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AI/VRLeadership

Make Data Analysis Easy with Custom GPTs

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Have a massive amount of data to analyze? Want to see relationships in the data? If you work in any role that involves analyzing data, then OpenAI‘s GPT tools can help. Having trouble analyzing huge datasets? A custom GPT focused on data analysis can help you query the data using natural language. Let’s explore a few use cases.

What is a Data Analysis Custom GPT?

A data analysis custom GPT is a “generative pre-trained transformer” made for custom use. You can see how to create a custom GPT in this blog entry, where I created a few for critical thinking and coaching. This blog entry on AI megaprompts is also a great starting point.

Custom GPTs to Try for Data Analysis

Data analysis custom GPTs focus on analyzing datasets. Let’s say you have a lot of data in a spreadsheet (e.g., Excel, Sheets) or text file (e.g., CSV). Analyzing it for trends could be difficult. Here are some custom GPTs for data analysis:

  • Data Analysis and Report AI. This custom GPT is your expert in limitless, detailed scientific data analysis and reporting.
  • Data Analysis Pro. This tool for multidimensional data analysis aids in research with automated chart creation, simplifying the analytical process.
  • Data Analysis. A versatile data analyst designed to guide users through data cleaning, visualization, statistical analysis, and machine learning with practical code snippets and clear explanations.
  • Data Analysis – SPSS. Your new expert in statistical analysis and SPSS, guiding researchers.
  • Qualitative Data Analysis. An expert tool in thematic analysis that identifies themes in transcripts and provides detailed theme info.
  • Statistics and Data Analysis. This GPT helps me with queries regarding stats and data analysis.

Try these and see which works best with your dataset(s). Of course, you can create your own if you have the background.

Asking Questions

Once you load the dataset (or many sets, if you want to compare data), you want to ask the GPT questions about the data. These questions might include:

  • What trends do you see in the dataset(s)?
  • Could you summarize what the data is about?
  • Would you mind representing a summary of the data in a chart and a graph?

In a few moments, I’ll share an example video so you can see what this looks like. Before I do that, let’s reflect on why such a data analysis custom GPT might be useful in K-16 education.

Why use a custom GPT for data analysis?

You might get a massive set of survey data from your academic community that you want to analyze for a variety of factors. You may be looking to:

  • summarize the survey responses,
  • identify common themes, and
  • suggest strategies to increase engagement based on the analysis

Custom GPTs make this possible in much less time. Here are some more detailed examples of data analysis that can be conducted via custom GPT:

Note: For the asterisked items below, refer to the confidential data section.

  • Budget Analysis. Share your school/campus budget, and ask for ways to streamline the budget to support a key area. Identify areas of expenditure and how to slim those down.
  • Curriculum Optimization. Analyze student feedback and performance data (not sensitive, personally identifiable information). A custom GPT could identify trends and concerns.
  • Personalized Learning Plans. Identify student learning styles, preferences, and performance data*. The custom GPT can offer suggested resources, assignments, and activities.
  • Streamlining Administrative Tasks. Analyze routine task data from a variety of activities. Those might include report generation, analyzing surveys, and educational resources
  • Enhancing School Safety. Gather surveys, incident reports, and student/staff feedback. Ask for the custom GPT to identify trends, issues, and/or areas for improvement.
  • Facilitating Professional Development. Analyze data from teacher evaluations* and professional development activities. Identify areas of growth and have custom GPT make recommendations.

My favorites of the ideas above? Budget analysis and professional development facilitation. I’ve had the opportunity to use custom GPTs for those, and it has provided some powerful insights. Here are a few analysis examples that focus on student data:

  • Student Performance Analysis
  • Predictive Analytics for Student Success
  • Attendance and Participation Tracking

But, before you put any data into an AI model, make sure you have taken the steps outlined below to protect confidentiality.

Taking Steps to Protect Confidential Data

If you are an educator, remember that it’s easy to share private, sensitive data. Be careful not to, unless you take the steps above in concordance with school policy. Keep this checklist in mind:

  • Data Minimization. Only collect and use data that you need to analyze. Limit disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII). Only use enough information to get the job done in alignment with FERPA.
  • Apply De-Identification Techniques. De-identify PII wherever you can. Make sure individual students are not identifiable. Remove direct identifiers and aggregate data without compromising your efforts for analysis. Err on the side of data privacy.
  • Ensure Policy Compliance. Work with your school organization to put data governance policies in place. Align these policies with FERPA and the TASB policies already in effect. If working with a specific AI solution provider, require written agreements for safeguarding data.
Author generated image for Custom GPT Data Analysis to "Protect People's Data."
Author-generated image. View full-size | Get a copy via Canva

Keep these checklist items in mind whenever using AI models like OpenAI’s products. But here’s one more step: Adjust your ChatGPT Plus settings to turn off Chat History.

Author screenshot of OpenAI ChatGPT Settings.
Author screenshot of OpenAI ChatGPT Settings.

When analyzing sensitive data, delete the chat when you are done with analysis. You can delete past chats easily; but remember, without a legal agreement in place, OpenAI and other AI models may have extended access to your content, no matter what you do.

Author screenshot.
Author screenshot of OpenAI ChatGPT Settings.

Interacting with Custom Data Analysis GPTs

Wondering how to get started? Follow these steps to ensure you get off on the right foot with your data analysis buddy:

  • What do you want to see?
    • Take a moment to fix in your mind (or write it down) what you want to see.
    • If creating a report, imagine what data will go in the blank spot.
    • What kind of graph do you want to see, then back up to the data you want summarized. A school administrator might want to analyze test scores in aggregate to see where students need more assistance, for example.
  • Get your data together.
    • Collect and organize the data needed for analysis.
    • Put your data in a format ChatGPT can process. This could be a Microsoft Excel, or comma-delimited (CSV) format. Get rid of extraneous data and merged cells. Raw data is great, and the custom GPT will scoop it up faster without any summary pages you may have. This information will be your dataset.
    • Have your dataset file(s) ready.
  • Come up with a short prompt.
    • Write a short prompt outlining the questions you have about the data.
    • Attach the dataset file in the format you decided on (e.g. XLSx, CSV).
    • Start general with your prompt.
  • Get interactive.
    • Ask questions about the results from the custom GPT.
    • Fine-tune your data or add more data as needed with a fresh upload.
    • As I see the data charts and responses from the custom GPT, I ask more questions that let me zoom in.
    • Example: “Which of the workshops in the data seems to be most popular based on attendance?”

At this point, I usually start getting data or insights. I tend to drop these into a report of some sort, such as a Canva or word processing document.

Now that you have some background, let’s watch a short video.

A Video Example: Data Analysis in Action

In this example, you will see a quick overview of preparing the data, uploading it, and interacting with a custom GPT. I also show how to export data as comma-separated values (CSV), also known as comma-delimited, file that you can import into Canva. This makes it easy to create charts in Canva you can customize.

OpenAI’s GPT tools offer a powerful solution for analyzing large datasets. They make it easier for you to ask questions about your data in natural language. These custom GPTs are engineered for data analysis. They make it easy to identify trends, summarize data, generate charts, and more. This makes custom GPTs invaluable to educators when used safely. Be sure to follow the three step checklist to get things done right and to protect confidentiality.

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Virtual reality can be a powerful tool for project-based learning by providing an interactive element.
AI/VR

Engage Students with Virtual Reality (VR) and Project-Based Learning (PBL)

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

A combination you seldom find in classrooms brings two popular areas together: virtual reality (VR) and project-based learning (PBL). Combining these two approaches to teaching and learning can deepen students’ understanding. VR within PBL can drop students into an immersive learning experience. But how does that work? VR is increasingly creating interactive opportunities in the immersive internet. See how VR is moving beyond entertainment. Watch Bernard Marr’s video below to assist you in understanding future trends for 2024.

What Is Project Based Learning (PBL)?

You may already be familiar with project-based learning (PBL). TCEA offers a variety of blog entries and an online course about PBL. Moreover, there are many ways to blend game-based learning and PBL. You can see one approach in the Virtual World Builder online course. It shows you how to use a free, open-source, Minecraft-style environment and introduces you to PBL. There’s also some discussion about virtual reality in TCEA’s blog.

One definition of PBL appears below:

Project-Based Learning (PBL) is a student-centered pedagogy. It seeks to involve student in active engagement with real world projects. These projects are meaningful and immerse students in a novel situation. To that new situation, they must apply what they have learned and any skills they have developed. They often do so through the creation of a product.

As they do this, they engage in transfer learning. This engages them and allows them to develop their critical thinking skills. What’s more, it scaffolds student collaboration and problem-solving to a specific task. Human brains love this kind of task-oriented learning. Tasks often come in a wrapper such as a scenario, complex question, problem, or challenge.

What Is Virtual Reality?

Often, virtual reality and PBL don’t mix well in the classroom. Some define virtual reality in this way:

Virtual reality (VR) is the use of technology to create a simulated environment. Students are able to interact with it in a way that mimics real life.

This interaction is different than screen-based, computer imagery. Instead, VR simulates as many senses as possible. Those senses include, of course, vision, hearing, touch, and even smell. The goal is to transport students to places they have never been.

VR provides hands-on experiences that are impossible or impractical for schools and students. Bringing these two areas together can yield big results, enhancing digital literacy, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving.

Let’s examine how these two exciting areas can complement each other.

Three Approaches to Using VR for PBL Projects

You can use VR as an engagement tool to grab students’ attention before dropping them into the deep end of PBL. Here are three approaches to pair VR and PBL for boosted engagement.

VR experiences might lend themselves well to lesson or unit introductions. Use them to pique students’ curiosity and lead to more in-depth activities. (Adapted from source)

Approach #1: Take virtual field trips.

With VR, students can visit historical landmarks, explore different ecosystems, and more. They can also journey to foreign countries— no passport or plane ticket needed! Discover this Texas middle school’s example of VR use:

Approach #2: Explore curricular topics.

Use VR to bring complex subjects to life, enabling students to get a deeper grasp of abstract ideas through visualization and manipulation of interactive 3D geometric models. For example, The Body VR helps students learn about human biological systems by journeying inside a cell. Apps like MEL Science VR, which has over 70 VR lessons, provide immersive learning experiences on everything from the periodic table to atoms and ions. See more suggestions for exploring curricular topics in this article.

Approach #3: Develop computing and technology skills.

Use online spaces like CoSpaces for students to create their own 3D virtual worlds. Additionally, they can learn the basics of coding and digital design while experiencing VR.

Here’s one CoSpaces video focused on creating simulations for science:

Captivating Hooks for PBL

Crafting captivating hooks or problems for your projects can be challenging, but VR can set the stage for PBL’s real-world challenges. Here are some suggestions for engaging students with VR-based hooks:

VR SolutionSuggested Use in K-12 PBL Engagement Hook
CoSpaces EduStudents can create and explore their own virtual worlds or simulations, which can be used to present their PBL projects in an immersive way.
Global Traveler appUse the app for virtual field trips, allowing students to explore global landmarks and natural wonders, which can be integrated into geography or social studies projects.
Merge CubeMerge Cude can be used by students to design 3D objects related to their PBL topic and then use Merge Cube to interact with their models, enhancing their spatial reasoning and presentation skills.
TinkercadStudents can use Tinkercad to design 3D models that can be integrated into their PBL projects and visualize them using Merge Cube or VR.
VictoryXREngage students in virtual dissections or explore historical events, making abstract concepts more tangible and relevant to their studies.

Using VR in the classroom certainly deepens student engagement and prepares them for the exciting undertaking of a PBL project. Start your PBL class lessons and projects with VR scenarios and set your students up for memorable learning experiences that will help them retain and demonstrate learning.

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AI/VRArtificial Intelligence

Three Steps to Easily Create a Custom GPT

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Working with ChatGPT and other AI tools can often feel like you’re a magician pulling a rabbit out of a hat. But there is another trick you may want to practice and learn: how to create your own custom GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) using ChatGPT Plus, the paid version of ChatGPT. A custom GPT is a tailored version of the original ChatGPT model that has been modified to serve specific purposes. Let’s take a look at the process for making a custom GPT.

Why make your own GPT?

One of the reasons you might want to make a custom GPT is that it can be helpful to have an assistant. For example, I would love to have an assistant to help me with applying critical thinking processes to claims of pseudoscience. Here are a few other possible reasons why K-16 educators might consider making a custom GPT:

ReasonDescription
Personalized LearningCustom GPTs can be designed to adapt to the learning pace and style of individual students, offering personalized feedback, explanations, and support. This personalization helps in catering to diverse learning needs and abilities within a classroom.
Curriculum IntegrationEducators can tailor a custom GPT to align with specific curriculum standards and learning outcomes. This ensures that the AI tool is directly relevant to the subjects being taught and supports educational standards.
Engagement and MotivationCustom GPTs can be programmed with interactive elements, gamification, and scenario-based learning activities that engage students more effectively than traditional teaching methods. This can increase student motivation and interest in the subject matter.
Assessment and FeedbackA custom GPT can automate the assessment process by providing instant feedback on assignments and quizzes, allowing educators to track progress more efficiently and students to understand their learning gaps immediately.
Critical Thinking and Problem SolvingEducators can design GPTs to challenge students with complex problems and scenarios that require critical thinking, encouraging deeper engagement with the material and the development of problem-solving skills.
Accessibility and InclusionCustom GPTs can be developed to include accessibility features for students with disabilities, ensuring that educational content is accessible to all learners, thus promoting inclusivity.
Language LearningFor language educators, custom GPTs can offer conversational practice, grammar correction, and vocabulary building tailored to the proficiency level of the learner, enhancing language acquisition.
Content CreationEducators can use custom GPTs to generate educational content, such as lesson plans, reading materials, and exam questions, saving time and resources while ensuring content relevance and variety.
Professional DevelopmentCustom GPTs can serve as a tool for educator professional development, providing resources, teaching strategies, and content knowledge updates in their field of teaching.
Research and InnovationEducators involved in educational research and innovation can use custom GPTs to explore new teaching methodologies, conduct experiments, and gather data on learning outcomes and engagement strategies.
Note: This list was generated by ChatGPT.

Of the items on this list, Critical Thinking and Problem Solving and Professional Development are two areas of interest for me. Let’s start by exploring existing GPTs. Then, you’ll prepare to make your own, setting goals for what you want it to do. No coding is required! First, let’s take a moment to define terms before getting started with a how-to.

Defining Terms

Here are some vocabulary terms you need to be familiar with, and you might refer back to them from time to time.

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI): The broader field of computer science focuses on creating machines capable of performing tasks that typically require human intelligence.
  • Natural Language Processing (NLP): A subset of AI that deals with the interaction between computers and humans through natural language. It enables machines to understand, interpret, and generate human language.
  • Fine-tuning: The process of taking a pre-trained model and continuing the training on a more specific dataset to specialize its knowledge or capabilities.
  • ChatGPT: A variant of the GPT model designed specifically for generating human-like conversational responses.
  • Custom GPT: A version of ChatGPT that has been fine-tuned or customized for specific tasks, industries, or applications.
  • API (Application Programming Interface): A set of protocols and tools for building software and applications, which can be used to enhance the capabilities of a custom GPT by allowing it to interact with other software and services.
  • Model Training: The process of teaching an AI model to make predictions or perform a task by exposing it to data.
  • Dataset: A collection of data that an AI model is trained on, which can include text, images, or other types of information.
  • Prompt Engineering: The art of crafting prompts that effectively communicate a task to an AI model, such as a custom GPT, to elicit the desired response.

Now that you are aware of some of the terms you might encounter, let’s begin.

Explore Existing Custom GPTs

How to access custom GPTs in ChatGPT Plus
How to access custom GPTs in ChatGPT Plus

Before beginning, take a few moments to access custom GPTs in ChatGPT Plus. As you can see above, they are easy to find. Several of my favorite custom GPTs include:

  • AlphaNotes. Transform YouTube videos or web articles into your personal study guide or study aids, making learning efficient and enjoyable.
  • Blended Learning Guide. Expert advice on how to balance the virtual with the traditional mode of teaching.
  • Canva. Effortlessly design anything: presentations, logos, social media posts, and more.
  • Data Analyst. Drop in any files and it can help you analyze and visualize your data.
  • Diagrams Show Me. Create diagrams, architecture visualizations, flow charts, mind maps, schemes, and more. Great for coding, presentations, and code documentation. Export and Edit your diagram for free!
  • PDF AI PDF. Securely store and chat with ALL your PDFs for FREE! AI PDF powers more than 600,000 chats with professionals and researchers. It includes a free myaidrive.com storage account. The pro version can search folders with thousands of files and extract titles, authors, and more!
  • Prompt Professor. This tool knows everything about prompt engineering.
  • VideoMaker by Invideo AI. Generate stunning narrated videos effortlessly with this VideoMaker videoGPT!
  • Travel Agent AI. This tool provides expert travel planning advice, ensuring safe, enjoyable, and economically efficient trips, tailored to individual preferences.

You can find others for recipes, presentation slide makers, writing tools, and more. Give them a spin before asking yourself, “Why not take some time to create one that is unique to my needs?”

How to Create a Custom GPT

Let’s review the process for creating a custom GPT. No coding is required, so if you are a non-programmer like me, you’re in luck! While you can find some suggested steps from ChatGPT in this shared document, you can see the abbreviated steps below.

OpenAI lets your craft custom GPTs. Go to My GPTs, click the plus sign, and you're off!

OpenAI now lets you craft your own GPTs. These custom ChatGPTs can become personal assistants or tackle specific tasks, all without coding. With a ChatGPT Plus account, you can start building.

  1. Just log in to ChatGPT.
  2. Click Explore GPTs.
  3. Then, click the Create button.

1. Plan your GPT.

  • Come up with a long prompt and paste it into the Create tab
  • Develop an image or logo for the custom GPT icon
  • Fill in the empty spaces in the GPT form
Example GPT created by the author: "Critical Thinking Analysis Tool". The GPT includes a description with instructions.

2. Configure your custom GPT.

Configuration is fairly straightforward. You can upload additional files that provide background knowledge to the prompt. As you can see above, I uploaded the mega prompt (long prompt) as a separate document, but in the Create tab, I was able to paste the entire prompt without issue. That is the place to start because the GPT Builder can help you generate conversation starter questions, and will make additional suggestions.

  • Give it a title.
  • Fill in the description.
  • Add conversation starters.
  • Upload any extra “knowledge” you want it to have access to.
  • Save it, or update it if you have saved it already.

3. Test it out!

  • Ask it questions to see how it responds.
  • Review responses for accuracy.
  • Share it with others!

The real work is in the megaprompt you craft, and you can see the one I used for my Critical Thinking Analysis Tool is quite long.

Test the Critical Thinking Analysis Tool

Video Walkthrough: Working with ALDO

Check out this ChatGPT Plus custom GPT to walk you through the process. It is an aid for coaches to use with teachers. It relies on the Amazing Lesson Design Outline (ALDO) and on this mega prompt (go ahead, get a copy to use in the AI of your choice!). The goal is to coach teachers in the use of high-effect size instructional strategies, brain-based learning, and social-emotional learning to enhance student learning, reduce teacher stress, and improve teaching effectiveness.

Let’s take a moment to walk through the creation of the prompt via video:

Test the ALDO Coach GPT

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Author created derivative critical thinking processes
AI/VRArtificial Intelligence

AI Megaprompts for Coaching and Critical Thinking

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

“Are you there?” I first typed that into an Apple //e computer. The answer was “Syntax error.” I wanted to find the voice in the machine, some consciousness that would talk to me, tell me things, and answer questions. Now, making conversation with technology is possible through AI prompts and megaprompts. I will share my journey of learning to craft these prompts to converse with AI.

What is a megaprompt?

Like many, I had no idea what a megaprompt was. Megaprompts are long prompts that provide structured instructions or questions. These allow the AI to give complete responses when asked a question or given an instruction. Harry Pickens (ChatGPT for Educators) describes the process in this way:

Crafting a megaprompt for ChatGPT involves creating a detailed and structured set of instructions or questions that guide the AI to generate comprehensive and contextually relevant responses.

I summarize Pickens’ instructions below:

  • Provide a clear goal.
  • Give context or background information.
  • Divide the goal into specific steps.
  • Be precise and detailed.
  • Use examples that clarify directions.
  • Say what you want to see.
  • Ask for AI’s response in stages.
  • See what works, then refine the prompt.

When I wrote my first megaprompt, I started with Picken’s megaprompt for ChatGPT. Then, I adapted it to my own use.

Why make megaprompts?

Long prompts, megaprompts, enable more of a conversation to happen with your AI chatbot. Moreover, you can rely on the AI’s vast expanse of information access. For example, for my critical thinking megaprompts, I wanted the AI to do something I could not. That is, keep track of ALL the logical inconsistencies that might pop up in my writing and thinking. Logical fallacies are “common errors in reasoning.” Getting an AI to identify those can be a time-saver, no? Plus, with megaprompts, you can provide the AI with exactly the lens through which you want it to respond.

The Anatomy of a MegaPrompt

I’ve identified the following anatomy for long prompts:

  • Role. Set the role of the AI. Don’t be afraid to juxtapose two different roles. For example, the AI can be a critical-thinking advisor and a jolly professor.
  • Goal. Explain the goal that the AI chatbot should adopt.
  • Context. Provide background information. Include information, questions, and examples.
  • Interaction Guidelines. Explain how you want the AI to interact with the user. For example, ask it to solicit user consent and readiness, provide step-by-step guidance, etc.
  • Interaction Structure. Detail how you want AI to begin, assess user knowledge, dialogue, and how you’d like it to conclude.
  • Task(s). Define the task(s) that you want the AI to perform. Clarify step-by-step guidance, the need for dialogue, and action steps for each task.

Let’s craft a long prompt together that offers suggestions on teaching and learning. For example, combine the work and insights of several authors, as shown in the Amazing Lesson Design Outline (ALDO). Would that not be amazing to have at your disposal as a new teacher or a veteran wondering how to implement John Hattie’s high-effect size instructional strategies or brain-based learning?

MegaPrompt: ALDO Coach

“What is the best strategy to use in a particular instructional situation?” This is an important question to ask. Trained coaches are invaluable assets in helping educators choose relevant strategies for varied instructional situations. Using tools like ALDO in professional development can be a valuable tool in supporting teachers in lesson development. But can AI be trained to use ALDO to brainstorm with teachers? Teachers who might be unfamiliar with John Hattie’s “Visible Learning” might like this kind of tool and guidance. It would simplify their lives. It could also work as a simple instructional strategies coach.

This megaprompt incorporates the information I shared in the Amazing Lesson Design Outline (ALDO):

Rather than break down each component of the megaprompt (you can see it here), let’s see it in action below:

Long prompts like this can be a lot of fun. Let’s take a look at a few others.

MegaPrompt: Critical Thinking

Critical thinking can be a tough area for human beings. It has an effect size of .84, according to the Visible Learning MetaX database. The reason why it’s tough, albeit important to learn, is that there is so much to be an expert at. You have to know quite a bit about a field of knowledge. You also have to understand how to apply critical thinking processes, and you have to do this while avoiding logical fallacies.

That’s where AI can help. I had a lot of fun with this megaprompt and really appreciate the work of Thinking Is Power‘s advocate of scientific literacy, Melanie Trecek-King. Using her ideas, as well as those of Wayne R. Bartz, I worked with Claude.ai to make the following (try not to laugh too much):

Author created derivative critical thinking processes
Author created derivative critical thinking processes

View Full Size | Get a copy via Canva

As a person who recognizes his own struggles with critical thinking, I wanted help. I thought that an AI might be able to do the following more easily than I am able to:

  • Check my reasoning, if necessary.
  • Help me avoid logical fallacies and inconsistencies.
  • Analyze articles and media reports objectively.
  • Avoid appeals to my emotions and my cultural background that might compromise my thinking.
  • Apply a critical thinking model or process on my behalf.

What a brain-saver, right? Some of the critical thinking processes I decided to apply include:

Both Bartz’s and Trecek-King’s approaches are ways to evaluate claims. These are claims that people might make in conversation or in the media. Some of the places I’ve tried the megaprompts include:

MegaPrompt Takeaway

What’s the big takeaway from megaprompts? Long prompts enable rich dialogue with AI, and each AI handles megaprompts differently but effectively. This can enhance learning, creativity, and critical thinking. Will you give megaprompting a try?

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Blog Featured Image with red, yellow, and blue shapes. Title "8 Must-Try AI-Powered Chrome Extensions and Features."
AI/VRArtificial Intelligence

Eight Must-Try AI-Powered Chrome Extensions and Features 

by Emily Horn
written by Emily Horn

The value of artificial intelligence (AI) for educators is brimming with possibilities for boosting productivity, efficiency, and time-saving solutions for more cumbersome and repetitive tasks. And AI tools also offer a lot of possibilities when it comes to enhancing instruction and learning. Let’s take a look at AI-powered Chrome extensions and features that might just be game changers for recalibrating your work-life balance while also enhancing your work.

1. Brisk Teaching

Screenshot by the Author | Google Web Store | Brisk Teaching

Brisk Teaching integrates seamlessly into your workflow overlaying tools like Google Classroom. This free AI-powered Chrome extension handles tasks like lessons, assessments, and progress reports. Adjust reading levels, summarize articles, and inspect student work for AI use. Brisk simplifies workload and uses advanced AI to work smarter! This easy-to-use tool engineered for educators’ needs is always free for teachers, but there are school and district accounts available. 

2. Sider: ChatGPT Sidebar

Sider: ChatGPT Sidebar is a top AI Chrome extension for productivity, completely a variety of tasks quickly and effortlessly.
Screenshot by the Author | Google Web Store | Sider: ChatGPT Sidebar

Sider: ChatGPT Sidebar is an all-in-one AI assistant that makes teaching easier. This handy AI-powered Chrome extension integrates ChatGPT, Claude, and Bard directly into your workflows to automate tedious tasks. Summarize articles and videos in seconds and chat with images, PDFs, and web pages. Plus, get instant feedback on lessons, simplify research and grading, and more. Sider allows you to reuse prompts and tap into the latest AI models for fresh, in-context insights. 

3. MagicSchool AI

Yes, MagicSchool has an AI-powered Chrome extension! Eliminate tab toggling and access the magic of MagicSchool right from platforms like Gmail, Google Classroom, Canvas, and more. Revolutionize your workflow with 50+ AI-powered smart tools to make teaching easier. Instantly create engaging lessons, personalized math problems, quizzes, feedback, IEPs, and more. Generate content quickly, communicate efficiently, and differentiate instruction effortlessly. It’s an easy-to-use extension designed by educators for educators! 

4. Three New Built-In AI Features

In January 2024, Chrome announced three new generative AI features! First, it’s important to note that because these features are still in the early experimental stages, they aren’t turned on for enterprise or education accounts for now. So, you’ll have to test them out in your personal Google account for the time being. To access them, go to the three-dot menu in the top right corner of your Chrome browser, select “Settings,” and access the “Experimental AI” page. Chrome’s new tab organizer feature automatically groups similar tabs to simplify tab management. Custom themes can now be generated with AI based on your desired subject, mood, style, and color for personalized browsing. Also coming soon in February is a writing assistant to help craft responses, reviews, RSVPs, and more with confidence across any website. 

5. TinEye

TinEye is an AI-Powered Chrome extension for reverse image searching.
Screenshot by the Author | Google Web Store | TinEye

The official TinEye extension allows reverse image search directly from Chrome. Right-click any image to find its origin, usage across the web, or higher resolution versions. TinEye pioneered reverse image search to make images searchable. The extension taps TinEye’s image recognition technology to enhance verifying profiles, attributing images, debunking fakes, and more. With secure, private searching that never saves queries, this extension aims to simplify image investigation within your browsing workflow. Teach students the importance of properly sourcing and attributing images they use in projects and presentations. 

6. MaxAI

MaxAi.me boosts productivity across platforms.
Screenshot by the Author | Google Web Store | MaxAi.me

MaxAi.me turbocharges productivity with writing enhancement, task automation, and time savings. This all-in-one AI-powered Chrome extension taps advanced models like ChatGPT and Claude to perfect emails, documents, and posts in just a click. Effortlessly summarize content, explain concepts, translate text, and more while you work. MaxAI aims to simplify access to leading-edge AI through seamless integration with your workflow. Say goodbye to juggling multiple tools and tabs! Enjoy frictionless AI assistance built into your browser that saves hours, boosts output quality, and makes you more efficient across all websites and apps.

7. GPT for Sheets and Docs

GPT for Sheets and Docs is and AI add-on available in Google Workspace Marketplace.
Screenshot by the Author | Google Workspace Marketplace | GPT for Sheets and Docs

GPT for Sheets and Docs seamlessly brings the power of AI like ChatGPT and Claude directly into Google’s workspace tools. Educators can now leverage cutting-edge language models to write, edit, summarize, translate, and more right within documents and spreadsheets. This add-on aims to simplify access to advanced AI to automate repetitive tasks, so you can generate lessons, assignments, quizzes, feedback, and more with just a click. GPT for Sheets and Docs amps up efficiency so you can focus on student connections.

8. Text Blaze

Text Blaze AI Chrome Extension is available in the Chrome web store.
Screenshot by the Author | Google Web Store | Text Blaze

Text Blaze saves time with text expansion by using shortcuts. Insert templates anywhere with custom keyboard shortcuts. Automate repetitive typing, like greetings, signatures, and canned responses. Plus, it works across all websites and apps. You can build smart templates with dynamic fields, date/time, and formulas (hello, lesson planning!), and share and collaborate on snippets with your team. Search and insert templates instantly while working and tab between fields to automate workflows. It means billions of keystrokes saved for 400,000+ users. Talk about an AI-powered Chrome Extension for boosted productivity! 

The influx of AI into education is opening up exciting new possibilities for productivity and innovation. By integrating AI seamlessly into existing platforms, these Chrome tools aim to put advanced capabilities right at teachers’ fingertips. While approached thoughtfully and ethically, such AI advancements could free up precious time for educators to focus on what matters most, connecting with students. The future looks bright for continued AI integration that empowers teachers to work smarter, not harder. What tool will you try first?

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Coaching in the AI Era Blog Feature Image
AI/VRArtificial Intelligence

Technology Coaching in the AI Era

by Stevie Frank
written by Stevie Frank

I started teaching with blackboards and overhead projectors. Reflecting on my first classroom teacher experience, those marker-stained hands and forever dusty erasers are truly a core memory for me. I wrote my first technology grant for a projector a few years later. It was innovative. It was exciting. It was loud. And I’m sure it was more expensive than they are now, but I was stoked! I couldn’t sleep because I was thrilled to enhance my students’ learning through something considered to be high-tech. Technology has that spark. It can completely transform a classroom’s experience of content and learning. Walk through the vendor hall at a major conference (like TCEA’s Convention & Exposition) and experience it firsthand. The latest “spark” in technology to completely light up education? AI.

AI is making educators completely rethink lesson plans, classwork, homework, and assessments. I’ve been lucky enough to present about AI to hundreds of educators. The most common comments and questions I hear surrounding AI in education can be wrapped up in these three topics: 

  • Cheating
  • Assessment
  • Creativity

As coaches, how can we tackle these topics with our coaching? First, by becoming learners ourselves.

Learning About AI as a Coach

When news of ChatGPT hit the scene last winter, I started digging into the topic. I read articles, followed the conversations on Twitter, and attended one of the first AI sessions with Matt Miller and Holly Clark at TCEA’s Convention & Exposition. The best way to learn is to do. So, I created my own OpenAI account, and off I went. Then, I co-wrote a course for the Microsoft Learn platform called “Empowering Educators to Explore the Potential of AI.” Through this process, I was able to really deeply understand what AI is and, more importantly, what it is not. As a technology integration specialist, I found that it was part of my job to learn as much as I could about this topic so I could better equip teachers and administrators as we embarked on this unprecedented journey together.

AI and Cheating

Back in the winter of 2022, I started to broach the topic of AI during my monthly check-ins with administrators. This eventually led to my counterparts across the district and me to lead sessions with staff to ensure we were all on the same page regarding what AI is, what it is not, and how we would define “cheating.” I demonstrated the continuum of “cheating,” with AI that Matt Miller showcased at TCEA in February 2023. Staff really resonated with this graphic, and many of them turned around and shared it with their own students to spark conversation. 

Infographic by Matt Miller exploring a continuum of AI use, from AI doing the work to students doing the work. This explores the questions "What's ok? What's cheating?
Graphic Created by Matt Miller of Ditch That Textbook | AI in the Classroom: What’s Cheating? What’s OK?

As a technology team, we collaborated with academic services to create a universal approach to AI as a district. We wanted to deliver a unified message that we as a staff in Zionsville Community Schools were preparing our students for their tomorrow. We’re not going back to paper and pencil. We’re not blocking AI. We’re adding our voice to the algorithm as it continues to learn. And, most importantly, we’re creating an equitable experience for our learners by teaching them how to learn with AI in school.

AI and Assessment

So now that the genie was out of the bottle, and there was no going back, how do teachers accurately assess students? It seemed like one more thing to worry about and something new added to teachers’ plates, again! This was where I leaned into a philosophy that really started to put my teachers at ease.

This isn’t anything we haven’t been preparing for already.

Our teachers had already seen the SAMR model and worked with the (DOK) Depths of Knowledge. If we’re truly leaning into those deeper levels of the SAMR model, students will be redefining their learning by creating podcasts instead of hacking out that informative writing essay. AI can’t create that podcast for them. If we approach our assessments with the idea that students are hitting level four of the DOK, our learners would be better thinkers. For instance, instead of having students write a summary of a book they read, why not have them analyze a character from the book they read while recording a video in Flip based on the text and conversations in the class? AI can’t create that video for them.

Teachers and I have been leaning into the question: “Is this assessment enhanced with or replaced by AI?” Recently, I was working with a group of 4th grade teachers on their upcoming book reports. They were trying to jazz these up to make them more engaging. Jennifer Lawrence teaches at Eagle Elementary. She is always excited to try anything new in technology! We began to explore this thought: “Now that we know AI can create book reports for students, let’s look at the standards and think about what students can create for this assessment instead.” This conversation resulted in 4th grade students creating their own infographics using Adobe Express! 

Student assessment examples where students created infographics about books using Adobe Express. They also used the text-to-image AI tool to generate images.
Examples of Student-Made Infographics | Made with Adobe Express

We even discussed how AI could help ease the burden of this project for the teacher. For example, using tools like MagicSchool.ai to create standards-aligned rubrics can be a huge time-saver. Additionally, the students learned how to use the Adobe Express text-to-image AI tool to enhance their project. The standards for informative writing were still being assessed, yet the assessment was enhanced with the use of AI not replaced by it.  

AI and Creativity

I was able to attend Adobe’s Creative Educator event with an amazing cohort of creative educators this past summer in New York City. Scott Belsky, executive VP of Design for Adobe, shared some ideas with us as a group. He spoke about how productivity used to be the marker of a good solid employee. Now, with AI, that is going to level the playing field. So how do we stand out in the workforce? We leverage our creativity. The human brain can create and innovate. Now that it doesn’t have to be bogged down by mundane tasks, what does it have time to do? What do our teachers now have time to do if their tasks are being automated, lesson plans are being created, and data is being analyzed faster than ever before? What’s next?

As I ended this winter break nearly 15 years after that first transformative technology in my classroom, I can’t help but get excited about what is still to come. Technology is always ever-evolving, and so are we as educators. We’re always learning and always ready for that next big spark.

Don’t miss Stevie Frank at TCEA 2024! She’ll be presenting four sessions at this year’s convention:

For 44 years, TCEA’s Convention & Exposition has been a place where thousands of educators gather to learn, grow, and explore. You don’t want to miss it!

Register Now!
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An animated chatbot shows the article title "AI-Powered Brain Breaks"
AI/VRArtificial IntelligenceAssessment

AI-Powered Brain Breaks

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Brain breaks are short breaks during lessons that usually incorporate physical activities or movement. Brain breaks are proven to increase student focus, engagement, and learning. Research shows that on-task behavior tends to decline the longer the lesson, and brain breaks can help curb that decline. Take a look at the research represented in this graph:

Image created by author

Four Facts About Brain Breaks

Yes, elementary children are less attentive as lessons increase from ten to thirty minutes. One way to trick our brains into paying more attention? Incorporate short brain breaks! Let’s consider these four facts:

  • Mixing in brief bouts of physical activity can keep children on-task and focused.
  • Brain waves indicative of mental fatigue increase during bouts of sustained attention. They decrease during breaks.
  • Breaks improve our focus by reducing boredom and restoring energy. They kindle motivation “…to resume on-task activity.”
  • Short chunks of time for learning are better than cramming learning into one block.

But how does AI come into play when incorporating these “brief bouts of physical activity?”

Where Do You Stand?

Let’s take a moment to consider the implications of AI and chatbots for classroom use when it comes to brain breaks. Place yourself on a continuum of agreement. I list five statements. Put the number of each statement in a place on the continuum that reflects your thoughts, agreement, or disagreement.

Continuum of agreement with a line graph showing end points labeled from left to right "strongly disagree, disagree, unsure, agree, strongly agree."
Image created by the author.
  • Statement #1: Relying on AI for brain breaks can dehumanize the classroom. It will diminish the teacher’s role in creating meaningful connections with students.
  • Statement #2: Brain breaks are a waste of valuable instructional time. They should be eliminated from the classroom.
  • Statement #3: Brain breaks cater to students with shorter attention spans. They hinder the development of focus and concentration.
  • Statement #4: Using AI for brain breaks can save teachers time, allowing them to focus on more critical aspects of instruction. It may lead to a one-size-fits-all approach that neglects individual needs.
  • Statement #5: AI-generated brain breaks may perpetuate biases present in the algorithms, leading to unfair or discriminatory content.

Here are my choices for where the statements should appear on the continuum. Do you agree or disagree? Share your reasoning in the comments.

Author completed continuum of agreement showing whether he agrees or disagrees with statements about AI in the classroom.

If AI-powered tools can assist with saving time, make my job as a teacher easier, and boost student learning, why not take advantage of them? This suggests another question: How should we, as teachers, use new AI-powered chatbots to make that work easier? Let’s explore one way.

AI Chatbots for Generating Brain Breaks

There are many chatbots available to help educators complete a variety of tasks. Some chatbots are available for free while others cost money, but most offer a free or trial account. Some of my favorite chatbots include:

Tips for Prompting AI

When providing prompts for AI, it’s important to be clear, precise, and directive in order to get the response that best meets your needs. Here are three tips that can help ensure you get the results you want from your prompts:

  1. Ask the AI to assume a role.
  2. Feed the AI source info.
  3. Provide the AI with feedback to hone the response.

Learn more via this 3-2-1 blog on prompt engineering!

3 ideas for promting AI Chatbots: 1. Ask the AI to assume a role. 2. Feed the AI source info. 3. Provide the AI with feedback to hone the response.
Get this infographic!

Example Prompts for Brain Breaks

Here is an example prompt for you to try. This prompt incorporates the three tips above. Linked below it, you can click to view the text prompt and several different AI responses to the prompt. Feel free to copy and paste the prompt and edit it to meet your needs.

Screenshot by author of his slide deck presentation

Here is one example response generated by Perplexity, which includes citations:

Perplexity AI-generated brain break
View the Results
More Ideas for Brain Breaks and When to Use Them!

Bonus: Bell Ringer AI Prompt!

Screenshot by author of his slide deck presentation
View the Results

What are some other ways you can use chatbots to advance teaching and learning in your classroom? Now that you’ve had a moment to explore AI-powered brain breaks, what are your takeaways? Let us know in the comments!

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Image generated by Bing Image Creator using prompt written by author
AI/VRArtificial Intelligence

Five AI Art Creator Tools

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Want your art creations to sparkle? You may find yourself reaching for an AI digital art tool to create content. But which should you reach for? AI art tools are at a premium. For educators on a tight budget, paying $10-$30 a month for access is too much. Even for those who want to “freshen up” their digital newsletters, the cost may be too high. Let’s take a quick look at a few solutions that are free to start out using. But first, let’s take a look at how to create a prompt.

Update: This blog entry now includes how to generate amazing art with Canva’s Magic Studio and AI Apps. Scroll down to see more. If you have Canva for Education or a Pro account, you may NOT need some of the other AI Creator tools listed, except for variety.

Crafting an AI Art Prompt

When generating art with AI, having a good prompt is a must. Working to perfect your prompt and including details will ensure that your generated AI art matches what you’re looking for. Some suggestions for prompt writing:

  • Describe the content of the image
  • Describe the subject
  • Add relevant details
  • Describe the form and style
  • Define the composition

Additionally, using adjectives and involving other AI tools, like Claude.ai, can aid you in prompt-making. With that in mind, I decided to use a standard prompt to test out several AI art generators. I consulted Claude to help me. Since I like owls, here’s my prompt and the prompt generated by Claude in response:

Claude.ai generated prompt
Screenshot by author, Claude.ai

Test Prompt Text: “An oil painting portrait of a large wise grey hooded owl with intelligent yellow eyes emerging from darkness, covered in an intricate arcane robe embroidered with ancient Norse runes and symbols glowing with power. The owl’s feathers and robe flow abstractly in dramatic volumetric lighting and misty atmosphere, rendered in an abstract expressionist style with thick gestural brushstrokes and paint textures.”

AI Creator #1: Leonardo.ai

Although still under wraps, you can request Leonardo.ai access. My experience involved a short three-minute wait. Then, I logged in with my Google Workspace for Education account.

Screenshot by author, Leonardo.ai

This beautifully designed website features inspiring images. Some points shared during the welcome guide:

  • The featured models highlight various image generation styles. Select one and begin creating images with it yourself.
  • Use text, image prompts, or image-to-image to create new 2D images.
  • Explore features like Leonardo Alchemy and Prompt Magic v2.
  • Post-process your images with features that include upscaling, unzooming, and background removal.
  • Struggling to come up with prompt ideas? Toggle from Image Generation to Prompt Generation.

You can see that Leonardo.ai’s interface is quite rich:

Screenshot by author, Leonardo.ai

From start to finish, the text prompt appeared within two minutes. I turned the images generated into an animated GIF:

Animated GIF of images created by Leonardo AI with a prompt by the author

I loved Leonardo’s AI art creations. You might see these gracing the cover of a class anthology on fantasy writing.

AI Creator #2: OpenArt.ai

Offering 50 credits to get started, OpenArt makes creating art easy from the get-go. You can see that OpenArt offers a variety of tools:

Screenshot by author, OpenArt.ai

OpenArt generated two images for me based on my prompt:

Animated GIF of images created by OpenArt AI with prompt from author

All in all, an easy-to-use image generator.

AI Creator #3: Bing Image Creator

Screenshot by author, Microsoft Bing Image Creator
Screenshot by author, Microsoft Bing Image Creator

Microsoft Bing’s Image Creator has been my go-to for AI art based on text prompts. It relies on DALL-E to do the heavy lifting. It’s also easy to use, and it’s fast. While previous AI art creators took up to two to three minutes, Bing Image Creator generates in seconds.

Screenshot by author, Bing Image Creator

You see the creation previews and can click on images for a higher-quality option. Here is what was generated from my prompt:

Screenshot by author, Bing Image Creator result

AI Creator #4: Fotor AI Art Generator

An impressive addition to the pack, Fotor does a fantastic job in its rendering of the text prompt:

Screenshot by the author: Fotor Art Generator

The images generated are stunning (at least, that’s my opinion):

Animated GIF of images created by FotorAI with prompt from author

AI Creator #5: NightCafe Studio

This lightning-fast AI art generator offers one image in response to the prompt. You can see they have a simple interface that lets you get started quick:

Screenshot by the author: NightCafe Home Page

Here’s their stunning creation:

But Wait, There’s One More! Canva Magic Studio

If you’ve read about Canva Magic Studio, you know that it can’t be left out of the pack. It offers so much more capabilities for AI-powered art generation that rival all the tools shown above. Let’s take a quick tour of what’s possible.

Canva’s Magic Media, a tool in the Magic Studio and also known as “text to image,” offers the best image generation. You can choose from multiple styles. What’s more, Canva’s Magic Media generates FOUR images to the standard one or two that other apps render. Take a look:

You get over 400 credits that renew monthly, so you can generate a lot of images with Canva’s Magic Media. But it isn’t the only AI-art generator you get access to. Here are a few more creations from DALL*E, Google’s Imagen, and Mojo AI. Of these, Mojo AI provides 75 credits when you register for free, but expends 4 credits to generate two images. Of course, I found Mojo AI’s creations to be the best of the second bunch, but unable to match Canva’s Magic Media.

Here’s a video of the process I went through to generate these (about 8 minutes):

Assessing AI Art

Want to assess AI-generated art? Consider the points these authors make:

Assessing the artness of AI-generated images continues to be a challenge within the realm of image generation. Most existing metrics cannot be used to perform instance-level and reference-free artness evaluation.

Source: Chen, An, Lyu, Luo, Learning to Evaluate the Artness of AI-generated Images via ArXiv

Another important consideration? Copyright. Did you see the ruling from DC District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell? Judge Howell ruled:

United States District Court Judge Beryl A. Howell ruled on Friday that AI-generated artwork can’t be copyrighted, as noted by The Hollywood Reporter. She was presiding over a lawsuit against the US Copyright Office

Source: The Verge

To clarify Judge Howell’s ruling:

Copyright law has “never stretched so far” to “protect works generated by new forms of technology operating absent any guiding human hand,” U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell found.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

How do you propose to address the use of AI art in your classroom or workplace?

These AI art generators are terrific, and there are even more out there. As you might imagine, these are a boon to any student author looking for a quick cover for a book or publication. You can easily combine images like this with others to get incredible results. These tools are especially attractive to writers who can’t draw well. Which one do you plan to try first?

Featured Image: Owl generated from author’s prompt using Microsoft Bing Image creator

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Explaining the difference between "hypothesis" and "theory" - Created with Supermeme.ai
AI/VREnglish Language ArtsHistoryMathMathematicsScienceSocial StudiesSocial StudiesWriting

AI Meme Generators and Classroom Activities

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Did you know that students make sense of visuals faster than text? That is, when processing image and text data at the same time, visuals get processed sixty thousand times faster (source). Student-created digital media results in greater gains. That means that student-generated visuals can impact learning and achievement. You already know how powerful infographics and graphs are. Today, AI tools can create even more engaging images with text. One way to do that? Memes. Let’s take a closer look at meme creation tools and activities using memes in the classroom.

Memes for classroom activities

Memes generated by the author using Simplified.com.

What does the research say?

“Images evoke and enrich complex meanings. These meanings are otherwise linguistically inexpressible,” says the Visible Learning Meta X database. This is a rich database of effective instructional strategies based on the research of John Hattie. Visuals are rated as having an effect size of 0.55. If .40 is an average year’s growth, images have the potential to speed up learning.

What are memes?

Memes can represent ideas, values, or behaviors that are contagious. Pair quotes with pop culture images and you get a shareable meme. Meme quote generators help students engage in language play, deepen their experiences with interpretation, reasoning, and inferential thinking.

How to Create Memes

The old-fashioned way of creating memes includes using meme generator tools. These work great for students, allowing them to combine quotes with existing images. Some tools I’ve relied on to create memes include:

But, there are now new tools that make meme creation easier using AI. These meme-generation tools focus students on the text rather than the image. Let’s explore some AI meme generators.

AI Meme Generators

Some AI meme generators you can use for free include the following. But, some will require you to create an account using Google or an email address.

  1. Supermeme.ai
  2. Predis.ai
  3. AI Meme
  4. Simplified.com
  5. Appypie
  6. AI Memes Fun

Now that you have some AI meme generators, let’s jump to a few activities. I invite you to add your own ideas in the comments!

Classroom Activities with Memes

Activity #1: Classroom Debates

Meme illustrating how memes can be used for debate in class.

Debates about tough topics offer rich opportunities for developing student content knowledge, literacy, and civility. For example, “Should I risk my sanity by giving my 12-year-old a cell phone?” is current and relevant. What’s more, it allows students to apply critical thinking approaches when considering the merits of smartphones for minors. Students also get to explore legal issues, social media, and more. All are topics that can be tied into math, science, and social studies.

Debating is an often under-utilized approach in the classroom. At least, debating in a civil manner.

Classroom debates help students learn through friendly competition, examine controversial topics and “strengthen skills in the areas of leadership, interpersonal influence, teambuilding, group problem solving, and oral presentation” (Leuser, n.d., para. 1 as cited by source).

You could have students do any of the following:

  • Articulate the rules of debate
  • Organize their points as a series of memes representing their perspective
  • Create memes that are opposite to a competing perspective

Students could then organize debates as a series of images addressing key topics. The topics would have been identified prior to the debate. Students could also assess the efficacy of memes generated in convincing (or not) the audience.

Activity #2: Vocabulary Development

Clarifying terms and vocabulary in a new lesson can be difficult. That’s true no matter whether you are a language learner, math, or science student. How do you capture the essence of a vocabulary term in such a way as to make it easier to understand? One way is to create a meme that represents that word.

Meme with a bear illustrating a classroom activity on vocabulary

You can combine memes with Frayer Models, as well as concept sorts, to define and organize terms. In fact, in science, drawing a picture of what a word means could be the first step in better defining it.

Activity #3: Conveying a PBL Stakeholder Perspective

When starting a problem-based learning unit, one of the first steps involves identifying stakeholders. These are the perspectives that vie for attention and resources in a real-life problem. In a community where a landfill is being built, you could have a variety of stakeholders. Those could include:

  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
  • The Public
  • Community Residents and Businesses near the landfill
  • Landfill operator
  • Landowner
  • City
  • Media
  • Government Department

How would you represent the perspective of each in a single sentence or meme? How might students take recycling into account in the local community?

Meme will seagulls illustrating how memes can be used in science class to express difference views on recycling.

The Power of AI Meme Generators

Memes empower learners to create content that looks amazing with minimal, mechanical expenditure. That is, instead of spending time surfing the web trying to find images, AI meme generators make it easy to combine picture and student-generated text in memorable ways. Have other ideas for ways to use memes in the classroom? Please share them with us in the comments!

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Google AI
AI/VRGoogle Tips and TricksWriting

Two New Google AI Tools: Help Me Write and NotebookLM

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Wish you had access to Google AI tools to assist you in writing and finding content? Get a quick peek at two new AI tools that Google has made available for testing through Google Workspace Labs. The first, Help Me Write, offers students a way to banish their fear of the empty page. They can start with an outline of ideas, or even, fleshed-out paragraphs. Additionally, NotebookLM, an “AI-first notebook” helps you “gain insights faster” (source) using your own Google Docs for source material. Let’s take a deeper look!

What is Google Workspace Labs?

Google Workspace Labs is “an invite only program for users to try new AI features” that is currently only available in U.S. English, so you might not have access to it just yet. You’ll know if it’s available to you if you see the Help Me Write pencil icon on the left of your open Google Doc. Google Workspace Labs is a way for Google to get people to test out its products and give feedback. You might want to get a big-picture overview of Google Workspace, and “Duet AI” in particular. There are plans to embed Duet AI in Google Slides to generate images, as well as Google Sheets (see animated GIF below) to assist in organizing content.

This video provides a big-picture overview:

You can read more online at Google Workspace. Now, let’s take a look at a second AI tool from Google, NotebookLM.

AI Tool #1: Help Me Write

To invoke the power of AI, select the button that says, “Help me write.” How many times have we, as educators, heard this cry from our colleagues and students? Now, Google leverages AI to assist you when writing email. It offers an invite-only program for users to try out. It is only available to trusted testers in US English, and may not be available to you.

You can get an invitation to try this out for yourself when you sign up here. Once you’re in, getting started can be easy. Once accepted into the tester program, you can follow these instructions:

Write a new draft using a freeform prompt. For example, you can ask Gmail to write a birthday invitation. Or, write an introduction to a potential business contact. Refine a draft. For example, you can rephrase the draft, or make the draft more formal, more concise, or more detailed. (source)

In a few moments, you will see what it looks like in action. But here is a list of what Help Me Write can do:

  • Converting meeting notes into an email
  • Writing a job description in Docs
  • Draft, reply, summarize, and prioritize your Gmail
  • Brainstorm, proofread, write, and rewrite in Docs
  • Bring your creative vision to life with auto-generated images, audio, and video in Slides
  • Go from raw data to insights and analysis via auto-completion, formula generation, and contextual categorization in Sheets
  • Generate new backgrounds and capture notes in Meet
  • Enable workflows for getting things done in Chat (source)

Having AI baked into Google tools, especially Gmail, could be a lifesaver for those who find writing emails to be no fun.

Help Me Write Example #1: Asking for a Raise

For fun, I asked Google’s Help Me Write to assist me in asking for a raise. The response was underwhelming:

To be honest, I wasn’t impressed with the output. Compare it to ChatGPT’s response with the same prompt:

Subject: Request for Salary Adjustment

Dear [Boss’s Name],

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to discuss the possibility of a salary adjustment, considering my contributions, growth, and the value I bring to the company.

Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunity to work with such an exceptional team and for the job security and stability this position provides. Over the course of [duration of employment], I have consistently strived to exceed expectations and contribute to the success of our department….

ChatGPT goes on for a few more paragraphs. Brevity being the soul of wit, you will not get a raise with its first draft help, either. The first is too brief, the latter is too wordy and unspecific. Even Canva’s Magic Studio, the Magic Write option, does a better job, as you can see below:

Created by author using Canva’s Magic Studio, Magic Write rewrite option

Let’s try something else.

Example #2: Apologies

Wish you could ask for an apology for being tardy to work? Not so fast:

That aside, Google’s Help Me Write AI works fine if you get the right prompt:

The lesson? If you want an apology for your work tardiness, ChatGPT can help. If you want to apologize for delivering your child to school late, Google’s AI works fine.

Example #3: Revise an Email

In this example, I decided to revise an email applying for a job. ChatGPT generated this example after reviewing my resume. Let’s see how Google’s Help Me Write can shorten the copy.

Original:

Shortened by Google AI…short and to the point without the verbosity.

Not a bad revision to the original. Maybe, a workflow that starts drafting content in ChatGPT and then shortens it in Google’s Help Me Write AI-powered Gmail will work better.

Example #4: Summarize a Conversation Thread

After reading a few emails from TCEA member, “Nanci,” I asked Google’s Help Me Write tool to summarize the Gmail thread. We had been going back and forth about resources discussing the impact of AI and my search for a toy poodle. Google’s AI tool summarized the conversation thread, yielding this reply.

This summary is spot-on, and I can see real applications for schools to summarize conversation threads. I can definitely see how this summary covers what we have discussed and summarizes it.

I can’t wait to see what else is coming from Google. Before introducing AI tool #2, let’s take a peek at Google Workspace Labs.

AI Tool #2: NotebookLM

Introduced on July 12, 2023, NotebookLM is note-taking software. If you’ve used Microsoft OneNote, you may be wondering the same thing I am: Is NotebookLM some souped-up MS OneNote? In reality, NotebookLM may be nothing more than a digital assistant to help you find your Google Drive files. We all know that we need such a digital assistant. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone say, “I can find XYZ file in Google Drive.”

NotebookLM automatically generates a document guide to help you get a better understanding of the material…

Think of it as a virtual research assistant that can summarize facts, explain complex ideas, and brainstorm new connections — all based on the sources you select.

A key difference between NotebookLM and traditional AI chatbots is that NotebookLM lets you “ground” the language model in your notes and sources.

That’s pretty powerful.

An AI robot seeks input to learn

Unlike ChatGPT which seems to have devoured the Internet as “Input!,” to quote Johnny-5 in the cult classic movie, Short Circuit, Google’s NotebookLM uses your own files as “input.” Once you have chosen which input NotebookLM should use, it allows you to do three things:

  • Summarize content
  • Create a list of topics and questions about the material
  • Generate a list of vocabulary items
  • Develop new ideas given the source content

You can request to participate in NotebookLM test.

I hope you’ll explore these two new AI tools by Google! Once you do, let us know how they work for you. How do they compare to other tools you’ve used? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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