100 Years of EdTech

Tonight Ars Poetica debuts our first ever “writing through history” interactive performance art experience, thanks to ASU and specifically Stephanie Pierotti, who is an inspiration to those who see a brighter future for education in this country.

Choose Your Poet: each experience is unique and represents a different period in time.

The Quill and Ink Poet

The Poet sits sternly, awaiting you to approach him. You are intrigued, and scared. He asks you a single question, and you’re not sure if you got the answer “right” or “wrong.” He may consult a book (what book? you dare not ask) before he starts to write. He frowns to himself. His quill scratches the page. Some words are crossed out. His fingers blacken from effort. Still, your poem has a profound, if inscrutable, message.

The Typewriter Poet

The Poet waits patiently behind their vintage machine, a system of levers and pulleys. They beckon you to sit. In a collaborative dialogue, you come up with a topic for your poem together. The Poet smiles as they begin to type. The gesture is mechanized, yet analog. You could pull all of the pieces of this machine apart and count them if you wanted to. You receive your poem and thank The Poet. It is tidy, complete, and yet handmade.

The AI Poet

The Poet is eager for you to begin your journey. They sit with a MacBook Pro and a tiny Japanese printer. ChatGPT 4 is open on Chrome, and they ask you for consent before scraping some data samples from your psyche or chakras or search history. She asks you for five inputs:

1. your date of birth and astrological sign

2. the subject and area in which you teach (or title of the course you would teach if you don’t)

3. a challenge you overcame in your own education

4. your super power - ideally something your coworkers or students have thanked you for or the part of their work you find most rewarding or makes you feel most impactful and embodied.

5. the last thing you googled (or if that is too embarrassing - your most recent emoji used)

With these data points, she and The AI co-create a unique poetic prescription for you. Together, they help you determine what it is you are destined to contribute to the future of education. You see, she has worked with The AI to create a cooperative relationship in which the AI represents an Oracle of the Future of Education Intuitive, Intelligent, Artistic, and Artificial (OFELIA for short).

Your poem is inkjet printed on glossy photo paper in CMYK.

It was an honor to create this experience for you and we hope that it inspires your highest good for the honorable and needed work you do.

For more information on our AI Poetry process please email lamarks@arspoetica.us