#eucation

When you outsource thinking, your brain goes on vacation. "EEG analysis presented robust evidence that LLM, Search Engine and Brain-only groups had significantly different neural connectivity patterns, reflecting divergent cognitive strategies. Brain connectivity systematically scaled down with the amount of external support: the Brain‑only group exhibited the strongest, widest‑ranging networks, Search Engine group showed intermediate engagement, and LLM assistance elicited the weakest overall coupling." https://arxiv.org/pdf/2506.08872

But also here's a fantastic essay on the subject: "Now, in the age of the internet—when the Library of Alexandria could fit on a medium-sized USB stick and the collected wisdom of humanity is available with a click—we’re engaged in a rather large, depressingly inept social experiment of downloading endless knowledge while offloading intelligence to machines. (Look around to see how it’s going). That’s why convincing students that intelligence is a skill they must cultivate through hard work—no shortcuts—has become one of the core functions of education." https://www.forkingpaths.co/.../the-death-of-the-student...

lmaizumi So/今泉奏 :: @lmaizumi_so

* * * *

One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child. 

It’s about time, America.  In this year of turmoil and despair, we are reckoning with the epidemic that has oppressed Black people throughout history: systemic racism.  In 2020, “I can’t breathe” became a rallying cry for Black liberation, and it echoes the cries of Black people throughout centuries demanding human rights.  The “United” States has claimed to offer the American Dream to all its inhabitants, yet education, one of its most important facets, has been denied to Black people for generations.  As Black students, we’ve been pushed out of education, affecting the way we learn, earn, and yearn for acceptance in this country.

Liberation in education is not a new concept.  We’ve seen it debated, rejected, and somewhat accepted in efforts to integrate schools during the Civil Rights era.  Despite the generational effort to liberate Black students, we are still subject to myriad barriers that block us from a quality education.  White and Black students misbehave at similar rates, but in North Carolina, roughly 10 Black youth were incarcerated for every white youth in 2017, according to U.S. Justice Department data.  And in Durham Public Schools (DPS) during the 2018-2019 academic year, Black students comprised 86 percent of youth who found themselves on the receiving end of school-based complaints to the justice system, despite representing 44 percent of DPS enrollment, according to DPS data compiled by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.  Not a single white student received a school-based complaint in the same year.  This environment of racist policing caused one Black DPS student to say, “I believe my safety is not being put first when law enforcement officers are placed in schools, because they specifically target students that look like me.”

Racial disparities are fueled by oppressive forces like racial profiling, scarce mental health resources, and academic tracking that funnels students of color into less academically challenging courses.  By putting the focus back on students and giving them mental health spaces, easy access to opportunities and resources, better restorative justice programs, and a manageable workload, we could help create an equitable school environment.  As Malcolm X once said, “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”  We must reform the education of our nation to secure Black students’ liberation.

The prejudicial foundation of the education system is impeding upon Black success.  Understanding the value of a great education, we at the Youth Justice Project at the Southern Coalition for Social Justice have started the #LiberateToEducate plan.  This plan addresses educational barriers by demanding police-free schools, alternatives to harmful school discipline, student self-determination in course selection, and culturally relevant curriculum, as well as mental health spaces and safe spaces for marginalized students.

In order to systematically dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline in DPS, we need the support of elected officials and the community.  Join our movement by signing our petition and telling Durham school board members they must #LiberateToEducate.  No Black student in DPS should fear physical abuse by a police officer while having no mental health support.  DPS should be a place where all Black students are free to pursue the American Dream.

This op-ed was written by members of the Youth Justice Project of the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.

Comment on this story at [email protected].

Support independent local journalism. Join the INDY Press Club to help us keep fearless watchdog reporting and essential arts and culture coverage viable in the Triangle.

如果你做不了伟大的事，就将细小的事做到非凡。Rúguǒ nǐ zuò bùliǎo wěidà de shì, jiù jiāng xìxiǎo de shì zuò dào fēifán.