# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
PURPOSE: Extreme Leadership offers students an opportunity to develop leadership skills through networking and collaborating with peers…

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Fall 2025_ MIU IV Gifted Network Meeting

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Act 158 of 2018 and Act 6 of 2017 provide alternatives to Pennsylvania's statewide requirement of attaining proficiency on the three end-of-course Keystone Exams (Algebra I, Literature, and Biology). Effective with the graduating class of 2023, students have the option to demonstrate postsecondary preparedness through one of four additional pathways that more fully illustrate college, career, and community readiness.

This toolkit and its related resources provide guidance on the five pathways to graduation as well as opportunities to meet statewide graduation requirements for students who may be experiencing extenuating circumstances or participating in a special education program that does not otherwise meet the requirements of Act 158.

Questions related to Act 158 may be directed to ra-edgradrequirement@pa.gov.

NOTE: Effective July 1, 2022, there are two significant changes to the statewide high school graduation requirements:

A Keystone Composite comprised of two numeric scores

An extension of the pandemic as an extenuating circumstance

For additional detail, reference the New and Noteworthy section available below.

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Act 158: Pathways to Graduation Toolkit - SAS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Act 158 of 2018 and Act 6 of 2017 provide alternatives to Pennsylvania’s statewide requirement of attaining proficiency on the three end-of-course Keystone Exams (Algebra I, Literature, and Biology). Effective with the graduating class of 2023, students have the option to demonstrate postsecondary p…

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ELD Administrators and Coordinators Handbook

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ELD Administrators and Coordinators Handbook

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Become a Member of the MIU IV School Counselors Network To become a member of the MIU IV School Counselors Network and receive...

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Artificial Intelligence and Social-Emotional Learning Are on a Collision Course

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Artificial Intelligence and Social-Emotional Learning Are on a Collision Course

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Artificial Intelligence and Social-Emotional Learning Are on a Collision Course.pdf

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Artificial Intelligence and Social-Emotional Learning Are on a Collision Course

# data[].attributes.subject
Artificial Intelligence and Social-Emotional Learning Are on a Collision Course

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Artificial Intelligence and Social-Emotional Learning Are on a Collision Course.pdf

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Free, downloadable resources for educators working with multilingual families, spoken language interpreters, translators working in school settings, and multilingual families.

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ACCESS grades 4-5 Writing Domain Clarification

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PaTTAN - Operationalizing Cultural Navigation | PaTTANpod [S5E15]

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A previous episode of PaTTANpod explores cultural navigation, a model for providing linguistically and culturally relevant support to English Learners and their families. Operationalizing cultural navigation requires collaboration among multiple LEA and community partners. Erin Conahan, Mark Simms,…

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Guidance on Interpreters, Translators, and Liasons

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Guidance on Interpreters, Translators, and Liasons

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State law requires local education agencies (LEAs) to provide all important information to parents who are not proficient in English in a language or mode of communication that they understand. See 22 Pa. Code §4.26 and Educating English Learners (ELs) Basic Education Circular.

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English Learner Portal

Welcome to the Pennsylvania Department of Education's English Learner Portal. Resources include support materials, a translation library, technical assistance resources, and professional learning opportunities - including office hours and trainings.

For regulations, policies, and guidance, please visit the PDE EL webpage.
To access updates and course offerings, sign up to join the PDE - English Language Development Professional Learning Community (PLC).Join the PLC

Technical Assistance Request

Questions related to EL programming may be directed to the following:

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Welcome to the Pennsylvania Department of Education's English Learner Portal. Resources include support materials, a translation library, technical assistance resources, and professional learning opportunities - including office hours and trainings. For regulations, policies, and guidance, please visit the PDE EL webpage.

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The first chapter gives an overview of the countries and languages of our new arrivals. The second chapter title describes the contents: Welcoming Newcomers to a Safe, Inclusive, and Thriving School Environment. This chapter begins with the legal rights of newcomers, continues with a discussion of the enrollment process, and ends with an extensive list of strategies to support newcomer orientation and adjustment.

Chapter Three focuses on the social, emotional, and mental health needs of newcomers. It focuses on the unique issues that newcomers may be dealing with and the core stressors of many new arrivals. Suggestions for creating a trauma-sensitive school are offered as well as listing many of the benefits of partnering with community organizations to provide critical services to both the students and their families.

The fourth chapter centers around the academic instruction of newcomers, with an extensive list of components that schools can provide to assist new arrivals access content and develop their English language skills. Information on supporting students who may need additional time and attention through the RTI (Response to Intervention) or MTSS (the Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) process is covered in some detail. Also in this chapter is a discussion on the various language delivery systems available for newcomers, including dual language and bilingual programming.

The final chapter covers multiple ways to engage families in the education of their children. It begins with a list of parent rights and moves into suggestions for more inclusive policies and programs for newcomer families. An extensive list of strategies to support family engagement is provided along with multiple links to videos of exemplary programs across the country. Links are scattered throughout the document on almost every topic that offer additional resources and examples.

Overall, the Newcomer Toolkit is an excellent resource for any school or school district looking for ways to best support its new arrivals and their families. This link will take you to the USDE document which is free to access and download.

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The first chapter gives an overview of the countries and languages of our new arrivals. The second chapter title describes the contents: Welcoming Newcomers to a Safe, Inclusive, and Thriving School Environment. This chapter begins with the legal rights of newcomers, continues with a discussion of the enrollment process, and ends with an extensive list of strategies to support newcomer orientation and adjustment.

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Use existing curriculum, or generate standards-aligned content with real, cited sources.

Choose a grade level and language, and watch Diffit create complete, differentiated resources. ✅

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Use existing curriculum, or generate standards-aligned content with real, cited sources. Choose a grade level and language, and watch Diffit create complete, differentiated resources. ✅

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Marco DALE: Framework for Spanish Language Development

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Marco DALE: Framework for Spanish Language Development

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Lea este artículo en español.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MADISON, Wis. - WIDA releases the Marco de los estándares del desarrollo auténtico del lenguaje español de WIDA (Marco DALE), WIDA's latest Spanish language development standards framework. The Marco DALE is a framework for instruction, curriculum, professional development and assessments of Spanish language development of bi/multilingual learners who are learning academic content in Spanish.

The Marco DALE is designed to provide comprehensive support for bilingual classroom-level educator needs and works in tandem with the Marco de referencia de las artes del lenguaje del español de WIDA (Marco ALE) and the WIDA English Language Development Standards Framework, 2020 Edition. Additionally, the Marco DALE may be adapted to inform policies and initiatives that promote Spanish bilingual education and programs of Spanish as a heritage and world language. The Marco DALE is written in Spanish with English summaries.

"We are thrilled to introduce the Marco DALE. This framework represents a significant step forward in our commitment to supporting bi/multilingual learners and their educators in Spanish language development," Samuel Aguirre, WIDA Español director, said. "The Marco DALE embodies our dedication to equity, excellence and innovation in bilingual education."

The Marco DALE was developed with six Big Ideas in mind: equity, integration, collaboration, interaction, multiliteracies and transculturalism.

"With the Marco DALE, the future of Spanish language education is brighter than ever," Tim Boals, WIDA founder and director, said. "It empowers educators to unlock the full potential of bi/multilingual learners and fosters a deeper appreciation for language and culture in the classroom."

Learn more on the Marco DALE webpage

WIDA Español offers educators who teach academic content and language development in Spanish a comprehensive system for supporting instruction and assessment. To receive occasional messages about WIDA Español resources, products, tools and services, use the form on the  news page (and the email that follows) to select the WIDA Español interest area.

WIDA is an educational services organization within the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Education that advances academic language development and academic achievement for multilingual children to help ensure equitable, quality education.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

Hannah Haynes, hrhaynes@wisc.edu

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News Release: Introducing the Marco DALE: A groundbreaking framework for Spanish language development standards

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
WIDA releases the Marco de los estándares del desarrollo auténtico del lenguaje español de WIDA (Marco DALE), WIDA's latest Spanish language development standards framework. The Marco DALE is a framework for instruction, curriculum, professional development and assessments of Spanish language development of bi/multilingual learners who are learning academic content in Spanish.

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November 2023 PDE ELD Conference Agenda_Register Now(2).pdf

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3 Simple Ways to get Started Using A.I. In Your Classroom

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3 Simple Ways to get Started Using A.I. In Your Classroom

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I'm partly writing this series of articles for myself, because I tend to get asked the question all the time: "Where should I start with AI in my classroom?"

And, because I'm sometimes a shiny-object chaser, I'll give some different recommendations at various times.

I'm also writing it because as more and more AI tools are being widely adopted and used in classrooms around the world, there are a few that are starting to stand out as:

1. Easy to use and understand

2. Ready to make an impact in your classroom on Day 1 of using

3. Continuing to improve as a product and tool for teaching/learning

In this first article in the series, I'm breaking down three tools for teachers. The second article will share three for your students. And the final third part of this series will have a few bonus AI tools that work well for students and teachers.

If you have any questions, reach out anytime.

Let's get started.

MagicSchool is the swiss-army knife of AI for teachers. It can do almost anything you need it to do.

Lesson plan? Check.

Modifications and accommodations for IEPs? Check.

Make it relevant suggestions and ideas? Check.

Rubrics? Check.

Quiz, teacher joke generator, differentiation, science lab, 5E lessons, word problems, student feedback, math spiral, text leveling, translation? Check, check, check!

It is much like ChatGPT (or Claude or Bard) but the way it compartmentalizes what you can do, seems to help folks like me focus on a specific task before moving on to the next task.

I put this as #1 for a reason. It's free, easy to use, and they keep making it a better product.

Favorite Way To Use This Tool:

Ya'll know that I'm a big believer in making lessons, activities, and units both meaningful and relevant (that is what my upcoming book is all about). Sometimes, we are not sure where to start. That's where MagicSchool comes in.

Take a lesson like teaching Prime and Composite numbers to 4th grade students. It's not the most engaging thing to teach, and like one teacher in a recent workshop I led, it can be difficult to make it "relevant".

Went to MagicSchool, clicked on the "Make it Relevant!" tab and entered in the following information:

Grade: 4th Grade

Topic: Prime and Composite Numbers

Student Interests: Soccer and Youtube

Here is what it kicked (get it) out:

As a master teacher in a school who knows the background of a community well, I understand that making the subject relevant to students' interests can greatly enhance their learning experience. Considering the background of 4th-grade students who love soccer and YouTube, here are three unique ideas to make teaching prime and composite numbers more engaging and relatable:

1. Soccer Jersey Factoring: Create a hands-on activity where students are given soccer jerseys with numbers on them. Each number represents a different player. Students need to identify whether the number on the jersey is a prime or composite number by factoring it. For example, if a student receives a jersey with the number 15, they would need to factor it into 3 and 5, realizing it is a composite number.

2. Soccer Team Primality Challenge: Divide the class into teams and assign each team a soccer-related name. Provide a list of numbers and ask them to determine whether each number is prime or composite. For every correct answer, the team earns a point. Encourage students to discuss and justify their answers. This activity can be done in a quiz format or as a friendly competition between teams.

3. YouTube Views and Prime Numbers: Utilize students' familiarity with YouTube by introducing the concept of prime numbers through video views. Show them a popular video with a high number of views and explain that prime numbers can only be divided evenly by 1 and themselves. Discuss how prime numbers can be compared to a video with an extraordinary number of views, as they cannot be evenly divided by any other number. Encourage students to find examples of popular videos with prime or composite view counts and share their discoveries with the class.

These ideas incorporate the students' interests in soccer and YouTube while teaching the concept of prime and composite numbers. By linking the subject matter to their background and grade level, the students are more likely to feel engaged and motivated to learn.

Now, the teacher took the first idea (that they liked best) and headed over to Curipod to come up with their kickoff (I did it again) lesson.

Curipod is easily one of my favorite AI tools for educators.

If you have ever used Nearpod, Peardeck, or even Kahoot - then Curipod is something you'll really enjoy (and it will save you a ton of time).

Curipod is free for educators and has a ton of functionality.

It helps you plan and deliver interactive (key word) lessons on any topic. Whether you want to make a full interactive slide presentation (like a Nearpod or Peardeck), or create an Exit Ticket - Curipod has you covered.

All you need to do is enter your grade, the objectives and standards you are focusing on, and a topic (as much detail as you can) of the lesson or activity you are preparing for.

Then Curipod will kick out a fully-developed slide deck that includes open ended questions, polls, drawing, word clouds and more.

Favorite Way To Use This Tool:

A few of the features I really like are the Drawing Prompt and the Personalized Feedback.

Drawing prompt is great because I can see on the teacher side of the tool what they students are entering in. It can be a math question, a sketch, or just anything you want to ask. Drawing allows for unlimited parameters especially with younger students who are using a tablet or touchscreen.

Personalized Feedback is where things get crazy cool. Here I can ask a question and students will answer it on their device.

Then, based on the information I gave Curipod on my assignment, objectives, and standards - the tool will give students personalized feedback on their answer. You can see what this is as a teacher and always adjust, but it's worth trying out just for this feature!

Teacher Talk vs Student Talk.

We know how important student talk is during a classroom activity, and yet, if you are anything like me - I just talk too much sometimes.

Here is where Parlay can help out.

It helps run awesome relevant and meaningful discussions. You can do this in person, online, or a mix of both.

For example if we were doing a lesson on the difference between Qualitative and Quantitative Data, I would find a Youtube video I liked explaining the topic and enter the URL into Parlay Genie.

Then choose how many discussion questions.

Voila, here's what I would get:

From here I can change or modify the questions, or add questions.

Then I click Start Discussion.

Now I go to the dashboard and can invite students in a multitude of ways:

Favorite Ways to Use This Tool:

For me, I've always loved a good class discussion. Parlay ramps it up by using AI to take some of the strategies I've used for a long time and make them accessible and quickly created.

We can use this in conjunction with the Discussion Game and the Fishbowl.

For the Discussion Game, here's the basics. Each student gets an envelope with a group of different colored cards to use throughout the discussion. They must play each card once, but can play the question card multiple times after using all other cards.

Each card is worth a point (if you want to grade this activity, completely up to you and your classroom/school) and the goal is to replace assessing only the final product (quiz) and instead the process of learning (having an active discussion).

This scaffolds the student-centered classroom in two ways.

First, the game is centered on your subject, concept, content, text for the lesson. Students have to be engaged with that content in order to respond with the above answers and questions (I think, I know because, I feel, Connect, etc).

Second, it models the many ways you can contribute to an active learning discussion. This helps the students who may be shy or want to hide during the discussion.

Finally, we added a back-channel component to this game where students did not have to always talk out-loud to the class to discuss and earn points, but could "play their cards" online in platforms like PARLAY for participating in the discussion.

After playing the discussion game a few times, students began to get into discussions and own the conversation. Yes, they were prodded into answers and asking questions, but the goal of the first step is to get them talking (and have me talk way less).

It worked for our class and for many in our school. But, it was not the final goal. I'd rather not have the carrot (or stick) be the only reason students are talking, so we had to continue moving away from that reason, and also change up the format to one that is less scripted by the cards.

Enter, the Fish Bowl.

This activity was used by our colleague Anthony Gabriele, and like all good things we modified it to work with our group of students. There are some good write-ups online for the Fish Bowl ( like this one) and many different ways to do it, but here is how we did it in my class as the second step.

Fish Bowl Prep: Students are to have read, learned, or already delved into a specific text or content before the start of class. This, however, does not need to be homework. It could be learning that happened in a previous lesson or experience. The key is that the students are not learning something "new" during the Fish Bowl, they are instead going to learn from each other during the discussion and share their insights and questions (much like the discussion game).

Classroom Setup: Set up your classroom with two sets of circles. One big circle will be on the outside and then on the inside there will be a smaller circle of four-to-five chairs (depending on class size this could also be three or six chairs).

How it Works: When students come into class they will grab a seat. Don't worry where they sit as all students will eventually get into the middle of the circle (The Fish Bowl) for the discussion. The inside circle does the talking and discussing. They should be prepared but focus on having an active conversation using the techniques learned in the discussion game. The outside circle takes notes on the inner discussion. This could be scaffolded by the teacher to focus on specific areas of the conversation, or more wide open like taking notes during a lecture. Depends on your situation for how you want to prep students for the outside not taking.

Every five minutes you'll want to replace the inner circle with new students to discuss. They can pick up where the previous discussion left off, or start new.

Two keys to making this work. First, as a teacher, you must not prompt or get students talking. The goal is for them to have a productive struggle in the beginning and then get into a flow. Second, depending on your class you may want to pick the fishbowl groups ahead of time to get a good mix of students for the discussion. This, of course, is your preference as the teacher.

Finally, you can assess this conversation in a few ways, but I'd focus more on the active discussion part than what was said at first. Then as you do it more often and students become comfortable you can change a rubric to have different assessment pieces that reflect the content of the discussion.
Note: As with the Discussion Game, you can add an online component to this as well. Have the outside of the circle write their feedback and notes on a shared doc, a backchannel like PARLAY!
Up Next

In the second-part of this series, we'll be covering 3 Easy Ways to Get Your Students Using AI for Learning Purposes. You are not going to want to miss it! Subscribe below if you want to join the newsletter and get these posts sent directly to your inbox.

I'm partly writing this series of articles for myself, because I tend to get asked the question all the time: "Where should I start with AI in my classroom?"

And, because I'm sometimes a shiny-object chaser, I'll give some different recommendations at various times.

I'm also writing it because as more and more AI tools are being widely adopted and used in classrooms around the world, there are a few that are starting to stand out as:

1. Easy to use and understand

2. Ready to make an impact in your classroom on Day 1 of using

3. Continuing to improve as a product and tool for teaching/learning

In this first article in the series, I'm breaking down three tools for teachers. The second article will share three for your students. And the final third part of this series will have a few bonus AI tools that work well for students and teachers.

If you have any questions, reach out anytime.

Let's get started.

MagicSchool is the swiss-army knife of AI for teachers. It can do almost anything you need it to do.

Lesson plan? Check.

Modifications and accommodations for IEPs? Check.

Make it relevant suggestions and ideas? Check.

Rubrics? Check.

Quiz, teacher joke generator, differentiation, science lab, 5E lessons, word problems, student feedback, math spiral, text leveling, translation? Check, check, check!

It is much like ChatGPT (or Claude or Bard) but the way it compartmentalizes what you can do, seems to help folks like me focus on a specific task before moving on to the next task.

I put this as #1 for a reason. It's free, easy to use, and they keep making it a better product.

Favorite Way To Use This Tool:

Ya'll know that I'm a big believer in making lessons, activities, and units both meaningful and relevant (that is what my upcoming book is all about). Sometimes, we are not sure where to start. That's where MagicSchool comes in.

Take a lesson like teaching Prime and Composite numbers to 4th grade students. It's not the most engaging thing to teach, and like one teacher in a recent workshop I led, it can be difficult to make it "relevant".

Went to MagicSchool, clicked on the "Make it Relevant!" tab and entered in the following information:

Grade: 4th Grade

Topic: Prime and Composite Numbers

Student Interests: Soccer and Youtube

Here is what it kicked (get it) out:

As a master teacher in a school who knows the background of a community well, I understand that making the subject relevant to students' interests can greatly enhance their learning experience. Considering the background of 4th-grade students who love soccer and YouTube, here are three unique ideas to make teaching prime and composite numbers more engaging and relatable:

1. Soccer Jersey Factoring: Create a hands-on activity where students are given soccer jerseys with numbers on them. Each number represents a different player. Students need to identify whether the number on the jersey is a prime or composite number by factoring it. For example, if a student receives a jersey with the number 15, they would need to factor it into 3 and 5, realizing it is a composite number.

2. Soccer Team Primality Challenge: Divide the class into teams and assign each team a soccer-related name. Provide a list of numbers and ask them to determine whether each number is prime or composite. For every correct answer, the team earns a point. Encourage students to discuss and justify their answers. This activity can be done in a quiz format or as a friendly competition between teams.

3. YouTube Views and Prime Numbers: Utilize students' familiarity with YouTube by introducing the concept of prime numbers through video views. Show them a popular video with a high number of views and explain that prime numbers can only be divided evenly by 1 and themselves. Discuss how prime numbers can be compared to a video with an extraordinary number of views, as they cannot be evenly divided by any other number. Encourage students to find examples of popular videos with prime or composite view counts and share their discoveries with the class.

These ideas incorporate the students' interests in soccer and YouTube while teaching the concept of prime and composite numbers. By linking the subject matter to their background and grade level, the students are more likely to feel engaged and motivated to learn.

Now, the teacher took the first idea (that they liked best) and headed over to Curipod to come up with their kickoff (I did it again) lesson.

Curipod is easily one of my favorite AI tools for educators.

If you have ever used Nearpod, Peardeck, or even Kahoot - then Curipod is something you'll really enjoy (and it will save you a ton of time).

Curipod is free for educators and has a ton of functionality.

It helps you plan and deliver interactive (key word) lessons on any topic. Whether you want to make a full interactive slide presentation (like a Nearpod or Peardeck), or create an Exit Ticket - Curipod has you covered.

All you need to do is enter your grade, the objectives and standards you are focusing on, and a topic (as much detail as you can) of the lesson or activity you are preparing for.

Then Curipod will kick out a fully-developed slide deck that includes open ended questions, polls, drawing, word clouds and more.

Favorite Way To Use This Tool:

A few of the features I really like are the Drawing Prompt and the Personalized Feedback.

Drawing prompt is great because I can see on the teacher side of the tool what they students are entering in. It can be a math question, a sketch, or just anything you want to ask. Drawing allows for unlimited parameters especially with younger students who are using a tablet or touchscreen.

Personalized Feedback is where things get crazy cool. Here I can ask a question and students will answer it on their device.

Then, based on the information I gave Curipod on my assignment, objectives, and standards - the tool will give students personalized feedback on their answer. You can see what this is as a teacher and always adjust, but it's worth trying out just for this feature!

Teacher Talk vs Student Talk.

We know how important student talk is during a classroom activity, and yet, if you are anything like me - I just talk too much sometimes.

Here is where Parlay can help out.

It helps run awesome relevant and meaningful discussions. You can do this in person, online, or a mix of both.

For example if we were doing a lesson on the difference between Qualitative and Quantitative Data, I would find a Youtube video I liked explaining the topic and enter the URL into Parlay Genie.

Then choose how many discussion questions.

Voila, here's what I would get:

From here I can change or modify the questions, or add questions.

Then I click Start Discussion.

Now I go to the dashboard and can invite students in a multitude of ways:

Favorite Ways to Use This Tool:

For me, I've always loved a good class discussion. Parlay ramps it up by using AI to take some of the strategies I've used for a long time and make them accessible and quickly created.

We can use this in conjunction with the Discussion Game and the Fishbowl.

For the Discussion Game, here's the basics. Each student gets an envelope with a group of different colored cards to use throughout the discussion. They must play each card once, but can play the question card multiple times after using all other cards.

Each card is worth a point (if you want to grade this activity, completely up to you and your classroom/school) and the goal is to replace assessing only the final product (quiz) and instead the process of learning (having an active discussion).

This scaffolds the student-centered classroom in two ways.

First, the game is centered on your subject, concept, content, text for the lesson. Students have to be engaged with that content in order to respond with the above answers and questions (I think, I know because, I feel, Connect, etc).

Second, it models the many ways you can contribute to an active learning discussion. This helps the students who may be shy or want to hide during the discussion.

Finally, we added a back-channel component to this game where students did not have to always talk out-loud to the class to discuss and earn points, but could "play their cards" online in platforms like PARLAY for participating in the discussion.

After playing the discussion game a few times, students began to get into discussions and own the conversation. Yes, they were prodded into answers and asking questions, but the goal of the first step is to get them talking (and have me talk way less).

It worked for our class and for many in our school. But, it was not the final goal. I'd rather not have the carrot (or stick) be the only reason students are talking, so we had to continue moving away from that reason, and also change up the format to one that is less scripted by the cards.

Enter, the Fish Bowl.

This activity was used by our colleague Anthony Gabriele, and like all good things we modified it to work with our group of students. There are some good write-ups online for the Fish Bowl ( like this one) and many different ways to do it, but here is how we did it in my class as the second step.

Fish Bowl Prep: Students are to have read, learned, or already delved into a specific text or content before the start of class. This, however, does not need to be homework. It could be learning that happened in a previous lesson or experience. The key is that the students are not learning something "new" during the Fish Bowl, they are instead going to learn from each other during the discussion and share their insights and questions (much like the discussion game).

Classroom Setup: Set up your classroom with two sets of circles. One big circle will be on the outside and then on the inside there will be a smaller circle of four-to-five chairs (depending on class size this could also be three or six chairs).

How it Works: When students come into class they will grab a seat. Don't worry where they sit as all students will eventually get into the middle of the circle (The Fish Bowl) for the discussion. The inside circle does the talking and discussing. They should be prepared but focus on having an active conversation using the techniques learned in the discussion game. The outside circle takes notes on the inner discussion. This could be scaffolded by the teacher to focus on specific areas of the conversation, or more wide open like taking notes during a lecture. Depends on your situation for how you want to prep students for the outside not taking.

Every five minutes you'll want to replace the inner circle with new students to discuss. They can pick up where the previous discussion left off, or start new.

Two keys to making this work. First, as a teacher, you must not prompt or get students talking. The goal is for them to have a productive struggle in the beginning and then get into a flow. Second, depending on your class you may want to pick the fishbowl groups ahead of time to get a good mix of students for the discussion. This, of course, is your preference as the teacher.

Finally, you can assess this conversation in a few ways, but I'd focus more on the active discussion part than what was said at first. Then as you do it more often and students become comfortable you can change a rubric to have different assessment pieces that reflect the content of the discussion.
Note: As with the Discussion Game, you can add an online component to this as well. Have the outside of the circle write their feedback and notes on a shared doc, a backchannel like PARLAY!
Up Next

In the second-part of this series, we'll be covering 3 Easy Ways to Get Your Students Using AI for Learning Purposes. You are not going to want to miss it! Subscribe below if you want to join the newsletter and get these posts sent directly to your inbox.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
3 Simple Ways to Get Started Using A.I. In Your Classroom - A.J. Juliani

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I'm partly writing this series of articles for myself, because I tend to get asked the question all the time: "Where should I start with AI in my classroom?" And, because I'm sometimes a shiny-object chaser, I'll give some different recommendations at various times. I'm also writing it because a

# data[].attributes.headline
How Students Can Use Artificial Intelligence as a Learning Partner

# data[].attributes.subject
How Students Can Use Artificial Intelligence as a Learning Partner

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We are facing one of the biggest changes in recent education history with the majority of students now having the ability to use artificial intelligence tools to answer and complete any compliance-based work.

Math problems in the book for homework? I'll just use Photomath.

Five-paragraph essay due tomorrow? I'll use ChatGPT and Quillbot.

Discussion questions or quiz inside my LMS (Canvas, Schoology, Google Classroom). I'll use Coursology to answer those questions in seconds.

Slide presentation must be finished this class period. I'll use SlidesGPT or Canva Magic to finish it quickly.

The list could go on...

This change in our learning environment has many challenges, but one I keep seeing in my own teaching/learning experiences and in those in schools around the country is this: How do we get kids engaged and learning, instead of simply compliant?

For the learners, it must be meaningful and relevant. They must actually "care" about what they are learning, the assignments, and assessments-or AI will be used just to complete and finish what must be done.

For us as educators, the answer may be simpler than I originally thought. It goes back to what we value. If we value compliance, then our students see that and play the compliance game, and realize what is most important to us and the system. If we value learning, then our activities change, our grades/assessments look different, and our conversations and interactions shift.

Simply put, in what ways can we (as teachers, parents, coaches, and leaders) show we value learning over compliance?

In the second part of this series, we'll be focusing on ways that artificial intelligence can be used as a learning partner, instead of a tool to do the work.

If this is the world our students (and us) are living in, then we must focus on using AI to further learning, while keeping academic integrity.

The AI (Learning) Revolution Is Here

When the industrial revolution ushered in massive changes to the way we worked, maybe folks didn't see it coming.

With the AI revolution, we've seen it all along. We discussed how to handle these changes and what we would do "if" this happened.

And while artificial intelligence has been permeating many parts of our lives for a few decades now, it has ramped up at warp speeds over the last few months.

ChatGPT is an AI platform that we ALL can use so easily and quickly to learn and create. It has brought the future to the present and many outdated practices that we've been doing in education and work (because that's how we've always done it) are going to fade away fast.

As George Couros has said, "We can use change as an opportunity to make learning better".
That's what this video/podcast is all about.
Sure, we can be worried about the future, our jobs, and everything else that artificial intelligence may threaten.

But, right now is the perfect time to adopt, embrace, and use this technology to its fullest learning potential.

Our students (and all of us) have not only a wealth of information at our fingertips but also the creative output and potential that the world has never seen.

It doesn't mean we shouldn't be careful. Of course, we should, now more than ever. A recent study came out saying 96% (yes, you read that right) of school tech exposes student data...

So, when folks say this is something we have to look into with ChatGPT and AI Tools, I agree. I also would say look at what you are currently using just as much as any new technology that comes out.

However, we know that since this tool can be used at home, on personal devices, and on phones -- that it will be used. I loved this perspective from Garnet Valley Superintendent Dr. Marc Bertrando in an email/letter to the community.

If it is going to be used, then let's use it for learning purposes as much as we can. Check out the video as I go into detail on some specific ways to do that right now:

In the video we break down seven (really, eight) ways you can use AI right now to benefit learning:

#1: Embrace It #2: Substitute Google Search and Study Partner #3: Help Learners 24/7 (Chatbot) #4: Supercharge Writing and Brainstorming #5: Simulate Expert or Different Perspectives #6: Lessons, Curriculum, and Deep Learning Questions #7: UDL Everything Bonus: Write Grants - Get Funding
What About Deeper Learning Experiences?

In both Genius Hour and Project-Based Learning, students will begin with a challenge, continue with sustained inquiry, document their learning process, connect to standards, and demonstrate their learning in some type of creative product, presentation, or performance.

These type of experiences drive deeper learning and is what I'm most excited about when looking at AI tools for educational purposes.

This guide below serves as an overview of those steps in the deepr learning process, and how artificial intelligence tools can be used effectively to support students on their creative journey.

1. Start With A Problem/Challenge/Inquiry

Here's where we begin: A reason for learning.

Many folks will tell you to start with the curriculum, or with the standards, or with an enduring question/understanding; however, the best PBL experiences I've been a part of did not start there, but instead started with a reason.

When my students helped design Project: Global Inform, it was out of a need to actually DO something about current human rights violations. When Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay created the Flat Classroom Project it was out of a need to have global collaboration while students were in school. When teachers at my district created CentennialX it was out of a need to give students authentic opportunities to solve problems.

Great PBL experiences come from a place of need and interest. What problem can students solve? What challenge can be presented as an opportunity to create something of value? What curiosities and inquiries do students already have that can lead to a PBL experience?

As BIE outlines in their definition of PBL:

Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge.

Let's work backward by thinking about the reasons (and the WHY for PBL) that connect to a problem, challenge, or inquiry. This ultimately allows you as a teacher to start from a place of meaning and relevancy before going into any other areas of planning.

Artificial Intelligence Implications:

In PBL the teacher can often start this process with a shared problem or challenge for the class. In Genius Hour, students will choose this problem, challenge, or interest on their own.

In either case, AI tools can play a big role in coming up with the challenge, problem, or inquiry/interests.

I'll give you a few examples to highlight how this works.

Example #1: Student Is Choosing the Problem/Challenge/Interest

In this case, the student may have many different interests to pick through or feels like they don't have any. They can prompt ChatGPT to give them pros and cons of their different choices or share some things like doing and what other interests may be connected.

They can have a conversation about a local or global problem, see the overview, and begin to process whether it is an issue they would like to tackle.

Example #2: Teacher Is Choosing the Problem/Challenge/Interest

Here the teacher has picked the problem or challenge, and students may want to find authentic connections. Teachers can quickly pull up a Curipod lesson to introduce the problem, and then run a design sprint to get the kids interested in the problem/challenge and what it means to them!

2. What Are Students Going to Learn? What Skills Will They Acquire and Master?

The second step of this system is to identify what the students are going to learn during this PBL experience. This is when you look at the curriculum, standards, and skills that align with the content area information that is going to be a part of this process.

While it may seem a bit difficult at first, I want to provide an example.

Let's say you are teaching 4th grade. Your students are excited to tackle the challenge of getting kids in the cafeteria to actually recycle with regularity! That is a great challenge and problem to tackle, but how does it connect to your standards and curriculum?

Here is where you can unpack the standards and current curriculum that you have. The research to find best practices for recycling connects to many standards. Reading, writing, and viewing also connect to standards. The designing, prototyping, and creating of a new recycling can or system connects to standards.

Maybe you can link this PBL experience to a Social Studies unit that talks about the rise of recycling. Maybe it links to a non-fiction part of your Language Arts curriculum. Maybe the scientific process can be used to connect to your Science or STEM curriculum. And of course, the planning and creation can be linked to a piece of the Math curriculum.

Every school and district is different, but if we are going to make the switch to PBL and Genius Hour, we must not forget that our focus is on what skills and knowledge students can acquire and master in order to help prepare for their future.

Artificial Intelligence Implications:

Using the example above, I prompted ChatGPT the following: Create a 4th grade cross-curricular project-based learning activity on recycling.

Here is the output:

Title: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! A Project-Based Learning Activity

Grade Level: 4th grade

Subject Areas: Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, and Math

Duration: 3-4 weeks

Overview: In this project-based learning activity, students will explore the importance of recycling and learn ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste. Students will engage in hands-on activities, research, and collaboration to create a presentation on recycling.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the importance of recycling for the environment and human health.

Identify different types of waste and materials that can be recycled.

Develop strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste.

Use research and critical thinking skills to investigate the impact of recycling on the environment.

Develop communication and presentation skills to share information about recycling with others.

Materials:

Recycling bins

Art materials (scissors, glue, construction paper, etc.)

Books and online resources on recycling and the environment

Laptops or tablets with internet access

Presentation software (e.g. PowerPoint, Google Slides)

Activities:

1. Introduction to Recycling: Students will be introduced to the concept of recycling, the different types of waste that can be recycled, and the benefits of recycling. Students will also learn about the three R's of recycling: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

2. Waste Audit: Students will conduct a waste audit in their classroom or school to identify the types of waste produced and estimate the amount of waste that can be recycled. Students will use recycling bins to sort the waste and record their findings.

3. Research on Recycling: Students will work in small groups to research the impact of recycling on the environment and human health. Students will use books, online resources, and other materials to gather information and present their findings to the class.

4. Creative Recycling: Students will use art materials to create a project that demonstrates ways to reduce, reuse, or recycle waste. Students will use critical thinking skills to brainstorm ideas and create their project.

5. Presentation: Students will create a presentation on recycling that includes information on the benefits of recycling, different types of waste that can be recycled, strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste, and the impact of recycling on the environment. Students will use presentation software to create their presentation and practice their communication skills by presenting their work to the class.

Assessment: Students will be assessed on their participation in the waste audit, their research on recycling, their creative recycling project, and their presentation on recycling. Students will be evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of recycling, their ability to identify different types of waste and materials that can be recycled, their ability to develop strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste, and their ability to communicate their ideas effectively through their presentation.

I then asked it to connect this PBL activity to 4th grade PA State Standards and NextGen Standards:

Here are some connections between the project-based learning activity on recycling and the Pennsylvania State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for 4th grade:

Pennsylvania State Standards:

3.1.4.A: Know that the natural world includes rocks, soil, and water that can be observed in cycles, patterns, and systems.

3.2.4.C: Know that recycling materials can help to conserve natural resources.

3.4.4.A: Know that energy is needed for all activities and is derived from natural resources.

3.4.4.C: Identify and explain human impact on the environment.

3.6.4.C: Understand how to access and use electronic information resources to gather information.

Next Generation Science Standards:

4-ESS3-1: Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.

4-LS1-1: Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

4-ESS3-2: Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.

4-PS3-4: Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.

The project-based learning activity on recycling addresses the Pennsylvania State Standards by helping students understand natural cycles and patterns, the benefits of recycling materials, the impact of human activities on the environment, and how to access and use electronic information resources. The activity also aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards by addressing the importance of natural resources, the structures and functions of living things, the need to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans, and the design and testing of devices that convert energy from one form to another.

3. What Will Students Make, Create, Design? Who Are They Creating For and Why?

Now that we've got the major problem students will be solving, and the connection to curriculum and standards, the focus of our planning moves to what students will be making and who they will be making it for (as part of their authentic audience).

For this, I turn to authors Ross Cooper and Erin Murphy, and how they describe the variety of option for PBL in their book, Hacking PBL:

PBL can unfold in a variety of ways. Teachers should choose a track based on the needs of their students, their readiness as facilitators, and the demands of the curriculum. While it would be unrealistic to detail every possible track, below are the three we find are most common:

Product Track (most restrictive) - In a project completed with fourth-grade students, each group was expected to produce a pinball machine. The difference between this experience and a traditional project is that the journey to the product looked different depending on each group's creative decisions and trials and errors. Students learned about electricity & magnetism and force & motion through their work.

Problem Track (medium restrictive) - In this scenario, the project is initiated by presenting students with a problem, or in some cases, the students may identify the problem themselves. Examples may include how to tackle the dilemma of subpar cafeteria food, or students being asked to identify a problem of importance to their age group. Student work would then revolve around identifying the cause of the issue and proposing or enacting a remedy.

Open-Ended Track (least restrictive) - Here the project begins with the teacher sharing the High Impact Takeaways / enduring understandings and possibly the Umbrella / essential question with the class. Students then design a project that is truly medium agnostic. In other words, they can demonstrate their knowledge however they choose. For example, a high school physics teacher may share the High Impact Takeaway / enduring understanding: An electric current can produce a magnetic field and a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current. Students, with teacher guidance, then design a project that will support this understanding. Simply researching and sharing information would not be sufficient.

In each track, the students own the problem and can solve it in many different ways. Yet, depending on the class, the age, the subject, and the time constraints a teacher can set up and plan for a PBL experience that will align with the reality of their situation.

Artificial Intelligence Implications:

Here students can use artificial intelligence tools for the creative process. They can use AI tools to document their learning (Notion.ai), share their learning journey with video or podcast (Synthesia.ai), and even take notes as they are interviewing or talking with an expert mentor (Otter.ai).

Teachers can support the learning with tools like Diffit, that allow kids to take any research text and paste it in the app to get a leveled reading resource they can use.

Want to create an app or game? ChatGPT can help you code and deploy your idea.

Need to learn something your teacher may not be an expert in? AI tools can have conversations as that expert answering your questions and sharing learning suggestions.

The possibilities are endless for creating and documenting.

4. How Can You Scaffold and Structure the Experience?

In Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning, authors John Larmer, John Mergendoller, and Suzie Boss present a framework for the Gold Standard PBL, that includes Essential Project Design Elements and Project Based Teaching Practices.

In planning for PBL, the teacher must take an active role in not only looking at these elements but also acknowledging that it is going to be challenging work for the students that needs to be structured and scaffolded along the way.

We've already planned for what they are going to solve, how it connects to standards and skills, and what they will be making. But, a major piece in the planning process is putting together a structure that gives students voice and choice, while also holds them accountable with checks for understanding, benchmarks, and opportunities to iterate.

I'm a bit biased towards using the Design Thinking process to structure and scaffold PBL (check out The LAUNCH Cycle for more on this), but Design Thinking is one of many ways we can structure a PBL experience.

You may use the Engineering process, the scientific method, the inquiry cycle, or a process that works specifically within your content and with your students.

The key here is to have this planned out before students get started, and present them with a timeline of the project. You may be flexible throughout the project, but these guidelines will help students plan out their work, and give you spots to check for understanding along the way.

Artificial Intelligence Implications:

I would use Notion.ai and Trello to manage and track all student projects. See below:

5. When Will Students Self-Assess, Revise, and Reflect?

During Project-Based Learning, we can all fall into the trap of trying to race to the finish line at the last moment. The first few PBL experiences with my students went something like this:

I gave my students free reign over when they did their work, with only a final deadline for the completion of the project. Only to find out that most of them procrastinated till the last night, and finished the day before the project was due.

How could I blame them?! You could find me doing the same thing when I was in school and especially when I was getting my Master's degree in grad school. Procrastination is an easy trap to fall into, and it is also a powerful motivator.

Above we talked about a structure for PBL. But, I would go a step further in your planning and build in specific times for students to self-assess, to reflect on their work, and revise. Don't wait till the end of the project to do these extremely important learning tasks.

While we aren't going to dive into assessment in this post, I'd also say that a big piece of planning out PBL is realizing that we are going to have to assess not just the final product, but also the process, and most importantly the learning.

Planning for these times before the project begins will only help you as the teacher (and help the students) when it comes time to assess their work.

Artificial Intelligence Implications:

I still think this is done best in person. Reflecting, having round-table conversations, and assessing in real-time person-to-person always has more of an impact.

Yet, we don't often have that time built into our schedules. Here is where I think AI can help. It can speed the other parts of the content delivery and curriculum, so we DO have time for these important in-person sessions.

We will always need learning to be human, social, meaning-centered and language-based. Yet, some parts of the process right now take more time than others - that is ok, and we can plan accordingly to make this happen!

We are facing one of the biggest changes in recent education history with the majority of students now having the ability to use artificial intelligence tools to answer and complete any compliance-based work.

Math problems in the book for homework? I'll just use Photomath.

Five-paragraph essay due tomorrow? I'll use ChatGPT and Quillbot.

Discussion questions or quiz inside my LMS (Canvas, Schoology, Google Classroom). I'll use Coursology to answer those questions in seconds.

Slide presentation must be finished this class period. I'll use SlidesGPT or Canva Magic to finish it quickly.

The list could go on...

This change in our learning environment has many challenges, but one I keep seeing in my own teaching/learning experiences and in those in schools around the country is this: How do we get kids engaged and learning, instead of simply compliant?

For the learners, it must be meaningful and relevant. They must actually "care" about what they are learning, the assignments, and assessments-or AI will be used just to complete and finish what must be done.

For us as educators, the answer may be simpler than I originally thought. It goes back to what we value. If we value compliance, then our students see that and play the compliance game, and realize what is most important to us and the system. If we value learning, then our activities change, our grades/assessments look different, and our conversations and interactions shift.

Simply put, in what ways can we (as teachers, parents, coaches, and leaders) show we value learning over compliance?

In the second part of this series, we'll be focusing on ways that artificial intelligence can be used as a learning partner, instead of a tool to do the work.

If this is the world our students (and us) are living in, then we must focus on using AI to further learning, while keeping academic integrity.

The AI (Learning) Revolution Is Here

When the industrial revolution ushered in massive changes to the way we worked, maybe folks didn't see it coming.

With the AI revolution, we've seen it all along. We discussed how to handle these changes and what we would do "if" this happened.

And while artificial intelligence has been permeating many parts of our lives for a few decades now, it has ramped up at warp speeds over the last few months.

ChatGPT is an AI platform that we ALL can use so easily and quickly to learn and create. It has brought the future to the present and many outdated practices that we've been doing in education and work (because that's how we've always done it) are going to fade away fast.

As George Couros has said, "We can use change as an opportunity to make learning better".
That's what this video/podcast is all about.
Sure, we can be worried about the future, our jobs, and everything else that artificial intelligence may threaten.

But, right now is the perfect time to adopt, embrace, and use this technology to its fullest learning potential.

Our students (and all of us) have not only a wealth of information at our fingertips but also the creative output and potential that the world has never seen.

It doesn't mean we shouldn't be careful. Of course, we should, now more than ever. A recent study came out saying 96% (yes, you read that right) of school tech exposes student data...

So, when folks say this is something we have to look into with ChatGPT and AI Tools, I agree. I also would say look at what you are currently using just as much as any new technology that comes out.

However, we know that since this tool can be used at home, on personal devices, and on phones -- that it will be used. I loved this perspective from Garnet Valley Superintendent Dr. Marc Bertrando in an email/letter to the community.

If it is going to be used, then let's use it for learning purposes as much as we can. Check out the video as I go into detail on some specific ways to do that right now:

In the video we break down seven (really, eight) ways you can use AI right now to benefit learning:

#1: Embrace It #2: Substitute Google Search and Study Partner #3: Help Learners 24/7 (Chatbot) #4: Supercharge Writing and Brainstorming #5: Simulate Expert or Different Perspectives #6: Lessons, Curriculum, and Deep Learning Questions #7: UDL Everything Bonus: Write Grants - Get Funding
What About Deeper Learning Experiences?

In both Genius Hour and Project-Based Learning, students will begin with a challenge, continue with sustained inquiry, document their learning process, connect to standards, and demonstrate their learning in some type of creative product, presentation, or performance.

These type of experiences drive deeper learning and is what I'm most excited about when looking at AI tools for educational purposes.

This guide below serves as an overview of those steps in the deepr learning process, and how artificial intelligence tools can be used effectively to support students on their creative journey.

1. Start With A Problem/Challenge/Inquiry

Here's where we begin: A reason for learning.

Many folks will tell you to start with the curriculum, or with the standards, or with an enduring question/understanding; however, the best PBL experiences I've been a part of did not start there, but instead started with a reason.

When my students helped design Project: Global Inform, it was out of a need to actually DO something about current human rights violations. When Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay created the Flat Classroom Project it was out of a need to have global collaboration while students were in school. When teachers at my district created CentennialX it was out of a need to give students authentic opportunities to solve problems.

Great PBL experiences come from a place of need and interest. What problem can students solve? What challenge can be presented as an opportunity to create something of value? What curiosities and inquiries do students already have that can lead to a PBL experience?

As BIE outlines in their definition of PBL:

Project Based Learning is a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge.

Let's work backward by thinking about the reasons (and the WHY for PBL) that connect to a problem, challenge, or inquiry. This ultimately allows you as a teacher to start from a place of meaning and relevancy before going into any other areas of planning.

Artificial Intelligence Implications:

In PBL the teacher can often start this process with a shared problem or challenge for the class. In Genius Hour, students will choose this problem, challenge, or interest on their own.

In either case, AI tools can play a big role in coming up with the challenge, problem, or inquiry/interests.

I'll give you a few examples to highlight how this works.

Example #1: Student Is Choosing the Problem/Challenge/Interest

In this case, the student may have many different interests to pick through or feels like they don't have any. They can prompt ChatGPT to give them pros and cons of their different choices or share some things like doing and what other interests may be connected.

They can have a conversation about a local or global problem, see the overview, and begin to process whether it is an issue they would like to tackle.

Example #2: Teacher Is Choosing the Problem/Challenge/Interest

Here the teacher has picked the problem or challenge, and students may want to find authentic connections. Teachers can quickly pull up a Curipod lesson to introduce the problem, and then run a design sprint to get the kids interested in the problem/challenge and what it means to them!

2. What Are Students Going to Learn? What Skills Will They Acquire and Master?

The second step of this system is to identify what the students are going to learn during this PBL experience. This is when you look at the curriculum, standards, and skills that align with the content area information that is going to be a part of this process.

While it may seem a bit difficult at first, I want to provide an example.

Let's say you are teaching 4th grade. Your students are excited to tackle the challenge of getting kids in the cafeteria to actually recycle with regularity! That is a great challenge and problem to tackle, but how does it connect to your standards and curriculum?

Here is where you can unpack the standards and current curriculum that you have. The research to find best practices for recycling connects to many standards. Reading, writing, and viewing also connect to standards. The designing, prototyping, and creating of a new recycling can or system connects to standards.

Maybe you can link this PBL experience to a Social Studies unit that talks about the rise of recycling. Maybe it links to a non-fiction part of your Language Arts curriculum. Maybe the scientific process can be used to connect to your Science or STEM curriculum. And of course, the planning and creation can be linked to a piece of the Math curriculum.

Every school and district is different, but if we are going to make the switch to PBL and Genius Hour, we must not forget that our focus is on what skills and knowledge students can acquire and master in order to help prepare for their future.

Artificial Intelligence Implications:

Using the example above, I prompted ChatGPT the following: Create a 4th grade cross-curricular project-based learning activity on recycling.

Here is the output:

Title: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! A Project-Based Learning Activity

Grade Level: 4th grade

Subject Areas: Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, and Math

Duration: 3-4 weeks

Overview: In this project-based learning activity, students will explore the importance of recycling and learn ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste. Students will engage in hands-on activities, research, and collaboration to create a presentation on recycling.

Learning Objectives:

Understand the importance of recycling for the environment and human health.

Identify different types of waste and materials that can be recycled.

Develop strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste.

Use research and critical thinking skills to investigate the impact of recycling on the environment.

Develop communication and presentation skills to share information about recycling with others.

Materials:

Recycling bins

Art materials (scissors, glue, construction paper, etc.)

Books and online resources on recycling and the environment

Laptops or tablets with internet access

Presentation software (e.g. PowerPoint, Google Slides)

Activities:

1. Introduction to Recycling: Students will be introduced to the concept of recycling, the different types of waste that can be recycled, and the benefits of recycling. Students will also learn about the three R's of recycling: reduce, reuse, and recycle.

2. Waste Audit: Students will conduct a waste audit in their classroom or school to identify the types of waste produced and estimate the amount of waste that can be recycled. Students will use recycling bins to sort the waste and record their findings.

3. Research on Recycling: Students will work in small groups to research the impact of recycling on the environment and human health. Students will use books, online resources, and other materials to gather information and present their findings to the class.

4. Creative Recycling: Students will use art materials to create a project that demonstrates ways to reduce, reuse, or recycle waste. Students will use critical thinking skills to brainstorm ideas and create their project.

5. Presentation: Students will create a presentation on recycling that includes information on the benefits of recycling, different types of waste that can be recycled, strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste, and the impact of recycling on the environment. Students will use presentation software to create their presentation and practice their communication skills by presenting their work to the class.

Assessment: Students will be assessed on their participation in the waste audit, their research on recycling, their creative recycling project, and their presentation on recycling. Students will be evaluated based on their ability to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of recycling, their ability to identify different types of waste and materials that can be recycled, their ability to develop strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle waste, and their ability to communicate their ideas effectively through their presentation.

I then asked it to connect this PBL activity to 4th grade PA State Standards and NextGen Standards:

Here are some connections between the project-based learning activity on recycling and the Pennsylvania State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for 4th grade:

Pennsylvania State Standards:

3.1.4.A: Know that the natural world includes rocks, soil, and water that can be observed in cycles, patterns, and systems.

3.2.4.C: Know that recycling materials can help to conserve natural resources.

3.4.4.A: Know that energy is needed for all activities and is derived from natural resources.

3.4.4.C: Identify and explain human impact on the environment.

3.6.4.C: Understand how to access and use electronic information resources to gather information.

Next Generation Science Standards:

4-ESS3-1: Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and their uses affect the environment.

4-LS1-1: Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

4-ESS3-2: Generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.

4-PS3-4: Apply scientific ideas to design, test, and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another.

The project-based learning activity on recycling addresses the Pennsylvania State Standards by helping students understand natural cycles and patterns, the benefits of recycling materials, the impact of human activities on the environment, and how to access and use electronic information resources. The activity also aligns with the Next Generation Science Standards by addressing the importance of natural resources, the structures and functions of living things, the need to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans, and the design and testing of devices that convert energy from one form to another.

3. What Will Students Make, Create, Design? Who Are They Creating For and Why?

Now that we've got the major problem students will be solving, and the connection to curriculum and standards, the focus of our planning moves to what students will be making and who they will be making it for (as part of their authentic audience).

For this, I turn to authors Ross Cooper and Erin Murphy, and how they describe the variety of option for PBL in their book, Hacking PBL:

PBL can unfold in a variety of ways. Teachers should choose a track based on the needs of their students, their readiness as facilitators, and the demands of the curriculum. While it would be unrealistic to detail every possible track, below are the three we find are most common:

Product Track (most restrictive) - In a project completed with fourth-grade students, each group was expected to produce a pinball machine. The difference between this experience and a traditional project is that the journey to the product looked different depending on each group's creative decisions and trials and errors. Students learned about electricity & magnetism and force & motion through their work.

Problem Track (medium restrictive) - In this scenario, the project is initiated by presenting students with a problem, or in some cases, the students may identify the problem themselves. Examples may include how to tackle the dilemma of subpar cafeteria food, or students being asked to identify a problem of importance to their age group. Student work would then revolve around identifying the cause of the issue and proposing or enacting a remedy.

Open-Ended Track (least restrictive) - Here the project begins with the teacher sharing the High Impact Takeaways / enduring understandings and possibly the Umbrella / essential question with the class. Students then design a project that is truly medium agnostic. In other words, they can demonstrate their knowledge however they choose. For example, a high school physics teacher may share the High Impact Takeaway / enduring understanding: An electric current can produce a magnetic field and a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current. Students, with teacher guidance, then design a project that will support this understanding. Simply researching and sharing information would not be sufficient.

In each track, the students own the problem and can solve it in many different ways. Yet, depending on the class, the age, the subject, and the time constraints a teacher can set up and plan for a PBL experience that will align with the reality of their situation.

Artificial Intelligence Implications:

Here students can use artificial intelligence tools for the creative process. They can use AI tools to document their learning (Notion.ai), share their learning journey with video or podcast (Synthesia.ai), and even take notes as they are interviewing or talking with an expert mentor (Otter.ai).

Teachers can support the learning with tools like Diffit, that allow kids to take any research text and paste it in the app to get a leveled reading resource they can use.

Want to create an app or game? ChatGPT can help you code and deploy your idea.

Need to learn something your teacher may not be an expert in? AI tools can have conversations as that expert answering your questions and sharing learning suggestions.

The possibilities are endless for creating and documenting.

4. How Can You Scaffold and Structure the Experience?

In Setting the Standard for Project Based Learning, authors John Larmer, John Mergendoller, and Suzie Boss present a framework for the Gold Standard PBL, that includes Essential Project Design Elements and Project Based Teaching Practices.

In planning for PBL, the teacher must take an active role in not only looking at these elements but also acknowledging that it is going to be challenging work for the students that needs to be structured and scaffolded along the way.

We've already planned for what they are going to solve, how it connects to standards and skills, and what they will be making. But, a major piece in the planning process is putting together a structure that gives students voice and choice, while also holds them accountable with checks for understanding, benchmarks, and opportunities to iterate.

I'm a bit biased towards using the Design Thinking process to structure and scaffold PBL (check out The LAUNCH Cycle for more on this), but Design Thinking is one of many ways we can structure a PBL experience.

You may use the Engineering process, the scientific method, the inquiry cycle, or a process that works specifically within your content and with your students.

The key here is to have this planned out before students get started, and present them with a timeline of the project. You may be flexible throughout the project, but these guidelines will help students plan out their work, and give you spots to check for understanding along the way.

Artificial Intelligence Implications:

I would use Notion.ai and Trello to manage and track all student projects. See below:

5. When Will Students Self-Assess, Revise, and Reflect?

During Project-Based Learning, we can all fall into the trap of trying to race to the finish line at the last moment. The first few PBL experiences with my students went something like this:

I gave my students free reign over when they did their work, with only a final deadline for the completion of the project. Only to find out that most of them procrastinated till the last night, and finished the day before the project was due.

How could I blame them?! You could find me doing the same thing when I was in school and especially when I was getting my Master's degree in grad school. Procrastination is an easy trap to fall into, and it is also a powerful motivator.

Above we talked about a structure for PBL. But, I would go a step further in your planning and build in specific times for students to self-assess, to reflect on their work, and revise. Don't wait till the end of the project to do these extremely important learning tasks.

While we aren't going to dive into assessment in this post, I'd also say that a big piece of planning out PBL is realizing that we are going to have to assess not just the final product, but also the process, and most importantly the learning.

Planning for these times before the project begins will only help you as the teacher (and help the students) when it comes time to assess their work.

Artificial Intelligence Implications:

I still think this is done best in person. Reflecting, having round-table conversations, and assessing in real-time person-to-person always has more of an impact.

Yet, we don't often have that time built into our schedules. Here is where I think AI can help. It can speed the other parts of the content delivery and curriculum, so we DO have time for these important in-person sessions.

We will always need learning to be human, social, meaning-centered and language-based. Yet, some parts of the process right now take more time than others - that is ok, and we can plan accordingly to make this happen!

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How Students Can Use Artificial Intelligence As A Learning Partner - A.J. Juliani

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We are facing one of the biggest changes in recent education history with the majority of students now having the ability to use artificial intelligence tools to answer and complete any compliance-based work. Math problems in the book for homework? I'll just use Photomath . Five-paragraph ess

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Crystal Frommert—When Calling Parents Isn’t Your Calling: A teacher’s guide to communicating with pa

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This voice translation tool can convert spoken content to another language in minutes, while preserving the voice of the original speaker.
ElevenLabs Team inProduct -

Voice AI platform ElevenLabs unveils new AI Dubbing feature - the biggest milestone yet in the company's efforts to remove language barriers and foster universal accessibility of content

This voice translation tool can convert spoken content to another language in minutes, while preserving the voice of the original speaker. Built on top of the company's own research, this means audiences globally will be able to enjoy content in their native language

The new AI dubbing feature empowers all creators, educators, and media companies to reach a global audience with a few clicks. This follows the recent launch of ElevenLabs' Projects tool to support streamlined long-form audio creation

"The release of AI Dubbing is our biggest step yet towards eliminating these linguistic barriers of content. It will help audiences enjoy any content they want, regardless of the language they speak. And it will mean content creators can easily and authentically access a far bigger audience across the world. Having experienced these language barriers first hand, my co-founder Piotr and I are so excited to finally bring AI dubbing to life."
10th October, Global - ElevenLabs, the global leader in voice AI technology, today announces the addition of a groundbreaking voice translation feature to its platform. Born from the foundational mission to eliminate the linguistic barriers of content upon which ElevenLabs was established, and a culmination of the company's research to date, the AI Dubbing tool enables users to automatically translate any speech into a different language while maintaining the original speaker's voice - creating a new, high-quality and effective way of dubbing audio and video content.

CEO and co-founder of ElevenLabs, Mati Staniszewski, comments:

Signaling a new era in content accessibility across mediums like streaming, gaming, and films, the new tool goes beyond traditional translation and captioning by preserving the speaker's identity and original speech patterns when translated. This means that the voice of the same actor can be heard by audiences in over 20 different languages, delivering lines with the characteristics and nuance of the original recording.

AI Dubbing combines the company's research on multilingual speech synthesis, voice cloning, text and audio processing, into a single tool; enhancing the authenticity of the translated content and making it more accessible to a broader audience while keeping the essence of the original delivery. The AI Dubbing feature supports voice translation across over 20 languages currently supported by the Eleven Multilingual v2 model, including Hindi, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Ukrainian, Polish or Arabic.

This move further extends ElevenLab's research across the audio AI space; enabling emotions and intonation from original audio to be transformed to dubbed audio. The company has also developed its own method to detect the voices of different speakers and methods to remove background noise, differentiating music and noise from dialogue. This means the tool can effectively handle audio or video containing multiple speakers, ensuring each voice remains distinct and recognizable across different languages.

By automating the dubbing process and ensuring high-quality output, ElevenLabs simplifies the creation of multilingual content for creators, educators, and media companies. Only 6% of the world's population are native English speakers and 75% don't speak any English. This release means every video can now be made available to a global audience, at speed and at low cost.

The announcement follows the recent release of Projects - ElevenLabs' advanced workflow for generating and editing long-form audio, supporting a variety of editing features, such as speaker assignment, pause insertion, and segment regeneration.

With this addition, ElevenLabs continues its mission of breaking down language barriers and making content universally accessible in any language and voice.

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ElevenLabs Launches Voice Translation Tool to Break Down Language Barriers for Content

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This voice translation tool can convert spoken content to another language in minutes, while preserving the voice of the original speaker.

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The Pennsylvania CareerZone helps students, educators, jobseekers, and others access up-to-date information on wages, job openings, and other information specific to their state along with great information on careers, colleges, and more.

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Pennsylvania’s economic future depends on having a well-educated and skilled workforce.

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Gifted education is the shared responsibility of the Bureau of Special Education and the Bureau of Teaching and Learning Support. The integrated approach commits both Bureaus to providing support for Chapter 16.

Title 22 Education, Chapter 16: Special Education for Gifted Students regulations, the Parent Guide to Gifted Education, the Basic Education Circular Special Education for Gifted Students and the Gifted Guidelines reflect Pennsylvania's commitment to gifted students as "children with exceptionalities" and therefore in need of specially designed instruction.

Basic Education Circular (BECs) for Gifted Students

If you need assistance for Gifted Education, please contact:

Shirley Moyer
Bureau of Special Education
Phone: (717) 705-5186
Email: shirmoyer@pa.gov

Gifted Education Forms

Gifted Complaint Form

To file a gifted complaint with PDE's Bureau of Special Education, use the below gifted complaint form.

Please return form to: PDE/BSE, 333 Market Street, 7th Floor, Harrisburg, PA 17126-0333 or to Don Dolbin at ddolbin@pa.gov.

You must send a copy of this complaint to the school district.

Curriculum Resources to Support Gifted Education

Additional Resources for Parents

The Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education - PAGE
The mission of Pennsylvania Association for Gifted Education (PAGE) is to advocate for mentally gifted children by working with parents, teachers, administrators, policy makers, and the community to meet the diverse needs of gifted learners.

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Gifted education is the shared responsibility of the Bureau of Special Education and the Bureau of Teaching and Learning Support. The integrated approach commits both Bureaus to providing support for Chapter 16.

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OpenAI wants teachers to use ChatGPT for education

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OpenAI wants teachers to use ChatGPT for education

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It's not only programming, journalism and content moderation that OpenAI is seeking to revolutionize with the use of its landmark large language models (LLMs) GPT-3, GPT-3.5 and GPT-4.

Today, the company published a new blog post titled " Teaching with AI " that outlines examples of six educators from various countries, mostly at the university level though one teaches high school, using ChatGPT in their classrooms.

"We're sharing a few stories of how educators are using ChatGPT to accelerate student learning and some prompts to help educators get started with the tool," the company writes.

How educators are already using ChatGPT in their classrooms

The examples range from one educator using ChatGPT as a kind of educational role player, taking on the part of a debate rival or recruiter and engaging students in a dialog; to another teacher using ChatGPT for translation assistance for English-as-a-second-language students; to yet another having their students fact-check the information it generates.

The company also includes sample prompts developed by AI influencer and University of Pennsylvania Wharton School professor Ethan Mollick and his wife and fellow professor Lilach Mollick that assist teachers with lesson planning and even turn the default ChatGPT into an "AI tutor" for students.

Asked by this VentureBeat author on X (formerly Twitter) if OpenAI paid Ethan Mollick for use of his and his wife's prompts, he responded in the negative: "No. I have never taken any money or compensation in any way from OpenAI, including token credits," adding "In this case, they used prompts and material we have already published."

No. I have never taken any money or compensation in any way from OpenAI, including token credits.
- Ethan Mollick (@emollick) August 31, 2023

In this case, they used prompts and material we have already published.
- Ethan Mollick (@emollick) August 31, 2023

Lessons learned?

Of course, the issue of generative AI in the classroom - like with many topics related to the technology - has been fraught with controversy, especially with regards to students using it as a means of cutting corners or avoiding doing their own coursework, such as writing essays.

In fact, several schools, districts, and departments of education around the globe have already banned ChatGPT and added it to their internet network blocklists, although the New York City Public School system did an about-face in May and moved to allow teachers to use ChatGPT as they see fit.

OpenAI made headlines earlier this year by releasing an " AI Text Classifier" that was designed to allow anyone, including educators, to copy and paste in text and determine whether or not it was written by AI, but then ended up discontinuing it last month due to its "low rate of accuracy."

Limitations acknowledged

Today, OpenAI elaborated on the issues with the Text Classifier in a new Educator FAQ (frequently asked questions), which is far more robust and arguably even more helpful for schools than its promotional blog post.

Answering the question of "How can educators respond to students presenting AI-generated content as their own?," OpenAI answers to say: "While some (including OpenAI) have released tools that purport to detect AI-generated content, none of these have proven to reliably distinguish between AI-generated and human-generated content," and "When we at OpenAI tried to train an AI-generated content detector, we found that it labeled human-written text like Shakespeare and the Declaration of Independence as AI-generated."

In addition, OpenAI admits: "There were also indications that it could disproportionately impact students who had learned or were learning English as a second language and students whose writing was particularly formulaic or concise."

Plus, as the company points out, "even if these tools could accurately identify AI-generated content (which they cannot yet), students can make small edits to evade detection."

'Human in the loop'

Instead, OpenAI notes that some teachers have begun asking students to show their conversations with ChatGPT as a form of displaying their critical thinking skills.

Furthermore, while OpenAI says that there is research supporting the fact that "ChatGPT can be a helpful tool, alongside teachers, for providing students with feedback," it does not link to this specific research, and says "it is inadvisable and against our Usage Policies to rely on models for assessment decision purposes without a 'human in the loop.'"

In other words - the idea of a teacher handing over most of their duties to ChatGPT is not in the cards yet, or likely the foreseeable future, and same with students and their coursework.

Still, the company clearly wants to promote the idea that ChatGPT can be a useful new tool for both sides of the educational equation, teachers and students alike, joining the familiar classroom sights of pencils, notebooks, computers, and globes.

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OpenAI wants teachers to use ChatGPT for education

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OpenAI elaborated on the issues with the Text Classifier in a new Educator FAQ (frequently asked questions), which is far more robust.

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Adolescents & Teens Grief & Loss Support Group

This support group is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for adolescents and teens in 7th-12th grade (under 18) who have experienced any kind of loss. Grieving can be a challenging and isolating experience, and our goal is to provide a space where adolescents and teens can connect with others who are going through similar experiences, share their thoughts and feelings, and learn coping strategies to navigate their grief journey.

Offered in partnership with Baker Professional Counseling, Inc and hosted at Grace Chapel. For more information, call 724-201-2779 or email bakerprofessionalcounseling@gmail.com.

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Youth Grief Support | Buhl Regional Health Foundation

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Buhl Regional Health Foundation is dedicated to partnering with area agencies to provide resources and support to help children, adolescents and teens

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At the start of this school year I was met with that distinct classroom smell as I opened the door to my classroom. It was a combination of books, dry air, and the lingering water from the AC vents. My thoughts instantly spiraled: How do I get rid of that smell? Are the vents working? What's my plan for filtering the air? Am I allowed to mandate masks? What are the latest covid procedures for my specific school site? As educators we know that these thoughts aren't just reserved for the back-to-school season, they can occur throughout the school year.

As someone who has worked in education for ten years, I am overly familiar with how much goes on in both our classrooms and our lives as educators. I've found ways to keep my head while still fostering a healthy mental, physical, and purposeful learning environment.

How to Ground Yourself

Do you ever find yourself in a spiral of thoughts that become so heavy you don't know how to stop? Or if you are able to stop those thoughts, it's difficult knowing where to even start?

We are not just worried about our kids but their families, communities, district and state mandates. Teachers walk around looking like Dr. Strange in Avengers Infinity War trying to anticipate and plan for every scenario that could take place. It is why many of our planners are piled with activities for our substitute even though we only called out for an hour. I admit to that.

We anticipate sometimes to our detriment. A Medical News Today article states that "anticipatory anxiety involves feeling high levels of anxiety about a future event or situation." I have been known to reschedule important appointments because it's more work and even more worry. I have spoken to many colleagues who also relate. But it's not realistic to think we can control every situation.

If we can't control everything, we should try to ground ourselves in what we can control. Our thoughts can lead the body to respond to these thoughts.

Ground yourself in your breath. In some instances, it may be the one thing you can control at the moment. Breathing can help to regulate your nervous system, especially when it's kicked into the fight or flight mode caused by spiraling thoughts. When your body feels safe, you may recognize those negative emotions without judgment. You might find it beneficial to stop and think - " What do I need right now?"

Sometimes all I need in that moment is to read the opening bulletin with the latest up-to-date facts and procedures. Other times I rotate through these practices.

How to Practice Gratitude

Fill your bucket with happy moments. Anytime my Apple watch goes off and tells me to breathe, I use it as an opportunity to find things to be grateful for. That practice has helped me to see good in a difficult situation.

In my early days of teaching, I used to pride myself with having perfect bulletin boards, but I noticed that I would focus on the beautification of my room. Now, I have freedom from those thoughts, which created space for the positive moments to happen throughout the school day.

At some point after going down a negative spiral, you may recognize that you are still in a difficult situation, but choose to ground yourself in gratitude. When I think about returning to school, I am grateful for the safety procedures we have in place, I am thankful for the masks individuals wear for safety, I am thankful for the opportunity to continue to provide a learning space that is such a conduit for their social growth.

Put Yourself in Context to Others

Many teachers feel they are experiencing challenges within their educator circles, but our students are also facing similar challenges. Rather than thinking beyond ourselves, we may want to consider including ourselves in the narrative. We can see that as a community we are all experiencing change and embrace the practice of having empathy for one another's situations. Having grace for others starts with the practice of having grace for ourselves.

How to Create Positive Affirmations

Teachers constantly encourage those around them, but I find that we sometimes need support. Affirmations do not disregard these difficult situations, but acknowledge them with a positive outlook. I sometimes write how I feel and ask what is the narrative that is driving these feelings. I ask what I need or want. Lastly, I list what I can control or do.

I say to myself, I know that this transition is difficult and it brings out overwhelming feelings but I know this will not be forever. I am doing my best to create a positive learning environment for me and my students.

Creating positive affirmations takes practice and although we teachers are good at providing constructive feedback, suggestions and advice, it might be difficult to do that for ourselves. I sometimes write my list in the third person when I am having difficulties seeing myself as that teacher. Try thinking of the person you want to be and write the things that that teacher would do.

"When a teacher is _ and they may want to be_. They can _."

How to Transition

Adding transitions into our routines can help bring a calm to our learning environments. Try lighting a candle to relax, make some tea, and binge watch your favorite show. We may need that same transition when we walk into our classrooms from the stress of sitting in traffic, the loud voices from recess playground, or higher levels of energy from PE to calmer levels.

Power yoga poses may change your mood or help you transition from the outdoor space to the indoor learning space. I have a traveling teacher friend who does not have a specific space, so her way to settle into her teaching space is to unroll a pack of colorful pens. That simple gesture helped her become ready.

Choose what's right for you

Reprioritizing your "to-do" list can help to ease the transition. I know social media is filled with images of beautiful classrooms, the newest borders, or amazon gadgets, but remember if you are stressed about how the class looks and judge yourself by comparing your classrooms, remember that the thought of needing the picture perfect classroom comes back to your mind and your body.

I'm not saying that you cannot have a beautiful classroom. We can remind ourselves that we are not perfect, we may have some grace for ourselves during this transition. Do what works for you.

I prioritize creating a peaceful and welcoming classroom environment, and believe when you put your values in the forefront you can find that your cup is full enough to do more!

Choose

I eventually take in a deep breath and bring my attention to calm. Again that distinct smell returned and although I have not smelt it all summer, it has become so faint that I don't even acknowledge it. So for now, I take another deep breath and ground myself in the moment. I remind myself that I am grateful for the opportunity to be a curator of a safe and welcoming learning environment. I am proud to be of service to my young scholars and it is my purpose. Regardless of the challenges I've faced during this school year, I have met adversity in the past. I can do my best. I can do this. The last affirmations become a little bit more difficult to say, so I say it in third person.

You have everything you need. You are enough.

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An Ode to Educator Self Care | PBS Education

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Your source for teaching inspiration, blogs, and online professional events.

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Mental Health in the Curriculum / You Are Not Alone

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Mental Health in the Curriculum / You Are Not Alone

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Mental Health in the Curriculum | You Are Not Alone | PBS LearningMedia

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Mental health counseling is part of the core curriculum in the Pulaski County, Kentucky, schools. A teacher there explains how he makes time in class for counseling.

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Words for Science Learning: Which Words and When?

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Words for Science Learning: Which Words and When?

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We want our partners to learn more about PBS resources and how to use them to increase family engagement in order to bring their communities together and utilize all the resources each other has to offer. In the five years, we hope to add more partners from Washington County.

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The six goals of SIA help youth develop confidence in their ability to make a difference and build the skills to do it well, in the process better preparing them for success in school, work and life.

Prepare: Prepare to serve your community

Investigate: Investigate community needs

Execute: Execute and capacity build high-quality service projects

Reflect: Evaluate success

Share: Tell service stories and expand the mission

Celebrate: Recognize and celebrate excellence in service

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Students in Action | Youth Programs | Multiplying Good

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The six goals of SIA help youth develop confidence in their ability to make a difference and build the skills to do it well, in the process better preparing them for success in school, work and life.

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In this edition of Conversations with Tim, Tim speaks with Rosalie Lincoln and Cathy Moses about their work in the Lower Kuskokwim School District in Alaska to preserve and revitalize the Yugtun language.

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WIDA develops and provides proven tools and support to help multilingual learners, and their educators, succeed.

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Vaping (E-cigs) are the most common tobacco product used by our kids. They are NOT a safe alternative to cigarette smoking. 24% of 8th graders and 40% of high schoolers report vaping during their lifetime.

(Source: 2019 Monitoring the Future survey)

Anxiety: Nearly 1 in 3 adolescents (ages 13-18) will experience an anxiety disorder - a 20% increase in five years. (National Institute of Health) A national state of emergency for child and adolescent mental health has been declared.

Fentanyl "Rainbow fentanyl-fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes-is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults," according to DEA Administrator Anne Milgram.

Finally, an updated, easy-to-read, visually appealing, practical guide for parents raising kids K-12. Raise your awareness on today's toughest parenting issues: anxiety, vaping, cyberbullying, depression, suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, screentime, social media, apps, sexting, porn, human trafficking, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, prescription drugs, opioids, dating, parties, sleepovers, gaming and more.
VISIT STORE

Coalitions

You are doing great work! As coalition members ourselves, we understand the importance of utilizing DFC funds effectively.
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Schools

Nobody spends more time with our children outside of the home than you. You are on the front line and are often held responsible for the care of our children.

Parents

New apps, new games, new online challenges. Ever feel like it's impossible to keep up? No worries. We can help.

Churches

Whether your congregation has 50, 500 or 5,000+ members, you have families attending week after week who are struggling like never before with painful issues.

Description: This presentation is designed by two Moms who have lost their sons to fentanyl and have dedicated their lives to educating families. We hope to teach teens and parents alike exactly what they need to know about illicit fentanyl, and fentanyl poisonings.

Register to watch live OR to get a recording of the webinar sent to you.

I have been a follower of Operation Parent for a while now and I have told so many people about your organization including my Step Up drug prevention coalition here in Anderson Twp, Ohio. I share your website on my communications and have put it on my list for my Tech person to be shared on my website. I would love to partner with you in any capacity and appreciate your work.

"The Parent Handbook is a resource that helps me feel knowledgeable, equipped, and supported! I've told many of my friends who are also raising teenage children to check it out!"

"The speaker was absolutely outstanding, the information provided along with the handouts was very educational and will be helpful moving forward toward addressing the facts surrounding vaping! Thank you."

"The Operation Parent Handbooks are beautifully done..." -

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Vaping (E-cigs) are the most common tobacco product used by our kids. They are NOT a safe alternative to cigarette smoking. 24% of 8th graders and 40% of high schoolers report vaping during their lifetime. (Source: 2019 Monitoring the Future survey) Anxiety: Nearly 1 in 3 adolescents (ages 13-18) will experience an anxiety disorder - a 20% increase in five years.

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Act 158: Pathways to Graduation Workshop - Resource Share

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Keystone ELA Constructed response scoring guidelines

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Text Dependent Analysis prompts expect students to read complex text(s), either narrative or informational, and provide a critical response by drawing evidence from text(s) to "support analysis, reflection, and research" using effective communication skills to write an essay in response to a prompt. In their response, a student needs to make inferences about the author's meaning, using both explicit and implicit evidence to support an overall analysis of the reading elements (literary and literary nonfiction) found within the text. This toolkit is designed to provide guidance and direction to teachers pertaining to the teaching, learning, and assessing of text dependent analysis.

Add Introduction Content Item

The Text Dependent Analysis (TDA) grade-span Learning Progressions (LPs) are designed to be used as an instructional tool. The TDA LPs are structured in grade spans (3-5 and 6-8) with four levels, Beginning, Emerging, Developing, and Meeting. The levels describe the typical path seen in student responses as the student moves toward demonstrating more sophisticated understanding of analysis. The LPs include descriptions of student work which characterize each level from the beginning TDA writer to one who is meeting the expectations of text dependent analysis essay writing. The TDA LPs can be used by teachers to identify student strengths and needs based on what a student can do at a specific point in time. This informs the teacher's instructional decision-making about moving student comprehension, analysis, and writing to the next level.

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Text Dependent Analysis prompts expect students to read complex text(s), either narrative or informational, and provide a critical response by drawing evidence from text(s) to "support analysis, reflection, and research" using effective communication skills to write an essay in response to a prompt.

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Chapter 49 Compliancy

The Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV will host in-person Structured Literacy Workshops starting in August 2023. The one day session will provide teachers with the required training mandated in Chapter 49.

Teachers with the following certifications are required to complete a Structured Literacy course:

English as a Second Language (ESL)

Grades PK-4

Grades 4-8

Reading Specialists PK-12

Special Education PK-12

To schedule for training in your district, please contact:

Shannon Smith
shannon.smith@miu4.org
To schedule for an available training at the Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV, please see the registration links below.

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The Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV will host in-person Structured Literacy Workshops starting in August 2023. The one day session will provide teachers with the required training mandated in Chapter 49.

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Paul A. Kirschner is Emeritus Professor of Educational Psychology at the Open University of the Netherlands and Guest Professor at Thomas More University of Applied Science in Belgium. An international speaker and researcher, he was also the President of the International Society for the Learning Sciences.

Brad Witzel, Ph.D., is an award-winning teacher and researcher who serves as the Adelaide Worth Daniels Distinguished Professor of Education at Western Carolina University. Dr. Witzel is an educator, researcher, author, and consultant working at teacher, LEA, state, and national levels.

Dr. Witzel will share about effective practices, research and resources.

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PaTTAN Mathematics - 2023 PaTTAN Math Conference

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Paul A. Kirschner is Emeritus Professor of Educational Psychology at the Open University of the Netherlands and Guest Professor at Thomas More University of Applied Science in Belgium. An international speaker and researcher, he was also the President of the International Society for the Learning Sciences.

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Librarians Network
Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV

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Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV

Welcome...

The Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV Social Studies Network was established to provide professional development opportunities and outreach to the districts in our tri-county region. There is two planned workshops already scheduled for the 2023-2024 school year. Links to information regarding those events are provided below.

For questions, please contact:

Shannon Smith

Educational Consultant - ELA
shannon.smith@miu4.org

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Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV The Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV Social Studies Network was established to provide professional development opportunities and outreach to the districts in our tri-county region. There is two planned workshops already scheduled for the 2023-2024 school year. Links to information regarding those events are provided below.

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Health/Physical Education Network
Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV

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Welcome...

The Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV Arts Network was established to provide professional development opportunities and outreach to the visual arts, music, theater, and dance teachers in the districts in our region.

For questions, please contact:

Shannon Smith

Educational Consultant - ELA
shannon.smith@miu4.org

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The Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV Arts Network was established to provide professional development opportunities and outreach to the visual arts, music, theater, and dance teachers in the districts in our region. For questions, please contact: Shannon Smith Educational Consultant - ELA shannon.smith@miu4.org

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Today, many priorities for improvements to teaching and learning are unmet. Educators seek technology-enhanced approaches addressing these priorities that would be safe, effective, and scalable. Like all of us, educators use AI-powered services in their everyday lives, such as voice assistants in their homes; tools that can correct grammar, complete sentences, and write essays; and automated trip planning on their phones. As a result, educators see opportunities to use AI-powered capabilities like speech recognition to increase the support available to students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and others who could benefit from greater adaptivity and personalization in digital tools for learning. They are further exploring how AI can enable writing or improving lessons, as well as their process for finding, choosing, and adapting material for use in their lessons.

Educators are also aware of new risks. Useful, powerful functionality can also be accompanied with new data privacy and security risks. Educators recognize that AI can automatically produce output that is inappropriate or wrong. They are wary that the associations or automations created by AI may amplify unwanted biases. They have noted new ways in which students may represent others' work as their own. They are well-aware of "teachable moments" and pedagogical strategies that a human teacher can address but are undetected or misunderstood by AI models. They worry whether recommendations suggested by an algorithm would be fair. Educators' concerns are manifold.

Everyone in education has a responsibility to harness the good to serve educational priorities while also protecting against the dangers that may arise as a result of AI being integrated in educational technology.

NEW!! Report on AI and the Future of Teaching & Learning

Key Insights

AI enables new forms of interaction. Students and teachers can speak, gesture, sketch, and use other natural human modes of communication to interact with a computational resource and each other. AI can generate human-like responses, as well. These new forms of action may provide supports to students with disabilities.

AI can help educators address variability in student learning. With AI, designers can anticipate and address the long tail of variations in how students can successfully learn-whereas traditional curricular resources were designed to teach to the middle or most common learning pathways. For example, AI-enabled educational technology may be deployed to adapt to each student's English language abilities with greater support for the range of skills and needs among English learners.

AI supports powerful forms of adaptivity. Conventional technologies adapt based upon the correctness of student answers. AI enables adapting to a student's learning process as it unfolds step-by-step, not simply providing feedback on right or wrong answers. Specific adaptations may enable students to continue strong progress in a curriculum by working with their strengths and working around obstacles.

AI can enhance feedback loops. AI can increase the quality and quantity of feedback provided to students and teachers, as well as suggesting resources to advance their teaching and learning.

AI can support educators. Educators can be involved in designing AI-enabled tools to make their jobs better and to enable them to better engage and support their students.

Recommendations: Call to Action for Education Leaders

Recommendation #1: Emphasize Humans in the Loop

We reject the notion of AI as replacing teachers. Teachers and other people must be "in the loop" whenever AI is applied in order to notice patterns and automate educational processes. We call upon all constituents to adopt Humans-in-the-Loop as a key criteria.

Recommendation #2: Align AI Models to a Shared Vision for Education

We call upon educational decision makers, researchers, and evaluators to determine the quality of an educational technology based not only on outcomes, but also based on the degree to which the models at the heart of the AI tools and systems align to a shared vision for teaching and learning. The figure to the right describes the important qualities of AI models for education leaders to consider.

Recommendation #3: Design Using Modern Learning Principles

Achieving effective systems requires more than processing "big data"-it requires more than data science. Applications of AI must be based on established, modern learning principles, the wisdom of educational practitioners, and should leverage the expertise in the educational assessment community around detecting bias and improving fairness. Going forward, we also must seek to create AI systems that are culturally responsive and culturally sustaining, leveraging the growth of published techniques for doing so. Further, most early AI systems had few specific supports for students with disabilities and English learners and we must ensure that AI-enabled learning resources are intentionally inclusive of these students.

Recommendation #4: Prioritize Strengthening Trust

Technology can only help us to achieve educational objectives when we trust it. Yet, we learned through a series of public listening sessions that distrust of educational technology and AI is commonplace. Because trust develops as people meet and relate to each other, we call for a focus on building trust and establishing criteria for trustworthiness of emerging educational technologies within the associations, convenings, and professional organizations that bring educators, innovators, researchers, and policymakers together.

Recommendation #5: Inform and Involve Educators

We call on educational leaders to prioritize informing and involving educational constituents so they are prepared to investigate how and when AI fits specific teaching and learning needs, and what risks may rise. Now is the time to show the respect and value we hold for educators by informing and involving them in every step of the process of designing, developing, testing, improving, adopting, and managing AI-enabled educational technology. This includes involving educators in reviewing existing AI-enabled systems, tools, and data use in schools, designing new applications of AI based on teacher input, carrying out pilot evaluations of proposed new instructional tools, collaborating with developers to increase the trustworthiness of the deployed system, and raising issues about risks and unexpected consequences as the system is implemented.

Recommendation #6: Focus R&D on Addressing Context and Enhancing Trust and Safety

Research that focuses on how AI-enabled systems can adapt to context (diversity among learners, variability in instructional approaches, differences in educational settings) is essential to answering the question "Do specific applications of AI work in education, and if so, for whom and under what conditions?" We call upon researchers and their funders to prioritize investigations of how AI can address the long tail of learning variability and to seek advances in how AI can incorporate contextual considerations when detecting patterns and recommending options to students and teachers. Further, researchers should accelerate their attention to how to enhance trust and safety in AI-enabled systems for education.

Recommendation #7: Develop Education-Specific Guidelines and Guardrails

Data privacy regulation already covers educational technology; further, data security is already a priority of school educational technology leaders. Modifications and enhancements to the status quo will be required to address the new capabilities alongside the risks of AI. We call for involvement of all perspectives in the ecosystem to define a set of guidelines (such as voluntary disclosures and technology procurement checklists) and guardrails (such as enhancements to existing regulations or additional requirements) so that we can achieve safe and effective AI for education.

Listening Sessions

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Technology, with support from Digital Promise, held listening sessions about Artificial Intelligence (AI). We connected with all constituents involved in making decisions about technology in education, including but not limited to teachers, educational leaders, students, parents, technologists, researchers, and policy makers.

The goal of these listening sessions were to gather input, ideas, and engage in conversations that will help the Department shape a vision for AI policy that is inclusive of cutting-edge research and practices while also informed by the opportunities and risks.

Blog Posts

Need More Info?

Contact ed.tech@ed.gov with questions.

Please Include "OET AI" in the Subject Line

For a print-out and summary of the Artificial Intelligence Initiative, please review our AI One-pager

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Artificial Intelligence - Office of Educational Technology

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OET is working to develop policies and supports focused on the effective, safe, and fair use of AI-enabled educational technology.

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