Dynamic Subspace

Tag: Stable Diffusion

  • Generative AI for College Students Series: Outlines and Structures

    an anthropomorphic tuxedo cat wearing an orange sweatshirt, sitting at a desk in a library writing in a notebook
    Image created with Stable Diffusion.

    Please keep in mind that new technology like Generative AI (Gen AI) shouldn’t simply make your thinking or work easier, much less take the place of the uniquely singular abilities of human beings to grow cognitively, think creatively, or evaluate critically. If you use Gen AI to simply avoid work, you are doing it wrong. Instead, using Gen AI in the spirit of Douglas Engelbart’s “augmenting human intelligence” and Donna Haraway’s configuration of the cyborg point the way to beneficial heightening of human possibility instead of harmful erasure of the cognitive distinctions of humanity. If you use Gen AI, use it wisely and use it well. This is the second post in this series.

    Gen AI can be a powerful ally when it comes to organizing ideas into a coherent structure. By creating outlines for essays, presentations, or projects, Gen AI provides a framework that students can refine and personalize. This process reflects the cyborg’s ability to integrate technology into their workflow, enhancing productivity without sacrificing creativity.

    For example, a student tasked with writing a research paper on artificial intelligence ethics could ask an AI tool to generate several outline versions, each prioritizing different aspects of the topic. They might compare these structures and then decide which one aligns best with their arguments and evidence. If the student hasn’t yet done the requisite beginning research, these outlines can point them toward the kinds of resources that they should find and read via their library.

    The key is to treat AI-generated outlines as a starting point rather than a rigid template. Students should feel free to modify, discard, or combine elements to suit their unique voice and vision. And importantly, one can return to the planning stage after learning more and adding that to their query to the Gen AI to further refine the organization of their project.

  • Generative AI for College Students Series: Brainstorming

    an anthropomorphic tuxedo cat wearing a sweatshirt and writing in a notebook in a library
    Image created with Stable Diffusion.

    Please keep in mind that new technology like Generative AI (Gen AI) shouldn’t simply make your thinking or work easier, much less take the place of the uniquely singular abilities of human beings to grow cognitively, think creatively, or evaluate critically. If you use Gen AI to simply avoid work, you are doing it wrong. Instead, using Gen AI in the spirit of Douglas Engelbart’s “augmenting human intelligence” and Donna Haraway’s configuration of the cyborg point the way to beneficial heightening of human possibility instead of harmful erasure of the cognitive distinctions of humanity. If you use Gen AI, use it wisely and use it well. This post is the first in this series.

    Generative AI (Gen AI) offers a fascinating tool for brainstorming. It can be used as a kind of digital muse to spark ideas and explore concepts. By inputting keywords or questions, students can generate a list of possibilities and then narrow down those options to a topic that resonates with them.

    However, the real value of AI in brainstorming lies not in replacing human creativity but in expanding it. Entering into a dialog with Gen AI, students can use the conversation to uncover angles or connections they might not have considered on their own. Then, taking the leads uncovered through brainstorming, the student gains keywords and concepts that they can follow up on through their campus library’s catalog and databases.

    This collaboration between human curiosity and AI’s analytical power creates a cyborg-like synergy, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Today, students are becoming cyborg writers by using generative AI to enhance their creative processes. This collaboration doesn’t replace human creativity but amplifies it, offering a digital lens to view ideas from fresh perspectives.

    Though, AI should be seen as a catalyst, not a replacement, for human imagination. By embracing this hybrid approach, students can harness the best of both worlds to do more with this new tool.

  • Re-Certified for Online Teaching

    anthropomorphic black and white cat wearing a suit is standing next to a retro computer's keyboard and CRT monitor, more computers are see on shelves in the background
    Image created with Stable Diffusion.

    Before the end of the spring semester, I met with Jose Diaz in City Tech’s Academic Technologies and Online Learning (AtoL) to earn re-certification for teaching online for the next three years (2025-2028). I received this online certificate as a record of the recertification. As a part of the process, I discussed my plans for teaching the online asynchronous Information Architecture (ENG3790) class in Fall 2025.

  • Feeling a Little Thin at the End of the Semester

    a skeleton is sitting in an office chair at a desk and typing on a keyboard, pov of webcam, bookshelves with books in background, image created with stable diffusion
    Image created with Stable Diffusion.

    In any given year as we approach the end of the spring semester, I feel almost skeletal. My animating flesh gives way under responsibilities, deadlines, and stress. I tell my students to hang in there through the end as much to encourage them as myself.

  • Some Links About Social Media and Professionalization for Today’s Intro to Professional and Technical Writing Class

    a faceless cybernaut wearing a spacesuit prepares to explore cyberspace. image created with Stable Diffusion.
    A faceless cybernaut prepares to explore cyberspace. Image created with Stable Diffusion.

    For today’s class, my ENG2700 Introduction to Professional and Technical Writing students read two articles about social media and professionalism in the Technical Communication field:

    • Ferro, T. & Zachry, M. (2014). Technical communication unbound: knowledge work, social media, and emergent communicative practices. Technical Communication Quarterly, 23(1), 6-21.
    • Verzosa Hurley, E. & Hea, A. (2014). The rhetoric of reach. preparing students for technical communication in the age of social media. Technical Communication Quarterly, 23(1), 55-68.

    I plan to discuss the difference between active and passive approaches to building an online professional identity (and why the former is the way to go–giving an example about LinkedIn from Dr. Rebecca Burnett).

    I’ll also show them some things related to my social media presence, easy-to-build HTML websites hosted on Github like this one, my old domain name, and online calling card/mini-bio/link aggregator sites, such as: