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Content Strategy and Organizational Development Director John Alberts

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Content Strategy and Organizational Development Director John Alberts

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John Alberts is the content strategy and organizational development director at Experience Dynamics. His responsibilities in this position involve providing insight into the organization and service design behind various artificial intelligence projects created to improve user experience. John Alberts previously spent 17 years with Austin Public Schools, including 14 years as the executive director of educational services. He managed key operations within the district during this time, including specific initiatives such as the World’s Best Workforce Plan. He also was the co chair of the annual Gifted and Talented Symposium that brought together educators and gifted experts from around the country and world to share best practices.

Mr. Alberts studied English and psychology at the University of Minnesota, Morris. He holds a bachelor’s degree, as well as a master of education from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He has garnered several professional accolades during his career, including the Karl Shurson Quality Award from the Performance Excellence Network and the 2019 Minnesota Educators of the Gifted and Talented “Friend of the Gifted Award.” He was an Austin Education Association Teacher of the Year in 2005. He leads a physically active lifestyle away from work, with interests ranging from hiking to running marathons and half-marathons.

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​Nearly 58 million Americans go hiking at least once a year. There are many reasons to go hiking: hikers burn more than 500 calories per hour when on the trail, and those who go on hikes regularly are 50 percent less likely to experience mental health issues. Hiking is also an effective means of managing cortisol levels in the body, among other benefits. America's National Trails System consists of approximately 200,000 miles of hiking trails located on federal lands, and there are more than 1,500 miles of state-managed trails in Minnesota.

Hikers can take on a diversity of hiking trails throughout Minnesota. These trails range from paved, railroad-grade cycling paths to natural trails that have been developed with horseback riding in mind. The state also maintains world-class trails for mountain bikers. Hikers benefit from the fact that Minnesota lies at the center of four distinct ecological regions: coniferous forest, aspen parklands, deciduous forest, and prairie grasslands.

Minnesota features several mountains exceeding 2,000 feet in elevation, including Eagle Mountain and Lima Mountain. Colloquially referred to as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," Minnesota also features nearly 12,000 lakes. These unique biomes and geographic features combine to provide Minnesota hikers with a depth of flora, fauna, and outdoor environments to explore.

Many of the state's finest trails are found in state parks, such as Sakatah Lake State Park in Waterville. The park's Hiking Club Trail is a 2.2-mile loop that crosses over several additional paths in the park, including Hidden Pond and Oak Tree. It is a scenic path, weaving through seasonal wildflowers and old-growth forest. Hiking features range from drive-in and bike-in campsites to a boat launch at Sakatah Lake, which can be accessed via the Cannon River State Water Trail.

Whitewater State Park in Altura, meanwhile, is home to the Chimney Rock Trail. At just 1.1 miles, the loop is not one of the longest treks in the state. However, it provides a challenge in the form of a steep ascent up to Chimney Rock, which rewards hikers with a panorama of the Whitewater River below. The trail has a unique benefit for Minnesota hikers: unlike many trails in the state, Chimney Rock Trail is not located near any standing water, meaning it has very few mosquitoes compared to most trails.

Eden Prairie's Purgatory Creek Park features a 2.4-mile loop trail that moves through the park's many gardens and wetlands. Local attractions at the metropolitan area park include a massive water feature, the Veterans Memorial, and the nearby Wings of the North Air Museum. Other popular hiking destinations in Minnesota include Brooklyn Park's Mississippi Gateway Regional Park, a 160-acre space with two miles of trail along the Mississippi River, and Mille Lacs Kathio State Park in Onamia.

These are only a fraction of Minnesota's 1,500-plus miles of state hiking trails. Americans should keep a few things in mind when planning a hiking trip to Minnesota. The state experiences harsh winters, with highs of less than 22 degrees Fahrenheit in January, and balmy summers, so visitors must account for inclement weather when planning a hike. Hiking accidents involving animals are exceedingly rare, but hikers should learn about potentially dangerous wildlife they may encounter on Minnesota trails, including black bears, coyotes, rattlesnakes, and ticks.

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content strategy & organizational development director

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Popular Hiking Destinations in Minnesota

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​Nearly 58 million Americans go hiking at least once a year. There are many reasons to go hiking: hikers burn more than 500 calories per hour when on the trail, and those who go on hikes regularly...

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​According to technology advisor and author Bernard Marr, the use of artificial intelligence in American schools increased by 47.5 percent between 2017 and 2021. Some believe AI can improve education in the United States, including adaptive learning.

Adaptive teaching or adaptive learning systems assess individual student needs and deliver customized learning experiences. Since teachers must oversee their classrooms, especially when overcrowded, they have difficulty executing effective adaptive learning programs without AI assistance.

Any technology that helps educators manage classrooms and curricula or technology that facilitates smoother learning experiences for students falls under the umbrella terms of assistive technology. Adaptive learning serves as one example. Educators can use adaptive learning to provide a more equitable learning experience for students living with special needs. For example, visually impaired students could benefit from AI programs that can read academic materials to them, allowing them to thrive in classrooms with their peers.

Students can use similar programs to improve their writing skills, such as apps that help students recognize and correct grammatical and spelling mistakes. On the other hand, teachers can use similar apps to detect plagiarism.

AI can improve educational outcomes at every level, including early childhood development. For example, interactive educational games for young learners use AI tools to teach basic math, grammar, and life skills.

Thinkster Math is a specific example of an AI educational tool. Thinkster Math is a tutoring tool that gauges the user's skill level and learning preferences to create customized learning plans. Jill Watson is an AI-powered teaching assistant developed at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2016.

Cognii develops a similar virtual teaching assistant alongside additional AI-based products that cater to K-12 students. Educators working with younger students can explore KidSense, a suite of educational solutions that includes voice-to-text functionality. AI allows the voice-to-text tool to function even with children who use speech patterns that may be difficult for standard apps to translate.

In addition, some AI tools assist school administrators. AI-powered data and learning analytics can help school and district administrators sift through and understand large data sets. The information helps educational leaders make decisions that positively impact faculty, staff, and students.

Dr. Scott Parfitt, the chief executive officer of Content Technologies, Inc., points out that AI systems can convert "big data into information, and information into knowledge." This knowledge allows administrators and educators to develop more effective syllabi and learning materials.

Administrators can also use AI to improve administrative and clerical work, such as scheduling classes and special events, maintaining facilities, and managing important documents, such as student records, which require several hours of human power. AI can also improve school safety and security systems, including cybersecurity defenses, by alerting them to gaps.

Lastly, some believe that AI has the potential to support inclusivity in schools and equitable access to education. In addition to helping students living with visual or auditory impairments, AI tools can bridge language barriers or allow students to attend virtual classes despite illnesses that pose a challenge to physical attendance.

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content strategy & organizational development director

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​According to technology advisor and author Bernard Marr, the use of artificial intelligence in American schools increased by 47.5 percent between 2017 and 2021. Some believe AI can improve...