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Full Scale adoption and implementation (including invitations to perform PD consistently) will not occur until tests change to test skills, rather than knowledge.

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I thought this was a good article to use when trying to debunk the cheating argument for teachers.

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Students speak up about AI in their learning lives

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Students want to reframe the AI conversation beyond cheating, noting that most students seek help rather than shortcuts.

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Standards Aligned Slides with Gemini (Also Interactive with Pear Deck)

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Standards Aligned Slides with Gemini (Also Interactive with Pear Deck)

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First, switch the Gemini tool to "Canvas" and then the model to "Thinking".

Prompt:

Build a 15-20 slide presentation for the NC Standard below. The guidance from the unpacking document is also included and should be considered in the content included in the slideshow. This slideshow will also be used as an interactive Pear Deck, so include slides that can be converted to interactive Pear Deck slides interspersed throughout.

[PASTE STANDARD]

[PASTE ALL TEXT FROM UNPACKING DOCUMENT]

Consider pairing this with a Gemini Gem that gives student friendly learning targets, high rigor activity ideas, etc.

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I used ChatGPT to produce a KML file that could be imported into Google Earth to automatically create map points.

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Building my 4th annual 12 Days of Techmas - this year is all about Canva AI Tools

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Our next Google Bootcamp is "Introduction to Gemini for Education: Simplify Your Workload and Maximize Impact."

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Lots of things...but today's adventure - Using AI to make our School Christmas Card

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Lots of things...but today's adventure - Using AI to make our School Christmas Card

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I have been working on creating an AI Integration Roadmap for our district.

Nothing fun but necessary.

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Vibe coded a Battle of the Books scheduler. Also working on several AI video projects.

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Vibe coded interactive that i control with my hands!

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Vibe coded interactive that i control with my hands!

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Please add cards to share your top 3 Take Aways from the Breakout rounds

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Please add cards to share your top 3 Take Aways from the Breakout rounds

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Here's the first draft...would change this one to include a little more. Just used my prompt to create in my personal account to show what I'm doing.

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‎Gemini - 📖 The Race from the Ridge: How Moonshine Built NASCAR

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I have created a few custom Gems for teachers - an Expert NC Reading Remediation Specialist - Generates evidence-based ideas for K-12 reading remediation and curriculum enhancement. Another was for Math teachers - Helps teachers streamline lesson planning and create engaging, standards-aligned math activities for iPads.

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best ways to market/intro micro-credentials

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best ways to market/intro micro-credentials

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Similar to the one for students... Resources to use with teachers

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especially with Math and English teachers

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Motivating reluctant teachers to use AI with students

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Motivating reluctant teachers to use AI with students

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Implementation of AI Literacy in Elementary Classrooms

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Implementation of AI Literacy in Elementary Classrooms

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Practical Teacher Application of AI in the classroom

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Practical Teacher Application of AI in the classroom

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A real focus on classroom usage that will translate into student usage beyond school.

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Modeling Ethics & Integration for Teachers

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Modeling Ethics & Integration for Teachers

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Resources that can help admin with their jobs, to help with their buy-in

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Notebook LM for Students - How to introduce so teachers are on board

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Notebook LM for Students - How to introduce so teachers are on board

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AI Literacy resources for teaching students

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AI Literacy resources for teaching students

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Your top 10 already used/ curated AI literacy resources for use with teaching students AI literacy.

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Helps create engaging PD based on Adult Learning Theory and includes protocols

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A conversational AI system that listens, learns, and challenges

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Learning how districts are approaching the use of AI note takers in meetings, especially since there are state-level concerns around wiretapping laws.

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Learn more about how to select and allow AI for staff and student use without data security contracts. 

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Learn more about how to select and allow AI for staff and student use without data security contracts. 

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Learn more about AI platforms that will help analyze and disaggregate data for testing and projections. Are there any current AI platforms that are EVASS friendly?  

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Learn more about AI platforms that will help analyze and disaggregate data for testing and projections. Are there any current AI platforms that are EVASS friendly?  

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Learn more about- Frameworks for Teacher/Student AI Literacy Training

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Learn more about- Frameworks for Teacher/Student AI Literacy Training

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I want to learn more about what Moore County is doing with Gemini and Notebook LM with students.

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Learn: Creating & Implementing an AI Ambassadorship in our distict

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Learn: Creating & Implementing an AI Ambassadorship in our distict

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Learn more about Introductory AI PDs for staff. 

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Learn more about Introductory AI PDs for staff. 

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How are other districts getting GenAI resources approved for student and teacher use? (For example, Brisk teaching for teacher use)

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UnConference Topic - Lesson Plans / Activities (Can lead if wanted)

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UnConference Topic - Lesson Plans / Activities (Can lead if wanted)

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Lesson plans that reflect AI integration. Teachers simply will not buy into AI in the classroom without tried and tested lessons or activities so they can see what they can do, and how it looks when being taught.

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Learn more about best practices and strategies to share with teachers for rolling AI out to students in the classroom.

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WEST UnConference Topics.  Sept. 23, 2025

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EAST UnConference Topics.  Sept. 23, 2025

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1. Add a topic if you like.

2. Vote for the topics you are most interested in discussing.

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1. Add a topic if you like.

2. Vote for the topics you are most interested in discussing.

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Student facing vs teacher facing and wher to make good choices

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Would be great to see a summary chart of what the updates are and where they apply and how they are applicable.

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Good for Middle School & High School aged students. Do NOT use with elementary aged students.

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Exciting to have an ai tool built into our current purchases that is avalable, Compliant But the gamechanger is Google Classrrom is amazing!

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How to communicate this to teachers - all the changes in Gemini?

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How does this immediately help the teachers you support?

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How does this immediately help the teachers you support?

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I used Claude to help write a CLUE night script Principal Down: A Husky High Mystery. This script contained 20 suspects/witnesses. Science labs where participants used fake blood typing, white powder testing, etc... Claude helped me with the clues the principal read in morning announcements the week of the Clue Game, helped with what the murder scene would look like, the red herrings within the scripts and with the evidence.

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Student & Guest- Principal Down A Husky High Mystery (1)

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Transform research papers into AI-generated audio summaries with Illuminate, your Gen AI tool for understanding complex content faster.

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Grasp new topics and deepen your understanding with a conversational learning companion that adapts to your unique curiosity and learning goals. Ask big or small questions, upload material or explore curated topics. Navigate complex concepts with interactive guides. Make connections to deepen understanding with learning aids. Enhance learning with images, videos, and articles from relevant sources. Go as far as your curiosity takes you. Explore broadly or dig into the details.

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Padlet AI Image Generator with Multiple Subjects 

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Padlet AI Image Generator with Multiple Subjects 

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We have students in English use the AI Image generator in Padlet to create prompts to generate the cover of their book. They also use text evidence to create prompts to get an image of the characters from the book.

In Spanish we used the AI Image Generator in Padlet to practice writing sentences with their vocabulary (in spanish) the students had to tweak their sentences and descriptions in spanish to get the images they wanted.

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I have been using Curt's super prompts to create prompts for teachers to use that are personalized to the PD we are doing.

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Recently I shared a blog post with a list of some of my favorite AI Prompt Libraries for Educators.

The idea is that it can sometimes be a challenge to come up with a good prompt for AI chatbots, and thankfully people have been kind enough to share high quality educational prompts that they have developed, tested, and refined.

I decided to go one step further with this. I wondered... would it be possible to come up with an AI prompt that could be used to generate AI prompts?

Sort of like "Promptception". Or maybe "One prompt to rule them all" if you prefer a Lord of the Rings reference instead.

So after lots of trial and error, I did manage to come up with a " Super Prompt" that seems to work pretty consistently and generates useful educational prompts. You simply fill in what sort of task you need, such as a rubric generator or lesson plan generator or student writing feedback generator, and the super prompt will create the prompt you need.

See below to get a copy of the super prompt, along with usage notes and examples. Chances are I will continue to tweak the super prompt to improve it, and would welcome any suggestions you have.

Below is the super prompt I developed.

You are tasked with creating a detailed and adaptable prompt template for modern AI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot) that will be utilized by K-12 educators.

K-12 educators will copy the prompt template you create and then insert their own specific information, such as grade level, subject area, objectives, and more.

The prompt template should be detailed and thorough.

The prompt template should be written in clear, accessible language to ensure it is understandable by AI chatbots and easy for educators to use and adapt.

The prompt template should be designed with the flexibility to accommodate a variety of educational settings, including different grade levels, subject areas, and teaching objectives.

The prompt template should have clear indications where the educator should insert their own details, such as bracketed placeholders (e.g., [Insert Grade Level Here], [Insert Subject Area Here], [Specify Objective Here])

The prompt template should be educationally and pedagogically sound so as to elicit useful responses from the AI chatbots.

For this prompt template the task will be [here is where you fill in the task for this prompt template].

Please generate this prompt template.

First decide what task you would like an AI prompt for. For example this could be a story generator or a choice board generator or a text re-leveler or such.

Next simply copy the super prompt and then edit the task section at the end where it reads [here is where you fill in the task for this prompt template].

For example:

For this prompt template the task will be generating a story of students to read.

For this prompt template the task will be providing feedback on student writing.

For this prompt template the task will be generating a grading rubric.

Then paste your edited version of the super prompt into your favorite AI chatbot (or multiple chatbots to compare the results).

The AI chatbot will then create a prompt template you can use for your task.

Copy that new prompt template to use however you need.

You might want to edit the generated prompt template as needed to further customize it, but the super prompt should generate a good starting point for you.

The super prompt is a high level prompt, which can be challenging for some AI chatbots to properly process and understand. I have found that some chatbots are powerful enough to get what we are asking, while others get confused and fail to generate a prompt template.

Below is a list of the AI chatbots I tested so far with the super prompt, and how they performed in general.

ChatGPT 4 (paid version) - Excellent. From my tests, ChatGPT 4 understood the super prompt every time and generated high quality prompt templates

ChatGPT 3.5 (free version) - Poor. So far my tests have not been successful with ChatGPT 3.5 as it seems to misunderstand what I am asking for. Instead of generating a template for the AI prompt, it will often generate a template for the task instead (that is it will make a rubric template instead of an AI prompt template to create a rubric).

Gemini Advanced (paid version) - Very Good. So far Gemini Advanced has almost always understood the super prompt and generated useful prompt templates. Every now and then it does get confused, but if I check the other drafts I will usually find a good response.

Gemini (free version) - Poor. Same issues as ChatGPT 3.5

Claude 3 Sonnet (free version) - Good. Claude consistently understood the super prompt and generated good, although simpler, prompt templates.

Mistral (free version) - Good. Just like Claude, Mistral consistently understood the super prompt and generated good, although even simpler, prompt templates.

Microsoft Copilot (free version in Creative Mode) - Good. As long as I used "Creative Mode" Copilot did a good job of understanding the super prompt and generating good prompt templates.

As I test more models and versions I will add the results above.

📗 Story Generator Example

Grade Level: [Specify the grade level, e.g., 3rd Grade]

Subject Area: [Specify the subject area, e.g., English Language Arts]

Educational Objectives: [Briefly describe your objectives, e.g., to improve reading comprehension, to introduce historical events, to explore themes of bravery and friendship]

Story Theme: [Insert specific themes, e.g., courage, friendship, adventure]

Character Traits: [List desired character traits, e.g., brave, curious, kind]

Setting: [Describe the setting, including time period if relevant, e.g., a magical forest, the future, 18th-century America]

Plot Elements: [Specify any key plot elements or twists you want to include, e.g., a mystery to solve, a journey to embark on, overcoming a fear]

Vocabulary Level: [Indicate the desired complexity of vocabulary, e.g., age-appropriate, challenging words to expand vocabulary]

Incorporate Learning Material: [Mention if specific historical events, scientific concepts, or literary elements should be included, e.g., the water cycle, the American Revolution, metaphors and similes]

Cultural Sensitivity: [Note any cultural sensitivities to consider, e.g., inclusive representation, avoiding stereotypes]

Moral or Lesson: [Specify if there should be a moral or lesson, and what it should be, e.g., the importance of teamwork, the value of perseverance]

Length: [Indicate the desired length of the story, e.g., short story of 500 words, a longer narrative of 2000 words]

For this example I chose the task of " generating a story for students to read."

Adjust the level of detail according to the specific needs of your class and the complexity of the story you envision.

Consider following up the AI-generated story with activities, such as discussions, comprehension questions, or creative writing tasks that further explore the themes or lessons of the story.

Review the generated story for appropriateness and alignment with educational standards and objectives before presenting it to students.

You can see the AI prompt templates generated by each of the AI chatbots here:

For one example, below is the AI prompt template generated by ChatGPT 4:

Hello [AI Chatbot Name, e.g., ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot],

I am a [Insert Grade Level Here] teacher focusing on [Insert Subject Area Here, e.g., English Language Arts, Social Studies]. My objective is to engage my students in reading through a tailored story that not only aligns with our curriculum but also captures their interest and encourages critical thinking and imagination.

To achieve this, I would like you to generate a story with the following specifications:

Please ensure the story is engaging, age-appropriate, and pedagogically sound, fostering not just a love for reading but also critical thinking and discussion among the students.

💬 Student Writing Feedback Example

[Insert Student Writing Sample Here]

Feedback Request Details:

☑️ Rubric Generator Example

Additional Considerations:

Thank you for your help.

Hopefully this super prompt will help you create prompts for lots of educational tasks and uses. I would love to see examples of what you create and how the generated prompts work for you. Also, please share any suggestions for improving or expanding on the original super prompt.

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Super Prompt - An AI Prompt to Create AI Prompts

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Recently I shared a blog post with a list of some of my favorite AI Prompt Libraries for Educators . The idea is that it can sometimes be a ...

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Used to create images. It is good with adding text as well.

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Reve Image (Halfmoon): A model trained from the ground up to excel at prompt adherence, aesthetics, and typography. Make any image you can imagine with Reve.

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With the guidance of a teacher, Canva helped create a interactive website to explain the roles of each court system at the state and federal levels. There are some things that I don't like and would like to edit, but cannot find the way to do so after the site has been published (please help!).

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Understanding State and Federal Courts: A Comparative Overview

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-Use AI to help with formulas to automate working data in Google Spreadsheets (currently working with district EC facilitator for assessment requests)

-New Site: https://teacherserver.com/

from University of South Florida

100s of tools

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TeacherServer is an AI tool and service provider dedicated to supporting educators with innovative solutions.

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Login to access and create your next design.

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Amazingly Simple Graphic Design Software - Canva

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Post: May 7 2025: I warned about the Homework Apocalypse in 2023.

It happened roughly as expected. There is a world where AI & traditional education get along very well (mixes of active in-class learning, AI-assisted assignments & tutors, blue books), but it needs to be built, it won’t just happen.

I wrote this past summer about what the research was showing about a way forward: https://lnkd.in/dS7Rwd_6

Original post: https://lnkd.in/eujia_xJ

Activate to view larger image,

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I warned about the Homework Apocalypse in 2023. It happened roughly as expected. There is a world where AI & traditional education get along very well (mixes of active in-class learning, AI-assisted assignments & tutors, blue books), but it needs to be built, it won't just happen. I wrote this past summer about what the research was showing about a way forward: https://lnkd.in/dS7Rwd_6 Original post: https://lnkd.in/eujia_xJ

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I warned about the Homework Apocalypse in 2023. It happened roughly as... | Ethan Mollick | 43 comments

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I warned about the Homework Apocalypse in 2023. It happened roughly as expected. There is a world where AI & traditional education get along very well (mixes of active in-class learning, AI-assisted assignments & tutors, blue books), but it needs to be built, it won't just happen.

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Advancing Artificial Intelligence Education for American Youth

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By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered: Section 1. Background.

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Got this idea from Vera - Design a garden for this space that incorporates fence and does not block the view. The area that is dirt will not grow grass. The garden will get full sun most of the day. You want to use plants that are perennials and incorporate color. Fill in the dirt spots so it looks better. This is important! Make it look pleasing to the eye!

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Got this idea from Vera - Design a garden for this space that incorporates fence and does not block the view. The area that is dirt will not grow grass. The garden will get full sun most of the day. You want to use plants that are perennials and incorporate color. Fill in the dirt spots so it looks better. This is important! Make it look pleasing to the eye!

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Prompt was to create a log for our district with colors of blues and make the moutains loook like books.

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Draw a caricature-style map of North Carolina that highlights different dialects across various regions.

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I'm starting a podcast... :-)

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Found the old fashioned way, with Google scholar and Scopus

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AI for Tiny Thinkers - Demystifying Tech for Pre-K to 2nd Grade

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AI for Tiny Thinkers - Demystifying Tech for Pre-K to 2nd Grade

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AI Over of one of the Micro-Credentials I am creating for NCDPI.

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AI for Tiny Thinkers_ Demystifying Tech for Pre-K to 2nd Grade

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Okay, excellent! Let's dive into creating a dynamic mini-lesson on heredity and genetics for your 10th-grade Biology students in North Carolina.

Here’s a plan:

Step 1: Brainstorm Idea & Objective

Core Concept: Understanding the relationship between genotype and phenotype.

Learning Objective: By the end of this 15-20 minute mini-lesson, students will be able to predict the phenotypic ratios of offspring from a given monohybrid cross by completing a Punnett square and identifying the resulting phenotypes with at least 75% accuracy.

Step 2: Develop Engaging Activity

Activity Title: "Phenotype Forecasters"

Description & Steps:

1. (3 minutes) Introduction & Genotype Review: Briefly review the terms "genotype," "phenotype," "homozygous," "heterozygous," "dominant," and "recessive." Present a simple trait, for example, flower color in pea plants where purple (P) is dominant to white (p).

2. (10 minutes) Punnett Square Practice - "Mystery Parents":

Divide students into pairs or small groups of three.

Provide each group with a whiteboard or large sheet of paper and markers.

Present a "mystery parent" scenario. For example: "A heterozygous purple flower (Pp) is crossed with a white flower (pp)."

Instruct students to first write down the genotypes of both parents.

Guide them to draw a Punnett square and fill it in based on the parental genotypes.

Once the Punnett square is complete, students must list the possible genotypes of the offspring and their corresponding ratios/percentages.

Then, students must list the possible phenotypes of the offspring and their corresponding ratios/percentages.

Circulate and offer guidance as groups work. Have them work through 1-2 different monohybrid crosses with varying parental genotypes (e.g., PP x Pp, Pp x Pp).

3. (2 minutes) Phenotype Prediction: For the last cross they completed, ask students to imagine 100 offspring were produced. Based on their phenotypic ratios, how many would they predict would show the dominant phenotype and how many would show the recessive phenotype?

Step 3: Differentiate the Activity

Scaffolding for Struggling Students:

Provide a partially completed Punnett square template for the first "mystery parent" scenario. This template could have the parental alleles already placed on the top and side, or some of the offspring genotype boxes already filled in.

Offer a pre-printed "key" of genotype-phenotype correlations for the specific trait being used (e.g., PP = Purple, Pp = Purple, pp = white) that they can refer to.

Enrichment for Advanced Students:

Challenge them with a scenario where the parental genotypes are unknown, but some information about the offspring is given. For example: "If a plant breeder crossed two purple-flowered pea plants and some of the offspring were white, what would the genotypes of the parent plants have to be? Explain your reasoning using a Punnett square."

Alternatively, ask them to calculate the probability of getting, for instance, three offspring in a row with the recessive phenotype from a heterozygous cross.

Step 4: Create Formative Check

Formative Assessment Question (Exit Ticket Prompt): "Imagine a genetic cross where 'G' represents the dominant allele for green pods and 'g' represents the recessive allele for yellow pods. If you cross a homozygous dominant plant (GG) with a heterozygous plant (Gg):

1. What percentage of the offspring would you predict to have green pods?

2. What percentage of the offspring would you predict to have yellow pods? Briefly explain how you determined your answers (you can draw a Punnett square if it helps)."

What are your thoughts on this initial framework? We can tweak any part of it to better suit your students' needs and your teaching style.

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ISTE AI in Education Lessons - Fantastic !!

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ISTE AI in Education Lessons - Fantastic !!

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We help educators around the world use technology to solve tough problems.

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Practical AI for Instructors and Students Part 1: Introduction to AI for Teachers and Students

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Eric Curts - Helpful links for teachers addressing student AI usage

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Eric Curts - Helpful links for teachers addressing student AI usage

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Sample AI classroom guidelines - Template

Ready-made lessons to teach students about AI

Ideas to make assignments AI-resistant

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John Gallagher - The fraudulent euphemism of AI thinking

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John Gallagher - The fraudulent euphemism of AI thinking

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An outlandishly long blog post with an uncalled-for number of pictures

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Just Say No to Historical Figure Chatbots

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Stanford research done with LBUSD Middle and High School students revealed that both students and teachers felt uneasy about AI, leading to a negative culture of guilt and policing around its use. The goal of the AI Trust You add-on is to “flip the script” by fostering open dialogue, creating a

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Writing about him next on Does EVERYONE have a Substack

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Co-Host of The Broken Copier and HS English Teacher in the Pacific Northwest!

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interesting to focus more on the causes of cheating

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The Real Way to Stop Cheating in an AI World

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As AI use in schools grows, educators may need to reassess their presumptions on what causes cheating and how it can be addressed.

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Love this explanation of how GenAI works!

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Love this explanation of how GenAI works!

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Generative AI in a Nutshell - how to survive and thrive in the age of AI

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Educational Technology, Halifax, Nova Scotia. 179,500 likes · 169 talking about this. Educatorstechnology.com is a blog that shares reviews of educational web tools and mobile apps for teachers,...

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Check out the work our group is doing! A link to learn more is included in the video description if you feel inclined!

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Building the Future of Education with GenerationAI's Communities of Practice

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In 1924, Sidney Pressey, a professor from Ohio State University, invented a teaching machine. The mechanical device, about the size of a portable typewriter, allowed students to press one of four keys to answer questions curated by expert instructors. A later version dispensed candy for correct answers.

Education optimists were fascinated, and Pressey promised the technology would accelerate student learning. But the machine was a commercial flop.

Exactly a century later, similar programs spangle U.S. classrooms: i-Ready, DreamBox, Khan Academy, IXL, and many others. They are driven by clever algorithms rather than finger power. Though none feature candy dispensers as rewards, some have animations or videos explaining what a student got wrong. The pandemic mania for teaching kids on computers prompted a great surge in the adoption of such programs.

Do they work? In August 2022, three researchers at Khan Academy, a popular math practice website, published the results of a massive, 99-district study of students. It showed an effect size of 0.26 standard deviations (SD)-equivalent to several months of additional schooling-for students who used the program as recommended.

A 2016 Harvard study of DreamBox, a competing mathematics platform, though without the benefit of Sal Khan's satin voiceover, found an effect size of 0.20 SD for students who used the program as recommended. A 2019 study of i-Ready, a similar program, reported an effect size in math of 0.22 SD-again for students who used the program as recommended. And in 2023 IXL, yet another online mathematics program, reported an effect size of 0.14 SD for students who used the program as designed.

Those gains, and many others like them reported each year, are impressive. Since use of these tools is widespread, one could be forgiven for asking why American students are not making impressive gains in math achievement. John Gabrieli, an MIT neuroscientist, declares himself "impressed how education technology has had no effect on . . . outcomes." He was talking about reading but could equally have called out mathematics, the other big area in which education technology is widely used but growth in achievement has not followed.

A clue is in those wiggle words "students who used the program as recommended." Just how many students do use these programs as recommended-at least 30 minutes per week in the case of Khan Academy? The answer is usually buried in a footnote, if it's reported at all. In the case of the Khan study, it is 4.7 percent of students. The percentage of students using the other products as prescribed is similarly low.

Imagine a doctor prescribing a sophisticated new drug to 100 patients and finding 95 of them didn't take it as prescribed. That is the situation with many online math interventions in K-12 education today. They are a solution for the 5 percent. The other 95 percent see minimal gains, if any.

Worse, some studies report that the 5 percent who do see results skew towards higher income, higher performing students. A 2022 study of Zearn, another math learning platform, in Washington, DC, public schools found that students who used the program most were more likely to be white or Asian and from high-income areas of the city and less likely to be considered at risk. (Other studies, including the one of Khan Academy, show no particular pattern across student groups.) Learning gains for any group of students are to be welcomed, but it may be that the 5 percent of learners who achieve strong results with these programs could achieve the same strong results with any practice program, including paper-and-pencil practice. At the very least, districts leaders who adopt online learning programs with the aim of reducing equity gaps in math should be aware that they may be widening them.

It's not at all clear that the program vendors are at fault, any more than you would blame a pharmaceutical company for the failure to see results among patients who didn't take their drug. Indeed, the vendors point to data that students who use their program more show higher performance. But that is a correlation. As Hilary Yamtich, a fourth grade math teacher at a school in Oakland, California, who conducted a study of her own, points out, "students who are more motivated to learn are more likely to choose to use Khan."

There may be other reasons beyond motivation that some students use these programs to such different extents. One possibility is that some teachers are more committed to implementing the programs than others-if they selected the program themselves, for instance. And "programs that have been carefully integrated into the curriculum, rather than seen as supplemental to it, likely see more consistent usage patterns," according to Sarah Johnson of Teaching Lab, a nonprofit focused on teacher coaching. The Harvard study of DreamBox found that the variation in student usage was driven more by "teacher- and school-level practices" than by "student preferences."

A second theory focuses on student behavior: perhaps some students use the program at home while others do not. The pandemic forced many school districts to address disparities in access to technology, but not all students have parents who badger them to do their homework or have time to assist with it.

Other students may simply be more motivated to do well in math, as Yamtich says, or more assiduous in following their teacher's instructions. Another Zearn study found that high-usage students were more likely to believe they can improve in math, an attitude researchers refer to as a "growth mindset." The researchers concluded that using their program led to a better mindset, but the causal arrow could equally point in the opposite direction: students with a growth mindset invest more time in trying to improve.

Third, the programs may have been unintentionally designed to fit high achievers better, says Stacy Marple, a researcher at WestEd who has studied several online programs. Marple tells the story of a 7th grade classroom where she observed an online program that asked a student, "Using the principles of equivalency and inverse operations, isolate the variable" in an equation. The student clicked each possible answer in turn. "Do you know what [the question] is asking you?" Marple asked the student. "Umm, not really," she replied. (Your correspondent is similarly unsure.) The program offered no way for students to look up the meaning of a word like "isolate."

In another classroom, students were provided with video explanations of concepts they struggled with. But few students ever watched a video, since doing so was considered a "hint" by the program and resulted in points being deducted from their score. That, in turn, might result in them having to repeat a problem set from the beginning, What is meant to help students instead makes some feel like a bird in a box, which they are most desperate to avoid.

Whatever the reason for low usage-and it is likely a combination of all of these-schools should assume the impact of online learning programs will be limited unless they take steps to ensure the students who need them most get the recommended dosage. This is especially important since, as Ken Koedinger, an expert on education technology at Carnegie Mellon University, points out, there is solid evidence that the amount of practice a student does directly impacts their learning. Recognizing this, an initiative in Texas, for example, offered grants only to those districts that submitted a plan to achieve fidelity to a learning program and a way to track it. At the very least, districts should make a habit of looking at usage data from these platforms.

Since schools pay for these programs, it would be fair for taxpayers to ask if their dollars are being wasted. That could lead to schools seeking agreements with vendors so they pay only for time used. "Even better," says Raymond Pierce, president of the Southern Education Foundation, a non-profit founded to advance education opportunities, "would be to pay solely for growth in student achievement." That seems sure to focus the minds of vendors' executives who can expect, on current performance, to lose their shirts.

Districts may have been lulled into a false sense of security by the research reports published by vendors. Federal rules for schools' use of Title I funds in low-performing schools require them to purchase only interventions that have evidence of effectiveness for a sample of at least 300 students. But it says nothing about what percentage of the student body that 300 should represent. The urgent question is not just whether the tools are effective but for whom. One hundred years after Pressey, we still don't know.

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Online mathematics programs may benefit most the kids who need it least

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