Tessera

Beck Wise

@wisebeck.bsky.social

Jess Calarco @jessicacalarco.com · 3d ago

This shift to computerized state tests was made possible by schools' adoption of one-to-one devices. Which mostly happened with Covid. And yet, we rarely discuss the possibility that computerizing tests--without first teaching computing skills--might've contributed to subsequent test score declines.

David Adams@daveadams.bsky.social · 3d ago

My daughter’s middle school never taught typing, but the computerized state standardized tests included a timed essay section to be completed in a tiny text area.

Cin (they/them)@skyalin.bsky.social · 4d ago

And yet, internet is still not classified as an essential service in Australia, so they can weasel out of actually providing it to people any time they want. Which is it, hmm?

Asher Wolf@asherwolf.bsky.social · 4d ago

Data centres classified as “utility installations” and can apply for permits on green wedge land

Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 4d ago

I like this notetaking example. it is a good case of how gender works. Notetaking has never been about producing a transcript. It is a bureaucratic skill in the 20th c. organixarion because it is SENSEMAKING. Those women socialized to take notes? They have been doing men’s metacognition for them

Jennifer Romig @jennifermromig.bsky.social · 4d ago

Notetaking in meetings is tiny case in point - used to be some predictable social assumptions who would do it; now anyone can offer to do ”notetaking” by turning on the AI listener. Further interesting scenario is human recollection / notes (taken by habit by a person) conflict with AI summary

Iris van Rooij 💭@irisvanrooij.bsky.social · 5d ago

I'd be happy to give High-level Academic Advise on AI in research, but this call makes clear that genuine advice is not welcome. Yet, advice is much needed! Even EU president promotes hype & pseudoscientific claims. See e.g. open letter by experts last year www.iccl.ie/press-releas...

Scientists call on the President of the European Commission to retract AI hype statement - Irish Council for Civil Liberties

Experts in AI call on the President of the European Commission to retract unscientific AI hype statement she made in the budget speech.

iccl.ie

Ajuna Soerjadi 🌸@ethicsofai.bsky.social · last wk.

So let me get this straight. They want expert scientific advice on AI -So far so good - to unlock the full potential of AI-driven science, accelerate breakthroughs and to consolidate the uptake of AI in science?? research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-res...

Faine Greenwood @faineg.bsky.social · 5d ago

I used to do some work on the ethical use of satellite and drone imagery for aid and disaster response, and it is genuinely hard to express in words what a dangerous, stupid thing Google is doing by making it easy to use GenAI to create faked satellite imagery:

How to plant a nuclear plant in Iran

The question is: what on earth is Google doing?

digitaldigging.org

Donnie Johnson Sackey @donniejsackey.bsky.social · 5d ago

Update on CCCC 2027 I just got off a call with Antero Garcia and Emily Kirkpatrick. 1/21

Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 6d ago

My boiling hot take on this is that, if tech companies are going to fund this kind of research (looking at Schmidt too), then the money needs to be given *no strings* to an independent arm's length research body, pooled with other funding, and treated as a donation not as direct funding.

Hetan Shah@hetanshah.bsky.social · 6d ago

Anthropic AI research fund offers $5m - $30m for social science research on themes of AI impact on workers; transition initiatives; income support; building worker stakes; and wider evidence on public investments. Total fund of $200m available www.anthropic.com/news/economi...

Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · last wk.

Joke‘s on me because MOOCs failed at being remembered and but MOOC politics absolutely won the university.

Mary Lewis @profmarylewis.bsky.social · last wk.

It‘s quite possible that with this move, @harvard.edu could become the only Ivy League university without a writing center. www.thecrimson.com/article/2026...

Harvard College Lays Off Writing Center Director, Consolidates Center | News | The Harvard Crimson

The Harvard College Writing Center will no longer operate as a standalone unit after its director was laid off and its functions were consolidated as part of a restructuring in the Faculty of Arts and...

thecrimson.com

Leigh Gruwell @leighthinks.bsky.social · last wk.

But the loss of such a storied (and, yes, flawed) organization stings even harder for those of us who needed it for support as our local institutions become increasingly more perilous.

Kory Stamper @korystamper.bsky.social · last wk.

Possibly the best way to end the FAQ on your new AI search function.

A note from the new AI search (ughhhhh) FAQ at Merriam-Webster.com:

"The Usual Caveat
Like any chatbot, Merriam-Webster AI may sometimes make mistakes. Please verify all important information using Merrian-Webster.com."

Don't visit merrian-webster.com (with the n) unless you want your computer to become so infected with malware that the only recourse you have is to set it on fire in a containment unit.

Beck Wise @wisebeck.bsky.social · last wk.

Hahahahaha I had 190 in FYW in Australia last semester (and I've had the title for an article about it for CCC for years but not the study design and now I'll never use it)

Kim Andrews@kqandrews.bsky.social · last wk.

Canada thinks it’s fine to teach basic writing skills to 75 people at a time. Guess what!!! It’s an unmitigated disaster

Micah @rincewind.run · last wk.

legitimately this is a big reason it’s important to have diverse product teams! people with different experiences have different perspectives on how something can be misused and will bring up problems that you might have missed even with a good faith attempt at thinking them through

Lennon@lennon-s.bsky.social · last wk.

Have One Woman On The Design Team Challenge; Impossible

Micah @rincewind.run · last wk.

one of the most important things you need to do when developing a new product, especially in tech, is sit down and think about how it can be misused by bad actors and nowadays it sure seems like the bad actors are less “people to be guarded against” and more “the target customer base”

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · last wk.

FWIW, Meta was fully aware of how these glasses would primarily be used. The glasses were designed to erase consent, and that is why they exist. Anything that they do that suggests they want to ameliorate this use is an attempt to win the PR battle and manipulate public opinion.

Beck Wise @wisebeck.bsky.social · last wk.

Finally Australia gets to see CCCC news ahead of the US -- Inside Higher Ed story posted late afternoon time here while all y'all were asleep www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty...

NCTE Dissolves 77-Year-Old Composition Association

The National Council of Teachers of English’s decision was met with swift backlash from Conference on College Composition and Communication members, who say their organization is vital to advancing co...

insidehighered.com

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · last wk.

There’s decades of scholarship on this! Please read some before coming into my mentions with bullshit.

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · last wk.

Muting: people are weird in the replies. It’s not conjecture when I say they know this. Meta’s own researchers warned them about amplifying hate content, damaging girls’ body image…and a bunch of other stuff. To pretend they are ignorant of the negative affordances is to let them off the hook.

Hypervisible @hypervisible.blacksky.app · last wk.

Susan (George) Schorn @susanschorn.bsky.social · 2w ago

If @ncte.org will do this to their composition wing, they'll do it to anyone. Flee this organization. It's rotten.

Kendall Gerdes 📚🦕@kendalljoy.bsky.social · 2w ago

Here it is, folks. @ncte.org Executive Committee votes to "de-charter its special topics conference CCCC," i.e., to shitcan the Cs. mailchi.mp/ncte/ncte-up...

Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhet & Comp @cfshrc.bsky.social · 2w ago

Statement from the CFSHRC's Executive Board #SaveCCCC 💔

The Executive Board of the Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition has been watching the social media posts regarding NCTE’s intention to dissolve the Conference on College Composition and Communication into their College Section. We too have found this news incredibly disheartening. We urge NCTE to take the time to hear from Cs leadership and our larger scholarly community before they make any decisions regarding the future of Cs.

While we await official statements and clarity from leadership of both NCTE and Cs, we wanted to express our appreciation for the immense impact Cs has had on the formation, growth, and sustainability of our field for over three quarters of a century.

During this painful time, we see the deep care we have for our work and the endless generosity of time, talent, and expertise that so many in our community have donated to Cs and to us all over the years. We deeply appreciate the executive board and Cs leadership for their work during this difficult time. Any organization is made up of people, and we will persist and thrive.
It is our hope that the Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition can be a place to gather, process, and support our colleagues.

In solidarity,
Coalition of Feminist Scholars in the History of Rhetoric and Composition
Cristy Beemer, President
Rebecca Richards, Immediate Past President
Jess Enoch, Former President
Jen Almjeld, Vice President
Risa Applegarth, Secretary
David Gold, Treasurer
Kate Pantelides, Member-at-Large
Leslie Beegle, Graduate Student Representative

Cara Marta Messina @caramartamessina.com · 2w ago

This is because NCTE complied with fascists and has a partnership with Google, while CCCC continued to advocate for anti-racism and caution against AI. I just emailed customerservice@ncte.org to request a refund and you should, too. Absolutely devastating.

Sea(n) Otter 🦦@seemtoggle.bsky.social · 2w ago

There it is. #CCCC #NCTE

Email from NCTE Executive Committee acknowledging messages received and the following:

For many years, the Conference on College Composition & Communication (CCCC) played a critical role in serving the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) & its mission. In recent years, however, CCCC has struggled with its fiscal sustainability, declining participation, & governance challenges. As a result, earlier today the Executive Committee of NCTE made the difficult decision to de-charter its special topics conference CCCC. To clarify, today’s decision to de-charter does not mean that NCTE has altered its commitment to supporting teachers at the college and university level. This is exemplified by the fact that the NCTE College Section is thriving. The process in making this decision spanned several years, with attempts to work collaboratively with CCCC’s executive committees across multiple iterations. While the organization appreciates the years of collaboration with CCCC, after deep evaluation and thoughtful consideration, the Executive Committee concluded this step was necessary to more effectively serve the college English and writing and composition community and NCTE membership as a whole.

Although this has been a very difficult decision, we are excited about the future. This change will allow us to provide better support to the college English and writing and composition community. In the coming days and weeks, we will be working hard to make this transition as smooth as possible. We thank CCCC, its leaders, and its members for its many years of contributions and look forward to continuing to involve the composition, rhetoric, and writing communities as we move forward. NCTE remains devoted to improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. As future planning takes place, NCTE will communicate updates.

A transition team focused on supporting composition, rhetoric, & writing studies will be named imminently.

Dr. Jennifer (she/her)@drjags.bsky.social · 2w ago

That "special topics conference" language is really getting under my grill. It reeks of the long history of seeing composition as an extension of and lesser than literature.

Matthew Kirschenbaum @mkirschenbaum.bsky.social · 2w ago

At a time when the instruction and scholarship of writing has never been more urgent or in the news.

Sea(n) Otter 🦦@seemtoggle.bsky.social · 2w ago

There it is. #CCCC #NCTE

Megan McIntyre @rcmeg.bsky.social · 2w ago

NCTE has just summarily killed a 77-year-old organization that has shaped how writing is understood, taught, and learned, in higher education in particular. No member involvement. No transparency. No process to speak of. With friends and fellow educators like these, I guess who needs enemies.

Kendall Gerdes 📚🦕@kendalljoy.bsky.social · 2w ago

Here it is, folks. @ncte.org Executive Committee votes to "de-charter its special topics conference CCCC," i.e., to shitcan the Cs. mailchi.mp/ncte/ncte-up...

CCCC Queer Caucus @ccccqueercaucus.bsky.social · 2w ago

We’ll post any news about what this means for our caucus or other 4C activities once we have any news. 😞

Sea(n) Otter 🦦@seemtoggle.bsky.social · 2w ago

There it is. #CCCC #NCTE

Kendall Gerdes 📚🦕@kendalljoy.bsky.social · 2w ago

Thank you to the leaders of @rhetsoc.bsky.social for their Letter of Solidarity with the members of CCCC. Read it here: mailchi.mp/rhetoricsoci...

A Letter of Solidarity from the RSA Executive Board

mailchi.mp

Kendall Gerdes 📚🦕@kendalljoy.bsky.social · 2w ago

Here it is, folks. @ncte.org Executive Committee votes to "de-charter its special topics conference CCCC," i.e., to shitcan the Cs. mailchi.mp/ncte/ncte-up...

NCTE Update, Decision by NCTE Executive Committee

mailchi.mp

Michelle Chen @michellechn.bsky.social · 2w ago

Officially sent my letter to NCTE re #CCCC. Other Cs publishers/exhibitors: there's still time to send a similar note if you haven't already! @wwnorton.com @upittpress.bsky.social @broadviewpress.bsky.social @cupress.bsky.social @parlorpress.bsky.social

Dear NCTE Executive Committee,

I was alarmed to hear that NCTE is considering dissolving CCCC, a vital organization that has addressed the specific needs of writing studies scholars for over seven decades. Disbanding Cs would undo years of hard work building up this robust network of researchers, teachers, students, and publishers. I sincerely hope that you will vote against this decision.

I write in my capacity as a NCTE member and publisher for whom Cs is my major annual conference. My press (Utah State University Press) exhibits every year. I do the bulk of my commissioning—meeting with researchers to discuss new ideas for books—in person at Cs. Acquisitions editors often like to joke that we do more acquisitions work at a single conference than we do the rest of the year combined, but there is some truth to that. For acquisitions editors, scholarly society conferences are absolutely integral to connecting with new audiences and authors. Conferences provide a space for scholars to try out new ideas and approaches with their peers, which editors then explore as potential book projects. Losing this centralized space where publishers and writing studies scholars meet to brainstorm future books will have consequences for the research output of the field (which, we know, also affects scholars’ academic job security).

For many Cs attendees, the yearly exhibit hall is also the place they discover newly published titles. This benefits both publishers, who want to see their books have an impact, and authors, who have all the titles they should be aware of at their fingertips. The exhibit hall at Cs is always a vibrant exchange of ideas, as scholars and students discover exciting new writing and are (often) inspired to write books themselves. It’s a place to pick up a copy of your mentor’s book, flip through a CCCC award-winning title, or explore interesting research that may be tangential to your field of study, but spark new ideas. As university library monograph bu…

khush¡@kooshtopia.bsky.social · 2w ago

The value of writing, justice-oriented scholarship, and pedagogy is already under attack. Dissolving CCCC only further delegitimizes the field during a time when students’ communication skills are at risk (mentioning that what we teach transfers over into work done across courses/careers)

Beck Wise @wisebeck.bsky.social · 2w ago

What time is this NCTE meeting tomorrow, do we know?

CCCC Queer Caucus @ccccqueercaucus.bsky.social · 2w ago

Below is the initial public statement on NCTE’s intention to dismantle our organization written by the CCCC EC, which includes one rep each from the “cultural identity caucuses,” including ours. docs.google.com/document/d/1...

CCCC EC Quick Response July 23

Public Facing Statement To be Shared With the General CCCC Membership We, members of the CCCC Executive Committee, were alarmed to learn of the NCTE Presidential Team’s plans to dissolve CCCC, which ...

docs.google.com