Unboxing Education

Between coaching, consulting, parenting, and studying policy, writing can easily fall to the bottom of my list, even though it's really my first love. I’ve always loved ideas, but the process of getting them out of my brain and onto the page hasn’t always been easy. As someone with ADHD and dyslexia, I often struggle with executive functioning, writer’s block, and imposter syndrome. Generative AI has become a surprising ally—one that’s helped me build momentum, stay productive, and still feel like *myself* in my writing. ⚙️ How I Use AI in My Writing Process I use tools like ChatGPT to draft initial copy for blog posts, workshop materials, emails, and more. I’ll often start by giving a few prompts about the message I want to get across or the audience I’m writing for. The AI helps me generate that first messy draft—the hardest part for my brain to start on its own. Any time I have an idea, rather than just jotting it down on a piece of paper (that, let's be honest, I'm...

 

Tools Used: 1. ChatGPT 2. Canva     -Magic Design     -Bulk Create

 Am I the only one overwhelmed by the possibilities of adding AI to my classrooms? Why do the articles that state  3 Simple Ideas for Introducing AI Into Your Teaching  seem neither simple nor helpful?  I find myself searching for the bridge, the path from the way I've been using curriculum to the future where AI is a natural aid in my students' learning experiences.  I find myself researching how to build a bridge.  What have I been doing to retrofit the curriculum to survive this transition?  I'll share my successes and failures below. AI Detectors From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository I'll start with the rocky relationship I've had with investigating the use of AI. I teach British Literature and have grappled with AI-generated essays since early in 2023. While the rise of AI brings up important, philosophical discussions about the ongoing value of essay writing (which I discussed in a previous blog post ), the fact is I'm still using cur...

 Need to explain AI to teachers with a variety of background knowledge? Consider these points, policies, and activities.  Coaching AI  Presentation by Betsy Springer

  AI does not take the summer off! While many in education were relaxing at the beach or vegging out to Netflix in their PJs (or was that just me?), AI was plugging away, making developments that made so many of the policies and practices from Spring obsolete.  Once I finished my Netflix binge, I tackled the mountain of AI updates, tools, and trends that I had been bookmarking since June. Here is a round-up of what's new and worth reporting: Nolej Nolej recently released update 1.0. While I fear there may be a requirement to move to a paid plan soon, there is still a free version and it got some new bells and whistles. Most notably, I can now upload a graded quiz to my LMS using SCORM packages: Nolej still offers teachers the ability to create microlearning packages while limiting the AI to only the knowledge provided by the instructor, thus offering some guardrails that don't exist in AI at large Conker Conker has been my go-to for quick, AI quizzes, especially for reteaching...

 Incorporating student choice into assignments can increase engagement and show mastery of 21st-century skills.  A popular method for choice is a choice board. Choice boards give students parameters for demonstrating mastery of concepts but allow them choice in the final format of the assignment.  Check out a great Literacy Choice Board Here: This assignment demonstrates mastery in the following CCSS ELA Standard: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.10 By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, in the grades 11—CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of the grades 11—CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently. This link will take you to a Canva project that includes the slide above, a rubric, and step-by-step instructions for each project listed. Tools use...

 Mentally, I was drafting an update on how I'm handling AI in my virtual Britlish Lit class when I received this email: Click for GrammarlyGo Well, great.  That blurred the lines, didn't it?  Created with openart.ai Over the last few weeks, I've met with over a dozen students to discuss their use of ChatGPT. Surprisingly, they've all been honest about their use of AI to "help" them write assignments in Brit Lit.  Here is my process: 1. I sent all of my students a friendly "Don't be dumb with AI" message:                Dear {{First name}} So far this year, many new tools have become available using  artificial   intelligence  (AI) to assist in various tasks.  Depending on your age and with your learning coach's permission, you can no doubt find many helpful things out there. For instance,  Quickdraw  is a fun AI game, and Chefgpt.xyz generates recipes from ingredients you have on han...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the education landscape in many ways.  One of the most promising applications of AI in education is its ability to personalize learning through differentiation. Differentiation refers to the practice of tailoring instruction and assessment to meet the unique needs and abilities of each student. Traditionally, differentiation has been a labor-intensive process, requiring teachers to create and manage multiple lesson plans, assessments, and activities for each student. (Thanks, ChatGPT ) However, with the advent of AI, differentiation is becoming more efficient and effective. This video gives one example of differentiation in an asynchronous literature course for twelfth graders.  Start to finish, this lesson example took 30 minutes.  How are you using AI to differentiate instruction and encourage mastery learning?

The Essay is Dead? Gloom and doom predictions about the impact of AI on education, especially essay writing, claim that AI will ruin any validity of essay writing, particularly unproctored essay writing. The real question is, "So what?" To understand what is, or rather isn't, at stake, one must explore the originals and uses of the essay writing process.  The History of Essays The history of essays in education can be traced back to ancient Greece, where scholars such as Plato and Aristotle used writing as a tool for intellectual discourse and exploration. In the Middle Ages, the essay evolved into a form of personal expression and self-reflection, with religious scholars writing introspective pieces on their spiritual journeys. The Renaissance period saw the emergence of the essay as a literary genre, with writers such as Michel de Montaigne popularizing the personal essay form.  Essays went from a way to evaluate learning to a way to evaluate writing.  In modern times,...

In today's world, Artificial Intelligence has become an integral part of our daily lives.  From education to productivity, audio to video, art to fun tools and toys, AI is making a significant impact in each and every aspect. With AI tools, we can simplify and automate many tasks, make our lives easier, and have some fun while we're at it. In this post, we'll dive into the world of AI and explore some of the most interesting and innovative tools available. So buckle up, grab a cup of coffee, and let's explore the fascinating world of AI tools together! (Intro draft generated with ChatGPT ). The list of possible AI tools quickly becomes overwhelming. Furthermore, tools range from free, to freemium, to paid accounts. I have included a list of some great tools for beginners, with not to various applications for AI for teachers. I have tried out each tool and, where possible, including a sample of what I created in a relatively short amount of time. Each tool included is av...