The Magic of AI for Teachers and Students

 

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Buckle up! Teachers and students are in for a wild ride with artificial intelligence. Are you going to try to ignore it, be afraid of it, fight it, try to catch cheaters, or just be grumpy in general about another change in education? Let’s all be honest. These questions have all entered our heads as we enter the brave new world of artificial intelligence. “If AI is going to change the world in the near future, we need to prepare students for that world. That means we'll need to change too” (Miller, 2023a, p.7).

 Don’t panic! AI chatbots have been around since 2022, and the sky has not fallen. ChatGPT was launched in 2022 and added more than a million users in five days (Miller, 2023a). According to Matt Miller, “ChatGPT is the MySpace of AI chatbots. One day we will look back on it and chuckle at how powerful we thought it was (Miller, 2023a, p. 12). The short YouTube video imbeded below is a great example of how ChatGPT could be used to develop classroom resources for teaching the Peloponnesian War (Miller, 2023b). Prepare to be amazed.              

Don’t worry! The Department of Education is on it. They have issued a publication that addresses all the questions and fears that educators are facing. The publication reassures teachers that they will not be replaced by AI (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, 2023). A reassuring and positive quote from the publication is shown below.             AI may enable achieving educational priorities in better ways, at scale, and with             lower costs. Addressing varied unfinished learning of students due to the pandemic             is a policy priority, and AI may improve the adaptivity of learning resources to             students’ strengths and needs. Improving teaching jobs is a priority, and via             automated assistants or other tools, AI provide teachers greater support. AI may             also enable teachers to extend the support they offer to individual students when             they run out of time. Developing resources that are responsive to the knowledge             and experiences students bring to their learning—their community and cultural             assets—is a priority, and AI may enable greater customizability of curricular             resources to meet local needs (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational             Technology, 2023, p. 2).             Get excited! AI can save teachers time, and more time is what all teachers need. If AI saves teachers time planning, grading, and performing mundane tasks, just think of the amazing lessons that teachers could present to their students–not to mention the the benefits teachers would gain in their personal lives and their mental health. Teaching is hard. If AI eases some of the burden, let's embrace it with all that we have (Miller, 2023a).

            Jump in! Students don’t need teachers that have all the answers or that teach perfect

lessons. “Our students need teachers who are willing to consider how their future will differ from ours and bravely explore this new frontier with them” (Miller, 2023a, p. 115). One way to begin learning about AI is to follow educators that share their ideas on social media and other platforms. Matt Miller, the author of AI for Educators: Learning Strategies, Teacher Efficiencies, and Vision for Artificial Intelligence Future, has many free resources for teachers.  He has a nicely curated list of  30 AI tools for the classroom. He gives a short overview of each of the 30 AI tools which allows teachers to quickly determine if the tool might be helpful (Miller, 2023c).

Enjoy the ride! We are in the midst of an exciting time for education and technology. AI is going to change how we teach and prepare lessons for our students. It is going to take some time to figure it all out. Take it day by day. Just focus on the following words of Maya Angelou: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better” (Miller, 2023a).

References

Miller, M. (2023a). AI for educators: Learning strategies, teacher efficiencies, and a vision for

   an artificial intelligence future. Ditch That Textbook.

Miller, M. [Ditch That Textbook]. (2023b). ChatGPT for the Classroom in 6 minutes [Video] YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNJ5yAuspq8 

Miller, M. (2023c). 30 AI tools for the classroom.  https://ditchthattextbook.com/

    ai-tools/#tve-jump-18bad2f3f74

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology. (2023)  Artificial              intelligence and the future of teaching and learning: Insights and recommendations.

            https://www2.ed.gov/documents/ai-report/ai-report.pdf

Social Media and Digital Argument

 

 Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

  

        "Every social media platform is designed to offer a particular experience"

(Lawrence, 2008, p. 48). Social media allows people to communicate by comment

walls, profiles, photo galleries and direct messages. Facebook continues to be the

leader in social media use. YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, and others are still being

used by young and old alike (Lawrence, 2008). This blog post will examine 

a particular Facebook post that became controversial and was shared to 

TikTok. Social media has a unique role in digital writing and digital 

argument. The goal of this analysis is to share research that will enable 

students and adults to monitor and analyze their readings and writings on 

social media. Whether the information is being written or shared on social 

media, the goal is to have knowledge of the argument they are creating

and the results involved (Turner & Hicks, 2017).

Click link below to view

https://www.tiktok.com/@eduleadership/video/7330465557931855150

        An analysis of the TikTok video by Justin Baeder, in which he shared a Facebook

video post (since removed) by Gerry Brooks, will reinforce the importance of being

mindful when participating on social media. Both Dr. Baeder and Gerry Brooks are

popular authors and educators with large followings on several social media

platforms.They are seasoned digital media professionals but are not immune to

controversy and argument. The quote by Turner and Hicks (2017) applies to

all producers and consumers of social media, “read like a writer, write for a reader,

and be mindful of both roles as you produce arguments that can be shared on the web.” 

        The MINDFUL acronym (Monitor, Identify, Note, Determine, Facts, Understand,

Leverage) acronym recommended by Turner and Hicks (2017) will be used to take a

closer look at Dr. Baeder’s video.  As we “Monitor” the video, the intended audience

appears to be educators and parents.  The main claim, the “Identify” element,  is that

extremely disruptive students should be removed from the classroom. Dr. Baeder

reinforces his opinion by reposting Gerry Brook’s video. The “Note” evidence is the

author’s agreement with Gerry Brook’s video as he graphically describes students that

are so disruptive and unsafe that learning cannot happen. As we “Determine” the

framework and mindset of the author, we determine that the author’s personal

experience is used to convey his beliefs. The “Facts” are not specific in Baeder’s

video–only his opinion. As we attempt to “Understand” the counter argument we

recognize that others outside the target audience might disagree with Baeder and

Brooks. The confrontational tone of Gerry Brooks invites debate. As we examine

the “Leverage” of sharing this information, an endorsement of this claim might invite

anger and debate claiming discriminatory educational practices. (Turner & Hicks, 2017.

        As an educator, we have a responsibility to protect and guide students and adults to

be responsible when using social media.  By simply “liking” a post indicates endorsement

of the argument (Turner & Hicks, 2017). One of the biggest lessons I learned from the

analysis of the Baeder video is that anything posted on social media never goes away.  Even

though Gerry Brooks wanted to delete his video and separate himself from the argument, his

video and opinion did not go away. This particular video will forever be linked to him because

itt was copied and shared. Impressionable students need to learn the same lesson.  The “Think”

acronym shared by Turner and Hicks (2017) is a useful graphic that could be posted in all

classrooms. We all need to be reminded about the importance building a positive digital

footprint (Turner & Hicks, 2017).

(Turner and Hicks, 2017, p. 121)

References

Baeder, J. [@eduleadership]. (2024, January 31). Should students lose their right to

a public education if their behavior is so unsafe or disruptive that it makes  

 

learning impossible for everyone else? [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/ 

 

@eduleadership/video/7330465557931855150

Brooks, G. (2021). Who is Gerry. Gerry Brooks.  https://www.gerrybrooksprin.com/about

Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide for writing for social media and the web.

Broadview Press.

Turner, K. W. & Hicks, T. (2017). Argument in the real world: Teaching adolescents to read

and write digital texts. Heinemann.   

Revising Video--Before and After

 
Image by OsloMetX from Pixabay

Before and after videos can sometimes be embarrassing. After reviewing literature for creating video texts, I quickly realized my initial introduction video was cringe worthy. Before the video began, a glaring mistake was made. Turner and Hicks (2017) state that video should be recorded in horizontal orientation. That was the first of many mistakes. I thought my initial video was pretty good, but after analyzing the video through a more informed lens, I am a bit red-faced. This blog is a summary of the most important points I learned by researching the revision process. I hope my reflections will help my students, parents, and colleagues learn from my mistakes.

Our lives, and the lives of our students, are saturated with video texts. Video text may be in many forms--from live events captured on a mobile phone to scripted films or television shows. As video text has become such an important communication tool, we as educators are responsible for helping our students make smart decisions concerning writing, producing, and critiquing videos (Hicks, 2013). We as educators must model good writing and production skills when we deliver content to our students via digital media.

There is a definite craft involved in creating the various types of videos.  The setting, lighting, costuming, acting, and camera angles all play a role in live action productions; the timing and sequence of images, narration, sound effects, and music come into play when designing basic videos. Either way, digital writers have to make decisions about how their words, spoken and written, connect to and enhance what's happening on screen. (Hicks, 2013, p. 108)

Creating video text is neither quick nor easy. The writing element involved requires writing and revising. The use of sketching, storyboarding, gathering and creating images, and editing are tools that create good writers as well as good producers of video text (Hicks, 2013). Lawrence (2008) lists the steps for college level and professional writing as: draft, revise, edit, review, and publish. I edited my initial introductory script to make it less informal as my audience had changed. I also added tips for creating good video texts.

During the pandemic, I was required to deliver instruction to my fifth grade students remotely. As a math teacher, using video instruction was the most effective way to demonstrate concepts. As I had a Mac computer at home, I taught myself iMovie and used that platform to record my videos. I then exported my lessons to YouTube to make them accessible to all students via their ChromeBooks. For my revised video, I used iMovie again as it was one of the recommended tools for creating digital video texts (Hicks, 2013). iMovie is easy for students to use to record and edit on their iPhones.

When revising my introductory video, I asked myself the questions: "Who is the audience? What do they need to know? What is the overall purpose of the video? What actions, if any, do you want the audience to take after watching the video?” (Lawrence, 2008, p. 101). These questions helped me revise my script and the setting of my video to create a more professional video.  The suggested tips for editing video offered by Hicks (2013) assisted me in correcting the background, lighting, and transitions to make my video more professional and effective.

Before--Poor lighting, orientation, and distracting background

After--Improved lighting, orientation, and professional background

References

Turner, K. W. & Hicks, T. (2017). Argument in the real world: Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts. Heinemann.

Hicks, T. (2013). Crafting digital writing: composing texts across media and genres. Heinemann.

Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide for writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.

 

           

 

        

Using Infographics to Encourage Productive Discourse

Image by 200 Degrees from Pixabay

What is productive classroom discourse? Discourse, or talk, is an activity we all participate in. We use speech to explain, ask questions, and provide ideas to each other. “But discourse in the classroom can be quite unlike that in our everyday life–there are unfamiliar words that get used, different kinds of work that need to get done with speech (comparing two science explanations, arguing with evidence, critiquing a model, etc.), and rules for participating that aren’t always clear” (Thompson et al., 2015, p. 1).             Most discourse in the classroom is controlled by the teacher who asks a question, one student replies, and the teacher responds to the student’s answer. This method of discourse could be described as lower level thinking. While this method is effective to check for recall of previously learned material, it does not require students to process ideas to expand their understanding or encourage higher level thinking. Productive scientific discourse demands more thinking by the student and may not have a right or wrong answer. Productive scientific discourse enables the student to be an active participant in their learning (Thompson et al., 2015, p. 8). An infographic is one tool that may be used to encourage scientific discourse. Students and teachers may use an infographic to stimulate conversation, expand understanding, interpret information, and use scientific reasoning.             An infographic is a graphic representation that presents information in a concise and clear manner (Turner & Hicks, 2017, p. 60). In the world today, most students are looking for a quick way to learn required information. Pouring over wordy textbooks, either print textbooks or online textbooks, is not appealing to students, and they become easily distracted and discouraged. Infographics may use digital and visual media to appeal to students and promote learning and discourse. The Ancient Greeks recognized that speech was one of the most powerful methods of communication (Lawrence, 2022, p. 103).             When creating an infographic for the classroom, the fundamental principles of graphic design and digital-visual design should be followed. The infographic should have appealing balance, symmetry, motion, color, direction, form and size. Infographics may be multimodal and contain text, graphics, and video (Lawrence, 2022, Chapter 4). Using the design principles of cohesiveness, consistency and target audience should be followed when creating infographics (Nasir et al., 2023, p. 1114). Canva offers a free and easy platform to create infographics for use in the classroom. Teachers and students who lack training in graphic design can “collaborate with their peers, and receive feedback from instructors or industry professionals to improve their designs and gain a deeper understanding of the branding process” (Nasir et al., 2023, p. 1117).             In my opinion, the goal of education is to produce productive citizens that are equipped to enter the workforce. Productive discourse is how professionals engage and solve problems in everyday life (Thompson et al., p. 8). Teachers must create a classroom environment where students feel safe sharing their ideas without being ridiculed or embarrassed. These rules for productive conversations will serve them well in their future careers and relationships. Using infographics in the classroom is a concise and visual way to stimulate student conversations. Using infographics to stimulate discourse will allow students from all cultural, socioeconomic, and linguistic backgrounds to use their voice to participate in productive discourse (Thompson et al., 2015, p. 18).

Productive Discourse Infographic via Canva by nikki.whitehead 

 References

Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide for writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.

Thompson, J. J., Windschitl, M., & Braaten, M. L. (2015) A discourse primer for science teachers Ambitious Science Teaching. n.p. https://ambitiousscienceteaching.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Discourse-Primer.pdf

Nasir, M. N. F., Nasir, N. F., Efferdi, W. M. S., Sharif, F. M. (2023). The importance and challenges of graphic design branding: An overview and discussion. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 13(11), 1113-1117. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375773936_The_Importance_and_Challenges_of_Graphic_Design_Branding_An_Overview_and_Discussion

Turner, K. H. & Hicks, T. (2017). Argument in the real world: Teaching adolescents to read and write digital texts. Heinemann.

Content Writing: True or False

by Gerd Altmann via Pixabay

Are students and consumers reading truthful information on the Internet? Do they know if what they are reading is being sponsored by someone for money? Thinking is hard work! People are busier than ever and seem to be content with being told what to think. Content marketing alleviates the need to research and spend hours making a decision.  It is so much easier to watch a video or read a blog post and be told what to do, how to do it, and what to buy. Content writers and marketers are informing, convincing, and shaping consumer behavior. Content marketing can influence what car you buy or what bank you use. It can influence what hospital you use and college you attend. It can influence the choices you make in life and can even alter your deepest values (Lawrence, 2022). 

Content writing and marketing has many good points. Customer reviews can sway a decision. Consumers are relying on customer reviews before making a decision. We trust other people's experiences more than the content writer. Content marketing saves time and gives the consumer lots of information in a short amount of time. We have all relied on the top ten things to do at our vacation destination. 

There is also a dark side to content writing and marketing. Consumers can make quick, emotional decisions and spend more on a big ticket item than they should. We have all been victims of the “buy now” button. Quick decisions can be expensive mistakes with serious consequences. It is easy to be fooled by content marketers. Not all information is true or has been tested. We are bombarded with the best of everything. Consumers need to be educated in the difference between sponsored content and what is not sponsored. Sponsored content is all about the money and driving Internet traffic to the company’s website (Lawrence, 2022).

Much of the responsibility to protect consumers lies in the field of education.  There is so much misinformation and disinformation at students' fingertips. Disinformation is false information that is deliberately spread to agitate and instigate a behavior. The assault on the Capitol immediately comes to mind. Misinformation is false information that is spread by people that believe it to be true (Lawrence, 2022). Recent examples of misinformation are reports about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. There are posts on social media and websites that they are engaged, secretly married, already engaged and that their relationship is a hoax. What is true? How do we know the difference? Much of the problem of teaching student discernment, is that current teachers are not prepared to teach the intricacies of recognizing the difference between what is true and what is not. Students must be taught to recognize what is sponsored and what is not. Digital skills must be emphasized in our school’s curriculum, and teachers must be trained in the ever-changing landscape of content marketing. The book, Digital Writing: A Guide to Writing for Social Media and the Web, would be a great resource for teachers and students (Lawrence, 2022). Thinking is hard, but we owe it to our students to teach them to be able to recognize the truth.

 References

Altmann, G. (2019). [image of hands on keyboard with content words]. Pixabay. https://pixabay.com/photos/news-contents-keyboard-write-hands-4025602/

Lawrence, D. (2022). Digital writing: A guide for writing for social media and the web. Broadview Press.

Muhammed T, S., & Mathew, S. K. (2022). The disaster of misinformation: A review of research in social media. International Journal of Data Science and Analytics, 13(4), 271–285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41060-022-00311-6

Ruiz, C. D. (2023). Disinformation on digital media platforms: A market-shaping approach.  New Media & Society, 0(0).  https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448231207644