Cool Tool Alert -- Scribe

 I am starting to lose track of what I have shared with you, so if I already shared this, my apologies! But one of the coolest things I've used recently is called Scribe -- and I credit Mary Jo and Jonathan for the discovery!

If you need to create step by step directions for someone on how to complete something online, Scribe is your new best friend! Simply install the Chrome extension, activate it when you're ready to demonstrate something, and go to work! When you're done, it will create  step-by-step, annotated and illustrated web  page/exportable document that you can share that shows your audience what to do! You can even edit the page before you share it or export it, deleting anything you don't need people to see or changing language. Here's an example of what a Scribe document looks like. 

Check out the Scribe website! And if you're ready to start using it but are feeling a little iffy, no worries! Just give me a ring and I'll come walk you through it! You'll be addicted to making really snazzy how-to guides!

Digital Media Literacy -- More Important Than Ever!

 Digital media literacy is a super hot topic in education because of the impact AI generated content can have on learning. It should be a hot topic for the general public as well because every last one of us could easily and unwittingly fall prey to the bad actors out there generating content that is incredibly realistic and incredibly believable -- and is all super duper fake! Let's just take a look at an analysis of how AI generated false content could impact our upcoming Presidential election. Without being incredibly discerning consumers of information, we all could easily be duped into believing something that is simply not true. One of the most important things we need to do is first, pay attention to our own common sense. If you see, watch, or hear something that makes you think, "Is this actually real?" that's your sign to do some investigating! And that may also mean finding the information in multiple locations because, sadly, far too many reputable sources of information have mistakenly shared false information. This really believable false content is so common it has a name -- deep fakes. And they are incredible sometimes! Just for fun, here's the first deep fake I fell for (if only for a moment). I saw the video and said to my husband, "Tom Cruise and Paris Hilton are a couple???" He looked at me like I had 3 heads, so I decided to check it out and discovered it was all fake. I felt pretty dumb!

But let's take a moment to look at something that kids might be vulnerable to. Here's an AI generated video that will completely appeal to kids: a video of amazing new animals like giraffe flamingoes, eel cats, and bunny armadillos among others -- creatures that will freak you out but may totally mesmerize kids who may then believe these are somehow real.

Our students are going to be exposed to more and more content like this as they get older and AI gets more sophisticated, so we need to reach them early to teach them how to think carefully about what they see. The acronym SIFT is mentioned in the first video I shared in this post, and it's a great one to teach kids and maybe even hang up in your classroom:

• S = STOP when you encounter content that makes you wonder about it.
• I - INVESTIGATE the information in the content.
• F = FIND alternate coverage of the same content.
• T = TRACE the origin by looking at other places where the content is found, looking for dates, authors, etc.

By using this acronym, we -- kids and adults alike -- can protect ourselves from being the victim of people out there who are trying to manipulate us and deceive us. Now, I would love to hear from you! Share in the comments -- what tips, tricks, or strategies do you have for teaching kids how to be critical thinkers and consumers of online content? We can't have too many tools in this toolbox.

Wade In, Don't Jump!

When it comes to getting your students to use AI, you definitely want to WADE into that pool, not JUMP right in!

If you were able to attend any of my PD sessions on using AI, then you know there was a lot of information about how to PREPARE to use AI with students. In fact, there was much more about preparing than actually using. And for good reason. AI is not like any other tool we have put in our students' hands before. It has so much potential and yet so many possible pitfalls that we need to be sure we've got our own brains around it before we let our kids try it out.

So here are some questions you need to not only think about but also ANSWER before having your students do anything with AI in the classroom (and a HUGE thanks to Eric Curts because he assembled so much info on this topic -- all I have had to do is cull the best pieces from his vast body of work). Here are questions to think about, not necessarily in any particular order because they all really do need to be addressed.

• What AI tools do you think you might want kids to use?
• What are your goals for having students use AI?
• How do you view the role of AI in education -- supplemental, teaching substitute, experiences, assistant, feedback, etc.?
• What concerns do you have about students using AI?
• What are your expectations for student use of AI in your classroom?
• How will you monitor student use of AI?
• How does using AI fit into your classroom rules and expectations, your school rules and expectations, and your district rules and expectations?
• How will you address problems when they arise as a result of AI use (note it's WHEN they arise, not IF -- because there WILL be problems)?
• How do you plan to teach students about safety and data privacy?
• How do you plan to teach students about problems with AI such as inaccuracies and bias?
• How will you teach students about academic integrity when it comes to using AI, including the topics of cheating, plagiarism, and transparency?
• How and what will you communicate to parents about eh way AI is used in your classroom by students?
• What does cheating with AI look like? What does it NOT look like?
• What will you do when you suspect a student has used AI in a way that was not considered appropriate? And what will you do if it is confirmed that a student has used AI inappropriately? And what will you do if you suspect it but cannot prove it?
• What will be the most appropriate way for students to disclose or cite their use of AI?

That list of questions might seem overwhelming -- so much so that you may not want to even address AI use in your classroom! Well, that may work for a bit, but AI is here to stay, so it's going to have to be addressed at some point.

And to make this all even more overwhelming, the answers to these questions might change from assignment to assignment, so you may have to answer them over and over again.

It will be helpful to develop some general guidelines for AI use in the classroom and then set out specific expectations for specific assignments, always allowing for a moment of time for students to ask questions specifically about the ways they can use AI for an assignment you give.

Does this sound too daunting to tackle on your own? I get it. It is. I highly recommend working with your grade level or subject area team to discuss these questions. You can also talk with your trust Instructional Technology Resource Teacher!

We Have an AI Policy in Place: Now What?

 If you attended any of the AI professional development sessions I led, you heard me say at each session, "Don't use any AI tools with students until we have a policy in place!"

Well, as of the February 2024 school board meeting, we have a policy in place! Now what?

First, let me offer some relevant highlights from the policy -- these are the tidbits that the classroom teacher will want to to know:

• The AI policy applies to all staff, students, visitors, and volunteers (think of subs and coaches who may not be CSD 17 employees).
• The policy will be updated on an as needed basis (because AI is going to change a lot and quickly).
• There are AI Ethics and Safety Officers who will help oversee all the AI happenings as well as keep abreast of current issues. AI questions can be directed to them. For teachers, the easiest person to reach out to is going to be the Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) -- that's me for now :-)
• AI should be used by students responsibly only for education-related purposes, and the activities that involve student use of AI must be thoughtfully planned and well-managed by the teacher for the students.
• Teachers must provide guidance and support to students to help them use AI technology responsibly and safely.
• Staff and students should never input any personally identifiable information about themselves or others into any AI tools. This includes but is not limited to names, email addresses, birthdates, school information, or any other sensitive information.
• Any AI technologies used must be age appropriate and compliant with SOPPA.
• If a teacher learns of a data breach with an AI tool used by students, the teacher must notify admin immediately.
• Accidental or deliberate exposure to inappropriate material or unethical use of AI by students must be reported immediately to admin.

Not the most effective way
to keep kids from seeing
inappropriate material online!

Okay, now you've got the gist of it. This may all sound a bit scary, but really, isn't this what any responsible teacher would do when asking students to use any kind of inline tool? We never just turn kids loose on a website without thoughtful planning, preparation, and guidance for them. This is no different.

So how do you start using AI technology with students? Let me offer these general guidelines first:

• Get familiar with AI yourself first. You can't expect kids to use a tool if you don't understand it.
• Try out any tool you may ask your students to use BEFORE they use it. This will help you know if it will be appropriate and easy enough to use for your kids.
• Verify age requirements and SOPPA compliance if it will require students to log in to use it. There is a link in my email signature for you to easily see what we have SOPPA agreements for, or a simple email to me (or the ITRT) will get the job done.
• Give clear guidelines and expectations to students on what they are using the AI tool for and what they are NOT using it for.
• Supervise the kids while using the AI tools. They will need your guidance.

In the next few blog posts, I will go into more depth and detail about how to prepare to have students use AI safely and responsibly in your classroom. In the meantime, please reach out with questions! This is a topic that you can't feel shy about asking questions! Plus, I love learning new things and sharing them!

An Interesting Take on AI Interviews

 One of the most popular ideas being suggested as a way to incorporate AI into teaching and learning is to use it like an interview. It's a way to make learning more engaging, maybe less dry, and maybe even come alive. I shared this idea in my PD sessions for teachers because I saw it shared in so many of the places I've read about using AI in education.

And then recently, I saw this blog post. 

I encourage you to take the time, when you can, to actually read it because it's interesting. But until then, here's some TL;DR.

The author of the blog post, Tom Mullaney, is a former teacher who still has his hand in education and ed tech. He's a pretty well respected guy in the ed tech circles I run in, so I listen to things he says because he offers lots of good stuff. Essentially in his post, he has suggested that using AI as a guest speaker isn't such a sound pedagogical idea. He mentions things like "interacting" with problematic historical figures (ex.: Thomas Jefferson), AI giving voice to deceased historical figures who represent oppressed/marginalized communities (ex.: Harriet Tubman), AI giving voice to the dead in general (since it's not really their words but rather words synthesized from what's available on the internet), and the risk of giving human qualities to inanimate objects (like interviewing the water cycle). Young kids especially may be subject to the Eliza Effect, where they believe that the AI they are talking to is actually a real person (he explains the Eliza Effect in his post, and there have been stories of people developing "relationships" with Siri, so it's not as far-fetched as one might think). It's common knowledge that one of the main concerns with AI is that is can produce inaccuracies and biased information. Using a chatbot or AI to interview someone, real, fictional, dead, alive, or inanimate, may produce some inaccurate or biased information, and we would need to be ready on the spot to address that if it happens -- but would the "damage" already have been done once the kids hear that information?

In all honesty, this blog post angered me the first time I read it. I was like, "Hooey!" And then I came back to it a couple more times and started to think about what he said, and at the very least, I believe he makes some interesting points that are surely worth serious consideration before anyone tries this idea in their classrooms. Maybe he's 100% spot on; maybe it's all a bunch of "woke" ideology; maybe it's a mixture. Regardless, Mullaney's blog post highlights one of the many issues we face in education related to using AI. If we are going to put this in the hands of our students, we need to seriously consider the implications and effects of it on all our students. Using AI needs to be purposeful and thoughtful, and we need to be ready in the moment to address any issues that arise. It's a pretty heavy responsibility we have, so please continue to be thoughtful about how AI might be used with your students, and always be ready and willing to learn new ideas!

Okay, now it's your turn. I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts! Please share in the comments your response. I truly love learning from all of you, so let's talk!

P.S. Here's a fun tidbit -- I wanted to create an image using Adobe Firefly for this post of Abraham Lincoln on a cell phone. It wouldn't let me create it! Adobe Firely gave me a little popup that I wasn't operating within their content generation guidelines!

AI: ABCDF

 With so many AI tools out there, how can you tell which ones are best for you to use? Or when it comes time to try these out with your students, how can you figure out which tools are safest and easiest for them to use? Well, there are a few things you'll probably have to do.

One is to do your research. Read about tools, go to professional development sessions about them, ask other teachers what they're using. Doing these things will give you some ideas of which tools are even worth looking at.

Next, give yourself some play time. I know teachers don't have tons of extra time available, but with AI tools in particular, you're going to have to give them a little workout to see if they're the right tools for you or your students. 

Finally, once you've found one you think looks promising, give it an assessment. Ah, here's where it gets tricky! How do you know what to look for when evaluating an AI tool? Never fear! Lots of smart people have already done some legwork for you! Check out this recent blog post from TCEA! In it, you'll find both a rubric and a checklist you can use to help you evaluate any AI tool you find. They will help you think about RELEVANCY, DATA PRIVACY, EASE OF USE, and SUPPORT -- capitalized because these are the biggies to consider! Check out the blog post, download the rubric and checklist, and start using them to review those AI tools!

Let me know in the comments: how helpful will it be to have this rubric or checklist? What else should be included that may not be on those documents? I love hearing what you have to share!

Cool Tool Alert: Eduaide.ai

 There are so many AI tools available for teachers, it's hard to know which one to use! No worries! I am trying to test drive as many as I can for you and then share some info about them.

This week, I tried out eduaide.ai, and I liked it! Heads up, this is a "freemium" resource, so some features are free but others are paid. I appreciate that the paid price is $49.99 a year, which is reasonable. But honestly, I don't see a need for the paid version when there are so many tools available, you can literally bounce between all the resources out there, using only the free features and never have to pay a dime!

Eduaide gives you the opportunity to create nearly any resource you want. They have categories, and then specific types of resources under each category. Choose the category and object, then type in a topic, let it generate the full idea, then generate your resource!

Here's a video overview I created for you so you can see Eduaide in action. Give it a try, and share your thoughts in the comments! Don't forget: when you use a Cool Tool you get a sticker, so be sure to let me know how you use Eduaide!