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Announcements/Important DatesCoding/Computer ScienceDigital LiteracySTEM/STEAM

Happy CSEdWeek from TCEA!

by Macee Hall
written by Macee Hall

At TCEA, computer science is near and dear to our hearts… In fact, it’s how our organization got its start! This week (Dec. 9-13, 2024) is Computer Science Education Week, or CSEdWeek, and we’re so excited to celebrate with you. Keep reading to discover the history and significance of this week, as well as some ideas to use in your K-12 classroom!

What is CSEdWeek?

CSEdWeek was officially launched on Dec. 6, 2009, when a group of educational and technological organizations joined forces to celebrate computer science in schools. This group, led by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), included many supporting organizations like the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA), the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT), the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Anita Borg Institute (ABI), the Computing Research Association (CRA), and leading tech companies like Google, Intel, and Microsoft.

According to CSEdWeek’s official website, “CSEdWeek is an annual call to action to inspire K-12 students to learn computer science, advocate for equity in computer science education, and celebrate the contributions of students, teachers, and partners to the field.”

Why was this week chosen?

CSEdWeek always falls on the week that includes December 9 as a way to celebrate the birthday of Grace Hopper, a pioneer in the computer science industry. Hopper served as a naval officer in the second World War and worked on early computers like the Mark I. Often referred to as “Amazing Grace” by those in the computer science field, she is well known for inventing the first compiler and popularizing both the terms “bug” and “debugging.”

The Timeline of CSEdWeek

2009: CSEdWeek is launched by a collective of computer- and education-focused organizations.

2010: Computing in the Core, a non-partisan advocacy coalition, adopted CSEdWeek, thus furthering the cause.

2013: Code.org founder, Hadi Partovi, starts the Hour of Code initiative. In its first year, the event included 15 million students from more than 150 countries around the globe.

2014: An executive committee of Computing in the Core passed a vote which made the Hour of Code initiative the primary centerpiece of CSEdWeek’s itinerary. Code.org would continue to lead the charge for the event’s worldwide celebration.

2015: The Hour of Code event reached 100 million hours total, making CSEdWeek the largest education technology campaign to date.

2020: The CSTA gained the rights to coordinate CSEdWeek’s festivities. While the Hour of Code program is still technically related to CSEdWeek, it remains the property of code.org.

2024: More than 200,000 Hour of Code events are held annually across more than 180 countries, bringing together educators, industry leaders, policymakers, and students to celebrate the future of computer science.

Ideas for Celebrating CSEdWeek

Want to bring CSEdWeek into your classroom? Check out these ideas!

  • Participate in the Hour of Code. This year’s theme is “Music Lab: Jam Session.”
  • Introduce Scratch, a visual programming language from MIT that’s great for beginners looking to create animations, stories, or games.
  • Build a website with HTML, CSS, or JavaScript! Try platforms like Glitch and CodePen.
  • Design 3D models with software like Tinkercad. If your school has a printer, you could even have students vote on which designs they’d like to see come to life!
  • Learn to code with the help of AI! Many AI tools offer awesome code conversion software.
  • Host interactive quizzes on computer science basics using platforms like Kahoot! or Quizizz.
  • Check out our Micro:Bit coding card activity!
  • Use logic puzzles and pattern recognition games to teach the foundations of coding to younger students.

How are you celebrating CSEdWeek?

There are so many fun ways to incorporate computer science into your classroom, this week and year round! Let us know how you’re celebrating CSEd in the comments below!

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Collage of classroom scenes showing students collaborating on projects, with a teacher assisting a student, surrounded by decorative circles.
CanvaContent CreationDigital Literacy

Enhance Student Learning with Canva Templates

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Have you ever spent hours creating the perfect presentation structure, only to watch your students struggle with formatting rather than focusing on content? Canva templates offer a solution that can transform how your students demonstrate their learning while saving valuable classroom time. By providing pre-structured frameworks, you can help students showcase their understanding without getting bogged down in design decisions.

The Power of Templates in Education

There are several benefits of creating and sharing templates with students. In canva there are several template types you can use including presentations, posters, worksheets, whiteboards, infographics, flashcards, comic strips, graphic organizers, storyboards, story books, websites, videos, daily agendas, newsletters. Here are just a few of the ways that this method supports students:

  • Structured guidance – Giving a template to a student helps them organize their thoughts and assignments logically helping to build confidence.
  • Reduce cognitive load – Providing a template that already has an acceptable structure to follow means that students can focus their attention on the content instead of having the added expectation of being skilled at design and layout which is most likely not one of the standards they are expected to learn in your content area.
  • Saves time – Though it does save time for the student by removing additional tasks to demonstrate mastery, it also saves you time when it comes to grading and peer reviews.
  • Promotes differentiation – Once you have one template done, you can easily tweak it to make another template (or two) to better differentiate for your students providing a variety of supports that some students may need more than others.
  • Accommodates accessibility needs – Templates can include proper headings and hierarchies for screen readers, include pre-set color combinations for better contrast, and include built-in alt text prompts for images.

Finding and Using Canva Templates

That is great but where can you find templates in Canva that are already made and ready to tweak, share, and use in your classroom? There are several locations you can find templates for Canva depending on what type of template you are working on. Here are three locations you might find most helpful:

  • Education Presentations – Tons of education-themed presentations allow you to jump start your creative process and get to the content faster!
  • Student Portfolios – Tweak one of these portfolios and share with your students (or select a few from them to choose from) so they can start documenting their work and progress. Click on the sidebar filter to narrow down the style, color, grade level, and more.
  • School Posters – Create posters to instruct, inform and inspire by tweaking these great resources. Lots to choose from!

Implementing Canva Templates

Begin by creating a Canva for Education account using your school email address. This license allows you all the benefits of Canva Pro but for free…plus you can invite your students to your class and have them make use of Canva through your account. Next locate the template you want to use (or create one from scratch). Now all you have to do is:

  1. Click on the Share button (top right corner)
  2. Click on the Template Link icon
  3. Click the Create Template Link
  4. Copy the template link and share as needed with your students

You can delete the link at any time which prevents users from accessing the file – similar to changing the share settings of a Google Doc. Below you can see the icon for the template link in Canva – the image on the left indicates the file is not shared while the image on the right indicates that the file has been shared as a template and a URL generated for others to access.

Subject-Specific Applications

If you have not used templates before, you may be wondering how you would use them in your content area. Here are just a few of the ways that you can make use of templates with your students.

Science
Infographics: Use an infographic template for students to visually summarize the parts of a cell or the life cycle of a butterfly.
Posters: Have students create safety posters using Canva’s poster templates to display proper lab safety protocols.
Videos: Encourage students to record and edit video summaries of their experiments using video templates.		 Social Studies
Presentations: Provide a base template for a presentation on key events of westward expansion or another historical topic. Students personalize it with relevant text and images.
Comic Strips: Assign students to create a comic strip that tells the story of a significant historical event or figure.
Storyboards: Have students plan and organize a digital museum exhibit on a historical era using a storyboard template.		 English Language Arts
Portfolios: Share portfolio templates for students to document their essays, poems, and projects throughout the year.
Graphic Organizers: Provide templates for brainstorming story ideas, character development, or analyzing themes in literature.
Flashcards: Assign students to create flashcards to learn and review vocabulary words or literary devices.
Mathematics
Worksheets: Share editable worksheets for solving equations, graphing functions, or practicing word problems.
Infographics: Assign students to create infographics explaining a mathematical concept, such as the Pythagorean theorem or data trends in statistics.
Whiteboards: Collaborate on solving problems in real-time using Canva’s whiteboard templates.		 Physical Education
Posters: Students create motivational posters for a healthy lifestyle or exercise routine.
Worksheets: Share templates for tracking fitness goals or recording data during fitness tests.
Daily Agendas: Use agenda templates to plan and share weekly fitness challenges or activities.		 Foreign Languages
Flashcards: Students create flashcards for vocabulary practice with visual aids and translations.
Comic Strips: Let students practice writing in the target language by creating short comics.
Newsletters: Have students create newsletters in the foreign language covering cultural events or topics.

Best Practices and Tips

Here are a few tips to consider when creating/sharing templates with students in order to make it the best experience for your students (and for you):

  • Include clear instructions within the template. Since you cannot have text off to the side of the work area, consider adding a page at the beginning that includes instructions, a rubric, and/or any other information that students may need.
  • Add placeholders showing expected content type. This may be a scaffolding opportunity in which you provide these placeholders the first few times your students use templates and then you taper off and allow them to add placeholders as they see fit.
  • Consider file size as some students may have limited internet. If students are working on these on their phone or at home, having lots of graphics or elements in the template may increase the file size making it more cumbersome for some students to efficiently access and use.

The strategic use of Canva templates can revolutionize how students demonstrate their learning while building essential digital literacy skills. Start small, perhaps with a single unit or project, and expand your template use as you and your students become more comfortable with the process.

Remember: The goal isn’t to restrict creativity but to provide a foundation that allows students to focus on content mastery while developing their design skills at an appropriate pace.

What’s your first step going to be in implementing templates in your classroom?

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A person working on a laptop in a classroom, surrounded by digital icons for security and privacy, while other students in the background are writing.
Artificial IntelligenceCybersecurityDigital LiteracyEquity, Diversity, Inclusion

How to Protect Student Privacy When Using AI

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Mr. Rodriguez, a high school English teacher, used an AI writing assistant to give feedback on his students’ personal essays. Excited about the tool’s potential, he uploaded the essays without removing names or personal details. Months later, he was shocked to find out the AI company had used the essays to train their model. When other users prompted the AI with similar topics, it occasionally generated responses that included his students’ personal experiences, family stories, and even sensitive information about their struggles and dreams. What seemed like a harmless use of technology had exposed his students’ private lives, highlighting the critical need to anonymize student work before using AI tools.

While parts of this story are exaggerated for illustration, the concerns are real. AI systems learn from the data they process, and non-anonymized student work could shape the AI’s responses in subtle ways. Even if specific personal stories aren’t repeated word-for-word, writing styles, ideas, or themes might get incorporated into the AI’s knowledge base. This raises important issues about student privacy, data ownership, and ethical AI use in education. Teachers and schools must protect student information from both immediate breaches and the long-term impact of AI learning from student data. Anonymizing student work before using AI tools is a key step in keeping student privacy intact and ensuring responsible technology use in classrooms.

Protect Student Safety with TCEA PROTECT

Before using any AI tool with student data, it’s important to know how that tool handles the information you provide. You can do this by utilizing our TCEA PROTECT model, which offers a practical framework for evaluating and implementing safe digital tools.

Ideally, you should be able to disable the AI’s learning feature to prevent it from using your data to improve its model. However, not all tools offer this option. Some AI providers clearly state on their websites that they don’t use user inputs for training, while others may collect and use this data by default. Always verify the data practices of the AI tool you plan to use before sharing sensitive information. If you can’t turn off the learning feature or aren’t sure about the tool’s data policies, it’s best to take precautions.

Best Practices to Protect Student Safety When Using AI

Consider these methods to anonymize student data before inputting it into AI tools:

Assign Unique Identifiers

Set up a system where each student is given a random number or code at the start of the term. This code serves as their identifier for all AI-processed work. For example, “Jane Doe” becomes “Student_A7X9.” Keep a secure list that links these codes to student names, accessible only to authorized staff. When submitting work to AI tools, use these identifiers only. This protects student identities and helps avoid any biases based on names or perceived gender or ethnicity.

Remove Personal Details

Carefully review each piece of student work before submitting it to AI tools. Look for personal information, including names, addresses, mentions of siblings, and specific personal experiences that could identify a student. Use the find-and-replace function in word processors to swap out names with identifiers. For essays or reports, read through to catch and remove any identifying information. While time-consuming, this step is crucial for protecting student privacy.

Use Data Scrubbing Tools

Data scrubbing tools can help speed up the anonymization process. These tools automatically detect and remove personal information from documents. Tools like AI Eraser, a free Chrome extension, can quickly check your data, flagging potential personal identifiers before submission. Some tools can also handle different data formats, from spreadsheets to text documents. While helpful, these tools should be used alongside manual review to catch context-specific information that might slip through.

Review Before Submission

Even after using automated tools or following anonymization procedures, a final manual review is essential. Randomly select samples of the anonymized work and check them for any remaining identifying information. Look for subtle details, like unique writing styles or personal examples, that could be linked back to a specific student. This final step is a safeguard against accidental data exposure and can improve your anonymization process over time.

Train Students on Anonymization

Teaching students about data anonymization protects their privacy and prepares them for a world where data security is increasingly important. Hold sessions explaining why anonymization matters, especially in the context of AI in education. Show students how to remove personal details from their work, focusing on both obvious and subtle identifiers. This training not only helps with anonymizing school work but also builds valuable data privacy awareness they can use in the future.

A Top Priority for Educators: Protect Student Privacy

As we continue to learn more about AI and its potential for education, it is increasingly more important to protect student privacy. Students’ data security must be a top priority. The methods outlined—assigning unique identifiers, removing personal details, using data scrubbing tools, reviewing submissions, and training students—provide a strong foundation for keeping sensitive information safe when using AI tools. By adopting these practices, educators can take advantage of AI while maintaining trust and confidentiality. The goal isn’t to avoid new technologies, but to use them responsibly and ethically. As AI becomes more prevalent in classrooms, we must prioritize student privacy, teach digital literacy, and ensure that AI integration is thoughtful and secure. In doing so, we create a safer, more equitable learning environment that equips students for a future where data awareness and privacy are critical.

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Classroom ActivitiesDigital BreakoutDigital CitizenshipDigital LiteracyLibraries

Digital Citizenship Week 2024 

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

Mark your calendars, educators! Digital Citizenship Week is set to take place from October 14-18, 2024. This annual event provides an excellent opportunity for teachers to focus on equipping students with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate the digital world safely, responsibly, and effectively.

In today’s interconnected world, digital citizenship has become a fundamental literacy that extends far beyond the classroom. As educators, we play a crucial role in helping our students develop healthy habits, critical thinking skills, and ethical behavior in their online interactions.

I have created a couple of resources for you to use in the classroom. 

The Digital Citizenship Breakout

In honor of Digital Citizenship Week, here is my newest breakout. The DC Breakout has four digital locks, and I think it is geared for fifth grade and above. Unlike my previous breakouts, there is more text than images. AND just like all my breakouts, I can provide the four lock answers if you email me at preimers@tcea.org. If you need more information on digital breakouts, please check out my Digital Breakouts 101 blog. 

The Digital Citizenship Breakout

Cyber Safety Presentation and Quiz

Canva has awesome resources for educators. I added some pops of color to this education template, Cyber Safety which has 11 tips for older elementary and middle school students. I also created a ten question Google Form Quiz based on the Cyber Safety presentation. After submitting, students can receive their score and correct answers.

Access the Presentation

Edit the Presentation

Take the Quiz

Remember, while this week provides an opportunity to focus on digital citizenship, these skills should be reinforced throughout the year. By consistently building this skill set, we can help our students become responsible, empowered digital citizens who can thrive in our increasingly connected world.

Happy Digi-Cit Week!

Peggy

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An engaging classroom scene with students wearing headphones, interacting with digital content, and a close-up view of a smartphone displaying an audio waveform on the screen.
Artificial IntelligenceClassroom ActivitiesDigital LiteracyGoogle Tips and Tricks

Revolutionize Your Lessons with Google NotebookLM’s Audio Overview

by Dr. Bruce Ellis
written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

Ever been excited about a lesson, only to wonder if your students will feel the same? We’ve all been there. Sometimes, no matter how much thought you put into it, certain content just feels dry or too new for students to fully engage with. But what if there was a way to bring that content to life, turning it into something more dynamic and conversational? That’s where Google NotebookLM’s Audio Overview feature comes in, giving your lesson a fresh twist through AI-driven dialogue.

Let me introduce you to Audio Overview, an experimental feature from Google’s Notebook LM. Imagine uploading your lesson materials and having two hosts create a lively conversation around your content. Instead of simply reading it aloud, they analyze it and turn it into a podcast-style discussion. The result? A dynamic back-and-forth that feels like you’re listening to real podcast hosts diving into the material, making it more engaging for your students.

Why This is Useful to You (and Your Students)

One of the key reasons Google NotebookLM’s Audio Overview is a game-changer for educators is that many of our students are auditory learners. This is especially true for our ESL students, who often benefit more from hearing a conversation about the content rather than just having it read aloud to them. When they listen to a dynamic discussion between two hosts, it adds depth and context to the material, making it easier for them to follow along and grasp the key points. By hearing how ideas are talked about, rather than just presented, they engage with the lesson in a way that’s more natural and memorable.

Another great benefit of these AI-generated podcasts is that they model how to have focused, meaningful conversations around educational content. For students, especially those still gaining confidence with the material, these conversations provide an example of how to break down complex ideas and engage in productive discussions. You can even use these podcasts as part of a scaffolding technique, gradually helping students become more comfortable with the content and with each other. Whether you use the fishbowl method, where a few students lead the discussion while others observe, or small group conversations, these podcasts can serve as a guide. Over time, students can start applying this approach to their own discussions, making it easier for them to dive deeper into what they’re learning.

What You’ll Notice about Google NotebookLM’s Audio Overview

When you generate an audio overview, you’ll notice a few impressive details right away. The two AI chatbots sound incredibly lifelike, often adding natural pauses, hmm’s, ah’s, or even subtle breaths, making it feel like you’re listening to real people, not computer-generated voices. They don’t just read the material—they engage with it, using analogies and vivid descriptions to help the listener grasp the concepts more easily. The chatbots also bring in relevant applications, making the content feel relatable and actionable. Plus, they play off each other seamlessly, like seasoned podcast hosts who are comfortable working together, which adds to the authenticity and flow of the conversation. You can listen to the audio overview that was generated while creating the video tutorial which is shared below after the step-by-step directions.

How to Get Started with Google NotebookLM’s Audio Overview

  1. Access NotebookLM
    1. Go to notebooklm.google.com 
    2. Sign in with your Google account
  2. Create a new notebook
    1. Click on the “New Notebook” box with a plus sign
  3. Add sources
    1. Choose from available options to add sources to your notebook: drag and drop files to upload, import from Google Drive, add a website link, or copy and paste text
    2. Note: Only PDF, text, and markdown file types are currently supported if you want to upload sources.
    3. To add more resources, just click on the plus sign to the right of Sources in the left-hand column. Add your source using the options available.
  4. Review notebook guide
    1. Examine the summary of the imported content 
    2. Explore additional creation options (FAQ, study guide, table of contents, etc.)
    3. Click on Untitled notebook to rename it. Be sure that your name does not contain any punctuation since the name of the notebook is used to name the audio file.
  5. Generate Deep Dive Conversation
    1. Locate the Deep Dive Conversation box in the top right corner 
    2. Click the Generate button 
    3. Wait for the AI to create the conversation (may take several minutes)
    4. Note: This process can run in the background or be completed later
  6. Listen to the generated audio overview
    1. Play the audio once generation is complete 
    2. Provide feedback using thumbs-up or thumbs-down buttons
  7. Manage the audio overview
    1. Click the More icon to access additional options to change playback speed, download the audio file, and/or delete the audio overview
  8. Optional: Create multiple versions
    1. Download the current audio overview. This will download the audio overview as a .wav file.
    2. Delete the online version if you prefer.
    3. Regenerate a new audio overview (you must delete the current overview before regenerating a new one). Regenerated audio overviews are not duplicates though they are based on the sources you supplied.
    4. Compare the two versions or provide options for students to either (or both) audio overviews.

Here is the audio overview that was generated by the sources that were used in the video above.

I Don’t Have Access

Some educators may not have access if it has not been made available to you by your district Google Administrator. NotebookLM is currently available to personal Google accounts and to users of participating enterprise Google Workspace or Google Workspace for Education accounts. If you’re using a company or educational email and can’t access the app, check out this help center article and reach out to your workspace admin to enable the NotebookLM app for your organization.

Join the Conversation Enhancing Education with AI

So, are you ready to implement AI and revolutionize lessons in your classroom? Google NotebookLM’s Audio Overview feature gives you the chance to turn your lessons into engaging, podcast-style discussions. This tool is perfect for making tough topics easier to understand, especially for auditory learners, and can be a great model for student-led discussions. How do you see yourself using it with your students? What lessons or subjects would benefit most? Share your thoughts, ideas, or questions below. Let’s work together to explore how AI can create more dynamic and inclusive learning experiences for everyone.

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AI/VRArtificial IntelligenceDigital Literacy

Introducing the TCEA AI Literacy Framework for Students: Empowering the Next Generation

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming every aspect of our lives, from how we work and communicate to how we learn and solve problems. As educators, it’s crucial to prepare our students for the future where AI will play a central role. Just like the need years ago for instruction on how to use the internet and then how to master digital literacy skills, AI literacy is a critical component of a sound education today. That’s why I am thrilled to introduce the TCEA AI Literacy Framework for Students.

This comprehensive document is designed to equip students across all grade levels—K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12—with the knowledge and skills they need to understand and engage with AI safely and effectively. It provides learning opportunities across basic use, ethics, safety and privacy, and future impact.

The TCEA AI Literacy Framework is more than just a guide; it’s a roadmap to integrating AI concepts into your classroom in a meaningful and age-appropriate way. Whether you’re working with young learners in kindergarten or guiding high school students through complex AI projects, this framework offers tailored lesson plans that align with students’ cognitive development and curricular needs. By embracing this framework, you’re not just teaching students about AI; you’re empowering them to become critical thinkers, problem solvers, and innovators in a world increasingly driven by technology.

Tips for Implementing the TCEA AI Literacy Framework

  • Start Early and Build Gradually: AI can seem like a complex topic, but with the right approach, even the youngest students can grasp the basics. Begin with simple concepts in the K-2 grade band, such as recognizing patterns and making predictions, and then build on these foundations as students progress through the grades. By the time they reach high school, they’ll be ready to tackle more advanced AI concepts, like machine learning and ethical considerations.
  • Incorporate Real-World Examples: To make AI relevant and engaging for students, connect the lessons to real-world applications. For instance, when teaching about AI in the 6-8 grade band, you might discuss how AI is used in everyday tools like voice assistants or for creating recommendation algorithms on social media. This helps students see the practical implications of AI and understand its impact on their lives.
  • Encourage Collaboration and Creativity: AI isn’t just about algorithms and data; it’s also about creativity and problem-solving. Use the framework to foster a collaborative learning environment where students work together to explore AI concepts. Encourage them to think creatively about how AI can be used to solve problems in their communities or to improve the world around them.

The TCEA AI Literacy Framework completely free and is your key to preparing students for a future where AI will be an integral part of their personal and professional lives. By integrating this framework into your teaching, you’re helping to shape the innovators and leaders of tomorrow. We invite you to explore the framework, experiment with the lesson plans, and join us in making AI literacy a cornerstone of education.

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Digital LiteracyGood Teaching

Five News Literacy Resources for Back-to-School

by Erin Olson
written by Erin Olson

As a new wave of students enters the classroom, educators have an exciting opportunity. This year, equip students with lifelong critical thinking skills by incorporating news literacy into your lesson plans.

In today’s media landscape, marked by rapidly advancing artificial intelligence technology and emotion-inducing current events, the ability to verify information and analyze sources is more important than ever. News-literate students think for themselves, assess the quality of information they are consuming and are prepared to actively participate in civic life. They can distinguish between news and opinion, original social media accounts and branded content, and genuine video and AI-generated deepfakes.

The News Literacy Project is here to streamline the process of building news literacy into your curriculum, lessons and activities. NLP’s free resources, from virtual lessons to newsletters to infographics, will deepen students’ knowledge of how to think (not what to think). This back-to-school season, save time and energy by starting with these key tools.

1. Subscribe to The Sift®. 

The Sift is a free weekly newsletter for educators delivered during the school year that offers a rundown of the latest topics in news literacy, including trends and issues in misinformation, social media, artificial intelligence, journalism, and press freedom. It provides discussion prompts, teaching ideas, and classroom guides.

2. Assign “Introduction to Algorithms.”

Be one of the first to explore a newly revamped lesson on NLP’s free e-learning platform, the Checkology® virtual classroom. “Introduction to Algorithms,” hosted by journalist Mia Sato and a pesky character called “Algo,” will help students understand the role of algorithms in their lives and boost their news literacy training with key information about how search engines and social media platforms work. This award-winning platform also offers 19 additional lessons, and dozens of activities and challenges, that address topics like misinformation, conspiratorial thinking, and press freedom. Most lessons and activities require between 15 and 60 minutes.

Click here to learn more about Checkology.

3. Download the “Breaking news checklist.” 

The “Breaking news checklist” gives six straightforward tips for navigating fast-moving news stories. When big news breaks, it can be hard to cut through the noise and find accurate information. Misinformation thrives during times of war, natural disasters and upheaval, and bad actors often spread falsehoods for cheap engagement on social media. Display and discuss this infographic in your classroom to help students process the latest current events and avoid rumors, falsehoods, and bad actors.

4. Download “6 things to know about AI.”

“6 things to know about AI” provides an overview of how artificial intelligence technology works and offers six news literacy takeaways to keep in mind as these tools evolve. Although the technology is not new, dramatic advances in generative AI continue to transform our information landscape. This infographic will help students carefully consider what they accept as authentic. Hang or distribute the infographic to guide a discussion about AI with students.

5. Bookmark the Educator Resource Library.

An essential for any news literacy educator, NLP’s resource library includes lesson plans, classroom activities, quizzes and infographics to make the job easier. You’ll find frameworks for news literacy curricula, video interviews with journalists and podcast listening guides to seamlessly build critical thinking skills into any unit.

Want More News Literacy Resources?

One more thing… Want to download all of these must-have news literacy resources and more in a convenient check list? Check out the Back-to-School Guide, which groups NLP’s most timely tools for educators to build a foundation for future-ready students.

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AI/VRArtificial IntelligenceCTO/CIOCybersecurityDigital CitizenshipDigital LiteracyTechnical Support

Responsible AI Adoption

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

While attending a start-of-the-year school district event, it became apparent to me that many districts are at different places in a journey towards adopting AI in schools. The fundamental question for them is, “How can we as educators responsibly harness the power of AI while safeguarding student interests?” As artificial intelligence (AI) reshapes how schools work — and leaders lead — schools face the challenge of effective, ethical integration of AI in academic settings.

That’s why we’re providing two powerful documents that you can use to integrate AI responsibly into your district.

The first document gives you a roadmap towards full AI adoption in your school organization. The second provides you with TCEA’s Essential Learning Expectations for AI. Together, these documents provide a framework for AI adoption in your teaching, learning, and leading spaces. They seek to provide practical guidance for educators trying to make sense of it all.

Key Points

It’s important to keep several key points in mind, especially since AI adoption in schools will take time. There are no shortcuts, but you can track your school or District’s progress using the Five Phases of District AI Adoption. Those phases include:

  1. AI Secured. At this phase, AI usage is prohibited or discouraged.
  2. AI Exploration. In this phase, guardrails are available that allow exploration of free versions of digital tools.
  3. AI Pilot Programs. Managed AI tools are introduced for specific purposes.
  4. AI Unification. A clear district-wide approach to centralized AI use is in place and it is integrated into key areas.
  5. AI Everywhere. AI is fully integrated into school district policies, procedures, curriculum, and guidance is available to all.

These descriptions briefly touch on the points raises in the infographic above. Let’s take a closer look at each of the categories that define each phase.

Categories

There are also categories that define each phase, including:

  • District Policy. Policy moves from outright securing of AI tools to full integration and acceptance.
  • Account Management. This area determines central account management, moving from no accounts allowed to integration into single-sign-on (SSO).
  • District Guidance. The District has put together documents providing specific guidance on the use and evaluation of AI tools for a variety of purposes.
  • Curriculum Integration. AI usage in the classroom ranges from non-usage to teacher and student use.
  • Community Outreach. Shifts from focusing on fear to inviting the community to better understand what part AI plays in K-12 education.

What other areas are key to responsible AI adoption? Let’s take a look.

Data Privacy and Security

Protecting student information is paramount when using AI tools in education. Account management for students and staff, data is critical. Districts must ensure AI solutions are part of SSO. This makes it easier for staff and students to access it in approved ways. Do this to safeguard sensitive information. Another point to remember? Communicate clear suggestion on how to protect data.

Here’s a sample classroom scenario to illustrate this:

Mr. Rodriguez, a middle school math teacher, uses an AI-powered math practice app. Before implementation, he ensures all student data is anonymized and securely stored, explaining to parents how the tool enhances learning without compromising privacy.

AI as a Supplemental Tool

Responsible AI adoption seeks to enhance, not replace, curriculum and instruction. When exploring how to use AI in the classroom, knowing what guidance to give teachers and staff is critical. AI should be approached as a tool that complements our efforts at teaching and learning, not supplants it.

What this might look like in the classroom:

Dr. Lee, a biology professor, incorporates an AI-driven virtual lab simulation into her course. She emphasizes to students that this tool complements hands-on lab work, providing additional practice opportunities rather than substituting real experiments.

Critical Thinking and Media Literacy

AI isn’t a panacea or perfect tool. While many know that they need to be critical, they may be unsure of how to best critique and assess AI generated content. To ensure staff and students don’t simply use and consume AI content uncritcally, all must learn to critically evaluate AI-generated content.

You can find several critical thinking approaches in the TCEA blog, as well as direct mention of The SIFT Approach.

View | Get a Copy in Canva | Get PPTx or PDF

Consider this scenario with an elementary school librarian:

Ms. Patel, an elementary school librarian, designs a lesson on distinguishing between human-written and AI-generated stories. She guides students through analyzing text characteristics and discussing the importance of human creativity.

TCEA Essential Learning Expectations

TCEA offers Essential Learning Expectations for students, teachers, school leaders, and instructional coaches.

The Essential Learning Expectations for AI in Education are designed to guide all stakeholders in the educational system – teachers, students, instructional coaches, and administrators – in the ethical and effective use of AI technologies. These expectations build upon existing educational research and best practices, while addressing the unique challenges and opportunities presented by AI in learning environments.

The TCEA Essential Learning Expectations (ELEs) for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education (View | Get a copy)
TCEA Essential Learning Expectations (ELEs) for AI in Education – Generated by Author

The TCEA ELEs for AI in Education include:

  • AI Literacy
  • Ethical AI Use
  • AI-Enhanced Learning
  • AI and Critical Thinking
  • AI Collaboration and Innovation

You can explore these expectations in more details with examples in this document.

Responsible AI Adoption

By adopting a phased approach and sticking to essential guardrails, you can begin the work of using AI in teaching, learning, and leading situations. You will be able to seize the benefits of AI, while protecting students and staff. What’s more, you can use AI to have a positive impact on the work you are about in K-12 education.

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Curricular StandardsDigital LiteracyInstructional CoachingLeadership

TCEA ELEs: Essential Learning Expectations

by Miguel Guhlin
written by Miguel Guhlin

Wish you had an easy to understand and apply set of expectations for technology in education? The Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) has you covered. We’ve introduced Essential Learning Expectations (ELEs) to guide educators in preparing students for the modern world. Let’s explore briefly how these ELEs can transform professional learning in schools.

Embracing Technology Integration

Technology integration is a cornerstone of the TCEA ELEs. Teachers are expected to seamlessly incorporate technology into their practices, including the use of AI tools to enhance student learning. TCEA offers student AI literacy frameworks, as well as a specific ELE for AI in Education.

Classroom Scenario: Mrs. Rodriguez uses AI-powered writing assistants in her English class. “By integrating these tools, students not only improve their essays but also learn to critically evaluate AI-generated content,” she explains.

Did You Know?
TCEA is available to provide professional learning on the topics covered in the TCEA Essential Learning Expectations. You can also access a list of TCEA ELEs aligned online, self-paced courses.

Fostering Digital Literacy

The ELEs emphasize the importance of digital literacy, particularly in evaluating online information and combating misinformation.

Classroom Scenario: Mr. Chen guides his students through a fact-checking exercise. “We’re learning to verify online sources and recognize credible information. It’s crucial in today’s digital age,” he notes.

Please align this curriculum chapter with the TCEA ELEs for instructional coaches.
Give the TCEA ELEs Alignment Assistant a try. It will align what you give it to the TCEA ELEs. Try it now

Promoting Inclusive Learning Environments

Creating inclusive classrooms that respect diversity is a key focus of the ELEs.

Classroom Scenario: Ms. Thompson implements culturally responsive teaching methods. “By valuing diverse backgrounds, we create an environment where all students feel engaged and motivated to learn,” she shares.

Essential Learning Expectations

The TCEA Essential Learning Expectations (get the PDF or align your documents to TCEA ELEs) provide a comprehensive framework for educators to create engaging, effective, and inclusive learning environments. By focusing on technology integration, digital literacy, and inclusive teaching, these ELEs prepare students for success in an increasingly complex world.

Guided Activities

Take a peek at how classroom learning aligns to an Essential Learning Expectation:

ActivityDescriptionTarget AudienceAligned ELE
AI Writing WorkshopIntroduce AI writing tools and discuss their impactHigh School StudentsTeacher ELE 1.0 Tech Integration, Student ELE 1.0 Tech Savvy, Education AI ELE 3.0 AI-Enhanced Learning
Digital Fact-Checking ChallengePractice verifying online informationMiddle School StudentsTeacher ELE 2.0 Digital Literacy, Student ELE 2.0 Online Safety, Education AI ELE 4.0 AI and Critical Thinking
Cultural Diversity ProjectCreate presentations celebrating different culturesElementary StudentsTeacher ELE 3.0 Inclusive Teaching, Student ELE 3.0 Collaborative Learner

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AI/VRArtificial IntelligenceDigital Literacy

Understanding and Embracing Vintage AI

by Cody Holt
written by Cody Holt

The world of instructional technology often fixates on the latest innovations and neglects the bedrock of timeless skills and ideas upon which they’re built. We get so enamored with the shiny new tool that we overlook the foundation of critical thinking, creative problem-solving, communication, perseverance, ethical awareness, and respect. And while the buzz surrounding generative AI is understandable, we must not repeat past technological missteps. That’s why keeping these soft skills at the forefront of technological innovation with Vintage AI is so important.

What is “Vintage AI”?

Let’s rewind to two past instructional technology innovations: personal mobile devices (iPhones, iPads, Chromebooks, laptops) and Web 2.0. While both opened doors to engaging teaching and learning, they weren’t without their own unique drawbacks. The marriage of these technologies offered students and teachers seemingly limitless access to information and interactive content, yet simultaneously fostered the pitfalls of overuse and over-reliance. Why? Perhaps it’s because we collectively overlooked the crucial need to teach critical thinking and digital ethics alongside the power of anytime, anywhere internet access. Vintage AI, then, is about keeping those human skills central to technology usage.

Incorporating “Vintage Skills” into Generative AI Use

Generative AI has the potential to be a game-changer for education and culture. Its rapid market share growth, industry-wide adoption, and simultaneous portrayal as both a threat and a solution highlight its transformative power. As it integrates into the lives of students and educators, we have a crucial opportunity to remember the importance of “vintage skills,” as well known educator Dr. John Spencer terms them. Let’s embrace generative AI without neglecting to cultivate ethics, critical thinking, creativity, respect, communication, and grit in our students and staff. Below, we’ll explore practical ways to integrate these timeless skills alongside generative AI tools.

Critical Thinking and Grit

Have students practice writing prompts for an AI chatbot then evaluate if the response matched their expectations. (I like to do this to generate an image). Is the result not what they were expecting? Have them refine the prompt to get the desired response.

Critical Thinking and Ethics

Alternatively, practice with students on analyzing and evaluating the truthfulness of responses from a chatbot. Have students ask the AI chatbot abstract questions about a historical topic or event, and then research the responses to determine its accuracy. 

Creative Thinking and Communication

Have students give the AI chatbot a student written topic sentence and ask the chatbot to provide details for the rest of the story. The student then takes those details and creates a complete story adding creative details. (This is similar to a creative writing assignment I used to do where students would complete each other’s stories.)

Ethics and Communication

This was actually suggested by the Google Gemini chatbot. Have students ask a chatbot open ended questions about biases in AI. Use this as a conversation started for a larger class discussion. 

Creative and Critical Thinking

Have an AI chatbot tell an age-appropriate story. The students must then add or change details to improve and expand the story. They then use an AI image generator to create the images for the story in order to create a picture book. (This is even better when they use historical characters or events as they get to evaluate accuracy.)

Respect

This is often forgotten, but a simple sign of respect is to give credit where credit is due. Have students actively practice citing AI contributions. 

*With that in mind, portions of this article were written with the assistance of Google Gemini for the purpose of improving clarity and flow.

How will you use Vintage AI?

How do you incorporate these “vintage skills” into your modern-day classroom? Let us know in the comments below!

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