Today I spoke with Teresa Dunat-Banks, Head of Special Education, about students with special needs and how the physical space can enhance student learning.
You can find her on Twitter @tdunatbanks
Thinking About Bots
Over the past few weeks I have been thinking more and more about bots. I have gotten used to asking Siri simple searchable questions. I also find I don’t type text messages anymore, instead I am using the voice typing found in the Android keyboard and “OK Google” is something I catch myself saying quite often. I even talk to my car to change the station or temperature. Voice is becoming a normal method for me to interact with technology.
The newest generation of devices and initiatives by the big technology companies have got me speculating about the power of bots and how we might use them in the future. I am really looking forward to when we talk to our rooms like in Star Trek. I was immediately impressed when I looked at what Amazon’s Alexa is capable of, then disappointed it was not available in Canada. I found the Microsoft Bot Framework announcement intriguing. Google is also getting into the picture with CleverBot. All of these bots are experiments and very early in their development so we can expect them to have some issues. For example it only took a few hours for the Microsoft chatbot, Tay, to be “pwned“.
I am looking forward to my “personal assistant bot” to listen to me and automate parts of my life. For example, I am hoping I can say to my phone, “Set up a dinner appointment with Sharon next week.” Then my bot will talk to Sharon’s bot and they will exchange calendar information to determine the best time to meet. Then do some deep data analysis of my GPS history and other data to determine when and where we like to eat and compromise on a time and cuisine. Once a time is established, my bot will make a reservation using an API for an app like OpenTable. Once the reservation is made it will confirm the reservation with Sharon’s bot and then both bots will add the event to our personal calendars.
It does not sound all that exciting, but the time it will save is huge. For example, I am currently trying to find a good meeting time with 8 people. We are using Doodle to schedule the meeting but it will likely take days and a reminder email before everyone inputs their information. Using a bot, this could happen in minutes (or even seconds). Of course we will have to give up some privacy as this data will have to be stored somewhere and there is always a risk that the information will get out in a data breach.
I guess the big question we will have to address on an individual level, how important is our personal information and is it worth surrendering it for additional benefits and convenience. I know what I am willing to surrender.
New Podcast: Three Questions with Sarah Bowler
This week I met with Sarah Bowler at Waterloo Collegiate and I asked her about her love of physical education and how we can motivate our students into adopting a healthy lifestyle. You can follow Sarah on Twitter at @SZagorskiBowler.
Listen to the interview on Soundcloud or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes.
New Podcast: Three Questions With…Scott McKenzie
This week I decided to try my hand at podcasting again. I went back and looked at the video podcasts that Jane (@JMitchinson) and I made a few years ago. They were pretty good, but I can tell you that I learned a whole lot about producing podcasts. I now think I can do a better job. With that in mind I decided to try my hand at producing a new podcast.
Three Questions With… was born. It is an interview podcast where I will be asking interesting people 3 questions. The format will be pretty standardized. The first question, “What can you tell the listeners about yourself?” The second, “What are you most passionate about?” Finally the third, will be based on their answer to the second question. My goal is to have “bite sized” podcast that is 2-5 minutes in length. The podcast is hosted on SoundCloud and I have submitted it to iTunes, Stitcher, and TuneIn so you can subscribe to it using your favourite podcast listening device.
For my first interview, I met with Scott McKenzie (@ScottMcKenzie27) at a local diner. Scott is a teacher with the WRDSB and I asked him questions about what he finds important in Primary Education.
I hope you subscribe and don’t be afraid to suggest someone you would like me to interview.
Take care and happy listening.