đ Last names & poorer grades, fidget spinners, and more – Of bits and bytes for January 6, 2025
Internet Travels
Of bits and bytes is my weekly round up of interesting links and ideas I discovered on the internet. It is published on Mondays for the previous week
Back from break
And we’re back from break! Over the past two weeks I mapped out a game plan to create more content for Eduk8me which will include video along with the articles posted here. I’m excited to get started and am very glad to have you here alongside me for this journey!
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Pedagogy
A University of Michigan study has unveiled that students with last names at the end of the alphabet get worse grades than those whose last names are at the start of the alphabet. Researchers found that end-of-alphabet students consistently received lower grades, even after taken in to account other factors.
Delayed gratification doesnât just rely on sheer willpower. A study from the University of Pennsylvania explored how different parts of the prefrontal cortex affect our decision to wait for a reward. Participants’ perseverance was put to the test using a coin game that matured in value over time. Those with certain brain lesions were less likely to wait patiently, indicating specific brain regions are pivotal in deciding whether to stick it out or move on.
Fidget spinners can impair memory retention and focus during video lectures, contradicting claims that they aid learning. College students who used spinners reported more distractions and scored lower on memory tests compared to those who did not. Interestingly, even those with a positive attitude toward spinners experienced similar setbacks.
What are some key features of great teachers? Student-teacher relationships, enthusiasm, and embracing innovation are three components that Alfred Thompson focuses on in his blog post.
Technology
In 2024, Ana Altchek tested over 15 AI tools and settled on five favorites that easily integrated into her daily routines. Googleâs AI Overviews tops the list, providing quick, effortless search answers with sources for fact-checking. NotebookLM’s Audio Overview, powered by Gemini 1.5, allows users to create customized podcast episodes, making it particularly engaging for learning new topics. ChatGPT’s Advanced Voice Mode offers a conversational experience, while Otter.ai delivers efficient, real-time transcription services with added summaries. Lastly, Amazon’s Rufus serves as a handy shopping assistant, summarizing reviews and helping manage purchase histories on Amazon.
Pop Culture
NPR compiled a list of the most borrowed library books for 2024. Amongst the top stars are Kristin Hannah’s “The Women,” Rebecca Yarros’ “Fourth Wing,” and Emily Henry’s “Happy Place,” which graced popular lists from New York City to Seattle. Also making the rounds were “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin and James McBride’s “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store,” which claimed high spots in several city libraries. Gabrielle Zevin’s gaming-inspired narrative, “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow,” was the apple of New York City’s library eye, while contemporaries like Ann Patchett with “Tom Lake” and Harlan Coben with “Think Twice” captured hearts nationwide. For nonfiction fans, Eric Larson’s historical epic “The Demon of Unrest” remained a page-turner. Meanwhile, older favorites like “Braiding Sweetgrass” and “The Covenant of Water” found their way back to readers seeking comfort and connection, underscoring a blend of new and enduring literary loves.
January 1, 2025, was Public Domain Day and this year a trove of works from 1929 will be availble copyright free. The list of works includes classics like William Faulkner’s “The Sound and the Fury” and Ernest Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms” along with the film where Mickey Mouse first talks and songs like Gershwin’s “An American in Paris”. Popeye and Tintin will also enter the public domain, along with sound recordings from way back in 1924 featuring legends like George Gershwin performing “Rhapsody in Blue”. Works in the public domain can be used for anything without having to worry about copyright.
Generation Beta begins with babies born on or after Janurary 1, 2025. By 2035, they’ll make up a hefty 16% of the global population, many living well into the 22nd century.
Potpourri
Researchers have found that Halloween has an affect on ADHD diagnoses. In the 10 days surrounding Halloween ADHD diagnoses increased by 14%.
Here are 7 of the coolest math discoveries of 2024. A revolutionary geometric concept emerged with the discovery of “soft cells,” a new kind of shape that shows up in nature, while mathematicians also envisioned a many-dimensional wheel, answering long-standing questions about shapes with constant width. Even the baroque music of Johann Sebastian Bach revealed hidden mathematical patterns, and a tile that could cover a surface without repeating was finally found, settling old debates about the elusive einstein tile. Amid these finds, mathematicians managed to uncover the fifth value of the busy beaver function, a feat once thought impossible.
Thank you!
Major props if youâve made it this far, you are a rockstar! Feel free to contact me with questions, ideas, concerns, or your thoughts on the next Marvel movie. In fact, I love to discuss about any topic and then wonder how it intersects with education, so fire away!
âYesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, but Today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.â – Oogway, Kung Fu Panda
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