Using Video Projects to Reinforce Learning in Math — from edutopia.org by Alessandra King A collaborative project can help students deeply explore math concepts, explain problem-solving strategies, and demonstrate their learning.
To this end, I assign video projects to my students. In groups of two or three, they solve a set of problems on a topic and then choose one to illustrate, solve, and explain their favorite problem-solving strategy in detail, along with the reasons they chose it. The student-created videos are collected and stored on a Padlet even after I have evaluated them—kept as a reference, keepsake, and support. I have a library of student-created videos that benefit current and future students when they have some difficulties with a topic and associated problems.
AI can help educators focus more on human interaction and critical thinking by automating tasks that consume time but don’t require human empathy or creativity.
Encouraging students to use AI as a tool for learning and creativity can significantly boost their engagement and self-confidence, as seen in examples from student experiences shared in the discussion.
The speakers discuss various aspects of AI, including its potential to augment human intelligence and the need to focus on uniquely human competencies in the face of technological advancements. They also emphasize the significance of student agency, with examples of student-led initiatives and feedback sessions that reveal how young learners are already engaging with AI in innovative ways. The episode underscores the necessity for educators and administrators to stay informed and actively participate in the ongoing dialogue about AI to ensure its effective and equitable implementation in schools.
AI can be a powerful tool to break down language, interest, and accessibility barriers in the classroom, making learning more inclusive and engaging.
Incorporating AI tools in educational settings can help build essential skills that AI can’t replace, such as creativity and problem-solving, preparing students for future job markets.
From DSC: Anyone who is involved in putting on conferences should at least be aware that this kind of thing is now possible!!! Check out the following posting from Adobe (with help from Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
This year, the organizers — innovative industry event company Beyond Ordinary Events — turned to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to make the impossible “possible.” Leveraging Adobe generative AI technology across products like Adobe Premiere Pro and Acrobat, they distilled hours of video content in minutes, delivering timely dispatches to thousands of attendees throughout the conference.
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For POSSIBLE ’24, Muche had an idea for a daily dispatch summarizing each day’s sessions so attendees wouldn’t miss a single insight. But timing would be critical. The dispatch needed to reach attendees shortly after sessions ended to fuel discussions over dinner and carry the excitement over to the next day.
The workflow started in Adobe Premiere Pro, with the writer opening a recording of each session and using the Speech to Text feature to automatically generate a transcript. They saved the transcript as a PDF file and opened it in Adobe Acrobat Pro. Then, using Adobe Acrobat AI Assistant, the writer asked for a session summary.
It was that fast and easy. In less than four minutes, one person turned a 30-minute session into an accurate, useful summary ready for review and publication.
By taking advantage of templates, the designer then added each AI-enabled summary to the newsletter in minutes. With just two people and generative AI technology, TCS accomplished the impossible — for the first time delivering an informative, polished newsletter to all 3,500 conference attendees just hours after the last session of the day.
Right now, high schoolers and college students around the country are experimenting with free smartphone apps that help complete their math homework using generative AI. One of the most popular options on campus right now is the Gauth app, with millions of downloads. It’s owned by ByteDance, which is also TikTok’s parent company.
The Gauth app first launched in 2019 with a primary focus on mathematics, but soon expanded to other subjects as well, like chemistry and physics. It’s grown in relevance, and neared the top of smartphone download lists earlier this year for the education category. Students seem to love it. With hundreds of thousands of primarily positive reviews, Gauth has a favorable 4.8 star rating in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
All students have to do after downloading the app is point their smartphone at a homework problem, printed or handwritten, and then make sure any relevant information is inside of the image crop. Then Gauth’s AI model generates a step-by-step guide, often with the correct answer.
From DSC: I do hesitate to post this though, as I’ve seen numerous posting re: the dubious quality of AI as it relates to giving correct answers to math-related problems – or whether using AI-based tools help or hurt the learning process. The situation seems to be getting better, but as I understand it, we still have some progress to make in this area of mathematics.
Educational leaders must reconsider the definition of creativity, taking into account how generative AI tools can be used to produce novel and impactful creative work, similar to how film editors compile various elements into a cohesive, creative whole.
Generative AI democratizes innovation by allowing all students to become creators, expanding access to creative processes that were previously limited and fostering a broader inclusion of diverse talents and ideas in education.
AI-Powered Instructional Design at ASU — from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman How ASU’s Collaboration with OpenAI is Reshaping the Role of Instructional Designers
The developments and experiments at ASU provide a fascinating window into two things:
How the world is reimagining learning in the age of AI;
How the role of the instructional designer is changing in the age of AI.
In this week’s blog post, I’ll provide a summary of how faculty, staff and students at ASU are starting to reimagine education in the age of AI, and explore what this means for the instructions designers who work there.
India’s ed-tech unicorn PhysicsWallah is using OpenAI’s GPT-4o to make education accessible to millions of students in India. Recently, the company launched a suite of AI products to ensure that students in Tier 2 & 3 cities can access high-quality education without depending solely on their enrolled institutions, as 85% of their enrollment comes from these areas.
Last year, AIM broke the news of PhysicsWallah introducing ‘Alakh AI’, its suite of generative AI tools, which was eventually launched at the end of December 2023. It quickly gained traction, amassing over 1.5 million users within two months of its release.
Terrific Tools for Teachers — from wondertools.substack.com by Jeremy Caplan Try these for your workshops or classes
As a new school year starts, I’m excited to be back teaching at the City University of New York’s Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. In my role as Director of Teaching & Learning, I love studying and sharing the skills, mindsets, tactics and tools that help teachers lead engaging, impactful classes. In this post I’m sharing resources you might find helpful whether you’re a teacher, leader, or anyone who brings people together. .
This is not your standard back-to-school story, about school supplies or first-day butterflies.
It’s about how school-aged members of Gen Z — that’s 12- to 18-year-olds — are feeling about school and the future. And according to a new national survey, those feelings are a little worrying.
School engagement is down. The middle- and high-schoolers surveyed find school less interesting than they did just last year, and only about half believe they’re being challenged “in a good way.” The problem is especially acute for teens who say they don’t want to go to college right out of high school.
“The conversations that [K-12 schools are] having with middle-schoolers and high-schoolers are predominantly about college,” says Zach Hrynowski, a senior education researcher at Gallup. “Even the kids who are like, ‘I don’t want to go to college,’ what are they hearing the most about? College. We’re not talking to them about apprenticeships, internships, starting a business, entrepreneurial aspirations or jobs that don’t require a college degree.”
The Success Rates report and data files show the number of degree-seeking students who enter a Michigan postsecondary community college or public university and achieve a successful outcome. This includes data for Michigan’s 28 community colleges and 15 public universities, along with aggregate metrics for the community college and public university sectors broken out by race/ethnicity and gender.
Successful outcomes include:
Earning a certificate
Earning an associate degree
Earning a bachelor’s degree
Transferring to a university (for community college students)
These rates capture both part- and full-time enrollment for all degree-seeking students as well as mobility between institutions.
The report and data files are updated in late spring. See the Recently Posted Reports page for when they were last updated.
Interested in exploring in-demand jobs in Michigan? Explore Michigan’s Hot 50 Job Outlook through 2030, which includes the anticipated job growth, the average wage and the minimum education requirements for each occupation through 2028. The publication is intended to provide valuable career information to students in high school, vocational and community colleges, as well as job seekers. Additional occupational forecasts and research are available in Michigan’s Online Job Demand, a publication from Michigan’s Labor Market Information.
The Roadmap to Opportunity highlights in-demand, high-wage careers. Explore hot job career pathways that require a certificate or an associate degree. Hear from Michigan residents who have chosen these careers and why. The website includes pathway information for the careers, including information on available programs, hourly wage rates, and cool classes you can take.
Pure Michigan Talent Connect is your launch pad for new jobs, careers and job fairs. It is a tool connecting Michigan’s job seekers and employers and serves as a central hub linking all public and private stakeholders who support Michigan’s workforce. Pure Michigan Talent Connect serves as the state’s labor exchange system.
The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) has partnered with the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) and other statewide stakeholders to develop a post-graduation opportunities informational packet available on LEO’s Pathfinder resources page.
To comply with Michigan law*, districts are required to distribute the link above to all students in grades 8-12 by October 1 of each year. The information below is supplemental and focused on local opportunities and resources, assembled by Kent ISD staff.
I’m Not Sure / Assess My Skills The Educational Development Plan (EDP) tools listed on the Pathfinder site are free and very useful. However, most school districts supply students with EDP software such as Xello, Naviance, and Mavin for Career Development starting in 7th grade. Parents and teachers of enrolled students have access to their students’ EDP data through (and, in some cases, past) graduation. Consult with your school district for access to this resource.
DC: While I’m glad that wasn’t part of my K-12 experience, I’m sad for our kids and the younger generations growing up in such a time. What if we truly cared about each other? How would our society look/be different? https://t.co/SySp78NAwk
From DSC:
I realize that’s a gross generalization, but I think we all experience numerous times these days when businesses and others don’t really care about us.
What An Agent Is
Agents are computer programs that can autonomously perform tasks, make decisions and interact with humans or other computers. There are many different types of agents, and they are designed to achieve specific goals spanning our lives and nearly every industry, making them an integral and unstoppable part of our future.
Learning: AI agents will transform education by providing personalized learning experiences such as one-to-one tutoring. ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs) are providing access to all digital knowledge now. An “agent” would act as a more personalized version of an LLM.
The hacking and control of an AI agent could lead to disastrous consequences, affecting privacy, security, the economy and societal stability. Proactive and comprehensive security strategies are essential to mitigate these risks in the future.
New Microschools for a New School Year — from the74million.org by Kerry McDonald As parent demand for more individualized education options grows, everyday entrepreneurs are stepping up to meet that demand by launching microschools
Microschools and similarly creative schooling options gained increased popularity in the wake of the pandemic, and they continue to gain momentum. Not only are new schools and spaces opening across the U.S. but existing ones are expanding.
New data from VELA, a philanthropic nonprofit organization and entrepreneur community, reveals that over 90 percent of the unconventional learning environments it surveyed had more learners last fall than they did at their launch date, and the median compound rate of growth for these programs was 25 percent a year.
86% of students globally are regularly using AI in their studies, with 54% of them using AI on a weekly basis, the recent Digital Education Council Global AI Student Survey found.
ChatGPT was found to be the most widely used AI tool, with 66% of students using it, and over 2 in 3 students reported using AI for information searching.
Despite their high rates of AI usage, 1 in 2 students do not feel AI ready. 58% reported that they do not feel that they had sufficient AI knowledge and skills, and 48% do not feel adequately prepared for an AI-enabled workplace.
The Post-AI Instructional Designer— from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman How the ID role is changing, and what this means for your key skills, roles & responsibilities
Specifically, the study revealed that teachers who reported most productivity gains were those who used AI not just for creating outputs (like quizzes or worksheets) but also for seeking input on their ideas, decisions and strategies.
Those who engaged with AI as a thought partner throughout their workflow, using it to generate ideas, define problems, refine approaches, develop strategies and gain confidence in their decisions gained significantly more from their collaboration with AI than those who only delegated functional tasks to AI.
Leveraging Generative AI for Inclusive Excellence in Higher Education — from er.educause.edu by Lorna Gonzalez, Kristi O’Neil-Gonzalez, Megan Eberhardt-Alstot, Michael McGarry and Georgia Van Tyne Drawing from three lenses of inclusion, this article considers how to leverage generative AI as part of a constellation of mission-centered inclusive practices in higher education.
The hype and hesitation about generative artificial intelligence (AI) diffusion have led some colleges and universities to take a wait-and-see approach.Footnote1 However, AI integration does not need to be an either/or proposition where its use is either embraced or restricted or its adoption aimed at replacing or outright rejecting existing institutional functions and practices. Educators, educational leaders, and others considering academic applications for emerging technologies should consider ways in which generative AI can complement or augment mission-focused practices, such as those aimed at accessibility, diversity, equity, and inclusion. Drawing from three lenses of inclusion—accessibility, identity, and epistemology—this article offers practical suggestions and considerations that educators can deploy now. It also presents an imperative for higher education leaders to partner toward an infrastructure that enables inclusive practices in light of AI diffusion.
An example way to leverage AI:
How to Leverage AI for Identity Inclusion Educators can use the following strategies to intentionally design instructional content with identity inclusion in mind.
Provide a GPT or AI assistant with upcoming lesson content (e.g., lecture materials or assignment instructions) and ask it to provide feedback (e.g., troublesome vocabulary, difficult concepts, or complementary activities) from certain perspectives. Begin with a single perspective (e.g., first-time, first-year student), but layer in more to build complexity as you interact with the GPT output.
Gen AI’s next inflection point: From employee experimentation to organizational transformation — from mckinsey.com by Charlotte Relyea, Dana Maor, and Sandra Durth with Jan Bouly As many employees adopt generative AI at work, companies struggle to follow suit. To capture value from current momentum, businesses must transform their processes, structures, and approach to talent.
To harness employees’ enthusiasm and stay ahead, companies need a holistic approach to transforming how the whole organization works with gen AI; the technology alone won’t create value.
Our research shows that early adopters prioritize talent and the human side of gen AI more than other companies (Exhibit 3). Our survey shows that nearly two-thirds of them have a clear view of their talent gaps and a strategy to close them, compared with just 25 percent of the experimenters. Early adopters focus heavily on upskilling and reskilling as a critical part of their talent strategies, as hiring alone isn’t enough to close gaps and outsourcing can hinder strategic-skills development.Finally, 40 percent of early-adopter respondents say their organizations provide extensive support to encourage employee adoption, versus 9 percent of experimenter respondents.
Change blindness — from oneusefulthing.org by Ethan Mollick 21 months later
I don’t think anyone is completely certain about where AI is going, but we do know that things have changed very quickly, as the examples in this post have hopefully demonstrated. If this rate of change continues, the world will look very different in another 21 months. The only way to know is to live through it.
Over the subsequent weeks, I’ve made other adjustments, but that first one was the one I asked myself:
What are you doing?
Why are you doing it that way?
How could you change that workflow with AI?
Applying the AI to the workflow, then asking, “Is this what I was aiming for? How can I improve the prompt to get closer?”
Documenting what worked (or didn’t). Re-doing the work with AI to see what happened, and asking again, “Did this work?”
So, something that took me WEEKS of hard work, and in some cases I found impossible, was made easy. Like, instead of weeks, it takes 10 minutes. The hard part? Building the prompt to do what I want, fine-tuning it to get the result. But that doesn’t take as long now.
The start of the school year can be stressful, but parents of neurodivergent children are more likely to report feeling overwhelmed, unprepared and scared than other parents, according to a new survey shared with The Hechinger Report.
About 2,100 parents answered the survey this summer from Understood.org, a nonprofit that publishes resources for people with dyslexia, attention deficit disorder and other learning differences. Those with neurodivergent children say they were stressed about their child’s social life, whether the school would meet their child’s needs and whether their child would have access to adequate resources to succeed in school. About 82 percent of those parents said neurodivergent students are often misunderstood by their peers, and 76 percent said they are often misunderstood by teachers.
If you’re looking for apps and games that not only keep young kids occupied but also encourage them to explore, learn, and express themselves, we have some great suggestions.
The apps we cover in this guide are good learning apps not because they’re designed to make kids smarter, to drill facts, or to replace in-school learning, but because they each offer something fun, unique, and interesting for kids and adults.
As with our guides to STEM and learning toys, we didn’t test scores of apps to try to find the “best” ones. Rather, most of our favorite apps have been chosen by teachers for their students in classrooms, used by Wirecutter parents and their kids, or recommended by the experts and educators we spoke with.
SATs Have Never Been About Equity — from insidehighered.com by Pepper Stetler The history of the SAT raises questions about how we value and measure intelligence, Pepper Stetler writes.
Excerpts (emphasis DSC):
Even though the overwhelming majority (about 80 percent) of the country’s colleges and universities will remain test optional for the Class of 2029, our national conversation about the role of standardized admissions tests in higher education focuses almost exclusively on elite colleges, whose enrollments represent only 1 percent of students. Such a myopic perspective will do little to increase access to higher education. Real change would require us to reckon with the history of standardized tests and how they have persistently disadvantaged large numbers of students, particularly students of color and students with disabilities.
One hundred years later, academic success is defined as the capacity to do well on a standardized test. It does not just predict a person’s academic ability. It defines academic ability. And those who have the most time and resources to devote to the test are the ones who will succeed.
Trend #1: Schools Are Using Career Technical Education to Increase Student Engagement
Trend #2: Districts Are Looking to Scale Up Tutoring
Trend #3: Virtual Learning Solutions Can Help Address Teacher Shortages
Understood.com | Everyone deserves to be understood Understood is the leading nonprofit empowering the 70 million people with learning and thinking differences in the United States.
But what is crucial is that this is not a public, humiliating struggle which dehumanises the person, it is the private conversations we have with ourselves about what is working and what isn’t.
The second strand is that the circumstances are always low threat. No-one else can see our struggling to get the solution.
No-one is pointing the finger.
It is when we feel safe at this deep level that we are prepared to risk things and have a go.
If we are serious about providing pupils with an ambitious curriculum, we need to consider how the ‘high challenge’ is balanced by ‘low threat’.
Using Classroom Observations for Support as a New Teacher — from edutopia.org by Sunaina Sharma Constructive feedback from colleagues helps new teachers identify areas of strength and growth and develop strategies to achieve their goals.
Stepping into the classroom for the first time as a new teacher can feel like navigating uncharted territory. The mix of excitement and nerves is palpable, and the fear of making mistakes looms large. Amid the whirlwind of lesson planning and classroom management, one often-overlooked opportunity for growth is classroom observations. Approach observations with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Embrace vulnerability as a sign of strength, and use feedback as a springboard for growth.
The first week of school for pre-K to second-grade teachers comes with an ever-evolving list of expectations to teach. Cue Montell Jordan: “This is how we do it…”
The first week is our blank slate, our opportunity to create a foundation to build off of. The earlier we introduce and enforce our expectations, the earlier learning can begin. It’s essential that we teach, model, and role-play each expectation with students, and the more fun we have with it, the more it will stick.
Below are five of my favorite first-week catchphrases that teach clear expectations, which I call the “first week [fun]damentals,” along with how to teach them, the why, and teacher tips to make execution easier.
Your New? Your Better? Your Stronger? — from thebrokencopier.substack.com by Marcus Luther A back-to-school reflection for educators (and my own answers!)
Which is how I arrived at these three questions to ask myself:
What is one thing I want to do new this year?
What is one thing I want to get better at as a teacher?
What is one strength I want to be even stronger?
Three questions that are really three lenses to look forward with and hold myself accountable for:
According to the results of a new survey by Wiley, an increasing number of instructors – along with students – are facing mental health difficulties post-pandemic. And while instructors are aware of the challenges their students are trying to cope with, they’re also feeling the strain, with levels of exhaustion and burnout on the rise. Faced with being asked to do more with less, instructors turn to their family and peers for support. However, as the stigma around mental health lessens many are also seeking out professional help.
Read our report to discover key takeaways from the front lines of the ongoing mental health crisis and explore the implications for instructors, schools, and students alike.
In a busy classroom, it can be daunting to meet the varied learning needs of all your students. Knowing you’re also responsible for implementing instructional accommodations and modifications in students’ IEPs and 504 plans can make it feel even more challenging. But with the right information, you can provide these important supports to help all students thrive.
Here are key concepts to keep in mind and steps you can take to implement accommodations and modifications for your students.
BALTIMORE — What if your child didn’t go to school?
Believe it or not, some parents don’t send their children to school five days a week, and it’s called unschooling.
It is a growing and sometimes controversial approach to homeschooling.
Rather than using a defined curriculum, unschooling parents trust their kids to learn organically. Unschoolers are focused more on the experimental process of learning and becoming educated, rather than with “doing or going to school.”
Public schools are particularly vulnerable to pressure, Cuban said on a call with EdSurge. That’s because national problems tend to become school ones, Cuban says. Schools have to walk a “tightrope,” striking a balance that is both stable for students and able to adapt to changes in the broader society, he says.
Pressure on schools to respond to new issues often ends up altering curricula or introducing new courses, because that’s the easiest part of the public education system to change, Cuban argues. But classrooms are isolated from the superintendent’s office, the school board and other “policy elites” who push change, he says.
Every teacher at her school, the Health Sciences High and Middle College, in San Diego, shares in the responsibility of teaching students literacy skills, regardless of the subject they teach. That’s because so many students, even incoming ninth graders, arrive at the school without basic reading skills, according to Douglas Fisher, an administrator at the school. While some students also receive one-on-one remediation, Fisher said that research shows those interventions aren’t enough to close the gap.
“We have kids that on our benchmark knowledge assessments are scoring what is the equivalent of second grade, first grade, fourth grade,” said Fisher, who is also a professor and chair of educational leadership at San Diego State University. Yet, by the time students graduate, he said, the goal at the secondary school is that they have “reading levels ready for college.”
