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AI Language Models in the 21st Century Classroom
AI Language Models in the 21st Century Classroom
April 2023
As artificial intelligence continues to advance, the integration of AI language models in K-12 classrooms is becoming more prevalent. AI language models, such as ChatGPT, have the potential to enhance the learning experience for students and improve teaching efficiency. Here are 5 ways to integrate AI language models in K-12 classrooms:
Answering Students' Questions
AI language models, like ChatGPT, can be used to answer students' questions in real-time. This can save teachers time and provide students with instant feedback.
Tip: Encourage students to ask questions and provide a safe environment for them to do so. Use ChatGPT to answer questions related to the lesson, and provide feedback as necessary.
Enhancing Language Learning
AI language models can help students improve their language skills by providing them with real-time feedback on their grammar and syntax.
Tip: Use ChatGPT to analyze writing assignments and provide students with feedback on their grammar and syntax. This can help them identify areas where they need improvement and work to strengthen their language skills.
Personalizing Learning
aLnguage models can personalize learning by providing individualized instruction based on a student's strengths and weaknesses.
Tip: Use ChatGPT to create personalized lesson plans based on a student's interests and learning level. This can help students stay engaged and motivated.
Generating Discussion Questions
Language models can generate thought-provoking discussion questions based on lesson material.
Tip: Use ChatGPT to generate discussion questions related to social studies, science experiments, and current events. This can help students think critically and engage in meaningful discussions.
Supporting Students with Disabilities
Language models can provide audio support by reading text aloud. This can be especially helpful for students with reading disabilities. This can help them stay engaged in the lesson and better understand the material.
Models like ChatGPT have the potential to revolutionize K-12 education. The opportunities to leverage this technology are endless. While it has the potential to change how we teach its important to note that it won't replace teachers. Students will always have a need for real teachers to help guide their learning. If there is one thing I've learned it is that change is inevitable, how we use it to better society will have a deeper more lasting effect than the technology itself.
(BTW, this blog was created with the help of ChatGPT 😉)
5 Effective Instructional Strategies that Engage Students Using Technology
5 Effective Instructional Strategies that Engage Students Using Technology
July 2022
Visible Learning+ is a body of research lead by Professor John Hattie of the University of Melbourne, Australia. His research is considered the world's largest evidence base on what works best in schools and improves student learning. Based on this information, here are 5 instructional strategies that are most effectively used to engage students when using technology.
Using Multimedia Using digital video technology that allows students to review information as many times as they wish has been linked to greater attention, greater reflection, and a reduction of cognitive load. Multimedia can stimulate more than one sense at a time increasing your ability to reach different learners and hold their attention longer.
Tools to Try: EdPuzzle, vetted videos from YouTube, BrainPop
Computer-Assisted Instruction Software that is designed to teach specific skills, methods and concepts have the potential to accelerate instruction. These interactive programs can help illustrate concepts through animation, sound, and demonstration. They allow students to move at their own pace and work individually or together in groups, while the software provides immediate feedback.
Tools to Try: IStation, Stemscopes, Achieve3000
Virtual Reality provides simulations and augmented reality to help students experience activities they wouldn't normally have. Imagine taking students on a trip across the milky way or traveling deep into the inner workings of a plant cell. Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality(AR) offer students a new way to engage in learning.
Tools to Try: MergeCube, Arts & Culture Expeditions, CoSpaces Edu
Technology in Writing writing is an essential part of literacy and a central part of nearly every subject and it is a skill that must be explicitly taught. Using technology to teach writing has shown positive effect on learners. Making use of tech tools can help keep students engaged while helping them learn essential skills in grammar, vocabulary, syntax and style.
Tools to Try: Book Creator, NoRedInk, Quill.org
Gamification using educational games is one of the most interactive ways to engage students in learning. It can be applied across content and complements different learning styles and incorporates varying levels of complexity.
Tools to Try: Kahoot, Quizziz, Blooket
Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and the Future of Education
Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, and the Future of Education
January 2021
One of the things I love most about being in Education is that I'm in a constant state of learning. I'm always learning and experiencing something new which is why I love attending conferences. This school year I've attended ISTE 2020 and I'm currently participating in TCEA this week where I've learned alot about AR (Augmented Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality). These two technologies are already making their way into classrooms across the country and I'm excited about what that looks like on my own campus!
During TCEA, I've set my sights on consuming all of the deliciously tech AR/VR infused sessions. I've learned about apps such as Kai's Clan where student engagement meets coding, and Merge Cube where students can create and use AR tools as teaching aids. I was also excited to learn about Cospaces a kid friendly website that allows students to use block based coding, create in 3D and share with their peers. All of these platforms require devices most schools already have with little additional hardware needed. For example, You can purchase a Merge Cube for around $15, or you can make one using paper, both work well. A tablet, or a phone grants you access to these immersive learning aids.
I encourage you to click on the links I provided above and explore these amazing trends in technology. It's important that we know what's coming so that we can prepare students for the world of tomorrow while also guiding them through the world we live in today. Here's to a week of continued learning!
A Lifelong Love of Learning
A Lifelong Love of Learning
November 2020
This Thanksgiving holiday break has given me an opportunity to reflect on many things. My passion for all things education and technology definitely runs deep. In the summer of 2014 I attended a Microsoft Blended Learning professional development through my district and it opened my eyes to the possibilities of creating technology rich engaging activities. I took what I learned at this seminar and applied it to a project I needed to create for another summer seminar attended that summer through the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, DC. I had long forgotten about this project that I created but thankfully the internet is forever! Check out the project here.
I was so proud of this project because for the first time I was able to create something that was substantive and I knew I'd be able to use it with my students. As luck would have it, I was even able to get my district to feature my project as a part of the 5th grade Social Studies curriculum! I'm so proud of the work I did and I'm even more excited that 6 years later this project on discovering identity is just as relevant today as it was when I created it in 2014! Accomplishments like this let me know that my love of education and how technology can help you reimagine the experience of learning.
Educators Use Google Sites to Keep Parents Informed
Educators Use Google Sites to Keep Parents Informed
September 2020
Covid-19 pushed the start of the school year after labor day this years and it sent teachers scrambling to adjust to the needs of our students in a digital world. One of the things teachers have taken a hold of is creating websites to disseminate information for students and parents. After assisting my staff with the creation of their websites, I made some very strong suggestions to ensure that all websites were user friendly websites that were easily explored by the students and families we service:
Please post your schedule directly on your page (no images). Schedules should be easy to follow and some of the images blur when you expand them making it difficult for older and younger students/parents to read. Schedules should also be in sequential order.
Schedules should be posted in sequential order. Some schedules are easier to read than others. You want to make sure that all the information you post is legible and accessible.
Post your Zoom links on your schedules. This makes it so much easier to find information for your live Zoom sessions. As I came across pages it became increasingly obvious which Classroom websites had better layouts. I gave my teachers examples of well executed sites that had Zoom links readily accessible as a point of reference. This helped teachers create websites where all the pertinent information was front and center.
Add a page for the Art, Music, Physical Education Zoom links. It makes it easy for parents to find the links to their child’s live sessions for specials.
These are just a few tips I shared with my teachers and I hope it helps you with your page design. Have anymore tips? Let me know in the Contact Me section!
Routines, Structures, & Schedules for At-Home Learning!
Routines, Structures, & Schedules for At-Home Learning!
April 2020
Good Morning Everyone!
I thought I’d write a post today about some tips on how to structure this large scale At-Home learning experiment. This has been a wild ride for both Educators and Parents where we have had to turn the entire nation into a flipped classroom in a matter of 2 weeks. That’s huge, that’s massive and it is nothing short of amazing. It’s a testament to the many miracles we make in the classroom on any given day. Here are a few observations / suggestions that I have as we continue this monumental transition.
To my Educator Friends:
1. SLOW DOWN! If your school was not already utilizing learning management platforms such as Google Classroom let the first 2 weeks of At-home learning be akin to the first 2 weeks of school. Your assignments should be simple, straight to the point, and require as few steps as possible. These students are at home with parents who are not all educators and who are learning right along with their children. Frustration levels are high so simple assignments give people a sense of calm.
2. DON’T ASSIGN TOO MANY LESSONS! We know in some communities we lack equity in technology. Some families will have 4-5 devices and others will have only a cell phone for 2-3 children. Create assignments with this idea in mind. 2-3 assignments in a week may be all these kids can handle. Work with your team/school if you’re departmentalized to make sure you aren’t each assigning 3-4 lessons per subject a week. 12 assignments may not sound like a lot in a week, but it is depending on the number of children in a household and the available devices.
To my Parent Friends:
1. CREATE A SCHEDULE! Are you trying to figure out how to teach your kindergartner, your 4th grader and your 9th grader all in the same room at the same time? Welcome to every classroom in America! Everyday across this country there are teachers teaching students with varying abilities all in the same classroom each day. It is no easy feat, but somehow, we manage to get it done. An easy solution is, create spaces in your home for work. Stagger your child(ren)’s work schedule so that each has some time to work away from their siblings. Even if it’s in 30min increments it gives each child an opportunity to work on their assignments.
2. ROTATION, ROTATION, ROTATION! How do teacher’s manage to teacher’s 20-30 kids with varying abilities in one class at one time? We are masters of creating rotation schedules! We group students according to their ability and we get them started on various activities that allow us to tend to the needs of each group of kids. You will need to do the same thing in your home. Find other activities for your kids to do. They don’t all have to work at the same time. By allowing 2 to play/draw/write while one is on the computer you have a small window to give one on one attention to one of your children.
3. LEARNING CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE! Tired of the computer? Go outside! Yesterday my son and I spent time outside jumping up and down in muddy puddles (thanks Peppa Pig) and he was able to identify objects that float and discovered that his voice has an echo! This is learning! Take your kids outside discuss your neighborhood. Talk about the environment, discuss the development of the area around where you live. There’s a lot to learn about the world around us and this is the perfect opportunity to do so.
I know this was a long post, but I hope it’s helpful. This is a huge adjustment period for everyone but together we can get through it!
Take a Virtual Fieldtrip!
Take a Virtual Fieldtrip!
March 2020
Congratulations Parents!
You've made it through the first week of your homeschool adventure! It may have been difficult but you and your child (ren) made it through the week! You are now experiencing what many Educators feel at the end of a whirlwind week of teaching! This first week of social distancing has proven to be a lot harder than most of us imagined but thankfully we have technology to ease some of the pain.
That's why I'm extremely excited to tell you about all of the museums, zoos, & educational institutions offering virtual tours! End your week with a fieldtrip! Make this first Friday a funday and explore the world right from your home. Check out these resources for some fun educational virtual experiences.
College Tours
College Tours
University of California at Los Angeles
University of Maryland at College Park
* Most colleges have virtual tours. Google is your friend! Find a college and search virtual tour on their website and enjoy!
I hope these sites are helpful! There's so many more places to visit, If you've come across something interesting please share! Let me know if you have questions I'm always here to help!
Using Online Assessments to Track Your Child's Growth
Using Online Assessments to Track Your Child's Growth
March 2020
Good Morning Everyone!
Today I want to give you tips on ways to track your child's growth. We teachers are data driven. We track data on how your child is performing on every new skill we teach them. We use fancy programs to help us stay organized with all of this information, but how will you as a parent know how to do this? What can you do to pinpoint the areas your child needs help in most?
Fear not! Chances are the information you are looking for is right at your finger tips! I'm going to give you a quick run down of places to look or go to create a simple plan to help your child!
Diagnostic tests are a staple in education. We typically use them at the Beginning, middle, and end of the year to track studente growth. More than likely your child has already taken two of these assessments. The question is, how do you get this information? If your child's school uses AllInLearning, Eduphoria, or some other program to track data then they most likely have a student/parent portal. Reach out to your child's teachers (after springbreak of course) to see if they can give you access to this information.
If your child's school doesn't/hasn't tracked information this way there's still hope! Here's a list of websites I've used in the as a classroom teacher. Some of these resources provide basic resources for free. Others may require premium access to unlock all the features.
Education Galaxy - Education Galaxy is a Texas based company that offers educational resources for K-6 students. Check with your child's school to see if they already have access. If they do and have taken the Pre-test you can check out their Study Plan which prioritizes all of their academic strengths and weaknesses by subject. If they don't have it you can sign up as a parent and get them started! This is one of my personal favorites because students love the game like feel of the program. All of the content is standards based which means they will learn and review material that they learn in school. This resourse can also be used in English & Spanish.
Freckle - Freckle is an adaptive learning program. This means that once you setup an account for your child and they begin the Reading assesment, it adapts to where your child is. This is another K-12 resource that covers Reading, Math, Social Studies, and Science. Student's in the past liked the feel of this program and enjoyed using it. A free account provides basic use and has limits on how many assignments you can assign. This resource can also be used in English & Spanish.
NoRedInk - No Red Ink provides diagnostic assesments of writing and grammar. This is a new resource that I've explored this year and while I found the layout easy to use I'd suggest this for 6-12 grade students. The information it gives is best for older. This resource is available only in English at the time.
This is not an exhaustive list. There are many more great resources out there and if you know of any please let me know! I hope these resources are helpful! Knowing where your child is academically means you can begin to help them. As always if you have questions let me know! I'd love to help out where I can.
The Beauty of Online Learning is Flexibility
The Beauty of Online Learning is Flexibility
March 2020
Good Morning!
As parents and teachers take this adventure into distance and online learning I thought I'd make a few posts giving tips to both teachers and parents. I'm so proud of all of the parents I've seen take the time to create schedules and attempt to fill the educational gap for their children! This is beautiful! Kids do need to stay engaged however I fear that some of these schedules, though thoughtful are extremely ambitious so I have a few tips that I hope will be of assistance to you and your students.
Online/distance learning is different from traditional school. The very nature of online learning is that it is flexible. You don't and shouldn't try to keep the same schedule as school. Schools operate on schedule that shifts every 10-20minutes. During a school day students are constantly moving and transitioning from one thing to another. We educators know kids have a short attention span and your kids are used to an entire day of procedures and routines.
In other words they will get bored very quickly if you believe they wil l be able to sit through 2-3hrs of online learning without getting wrestless you are kidding yourself. Don't be afraid to break up the learning! Add movement to their day! It's ok to spend 2-3hrs of short learning activites and then end the day! This is an adjustment period for everyone! Take this time to tailor the learning to the needs of your child! It's ok! I promise he or she will still learn!
Change up your scenary! During the course of a day kids move around the school building. They are primarily in the classroom but they move all over the place so make sure you're adding movement to their day. Take a moment and go outside, take a break, move to the kitchen and learn, or take the learning with you as you go to the store! Online learning makes it possible for you to learn where you are so use that to your advantage!
To recap, be flexible with your scheduling, your kids will get bored so add lots of breaks, change up the scenary if you can.
I'll be adding more tips tomorrow that I hope reaches someone! Let me know if you have questions or if you need some assistance. It takes a village!
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