writing

AI bot ChatGPT stuns academics with essay-writing skills and usability [Hern]

On 12/14/2022, in adjunct faculty, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, colleges, community colleges, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, digital learning, education, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, faculty, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, instructional design, IT in HE, law schools, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Microsoft, online media, open courseware and systems, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, programming, the downsides of how people use tech, tools, UK, United States, universities, vendors, writing, by Daniel Christian

AI bot ChatGPT stuns academics with essay-writing skills and usability — from theguardian.com by Alex Hern
Latest chatbot from Elon Musk-founded OpenAI can identify incorrect premises and refuse to answer inappropriate requests

Excerpt:

Professors, programmers and journalists could all be out of a job in just a few years, after the latest chatbot from the Elon Musk-founded OpenAI foundation stunned onlookers with its writing ability, proficiency at complex tasks, and ease of use.

The system, called ChatGPT, is the latest evolution of the GPT family of text-generating AIs. Two years ago, the team’s previous AI, GPT3, was able to generate an opinion piece for the Guardian, and ChatGPT has significant further capabilities.

In the days since it was released, academics have generated responses to exam queries that they say would result in full marks if submitted by an undergraduate, and programmers have used the tool to solve coding challenges in obscure programming languages in a matter of seconds – before writing limericks explaining the functionality.

Also related/see:

AI and the future of undergraduate writing — from chronicle.com by Beth McMurtrie

Excerpts:

Is the college essay dead? Are hordes of students going to use artificial intelligence to cheat on their writing assignments? Has machine learning reached the point where auto-generated text looks like what a typical first-year student might produce?

And what does it mean for professors if the answer to those questions is “yes”?
…
Scholars of teaching, writing, and digital literacy say there’s no doubt that tools like ChatGPT will, in some shape or form, become part of everyday writing, the way calculators and computers have become integral to math and science. It is critical, they say, to begin conversations with students and colleagues about how to shape and harness these AI tools as an aide, rather than a substitute, for learning.

“Academia really has to look at itself in the mirror and decide what it’s going to be,” said Josh Eyler, director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning at the University of Mississippi, who has criticized the “moral panic” he has seen in response to ChatGPT. “Is it going to be more concerned with compliance and policing behaviors and trying to get out in front of cheating, without any evidence to support whether or not that’s actually going to happen? Or does it want to think about trust in students as its first reaction and building that trust into its response and its pedagogy?”

ChatGPT is incredibly limited, but good enough at some things to create a misleading impression of greatness.

it’s a mistake to be relying on it for anything important right now. it’s a preview of progress; we have lots of work to do on robustness and truthfulness.

— Sam Altman (@sama) December 11, 2022

fun creative inspiration; great! reliance for factual queries; not such a good idea.

we will work hard to improve!

— Sam Altman (@sama) December 11, 2022

1/Large language models like Galactica and ChatGPT can spout nonsense in a confident, authoritative tone. This overconfidence – which reflects the data they’re trained on – makes them more likely to mislead.

— Andrew Ng (@AndrewYNg) December 13, 2022

ChatGPT Could Be AI’s iPhone Moment — from bloomberg.com by Vlad Savov; with thanks to Dany DeGrave for his Tweet on this

Excerpt:

The thing is, a good toy has a huge advantage: People love to play with it, and the more they do, the quicker its designers can make it into something more. People are documenting their experiences with ChatGPT on Twitter, looking like giddy kids experimenting with something they’re not even sure they should be allowed to have. There’s humor, discovery and a game of figuring out the limitations of the system.

And on the legal side of things:

In the legal education context, I’ve been playing around with generating fact patterns and short documents to use in exercises.

— Rebecca Fordon (@theFordon) December 9, 2022

The Impact of Storytelling on Learning — from campustechnology.com by Ruth Reynard
The benefits of storytelling in teaching and learning are well established — and digital tools can help make stories more interactive, boost engagement, and convey ideas more effectively. Here’s how to make the most of technology and sidestep common mistakes in the use of storytelling for learning.

Excerpts:

Research.com provides a lot of helpful information on digital storytelling, including a breakdown of the tools and media used to tell stories or present ideas: audio capture devices (e.g. microphones and voice recorders), image capture devices (such as digital cameras and scanners), computers (with multimedia capabilities and ample storage), and digital media software (for creating and editing image, video, and audio).
…
While digital tools evolve rapidly, there are several useful tools listed for teachers and students by Med Kharbach (2022). These include:

- StoryboardThat – this storyboard design tool helps to support good design and planning for effective storytelling.
- Canva – this provides already developed templates to use in any story design and development.
- Adobe Spark – useful if you are already familiar with Adobe products.

Californians approve big funding boost for arts education [Watson]

On 11/17/2022, in animation, art, design, drama/theater, funding / grants, graphics, legislatures / government / legal, multimedia, music, United States, vision/possibilities, writing, by Daniel Christian

Californians approve big funding boost for arts education — from apnews.com by Julie Watson; with thanks to Goldie Blumenstyk for this resource

Excerpt:

SAN DIEGO (AP) — California voters on Tuesday approved a ballot measure backed by a celebrity lineup that included Barbra Streisand and Los Angeles-born rappers will.i.am and Dr. Dre that could pump as much as $1 billion a year from the state’s general fund into arts education.

Supporters said it would benefit public school programs that go beyond the traditional art, theater, dance and music classes to include graphic design, computer coding, animation, music composition and script writing.

Also from Goldie Blumenstyk:

@CeciliaOrphan and I have a new article out in @ChangeHigher on expanding our understanding of "value" in higher education to better capture the full contributions of regional public universities as broadly accessible anchor institutions. https://t.co/iY5eIP5uzb

— Kevin R. McClure (@kevinrmcclure) November 15, 2022

Beyond Courses: Instructional Approaches in 2022 — from learningguild.com by Jane Bozarth

Excerpts (emphasis DSC):

In researching “upskilling for L&D practitioners” earlier this year, Learning Guild members were asked what they feel has been the biggest shift in their work over time: While technology has driven much change, sometimes seemingly exponentially, nearly everyone talked about a different sort of shift. This was true even of those who landed on the younger end of the experience spectrum. According to respondents, the biggest change is the move away from the idea that the primary role of L&D is to create “courses.” Technology changed and became easier to use, enabling development of myriad digital solutions. As noted in that report, respondents viewed this change as welcome and positive.
…
When asked what other types of content respondents created to be delivered OUTSIDE of a traditional course, the most common responses were creating video and job aids/performance support materials. Microlearning and curated content were also frequently mentioned, and curated collections of existing material was popular with those engaged in traditional design.

Also relevant/see:

Games, Organizing, & Motivation: ID Links 10/25/22 — from christytuckerlearning.com by Christy Tucker
Curated links on games built in Twine, storytelling, organization, useful tools, motivation, and transitioning from teaching to ID.

From DSC:
Under the Storytelling and CYOA books section, it was interesting to see the Random Plot Generator, where Christy wrote: “A writing prompt tool to generate two characters, a setting, situation, theme, and character action. This could be a fun way to start scenarios if you’re feeling stuck. h/t Jean Marrapodi.”

I thought this might be a good tool for developing writers, improv actors, and likely others as well! 🙂

Also from Christy Tucker, see:

Voice Over and Video in Branching Scenarios
When should you use voice over and video in branching scenarios? Use them for stable content and when multimedia improve skill transfer.

If the content is very stable and unlikely to change much over time, voice over might make sense in a branching scenario. Investing in creating video also makes more sense for more stable content and skills than for something that changes every 6 months.

How AI will change Education: Part I | Transcend Newsletter #59 [Arenaza]

On 11/05/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, art, Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning / Deep Learning / Algorithms, assessment, assistive technologies, bots, change, colleges, community colleges, content development, aggregation, repositories, copyright/ownership/NFTs, creativity, education, education technology, emerging technologies, future, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, homeschooling/homeschoolers, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, languages and translation, law schools, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, lifelong learning, platforms, reading, teachers, teaching & learning, the downsides of how people use tech, tools, training / L&D, United States, universities, vendors, vision/possibilities, writing, youth, by Daniel Christian

How AI will change Education: Part I | Transcend Newsletter #59 — from transcend.substack.com by Alberto Arenaza; with thanks to GSV’s Big 10 for this resource

Excerpt:

You’ve likely been reading for the last few minutes my arguments for why AI is going to change education. You may agree with some points, disagree with others…

Only, those were not my words.

An AI has written every single word in this essay up until here.

The only thing I wrote myself was the first sentence: Artificial Intelligence is going to revolutionize education. The images too, everything was generated by AI.

Inclusive Education For Students With Hearing Impairment [Gupta]

On 10/04/2022, in A/V -- audio/visual, Bias | Diversity Equity & Inclusion (DE&I), communications, digital audio, India, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, learning spaces, motivation, parents/guardians, participation, smart classrooms, special needs, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, tools, writing, by Daniel Christian

Inclusive Education For Students With Hearing Impairment — from edtechreview.in by Priyanka Gupta

Excerpt:

The following may be difficult for a student with a hearing impairment:

The subjects of spelling, grammar, and vocabulary
Making notes while listening to lectures
Participate, engage or understand classroom discussions
Understand educational videos
Present oral reports

Top Sites for Educator Professional Development — from techlearning.com by Diana Restifo
These professional development sites for education will help teachers refresh and update their practice

Excerpt:

The learning never stops for teachers. Even if continuing education were not required by law, educators would still strive toward deepening their subject knowledge, keeping up with the latest research, sharpening their classroom skills, and learning to use education technology tools.

The following professional development sites for education will help teachers refresh and update their practice, connect with fellow educators and, in some cases, earn continuing education credits. All provide substantial free or modestly priced content.

And for you higher ed folks, see the Tweet below; my thanks to Becky Supiano for this resource out at The Chronicle of Higher Education

I’m putting together a short session for students about to teach (single session, not whole course) for the first time. I’ll focus on planning, and engaging students.

What would your vote be for the single most helpful thing to know before prepping your first class?

— Dr. Molly Metz (@metzpsych) June 16, 2022

Michigan Learning Channel: A Free Tool for Summer Learning — from michiganvirtual.org

Excerpt:

In this course, you will:

Recognize the what, why, and how of Michigan Learning Channel (MLC) resources.
Identify opportunities for family engagement that align with literacy, math, and science learning goals.
Consider ways to share these fun and free activities with students and families.

Also relevant/see:

FUTURE OF ME — from michiganlearning.org
Explore STEM careers by meeting women who work in those fields.

AGE RANGE: 6th – 12th Grade
SUBJECT: Career Exploration, Math, Science

TV Schedule — from michiganlearning.org

Best Free Virtual Escape Rooms for Schools [Restifo]

On 05/16/2022, in active learning, education technology, educational games / serious games, love of learning, participation, platforms, play, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, vendors, writing, by Daniel Christian

Best Free Virtual Escape Rooms for Schools — from techlearning.com by Diana Restifo
Virtual escape rooms incorporate riddles, puzzles, math, logic, and literacy skills to create an exciting adventure in education.

Excerpt:

Virtual escape rooms are a form of gamified learning that incorporates riddles, puzzles, math, logic, and literacy skills to create an exciting adventure in education. Students demonstrate their skills and knowledge in order to unlock each level, eventually earning their liberation. Some escape rooms are one-page affairs, while others weave an intricate backstory to enthrall players. Many also offer hints when an incorrect answer is given, thereby encouraging kids to persevere until success is achieved.

There’s no charge for any of these virtual escape rooms, so feel free to free yourself, for free!

Also relevant/see:

Storybird Lesson Plan — from techlearning.com by Stephanie Smith Budhai, Ph.D.
This Storybird Lesson Plan is designed to help educators utilize a digital learning platform to support teaching and learning

Excerpt:

Storybird is an attractive and easy-to-use reading and writing online edtech tool with beautiful images to inspire students as they develop their literacy skills. Storybird goes beyond reading online books, and provides an accessible platform for learners of all ages to engage in a wide variety of reading and writing genres including descriptive, creative, and persuasive writing as well as longform stories, flash fiction, poetry, and comics.

For an overview of Storybird, check out What is Storybird for Education? Best Tips and Tricks. This sample lesson plan is geared toward fiction storytelling writing instruction for elementary students.

Supporting Young Students as Writers, Before They Can Write [Rogin]

On 04/29/2022, in art, creativity, drama/theater, education, ideas, instructional design, Learning Experience Design, story, storytelling, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, writing, youth, by Daniel Christian

Supporting Young Students as Writers, Before They Can Write — from edutopia.org by Madeleine Rogin
This activity allows young students to see themselves as storytellers and experience the magic when their classmates act out their stories.

…as the goal of these lessons is not to churn out fluent writers in kindergarten but to allow my students to become playwrights, to see themselves as storytellers, and to experience the magical feeling when their ideas come to life.

Podcasts For High School Students [Lee]

On 04/19/2022, in art, career development, creativity, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, education, education technology, Emotion, entrepreneurship, health, hearts -- matters of the heart, history, innovation, mathematics, online media, photography, podcasting, science, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, writing, by Daniel Christian

Podcasts For High School Students — from teachthought.com by Dennis Lee,

Categories covered include:

Academic Related Podcasts
General and Special Interest Podcasts
Entrepreneurship
Inspirational & Motivational

Learning Disorders and Law School: Strategies and Resources — from onlinemasteroflegalstudies.com with thanks to Allegra Balmadier for these resources

Excerpt:

Law schools across the country with all kinds of students and faculty could fairly be described by a single word: rigor. Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree programs are traditionally known for copious amounts of required reading and semester-end exams that count for a student’s whole grade. A legal education is an intensive course of study that would challenge any student.

A student with a learning disorder or disability (LD) may struggle for a particular reason—not for lack of effort but because of the conventional structure of class, assignments and tests. LDs can cause difficulty with processing information, a problem that is exacerbated when universities and colleges fail to offer support.

However, with appropriate strategies, students with LDs can succeed in law school and in the legal profession. Learn more about learning disorders and find resources below.

45 Next Generation Learning Tools That Kids Will Love [ireviews.com]

On 03/31/2022, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, active learning, art, attention, communications, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, culture, curriculum, digital learning, education, education reform, elearning, engagement / engaging students, geography / geology, Google, history, K-12 related, learning, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, learning preferences, mathematics, Microsoft, platforms, programming, reading, science, skills, social learning / networks, STEAM-related, student teaching/teacher education, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, tools, vendors, writing, youth, by Daniel Christian

45 Next Generation Learning Tools That Kids Will Love — from ireviews.com with thanks to Alex Ward for this resource

Excerpts:

There’s a wide range of tools designed to support curriculum and help teachers and students achieve their goals. These are our top picks for school students of every age, due to their impressive functionality and simple integration into the classroom.

From DSC:
Below is a sample screenshot from the Elementary school resources section. They also have resources for middle schoolers and high schoolers.

The art of writing funding applications [Al Kassi]

On 03/26/2022, in art, content development, aggregation, repositories, creativity, funding / grants, professional development, writing, by Daniel Christian

The art of writing funding applications — from itsnicethat.comby Isra Al Kassi
Applying for funding is a skill with its own unique processes and vocabulary that many find insurmountable. But fear no more: TAPE Collective’s Isra Al Kassi is here to offer her tips for navigating that tricky terrain in a way that works for you.

Excerpt:

With more and more creatives breaking free from institutions and traditional employment there is a greater demand than ever to secure funding to turn a passion project into a sustainable endeavour. Whether tripping over the language used, or being overwhelmed with the sheer information asked for, applying for funding is rarely a straightforward process and comes with barriers which has creatives losing hope at ever having the resources to attempt an application.

It’s true what they say: writing funding applications is a skill. There’s a procedure and language in place which you, unfortunately, have to learn and use but that’s not to say that your passion, and urgency shouldn’t seep through those very words. Ultimately there is a need for your project to exist, and a need for it to be funded: express that clearly.

Nurturing Non-STEM Gifted Kids and Meeting Their Needs — from raisinglifelonglearners.com by Colleen Kessler

Excerpt:

But what about that kid who doesn’t want a new chemistry set or microscope for Christmas? What about the gifted kid who doesn’t really get your science puns? What about the brilliant child who isn’t into STEM at all?

They’re rare, but they’re out there. Artists, chefs, readers, writers, dancers, musicians, linguists, all of the above. Kids who like space just fine, but like nature even more. Gifted kids who can crush their math work but would rather crush pigments. Gifted kids who can learn to code, but whose heart swells when guitar strings strum. Brilliant babes who appreciate the arts, the stories, or are just filled with curiosity that isn’t subject-specific. You see, intelligence isn’t a stereotype. An IQ score isn’t like a horoscope. Scoring a few standard deviations above the norm doesn’t dictate your personality, your likes, dislikes, talents, passions, or hobbies. It means your brain processes information differently than the majority of the population. That’s really it. Intelligence and brilliance are as likely to be found on a stage as they are in a lab. For every Einstein there is a Beethoven, for every Musk there’s a Spielberg.

What Can You Recommend For Students Who Finish Their Work Early? — from teachthought.com

Excerpt:

How to respond when students finish their work early is a classic teacher challenge.

Most of it boils down to lesson design–creating learning opportunities where students are naturally funneled toward extending, improving, and sharing their work so that ‘stopping points’ are more of a matter of scheduling than learning itself.

Motivating your child with ADHD: 7 tips for your homeschool — from raisinglifelonglearners.com by Colleen Kessler

Excerpt:

This series is all about homeschooling a child with ADHD. Today, we are discussing 7 of our best tips for motivating a child with ADHD.

Preparing Kids With Real-World Skills via Ed-Tech — from emergingedtech.com by Kelly Walsh

Excerpt:

Educational technologies enable children to learn things on a whole new level, broadening their minds and their capabilities. The practical applications alone make ed-tech a highly valuable tool in the classroom setting, but these technologies also can enhance kids’ skills as well as their emotional and cultural awareness and intelligence, which can better prepare them for real-world situations and scenarios.

Edumilestones Has Launched Career Lab™ For Progressive Schools — from edtechreview.in

Excerpt:

Edumilestones, a pioneer in career guidance platform has now launched a next-generation Career Lab™ for schools. Based on 11 years of experience in career counselling industry, this technology is set to help students to identify and execute their career goals with clarity and confidence.

Learning Ecosystems

AI bot ChatGPT stuns academics with essay-writing skills and usability [Hern]

Californians approve big funding boost for arts education [Watson]

Beyond Courses: Instructional Approaches in 2022 [Bozarth]

The art of writing funding applications [Al Kassi]

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