We hosted a second "Avoiding AI" panel earlier this month. It featured three faculty sharing their strategies for keeping AI (mostly) out of their courses. Here's my recap of the event: cte.virginia.edu/news/more-st...

It got very cold at Shelby Park today, but the geese didn’t mind! I saw the Greater White-fronted Goose that’s been hanging around with the Canada Geese all week. Lifer! #birding

This just in! Keep the Faith, a storytelling game about religion in transition, by @gregisonthego.bsky.social and @cmichpress.bsky.social! I talked with Greg about this game last year on the podcast: www.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

I was skeptical about oral exams as a response to AI, but after reading the literature on oral exams while writing the AI-aware teaching book, I was sold that they can be used thoughtfully for both evaluation and learning. Case in point, Cynthia’s colloquy described here 👇

We were told to scrub "biodiversity" from our websites because of this shit.

BREAKING: The Department of Education has ended its directive that attempted to restrict diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in schools nationwide. This is a victory for academic freedom and education equity.

75 years old! 🪶🪶 Wisdom the Laysan Albatross has returned to Midway Atoll. medium.com/discourse/sh...

I failed to spot the vagrant Green-tailed Towhee in Nashville today. It was seen yesterday and today by several birders. I believe it’s only the third report of that species in Tennessee since 1957. I might have heard it? But I did see this fine Field Sparrow and an American Kestrel. #birding

There's much talk about universities buying expensive AI licenses, but will students even use them? Arguments about access, equity, and security are often part of the marketing used to sell AI, but these become meaningless if students don't stop using free AI open.substack.com/pub/marcwatk...

Doing my part for the Great Backyard Bird Count this morning

2026 Great Backyard Bird Count is on! Feb 13-16. Report your sightings on eBird or just follow along and watch sightings accumulate around the globe in real time. It’s getting birdy! #birds www.birdcount.org

Can #AI accurately transcribe tricky primary source documents—including shoes? At the “AI Transcription Winter 2026 OLLMpics," Library staff tested four platforms, and the results are in: https://library.virginia.edu/news/2026/gamechanger-can-ai-accurately-transcribe-primary-source-documents

They would be as likely to break what was working as they would be to fix what was broken. Unless you can find the unicorn Lederman describes in this piece.

This last week was a rough one—no power for four nights, among other challenges—but the birding was great. #birding

If it doesn’t have an RSS feed with audio content, it’s not a podcast.

Update: The power is back on! We have heat again.

Day five without power at my house. Cell signals are back and the roads are mostly clear. But with more cold coming, our little propane heater can’t keep up so we’re going to stay with friends tonight. Apologies if I owe you an email!

Today’s home office. The only corner of the yard where I get an occasional Internet signal.

It’s rough out there, so here are some birds.

Here’s hoping the Horned Lark comes out in this game. cc @aba.org

So UT-Austin is committed to "undergraduate research, faculty support, advising," but it's closing the offices and centers that do that work? Um, what? www.chronicle.com/article/ut-a...

Excited to be helping facilitate the virtual track at the Virginia AI Symposium today! UVA's @monasloane.bsky.social is our keynote this morning for those on-site and about 150 of us on the livestream.

It’s the define-a-sandwich activity! In its full, peer-reviewed glory.

I wish Bluesky listed post per day somewhere in a user's profile. Sometimes I think I want to follow someone, but I'm worried they'll fill up my feed more than I'd like.

It’s rough out there. Here’s a bird.

“Texas A&M assumes as its historic trust the maintenance of freedom of inquiry and an intellectual environment nurturing the human mind and spirit.“ Texas A&M mission statement

On today's podcast, @anetv.bsky.social on AI literacy: "Every time I use the term, it hurts my soul a little bit.” Annette and I talk about "AI literacy," computational literacy via vibe coding, what students want you to know about AI, and more! intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

On today's podcast, @anetv.bsky.social on AI literacy: "Every time I use the term, it hurts my soul a little bit.” Annette and I talk about "AI literacy," computational literacy via vibe coding, what students want you to know about AI, and more! intentionalteaching.buzzsprout.com/2069949/epis...

Is there a podcast on leadership out there for high ed administrators? I keep hearing about the dumbest management moves from presidents and provosts and such. They need some help.

Also blog posts

I’m just gonna listen to all podcasts featuring @annamillsoer.bsky.social. (See my last two reposts.)

What kind of guardrails should AI companies build to protect learning? I talked w/ @annamillsoer.bsky.social for the latest Learning Curve podcast about her argument that agentic AI browsers offer a clear case of how AI & edtech companies can help protect learning. learningcurve.fm/episodes/wha...

In today's Tea for Teaching podcast, @annamillsoer.bsky.social joins us to suggest ways in which AI can be used to help students develop their writing skills while also promoting academic integrity. @cyberthread.bsky.social teaforteaching.podbean.com/e/authentic-...

How can we direct students away from using AI on course assignments and activities? Here's a recap of a workshop I led in November on the topic of "avoiding" AI: cte.virginia.edu/news/avoidin.... We talked about oral exams, alternative grading, intrinsic motivation, and more.

Martin Peterson's creative response to being banned from teaching Plato (shared with his permission).

The Center for Academic Freedom has developed some recommendations and language around academic freedom that you can make part of your semester syllabus. Check out this post by CDAF director @isaackamola.bsky.social for details and links. open.substack.com/pub/academic...

How can we direct students away from using AI on course assignments and activities? Here's a recap of a workshop I led in November on the topic of "avoiding" AI: cte.virginia.edu/news/avoidin.... We talked about oral exams, alternative grading, intrinsic motivation, and more.

UVA business prof Scott Miller asked his students to debate a custom AI chatbot styled as Alexander Hamilton, then critique the chatbot. Miller: "The ability to identify where it is wrong is a good demonstration of how well students ‘know’ Hamilton himself." news.virginia.edu/content/ai-a...

I co-authored a post with @katiemattaini.bsky.social and Eden Tanner on @empittsdonahoe.bsky.social blog about Alternative Grading in Large Classes: emilypittsdonahoe.substack.com/p/alternativ...

Listening to this and realizing I don’t know anything about auto repair pedagogy.

Things are going great out here dailynous.com/2026/01/06/t...

I unfortunately engaged with a Facebook post about a fired professor getting his job back. I'm surprised at how many people think that the First Amendment only protects speech about or against the government, not all kinds of speech.

Gift link to my piece on January 6 last year with Charlie Warzel arguing that social media was most dangerous not because it changed minds but because it allowed people to discard and neutralize the compelling evidence in front of them www.theatlantic.com/technology/a...

The 2026 ABA Bird of the Year is the Horned Lark! Get ready for a great year of celebrating Horned Larks! www.aba.org/the-2026-aba...

I just remembered that there’s a new episode of New Year’s Day, the fiction podcast that comes out once a year! www.atypicalartists.co/newyearsday

Please can we have some Benny Hill music for that last play.

I finally got the sports reference from @artbutmakeitsports.bsky.social !

@josheyler.bsky.social Found a slow read of Les Mis! thebigread.substack.com/p/the-big-re...

Sweet