Latest news with #MacCallum
NZ Herald
04-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Ministry of Education defends AI guidance amid calls for clarity in schools
'These include algorithmic bias, which risks reinforcing existing inequities if AI systems are not intentionally designed to be inclusive; privacy issues related to the collection and use of student data and raises critical issues about the ownership.' In a self-reported survey, 60% of young people reported using generative AI to assist them with schoolwork. The Ministry does not have requirements to use AI in certain areas of school. Cleaver said guidance has been provided to schools - and it's consistent. 'The role of AI in education must be to enhance teaching and learning and provide assistance to knowledgeable and skilled teachers,' she said. Use of the technology is governed by each school's board. But Canterbury University Associate Professor of Digital Education, Kathryn MacCallum said some schools are adopting it more than others. 'I think the biggest issue is that probably there's not a lot of clarity from the Ministry and NZQA around how we need to engage in this, and some of that is probably a big barrier in terms of using it to its full potential.' MacCallum said there needs to be a bigger focus on AI literacy, particularly for teachers. 'If we do not train all teachers and students on how to use AI, we risk further exclusion,' she said. 'If we don't build our understanding of AI across all stakeholders, we will be unable to leverage it fully.' She believes AI literacy should be something that sits across the curriculum, as it impacts all aspects of learning. Education Minister Erica Stanford has also admitted the Ministry 'aren't giving great guidance and advice'. 'I feel a bit better when I have been overseas talking to my counterparts in other countries that we like to compare ourselves to, [as] they're also struggling.' 'We're not alone in this.' Stanford said the Ministry is 'dipping a toe in the water' in this space. 'NZQA are looking or they have been trialling AI with their assessments, and it's been really successful.' NZQA Deputy Chief Executive of Assessment, Jann Marshall said the technology can speed up time consuming processes and enabling new assessment opportunities. 'For example, starting with May 2025 assessments for Literacy, Te Reo Matatini, Numeracy and Te Pāngarau, Automated Text Scoring will be used on all digitally submitted Literacy - Writing assessments,' she said. 'Using Automated Text Scoring allows us to significantly reduce the time it will take to mark Writing assessments, reducing the workload on markers who are practising teachers and enabling marking to be conducted outside of school holidays.' Advertise with NZME. Marshall said a large-scale trial has given them confidence in the accuracy of the tool, but for quality assurance, NZQA is also using a human check-marking process. MacCallum said NZQA hasn't quite captured the implications of generative AI on assessments - and students using it. 'The approach tends to be fairly risk-adverse' she said. 'For example, NZQA have talked about, you can't use AI in external assessments, and it's becoming very hard to control.' 'And so I think we need to expand our conception of how AI can be used - its benefits as well as its drawbacks and how we actually use it for learning.' The Government's previously committed to have a framework, to provide guidance, similar to what Australia has. Stanford said work has started, but not as quickly as she would've liked. 'But if I'm honest, I've got the Ministry up to their eyeballs.' 'We're rewriting every curriculum area right up to Year 13 because it doesn't exist at the moment. We're fundamentally, changing NCEA to make sure that it's fit for purpose, we're bringing in new assessment tools.' 'I'm not trying to make excuses, but you can tell there's only so many things I can load onto the Ministry.'
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Fox host Martha MacCallum snaps during tense exchange with guest
Fox host Martha MacCallum snapped at Randi Weingarten, the president of the American Federation of Teachers, after she called the journalist 'sweetheart' on-air. The pair discussed the Supreme Court case that was taken up early Tuesday about censorship over LGBTQ + materials in public schools. They scoffed with each other after Weingarten praised a Massachusetts school district for creating 'a real culture of a safe and welcoming school.' MacCallum then chuckled and shook her heard before stating: 'So what you're saying is if we can find other areas in the country where the proficiency levels are also abysmal and should be embarrassing to any education organization, then we can start to make assessments and say, "Oh it's because of choice." or "Oh it's because of money?" We know that money doesn't equate to a better outcome.' While the news anchor explained the topic, Weingarten abruptly cut her off - and it did not sit well with 'The Story' host at all. 'Martha, Martha, Martha, sweetheart, sweetheart listen to me,' Weingarten said as she moved her hand toward the camera. 'Please don't call me sweetheart,' McCallum quickly replied as she shook her head and appeared to be in disgust about the 'condescending' phrase. Weingarten swiftly apologized for her comment, telling McCallum: 'I'm sorry, my bad,' before carrying on with their conversation. While she did so, MacCallum's face told a different story as she appeared to be annoyed with the guest for the duration of the segment. Further into their discussion, MacCallum told Weingarten that books suggesting that someone should change their gender or that they were born in the wrong body will 'freak out' kids and their families. Weingarten then said that schools across the county have the obligation to alert parents about any controversial book, including Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird.' 'You don't want a child to hear a book read to the whole classroom and go home and say "Why am I being taught that I was born a girl but that was just a guess?" I mean, that is going to freak out some children, MacCallum said. 'They're going to be very confused at four, five and six years old and I know that you said you don't agree with reading this in the classroom, but I'm saying this is the problem. And then that same kid can't read and is pushed all the way to 8th grade and they still can't read.' Weingarten then quipped: 'So Martha, I suspect that you and I agree on more than we don't. I know you don't believe me.' 'But, what I'm saying to you is that I saw that case and if you had not socialized books with parents and a book that may be controversial and you talk to the parents of your kids in that classroom, that's gonna be a problem regardless of what's in the book. 'And look, that was a problem, look at 'Catcher in the Rye,' think about 'To Kill A Mockingbird,' think about other books out of different eras that's a problem. You have to actually spend time, as a schoolteacher or a school principal, with parents before you end up talking about issues that some people will think is controversial,' she added. This is not the first time MacCallum and Weingarten have spared on-air, as they had a similar heated conversation in 2021 regarding the reopening of schools following the Covid-19 pandemic. MacCallum cited a New York Post report that accused the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) of influencing the CDC's timeline for when schools were supposed to reopen nationwide, Mediaite reported. After welcoming Weingarten on the show, the labor leader said the AFT was concerned about coronavirus variants that kept schools closed in the United Kingdom. 'We believe that the conditions have changed now so that everybody can be back in full time, but the bottom line is this: I begged the Trump administration, I can show you — I have many, many letters right now. I went to my office to find them,' Weingarten said. 'I begged the Trump administration to do exactly what the Biden administration did, which is real safety guidance that the former president didn't mock every other day.' She then went on to praise former President Joe Biden, but that's when MacCallum cut her off and said: 'transmission among children is very low.' The Fox host then went on to note that schools in China and Europe had already reopened at that point. MacCallum then went on to say that Weingerten previously blamed the slow school return on the lack of money allotted for other pressing issues, including mold. 'Obviously you didn't have the pull with the prior administration, but in this administration there's been $20 million that has gone from — to Democrats — from teachers unions and teacher organizations. So that money seems to be working,' MacCallum said. Weingerten then refuted her statement and praised the Covid-19 vaccine as 'a real game changer.' MacCallum, again, pushed back on her statement before Weingerten said: 'The bottom line is it's time for our kids to be back in school. 'I am grateful that the Biden administration is listening to parents and to teachers and to administrators and to even Fox to try to figure out how we get people vaccinated, how we get our kids back to school and how we get our country back to being back.'
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fox News Host Clashes With Dem Senator in Heated DOGE Debate: ‘I Can't Get a Word In!'
A Democratic senator corrected a Fox News host three times for attempting to misquote him in a shouty back and forth about the work of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency. Delaware's Chris Coons butted heads with Martha MacCallum on The Story With Martha MacCallum on Wednesday after the host played a clip of Musk and his slightly older DOGE goons from Bret Baier's Special Report last week. After playing the clip MacCallum said it was 'surprising' that Coons thinks the government is functioning 'in an efficient way.' The temperature began to rise at this point, as the senator repeatedly told the host he didn't actually say, or insinuate, that. 'That's not what I said,' he snapped back. 'That's not what I said... Martha, Martha,' he added, trying to set the record straight as the host shook her head and rolled her eyes. 'There are inspector generals in every government agency...' Coons said, trying to make the point that he favors a subtler approach to reforming government efficiency. His attempt at a clarification was met by withering sarcasm from MacCallum. 'Oh, I know,' she responded. 'They've done a fantastic, bang-up job.' 'To start the administration by firing all of them does not suggest a deep interest to these career non-partisan inspectors general about waste,' Coons added, before MacCallum accused him of putting his fingers in his ears and singing 'blah, blah, blah. It's not happening!' He then again said that was not his point and tried to tell the host what he actually meant. 'Let me repeat the point,' Coons said. 'If Elon Musk says that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme and this president has fired the relevant inspectors general, who are the people most capable—not a bunch of 20-year-old software engineers with no previous government experience...' MacCallum appeared particularly perturbed by his comment, almost losing her cool. She barked back: 'Why are they the most capable? Did you watch this interview, senator? Did you watch the interview? Did you watch the interview?' Coons said he wasn't sure what interview she was talking about because the host was 'yelling so much.' 'You're yelling so much,' he said with a smile. 'Because I can't get a word in edgewise!' she shot back. 'I'm trying to ask you a question, that's my job,' she added, before mischaracterizing Coons' point a third time. 'I remember an active interest by Democrats in saying 'you know what? We know there's a lot of waste in our government,' now you're telling me there isn't!' she said. 'That's not at all what I said,' he responded, before adding: 'I agree with you that there is waste and fraud in different federal programs. Sign me up for working in a measured, bipartisan, thoughtful way.' In the Special Report clip, one DOGER—Aram Moghaddassi—claimed he discovered that 40 percent of the calls made to the SSA are from fraud centers and lead to scams. Another claimed there are more than 15 million people that are over the age of 120 marked as alive in the Social Security system. These claims have been questioned and debunked. MacCallum asked Coons if he was 'shocked' by the assertions in the interview. But his assertion that he didn't believe the DOGE claims turned the interview fiery. 'So, Martha, not only do I not believe some of what was just shared there, but the Trump administration's acting administrator of Social Security has said that less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the payments put out by the Social Security Administration are fraudulent or in error,' replied Coons. 'I don't believe what DOGE says about virtually any federal agency, but I will believe what the GAO [Government Accountability Office] says, or the inspector general or the administrator of Social Security—' 'Why? Can I ask you why? Can I ask you why?' MacCallum interrupted again, shaking her head. He said he has had senior DOGE members 'lie to his face.' The pair traded pointed looks, sarcastic smiles, and eye rolls. MacCallum continued to try to interrupt her guest throughout the interview, and it reached its zenith when Coons told the host she was 'yelling' too much.
CBC
19-03-2025
- Automotive
- CBC
AI tool built in N.L. hopes to see use in the oilfield and beyond
A St. John's tech company has launched what it says could revolutionize its core mission through artificial intelligence, and is getting a big financial boost from the oil companies behind the Hibernia and Hebron oil projects. CoLab Software unveiled ReviewAI on Wednesday, a tool within its software package that can comb through the data and knowledge of past projects to provide insight, improvements and make sure mistakes aren't repeated to help projects get completed faster and smarter. Adam Keating, CoLab's CEO and co-founder, says he sees the use of AI as an expansion of his mission to help mechanical engineers make better decisions. "Just to get your perspective on my design could take days or weeks. If you think about how many times that happens in the run of a process to build a project like Hibernia or Hebron or a new vehicle, there are millions of those cycles," Keating said Wednesday. "If those are weeks, and they should be minutes or hours, it's really slowing down how quickly we can build products." Keating said the company had the idea for some time, but conversations with ExxonMobil Canada brought the tool into the light. The project has created around 20 jobs within CoLab, Keating said. On Wednesday, ExxonMobil announced a $5.6-million investment in CoLab to focus on software and AI talent development in Newfoundland and Labrador. An N.L. tech company has been quietly building AI, funded by the offshore oil industry 3 hours ago Duration 2:38 CoLab Software has lifted the curtain on ReviewAI, an artificial intelligence tool built in St. John's and funded by the Hibernia and Hebron projects. The work began quietly about a year ago, now the system is ready to launch just as the AI business is blowing up. Keating says starting work on the project a year ago puts the company and their product in the drivers seat as other companies are only now beginning to embrace AI. The tool being kept in house also means that customer data won't be used to train other AI. models, he said. "Over the last 12 months, we've been building it. And now everybody's talking about it. So it was perfectly timed that we did it back then," he said. "We have a really broad vision of where we want to go with this, so I think for us it's just going to be [being] competitive." Keating said ReviewAI will be a suite of products in the future available through CoLab. Nicholas MacCallum, research and development manager of ExxonMobil Canada, says the company was attracted to CoLab because their work was solving problems they face with developments of Hebron and Hibernia on a daily basis. "What we're hoping to achieve through using it is [to] really reduce the amount of time that it takes to do that work," MacCallum said. "That allows the engineers to work on other things or get on to the next project. So that's really the value that we see in this." MacCallum says he hopes the investment can serve as a way to stimulate AI development in the province. "That's talent that's going to be needed for Hibernia and Hebron, but that's also going to be talent that's going to be needed in many industries. Health care, education, everywhere," he said. "That was probably one of the leading reasons why we felt it so important to make such a large investment in a project like this."
Fox News
12-02-2025
- Business
- Fox News
'OPENING THE BOOKS': Martha MacCallum Joins the Guy Benson Show and Criticizes Dems' Partisan Resistance to DOGE
Martha MacCallum, executive editor and anchor of The Story , joined The Guy Benson Show to discuss Fox News' soaring ratings this year, including the trend of more Democrats tuning in to Fox than any other news source. MacCallum also weighed in on reports that Trump, Putin, and Zelensky are working toward a deal to end the war in Ukraine. Plus, she and Guy discussed DOGE and the challenges Elon Musk's latest project is presenting to government spending and why 'opening the books' to taxpayers shouldn't be viewed as a bad thing. Listen to the full interview below! Listen to the full interview: Listen to the full podcast:
