tools

Osgoode’s new simulation-based learning tool aims to merge ethical and practical legal skills — from canadianlawyermag.com by Tim Wilbur
The designer speaks about his vision for redefining legal education through an innovative platform

The disconnection between legal education and the real world starkly contrasted with what he expected law school to be. “I thought rather naively…this would be a really interesting experience…linked to lawyers and what lawyers are doing in society…Far from it. It was solidly academic, so uninteresting, and I thought it’s got to be better than this.”

These frustrations inspired his work on simulation-based education, which seeks to produce “client-ready” lawyers and professionals who reflect deeply on their future roles. Maharg recently worked as a consultant with Osgoode Professional Development at Osgoode Hall Law School to design a platform that eschews many of the assumptions about legal education to deliver practical skills with real-world scenarios.

Osgoode’s SIMPLE platform – short for “simulated professional learning environment” – integrates case management systems and simulation engines to immerse students in practical scenarios.

“It’s actually to get them thinking hard about what they do when they act as lawyers and what they will do when they become lawyers…putting it into values and an ethical framework, as well as making it highly intensively practical,” Maharg says.

And speaking of legal training, also see:

AI in law firms should be a training tool, not a threat, for young lawyers — from canadianlawyermag.com by Tim Wilbur
Tech should free associates for deeper learning, not remove them from the process

AI is rapidly transforming legal practice. Today, tools handle document review and legal research at a pace unimaginable just a few years ago. As recent Canadian Lawyer reporting shows, legal AI adoption is outpacing expectations, especially among in-house teams, and is fundamentally reshaping how legal services are delivered.

Crucially, though, AI should not replace associates. Instead, it should relieve them of repetitive tasks and allow them to focus on developing judgment, client management, and strategic thinking. As I’ve previously discussed regarding the risks of banning AI in court, the future of law depends on blending technological fluency with the human skills clients value most.

Also, the following relates to legaltech as well:

Agentic AI in Legaltech: Proceed with Supervision! — from directory.lawnext.com by Ken Crutchfield
Semi-Autonomous agents can transform work if leaders maintain oversight

The term autonomous agents should raise some concern. I believe semi-autonomous agents is a better term. Do we really want fully autonomous agents that learn and interact independently, to find ways to accomplish tasks?

We live in a world full of cybersecurity risks. Bad actors will think of ways to use agents. Even well-intentioned systems could mishandle a task without proper guardrails.

Legal professionals will want to thoughtfully equip their agent technology with controlled access to the right services. Agents must be supervised, and training must be required for those using or benefiting from agents. Legal professionals will also want to expand the scope of AI Governance to include the oversight of agents.
…
Agentic AI will require supervision. Human review of Generative AI output is essential. Stating the obvious may be necessary, especially with agents. Controls, human review, and human monitoring must be part of the design and the requirements for any project. Leadership should not leave this to the IT department alone.

15 Quick (and Mighty) Retrieval Practices — from edutopia.org by Daniel Leonard
From concept maps to flash cards to Pictionary, these activities help students reflect on—and remember—what they’ve learned.

But to genuinely commit information to long-term memory, there’s no replacement for active retrieval—the effortful practice of recalling information from memory, unaided by external sources like notes or the textbook. “Studying this way is mentally difficult,” Willingham acknowledged, “but it’s really, really good for memory.”
…
From low-stakes quizzes to review games to flash cards, there are a variety of effective retrieval practices that teachers can implement in class or recommend that students try at home. Drawing from a wide range of research, we compiled this list of 15 actionable retrieval practices.

And speaking of cognitive science, also see:

‘Cognitive Science,’ All the Rage in British Schools, Fails to Register in U.S. — from the74million.org by Greg Toppo
Educators blame this ‘reverse Beatles effect’ on America’s decentralized system and grad schools that are often hostile to research.

When Zach Groshell zoomed in as a guest on a longstanding British education podcast last March, a co-host began the interview by telling listeners he was “very well-known over in the U.S.”

Groshell, a former Seattle-area fourth-grade teacher, had to laugh: “Nobody knows me here in the U.S.,” he said in an interview.

But in Britain, lots of teachers know his name. An in-demand speaker at education conferences, he flies to London “as frequently as I can” to discuss Just Tell Them, his 2024 book on explicit instruction. Over the past year, Groshell has appeared virtually about once a month and has made two personal appearances at events across England.

The reason? A discipline known as cognitive science. Born in the U.S., it relies on decades of research on how kids learn to guide teachers in the classroom, and is at the root of several effective reforms, including the Science of Reading.

Blood in the Instructional Design Machine? — from drphilippahardman.substack.com by Dr. Philippa Hardman
The reality of AI, job degradation & the likely future of Instructional Design

This raises a very important, perhaps even existential question for our profession: do these tools free a designer from the mind-numbing drudgery of content conversion (the “augmented human”)? Or do they automate the core expertise of the learning professional’s role, e.g. selecting instructional startegies, structuring narratives and designing a learning flow, in the process reducing the ID’s role to simply finding the source file and pushing a button (the “inverted centaur”)?

The stated aspiration of these tool builders seems to be a future where AI means that the instructional designer’s value shifts decisively from production to strategy. Their stated goal is to handle the heavy lifting of content generation, allowing the human ID to provide the indispensable context, creativity, and pedagogical judgment that AI cannot replicate.

However, the risk of these tools lies in how we use them, and the “inverted centaur” model remains deeply potent and possible. In an organisation that prioritises cost above all, these same tools can be used to justify reducing the ID role to the functional drudgery of inputting a PDF and supervising the machine.

The key to this paradox lies in a crucial data point: spending on outside products and services has jumped a dramatic 23% to $12.4 billion.

This signals a fundamental shift: companies are reallocating funds from large internal teams toward specialised consultants and advanced learning technologies like AI. L&D is not being de-funded; it is being re-engineered.

Building a learning ecosystem that drives business results — from chieflearningofficer.com by Nick Romanowski
How SAX combined adaptive e-learning and experiential workshops to accelerate capability development and impact the bottom line.

At SAX, we know that to succeed in today’s market, we need professionals who can learn quickly, apply that learning effectively and continuously adapt as client needs evolve.

Yet traditional training methods were no longer enough. Our firm faced familiar challenges: helping staff meet continuing professional education requirements efficiently, uncovering knowledge gaps to guide development and building a more capable, more client-ready workforce.

We found our solution in a flipped learning model that blends adaptive e-learning with live, experiential workshops. The results were transformative. We accelerated CPE credit completion by more than 50 percent, reclaimed 173 billable hours and equipped our people with deeper capabilities.

Here’s how we did it, and what we learned along the way.

Blend technology and human touch: Adaptive e-learning addresses individual knowledge gaps efficiently. Live workshops enable skill development through practice and feedback. Together, they drive both learning efficiency and behavior change.

[Gifted article from NY Times] I Teach Creative Writing. This Is What A.I. Is Doing to Students. [O’Rourke]

On 07/24/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, career development, change, colleges, communications, community colleges, cost of getting a degree, creativity, digital learning, education, education technology, emerging technologies, expectations, experimentation, faculty/staff, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), ideas, innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, liberal arts, Open AI, pace of change, parents/guardians, skills, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, tools, United States, universities, vendors, writing, by Daniel Christian

I Teach Creative Writing. This Is What A.I. Is Doing to Students. — from nytimes.com by Meghan O’Rourke; this is a gifted article.

We need a coherent approach grounded in understanding how the technology works, where it is going and what it will be used for.

From DSC:
I almost feel like Meghan should right the words “this week” or “this month” after the above sentence. Whew! Things are moving fast.

For example, we’re now starting to see more agents hitting the scene — software that can DO things. But that can open up a can of worms too.

Students know the ground has shifted — and that the world outside the university expects them to shift with it. A.I. will be part of their lives regardless of whether we approve. Few issues expose the campus cultural gap as starkly as this one.ce

From DSC:
Universities and colleges have little choice but to integrate AI into their programs and offerings. There’s enough pressure on institutions of traditional higher education to prove their worth/value. Students and their families want solid ROI’s. Students know that they are going to need AI-related skills (see the link immediately below for example), or they are going to be left out of the competitive job search process.

A relevant resource here:

New Lightcast Report: AI Skills Command 28% Salary Premium as Demand Shifts Beyond Tech Industry — from lightcast.io; via Paul Fain
First-of-its-kind analysis reveals specific AI skills employers need most, enabling targeted workforce training strategies across all career areas

Firefly adds new video capabilities, industry leading AI models, and Generate Sound Effects feature — from blog.adobe.com

Today, we’re introducing powerful enhancements to our Firefly Video Model, including improved motion fidelity and advanced video controls that will accelerate your workflows and provide the precision and style you need to elevate your storytelling. We are also adding new generative AI partner models within Generate Video on Firefly, giving you the power to choose which model works best for your creative needs across image, video and sound.

Plus, our new workflow tools put you in control of your video’s composition and style. You can now layer in custom-generated sound effects right inside the Firefly web app — and start experimenting with AI-powered avatar-led videos.
…
Generate Sound Effects (beta)
Sound is a powerful storytelling tool that adds emotion and depth to your videos. Generate Sound Effects (beta) makes it easy to create custom sounds, like a lion’s roar or ambient nature sounds, that enhance your visuals. And like our other Firefly generative AI models, Generate Sound Effects (beta) is commercially safe, so you can create with confidence.

Just type a simple text prompt to generate the sound effect you need. Want even more control? Use your voice to guide the timing and intensity of the sound. Firefly listens to the energy and rhythm of your voice to place sound effects precisely where they belong — matching the action in your video with cinematic timing.

The type of functionality found in MyNextChapter.ai could work very well in a next-gen learning platform [Christian]

On 07/24/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, adult learning, Alternatives, apprenticeships, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, bots, business, career development, change, cloud-based computing / apps / other cloud-related, colleges, communications, community colleges, corporate / business world, Daniel S. Christian, emerging technologies, experimentation, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, lifelong learning, passions, pathways, personalized/customized learning, platforms, professional development, reinvent, skills, social learning / networks, society, staying relevant, surviving, teachers, teaching & learning, teaching online, technologies for your home, tools, United States, universities, vendors, vision/possibilities, vocational / trades, by Daniel Christian

From DSC:
In looking at MyNextChapter.ai — THIS TYPE OF FUNCTIONALITY of an AI-based chatbot talking to you re: good fits for a future job — is the kind of thing that could work well in this type of vision/learning platform. The AI asks you relevant career-oriented questions, comes up with some potential job fits, and then gives you resources about how to gain those skills, who to talk with, organizations to join, next steps to get your foot in the door somewhere, etc.

The next gen learning platform would provide links to online-based courses, blogs, peoples’ names on LinkedIn, courses from L&D organizations or from institutions of higher education or from other entities/places to obtain those skills (similar to the ” Action Plan” below from MyNextChapter.ai).

Introducing ChatGPT agent: bridging research and action [OpenAI]

On 07/19/2025, in corporate / business world, emerging technologies, experimentation, innovation, intelligent systems, learning agents, Open AI, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, research, tools, vendors, by Daniel Christian

Introducing ChatGPT agent: bridging research and action — from openai.com
ChatGPT now thinks and acts, proactively choosing from a toolbox of agentic skills to complete tasks for you using its own computer.

ChatGPT can now do work for you using its own computer, handling complex tasks from start to finish.

You can now ask ChatGPT to handle requests like “look at my calendar and brief me on upcoming client meetings based on recent news,” “plan and buy ingredients to make Japanese breakfast for four,” and “analyze three competitors and create a slide deck.” ChatGPT will intelligently navigate websites, filter results, prompt you to log in securely when needed, run code, conduct analysis, and even deliver editable slideshows and spreadsheets that summarize its findings.

PODCAST: Did AI “break” school? Or will it “fix” it? …and if so, what can we do about it? [Noles & Harvey]

On 07/19/2025, in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, change, content development, aggregation, repositories, digital learning, education, education reform, education technology, emerging technologies, experimentation, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), innovation, instructional design, intelligent systems, intelligent tutoring, IT in HE, K-12 related, learning, learning agents, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, Learning from the Living [Class] Room, Open AI, pedagogy, platforms, podcasting, productivity / tips and tricks, skills, society, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, the downsides of how people use tech, tools, training / L&D, trends, United States, universities, by Daniel Christian

PODCAST: Did AI “break” school? Or will it “fix” it? …and if so, what can we do about it? — from theneurondaily.com by Grant Harvey, Corey Noles, Grant Harvey, & Matthew Robinson

In Episode 5 of The Neuron Podcast, Corey Noles and Grant Harvey tackle the education crisis head-on. We explore the viral UCLA “CheatGPT” controversy, MIT’s concerning brain study, and innovative solutions like Alpha School’s 2-hour learning model. Plus, we break down OpenAI’s new $10M teacher training initiative and share practical tips for using AI to enhance learning rather than shortcut it. Whether you’re a student, teacher, or parent, you’ll leave with actionable insights on the future of education.

Building a fully interactive, scenario-based training video in 45 minutes + other items re: AI in our learning ecosystems

On 07/12/2025, in Artificial Intelligence/Agents/LLMs/and Related, content development, aggregation, repositories, corporate / business world, corporate universities / corporate training, education, education technology, faculty/staff, future of higher education, game-changing environment, generational differences, higher education, human-computer interaction (HCI), instructional design, intelligent systems, IT in HE, learning ecosystem, Learning Experience Design, liberal arts, Microsoft, Open AI, parents/guardians, pedagogy, productivity / tips and tricks, professional development, teachers, teaching & learning, tools, training / L&D, United States, universities, using teams, vendors, writing, by Daniel Christian

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Tech check: Innovation in motion: How AI is rewiring L&D workflows — from chieflearningofficer.com by Gabrielle Pike
AI isn’t here to replace us. It’s here to level us up.

For today’s chief learning officer, the days of just rolling out compliance training are long gone. In 2025, learning and development leaders are architects of innovation, crafting ecosystems that are agile, automated and AI-infused. This quarter’s Tech Check invites us to pause, assess and get strategic about where tech is taking us. Because the goal isn’t more tools—it’s smarter, more human learning systems that scale with the business.

Sections include:

The state of AI in L&D: Hype vs. reality
AI in design: From static content to dynamic experiences
AI in development: Redefining production workflows
Strategic questions CLOs should be asking
Future forward: What’s next?
Closing thought

American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to Launch National Academy for AI Instruction with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and United Federation of Teachers — from aft.org

NEW YORK – The AFT, alongside the United Federation of Teachers and lead partner Microsoft Corp., founding partner OpenAI, and Anthropic, announced the launch of the National Academy for AI Instruction today. The groundbreaking $23 million education initiative will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all 1.8 million members of the AFT, starting with K-12 educators. It will be based at a state-of-the-art bricks-and-mortar Manhattan facility designed to transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States.

The academy will help address the gap in structured, accessible AI training and provide a national model for AI-integrated curriculum and teaching that puts educators in the driver’s seat.

Students Are Anxious about the Future with A.I. Their Parents Are, Too. — from educationnext.org by Michael B. Horn
The fast-growing technology is pushing families to rethink the value of college

In an era when the college-going rate of high school graduates has dropped from an all-time high of 70 percent in 2016 to roughly 62 percent now, AI seems to be heightening the anxieties about the value of college.

According to the survey, two-thirds of parents say AI is impacting their view of the value of college. Thirty-seven percent of parents indicate they are now scrutinizing college’s “career-placement outcomes”; 36 percent say they are looking at a college’s “AI-skills curriculum,” while 35 percent respond that a “human-skills emphasis” is important to them.

This echoes what I increasingly hear from college leadership: Parents and students demand to see a difference between what they are getting from a college and what they could be “learning from AI.”

This next item on LinkedIn is compliments of Ray Schroeder:

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How to Prepare Students for a Fast-Moving (AI)World — from rdene915.com by Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth

Preparing for a Future-Ready Classroom
Here are the core components I focus on to prepare students:

1. Unleash Creativity and Problem-Solving.
2. Weave in AI and Computational Thinking.
3. Cultivate Resilience and Adaptability.

AI Is Reshaping Learning Roles—Here’s How to Future-Proof Your Team — from onlinelearningconsortium.org by Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D., CEO, Online Learning Consortium; via Robert Gibson on LinkedIn

Culture matters here. Organizations that foster psychological safety—where experimentation is welcomed and mistakes are treated as learning—are making the most progress. When leaders model curiosity, share what they’re trying, and invite open dialogue, teams follow suit. Small tests become shared wins. Shared wins build momentum.

Career development must be part of this equation. As roles evolve, people will need pathways forward. Some will shift into new specialties. Others may leave familiar roles for entirely new ones. Making space for that evolution—through upskilling, mobility, and mentorship—shows your people that you’re not just investing in AI, you’re investing in them.

And above all, people need transparency. Teams don’t expect perfection. But they do need clarity. They need to understand what’s changing, why it matters, and how they’ll be supported through it. That kind of trust-building communication is the foundation for any successful change.

These shifts may play out differently across sectors—but the core leadership questions will likely be similar.

AI marks a turning point—not just for technology, but for how we prepare our people to lead through disruption and shape the future of learning.

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A solid, comprehensive guide to drawing tablets

On 07/12/2025, in art, creativity, design, graphics, productivity / tips and tricks, tools, vendors, by Daniel Christian

The No Bulls**t Guide To Drawing Tablets — from booooooom.com

SO WHICH DEVICE SHOULD YOU BUY?

If you’re anything like me, the answer is an iPad AND a drawing display. I heavily rely on both my desktop apps and Procreate, so limiting myself to only one device doesn’t cut it for my creative workflow.

However, it all comes down to personal preference and understanding which apps you rely on, whether portability is essential, how vital ergonomics are, and ultimately what you can afford. Once you answer those questions, everything falls into place.

“Why do we treat the syllabus like a liability waiver instead of a roadmap?” [Poff]

On 07/12/2025, in adjunct faculty, colleges, community colleges, computer science, content development, aggregation, repositories, digital learning, digital video, education, education technology, engagement / engaging students, experimentation, faculty/staff, Google, higher education, history, homeschooling/homeschoolers, ideas, instructional design, K-12 related, languages and translation, learning, Learning Experience Design, learning hubs & pods & microschooling, learning preferences, learning spaces, mathematics, parents/guardians, pedagogy, platforms, productivity / tips and tricks, programming, science, STEAM-related, student-related, teachers, teaching & learning, technologies for your home, tools, United States, universities, writing, youth, by Daniel Christian

Speaking of items involving teaching and learning, also see:

How Do You Teach Computer Science in the A.I. Era? — from nytimes.com by Steve Lohr; with thanks to Ryan Craig for this resource
Universities across the country are scrambling to understand the implications of generative A.I.’s transformation of technology.

The future of computer science education, Dr. Maher said, is likely to focus less on coding and more on computational thinking and A.I. literacy. Computational thinking involves breaking down problems into smaller tasks, developing step-by-step solutions and using data to reach evidence-based conclusions.

A.I. literacy is an understanding — at varying depths for students at different levels — of how A.I. works, how to use it responsibly and how it is affecting society. Nurturing informed skepticism, she said, should be a goal.

At Carnegie Mellon, as faculty members prepare for their gathering, Dr. Cortina said his own view was that the coursework should include instruction in the traditional basics of computing and A.I. principles, followed by plenty of hands-on experience designing software using the new tools.

“We think that’s where it’s going,” he said. “But do we need a more profound change in the curriculum?”

8 AI Chatbots for Teachers: A Simple Guide and Quick Tips – Class Tech Tips
— from classtechtips.com by Dr. Monica Burns

Transform Public Speaking with Yoodli: Your AI Coach — from rdene915.com by Paula Johnson

Yoodli is an AI tool designed to help users improve their public speaking skills. It analyzes your speech in real-time or after a recording and gives you feedback on things like:

- Filler words (“um,” “like,” “you know”)
- Pacing (Are you sprinting or sedating your audience?)
- Word choice and sentence complexity
- Eye contact and body language (with video)
- And yes, even your “uhhh” to actual word ratio

Yoodli gives you a transcript and a confidence score, plus suggestions that range from helpful to brutally honest. It’s basically Simon Cowell with AI ethics and a smiley face interface.

[What’s] going on with AI and education? — from theneuron.ai by Grant Harvey
With students and teachers alike using AI, schools are facing an “assessment crisis” where the line between tool and cheating has blurred, forcing a shift away from a broken knowledge economy toward a new focus on building human judgment through strategic struggle.

What to do about it: The future belongs to the “judgment economy,” where knowledge is commoditized but taste, agency, and learning velocity become the new human moats. Use the “Struggle-First” principle: wrestle with problems for 20-30 minutes before turning to AI, then use AI as a sparring partner (not a ghostwriter) to deepen understanding. The goal isn’t to avoid AI, but to strategically choose when to embrace “desirable difficulties” that build genuine expertise versus when to leverage AI for efficiency.
…
The Alpha-School Program in brief:

- Students complete core academics in just 2 hours using AI tutors, freeing up 4+ hours for life skills, passion projects, and real-world experiences.
- The school claims students learn at least 2x faster than their peers in traditional school.
- The top 20% of students show 6.5x growth. Classes score in the top 1-2% nationally across the board.
- Claims are based on NWEA’s Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments… with data only available to the school. Hmm…

Austen Allred shared a story about the school, which put it on our radar.

Featured Report: Teaching for Tomorrow: Unlocking Six Weeks a Year With AI — from gallup.com
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In the latest installment of Gallup and the Walton Family Foundation’s research on education, K-12 teachers reveal how AI tools are transforming their workloads, instructional quality and classroom optimism. The report finds that 60% of teachers used an AI tool during the 2024–25 school year. Weekly AI users report reclaiming nearly six hours per week — equivalent to six weeks per year — which they reinvest in more personalized instruction, deeper student feedback and better parent communication.

Despite this emerging “AI dividend,” adoption is uneven: 40% of teachers aren’t using AI at all, and only 19% report their school has a formal AI policy. Teachers with access to policies and support save significantly more time.

Educators also say AI improves their work. Most report higher-quality lesson plans, assessments and student feedback. And teachers who regularly use AI are more optimistic about its benefits for student engagement and accessibility — mirroring themes from the Voices of Gen Z: How American Youth View and Use Artificial Intelligence report, which found students hesitant but curious about AI’s classroom role. As AI tools grow more embedded in education, both teachers and students will need the training and support to use them effectively.

Also see:

2-Hour Learning
- What if children could crush academics in 2 hours, 2x faster?
- What if children could get back their most valuable resource, which is time?
- What if children could pursue the things they want during their afternoons and develop life skills?

Amira Learning: Teaching With The AI-Powered Reading Tool — from techlearning.com by Erik Ofgang
Amira Learning is a research-backed AI reading tutor that incorporates the science of reading into its features.

What Is Amira Learning?
Amira Learning’s system is built upon research led by Jack Mostow, a professor at Carnegie Mellon who helped pioneer AI literacy education. Amira uses Claude AI to power its AI features, but these features are different than many other AI tools on the market. Instead of focusing on chat and generative response, Amira’s key feature is its advanced speech recognition and natural language processing capabilities, which allow the app to “hear” when a student is struggling and tailor suggestions to that student’s particular mistakes.

Though it’s not meant to replace a teacher, Amira provides real-time feedback and also helps teachers pinpoint where a student is struggling. For these reasons, Amira Learning is a favorite of education scientists and advocates for science of reading-based literacy instruction. The tool currently is used by more than 4 million students worldwide and across the U.S.

Learning Ecosystems

Building a learning ecosystem that drives business results [Romanowski]

Introducing ChatGPT agent: bridging research and action [OpenAI]

A solid, comprehensive guide to drawing tablets

How Do You Teach Computer Science in the A.I. Era? [gifted article from NY Times by Steve Lohr]

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