Stanford Researchers offer free, open autonomous robotics learning to the world online

Very nice!

Caveat: I have not looked at the offer.

"Principles of Robot Autonomy (PoRA) is a new textbook inspired by a course series by the same name, which has been taught at Stanford since 2017. This textbook reflects the recent evolution of autonomous robotics from lab prototypes to real-world technologies, and it addresses the specific intersection of robotics and autonomy – two disciplines that are becoming increasingly integrated. ..."

Researchers open autonomous robotics learning to the world | Stanford Report "A free online textbook, video lectures, and hands-on resources are making cutting-edge autonomy knowledge accessible to developers, researchers, and robot enthusiasts everywhere."

Which grade is most important to a child’s development? Really!

The focus on this one year is extreme! Some children learn fast, others are laggards! Nothing wrong with that and it should be accommodated!

With machine learning & AI, the education of children will probably change dramatically very soon!

This article was written by "a literacy researcher, practitioner, and former school principal" if you can believe it.

"Researcher highlights transition from learning to read to reading to learn. ...

When they move to third grade, that is when we see children make the transition from learning to read to reading to learn, which is why some experts see this grade as pivotal. ..."

Which grade is most important to a child’s development? — Harvard Gazette

Pisa-Schock: Schlechteste Chinesen in Mathe vor besten Deutschen

Deutschland, das Land der Dichter und Denker! Vorsicht Ironie!

"Die Leistungen der 15-Jährigen in Deutschland sind in den Bereichen Mathematik und Lesen erneut gesunken.

Rund jede und jeder Dritte verfehlt dort inzwischen das Mindestniveau. Das zeigt die am 8. September veröffentlichte PISA-Studie 2025. Auch langfristig fällt die Bilanz ernüchternd aus: 2025 erreichten die Jugendlichen in Deutschland in allen drei Kompetenzbereichen erneut die niedrigsten Werte, die bislang bei den PISA-Studien gemessen wurden. Der seit etwa einem Jahrzehnt zu beobachtende Abwärtstrend setzt sich damit fort. ..."

PISA-Schock: Warum deutsche Schüler immer weiter zurückfallen | FAZ (Abo erforderlich) "Deutsche Schülerinnen und Schüler haben bei der aktuellen PISA-Studie so schlecht abgeschnitten wie noch nie."

PISA-Studie 2025: Die zehn wichtigsten Ergebnisse

Smart Phones or Smart Kids: Pick One | National Review. Really!

What a nonsense! What a false dichotomy! It is definitely not either or!

The push should be to get more tech into the classroom! E.g. for individualized/personalized education.

In the 21st century reading will not be the same anymore!

"... Students of all ages increasingly struggle to read proficiently or perform basic mathematical tasks. ..."

Caveat I did not read the whole article.

Smart Phones or Smart Kids: Pick One | National Review "The push to get tech out [???] of the classroom"

IRS Rule To Strip the Tax-Exempt Status for Private Schools' at all levels when Using DEI

Good news! Long overdue! DEI is racism, no doubt it is about skin color and illegal discrimination!

Just look around how many US companies and schools of higher education still feature DEI prominently on their websites! 

"The Trump administration is hitting private schools where it hurts the most: their tax-exempt status. A new rule proposed by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on Thursday would strip private schools at all levels of education of tax-exempt status for using racial preference policies like diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

The Treasury Department estimates that the new rule could affect the statuses of 18,000 private elementary, secondary, and post-secondary institutions, including colleges, universities, and trade and professional schools. ...

Harvard University may have started the trend in 2023 after the Supreme Court decided Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, ruling that race-based admissions schemes like affirmative action are unconstitutional. Immediately after, then-President Claudine Gay, the disgraced plagiarist who still retains a job at the school after resigning the presidency, signaled that prospective students could still benefit from communicating their race on their applications, hinting that admissions boards would still consider that factor. ..."

IRS Rule To Strip Private Schools' Tax-Exempt Status For Using DEI

Don’t Leave Kids Home Alone With AI. Really!

Don't fall for this now popular nonsense alarmism and hysteria about children and AI!

This is the same kind of primitive alarmism and hysteria when TV sets (in the 1950s, video games (1970s), and the Internet (late 1990s) became widespread and cheap!

Sure during a transition period there it will be necessary to be cautious when children interact with AI. However, human ingenuity will find better solutions to these issues very soon.

"... We should not be surprised that children are drawn to these systems. AI chatbots are patient, responsive, and seemingly understanding. They never get tired, never push back, and never insist on limits. For a child feeling misunderstood or frustrated at home, that combination can be powerful.  

But, it also raises a question Texans should take seriously: what happens when children turn to artificial intelligence instead of parents for guidance, validation, or comfort? A child can express their anger or resentment toward parents to a chatbot and receive sympathy without context, limits, or moral grounding. Unlike a parent, an AI chatbot does not help a child work through conflict in a healthy way [???]. It simply responds. ...

Parents do not need to become AI experts, but they do need to be present. That means knowing what apps their children use, discussing how AI works, and reinforcing that machines are tools, not friends, mentors, or moral guides. It also means policymakers should press for transparency, age-appropriate safeguards, and clearer responsibilities for companies deploying AI systems to minors. ..."

Don’t Leave Kids Home Alone With AI - Texas Public Policy Foundation

Maybe the young author Hannah Bruck is a little clueless?

Chronic student Absenteeism Is Still a Struggle in many US cities

Bad news! What are these absent students doing? 

Are many of these absent students learning by alternative ways (e.g. home schooling, online learning)?

"New RAND surveys of school district leaders and American youths reveal several key insights about this persistent challenge:

• Chronic absenteeism in the 2024–2025 school year remained above pre-pandemic levels.
• In roughly half of urban school districts, more than 30 percent of students were chronically absent. That’s a far higher share of students than in rural or suburban districts.
• One-quarter of youths do not think being chronically absent is a problem.

..."

Policy Currents Newsletter: August 14, 2025 | RAND

Pro abortion advocates find videos of fetuses growing in the womb shown to highschool students as part of sex ed offensive. Really!

Is there something wrong with that? Should these kind of videos not be shown in biology classes anyway?

How a fetus develops in the womb of a woman or in other mammals is a wonder of nature!

Why not show some videos on how brutal some abortions are especially late term abortions!

Abortion is no panacea. It should be avoided as much as possible! It is a terrible form of ending a human life!

"A growing number of American students taking sex education classes this fall will be required to watch videos of fetuses growing in the womb—a result of new “fetal development” laws passed in state legislatures nationwide. 

Six states now require such videos to be shown in sex ed; nearly 4 million students will see them this fall. 

20+ states have proposed similar bills since 2023.

Background: Showing such videos in schools is a key part of anti-abortion group Live Action’s strategy to influence young people. 

Its main tool: “Meet Baby Olivia,” a 3-minute video depicting the development of a fetus in utero, which has been frequently recommended in state legislation.

But medical experts say the video is misleading about development and is emotionally manipulative rather than educational [???]. ..."

Global Health NOW: HIV Patients ‘in Darkness’ as Aid Cuts Take Hold; Schools as Abortion Rights Battlegrounds; and The Brawl of the Wild

Unbound Academy - The Future of Education is Unbound

What is the future of K-12 education? Here is an example!

According to Google search:

"A new AI-driven virtual charter school called Unbound Academy is set to open in Arizona this fall, serving students in grades four through eight. 

Here's a closer look at the key details:

Location: Arizona (initially virtual).

Model: The school will utilize an educational model called "2 Hour Learning", where AI-driven apps will deliver core academic instruction (math, reading, science, language) for two hours daily, followed by four hours dedicated to group workshops, student-led projects, and mentorship sessions focusing on practical skills such as public speaking and financial literacy.

Technology: The AI system utilizes established platforms like Khan Academy and IXL, augmented by proprietary adaptive learning software and close teacher oversight.

Assessment: Students' learning progress will be monitored through the AI system, and they will only advance to more challenging lessons after demonstrating mastery of the current material.

Teacher Role: Teachers will serve as guides and mentors, providing support and oversight while the AI handles the core curriculum delivery.

Parental Engagement: The school emphasizes student-teacher connection and aims to streamline communication between parents and the school.

Origins: Unbound Academy is linked to Alpha School, a private school in Austin, Texas, which uses a similar AI-driven approach. Alpha School reports high academic achievement among its students. ..."

"... What could your child accomplish if they could master academics in just 2 hours a day? ..."

Unbound - The Future of Education is Unbound "The first virtual charter school Powered by AI"

Credits: AI-focused private school Alpha expands to Scottsdale, plans national rollout

India to be a global AI powerhouse: OpenAI executive after India OpenAI Academy launch

Good news!

"OpenAI chief strategy officer Jason Kwon said India is becoming a “global AI powerhouse”, and understands that maximising AI's benefits requires significant investments in core infrastructure and cultivating AI talent. ...

India’s vast and growing pool of AI talent, vibrant entrepreneurial spirit and strong government support to expand critical infrastructure mean the country is poised to succeed in all areas of the AI stack, he added. ..."

India to be a global AI powerhouse: OpenAI executive after India academy launch

OpenAI Academy: Future Skills for India

Professors turn to old-fashioned methods to beat AI-generated work for tests

Why don't we test students how well they use AI? To go back to older methods seems inefficient if not worse.

How the Department of Education spent $268 billion last year

Recommendable! Probably, it is a good idea to shut down this department! Leave it to the states!

Sages for the ages

Would we all not be much better off learning more about the wisdom of the great, ancient  sages of the East and West (Socrates, Confucius and many more)? 

Regrettably, I am not very familiar with the sages of the Middle East.

What about sages of the southern hemisphere? Was their wisdom perhaps not as well preserved? Did we overlook it?

Learning more about the ancient sages would prevent so many ideologues and demagogues of our time to fail so miserably! Many more of them would easily be identified as quacks and be ridiculed!

Unfortunately, the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment did not kill superstition, quackery, extreme demagoguery and absurdities in our time (e.g. global warming/climate change)! Instead, without deeper knowledge of the sages we are condemned to repeat the mistakes of the past.

Model Legislation to Restrict Smartphone Use in K–12 Public Schools | Manhattan Institute. Really!

This is coming from a supposedly libertarian think tank! You have to wonder!

Should the Manhattan Institute not promote the integration of smartphones into daily teaching and learning?

Did we not have similar stupid discussions going on when TVs were introduced several decades ago! You bet!

"... Because of the detrimental impact on socialization and classroom learning and the potential harms to healthy childhood socialization, states, cities, and school districts should severely restrict the use of smartphones on school grounds for the entire school day and during other school-sponsored activities. This approach is aligned with the scientific and experiential evidence that the use of smartphones in schools distracts students from social interactions and academic responsibilities necessary for healthy development. It also accords with Haidt’s recommendation of a completely phone-free school day. ..."

Model Legislation to Restrict Smartphone Use in K–12 Public Schools | Manhattan Institute

Technion at 100 years

Congratulations! The MIT of Israel!

Home - Technion 100

Khan Academy founder brings AI tutor to American schools

Good news! A game changer! 

Individual learning and tutoring will become reality! I wish I had it when I was a kid!

"Sal Khan, founder of the education non-profit Khan Academy, has partnered with OpenAI to build an AI tutor called Khanmigo, which is now being tested in 266 US school districts. Besides tutoring, the tool can give feedback on essays, write lesson plans, and flag plagiarism.

The promise of Khanmigo is a chatbot that younger students will engage with as a teacher rather than just a homework-completing machine."

"Teachers and students across the U.S. are testing an AI-powered tutor that could change the way education works.

Khanmigo, created by Khan Academy founder Sal Khan, was designed to help students learn and teachers teach. ...

Khanmigo is now being piloted in grades 3 through 12 in 266 school districts across the U.S. ... the data they collect through Khanmigo ... is used to improve Khanmigo's memory and personalization.

Khanmigo is free for all teachers in the U.S., but school districts have to pay $15 per student per year to cover computation costs. ..."

Weekly Progress Roundup - by Malcolm Cochran - Doomslayer

Sal Khan wants an AI tutor for every student: here's how it's working at an Indiana high school

Von Youtube und Tiktok Mathe lernen: Mathe kann wirklich jeder

Ich bin auch davon überzeugt, das Kinder z.B. Mathe über social media sehr gut lernen können ohne direkte, konventionelle Schulung durch einen menschlichen Lehrer.

Von Youtube und Tiktok lernen: Mathe kann wirklich jeder "Johannes Mensing und Josef Naber erklären Mathematik auf Tiktok, Instagram und Youtube. Und stoßen damit auf enormes Interesse. Was machen sie anders als die Mathelehrer?"

Canadian provincial school smartphone restrictions for students don’t go far enough. Really!

To restrict smartphone usage of school children seems to be again the topic du jour! Here is one example!

This article is based on medieval superstition and alchemy!

Smartphones could improve education and didactic!

Did we not go through this rubbish when TV sets became very affordable and widespread in the 1960s! I do remember! As belonging to this generation, I think most of us growing up during this time turned out fine despite spending hours and days in front of TV set. 😊

Like we have successfully integrated computers/video technology etc. into K-12 education, we ought to be able to do the same with smartphones as well!

"Thanks to the [Prince Edward Island] government’s new smartphone restrictions, when students return to school next week they’ll have less time with their phones. But while the restrictions are a step in the right direction, they don’t go nearly far enough. ...

And the evidence of the negative effects is mounting. Unlike adults, kids and teenagers do not have fully formed prefrontal cortexes, which predisposes them to increased anxiety and lack of focus.

According to one study, the typical teenager receives 237 smartphone notifications per day—about 15 per hour. Another study found it takes kids 20 minutes to regain focus after just one distraction. ..."

P.E.I. school smartphone restrictions don’t go far enough | Fraser Institute

Homeschooling Grows as Families Escape Failing Schools in North Carolina

Good news!

If I were a father today, I would perhaps do the same!

Homeschooling or remote learning has become so much easier with the Internet!

"North Carolina is one of the few states to keep detailed statistics on homeschoolers—who are famously resistant to scrutiny, and for good reason—and officials in the state recorded an interesting development this year. After dipping from a pandemic-era high when public schools were closed or generally making a poor job of remote learning, the ranks of homeschoolers have again begun to rise. With census figures showing similar growth elsewhere, we have further evidence that DIY education is here to stay.

Homeschooling Surges Again

In the Statistical Summary for Homeschools 2023–2024, compiled by the state’s Department of Administration, the number of registered K–12 homeschools in North Carolina stands at 96,529. Each school can serve more than one student, and the estimated number of homeschooled K–12 students is 157,642. That’s down from the peak of 112,614 registered homeschools serving an estimated 179,900 students during the chaos of 2020–2021, but up from 94,154 registered homeschools and 152,717 students last year. Before the pandemic, in 2019–2020, 94,863 homeschools served 149,173 students.

For K–12 private schools, enrollment is up from 126,678 in 2022–2023 to 131,230 in 2023–2024. In 2019–2020, before the pandemic, North Carolina private schools had 103,959 students enrolled.

By contrast, traditional public school enrollment is declining. ..."

Homeschooling Grows as Families Escape Failing Schools

Wissenschaftsfreiheit - Basta, Bologna!

Tolle Schlagzeile! Habe die Details zu dieser Bologna Reform nicht mehr parat, kann mir aber gut vorstellen, dass es ein Windei oder eine Salami der Bildungsbürokraten und vieler dusseliger Professoren war!

Wissenschaftsfreiheit - Basta, Bologna! | Cicero Online Vor 25 Jahren wurde an den Universitäten der Bologna-Prozess gestartet. Er hat ein Hochschulsystem geschaffen, in dem Konformität der Weg zum Erfolg geworden ist. Gefördert wird derjenige, der sich den Drittmittelgebern anpasst.