The Gatekeeper of Ideas

Photo by Jehyun Sung on Unsplash

I was recently watching a video on YouTube. The person was telling an anecdote about Vince McMahon. Years ago, when he was running the WWE/WWF, he was be the deciding factor when creatives pitched their ideas. 

All ideas ran through him and he solely had the power to approve or reject ideas.

I think overall he was very successful, but the person narrating said that he would sometimes approve poor ideas that would eventually tank or be unsuccessful.

It goes to show that there should be check on one's power by committee.

What happens when the committee is ineffective?

Google's Self Driving Bicycle

Post by @power.ai

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This video could be a good one to use for media literacy. I asked ChatGPT to use Stanford's Civic Online Reasoning framework to evaluate the video. The Civic Online Reasoning framework is the following:

Fact checkers prioritize these questions:

Who’s behind the information?

What’s the evidence?

What do other sources say?

PROMPT

I have an april fools video from google showing a self driving bicycle. I want to use it to teach media literacy using the Standford civic online reasoning  framework. help me think of some questions  I could ask about the video to verify if it is true or not.

ChatGPT

Certainly! The Stanford Civic Online Reasoning framework is a great tool for analyzing media content critically. Here are some questions you could use to assess the credibility of the April Fool's video about the self-driving bicycle:

Source Evaluation:

• Who created this video? Is it from a reputable source?
• Does the source have a history of producing satire or humor?
• Is there any indication that this video was produced as part of an April Fool's joke or prank

Contextual Analysis:

• What is the purpose of the video? Is it purely informative, or does it seem intended to entertain or deceive?
• Are there any inconsistencies or unrealistic elements in the video that raise doubts about its authenticity?
• Does the video include any disclaimers or cues that it is not meant to be taken seriously?

Content Examination:

• What specific features of the self-driving bicycle are showcased in the video?
• Are there any technical details provided about how the self-driving mechanism works?
• Do experts or credible sources in the field of technology or transportation provide commentary or analysis on the feasibility of such a technology?

Cross-Referencing:

• Can similar technologies or concepts be found in real-world applications or research?
• Are there any news articles or reports discussing the development of self-driving bicycles or similar inventions?
• Have reputable organizations or experts commented on the video's authenticity?

Critical Thinking:

• What are the potential implications if self-driving bicycles were indeed real?
• How might the public react to the introduction of such technology?
• What ethical considerations should be taken into account when developing and implementing self-driving vehicles, including bicycles?

Corroboration:

• Have other credible sources or videos corroborated the claims made in this video?
• Is there any additional evidence or data available to support or refute the claims presented in the video?

I think it did a pretty good job. Of course, I would go in an tweak some things, but not bad for a first pass.

Everything Feeds Into One Thing

This is what Bing made for me when I described my blog post.

I am an IB teacher. I have been teaching in IB schools for about the last 15 years. The other day my wife, who is a Japanese teacher at an IB school, was talking to me about her unit design. 

When I was explaining the how I should structure her unit, I said the lines of inquiry and all the activities should help students build an understanding towards the Central Idea.

This should also happen when anything happens in a school. Everything a school - or organization does - should be able to point back to to that vision or central idea.

It is really a case of knowing and understanding your why. 

What is your why?