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artificial intellegence

A futuristic classroom filled with students using advanced digital tablets, with holographic displays on the walls showcasing AI-powered visuals, data charts, and interactive elements.

Whisk Your Way to Engaging Lessons with Google’s AI Tool

by Diana Benner March 25, 2025

written by Diana Benner

Google Whisk is a new AI-powered image generation too. Whisk enables users to create AI-generated images based on uploaded images instead of text-based prompts. It is an exciting resource that teachers can integrate into their lesson plans. Let’s explore how educators can use Google Whisk to create engaging lessons that enhance learning experiences and foster creativity in their students.

What is Google Whisk?

Google Whisk is an experimental AI tool that allows users to generate images using visual images rather than written prompts. Whisk analyzes uploaded images and then transforms the images into AI-generated visuals. Unlike traditional AI image tools that require text prompts, Whisk simplifies the creative process.

How Google Whisk Works

Using Google Whisk in the classroom is simple and intuitive. Here’s how to can get started:

Access Google Whisk and login with your Google credentials.
Select whether you want to create a Sticker, Enamel Pin, or Plushie.
Drag and drop an image or upload it.
Whisk will automatically generate the image for you.
Next click on Open in Tool.
You can now type in additional information to add to your photo or you can add a scene.
Once you are satisfied with the image, it can then be saved and used in lessons.

In the image below, I added a picture of some of the members of the TCEA Professional Development team taken at the TCEA Convention and Exposition. I selected the Plushie style.

A digital interface showing a plushie customization tool, where a selected plush style and a subject photo combine to create a personalized plush doll. — Turn your favorite subjects into adorable plushies! Screenshot by Author.

Below are the results I was given.

Three custom plush dolls with embroidered facial features, dressed in different outfits, each wearing a name tag. — Personalized plush dolls bring your favorite people to life in an adorable, huggable form! Screenshot by Author.

I continued to customize my image by adding a scene of a Mexican Restaurant named Javi’s and adding details of what each person was eating. Below are the results.

Three custom plush dolls seated at an outdoor restaurant table, each with a plate of Tex-Mex food, in front of a window displaying the restaurant's name, "Javi's Tex-Mex." — These adorable plushies are enjoying a delicious Tex-Mex feast at Javi’s! Screenshot by Author.

Creative Ways Teachers Can Use Google Whisk in the Classroom

1. Storytelling & Creative Writing

Google Whisk can help bring student stories to life by generating visuals based on their descriptions. Whether students are writing short stories, fables, or poetry, they can upload sketches or concept art and have Whisk generate fully developed visuals. This encourages creativity, improves descriptive writing skills, and enhances engagement.

2. Art & Design Projects

Teachers can use Whisk in art classes to help students explore different styles, create digital art, or enhance traditional drawings. Whisk allows students to experiment with historical art styles, concept art, and mixed-media designs without requiring advanced digital skills.

3. STEM & Science Visualization

With Whisk, students can generate AI-assisted illustrations of cells, atoms, space colonies, or ecosystems, making complex topics more accessible. Teachers can also create AI-generated diagrams for lessons, improving student comprehension in STEM subjects.

4. History & Geography Lessons

Instead of relying on traditional textbooks, students can use Google Whisk to visualize different historical periods and civilizations. Imagine recreating the Renaissance, ancient Mayan cities, or futuristic utopias using AI-generated imagery. This makes history and geography lessons more interactive and engaging.

5. Interactive Classroom Displays & Learning Aids

Teachers can use Whisk to generate classroom visuals such as posters, infographics, and learning aids that cater to different learning styles. Whether illustrating language concepts, math problems, or social studies topics, Whisk enhances visual learning by making educational materials more dynamic and appealing.

Potential Considerations

While Google Whisk offers exciting possibilities, teachers should consider a few items. A Gmail account will be needed to access Whisk. In addition, teachers should always review the images to ensure they are age appropriate and within the school’s guidelines. Whisk has a privacy policy you can review and share with your administrators.

Try It!

Google Whisk represents a powerful step forward in integrating AI into education. By enabling visual ideation and creativity, this tool provides teachers with new ways to engage students, enhance lesson plans, and inspire creative thinking. As AI tools like Whisk continue to evolve, the possibilities for interactive and immersive learning experiences will only expand. Educators should explore how Whisk can transform their teaching approach, making lessons more visual, engaging, and dynamic for students. More Google experiments can be found at Seven Google Experiments to Explore.

March 25, 2025 0 comments

AI/VR

Responsible AI Adoption: An Organizational Self-Assessment

by Miguel Guhlin September 17, 2024

written by Miguel Guhlin

How do you bring about change regarding AI adoption in your school or district? Change management is a massive job that can easily fail due to many factors. Let’s explore how to shift from one phase of District AI Adoption to another, identifying indicators for each phase of progress. You will also get access to a self-assessment you can take that provides specific feedback.

Reviewing Responsible AI Adoption Phases

In a previous blog entry, Responsible AI Adoption, I shared a five AI Adoption phases school districts go through. Some districts or schools may get stuck in a particular phase with no desire to move to the next one. Others may step back from their use in the face of opposition, lack of funding, or an inability to maintain their place. That is to say, AI adoption is fluid and subject to change.

The five adoption phases are briefly described below:

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

It is unlikely that any school is at Phase 5, and getting there may take years of sustained effort and massive funding. And getting from Phase 1 (AI Secured) to Phase 3 (AI Exploration) involves constructing new ways of teaching, learning, leading, and outreach.

The first step has to involve assessing where you are now. Let’s take a look at a tool that can assist you in achieving that.

School Organizational Self-Assessment

Take a moment to complete this assessment online. You will be prompted to ask several questions before getting your results.

A custom GPT — **https://tinyurl.com/tceaassess**

You can also complete a paper version of the assessment:

Moving Towards Your Target

Now that you have an idea of what phase of AI Adoption your organization falls into, you may be asking the real question of, “How do I get my school or district to move forward to the next phase?” One thing is for certain. You can’t do it alone. It will require a concerted effort from everyone on your team. If you are a school district leader and lack the trust, relationships, and political capital to get things done, shifting phases from Exploration to Unification may be impossible.

Shifting from Phase One to Phase Two

To move from Phase 1: AI Secured to Phase 2: AI Exploration, a school district needs to shift its stance on AI from prohibition to cautious exploration. Here are some suggested steps that identify where to focus your efforts:

Policy Revision: Update district policies to allow for the exploration and use of AI tools for educational purposes. Clearly outline any restrictions or guardrails that teachers need to be aware of.
Professional Development: Provide teachers with training and resources on how to evaluate and use AI tools responsibly. This could include workshops, online courses, or access to experts in the field.
Account Management: Set up individual teacher accounts for approved AI tools, allowing them to start experimenting in a controlled environment.
Communication: Inform parents and the community about the district’s decision to allow AI exploration. Emphasize the focus on responsible use and the potential benefits for student learning.
Pilot Projects: Encourage teachers to pilot AI tools in their classrooms and gather feedback on their experiences. This will help the district make informed decisions about future AI adoption.

The transition from Phase 1 to Phase 2 involves a shift in mindset and policy. What’s more, teachers and staff must have the necessary support and resources to explore AI tools effectively and responsibly. And, they have to believe it’s necessary.

Transitioning from Phase Two to Three

To transition from Phase 2: AI Exploration to Phase 3: AI Pilot Programs, the school district needs to:

leverage the learnings and insights from their exploration phase
implement AI in a more targeted and structured manner.

Some approaches it can take include:

Identify Goals and Target Areas: Based on teacher feedback and the district’s overall objectives, identify specific areas where AI can have the most impact. These could be improving writing skills, supporting struggling students, or enhancing STEM education.
Select Appropriate AI Tools: Choose AI tools that align with the identified goals and are suitable for use in the classroom. Consider factors such as ease of use, data privacy, and accessibility.
Develop Guidelines and Training: Create clear guidelines for teachers on how to effectively use AI tools in their pilot programs. Provide targeted professional development to ensure they feel confident and prepared.
Launch Pilot Programs: Introduce the selected AI tools into specific classrooms or grade levels, focusing on the targeted areas. Monitor the pilot programs closely, gather feedback, and measure the impact on student learning and engagement.
Expand Access: Based on the success of the pilot programs, gradually expand access to AI tools to other teachers and subject areas.

The key shift in this is focused implementation. It is worth getting a team together to set clear goals, strategically select AI tools, and saturate everything done with professional learning on blending AI into their work. What do AI use cases look like? How do they save time? How much time do they save? How do they make the work of teaching, learning, and leading less difficult?

Original Task	Task Description	AI-Redesigned Process	Benefits	Time Spent Before	Time Spent After	AI Tool	Sample Prompt
Lesson Planning	Develop detailed lesson plans that align with curriculum standards	Use AI to generate lesson plans based on TEKS/standards with embedded activities	Quick and consistent lesson planning	2 hrs	20 mins	ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity	“Create a lesson plan for 5th-grade Science on ecosystems, aligned with TEKS standards. Include objectives, materials, activities, and assessment strategies.”
Differentiated Instruction	Create differentiated activities for diverse learners in the classroom	AI-generated activities tailored to different learning styles and needs	Ensures every student has an appropriate activity	1 hr	15 mins	ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity	“Design three differentiated activities for a 3rd-grade math lesson on fractions. Include options for visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.”
Grading and Feedback	Grade assignments and provide personalized feedback to students	AI-assisted grading with auto-generated feedback based on student performance	Reduces grading time and improves feedback quality	4 hrs	1 hr	ChatGPT, Perplexity	“Grade these 10 student essays on the topic of renewable energy. Provide personalized feedback for each, focusing on strengths and areas for improvement.”

See more AI use cases and sample prompts

Stepping from Phase Three to Four

Stepping from Phase 3: AI Pilot Programs to Phase 4: AI Unification suggests a broader blending of AI across the district. To get this change going, consider these tips:

Evaluate & Refine: Thoroughly evaluate the outcomes of your pilot programs. Identify what worked well, areas needing improvement, and collect feedback from teachers and students. Use these insights to refine your approach to AI implementation.
District-wide Policy: Develop a comprehensive AI policy that outlines district-wide guidelines for AI use, including data privacy, ethical considerations, and acceptable use cases.
Centralized Management: Implement a centralized system for managing AI tool access and usage across the district. This ensures consistency, facilitates monitoring, and helps address any concerns related to equity and access.
Expand Integration: Based on successful pilots and teacher readiness, strategically expand the use of AI tools across different grade levels and subject areas.
Professional Development: Provide ongoing professional development opportunities for teachers, focusing on advanced AI integration techniques and best practices.
Curriculum Alignment: Collaborate with curriculum specialists to incorporate AI tools and concepts into the curriculum, ensuring alignment with learning objectives and standards.
Regular Assessment: Establish a system for regular assessment and evaluation of AI’s impact on student learning and achievement. Use data-driven insights to inform future decisions and improvements.

In this step from Phase Three to Four, you are scaling-up of AI adoption. This will involve district-wide coordination, standardizing practices, and refining curriculum, teaching approaches with AI.

Progressing from Phase Four to Phase 5

The progression from Phase 4: AI Unification to Phase 5: AI Everywhere represents a complete integration of AI into the fabric of the school district’s operations and culture. At this point, we can only imagine what this might look like.

To get there, you might take these steps:

Seamless Access: Implement a single sign-on system for all AI tools used within the district, providing seamless access for both students and teachers.
AI in all aspects of learning: Embed AI tools not only in the curriculum, but also in administrative tasks, professional development, and student support services.
Comprehensive Guidance: Continuously update and refine AI guidelines and support resources to address emerging challenges and opportunities. Ensure all stakeholders, including students, teachers, administrators, and parents, are well-informed about responsible AI use.
Community Engagement: Actively engage the community in discussions about the role of AI in education. Foster an open dialogue and address any concerns related to ethics, privacy, and equity.
Lifelong Learning: Promote a culture of lifelong learning around AI, encouraging teachers and students to stay abreast of advancements and explore innovative applications.

Moving from Phase Four to Five means that AI has become an integral and ubiquitous part of the schooling experience. In this environment, AI powers teaching, learning, and decision-making at all levels.

September 17, 2024 1 comment

Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI Unveils ChatGPT-4o

by Lori Gracey May 28, 2024

written by Lori Gracey

There’s an upgraded AI tool in town, and it’s pretty sweet. On May 14, OpenAI announced the launch of GPT-4o (“o” stands for “omni”), their latest chatbot. It has a ton of new features and will be available to everyone at no cost, including those who have been using version 3.5 for free.

New Features

What makes ChatGPT-4o an “omni” tool is that it will accept any combination of text, audio, and image as input and then can create any combination of text, audio, and image as an output. Here are just a few of the amazing new abilities 4o has:

Performance: It’s faster, more than two times faster while performing at a higher level.
Voice: It has the ability to speak in a natural dialogue with real-time conversational speech recognition without any time delay (although so many people tried it out when it was announced that it overwhelmed the system). Natural dialogue means that it can listen and understand when you speak to it, eliminating the need for text input, and it can speak back to you. (Some users have said the voice GPT-4o speaks in reminds them of the AI character Samantha from the movie “Her.”) It can also recognize emotion from your voice.
Translation: It offers support in multiple languages with real-time translation. That means you can talk in one language and the other person can hear in their own language in real time. It can also translate text if you point your camera at it.
Visuals: It has the ability to detect emotions from facial expressions. If you show it a picture, graphic, chart, or diagram, it can recognize it and interact with you about it.

How to Access

Right now, free users of ChatGPT-3 will be able to access GPT-4 at no charge. This provides more processing power and greater capabilities such as:

Better understanding of natural language (making it easier for students to work with it)
The ability to recognize and work with images
Handling more complicated tasks such as multi-layered prompts
Being able to browse the internet
More logical output
Easily creating GPTs that run specific tasks for you without any programming knowledge

For Plus (paid) users, text mode in ChatGPT-4o is already available. When you log in, it will automatically ask if you want to use 4o. The new voice mode will be available in the coming weeks, offered first to Plus users with plans to expand availability to free users. A new desktop app for macOS will also be launched.

You can switch between the different versions of ChatGPT simply by clicking on the dropdown menu, as shown below.

What This Means for Education

For students who use the current free version of ChatGPT, this update to ChatGPT-4 at no cost will provide a stronger and more powerful tool with additional features, helping to level the digital divide. For educators, the ways to use ChatGPT-4o are almost infinite. Besides its use in developing curriculum resources such as lesson plans, rubrics, assessments, text passages, and more, the simple fact that it is so much faster will save even more time. And when the voice feature is implemented, being able to tell it what you need instead of having to type it in will also be a time saver, something critical for overworked teachers and administrators.

If you’d like to learn more about how to integrate ChatGPT into your professional life and with your students, check out the TCEA online course ChatGPT for Educators. For just $39, you can master this amazing chatbot, earn 12 CPE hours, and receive a digital certificate and badge.

May 28, 2024 0 comments

Screenshot by author of Adobe Express website

Adobe Artificial Intelligence

Adobe Express: Generative AI and Digital Literacy Resources

by Miguel Guhlin April 22, 2024

written by Miguel Guhlin

Need resources on how to best blend generative AI into your middle or high school classroom? Want to foster creativity and media literacy among your students? Then you will want to explore Adobe’s newest generative AI resources. These offerings focus on using Adobe Express for AI education. What’s more, they include media literacy resources available on their education website.

The Adobe Education Exchange

Before you start exploring the new AI features, a quick question: Are you aware of Adobe Education Exchange’s K-12 Resource Hub? The hub offers a wide variety of resources for celebrating holidays and special events, including Earth Day and National Creativity Month. You’ll also see ways to get students started with drawing through three activities: reading a map, the stages of mitosis, and color theory. The exchange provides a host of teaching resources and four ways to support students in getting started with generative AI in multiple subjects with these activities:

Give the K-12 Resource Hub a walkthrough. You won’t regret it! Now, let’s take a closer look at Adobe Express’ generative AI enhancements.

Adobe Express and Generative AI

Are you familiar with Adobe Express? It’s a free platform for teachers and students that offers tools to create classroom visuals and other content. Here are some examples of generative AI features you might find useful:

Text effects. Transform basic text into art with a description. You only need to describe the desired graphic style, theme, or texture. Students can create “All About Me” posters or classroom quote posters for digital or print use.
Text to image. Students can type in written descriptions and generate high-quality images. Use these AI-generated images inspired by student writing for a variety of purposes like alternative book covers, report illustrations, presentations, or writing anthology art.

On the site, you will find a variety of quickstart guides for how administrators, parents, educators, and students can use generative AI in Adobe Express.

Screenshot of Adobe QuickStart Guide for Students

Here is an overview adapted for readability from the Middle and High School Educators’ guide:

These educational materials offer an introduction to generative AI. They explore critical questions, including: How does generative AI affect me? How does it affect others? What are some of the challenges and concerns about generative AI? How can I use generative AI in safe, ethical, and effective ways?

Lessons encourage students to think in a critical way about topics covered. Supplementary readings appear, deepening their understanding of AI’s impact on their lives.

These lessons…equip students to think about their relationship to future technologies.

Middle school students build on what they already know about generative AI. They identify questions that arise from their studies, and reflect on their learning. High school students are further led to identify topics formorel exploration. They reflect on issues related to generative AI. Students consider the benefits and drawbacks of this new technology.

You can even take a thirty-minute course to introduce you to Adobe Express’ new generative AI tools. The purpose of the course is to broaden your awareness of how to best use AE’s AI tools for teaching and learning.

Screenshot by Emily Horn | **Adobe Education Exchange** |
“**Generative AI in the Classroom with Adobe Express**” Course

Media Literacy with Adobe

In addition to these generative AI resources, Adobe offers a variety of lessons on media literacy in their Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) Media Literacy Curriculum. You can find them organized by middle school, high school, and higher ed. These can assist students in developing critical thinking skills and develop necessary skills to fight mis/dis-information:

Media literacy is a key component of addressing mis/disinformation. These curricula help students develop critical media and visual literacy skills. This is so they can better navigate the ever-changing digital information landscape. Each curriculum includes a foundational unit as well as lessons. Use the lessons in social studies, the arts, and English & language arts (ELA). Media literacy lessons and themes appear integrated throughout all components.

The Adobe-led Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) plays a significant role in this effort. You can learn more about its efforts online.

More Adobe Express Benefits

Adobe Express is extremely versatile when it comes to creating and sharing visual media. While you’re exploring its resources and generative AI capabilities, be sure to take advantage of the following additional benefits:

Premade templates. Find the starting point for your next poster, graphic organizer, or presentation. Teachers can find lesson templates and self-paced videos, too.
Collaboration opportunities. Set up activities that enable, if appropriate, students to work together on projects.
LMS integration. Use a popular learning management system? Adobe Express may integrate, enabling you to assign and manage projects within the LMS itself.

April 22, 2024 0 comments

Explore tools for creating quizzes from YouTube videos in seconds. Save time, collect assessment data, and differentiate with ease!

Artificial Intelligence Assessment

Create AI-Powered YouTube Quizzes in Seconds

by Diana Benner March 8, 2024

written by Diana Benner

In today’s digital age, videos grab the interest and attention of our students. One way teachers can significantly enhance the learning experience is by incorporating educational YouTube videos into lessons. Including interactive quizzes in these videos adds an interactive element to lessons and promotes active learning to boost student engagement. But creating quizzes on YouTube doesn’t have to be time-consuming! What if you could create quiz questions automatically from these videos?

AI-Powered YouTube Quiz Generators

Below are some tools to create quizzes from YouTube videos effortlessly.

Quizizz AI

Quizizz offers an AI-powered feature that can transform any YouTube video with captions into an interactive quiz. Here’s how to do it:

Log in to Quizizz. You’ll need to create an account if you don’t have one.
Under the Create with Quizizz AI section, click the ‘Upload Link’ button in the ‘Create with YouTube’ box.
Paste the YouTube URL, and select the grade, subject, and number of questions.
You can enable the option to allow your students to watch the video while answering the questions if you want to.
Click Generate Questions (with Video).

Quizziz offers a tool to teachers that will auto-generate quiz questions to go along with a YouTube video! — Screenshot by Diana Benner | Quizizz AI Published Quiz and YouTube Video

MagicSchool AI

MagicSchool AI offers the YouTube Video Question Generator. The tool aligns guiding questions with video content. Here’s how it works:

Log in to MagicSchool AI. You’ll need to create an account if you don’t have one.
Click on YouTube Video Questions.
Enter grade level, number of questions, and question type.
Then, paste the YouTube URL.
Click Generate. The AI analyzes the video transcript and generates questions.

MagicSchoolAI offers a tool to teachers that will auto-generate quiz questions from a YouTube video! — Screenshot by Diana Benner | MagicSchool’s Magic Tools Page

QuestionWell

Question Well is another AI tool that generates questions based on YouTube videos. In addition, you can create an interactive video puzzle based on a YouTube video. Here’s how:

Log in to QuestionWell. You’ll need to create an account if you don’t have one.
Click on the YouTube tab.
Select Choose under Question Set or Interactive Video, depending on which you want to create.
Enter the URL to the YouTube video and click Search.
Click Generate Question Set

QuestionWell is an AI tool that provides teachers the chance to generate questions from a YouTube video. — Screenshot by Diana Benner | QuestionWell’s Create Set Page

Quiz Wizard

Quiz Wizard is another AI question generator platform. The process is straightforward for creating questions from a YouTube video. Here’s how:

Log in to Quiz Wizard. You’ll need to create an account if you don’t have one.
Under ‘From which source would you like to create to generate questions?,’ click on YouTube.
Enter the URL of the YouTube video and click Continue.
Select Multiple Choice Questions and enter the number of questions you want. Note that you can also create open-ended questions or flashcards.
Click Generate Content.

Quiz Wizard is an AI tool that lets teachers create quiz questions from audio/video. — Screenshot by Diana Benner | Quiz Wizard’s Create Content Page

Three Ways to Use Video Quizzes

There are several ways to use video quizzes in the classroom. Let’s take a look at a few.

1. Introduce New Content

Video quizzes work well when you’re introducing new content in class. They can be used for any grade level or subject area. A video is a great way to introduce students to a new topic they’ll be studying and pique their interest from the start.

2. Gauge Student Understanding

Video quizzes can be used for formative assessment. They can provide you with detailed insight into what your students have already learned and what they still need more help with. If you are looking for more formative assessment strategies, here is some additional reading you may find useful.

3. Differentiate Instruction

If one or a few students need additional support during a lesson, assign a video that reviews a concept. Students can watch the video over and over while answering the questions if they need to. It allows them to revisit concepts and content at their own pace.

Creating YouTube quizzes with Quizziz, Magicschool, and Quiz Wizard’s AI tools enhances learning, saves time, and boosts engagement. These tools empower you to create interactive assessments effortlessly. So, go ahead! Turn those educational videos into engaging quizzes and elevate the learning experience!

March 8, 2024 0 comments

A colorful illustration of people working on laptops

Artificial Intelligence Educational Trends

Three Ways Educators Can Bridge the Digital Divide in the AI Era

by Dr. Bruce Ellis November 21, 2023

written by Dr. Bruce Ellis

As educators, we can enhance students’ access and knowledge of using AI strategically as an academic tool, or we can hinder it. Larry Cuban, professor emeritus of education at Stanford University, has stated frankly that teachers are the gatekeepers of technology. As such, there are several ways that we can play a pivotal role in bridging the digital divide as it relates to AI. But what does that mean?

What is the digital divide?

The term “digital divide” emerged in the mid-1990s and gained prominence towards the end of the decade. It was first used in its current context to describe the gap between those with and without access to digital technology and the Internet. One of the earliest and most influential reports to bring attention to the digital divide concept was the Falling Through the Net series, published by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), starting in 1995.

These reports played a significant role in popularizing the term and bringing the issue to the forefront of public policy discussions. The term “digital divide” quickly became a key concept in discussions about internet access, technology policy, and social inequality, and it remains a critical issue in the digital age, continually evolving as technology advances and access issues change.

What causes the digital divide?

The digital divide is made worse when disparities (economic, geographical, educational, and/or support systems) occur. These disparities often occur over time and may be hard to resolve without intentional focus and effort. Now that AI has burst on the scene, many fret that it may increase the digital divide that currently exists. In actuality, it is not the technology (Internet, devices, AI, etc.) that is increasing the divide but those in charge of the technology, funding, and legislation.

Let’s look at several key ways educators can work to bridge the digital divide.

1. Promote Digital Literacy Across the Board

Students working today on a project using a tablet.

Bridge the digital divide by working to ensure that all students, regardless of their background, have a strong foundation in digital literacy. This includes not only the basics of computer use but also an understanding of how AI works and its implications for society. By integrating digital literacy into the curriculum at all levels, teachers can help students become savvy digital citizens and prepare them for a future where AI is ubiquitous. This could involve hands-on projects, critical discussions about technology, and lessons on digital ethics and safety.

2. Advocate for Equitable Access to Technology

You can be a powerful advocate for change within the education system and reduce the digital divide by voicing the need for equitable access to technology. You can push for policies and funding that provide all students with the devices and internet access needed to benefit from AI educational tools. This might mean lobbying for school budgets to include provisions for technology, seeking grants or partnerships with tech companies, or working with community organizations to set up after-school programs that offer access to AI resources.

3. Design an Inclusive AI Curriculum

Students seated at desks in a circle with laptops. A teacher is in the front facilitating a discussion.

When educators are involved in designing and implementing AI educational tools, they can ensure that these resources are inclusive and cater to a diverse student body, decreasing the digital divide. This means advocating for AI that is designed with diverse datasets and algorithms that are free from bias. It also means creating lesson plans that use AI to support all students, including those with special needs or those who speak different languages. By tailoring the use of AI to meet the needs of all learners, you can help prevent the technology from becoming another barrier to education.

As educators, we have the power to shape the future of our students in this rapidly evolving digital age. Let’s use our role as gatekeepers of technology and advocates for equitable access. I encourage you to integrate digital literacy into your curriculum, champion inclusive AI tools, and strive for a classroom where every student has the opportunity to thrive. Together, we can bridge the digital divide and create a brighter future for all our students.

Additional Reading: AI and Education in the News

How AI Could Bring Big Changes to Education — And How to Avoid Worst-Case Scenarios

Educators are adapting to AI like ChatGPT, debating its dual impact on cheating and time-saving. A study by scholars anticipates AI’s potential to reshape society, posing questions on education’s role. Scenarios envisage AI altering knowledge work and challenging literacy’s relevance. The study urges proactive measures by leaders to harness AI’s benefits and avoid worst-case outcomes. Discussions emphasize the necessity for comprehensive preparation amid AI’s evolving role in education and society. >> Read more

Read More on EdSurge

Khan Academy CEO Says Using AI in Education is ‘An Imperative’ at Harvard-MIT Event

Sal Khan, CEO of Khan Academy, emphasized AI’s crucial role in education at a Harvard-MIT event. Reflecting on the launch of ChatGPT and Khan Academy’s AI chatbot “Khanmigo,” he noted initial skepticism but highlighted their benefits in guiding students through exercises and preventing plagiarism in essays. Khan envisioned AI’s impact on job roles, suggesting a shift towards higher-level tasks. He also discussed AI’s potential influence on filmmaking and proposed redirecting AI use toward positive educational aims.

Read More on The Harvard Crimson

How Generative AI Is Changing Employee Productivity

Chief product officer of Discovery Education, Pete Weir, shared insights with Business Insider on integrating generative AI to streamline tasks, improve productivity, and guide employee exploration within company boundaries. Weir discussed AI’s role in aggregating feedback efficiently and cautioned against undue tech adoption. He emphasized a strategic approach, ethical use, and clear communication while harnessing AI’s potential to enhance educational support and not replace teachers.

Read More on Business Insider

*Note: Article summaries were generated by ChatGPT.

November 21, 2023 0 comments

The title "5 AI Tools to Try (September 2023)" typed over the photograph of a woman with various tech symbols in her head.

Artificial Intelligence

Five AI Tools to Try (September 2023)

by Emily Horn September 13, 2023

written by Emily Horn

We’re back with five more AI tools for you to try this month! There are so many available now it’s becoming more and more difficult to choose which ones to feature. But we’re having a great time exploring, and we hope you are, too. September’s batch won’t disappoint, so grab your phone or laptop, and get ready to try out some AI tools that might just become your new favorites.

1. QuestionWell

QuestionWell's homepage — Screenshot by the author: QuestionWell Home Page **https://www.questionwell.org/**

QuestionWell is an awesome AI tool that will help you quickly and easily generate questions and objectives that can be exported and used with a variety of other tools. So, if you use any of the following online tools, you will definitely want to check out QuestionWell:

Kahoot!
Quizizz
Gimkit
Canvas
Blooket
Moodle
Schoology
Google Slides
Google Forms
Quizlet

Access QuestionWell by logging in through your Google account. Once logged in, you’ll be prompted to type in the topic, subject, and grade level and select a language for your questions. For the subject matter of your questions, you will need to write text or copy and paste text related to the content, or you can leave the text box blank. Right now, there are three account types: Free Plan ($0/month), Paid Plan ($7/month), and Team Plan ($6/month per user). I would highly recommend giving this one a try!

2. iScanner

iScanner's home page. — Screenshot by the author: iScanner Home Page **https://iscanner.com/**

iScanner for Educators is an AI tool that’s available through the App Store, Google Play, or through a web browser. It boasts that it can scan any document and make it look professional. You can get started with iScanner for free and unlock additional storage space and features with the paid pro version, but with the free version, you get:

Unlimited Scanning
Full PDF-Editor and e-Signature
Export to PDF, JPG, PPT (5 documents per day)
200 MB cloud storage
No advertisements, no iScanner watermark on the documents

BUT, as an educator, you can access iScanner Pro for free if you meet the requirements and complete the educator form at the bottom of the iScanner for Educators page!

3. Typpo

I was a bit skeptical about this tool, but after trying it out, I think it’s pretty amazing! Using Typpo is simple:

Download the app.
Talk into the app.
Edit any words it may have gotten wrong.
Watch the video it generates.

Typpo essentially uses voice-to-text to create a video for you. I can see this being a useful accommodation tool for students who need to see written language as they are hearing it, for students learning English, for chunking assignments, etc. Here is the video it created for me, and it took me about 10 seconds longer than the length of the video to make. So when I say it’s easy to use, I really mean it!

4. Research Rabbit

ResearchRabbit is an AI tool I was introduced to by my dear TCEA colleague, Dr. Bruce Ellis. This tool allows you to start collections of research much like you would create playlists in Spotify or collections in Wakelet. You begin a search with keywords (like you would in Google), a title, or an author, and ResearchRabbit will put up papers for you to add to collections. Once you add a paper, you can see its abstract, references, citations, similar papers that relate, and other information. This tool also generates graphs that show timelines and relationships between research content, authors, and more. Here is a great introduction video to this free tool:

5. Movie/Book Recommender

An image of the Movie/Book Recommender tools' website, showing the input options for the tool. — Screenshot by the author of Movie/Book Recommender Home Page **https://movie-and-book-recommender.vercel.app/?via=topaitools**

We’ve all been there. You finished your book and need a new recommendation. Or it’s Friday night, and you can’t decide on what movie to watch. Fear not. There’s an AI for that! This AI tool is very simple. Movie/Book Recommender requires you to type in a favorite book or movie. Next, you indicate whether you’d like it to generate a book or movie recommendation for you. Then, choose how many recommendations you’d like to get (from two to 10). It’s pretty great.

Well, I hope you enjoy September’s AI tools to try! Which one is your favorite? Do you have any we should add to the list? Let us know in the comments!

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September 13, 2023 0 comments

Artificial Intelligence

How to Create a Responsible Use Policy for AI

by Emily Horn August 10, 2023

written by Emily Horn

It’s become more and more apparent that artificial intelligence (AI) is now a part of our everyday lives. Whether used for personal or professional reasons, AI serves many purposes and can help with or complete a variety of tasks – for educators and students. But there are benefits and risks involved, especially when it comes to data privacy and ethical use. Many schools and districts are considering or developing AI policy. Some have blocked AI altogether for both teachers and students.

But just as it was important when we moved to 1:1 devices in school settings, like it or not, it’s more important than ever before for schools to guide students and staff in learning to use AI responsibly and ethically rather than just blocking it. Let’s take a look at how we can build a foundation for acceptable, responsible use in schools through responsible use policies and help our students build good digital habits and become even more responsible digital citizens.

What Is a Responsible Use Policy (RUP)?

An RUP, also known as RUA (Responsible Use Agreement), is a formalized agreement that focuses on good digital citizenship habits and responsible use of technology. In contrast to an AUP (acceptable use policy), which outlines “dos” and “don’ts” and provides “sanctions” for misuse, an RUP intentionally focuses more on “dos.” Instead of the spotlight shining on what’s acceptable, it’s about students being responsible. Of course, it is still important for students to know who to contact about unsafe or inappropriate content or use. It is also important for them to know what will happen should they do something that doesn’t align with the RUP.

TCEA’s Miguel Guhlin points out that any misuse of technology (not just misuse of AI) should be addressed as it arises in alignment with a school’s holistic discipline policy. The same goes with academic integrity. Guhlin suggests taking a Restorative Justice approach should misuse arise. “School districts need to have aspirational documents. Misuse of AI should not be handled as a separate instance of discipline or given its own punishments.” I have to say, I completely agree.

All this is great. But how should a school approach AI when it comes to technology policy?

How to Integrate AI into an RUP

As you begin, it is important to reference your state association of school board’s policies, which have already been reviewed by a legal team, and any policy-related resources.

1. Form a committee of multiple stakeholders.

Intentionally form a committee with teachers, students, parents, administrators, technology staff, and members of the larger community represented. Ensure that there is more than one member who has experience with and knowledge of AI.

2. Gather resources (articles, podcasts, etc.) about the responsible use of AI to review and process together.

Review resources to expand the committee members’ understanding and views of how AI can be used by students to deepen learning. Explore responsible, safe, and ethical uses of AI in schools.

3. Determine appropriate “best” uses for AI that align with your school/district values.

After the committee has reviewed resources, discuss, clarify, and determine ethical, safe, and responsible ways students can use AI for learning purposes and their academic growth in your school setting.

4. Review current policy and discuss how and where language about AI should be incorporated.

Where do the committee’s determinations about AI use fit into current policy? How should the current policy be adjusted to reflect expectations for AI use moving forward? Revise and update the policy to outline and reflect expectations for the responsible and safe use of AI.

5. Solicit feedback on the drafted policy from the community.

Once the policy has been revised and updated, present the policy to the community and any governing bodies for feedback. It is important to actively listen to and hear concerns, feedback, and additional perspectives.

6. Edit, revise, and finalize the policy based on feedback.

Construct a final draft to submit for approval. Be prepared to provide background information, resources, research, and reasoning. In other words, be prepared for success or for additional changes to be made to the policy.

7. Once approved, publish the policy for students and parents to sign.

Once the policy has been approved and adopted, formalize it and provide it to staff, parents, and students, requiring students and parents to sign the policy.

8. Provide ongoing training and professional learning for staff.

In order for students to be taught to use AI safely, ethically, and responsibly, teachers must receive proper training and professional learning in this area. Educators should also receive content-specific training so they can employ safe AI tools and best practices when integrating AI into lessons, projects, and assignments.

9. As the AI (and technology) landscape continues to evolve, review the policy frequently.

A policy is a living document that should be revisited regularly and updated when necessary to reflect up-to-date research, tools, uses, and best practices. Be prepared for the use of AI to be an ongoing and ever-changing conversation within the school community, meaning your policy will likely need adjusting.

A colorful infographic showing the 9 steps for Integrating AI into technology use policies from the article. — **Download the PDF.**

Resources for Creating an RUP

AI4K12.org: This is an initiative working to develop national guidelines for AI in K-12, a resource directory for AI instruction, and a community focused on AI in K-12 settings. There are many resources provided, such as posters, graphics, big ideas, activity guides, books, reports, and more. This site is worth spending some time on!

Classroom Policies for AI Generative Tools: This is such an interesting resource! Lance Eaton has created a crowdsourced document where educators can submit their course guidelines and policies on AI to be added to a 37+ page list. Most of the submissions are from high education sources, but this insight can certainly help us prepare our secondary students for what’s to come and give us some ideas for K-12 settings.

TeachAI.org: This brand new organization (steered by Code.org, ETS, ISTE, Khan Academy, and World Economic Forum) is working to bring together numerous associations, companies, organizations, government agencies, and more for the purpose of producing guidelines for teaching with AI, to create a framework for computer science that includes AI, and to provide reports, webinars, and meetings about AI.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Teaching and Learning: Insights and Recommendations (May 2023): This report by The Office of Educational Technology offers insights and recommendations “ to engage teachers, educational leaders, policy makers, researchers, and educational technology innovators and providers as they work together on pressing policy issues that arise as Artificial Intelligence (AI) is used in education.” I’d recommend taking a look at this report and reading some of the associated blog posts.

AI Acceptable Use Policy for English Language Arts (May 2023): This article by Alice Keeler provides a great resource for teachers whose schools may not have a schoolwide policy on AI just yet. This example classroom policy clearly outlines guidelines, violations, acceptable uses, and example prompts (acceptable and unacceptable). In my opinion, this is a great reference!

Writing School AI Policies? Use these 10+ Resources (June 2023): In this article by Matt Miller, you’ll find a ton of resources on the ethical, responsible, and safe use of AI for both teachers and students. Resources include publications from UNESCO and MIT, as well as several books and online courses.

AI Exploration for Educators: There is a wealth of information (like this Bringing AI to School: Tips for School Leaders guide) in this compilation of guides, blog posts, podcasts, studies, and more by ISTE. This is a great place to start looking into how AI can be used, to explore ethical questions and risks, and to get practical information.

Artificial Intelligence in K12 (Spring 2023): In this comprehensive report by CoSN, review challenges with defining AI, AI in education today, questions and considerations for schools, the potential of AI, and various resources.

AI + Ethics Curriculum for Middle School: With a growing career landscape in the field of artificial intelligence, MIT has created an open-source curriculum with lessons and activities on both the technical aspects of AI and its ethical considerations.

Setting Conditions for Success: Creating Effective Responsible Use Policies for Schools (2022): In this document published by CoSN in collaboration with ISTE, Digital Citizenship Coalition, and the Association of Technology Leaders in Independent Schools, you’ll be taken through the examples of what to do and what not to do, see tips on what to include and how to create an effective policy, and you’ll see examples of template for elementary and secondary students. This is more of a generic example that isn’t necessarily related to AI.

Additional Reading on AI:

TechNotes Articles:

August 10, 2023 0 comments