Category: Innovation

Categories
Artificial Intelligence Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: Evolutionary Deep Learning

Evolutionary Deep Learning: Genetic algorithms and neural networks by Micheal Lanham.

Evolutionary Deep Learning: Genetic algorithms and neural networks by Micheal Lanham

Today Michael is a Lead AI Developer at Brilliant Harvest Inc. and also a Technical author at Manning Publications. Previously he worked at Symend as a Principle AI Engineer and Manager of ML Engineering.

This books expands upon his knowledge in deep learning, evolutionary computation, and genetic algorithms. This was a very enlightening read and will be very interesting for those interested in a comprehensive understanding of deep learning today.

The book is certainly written for data scientists using Python. This offers a very deep perspective on the combination of evolutionary principles with deep learning.

This results in enhanced model performance with the ability to solve complex problems with machine learning.

Michael is able to address multiple themes related to the link with computation and deep learning techniques. The book is structured in three main parts:

  1. Getting Started:
    Introduces evolutionary deep learning, evolutionary computation, and genetic algorithms using DEAP (Distributed Evolutionary Algorithms in Python).
  2. Optimizing Deep Learning:
    Covers automated hyperparameter optimization, neuroevolution optimization, and evolutionary convolutional neural networks.
  3. Advanced Applications:
    Explores evolving autoencoders, generative deep learning with evolution, NeuroEvolution of Augmenting Topologies (NEAT), and future directions in evolutionary machine learning..
Continue reading “Latest Read: Evolutionary Deep Learning”
Categories
Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Pat holds a BA in Economics and Spanish from Claremont McKenna College. He is President of the Table Group, and previously worked at Bain & Company, Oracle Corporation and was a former Vice President of Organizational Development at Sybase.

Regardless of where you work, even if your are a one person consultant or new startup, you will benefit from Pat’s book. This is about engaging people to achieve outcomes. Should this be your consultancy or new product, your future will in part be influenced by the people you engage.

This is a long time bestseller for a damn good reason. In fact, we see teams as a group of individuals striving to achieve success in perfect sync with one another and their individual daily tasks. However Pat is able to analyze the fundamental causes of why teams fail, their projects do not result in closure and the impact of organizational politics

Pat outlines identifies five interrelated dysfunctions that can undermine team performance which hinder team effectiveness and performance:

Absence of Trust:
Perhaps the most difficult to confront within any team is their unwillingness to trust one another regardless of how long they have worked together.

Fear of Conflict:
Teams without trust will result in limited discussions on their project contributions. The free flow of conversations is required to be successful. You must engage your team at 100 percent.

Continue reading “Latest Read: The Five Dysfunctions of a Team”
Categories
Artificial Intelligence Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: Teaching with AI

Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning by Jose Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson.

Teaching with AI: A Practical Guide to a New Era of Human Learning by Jose Antonio Bowen and C. Edward Watson

Bowen holds a PhD from Stanford in musicology and humanities. Watson holds a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from Virginia Tech.

The general aim of the book is to address AI in education. Regrettably the book takes very broad brush stokes on a fast moving technology. As a result, they have missed an opportunity. It appears to many that a rush of books addressing AI in education has been underway since the introduction of ChatGPT.

Unfortunately the book misses key, critical requirements for AI integration into workflows, business thinking, and how practical strategies for faculty to leverage AI within the classroom.

The book is divided into three sections:
First, Thinking with AI is very much a basic AI 101 course with broad overviews to how work, literacy and creativity will be shaped by AI. Second, Teaching with AI is focusing on how AI will assist faculty but is not able to address how facutly at a private four year college would be for factuly teaching at a public two year college. Again, lots of broad brush strokes. Finally, Learning with AI is exploring the feedback and how AI can design assignments for students, how AI will change student writing and also assessments.

Continue reading “Latest Read: Teaching with AI”
Categories
Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: HBR Guide to Making Every Meeting Matter

HBR Guide to Making Every Meeting Matter by Harvard Business Review.

HBR Guide to Making Every Meeting Matter by Harvard Business Review

Do you work within an organization that is meeting driven? Sometimes it can seem that every decision regardless of place in a project requires a face to face meeting, in person or online. Many times however results can be addressed via email.

Yet when meetings are indeed the best course of action, this book provides the overlooked simplicity to transform the ‘regular’ meeting (which is often ineffective into very productive working sessions.

This book does in fact address very common challenges employees face. In fact many can say first hand they have experienced meetings that felt made little effort for the amount of time set aside for multiple employees.

There are very valuable lessons to learn that can empower employees to move the needle. If you feel this sounds a bit off, then perhaps you cannot recall how a well planned meeting by anyone well verses in running meetings and controlling the discussions by simply presenting an agenda will leave you wondering why have you not engaged well run meetings all long?

Continue reading “Latest Read: HBR Guide to Making Every Meeting Matter”
Categories
Education Innovation Reading

Latest Read: Building Better Organizations

Building Better Organizations: How to Fuel Growth and Lead in a Digital Era by Claudy Jules.

Building Better Organizations: How to Fuel Growth and Lead in a Digital Era by Claudy Jules

Claudy holds an MS in Organization Development from American University, an MS in Management from University of Maryland College Park and a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Case Western Reserve University.

Initially he led Google’s Center of Excellence on Organizational Health and Change. He moved to Managing Director at Accenture Strategy, then jumping back as an advisory for Alphabet’s CapitalG. Today is a Partner at McKinsey.

Here, Claudy reveals a rather essential read for organizations to discover or better understand how a playbook can help drive success when deploying well designed digital strategies that positively impacts the organization, employees and ultimately their customers regardless of market.

Regardless of the length of engagements with digital transformations, organizations simply must get their elements planned correctly. This obviously begins with strategy. The organization must have the right leadership in place to drive digital transformation. They must also have or develop employees with the talents to make the transformation a success. Much of this can fail if the organization’s culture will not support change. This is especially true in today’s new digital transformation by AI.

Continue reading “Latest Read: Building Better Organizations”