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Items tagged with: education


Remember that white house executive order against DEIA, “diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility”?

They went out of their way to add the A for accessibility. So this is very sad but not surprising.

"Trump administration cuts funding to Oregon disability programs"

opb.org/article/2025/09/11/tru…

"Organizations across Oregon received notice from the U.S. Department of Education that they’d lose hundreds of thousands of dollars"

#Oregon #Disability #Accessibility #DisabilityJustice #Education


NEW: Programs for #Students With Hearing and Vision Loss Harmed by Trump’s Anti-Diversity Push
==

Federal funding for organizations that help students with hearing and vision loss across eight states will stop at the end of the month, according to letters sent by a top #Education Dept. official and obtained by ProPublica.

#news #kids #trump #government #DEI

propublica.org/article/trump-d…


Big News! The completely #opensource #LLM #Apertus 🇨🇭 has been released today:

📰 swisscom.ch/en/about/news/2025…

🤝 The model supports over 1000 languages [EDIT: an earlier version claimed over 1800] and respects opt-out consent of data owners.

▶ This is great for #publicAI and #transparentAI. If you want to test it for yourself, head over to: publicai.co/

🤗 And if you want to download weights, datasets & FULL TRAINING DETAILS, you can find them here:
huggingface.co/collections/swi…

🔧 Tech report: huggingface.co/swiss-ai/Apertu…

After #Teuken7b and #Olmo2, Apertus is the next big jump in capabilities and performance of #FOSS #LLMs, while also improving #epistemicresilience and #epistemicautonomy with its multilingual approach.

I believe that especially for sensitive areas like #education, #healthcare, or #academia, there is no alternative to fully open #AI models. Everybody should start building upon them and improving them.

#KIMündigkeit #SovereignAI #FOSS #ethicalAI #swissai #LernenmitKI


What we're reading:

"Asked to generate intervention plans for struggling students, AI teacher assistants recommended more punitive measures for hypothetical students with Black-coded names and more supportive approaches for students the platforms perceived as white, a new study shows."

We know that educators are bombarded with (VC-funded) hype about AI tools as magical solutions. Please don't take these claims at face value and do your own due diligence. 1/4

chalkbeat.org/2025/08/06/ai-te…

@education @edutooters

#Education #Educators #Edutooters #Teachers #Teaching #EdTech


Many of the trusted sources of information I enjoy are talking now about how they plan to be shutdown by the powers controlling the US government. While I am sorry to lose them, as an academic with some resources I expect I will still enjoy some access to the info I need for work. But most Americans are not academics and they will have less and worse information. This is bad for everyone who relies on Americans knowing things and making good choices. #NPR #PBS #education #USPolitics


This is the original middle finger of the right hand of #GalileoGalilei as it can be seen in the #MuseoGalileo, Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in #Florence:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galileo%…

My personal highlight of this trip to Italy so far.

Yes, the #middlefinger gesture is old enough. Even old greeks and romans used it:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_fing…

Maybe this (and the #catholicchurch forcing him to publicly revoke his findings) is why somebody decided to steal this part of his body when he was moved years after his death.

From now on, this picture will be awarded by me to anybody who is talking bullshit that was scientifically proven wrong already.

Use my photos under #CCbyNCSA: creativecommons.org/licenses/b…

#Homöopathie #homeopathy #Schwurbel #nonsense #science #research #galileosmiddlefinger #relic #education #religion #history #church #catholic
/cc #minkorrekt @minkorrekt


Anyone who is blind, or who has worked with the blind, knows how expensive our technology can be. This couldn't be more true with relation to braille displays. Even the cheapest costs at least $799, and it's already behind the newest in that line, at $899. This is the Orbit Reader 20 and 20+. Now, a student in India wants to change that by creating a display that is truly affordable (under $50)! Please pass this on, so that we can give him greater recognition within the blind community. Even if it costs a bit more than he initially suspected it would, there is no excuse for the $2,000 to $5,000 average price of such technology when cheaper alternatives can be designed! He is determined to bring this to market, so let's help him do it and show our appreciation for his hard work on this life-changing project!

forbes.com/sites/kevinanderton…

#access #ACB #accessibility #affordability #blind #braille #BrailleDisplays #children #education #employment #independence #India #learning #NFB #ocr #parent #reading #science #school #students #teachers #technology #work #writing


Texas Lawmakers Want a Charter School Network to Stop Paying Its Superintendent Nearly $900K. The School Board Says No.

The rebuke from lawmakers and charter school leaders came after an investigation from ProPublica and The Texas Tribune revealed that Salvador Cavazos, who oversees fewer than 1,000 students, is among the most well-paid superintendents in the country.
propublica.org/article/salvado…

#News #Texas #Education #School


@libreoffice

The #Libreoffice Youtube channel is posting a lot of interesting talks from the "Libreoffice and #Opensource Conference 2024"

Some of them:

#LuxChat for Governments: youtube.com/watch?v=JXdMKaEXq0…

#OpenDesk on #OpenCode: youtube.com/watch?v=rVhAltODe-…

#Education: youtube.com/watch?v=V4fkWfuFXf…

#Encrypted and #Signed Documents (UI, with #OpenPGP or #x509): youtube.com/watch?v=W-qFr8tL-L…

#Matrix #Luxembourg


Unbelievable

#ElonMusk’s US #DOGE Service are feeding sensitive data into #AI software via #Microsoft’s #cloud

#Musk’s US #DOGE Service have fed sensitive data from across the #Education Dept into #ArtificialIntelligence software to probe the agency’s programs & spending….
The AI probe includes data w/personally identifiable info for people who manage grants, & sensitive internal financial data…

#law #security #InfoSec #CyberSecurity #NationalSecurity #Trump #TrumpCoup
washingtonpost.com/nation/2025…





So questions for #Blind #Edgucaters, #teachers, #school staff and anyone in the #education field as a whole.

I am a university student who originally planned to double major in computer science and elementary education, but I’ve recently faced some concerns that I’d like to address.

I’ve been told that pursuing a teaching certification might not be advisable because schools may be reluctant to hire a teacher with low vision, who is mostly blind, to manage a classroom of thirty or more students. This has been quite upsetting.

My dream was to work with elementary students, focusing on #STEM subjects and teaching technology-related topics like understanding tech, its role in the world, and the basics of programming. Now, I find myself uncertain about what path to take.

Working with kids, especially those in elementary school, is my biggest passion, even more than tech or music. It’s something that would truly fulfill me. Since I can’t have kids myself, guiding and teaching young learners is the next best thing. It’s a career I’m committed to and want to excel in.

Being advised not to pursue a teaching certification and to focus solely on computer science has been quite discouraging. I’ve been told to study elementary education as a secondary focus and combine it with my computer science studies. This might involve developing educational systems for kids, but it would likely mean limited direct interaction, possibly just during product testing, which isn’t enough for me.

So, I have a few questions:

1. Are there any educators with #Blindness or #LowVision challenges working with elementary students? If so, in what capacity do you work with them?
2. How has your disability affected your effectiveness in the field?
3. What challenges did you face in getting certified and qualified, and how did you overcome them?
4. What obstacles have you encountered in the classroom and with colleagues, and how have you addressed them?

If these questions don’t apply, what advice can you offer me in pursuing my goal of working with children? While tech is a focus, I’m open to being flexible, as long as it’s an area I’m confident in.

Finally, if teaching isn’t possible for me, what other career paths would you suggest that align with my goals?

I’d really appreciate any support
and engagement in this discussion.

Boosts welcomed and appreciated.

#BlindEducators #Teachers #Education #AskMastodon #VocationalAdvice #University #TeacherLife #OvercomingAbleism


Are you interested how to use Apple notes as an #accessible graphing calculator? Check out this post

nunonuno.micro.blog/2024/11/04…
#accessibility #apple #blind #ios #math #education #tech


For our (small) master dissertation about #education (but mostly because we are interested), we are doing research about using #OpenStreetMap within #secondary education (roughly 12 - 18 years old, but with a focus on 16 - 18 years old).

The long-term goal is to create a usable #lesson where pupils go out and map using a data collection app. If you have any experience with this, would you be so kind to spend 10 minutes of your time to fill out the survey?

framaforms.org/use-of-gis-or-o…


Cybersecurity course: 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀-𝗼𝗻, 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲!
Czech Technical Univeristy's "Introduction to Security" class opens online for free! 14 weeks of deep attacking and defending. Join us and register for free. Starting on Sep 26th. 
cybersecurity.bsy.fel.cvut.cz/
#cybersec #infosec #blueteam #redteam #education #security


"We ask children to do for most of a day what few adults could do for even an hour. How many of us, attending, say, a lecture that doesn't interest us, can keep our mind from wandering? Hardly any."

John Holt

#Children #Education




I learned about secure software development on the job, but like ethical computing (which I've talked about before), this should also be included in formal education. Because of the current threat models, topics like security by design and zero-trust frameworks are critical when developing Internet systems. linuxfoundation.org/press/linu…

#securitybydesign #security #softwaredevelopment #zerotrust #infosec #cybersecurity #education


Recently, user Jordan shared a small but meaningful experience made possible with #NVDA: "When NVDA by NV Access reads alt text from your favourite #restaurant menu, now I just found a new #dessert I want to try! Thanks to NVDA, my day is getting off to a perfect start."

NVDA changes lives by providing access to #education, #employment & #connection. If you'd like to support our mission, you can #donate to NV Access here: nvaccess.org/support-us/#donat….

#ChangingLives #RealImpact #MakingADifference


Some of us Internet Weirdos are doing a survey on Neurodivergence and Education.

If you are in school, college, university or whatnot, or have been in the last five years, could you spend a few minutes filling in this out for us?

We're writing guides for educators and learners and the more input we have, the better we'll be.

Appreciated folx!

forms.gle/zoww1VXHG4AHu9kV6

#ND #neurodiverse #education #school #college #university #neurodivergent #autism #actuallyAutistic #ptsd #survey #surveys


I am always happy see the release of the WebAIM Million and 2024 is just out.

webaim.org/projects/million/

The figure most folks want to see is the percentage of home pages that had detected WCAG 2 failures. it is marginally better than 2023 but you will have to read the report.

It is also worth noting that sub domains have been excluded from the scan. The WebAIM team decided the long-term results would be better.

I understand that this has a big impact on #government and #education sites.





OK, trying an experiment with my Programming Languages class!

• Have an AI generate some of your writing assignment.
• Critique its output. Call BS on its BS.

Assignment details in screenshots below. I’ll let you know how it goes.

(Here are the links from the screenshots:)

Raw AI Text:
gist.github.com/pcantrell/7b68…

Comments on AI Text:
gist.github.com/pcantrell/d51b…

(Better) Human Text
gist.github.com/pcantrell/f363…

#ai #chatgpt #education #writing #highered
#swift #proglang


My favorite outcome so far: a student remarked (paraphrasing here) that she didn’t realize how much she had to say in her paper until she saw how wrong the AI was, how much it missed the point.

Observing her own reaction to BS about her topic made her realize she’d underestimated the extent of her own newly-forming knowledge. That…that is the sort of outcome an educator dreams of.

#ai #chatgpt #education #writing #highered




Currently pouring over a sample exam sheet set for Finnish highschool students in German as foreign language in 2020 to assess the accessibility of the exam solution. It's got everything an accessible test needs: a table of contents, a good heading structure, native HTML 5 media player with almost perfect accessibility, native controls such as radio buttons and edit fields to give the answers.
The students were to pass the test by connecting their computers with an Ethernet cable to the examination machine running a special OS, presumably a fork of Debian. The test was taken by tunneling into the examination machine through the web browser and handling the exam in an accessible HTML from there.
Sadly, the audio recordings for the listening part do not seem to be available. Pity, as they reference Whatsapp voice messages. Would be fun to check for their authenticity based on the sound quality.
On that note: Do language exams in your countries reference modern communication methods or is it still a telephone? When I took my final in German, "Social media: pros and cons" was just a subject of the mini essay I had to put together as part of the writing assignment.
web.archive.org/web/2020012122…
#Accessibility #Blind #Finland #Education #Languages #German


Let's Share Free Software

What's free software you use the most everyday? I work as a course teacher and mine's as the following.

:gnu: :linux: GNU/Linux

:kde: KDE, Dolphin, Gwenview & Okular

:firefox: Firefox

:jitsi: Jitsi

:libreoffice: LibreOffice Writer & Calc

:thunderbird: Thunderbird

:youtube: VLC

:inkscape: Inkscape

:debian: Synaptic & apt

If you use #FreeSoftware, please boost. Thanks.

#GNU #Linux #OpenSource #Education


#SurveillanceCapitalism Spreading In #Schools, Sidelining Role Of #Teachers.

My Take: putting children under 24/7 monitoring, is harmful to natural development + #autonomy.

Ex: intense security (like recent proposal to add armed taser drones + force children to train with them) may do little more than put kids in more fear.

#News #Education #Privacy #HumanRights #AI progressive.org/public-schools…


"LfDI expects schools to offer pupils alternatives to the MS365 #cloud service for #school operations by the summer vacations in 2022.

From the coming school year, the use of MS 365 at schools must be terminated or its data protection-compliant operation must be clearly demonstrated by the responsible schools."

This is how the SA of Baden-Württemberg starts its press release stating that M365 is not #GDPR compliant and it must be discontinued.

#Privacy #Education

baden-wuerttemberg.datenschutz…