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PARIS, Dec 15 — Apps infused with AI are being marketed to schools across the world and governments are rushing to embrace the technology, despite experts raising serious doubts. The sector known as Ed Tech exploded during the Covid pandemic as schools closed to stop the spread of infection and millions of children were forced to learn in front of screens at home. As demand dried up after schools reopened, Ed Tech startups tried to win back investment by adding AI to their products and marketing. Tech titans like Microsoft, Meta and OpenAI have also spied an opportunity, promoting their AI products to schools or partnering with startups. While many education ministries have announced plans to deploy AI apps, there are plenty of dissenting voices. The UN’s education body Unesco last year eviscerated the record of online learning during Covid, saying the rapid rollout of tech solutions was a “tragedy” that had increased inequality and worsened learning outcomes. Unesco’s Manos Antoninis told AFP that AI might have some utility in education but right now it “seems to be creating more problems than it is solving”. He cited concerns that companies were using data for commercial purposes, deployed biased algorithms and overall were less concerned with educational outcomes than with their bottom line. “I think the unfortunate thing is that education has been used as a bit of a Trojan horse to access future consumers,” he said. ‘Ease the pressure’ During the pandemic boom in 2021, venture capitalists pumped more than US$17 billion (RM75 billion) into Ed Tech. But that has slumped to US$3 billion this year, about the same as last year, according to analysts PitchBook. But from North Carolina to South Korea it is a different story, where education officials have been encouraging teachers to use generative AI. Britain has already rolled out a homework app called Sparx Maths that uses algorithms to tailor children’s learning. It recently announced a further multimillion-dollar outlay on AI programmes to “ease the pressure” on hard-working teachers by helping with lesson plans, marking and assessment. The European Union supports several learning apps, and several EU countries have experimented with them. China is a huge booster of AI in the classroom and has a national strategy for digitising education — its centrepiece being a national education platform of tools and online courses. Yet the on-the-ground reality is often messy. India boasted one of the liveliest startup scenes in the sector during the pandemic, including a firm called BYJU’s which was once the world’s most valuable Ed Tech startup. Yet when schools in New Delhi were forced to close because of smog last month, there were no flashy apps to help. “It is not feasible for them to take online classes,” 29-year-old teacher Vandana Pandey told AFP, saying many of her pupils had no smartphones or connectivity at home. BYJU’s has faced allegations of financial misconduct and only narrowly avoided bankruptcy in a recent court hearing. In richer countries, the arrival of AI has received a tepid reception. Only six per cent of US secondary school teachers polled by Pew Research Center in May thought using AI in education would do more good than harm. France announced it would roll out an AI-powered homework app called MIA in secondary schools earlier this year, but quietly dropped the project as a political crisis rumbled on. Many British parents are also not keen on Sparx Maths. “Don’t know a single child that likes it,” said one user on the popular Mumsnet forum. Another said the app “ruins any enjoyment of the subject” while a flood of other parents said their children “hated” the app. ‘More like isolation’ Aside from grievances over individual apps, educators doubt whether many of these firms are aiming at the right target. Almost all Ed Tech products promise to “personalise” education, often deploying AI to monitor a child’s work and tailor workplans to suit their needs. Officials from Britain to Beijing have lauded this goal. But Antoninis said the rhetoric around personalisation “risks making us forget that a lot of learning is actually social, and children learn from interaction with each other”. Leon Furze, a former teacher who now works as a consultant focusing on generative AI in education, was also wary about personalisation. “AI is touted as a solution to personalised learning, but it’s a very specific kind of ‘personal’ which I think seems more like isolation,” he told AFP. Both Antoninis and Furze warned that technology was no panacea, rather it was a tool that could help in some limited situations. The hard work, as ever, would be done by humans. “Tech solutions aren’t going to solve the bigger socio-economic, cultural, and political challenges being faced by teachers and students,” said Furze. — AFPFrankel's free throws help Northeastern hold off Colgate late, 78-75
NoneBUCHAREST (AP) – Romania’s defiant far-right presidential candidate Calin Georgescu yesterday stood outside a closed polling station to denounce a top court’s unprecedented decision to annul the first round of the vote in which he emerged as frontrunner. “Today is Constitution Day and there is nothing constitutional in Romania anymore. I am here in the name of democracy,” Georgescu, 62, he told media in Mogosoaia, outside Bucharest. “By canceling democracy, our very freedom is canceled.” The court cited the illegal use of digital technologies including artificial intelligence, as well as undeclared sources of funding. Without naming Georgescu, the court said one candidate received “preferential treatment” on social media platforms, distorting voters’ expressed will. Despite being a huge outsider who declared zero campaign spending, Georgescu topped the polls in the first round on November 24, and was due to face reformist Elena Lasconi of the Save Romania Union party in a runoff. Thirteen candidates ran in the first round presidential race in the European Union and NATO member country, the aftermath of which was gripped by myriad controversies including a recount of the vote ordered by the same court. New dates will be set to rerun the presidential vote from scratch. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said in a statement marking Constitution Day on Sunday that “we find ourselves in a moment of profound responsibility towards the values that characterise us as a nation.”By MARK VANCLEAVE and MICHAEL GOLDBERG FERGUS FALLS, Minn. — A jury convicted two men on Friday of charges related to human smuggling for their roles in an international operation that led to the deaths of a family of Indian migrants who froze while trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border during a 2022 blizzard. Harshkumar Ramanlal Patel, 29, an Indian national who prosecutors say went by the alias “Dirty Harry,” and Steve Shand, 50, an American from Florida, were part of a sophisticated illegal operation that has brought increasing numbers of Indians into the U.S., prosecutors said. They were each convicted on four counts related to human smuggling, including conspiracy to bring migrants into the country illegally. “This trial exposed the unthinkable cruelty of human smuggling and of those criminal organizations that value profit and greed over humanity,” Minnesota U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said. In an image released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, shows how the migrants who survived the crossing were terribly inadequately dressed. (U.S. Attorney’s Office via AP) This combination image shows left to right; undated photo released by the Sherburne County Sheriff’s Office shows Harshkumar Patel in Elk River, Minn., and undated photo released by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement shows Steve Shand. (AP Photo) The Edward J. Devitt U.S. Courthouse and Federal building is seen, where two men on trial face human smuggling charges, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Fergus Falls, Minn. (AP Photo/Michael Goldberg) FILE – Road signage is posted just outside of Emerson, Manitoba, Jan. 20, 2022. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP, File) In an undated image released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, shows items found in a migrant child’s backpack. (U.S. Attorney’s Office via AP) FILE – Road signage is posted just outside of Emerson, Manitoba on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP) In an image released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, shows how the migrants who survived the crossing were terribly inadequately dressed. (U.S. Attorney’s Office via AP) “To earn a few thousand dollars, these traffickers put men, women and children in extraordinary peril leading to the horrific and tragic deaths of an entire family. Because of this unimaginable greed, a father, a mother and two children froze to death in sub-zero temperatures on the Minnesota-Canadian border,” Luger added. The most serious counts carry maximum sentences of up to 20 years in prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office told The Associated Press before the trial. But federal sentencing guidelines rely on complicated formulas. Luger said Friday that various factors will be considered in determining what sentences prosecutors will recommend. Federal prosecutors said 39-year-old Jagdish Patel; his wife, Vaishaliben, who was in her mid-30s; their 11-year-old daughter, Vihangi; and 3-year-old son, Dharmik, froze to death Jan. 19, 2022, while trying to cross the border into Minnesota in a scheme Patel and Shand organized. Patel is a common Indian surname, and the victims were not related to Harshkumar Patel. The couple were schoolteachers, local news reports said. The family was fairly well off by local standards, living in a well-kept, two-story house with a front patio and a wide veranda. Experts say illegal immigration from India is driven by everything from political repression to a dysfunctional American immigration system that can take years, if not decades, to navigate legally. Much is rooted in economics and how even low-wage jobs in the West can ignite hopes for a better life. Before the jury’s conviction on Friday, the federal trial in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, saw testimony from an alleged participant in the smuggling ring, a survivor of the treacherous journey across the northern border, border patrol agents and forensic experts. Defense attorneys were pitted against each other, with Shand’s team arguing that he was unwittingly roped into the scheme by Patel. Patel’s lawyers, The Canadian Press reported , said their client had been misidentified. They said “Dirty Hary,” the alleged nickname for Patel found in Shand’s phone, is a different person. Bank records and witness testimony from those who encountered Shand near the border didn’t tie him to the crime, they added. Prosecutors said Patel coordinated the operation while Shand was a driver. Shand was to pick up 11 Indian migrants on the Minnesota side of the border, prosecutors said. Only seven survived the foot crossing. Canadian authorities found two parents and their young children later that morning, dead from the cold. The trial included an inside account of how the international smuggling ring allegedly works and who it targets. Rajinder Singh, 51, testified that he made over $400,000 smuggling over 500 people through the same network that included Patel and Shand. Singh said most of the people he smuggled came from Gujarat state. He said the migrants would often pay smugglers about $100,000 to get them from India to the U.S., where they would work to pay off their debts at low-wage jobs in cities around the country. Singh said the smugglers would run their finances through “hawala,” an informal money transfer system that relies on trust. The pipeline of illegal immigration from India has long existed but has increased sharply along the U.S.-Canada border. The U.S. Border Patrol arrested more than 14,000 Indians on the Canadian border in the year ending Sept. 30, which amounted to 60% of all arrests along that border and more than 10 times the number two years ago. By 2022, the Pew Research Center estimates more than 725,000 Indians were living illegally in the U.S., behind only Mexicans and El Salvadorans. Jamie Holt, a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations, said the case is a stark reminder of the realities victims of human smuggling face. “Human smuggling is a vile crime that preys on the most vulnerable, exploiting their desperation and dreams for a better life,” Holt said. “The suffering endured by this family is unimaginable and it is our duty to ensure that such atrocities are met with the full force of the law.” One juror Kevin Paul, of Clearwater, Minnesota, told reporters afterward that it was hard for the jurors to see the pictures of the family’s bodies. He said he grew up in North Dakota and is familiar with the kind of conditions that led to their deaths. “It’s pretty brutal,” Paul said. “I couldn’t imagine having to do what they had to do out there in the middle of nowhere.”
WASHINGTON (AP) — Marcus Dockery scored 27 points as Howard beat UNC Wilmington 88-83 on Saturday. Dockery added seven assists for the Bison (5-6). Blake Harper scored 18 points while shooting 5 for 11 (3 for 4 from 3-point range) and 5 of 8 from the free-throw line and added seven rebounds. Joshua Strong had 18 points and shot 4 of 7 from the field, including 4 for 6 from 3-point range, and went 6 for 6 from the line. The Seahawks (7-3) were led by Khamari McGriff, who recorded 34 points. Sean Moore added 13 points for UNC Wilmington. Harlan Obioha had 12 points. Howard used a 12-2 second-half run to erase a four-point deficit and take the lead at 82-76 with 2:14 remaining in the half before finishing off the victory. Harper scored 12 second-half points. Howard takes on Drexel at home on Tuesday, and UNC Wilmington hosts FGCU on Wednesday. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Mikel Arteta hailed the best away European performance of his Arsenal reign after watching his side dismantle Sporting Lisbon 5-1. The Gunners delivered the statement Champions League victory their manager had demanded to bounce back from a narrow defeat at Inter Milan last time out. Goals from Gabriel Martinelli, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Magalhaes, Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard got their continental campaign back on track, lifting them to seventh place with 10 points in the new-look 36-team table. It was Arsenal’s biggest away win in the Champions League since beating Inter by the same scoreline in 2003. “For sure, especially against opposition we played at their home who have not lost a game in 18 months – they have been in top form here – so to play with the level, the determination, the purpose and the fluidity we showed today, I am very pleased,” said Arteta. “The team played with so much courage, because they are so good. When I’m watching them live they are so good! They were all exceptional today. It was a big performance, a big win and we are really happy. “The performance was there a few times when we have played big teams. That’s the level that we have to be able to cope and you have to make it happen, and that creates belief.” A memorable victory also ended Sporting’s unbeaten start to the season, a streak of 17 wins and one draw, the vast majority of which prompted Manchester United to prise away head coach Ruben Amorim. The Gunners took the lead after only seven minutes when Martinelli tucked in Jurrien Timber’s cross, and Saka teed up Havertz for a tap-in to double the advantage. Arsenal added a third on the stroke of half-time, Gabriel charging in to head Declan Rice’s corner into the back of the net. To rub salt in the wound, the Brazilian defender mimicked Viktor Gyokeres’ hands-over-his-face goal celebration. That may have wound Sporting up as they came out after the interval meaning business, and they pulled one back after David Raya tipped Hidemasa Morita’s shot behind, with Goncalo Inacio netting at the near post from the corner. But when Martin Odegaard’s darting run into the area was halted by Ousmane Diomande’s foul, Saka tucked away the penalty. Substitute Trossard added the fifth with eight minutes remaining, heading in the rebound after Mikel Merino’s shot was saved. A miserable night for prolific Sporting striker Gyokeres was summed up when his late shot crashed back off the post.Tua Tagovailoa's strong play has helped keep the Dolphins' playoff hopes alive MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa's teammates have used words like “commanding” and “lights out” to describe the way he has played recently. Alanis Thames, The Associated Press Dec 9, 2024 12:23 PM Dec 9, 2024 12:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (1) aims a pass during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Tua Tagovailoa's teammates have used words like “commanding” and “lights out” to describe the way he has played recently. The quarterback has had one of the best stretches of his career since he returned from a concussion in Week 8, keeping alive the playoff hopes for the Miami Dolphins. Tagovailoa threw for 331 yards and two touchdowns — including the winning TD in overtime — to lead Miami to the victory against Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets on Sunday. With the win, the Dolphins (6-7) have the same record as Indianapolis, and they two games back of Denver (8-5) for the final AFC wild card. “I don’t think two years ago this game occurs,” coach Mike McDaniel said Sunday of Tagovailoa. “He continues to get better. ... It’s a lot of work, and all of his work is paying off because he’s a naturally gifted quarterback, not only the skill sets but people gravitate towards him. He makes people better. That’s an incredibly important part of that position.” After an up-close look at the way Tagovailoa operates Miami's offense by throwing with anticipation, Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich called him one of the fastest processors in the NFL. Tagovailoa's teammates had just as much praise about his impact. “He’s been playing lights out. He’s been a great leader for this team, not only on offense but also for defense, getting those guys going," wide receiver Tyreek Hill said. "We’ve just got to follow him, man, like follow his standard because the standard is the standard, and he’s been playing at a high level and guys around him just got to match it.” The numbers back up Hill's words: Sunday was Tagovailoa's third straight 300-yard passing performance, joining Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks in Dolphins history to record three consecutive games with that many yards. Tagovailoa entered Sunday's game with a league-best 74.5% completion rate. He recorded his seventh straight game with a completion rate of 70% or better, tying the third-longest streak in NFL history. Going back to Week 10 against the Rams, Tagovailoa has attempted 184 passes without throwing an interception, which is the second-longest streak in his career, and he has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 34 of his last 35 games. He was 6 for 7 for 67 yards on the Dolphins' winning touchdown drive Sunday, which he capped with a 10-yard throw to tight end Jonnu Smith. “He was commanding," receiver Jaylen Waddle said. “He really made sure we didn’t kill ourselves with penalties. He wanted everybody to lock in and just hone in on the details. That’s was big. He came through, made big plays, was calm in the pocket, o-line had great protection, he delivered the ball.” What's working A big part of Tagovailoa's growth has been his ability to not force plays down the field that aren't there. Unlike earlier in his career, he is much more willing to take checkdowns or dump the ball off to running back De'Von Achane or the tight end Smith, who have been excellent this season at gaining yards after the catch. What needs help Third down continues to pose problems for the Dolphins. Miami converted just 1 of 9 third-down attempts and are 9 of 35 on third downs in its last three games. Stock up Receivers Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill. Hill had his first 100-yard receiving game since the opener with 115 yards on 10 catches. With his 4-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, Hill has a TD catch in four of the past five games. Waddle caught nine passes for 99 yards that gave him 4,085 in his career — the most in a player's first four seasons in Dolphins history. Stock down The secondary, which allowed a combined 223 yards by Garrett Wilson and Davante Adams and 339 yards passing from Aaron Rodgers. It was just the second time this season that Miami's defense has allowed more than 300 yards passing. There were also several instances of miscommunication in the secondary. Injuries LT Terron Armstead was limited to just five snaps because of a knee injury that he's been dealing with for weeks. Armstead was visibly frustrated when he came out of the game and was replaced by rookie Patrick Paul. ... LB Anthony Walker Jr. appeared to re-aggravate a hamstring injury that happened last week. Key number 0 — The number of times Tagovailoa was hit Sunday on 47 pass attempts. Next steps Three of Miami's final four games are on the road, starting at Houston on Sunday. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Alanis Thames, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Saquon Barkley is chasing Eric Dickerson's NFL season rushing record. Can he do it? Dec 9, 2024 1:01 PM Jets still struggling to secure wins and stop blowing late leads in another playoff-less season Dec 9, 2024 1:00 PM Mayfield says streaking Bucs will have to play even better down the stretch to return to playoffs Dec 9, 2024 12:59 PM
Hornady donates to GRACE Cancer Foundation, American Cancer SocietyMobile Number Port: Port SIM from Jio-Airtel to BSNL sitting at home, this is the easiest wayNone
Keishon Porter scores 20 to guide North Carolina Central to 77-70 victory over Longwood
Marshall withdraws from Independence Bowl matchup against ArmyHUNTINGTON, W.V. (AP) — Marshall has withdrawn from the Independence Bowl after a coaching change resulted in much of its roster jumping into the transfer portal. The Thundering Herd were slated to play Army on Dec. 28 in Shreveport, Louisiana. But the Independence Bowl and Louisiana Tech announced on Saturday that the Bulldogs will take on the 19th-ranked Black Knights instead. Marshall said it pulled out “after falling below the roster minimum that was deemed medically safe.” The Herd (10-3) beat Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 last weekend to win the Sun Belt Conference Championship for the first time. The program has won seven games in a row in the same season for the first time since 2020. “We apologize for the nature and timing of this announcement and for the turmoil it has brought to bowl season preparations for Army, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, the American Athletic Conference and ESPN,” Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill said in a statement. Coach Charles Huff left Marshall for Southern Miss last Sunday, and Tony Gibson, the defensive coordinator at North Carolina State, was announced as his replacement less than an hour later. By Thursday, at least 25 Marshall players had entered the transfer portal. Gibson held a meeting shortly after arriving on campus in Huntington to introduce himself to the team. He followed that up with phone calls, text messages and more meetings Friday and Saturday. “Any time coaches leave to take other jobs, it is emotional,” Gibson said at a news conference Thursday. “And kids that are 18-to-22 years old are going to make emotional decisions instead of just breathing for a day or two.” It's the first bowl for Louisiana Tech (5-7) since 2020. The Bulldogs have won two of their last three games, but they haven't played since a 33-0 victory over Kennesaw State on Nov. 30. “We are excited to accept the opportunity to play in the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl against a fantastic and storied program as Army,” Louisiana Tech athletic director Ryan Ivey said in a release. “I believe our football program is moving toward positive structure and the opportunity to play in this bowl adds to that momentum. We are looking forward to being in Shreveport for this matchup.” Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
Unamused 49ers GM: Cool it with Kyle Shanahan 'hot seat' talkMississippi State overcomes early deficit to down Prairie View A&M
Rep. Ritchie Torres introduced a bill last week that would lift limits on federal funding available for mental health care institutions , the Daily News has learned. The bill’s introduction comes soon after a series of fatal stabbings that left three people dead in Manhattan. If passed, the so-called “Repealing the IMD Exclusion Act” would scrap a decades-old law that places strict limits on federal Medicaid funds paying for care at mental health care inpatient facilities for adults. “It is far more compassionate and far more cost effective to treat those with severe mental illness ... in a healthcare setting rather than allow them to languish on the streets and subways, where they are not only a danger to themselves, but to the people around them,” Torres told the Daily News. The restriction was originally intended to prevent the warehousing of people with severe mental illness in large institutions . It prevents the federal government from footing the bill for mental health institutions serving adults, instead punting the bill to the state. Under the current laws, states are allowed to apply for waivers to the rule. New York has one such waiver . The city’s mental health crisis has come into sharp focus and reignited a debate over how best to care for those with severe mental illness after suspect Ramon Rivera allegedly fatally stabbed a construction worker in Chelsea, a fisherman near the East River and a woman sitting on a park bench near the United Nations last month. After the incidents, Torres slammed both Gov. Hochul and Mayor Adams for failures on the state and city level. More inpatient care options are necessary to prevent incidents like the stabbing incident, Torres said. “Policy at the federal level swung the pendulum too far in the direction of deinstitutionalization. It has been a failure,” Torres said, adding he also wants to see fewer restrictions on involuntary removals and hospitalizations , a policy championed by Mayor Adams, and end early release from detention for those who commit violent crimes. Repealing the IMD exclusion would free up federal funding for mental health institutions, could alleviate a front-end need for more psych beds. The push to repeal it has typically been a conservative cause, with many advocates pushing instead for more resources allocated to programs aimed at longer-term help. Glenn Liebman, CEO of the Mental Health Association in New York State, said that while inpatient care can be necessary, discharge policies, community-oriented mental health care and outpatient care options do a better, more lasting job of helping people with severe mental illness. “If we had a robust community system, if we had a workforce that was well paid, then a lot of these terrible incidents would not have happened,” Liebman said. “There are always going to be people fall through the cracks, and that’s why we have to have some remedies around some sort of hospitalization for them... But the vast majority of people with mental health issues can be served very well in the community, and frankly, we have a vastly underfunded community based mental health system.”Girls hockey complete 2024-25 season preview