The weather is getting better, but there’s always more work to do! Let’s get together to work and check things off the to-do lists we all have–or take some time to make to-do lists!
The OpenLab Team is hosting a co-working session on Friday, March 15th, 10:00-11:00AM. Join us to cowork in what we hope is a welcoming space that helps as you focus on accomplishing what you need to finish. Bring whatever you want to work on, OpenLab related or not. We’ll bring bring work, too, plus some good energy for checking things off to-do lists.
You can work silently in the main Zoom room or move into a breakout room to talk with a collaborator or with an OpenLab team member if you have specific questions we can help you with.
Please share this opportunity with colleagues and students–all are welcome. We hope this co-working session is useful for you–and let us know how else we can help!
March 14, 2024 | 4:30pm | MA in Digital Humanities Lounge Rm 5307 & online
“Androids, Spirits and Chatbots: Historicizing AI Writing”
Annette Vee, Associate Professor of English, University of Pittsburgh
Generative AI platforms such as ChatGPT have suddenly thrust the automation of writing into the public spotlight. The machine learning techniques behind Large Language Models such as the GPT series may be new; however, for centuries, humans have attempted to automate writing using mechanical, spiritual, and logical means. The automation of writing parallels a longer history of automation, yet with a twist: each of these attempts to automate writing also implicated a kind of artificial human intelligence. Writing is uniquely human, and as such, it has served as a touchstone for scientific and literary imaginations focused on replicating human intelligence. This presentation puts current conversations about AI writing in historical context with 18th century androids, 19th century spiritualism, and 20th century computer scientists to probe both what writing meant in previous eras as well as dominant assumptions of what it meant to be human in these eras. Attendees of the talk will come away with an understanding of: current Large Language Models driving generative AI writing plus how they do and don’t replicate human intelligence; historical contexts for the attempts to automate writing; and open research questions and pedagogical challenges and opportunities surrounding writing in the age of generative AI.
Co-Sponsored by the MA Program in Digital Humanities, the Teaching and Learning Center, and the Ph.D. Program in English
As the semester winds down, let’s work together to check things off the to-do lists we all have–or take some time to make to-do lists!
The OpenLab Team is hosting a co-working session On Thursday, December 7th, 2:30-3:30PM. Join us in what we hope is a welcoming space that helps as you focus on accomplishing everything you need to finish. Bring whatever you want to work on, whether it be OpenLab related or not. We’ll bring bring work, too, plus some good energy for checking things off your to-do list.
You can work silently in the main Zoom room or move into a breakout room to talk with a collaborator or with one of our team members if you have specific questions we can help you with.
Please share this opportunity with colleagues and students–all are welcome. And save the date for our next co-working session, on Friday, December 15th at
We hope this co-working session is useful for you–and let us know how else we can help!
Photo credit: “Working together again” by Nick via Flickr is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 Deed
“Triplets” by JillyAnnaJoy via Flickr CC BY-NC 2.0
Fall semester begins on August 25th. One week before, on Friday, August 18th from 12:30 P.M. to 1:30 PM, join us join us for a pre-semester co-working session. We’re hoping this welcoming space helps as you focus on accomplishing everything you need to prepare for the start of the semester. Bring whatever you want to work on, whether it be OpenLab related like course prep or getting your portfolio in order, or other work-related tasks like reading through all the emails, filling out forms, or completing a required training . We’ll bring bring work, too, plus some good energy for checking things off your to-do list.
You can work silently in the main Zoom room or move into a breakout room to talk with a collaborator or with one of our team members if you have specific questions we can help you with.
We hope this co-working session is useful for you–and let us know how else we can help!
On Tuesday, May 23rd from 1:30 P.M. to 3:30 PM, join us join us for the final co-working session of the Spring. We’re hoping this welcoming space helps as you focus on finishing everything for the end of the semester. If you’re teaching, bring your grading! Or invite a student to join so you can co-work as they finish their project or study for that last exam. You bring the work, we’ll bring the friendly presence in the Zoom session (plus we’ll bring work, too).
You can work silently in the main Zoom room or move into a breakout room to talk with a collaborator or with one of our team members if you have specific questions we can help you with.
Finals end on Tuesday, May 23, and grades are due Friday, May 26th. We hope this co-working session is useful for you–and let us know how else we can help!
“springtime” by willi_bremen via Flickr CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
The OpenLab team, under the umbrella of Open Pedagogy on the OpenLab, is hosting co-working sessions each Tuesday through the end of the semester.
This week, like last week’s, is open to anyone: students, staff, and faculty. Join the co-working session via Zoom anytime in the 1:30-3:30 co-working hours. We will work together silently, and can open breakout rooms for conversations or questions.
Next week’s session, on Tuesday, May 16, 1:30-3:30, is focused on students, in anticipation of finals week beginning. Please spread the word!
In the final week, faculty are invited to join for some time to work on responding to student work, grading, and finishing the work of the semester.
Like the idea of coworking and the related idea of body doubling but can’t make it on a Tuesday? Suggest a date and time for other sessions by adding a comment on this post or by reaching out via email to OpenLab@citytech.cuny.edu.
The OpenLab is hiring! Please help us to spread the word.
The OpenLab team seeks to add a Digital Pedagogy Fellow to our enthusiastic team.
City Tech’s OpenLab (https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/) is an innovative, open digital platform for students, faculty, and staff at New York City College of Technology, CUNY (http://www.citytech.cuny.edu/). Built using the open source blogging and social networking software WordPress and BuddyPress, the OpenLab supports teaching and learning, enables connection and collaboration, and strengthens the intellectual and social life of the college. The project is driven by a community and access-focused ethos, flexible infrastructure, and commitment to openness, and is proud to partner with many initiatives across campus (e.g., First Year Learning Communities, General Education, Open Education Resources) and across CUNY. Since its launch in Fall 2011, the OpenLab has helped to foster openness and experimentation, supporting a growing community, now 39,000+ members strong.
Fellows will join a creative, collaborative Community Team invested in fostering community through open pedagogy and open digital technologies. Team members gain experience in curriculum development, teaching, professional development, the implementation of a variety of digital tools, testing and functionality, and help-documentation creation. Fellows have used the experiences gained as Digital Pedagogy Fellows to successfully apply for full-time faculty and alt-ac positions.
Digital Pedagogy Fellow responsibilities include providingprofessional development, supporting the OpenLab community, and project development. Weekly responsibilities include OpenLab team meetings and email and open-hour support for faculty, staff, and student members with varied experience with technology. Fellows develop and lead workshops, seminars, and class visits, and create help documentation. They also teach OpenLab members about best practices for developing OpenLab content, how to incorporate technology in the classroom, and what it means to have an online presence. Fellows maintain an active presence on the platform, test new features and fixes, and provide feedback on OpenLab functionality. Fellows also have the opportunity to represent the OpenLab team in campus and external venues.
Ideal candidates will possess the following qualifications:
familiarity with the OpenLab or other WordPress/BuddyPress installations (e.g., the BMCC OpenLab, CUNY Academic Commons, Macaulay ePortfolios, and Blogs@Baruch)
teaching experience, including expertise in digital pedagogy
experience with developing and leading workshops for a variety of users
strong organizational skills and attention to detail
willingness to work collaboratively with a team
communications skills for responding to support requests with speed, empathy, and creativity
good understanding of socially networked online spaces and a variety of digital tools
knowledge of information architecture, usability, and the user experience
the ability to create visually attractive, informative, and well-written blog posts, help documentation, and screencasts
graduate degree or enrollment in a graduate program
Hours and Pay: This is a year-round position, 12-15 hours/week. The starting rate is 37.74/hour with annual increases.
Start Date: Fellows will begin the position with limited hours for training in August 2022, and shift to 12-15 hours/week for the start of the Fall 2022 semester. Currently work will be done remotely, with in-person responsibilities anticipated in the future to align with the needs of the college community.
Application: To apply, submit a cover letter, CV, and representative samples of your digital work to OpenLab Co-Directors Jonas Reitz (jreitz@citytech.cuny.edu) and Jody R. Rosen (jrrosen@citytech.cuny.edu). Please note any other employment within the CUNY system or for the Research Foundation of CUNY for August 2022 and the 2022-23 academic year. Applications should be submitted by Wednesday, June 22, 2022. Please reach out with questions to the email addresses above.
A message from the Hispanic Serving Institution Committee and the Faculty Commons:
Dear City Tech Community,
The Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) Committee is preparing for the celebration of HSI Week (September 12-18) and City Tech’s 25th anniversary as an HSI this fall.
We are seeking Hispanic/Latinx faculty and staff to be highlighted in a series digital posters during these events. The digital posters will be displayed across the college and on the HSI OpenLab site.
If you are interested in being featured on a poster, please fill out this google form by June 10, 2022.
Last semester, we met to discuss ungrading! This is part two of a series of Open Pedagogy workshops the OpenLab Community Team is developing to address inequity in assessment and anti-racist pedagogies. For this event, we’ll be joined by co-authors of a recent article from the Journal of Interactive Technology and Pedagogy titled “Resisting Surveillance, Practicing/Imagining the End of Grading” to hear about practical strategies for implementing ungrading into classroom settings.
From the co-authors:
Our article suggests that grading systems in higher education settings are part of a larger network of surveillance technologies that students and faculty are subjected to and/or enact, reflective of schooling’s place in a “carceral continuum” (Shedd) premised on anti-Blackness and colonialism. We do not believe that grading is something that can be made more fair, just, or anti-racist. To resist surveillance in higher education is to embrace the end of grading. After an overview of these contexts and assertions, we offer a series of reflections, tracing juxtaposing moments where we individually or collectively taught, learned, and/or organized outside/against grading systems.
Questions for discussion:
Traditional models of education treat instructor and student as adversarial. Instructors often replicate harmful authoritarian structures by embracing institutional surveillance practices and assumptions, including that students are cheating and must be observed at all times, adopting the role of disciplinarian by reporting student misbehavior to the institution. How do we shift this culture of authoritarianism so common in educators?
Last time we talked about different motivations for learning; what new perspectives do we have on this from discussing ungrading with these scholars?How can we adjust our focus to the intrinsic versus extrinsic values of teaching and learning?
Why are we talking about ungrading as the OpenLab team? What does this have to do with open digital pedagogy?
