AI in Edu: News, Tools, & Views (June 6)
Welcome to my weekly digest of AI in education news, tools, and views to help keep you informed. Let’s get started:
5 Engaging AI Classroom Activities to Try With Your Students
This Edutopia article highlights creative ways to integrate AI into learning. Students can engage in “The Great Debate” by simulating historical or fictional debates with AI, or use AI as a “Story Collaborator” to generate story ideas and overcome writer’s block. A “Mock Career Interview” prepares students for job scenarios, while a “Study Buddy” helps them review material and clarify concepts. In a “Call-In Radio Show,” students use AI tools like NotebookLM to explore curated content and spark discussion. These activities promote creativity, inquiry, and personalized learning.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-engaging-ai-classroom-activities-try-your-students
Setting Up the Right Prompts to Get an Effective AI-Generated Sub Plan
The Edutopia article “Use AI to Create Sub Plans More Effectively with the Right Prompts” emphasizes that crafting detailed prompts enables AI tools to generate comprehensive substitute teaching plans efficiently. Through specifying elements like lesson structure, timing, student instructions, and transitions, teachers can produce tailored sub plans, accompanying notes, and student materials in under 10 minutes. This approach ensures continuity in student learning during teacher absences.
https://www.edutopia.org/article/ai-created-sub-plans-right-prompts-mean-better-outputs
Snorkl Writing Activities & Feedback
The popular Snorkl AI has introduced a new activity type that provides students with instant, personalized feedback on their writing, right within Snorkl. With Snorkl's new writing activities, students can: read source articles and primary texts directly within the activity, respond using a user-friendly rich text editor, allowing formatting, bullet points, and clear organization, and receive immediate, iterative AI feedback aligned with teacher learning goals, guiding them step-by-step to revise and enhance their writing. This supports students in developing deeper thinking, refining their writing skills, and gaining confidence as capable writers.
https://student.snorkl.app/7p1sde
What Is ResearchRabbit And How Can I Use It to Teach?
Tech&Learning explains that ResearchRabbit is an AI-powered research tool designed to streamline literature discovery and analysis. It learns from user interactions, provides tailored recommendations and visualizes connections between academic papers, facilitating deeper exploration. Educators can leverage ResearchRabbit to teach research methodologies, encourage critical thinking, and assist students in navigating complex academic networks. Its dynamic interface and personalized suggestions make it a valuable asset for enhancing research skills in educational settings.
https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-researchrabbit-and-how-can-i-use-it-to-teach
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Vetting AI tools for schools? Consider these 4 pieces of advice
This K-12 Dive article outlines key strategies for school districts evaluating AI technologies. First, districts should start small and avoid rushing into AI adoption, ensuring tools genuinely enhance instruction or operations. Second, any AI tools implemented should align with the district's broader instructional and operational goals. Third, protecting student data is paramount; districts must ensure transparency regarding AI products, data sets, and privacy terms. Lastly, districts should be vigilant about AI biases, assessing how vendors address algorithmic impacts and ensure fairness in school environments.
https://www.k12dive.com/news/vetting-ai-tools-for-schools-consider-these-4-pieces-of-advice/749288/
GPT-4.5 Has Passed The Turing Test. What Does That Mean For Teachers?
Tech&Learning reports that GPT-4.5 recently passed a rigorous Turing Test, with 73% of participants mistaking its responses for human ones—outperforming both GPT-4o and even human respondents. This milestone raises urgent questions for educators about AI’s growing realism. The study also highlights risks of AI deception, underscoring the need for clear ethical guidelines in education.
AI Operators or Creators? Two visions of agency and learning
This UNESCO article presents two contrasting approaches to integrating artificial intelligence in education. The first approach envisions students as passive operators, relying on AI tools for tasks like writing and problem-solving, which may diminish critical thinking and creativity. The second approach promotes students as active creators, using AI to develop projects that benefit their communities, thereby enhancing human agency and ethical engagement. The article advocates for educational practices that empower learners to use AI thoughtfully, fostering autonomy and creativity rather than dependency.
https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/ai-operators-or-creators-two-visions-agency-and-learning
Flipping the Script: TheNew EC & OECD AI Literacy Framework, and Deseret Sands in Action
This Substack article by Stefan Bauschard discusses recent AI literacy frameworks from the European Commission and OECD, which emphasize critical thinking, ethical awareness, and student agency in AI education. Bauschard advocates for educators to "flip the script" by moving beyond passive AI use and empowering students to actively engage with and shape AI technologies. He highlights the Desert Sands Unified School District as a model for integrating AI literacy into curricula, fostering student creativity and ethical understanding.
And More…
AI Course Builder from Gutenberg Technology - EdTech Digest
Studify – optimize studying through AI personalization
Buddy.ai - AI tutor - EdTech Digest
Debate AI - debate smarter with AI
A new AI tool to address educational inequality - Gates Cambridge
fastwrite.io – speed up writing in Microsoft Word with AI
OpenAI is rolling out record mode, a new feature that allows ChatGPT to record live meetings, brainstorms, or voice notes.
AvatarFX - Character.AI’s new video model is free up to five daily clips.
Powered by Sora, the Microsoft Bing Video Creator is free, with certain limitations
AI-generated video features interviews with medieval townsfolk from the 1500s.
NotebookLM Plus plan provides up to 300 sources per notebook and 500 notebooks in total
Odyssey’s new AI model streams 3D interactive worlds - TechCrunch
Modify Video — new tool from Luma Labs to restyle videos by changing style, characters, settings, and more.
Google Photos debuts redesigned editor with new AI tools - TechCrunch
New Gmail summaries available on Android and iOS devices - Google
Google Unveils SignGemma, an AI Model That Can Translate Sign Language Into Spoken Text - Gadgets360
Hugging Face unveils two new humanoid robots - TechCrunch
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