “and you know how kids are nowadays.” Yet, two former students interviewed by The Inquirer disputed the characterization. They did not recall specific incidents of violence or other antagonism involving their now-infamous classmate in the community they described as generally tight-knit.
[...] The slight traces of public information Crooks left behind leave few clues about his political ideology. Federal campaign finance records show he made a $15 donation to progressive political action committee in 2021 after President Joe Biden’s election, but later registered as a Republican, according to Pennsylvania voter data. His father was a registered Libertarian, his mother a Democrat. Crooks’ body was found on the rooftop of an agricultural tool manufacturing plant a few hundred feet from the rally with an AR-style semiautomatic rifle — legally purchased by his father. The shooter was wearing a T-shirt promoting “The Demolition Ranch,” a YouTube channel for gun enthusiasts. If Crooks maintained any personal social media presence, it went largely undetected on Sunday. Discord, an instant messaging platform mainly used by video gamers, released a statement acknowledging Crooks held a “rarely utilized” account that contained no information relevant to the shooting.
Sigafoos did not recall Crooks making political overtures in class, but rather as someone interested in how government works, and “not trying to insert his own beliefs into it.” Another former classmate did not share this view. Max R. Smith recalled taking an American history course with Crooks as a sophomore. He did recall Crooks making political statements — but they shed no light on his actions Saturday. “He definitely was conservative,” he said. “It makes me wonder why he would carry out an assassination attempt on the conservative candidate.” Smith recalled a mock debate in which their history professor posed government policy questions and asked students to stand on one side of the classroom or the other to signal their support or opposition for a given proposal. “The majority of the class were on the liberal side, but Tom, no matter what, always stood his ground on the conservative side,” Smith said. “That’s still the picture I have of him. Just standing alone on one side while the rest of the class was on the other.”
The gunman who killed rallygoer Corey Comperatore and attempted the assassination of Donald Trump at Saturday night’s Butler, PA rally was not only a registered Republican but also a vehement conservative.
This should hopefully put an end to the right-wing’s nonsensical claim that a “violent leftist”/”Antifa” tried to kill Trump.
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antiporn-activist · 5 months
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We knew this was coming, and it's here...
Teen Girls Confront an Epidemic of Deepfake Nudes in Schools
Using artificial intelligence, middle and high school students have fabricated explicit images of female classmates and shared the doctored pictures.
April 8, 2024
After boys at Francesca Mani’s high school fabricated and shared explicit images of girls last year, she and her mother, Dorota, began urging schools and legislators to enact tough safeguards.Shuran Huang
After boys at Francesca Mani’s high school fabricated and shared explicit images of girls last year, she and her mother, Dorota, began urging schools and legislators to enact tough safeguards.Shuran Huang
Westfield Public Schools held a regular board meeting in late March at the local high school, a red brick complex in Westfield, N.J., with a scoreboard outside proudly welcoming visitors to the “Home of the Blue Devils” sports teams.
But it was not business as usual for Dorota Mani.
In October, some 10th-grade girls at Westfield High School — including Ms. Mani’s 14-year-old daughter, Francesca — alerted administrators that boys in their class had used artificial intelligence software to fabricate sexually explicit images of them and were circulating the faked pictures. Five months later, the Manis and other families say, the district has done little to publicly address the doctored images or update school policies to hinder exploitative A.I. use.
“It seems as though the Westfield High School administration and the district are engaging in a master class of making this incident vanish into thin air,” Ms. Mani, the founder of a local preschool, admonished board members during the meeting.
In a statement, the school district said it had opened an “immediate investigation” upon learning about the incident, had immediately notified and consulted with the police, and had provided group counseling to the sophomore class.
Tenth-grade girls at Westfield High School in New Jersey learned last fall that male classmates had fabricated sexually explicit images of them and shared them.Peter K. Afriyie/Associated Press
“All school districts are grappling with the challenges and impact of artificial intelligence and other technology available to students at any time and anywhere,” Raymond González, the superintendent of Westfield Public Schools, said in the statement.
Blindsided last year by the sudden popularity of A.I.-powered chatbots like ChatGPT, schools across the United States scurried to contain the text-generating bots in an effort to forestall student cheating. Now a more alarming A.I. image-generating phenomenon is shaking schools.
Boys in several states have used widely available “nudification” apps to pervert real, identifiable photos of their clothed female classmates, shown attending events like school proms, into graphic, convincing-looking images of the girls with exposed A.I.-generated breasts and genitalia. In some cases, boys shared the faked images in the school lunchroom, on the school bus or through group chats on platforms like Snapchat and Instagram, according to school and police reports.
Such digitally altered images — known as “deepfakes” or “deepnudes” — can have devastating consequences. Child sexual exploitation experts say the use of nonconsensual, A.I.-generated images to harass, humiliate and bully young women can harm their mental health, reputations and physical safety as well as pose risks to their college and career prospects. Last month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation warned that it is illegal to distribute computer-generated child sexual abuse material, including realistic-looking A.I.-generated images of identifiable minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Yet the student use of exploitative A.I. apps in schools is so new that some districts seem less prepared to address it than others. That can make safeguards precarious for students.
“This phenomenon has come on very suddenly and may be catching a lot of school districts unprepared and unsure what to do,” said Riana Pfefferkorn, a research scholar at the Stanford Internet Observatory, who writes about legal issues related to computer-generated child sexual abuse imagery.
At Issaquah High School near Seattle last fall, a police detective investigating complaints from parents about explicit A.I.-generated images of their 14- and 15-year-old daughters asked an assistant principal why the school had not reported the incident to the police, according to a report from the Issaquah Police Department. The school official then asked “what was she supposed to report,” the police document said, prompting the detective to inform her that schools are required by law to report sexual abuse, including possible child sexual abuse material. The school subsequently reported the incident to Child Protective Services, the police report said. (The New York Times obtained the police report through a public-records request.)
In a statement, the Issaquah School District said it had talked with students, families and the police as part of its investigation into the deepfakes. The district also “shared our empathy,” the statement said, and provided support to students who were affected.
The statement added that the district had reported the “fake, artificial-intelligence-generated images to Child Protective Services out of an abundance of caution,” noting that “per our legal team, we are not required to report fake images to the police.”
At Beverly Vista Middle School in Beverly Hills, Calif., administrators contacted the police in February after learning that five boys had created and shared A.I.-generated explicit images of female classmates. Two weeks later, the school board approved the expulsion of five students, according to district documents. (The district said California’s education code prohibited it from confirming whether the expelled students were the students who had manufactured the images.)
Michael Bregy, superintendent of the Beverly Hills Unified School District, said he and other school leaders wanted to set a national precedent that schools must not permit pupils to create and circulate sexually explicit images of their peers.
“That’s extreme bullying when it comes to schools,” Dr. Bregy said, noting that the explicit images were “disturbing and violative” to girls and their families. “It’s something we will absolutely not tolerate here.”
Schools in the small, affluent communities of Beverly Hills and Westfield were among the first to publicly acknowledge deepfake incidents. The details of the cases — described in district communications with parents, school board meetings, legislative hearings and court filings — illustrate the variability of school responses.
The Westfield incident began last summer when a male high school student asked to friend a 15-year-old female classmate on Instagram who had a private account, according to a lawsuit against the boy and his parents brought by the young woman and her family. (The Manis said they are not involved with the lawsuit.)
After she accepted the request, the male student copied photos of her and several other female schoolmates from their social media accounts, court documents say. Then he used an A.I. app to fabricate sexually explicit, “fully identifiable” images of the girls and shared them with schoolmates via a Snapchat group, court documents say.
Westfield High began to investigate in late October. While administrators quietly took some boys aside to question them, Francesca Mani said, they called her and other 10th-grade girls who had been subjected to the deepfakes to the school office by announcing their names over the school intercom.
That week, Mary Asfendis, the principal of Westfield High, sent an email to parents alerting them to “a situation that resulted in widespread misinformation.” The email went on to describe the deepfakes as a “very serious incident.” It also said that, despite student concern about possible image-sharing, the school believed that “any created images have been deleted and are not being circulated.”
Dorota Mani said Westfield administrators had told her that the district suspended the male student accused of fabricating the images for one or two days.
Soon after, she and her daughter began publicly speaking out about the incident, urging school districts, state lawmakers and Congress to enact laws and policies specifically prohibiting explicit deepfakes.
“We have to start updating our school policy,” Francesca Mani, now 15, said in a recent interview. “Because if the school had A.I. policies, then students like me would have been protected.”
Parents including Dorota Mani also lodged harassment complaints with Westfield High last fall over the explicit images. During the March meeting, however, Ms. Mani told school board members that the high school had yet to provide parents with an official report on the incident.
Westfield Public Schools said it could not comment on any disciplinary actions for reasons of student confidentiality. In a statement, Dr. González, the superintendent, said the district was strengthening its efforts “by educating our students and establishing clear guidelines to ensure that these new technologies are used responsibly.”
Beverly Hills schools have taken a stauncher public stance.
When administrators learned in February that eighth-grade boys at Beverly Vista Middle School had created explicit images of 12- and 13-year-old female classmates, they quickly sent a message — subject line: “Appalling Misuse of Artificial Intelligence” — to all district parents, staff, and middle and high school students. The message urged community members to share information with the school to help ensure that students’ “disturbing and inappropriate” use of A.I. “stops immediately.”
It also warned that the district was prepared to institute severe punishment. “Any student found to be creating, disseminating, or in possession of AI-generated images of this nature will face disciplinary actions,” including a recommendation for expulsion, the message said.
Dr. Bregy, the superintendent, said schools and lawmakers needed to act quickly because the abuse of A.I. was making students feel unsafe in schools.
“You hear a lot about physical safety in schools,” he said. “But what you’re not hearing about is this invasion of students’ personal, emotional safety.”
Natasha Singer writes about technology, business and society. She is currently reporting on the far-reaching ways that tech companies and their tools are reshaping public schools, higher education and job opportunities. More about Natasha Singer
A version of this article appears in print on April 11, 2024, Section B, Page 1 of the New York edition with the headline: Fake A.I. Nudes Create Crisis in Schools. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe
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blueiscoool · 8 months
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Three Students Just Deciphered the First Passages of a 2,000-Year-Old Scroll Burned in Vesuvius’ Eruption
A Roman scroll, partially preserved when it was buried in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in A.D. 79, has been virtually unwrapped and decoded using artificial intelligence.
The feat was achieved by three contestants in the Vesuvius Challenge, a competition launched in March 2023 in which people around the world raced to read the ancient Herculaneum papyri.
Papyrologists working with the Vesuvius Challenge believe the scroll contains “never-before-seen text from antiquity,” and the text in question is a piece of Epicurean philosophy on the subject of pleasure. The winning submission shows ancient Greek letters on a large patch of scroll, and the author seems to be discussing the question: are things that are scarce more pleasurable as a result?
The author, whose identity is unconfirmed, doesn’t think so: “As too in the case of food, we do not right away believe things that are scarce to be absolutely more pleasant than those which are abundant,” one passage from the scroll reads.
The three members of the winning team had previously individually made significant contributions to the competition. Luke Farritor, a computer science student at University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Youssef Nader, a machine learning Ph.D. student at Freie University in Berlin, had been two of the first contestants to detect a smaller number of letters, winning $40,000 and $10,000 respectively. Julian Schilliger, a robotics student at ETH Zürich, developed a tool that began to automatically segment the scrolls. They will share the $700,000 grand prize.
Nat Friedman, a tech investor and executive, and one of the challenge’s organizers, recently printed out the winning submission. “All this has been in this dreamlike digital world in my imagination before," Friedman says. "Seeing it on paper, rolling it up, it just made it so tangible.”
There’s a lot more to discover. The scroll partially decoded by the winning submission was one of 800 discovered in a southern Italian villa that was first uncovered in 1750. The combined efforts of the competitors and organizers so far have resulted in around 5% of one scroll being read.
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The final scramble to read the scrolls
Since the Vesuvius Challenge launched nearly a year ago, participants had both cooperated and competed, sharing their latest techniques with each other and posting pictures of their progress. But as the race for the grand prize intensified, the Discord, a social media platform where the participants shared information, went dark, says Friedman.
Of the eighteen submissions for the grand prize, most of them were received on the last day of the contest, Dec. 31, and three were sent in the final ten minutes, according to Friedman. Friedman recalls he was at home with his family around Christmas, decorating for the holiday while compulsively refreshing his phone, when the winning submission came in. “I ran into my little office at home and popped it open,” he says. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is really magnificent.’”
In accordance with the criteria set in March 2023, the winning submission contains four passages of 140 characters each, with at least 85% of the characters in each of those passages recoverable by professional papyrologists. It also contains a further 11 columns of text.
It isn’t known who authored the ancient scroll, but experts have developed theories. “Is the author Epicurus' follower, the philosopher and poet Philodemus, the teacher of Vergil? It seems very likely,” writes Richard Janko, professor of classical studies at the University of Michigan. “Is he writing about the effect of music on the hearer, and comparing it to other pleasures like those of food and drink? Quite probably.” Robert Fowler, a professor of Greek at the University of Bristol, also believes the author to be Philodemus. “Like other Epicureans, he valued pleasure above all - but pleasure rightly understood, not mere indulgence,” Fowler writes of the philosopher.
In the final section of the scroll, the author appears to criticize his intellectual adversaries, who “have nothing to say about pleasure, either in general or in particular, when it is a question of definition.”
“I can't help but read it as a 2000 year old blog post, arguing with another poster,” says Friedman. “It's ancient Substack, and people are beefing with each other, and I think that's just amazing.”
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What comes next
The Vesuvius Challenge has issued a new grand prize for 2024 that will allow the AI-enhanced decoding to move at a faster pace.
The competitors largely have been developing algorithms for automatic letter detection—using AI to see traces of ink on segments of virtually unrolled scrolls. Aside from letter detection, the other main challenge associated with reading the scrolls is segmentation—separating the layers and virtually unrolling the scrolls. So far, this process has been highly manual; the Vesuvius Challenge employed three full-time segmenters. In order to ensure that they’d have segmented enough of the scroll for someone to win the grand prize, Friedman bought the team new monitors and computers to boost their productivity. The challenge for 2024 is to automate the segmentation process.
Friedman admits that he has had other tempting offers of new quests to pursue. Over the last year, he says his inbox has been filled with Robinson Crusoe-esque proposals, from people alerting him to lost shipwrecks and ancient cities, undecoded languages, and strange glyphs on the sides of mountains.
But he can’t walk away. He wants to help read all of the 800 scrolls already discovered in the villa. And some archeologists believe there is a main library containing tens of thousands of scrolls, still waiting to be excavated.
To expedite the excavation, Friedman has obtained the mobile number of the Italian civil servant responsible for the villa, whom he has texted, twice. “My hope is that I won't have to go and dig it out myself,” says Friedman. “But if that's what it comes to, I will.”
By WILL HENSHALL.
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