# data[].attributes.body
I had not heard about this tool before this OER, so I just want to say thank you for introducing such an amazingly magical to-do list tool. I was having a lot of trouble deciding how I wanted to go about my venture pitch, but Goblin Tool's ability to break it down in so much detail (I chose the spiciest level) is going to make completing assignment 3 a lot easier.

I think that students often face similar feelings where they know what they want to do as an end goal but are not sure how to get to that goal. By using an AI breakdown tool like Goblin Tools, they can get a clearer idea on the process needed to complete their projects, assignments, etc. That being said, AI tools do need very good prompts in order to deliver good results. That is something students definitely need to be aware of when using such tools.

-Didy

# data[].attributes.body
Really cool tool!

I think like many AI tools, my issue with it is that I need to spend so much time providing it with sufficient context that I often feel like its utility is negated by the time I'm done. For example, I started by giving it the task of "Start ETEC 522 final assignment by coming up with a new edtech venture". It's task breakdown, of course, was incredibly generic and not reflective of the actual work process. To get a proper breakdown, I imagine I would need to provide the full assignment prompt, course details, information about myself and my work habits, etc. Someday (scarily soon, I'm sure), this will be possible, I'm sure.

I think the other issue is that I think it is common to write checklists for a single day. If things on that list aren't being completed that day, then its a good sign the checklist was useless. Breaking down an item is a good first exercise, but being able to spread items out over a week or more would be the killer feature I would be interested in!

Duncan

# data[].attributes.body
@Annie Yes, I have used Todoist before too! When I used it, it didn't have the time estimation option that GoblinTools offers. I apprecaite the time estimator option as someone who consistently understimates how long a task will take!

@Rico I'm glad this tool will be helpful to you! I understand people's reticence around using AI tools because there are unfortunately corporations using their employees to train AI tools that end up replacing those employees once the AI tool has gotten enough data. This is definitely something that all workers will have to be wary of, and advocate protections against, as we navigate this new age!

-Anna

# data[].attributes.body
Hey Anna and Timothy,

Thanks for introducing this tool as a way even for me to get stuff done in my own personal to do list. I can recognize adults and leaders having non-diagnosed ADHD in my line of work and would benefit from having this tool to support them in feeling like they have to put up little fires.

The catch for me is that there is a bit of a distrust in the sector that I work in about the use of AI in about 50% of the people I work with. Rightly, there is a fear that by using this tool, that their jobs could be replaced and so I have observed people trying not to use it. The people that do use it however find benefits in feeling like they have an assistant. In the public sector, there generally isn't any funding to get support to do things like "planning your day" and so this helps out measurably.

# data[].attributes.body
Ooooh I really enjoyed this activity. As someone with short term memory and juggling a million things at work and in private life, I resort to tools like Notion or Todoist to help break down the task and prioritize them. I think Goblin Tool's Magic To Do shares similar mechanism. By breaking down the big assignment into smaller tasks and ranking them based on time or effort, visually - you feel less overwhelmed. And psychologically, you can now split and calculate how much time should you spend on which task on which day, which reduces mental stress and manage your time better too. - Annie

# data[].attributes.body
@yan and @victoria Those are trenchant critiques about the tool. I am in full agreement that, as with any tool, it is not necessarily good to fully rely on it. I would hope that this could be a starting point for students who may struggle with breaking down tasks. And, over time, with consistently modelling from this tool and in-person teacher support, students would develop their skills as it relates to breaking down tasks into smaller steps.

One of the students that I tutor talked about how using ChatGPT really helped him because it provided a bunch of examples that were specific to the learning tasks he had been assigned. So, in a way, ChatGPT was able to model for him how he might respond to different types of learning activities. Over time, he shared that he learned to incorporate some of the strategies first suggested by ChatGPT naturally into his own work. However, as Yan pointed out, there is the risk of this tool boxing in a student's thinking and perhaps shaping their thinking more than we would be comfortable with. -Anna

# data[].attributes.body
Wow!! Thank you for introducing this to me. I have not been diagnosed with ADHD, but do have trouble when there are "big" tasks: I immediately feel overwhelmed and just stress about it instead of doing it. Many professionals and therapists have adviced to "break down the tasks into smaller tasks" but that is not always easy to do. This tool definetly "untangles" my brain and will for sure use it more often. In the classroom, I think it's a good way to teach students to plan in a very detailed, step by step way, but I do think its important to learn to do this "by yourself" as well. - VictoriaT

# data[].attributes.body
Thank you for introducing us to this tool! I gave it a try, and I really like how it helps break down big tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. It seems like a great resource for project management.

That said, I personally wouldn’t rely entirely on tools like this. While they’re helpful, I’ve noticed that some can unintentionally box in your thinking—especially when it comes to creative work or tasks that need an iterative approach.

Still, every tool has its strengths and weaknesses, and I think this one could be really useful for certain types of learners or workflows.

Yan

# data[].attributes.body
Hi Mark, You bring up an incisive point about how an AI tool like this may feel more amenable and empowering for teens as they create their own checklist using this tool. I hadn't considered that angle, so thanks for making me think! -Anna

# data[].attributes.body
Goblin Tool's Magic To Do is a pretty useful piece of technology. As a strategy for students with ADHD, I used to try and make checklists for those students to help them stay organized and I find they can be really helpful if students are reminded to use them. In playing around with the tool, I used "clean my bathroom" as an example of a task to see how it would breakdown what I should do. I think it did a great job of breaking the task down into manageable pieces. The reason I think this tool is most helpful is that it can empower students with executive functioning issues to create their own checklists without the input of a teacher. Teens in particular can be reluctant to follow a prescribed check-list, so this way, they might be more willing to engage with it when they've created it themselves using an AI tool.

-Mark

# data[].attributes.body
Yes, Patrick! You bring up a very pertinent point, which is that before AI in assistive technology can and should be used in schools, issues around privacy, bias, and sustainability need to be addressed. -Anna

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
I love it...I juts don't want to pay for it. :) 

# data[].attributes.body
As someone that navigated life until with ADHD without being diagnosed until the age of 42, I immediately saw the value this software could bring to my life. I think it would help me as a dad, teacher, husband, friend, community member, etc. and at the same time, I think anyone would see value in a tool like this.

I often think we can all benefit from using personalized AT and AI tools where we struggle in life and that many of these tools should be freely accessible to anyone who wants to use them to learn. I also wonder how different life would have been for myself, had I been diagnosed earlier in life and had access to better, more personalized supports.

While the beneficial affordances are clear (especially to those of us who aren't neurotypical), there are caveats that must be addressed in their design -- as noted in your work. If the true goal is to create meaningful, ethical, and impactful supports we must address privacy, accountability, sustainability, and algorithmic bias in their design.