Tom Liam Lynch, Ed.D.

The #AI in #education conversation would benefit from this Shel Silverstein illustration. Yes there is computerized automation at play. But those very automations are written by human authors tucked away out of sight. #csforall

🧑‍🏫 Love teachers? Help sponsor a table for teachers at our Gala! 🎟️ 🪩 Our Annual Gala (called Show Teachers the Love!) is approaching—complete with inspiring performances and a special appearance by Stranger Things co-star Gaten Matarazzo. Deets 👇 academyforteachers.org/STTL

I just gave a closed-book, pen-and-paper midterm exam in my 300-level course at UBC with 100 students. All exams were graded by an experienced graduate-level TA according to a rubric. *** The average was 64/100.*** My class averages at UBC are usually 80-85. Context: • This was the first midterm, covering ONLY 4 weeks of material. • Students had a list of possible questions in advance: no surprise questions. • Questions included (a) 3 concept definitions, (b) 3 paragraph-long questions, and (c) a 1.5-page essay. • I have taught this class multiple times. Nothing in my teaching style changed this semester. • We read entire paragraphs of text in class, so students don't have to do something on their own that wasn't covered during the lecture. • Students take a 10-question multiple-choice quiz at the end of every class (30% of the final grade). • Attendance is 95-99% every class. Attention during lectures and participation in pair-work activities are very high → anticipating the end-of-class quiz. *** But unfortunately, I suspect many students are not reading the material on the syllabus. They are asking LLMs to summarize it instead.*** After the midterm, students reported: • They thought they knew concept definitions but couldn't produce them on paper. • They thought they understood the arguments but struggled to connect them or identify points of agreement and disagreement. My view: It might be “cool” or “innovative” to teach students to summarize readings with ChatGPT or write essays with Claude. But we may be doing them a disservice: reducing their ability to retain material, think creatively, and reason from what they know. If you only read what AI has summarized for you, you don’t truly "know" the material. Moving forward: We have a second midterm coming up. I don't know how to convey to students that the best way to do better on the exam is to rely on and improve their own reading skills.

Like #wordle but for #books lovers. Here's today's game. Play at: wilde.cards #BookWorm #Bibliophile #BookishCommunity #ReadersOfTwitter #Reading #WordleShare

I'm addicted to this game. It's called Wilde Cards. wilde.cards I welcome thoughts and feedback. Go Wilde! 📷 #WordGames #wordle #literarygames #booktok

On Tuesday, join me as we send a powerful message to President Trump: keep your hands off our public schools. I’ll be joined by parents, advocates, elected officials, & more as we unite to defend every child’s right to a quality education. 📚📢

A new peer-reviewed, open-access journal, Public Humanities, aims to strengthen the connections between university-based humanities work and the wider world, creating a space for academics and practitioners to share what they do and how they do it. edsurge.com/news/2025-01-0…

“Writing is like driving a car at night: you never see further than your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” —E. L. Doctorow theparisreview.org/interviews/271…

Nearly 70% of parents say their ninth graders “love” going to school, according to a new @BrookingsInst report. Just 30% of actual freshmen agree buff.ly/4gBN0f2

Amber Faris uses everything from book ‘tastings’ to elaborate displays of banned books to get students interested in new titles. chalkbeat.org/2025/01/03/fay…

The #WordOfTheDay is ‘addlepated.’ ow.ly/a5Gr50UyVTT

“Writers do not merely reflect and interpret life, they inform and shape life.” —E.B. White buff.ly/4aikmNk

“I always start out with an idea that becomes a question I don’t have answers to.” —Toni Morrison buff.ly/2FCL4lf

Our SVP and Chief Development Officer Melissa Browne had the privilege of joining @fox5ny's Good Day New York this morning to share how UWNYC is improving lives in our communities. #nonprofit #NYC @BMO

By age 6, kids already think boys are better than girls at computer science and engineering. Among girls, these beliefs become more entrenched over time, according to large, international study from @AIRInforms buff.ly/3BiC7Q5

#Humanities aren’t just for majors — #STEM students gain critical thinking and interpersonal skills too. An English professor explains the benefits: buff.ly/4iGex0d (@annamaeduane @uconn) #loneliness #highered

Word of the day is ‘apanthropist’ (18th century): someone who dislikes company and desires to be left alone.

clause =📝 Claus = 🎅 claws = 🐈

To improve public safety, we must support young people at high risk of experiencing violence with the tools they need to succeed. Our Atlas program, managed with the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, helps youth access mental health services and prepares them for the workforce of the future. Atlas moves individuals away from cycles of violence and reduces gun-related crime in communities. Will you help us reach more youth and build safer neighborhoods? Make a gift to support our work now: unitedway.nyc/4g0ukVw

Word of the day is ‘forswunk’ (13th century): exhausted by work. I like to add ‘foreswunk’, exhausted before you even begin.

We learn more from reading on paper than on screens. 54 studies, 171k people: we process print more deeply than digital content—as long as it's informational rather than purely narrative. The paper advantage holds across ages and has grown over time. Long live physical books.