Ethan Mollick (new book out, I’m on the waiting list at the library)has a new newsletter out about things you should and should not use AI for. Check out #4 if you are a teacher, and then look closely at the NOT part. If you are a student who wants to LEARN a language (or anything else), be very careful on how you use AI.
A computer in a keyboard. Raspberry pi 5 is out now. About the price of 3 textbooks.
People are talking about podcasts created by NotebookLM. We are astounded at how the two people discuss any topic we want, in such a natural dialog. The male voice sounds like a mild version of Howard Stern, and the female voice reminds me of…not sure. On the other hand, we complain that the voices are always the same, the speed and delivery also the same.
Google has another tool that lets you have more control over the output. Marc Watkins explains.
Right now you can write a prompt or link to a webpage for input, and select voices and dialog register (formality). Still no speed settings.
I’ve never seen a 7-year-old give a TED talk, but Molly does a great job. She even has an assistant Airi, with HIS assistant father, help out. This video has important lessons for child development, presented in a clear way that is easy to understand. So put away those iPads and phones, and PAY ATTENTION.
One of the important steps in vocabulary learning is to decide if a word is “worth” learning. Will I use it in conversation? Will I need it to understand an important idea or concept? (How is the word “idea” different from “concept”?)
The four words in the photo are pretty useless, unless I use a boat. But the ideas that make the differences (is it built on wood or dirt? Does it stick out into the water or not?) are important distinctions that can help in other areas. Just to think about how words are different can help you understand more about a language.
Here is another example: Smell and Stink. Something can smell good or bad, but Stink means it always smells bad. Now look up other related words like Aroma and Stench. Use a thesaurus (dictionary of synonyms or similar words) to find other smell-related vocabulary.
The important thing is to spend time with your new words.