I took an article from the New York Times on the (then) upcoming solar eclipse and Diffit created this entire 3-2-1 reading workbook. Similar to Newsela, it rewrote the NYT article at a 5th grade reading level so my students could access the information. It included a vocab section, multiple choice reading comp questions, open ended questions, and partner discussion questions. And all of these are editable and you can even have it generate questions with varying DOK. Including time spent searching for the article and a bit of editing of the AI-generated product, this entire activity took me about 5 minutes create and share with my students.

• Posted by Sandhya Raman

This lesson is designed for high school ELD 9-10 students to explore the integration of AI-based EdTech tools with multiple intelligences in personalized and effective blended learning. This lesson focuses on the ELD emerging level. They will discover how these tools can be customized to match their individual learning styles, fostering both academic and personal growth. Students will also actively engage in collaborative learning within the learning communities while receiving support to enhance their social and emotional learning skills.

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify AI-Based EdTech tools that match their individual learning styles and understand the concept of multiple intelligences and how to leverage them in project-based learning.

Students can plan and deliver brief oral presentations and reports on AI-Based Ed Tech tools that can help them present facts to support ideas.

I refer back to the same chat log for a few days and simply post the transcript. One issue I have noticed using Chat GPT4 is that the longer the chat goes, the glitchier it becomes.

My students are learning about patterns. We used Garage Band to create unique music using patterns (example: AB, ABB, AAB...) and body movement for each note. We also explored Blob Opera with high and low sound patterns. Check out the outcome! It was a blast! Here is the lesson plan: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tQxy4S3uf9sb_9d42MVFNUFA-pZEBSDe3GGTLFc3NpQ/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IcEosjYtXoGXd0uKVshnJTHdHLL0C38z9kzixP4dCQM/edit?usp=sharing

Miko

Furry white beast, living room tiger

reaching new heights climbing higher and higher

Ferocious, stalking, merciless predator

Sweet as candy, Heidi's little dandy. lion

Miko

• Foster an understanding of empathy and collaboration.

• Introduce the concept of human rights to kindergarten students.

• Promote awareness of the rights and responsibilities each person has.

I am Denise Gianelli....

My students and I played around with this, we had a lot of fun. I had taught them binary numbers and so I also had them write an opera in binary. It was harder. This is one I made to show the class. I honestly had a ton of fun with this assignment.

Incredibox is awesome. I’m thinking about how to combine Incredibox with some of the projects in AP CSA. For example, students have voice and choice in their Creative Coding with The Theater project. How might be incorporate the ideas of Incredibox?

Thomas W

**

Certainly! Here's a simple C pentatonic song in 4/4 time with quarter notes, eighth notes, and half notes, spanning 8 measures. This composition is designed for Orff instruments or any other instruments you have available:

Verse:

mathematica

Copy codeC D E G E D C C | C - C - | D - D - | E - E - | G - G - | | E - E - | D - D - | C - C - | C - C - |

In this song, each letter represents a note, and the hyphen "-" represents a rest. Here's a breakdown of the song:

• Measure 1: C (half note)

• Measure 2: D (half note)

• Measure 3: E (half note)

• Measure 4: G (half note)

• Measure 5: E (half note)

• Measure 6: D (half note)

• Measure 7: C (half note)

• Measure 8: C (half note)

Feel free to adapt this basic melody and rhythm to suit your teaching needs and add any additional variations or instrumentations that you think will engage your students. Enjoy making music with your students!

I did the activity "MCing (Rap/Poetry/Storytelling)" with my 4th graders. Here is a sample of a rap one of my students wrote:

I will post a sample of a poem another student wrote in a second post.

I did the activity "MCing (Rap/Poetry/Storytelling)" with my 4th graders. Here is the second sample of a poem one of my 4th grade students wrote. This was the activity I used: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QoSFbWU2TdCY41s-dub4qFNVbLlDXEEoS0a9P0Qfv3I/edit

Since we have fire/wildfire every year in California. I used the resources from the Next Vista for Learning Website and created this resource in hope that I and other teachers can use it to support students' learning about fire and wildfire and to promote students' creativities and expressing their voices using different methods.

After looking at all of these resources, some were not allowed by our district and some seemed too hard for our young students. We explored more animation software to animate student work.

We liked Cava and brush.ninja, but there are many options and we decided to explore further. We like this Animated drawing as the students can Animate their drawings, it is easy for them to choose how they want the action to look. It is best if the drawings are on white paper, but it is not neccessary. Then they can share the link.These are some of our exploration.

Our intent is for our students to make art, explore animating it, write or dictate a story. Then they can record possibly using screencastify. it is very exciting to see the art moving. I think it would be cool if they explore further and put in many link/movements into their recording creating the visuals to go with their story.

https://www.canva.com/design/DAF2QQ5cGdI/fPNcd7FFRaI7fZI1aef-SQ/edit

https://sketch.metademolab.com/share/438c226c4b854165b428eb707c71ec26/running_jump

https://sketch.metademolab.com/share/438c226c4b854165b428eb707c71ec26/jump

https://sketch.metademolab.com/share/6d810165bc144d0ca960eac0ed9a3305/running_jump

• Describe how algorithms, loops, decomposition, sequencing, and conditional formatting are used in computer programming. 

• Create their own algorithm to perform a dance routine and music composition. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GdWyGRS4b0cuyjLXCvCklREkOhsFwD0SQmts9o3clmQ/edit?usp=sharing

After I played with Blob Opera - a bit, I introduced it to my 3rd graders. They had access to the game without any trouble from IT. I would say it was a great way to have them recognize the different parts in a song. We have music class once a week but we are struggling with the new teachers style. They lovec listening to the songs and the 'Blobs,' helped them recognize the parts of a song. This game enabled me to provide a new way for a 'Brain Break', as well.

I created a Google Slide with the link attached to the blue print - Blob Opera. I downloaded it as a PDF and the link still worked. I then posted this in the Brain Break Section of our Google Classroom.

Then, the middle school students helped my 3rd/4th grade students get onto Padlet and respond to a short prompt based on what they learned from the video.

https://padlet.com/vthomas74/what-happens-when-bears-are-given-and-get-used-to-human-food-v2n13cq9ayf9iq3s

Ilse Lopez

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I5NvKeYQTxYeLZ4imOPHbwA8rXoWOA1wFXUG-L4DndU/edit?usp=sharing

I recently had the wonderful opportunity to explore various resources presented in our professional development (PD) session. As an 8th-grade teacher, I am currently guiding my students through the world of sound creation using EarSketch, a platform similar to Soundtrap. During winter break, I took the time to familiarize myself with both platforms, and I am excited to pass on my knowledge to my students to help them acquire new skills that involve creativity, music, and coding.

In the previous semester, my 6th and 7th-grade students worked on a short project using Scratch, honing their coding abilities. This assignment, which you can find attached as a document, incorporates similar concepts to those introduced in the "Hip Hop Coding" (with Scratch). However, my modified project focuses on using sound to tell a story, rather than specifically centering it around hip-hop.

Currently, I utilize the Project Stem curriculum in my classroom. Leveraging this curriculum and my newfound understanding of the resources provided in our PD, I challenged my students to tell engaging stories using the sounds available on Scratch. They were encouraged to combine multiple sounds to create unique audio pieces that would enhance their narratives. To my delight, I was thoroughly impressed by the exceptional work produced by my students.

At the end of the attached document, you will find examples of student projects, showcasing their Scratch creations and the accompanying stories. I invite you to take a moment to appreciate their incredible accomplishments. The assignment's rubric was developed using the Magic School AI tool.

Overall, I am incredibly grateful for the PD sessions as they not only support my growth as an educator but also enable me to introduce engaging and creative materials to my students.

Students read Differentiated reading assignments from Newsela.

• Newsela | Florida high school welcomes emotional support animals

• Newsela | Schools turn to dogs to ease student mental health crisis

• Newsela | Data and statistics on children's mental health

Students work on the Mental Health and Emotional Support Animals Project.

• Students click on the Mental Health and Emotional Support Animals Template View to view the template.

• Students click on Mental Health and Emotional Support Animals Template and save the file with their name as the title.

• Engage in Mental Health Check-In to express "How do you feel today?" using their preferred animal-themed scale.

• Share your health and wellness tips in Health and Wellness Tips activities.

• Share the animals that will help with your mental health!

I can see it being used at all grade levels as the user interface is easy to understand. My students love how they can create music almost instantaneously.

Currently, I am using Incredibox as a reward for my students during free work time.

I have already utilized screencastify to create brief tutorials and send them to my colleagues.

I am very happy to have discovered these apps in the edTech training.

One of our intro editing assignments is to edit a music video with a variety of footage, practicing trimming, ordering, and sequencing clips and syncing them to a beat.

The question is, where do you get your beat? We use WeVideo, it has a variety of tracks, there are online music libraries with royalty-free downloads, I've shared music creation tools like BandLab in the past, so I was interested in playing with BlobOpera and Incredibox.

Here's a video I made for my students to share with how to use these tools for generating music for a video project:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYPtZmKym_M

-Rex Winterbottom

Rita Huitron

Thanks!

Patrick Micali

5th Grade

Walt Disney Elementary - SRVUSD

Thomas W

I think that students could use this when we do our informational text units.

Then, they could take the summary and present out to their group or class.

I also explored the create portion within the website/app and I created PLC forms to use with my grade level team and word problems for adding under 5 for Pokémon characters. I was so stocked with the possibilities that I called in my admin to show off how cool SchoolAI is.

Jessie Lim

Indigenous Perspectives on Restoring Our World | Global Oneness Project

Stuttering therapy is sooooo BORING!! It is hard to make stuttering therapy exciting. The students need to know the definitions of the different types of stuttering so they can apply strategies to increase smooth speech patterns. By using Quizlet, the students were able to use different formats to study. They did not like flashcards but liked the multiple choice option. The option they liked the best was Matching.

I used a lesson from Common Sense Media, which was a resource found on Katherine's Resource list, to satisfy my district's requirement for teaching Digital citizenship in the classroom. I intend to use even more of these lessons as they use songs and other engaging activities for my students that they seemed to really enjoy and benefited from.

I am going to use the Kindergarten lesson Media Balance Is Important

This lesson talks about healthy balance in our lives between digital and and non-digital. I will use this to talk about making healthy choices for ourselves.

There are songs and videos that will engage young students and help us explain key concepts.

Additionally, this lesson will comply with my school district's requrement for digital citizenship.

Understanding mental health is crucial for students, and the role of emotional support animals in bolstering individual well-being cannot be overstated. Through reflective discussions on mental health and the positive impacts of emotional support animals, students can develop a deeper comprehension of these vital topics.

Moreover, it is essential for students to engage in safe and respectful online communication, especially when navigating sensitive subjects such as mental health.

As a first-grade teacher, I am always looking for ways for my students to access texts they may not be able to read yet. Now that we have learned our sounds and can read, it is important to become a fluent reader. It would be ideal if they could all read the text themselves, but because they cannot, having this "Read Aloud: a text-to-speech voice recorder" option makes it doable. It has many settings that can be changed: the voice (you may choose another country as well as him or her; you can change the pitch; you can adjust the volume; the speed of the reading as well as to decide if you want the words to be highlighted. Not everything can be read, the format has to be changed to a pdf and then you need to insert the file. I will use it but I know sometimes I will still record myself reading it- since reading it with expression is not an option.

In a world of doodles, sketches, and more, there's a tool that opens a brand new door.

Google Autodraw, with colors so bright, brings access and equity, shining its light.

For every scholar, big or small, Autodraw ensures equity in sketchnoting for one and  all.

In sketchnoting, we find our voice, Autodraw makes it our joyful choice.

In classrooms and homes, everywhere we go, Autodraw helps our creativity grow.

No one left out, everyone's in, Creating together with a big, joyful grin.

With Autodraw, we learn and we play, Bringing our ideas to life each and every day.

Access and equity, for all to see, Thanks to Autodraw, we're all scholars and artists  you will see!

With Autodraw's power, we stand tall, In a world where creativity thrives for all.

So let's celebrate this tool so true, For making sketchnoting accessible to me and you.

For this assignment and to introduce this new tool to my students, I have adapted a modified version of a KWL chart. The purpose is to enable students to track what they already know, what they are curious about, what they have learned, and how they plan to apply their knowledge to create a Scratch game at the end of the unit.

I will share this doc with students and show them how use Google translate so that they can view it in their home language.

Gayatri Tolani

Julie Davis

I used the AI quiz generator assistant to create a quiz from an excerpt of Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self Reliance." While the questions that AI generated were not perfectm, they serve as a really great starting point to create my own quiz questions, especially given the complexity of the text. This is definitely something that I will continue to utilize as I like the interface more than Chat GPT.

of Student Voice and Choice Poem 

by Gloria Amador

In the classroom's vibrant tapestry,

a tale unfolds,

Where student voice and choice,

like treasures, behold.

With fidelity, we weave a path so clear, Engaging minds, igniting hearts,

year after year.

In classrooms where student voices

echo and thrive,

Positive relationships come alive.

Teacher and student, side by side,

Building bridges of trust,

ready where dreams arrive

Each choice a beacon, guiding their way,

To meaningful learning,

where passions sway.

No longer spectators,

but captains of their ship,

They navigate waters,

with each learning trip.

But it's more than just learning, you see,

It's about preparing them for what will be.

To make decisions, wise and clear,

And advocate boldly, without fear!

But beyond mere academics,

a mission lies

To equip them with skills,

that make them wise.

To make decisions

with thought and care,

And advocate boldly,

for what's fair and rare.

So let us embrace this empowering quest, Where students learn

what they love the best.

For in their passion lies the key,

To a world where students learning journey thrives, joyful and free.

In the classroom's lively dance,

a tale unfolds,

Where student voice and choice, like treasures, behold.

With purpose and passion,

we pave the way,

For learning to flourish,

each and every day.

Gratitude and Esteem to the entire

Ed Tech Playground Team !

Thank you Gloria Amador

I explored two things after this session. I use Quizziz a lot in my class, and recently, the website opened up a limited time Premium access for me, along with more AI enhancement and generation options. I used that a few times and was very happy with the UDL options and auto generation. My students were also happy, and we were on a spree to see when we can spot something that AI does "incorrectly" despite correct instructions.(Screen shot of question attatched). This happened in one of the questions, and my students jumped up and down in joy.The correct response was 20%, but AI insistently marked 20% as incorrect! The correct answer, as per AI, was incorrect actually.

Quizziz has helped me a lot to customize content and enhance the accessibility - a an easy UDL add on- for one and all.

Deepfakes- My students have been having a lot of issues with social media - outside the classroom and we discussed deepfakes as a class. We read some articles on what deepfakes, how they can easily be generated, and cause concerns and damage to emotional aspects of human beings. While this was not a lesson, it was a meaningful and powerful discussion. We even looked up political aspects of deepfake images and the damage it costs.

My query:

You are a 4th grade teacher, explain creating a summary of what text says to a fourth grader.

ChatGPT

ChatGPT

Alright, fourth graders, imagine you're telling your friend about a really cool book you just read. But here's the thing, your friend doesn't have time to read the whole book, so you want to tell them the most important parts in just a few sentences. That's exactly what making a summary is like!

When we summarize a text, we pick out the most important ideas and put them together in a shorter version. It's like making a mini-story of the big story. You have to figure out what the main characters did, what happened, and why it was important.

So, let's say we read a story about a boy who found a treasure map, went on an adventure, faced challenges, and finally found the treasure. Our summary would talk about the boy finding the map, going on his adventure, facing challenges like crossing a river and avoiding traps, and finally finding the treasure.

Remember, when we summarize, we want to keep it short and only include the most important stuff. It's like giving your friend a sneak peek of the book without giving away all the surprises!

I LOVE THE SOUNDTRAP SUBSCRIPTION SO MUCH THAT THE NEXT DAY I HAVE GIVEN THE ASSIGNMENT TO MY STUDENTS TODAY, JUST BEFORE THE SPRING BREAK. THEY LOVED TO PLAY WITH. MANY ARE PLAYING MUSIC. I AM PLANNING TO GIVE THEM AN PODCAST AS A PART OF THEIR FINAL TO MAKE A SCIENCE PODCAST. THE QUALITY OF RECORDING IS PHENOMENAL, HIGH FIDELITY AND PROFESSIONAL RECORDING. THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL TRAINNING.

Some students really seem to struggle with their mindset. When looking over the KQED Call for Change Commentary lessons, it talked about them having a voice in something they are passionate about. Having a Growth Mindset is something I'm passionate about. I thought that I would try my hand at creating a podcast with tips on how to help them persevere. I am not sure where or how I will push this out to them, but I look forward to creating more and seeing what they can come up with for the KQED challenge.

https://www.soundtrap.com/studio/fork/Gf1cbfmFTNCTdYZZtT4cYA

I am also having my students use Soundtrap to create a podcast to demonstrate how to find the answer to a math word problem while also acting out that word problem.

Attached is the link to my Soundtrap project. I will continue to improve upon it.

We are in our graphs & data analysis unit currently, so I checked the resources and found this lesson that helped my perfectly introduce Probability.

My 'product' I’m attaching is my student's work with understanding the probability of the math game and deciding if they would want to play it given the odds of winning. It was a great digital resource that lead to class discussions on our current topic.

-Sarah Graver

Our L.O.s for the past month have been: What is a map? and Why do we have maps? This has led to an exploration of both actual globes, maps, and creating our own maps of our classroom and school. We have used our District curriculum and Studies Weekly to study map skills (Studies Weekly U3: Geography of a Neighborhood, A1: Globes, A3-6: Maps, Map Tools, Map Legend, Compass Rose ).

One detail I appreciate about this lesson is the fact that the teacher/students live in Arkansas, which gives my students an idea that not everyone lives in Bloomington, CA! The teacher's speaking accent is different than ours, and she talks about exploring Arizona, which is a close neighbor of ours and to which some of my students have been (nice for activating prior knowledge).

Students will then use WeVideo (our District adopted video/audio creation software) to narrate their maps with teacher and older students' assistance.

Leslie Gunterson

I explored SchoolAI and it was great! It easily became one of my favorite apps, because it is a timesaver. For this activity, I prompted the AI to generate a bellringer activity based on Shakespeare's Macbeth, which started with a question I designed. The app's dynamic interface actively interacts with students beyond a single student response, and carries on the discussion with feedback to the initial response and follow-up questions. The probing questions prompts students to think deeply about the text. At the same time, as the teacher, I can view who is on task and receiving positive feedback with emojis, while also flagging students struggling or inactive. This feature lets me focus my attention on students who need support getting started or clarification with the question. What I appreciate is that in a typical classroom, students who are on task and doing well often do not receive the praise they deserve because struggling students take priority; however, this app closes that gap by extending the initial question and commending students on their analysis and effort.

Our school district purchased Soundtrap for all so my students and I sure will learn and make good use of it.

Here is my first short Soundtrap project I created when exploring the tool.

https://www.soundtrap.com/studio/fork/kGNAYkiYTMKs1owNHnfwKA

I recorded my students practicing their class presentations. The practice and being able to hear themselves helped to increase their confidence resulting in a decrease in stuttering. Several of the teachers reported their student did a great job presenting in front of the class.

I used Chat GPT to come up with the content. I tried using Sound trap a few times but my audio didn't work so I gave up and used Flip to record. I asked my students to write a paragraph from the viewpoint of someone living in Germany while Hitler was in power. I told them that they could record a podcast instead of writing the paragraph. I enjoyed listening to the podcasts!

https://flip.com/s/rWxRky8Bdxxn

EdTech Playground #5 on 3/26/24

1. i want to create a three point rubric with meets, near, and below standard for a engineering project in which students tackle plastic and microplastic pollution through the creation of an infographic or video. Students need to create a visual prototype. Please use MS-PS1-3, MS-ETS1-2, and MS-LS2-5 from NGSS as the learning goals to be assessed in the rubric

2. can you refine this rubric to explicitly include that this challenge is centered on reducing plastics and microplastics in the local enviroment, in this case Los Angeles

3. This is great, now can you refine this in to a student self assessment

Students will use Flip to record the videos.

Attached is a link to the topic with details for parents. I was also able to create the Flip project with a password so parents do not have to register or submit their email. Rather, they will be given a password, which seems a bit more convenient. If you'd like to view the topic, please use the option "Join with your guest password."

Password : NMSU2024

Students will use Flip to record a presentation about their "All About Me" Google Slides assignment. This will be a fun & easy way for students to use Flip for the first time. This would be done early on in the quarter next school year. Gives students a chance to do a presentation from home (and not in front of the class).

By the end of this lesson, students should have a clear understanding of what empathy is and feel more confident in practicing it in their interactions with others.

1. Daily Check-Ins: Use Flipgrid to create short video check-ins where students share their feelings, experiences, and any challenges they might be facing. This helps build a sense of community and allows you to gauge their emotional well-being¹.

2. Positive Vibes: Encourage students to create uplifting video messages for their peers. They can share compliments, express gratitude, or simply spread positivity. This fosters empathy and strengthens connections among students¹.

3. Stress Relief: Create Flipgrid topics related to stress management techniques. Students can share relaxation techniques, mindfulness exercises, or tips for coping with stress. This promotes self-regulation and emotional resilience¹.

4. Self-Expression: Use Flipgrid as a platform for students to express themselves creatively. They can create videos about their interests, hobbies, or personal experiences. This encourages self-awareness and self-expression¹.

5. Goal-Setting: Have students record videos about their goals, both academic and personal. They can discuss their aspirations, steps they plan to take, and progress updates. This helps develop goal-setting skills and a growth mindset¹.

SEL is about helping students acquire essential life skills, such as empathy, communication, problem-solving, and self-regulation. By incorporating Flipgrid into your teaching practices, you can enhance reflective activities, empathy discussions, and self-expression while fostering resilience and empathy².

1. August: Coping Skills

   • At the start of the school year, focus on teaching students ways to manage their emotions. Coping skills help them adjust to the academic demands and challenges.

   • Example resource: Coping Skills Google game

2. September: Self Control

   • Reinforce self-control strategies that will benefit students throughout the year.

   • Topics include voice volume control, sitting attentively, and more.

   • Recommended books: “Clark The Shark” by Bruce Hale, “Lacey Walker, Nonstop Talker” by Christianne Jones, and “We Don’t Eat Our Classmates” by Ryan T. Higgins.

3. October: Bullying Prevention

   • Align with National Bullying Prevention Month to address bullying awareness and prevention.

4. November: Gratitude and Kindness

   • Foster a positive environment by emphasizing gratitude and acts of kindness.

5. December: Empathy and Perspective-Taking

   • Encourage students to understand others’ feelings and viewpoints.

6. January: Goal Setting and Growth Mindset

   • Teach goal-setting skills and promote a growth mindset.

7. February: Friendship and Conflict Resolution

   • Explore healthy friendships and effective conflict resolution strategies.

8. March: Resilience and Perseverance

   • Help students build resilience and cope with challenges.

9. April: Mindfulness and Stress Management

   • Introduce mindfulness practices and stress-reduction techniques.

Then after creating the weeks, I searched interactive SEL Games and activities that I could adapt for each weeks theme.

Certainly! Here are some interactive Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) games that you can use to engage students and promote their social and emotional skills:

1. Ro Sham Bo Rockstar: A fun twist on the classic rock-paper-scissors game, where students play as “rockstars” and practice conflict resolution.

2. Hula Hoop Challenge: Encourage cooperation by having students work together to keep a hula hoop moving.

3. Alligator Swamp: An imaginative game where students navigate an “alligator-infested” swamp, emphasizing teamwork and problem-solving.

4. Shipwreck: Students pretend to be shipwreck survivors and collaborate to build a shelter, fostering cooperation and creativity.

Then I asked more specifically interactive games/activities for "Growth Mindset" to have more ideas for the specific weeks themes.

Certainly! Here are a few interactive games and activities that promote a growth mindset:

1. Growth Mindset Game Show:

   • Explore growth mindset with this interactive activity that encourages students to think, act, write, talk, and decide on true or false for a set of questions. Real-world examples help children understand the concept better¹.

2. Growth Mindset Interactive Game:

   • This game teaches students what it means to have a growth or a fixed mindset. It includes a read-aloud section on “What is Growth Mindset?” and 25 related questions and answers about growth and fixed mindsets².

3. Cooperative Board Game:

   • Practice growth mindset and perseverance with students using an engaging cooperative board game. It prompts students to think about how different attitudes and experiences affect their learning and brain³.

4. LearnStorm by Khan Academy:

   • The LearnStorm growth mindset activities are fun and age-appropriate, providing a structured way for students to explore the idea that “You can learn anything.” Students earn badges and contribute to overall class progress⁴.

   I am excited to now have my whole year planned for SEL conversations in my homeroom class.

Pre-K, K, 1st  (Gen Ed. and SDC)

We decided to work on community building in our classrooms using Padlet. We read many other great ideas and decided to incorporate some of them. 

We would like to use  videos in Flip as an ongoing classroom documentation providing voice samples throughout the year. Working on developing language and oral presentation skills.

First we will start by introducing Flip and video capabilities in a large group setting.

Then we will have the students use the computer to introduce themselves to their peers using a sentence frame. 

We are thinking about using the collaboration feature to have several classes linked in order to facilitate school community as well as classroom community. We like the idea of using the timeline feature and doing one post a week to begin with.

“ Hi, My name is ____ “ “I like ____ “

We then will create an ongoing set of questions for the students to report on with frames.        We discussed incorporating questions like:

• What is your favorite color?  Draw a picture of something that is your favorite color and tell about what you drew.

• What is your favorite shape?  “ I drew a picture of a _______ because it is a _______ shape.”

• What is your favorite Animal?    Draw a picture of your favorite animal and tell about it.

• What do you like best about yourself?  (favorite body part, ie. eyes, ears, hands) 

             “I like my _____ because_______.”

Also encouraging students to share their art,. drawings and discussing/ their art, what it is, why they made it

Allowing students to share stories orally will help provide opportunities to develop oral language skills and permit the early learners to communicate orally as they are not yet writing, pre-writing skills.

Link to the Padlet template: https://padlet.com/cassandra_arnold/my-brilliant-classroom-7q1n31ol9cxq8qly

Evaluate:

How do you imagine the tool or strategy impacting your learners and/or your instructional practice? 

• Helping to build a classroom community and establish some routine patterns in sharing their work and sharing about themselves.

• This will encourage our students to get to know each other, learn names, vocalize, name themselves and build computer skills as well as communication skills building their self esteem and self confidence seeing their completed work.

What would you do differently the next time you create with this tool or strategy? OR What advice would you give someone who has never used this tool or strategy? 

• Start the year out using this tool and build slowly throughout the year taking it step by step, small steps at a time. Don’t get overwhelmed by trying to do too much new stuff at once.

What excites you about this new tool or strategy? OR What was successful in your application of the tool or strategy? 

• It will allow students the opportunity to talk and develop their language skills.  For those early learners that are not yet writing they can verbalize their story telling before they can write it.

Which resources did you explore from the list provided?

• We explored all of the resources. It was definitely a process as our school district blocks our access from Copilot and Microsoft designer. We had to get other computers and this took several attempts. We also needed to create accounts in order to get them to work at all. There was no free trial. We could not get even one generation without signing in. It says you can, but it did not work for me. The tool kits were nice to show more of the capabilities than we could access with the free versions of the software.

1. Snowball Fight:

   • Each student writes five facts about themselves on a piece of paper.

   • They wad up the paper and have a “snowball fight.”

   • When prompted, they pick up a snowball, read the facts, and guess whose snowball it is by asking yes-or-no questions.

   • The first to correctly identify the owner wins.

My Prompt: Create morning meeting SEL prompts for a third grade class that will help establish community and build relationships. Include a discussion topic and an activity that is 10 minutes long

Copilot

Certainly! Morning meetings are a fantastic way to foster community and teach social-emotional skills. Here are some SEL prompts and activities for your third-grade class:

1. Theme: Respect

   • Discussion Topic: What does respect mean to you?

   • Activity: Have students share examples of respectful behavior they’ve observed or experienced.

2. Theme: Self-Control

   • Discussion Topic: What does self-control look like? How do you handle moments when you feel out of control?

   • Activity: Practice deep breathing together to demonstrate self-regulation.

3. Theme: Diligence

   • Discussion Topic: Why is diligence important? What happens when we consistently put effort into our work or behavior?

   • Activity: Set a class goal (e.g., reading a certain number of books) and track progress throughout the month.

4. Theme: Empathy

   • Discussion Topic: Why is empathy important? How can we show kindness to others?

   • Activity: Role-play scenarios where students demonstrate empathy toward their peers.

5. Theme: Courage

   • Discussion Topic: Who do you know in your life that is courageous? How can you be brave in your own actions?

   • Activity: Create a “courage jar” where students write down acts of bravery they witness or perform.

I tried to get a photorealistic image of an avocado seed sprouting in a glass of water, but ran out of free tries before I created one that looks real. The image above is pretty good, but not perfect.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1434lEJzy9NdzyTXZZ33lzaBTw2OCEj4cqUZqo5yfmEw/edit?usp=sharing

Examples:

Truth: "What memory makes you smile?"

Dare: "Act like a sad dinosaur."

Truth: "Name all of the emotions you have experienced today."

Dare: "Introduce yourself to five classmates while holding your tongue."

1. Story Structure: Use Microsoft Copilot to guide my students in structuring their stories. It can provide suggestions on creating a compelling introduction, developing characters, building tension, and crafting a satisfying conclusion.

2. Creative Prompts: Microsoft Copilot can generate creative writing prompts to inspire my students. These prompts can be based on different genres, themes, or even specific characters.

3. Feedback and Improvement: Microsoft Copilot can provide constructive feedback on your students’ stories. It can suggest improvements in areas such as grammar, vocabulary, sentence structure, and storytelling techniques.

4. Visual Inspiration: Use Microsoft Designer to create visual mood boards or storyboards that can help my students visualize their stories. They can include images related to their story’s setting, characters, or key events.

5. Collaboration: Both Microsoft Copilot and Designer allow for real-time collaboration. This means my students can work together on their stories, share their ideas, and provide feedback to each other.

Icebreaker games can be a great way to help migrant 6th graders connect with their peers and feel more comfortable in a new environment. Here are some ideas:

1. Migrant’s Suitcase: This activity involves creating a “suitcase” with items that represent their journey or experiences. Each student can draw or write about something significant to them and share it with the group¹.

2. Yarn Circle: Gather students in a circle. Start with a ball of yarn and hold one end. Toss the ball to a student while asking a question (e.g., “What’s your favorite type of birthday cake?”). The student answers and holds onto the yarn, then tosses it to someone else, creating a web of connections².

3. Welcome Mat: As a teacher, create a welcoming environment for all students, regardless of their immigration status. Send a clear message that they are valued and belong in the classroom³.

Remember, the goal is to build relationships, reduce anxiety, and create a positive classroom culture. 😊🌟

I chose yarn circle, and am continuing to use it. It sparks ideas, and memories for students that are relatable to one another.

I first asked for stories to read and these are a few of the best options it gave me:

1. We Share Everything!: A hilarious take on sharing by Robert Munsch. It teaches kids how to share, why it's important, and when not to take it too far.

2. Sharing Time: Teaches children that doing something nice for someone else is a wonderful gesture. It also provides choices for when sharing feels hard.

3. Sharing Ninja: Learn about sharing through the fun story of the sharing ninja. Great for the first day of Kindergarten.

I then asked for activities I can do with my students that help with their understanding of the importance of sharing. This is what I found:

1. Give and Take Game: Create a game where children exchange small items (like stickers or toys) with each other. Emphasize fairness and kindness.

2. Cooperative Coloring: Provide large coloring sheets and encourage children to color together. They can take turns using different colors and sharing the space.

3. Shared Lego Builds: Provide a bin of Lego bricks and encourage children to build something together. They can take turns adding pieces and collaborating on their creation.

I love the ease at which I was given these resources. I am going to use them with my class and continue to build a library of activities and stories around our school's monthly character traits.

With all this said, I am beginning to see the potential for using these AI tools to help students articulate and refine their thoughts and feelings. Now while working with students who are newcomers and possibly feeling out of place, there's a way to let them visualize, as to their comfort level, the way they are feeling in a new environment.

Returning to the evocative works of John Coltrane, I thought it might be interesting to ask Copilot for suggestions to integrate his music with SEL lessons. Here's what it returned:

John Coltrane, the legendary jazz saxophonist, offers a wealth of inspiration for Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons. Here are some ways to incorporate his techniques:

1. Sheets of Sound: Coltrane’s improvisational style, known as “Sheets of Sound,” involves rapid, cascading notes. You can discuss how this intense expression mirrors emotions and encourage students to explore their own emotional “sheets of sound” through music or art.

2. Triad Exercises: Coltrane often used shifting triads and chromaticism from whole-tone scales. Teach students about triads and encourage them to experiment with these harmonic and melodic techniques in their own musical expressions.

3. Authentic Phrasing: Jazz isn’t just about note choices; it’s also about how you say it. Explore Coltrane’s phrasing and encourage students to express themselves authentically, whether through music, writing, or conversation.

Remember, Coltrane’s music is a powerful tool for connecting emotions, creativity, and self-expression.

It was very helpful to see some practical applications of these AI tools in the creation of SEL resources. I hope to reboot the use of music once again and encourage my students to share how they feel and relate to these works.

Gayatri Tolani

I’m teaching a summer school HS science class and found these suggestions easy and useful and engaging.

 I would kept exploring Co-Pilot and adapting materials.

The ease and efficiency of AI interests me with Co-Pilot.

Integrating Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) into the 9th grade health curriculum is essential for developing students' emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills. One effective tool for achieving this is Flip (formerly known as Flipgrid), a video discussion platform. This essay outlines a 45-minute lesson plan utilizing Flip to help students understand and manage their emotions.

Objectives and Rationale

The lesson aims to help students identify different types of emotions, discuss strategies for managing these emotions, and practice sharing and reflecting on emotional experiences. These objectives support SEL by promoting emotional awareness and communication skills, which are crucial for students' personal and social development.

Lesson Introduction

The lesson begins with a brief introduction to the day's objectives, followed by an icebreaker where each student names an emotion they felt in the past 24 hours. This activity encourages students to start thinking about their emotions and creates a supportive classroom environment.

Direct Instruction

In a 10-minute direct instruction segment, the teacher uses a whiteboard to explain categories of emotions like happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and surprise, providing examples for each. Discussing how these emotions influence behavior helps students understand the importance of emotional regulation.

Group Discussion

Students then engage in small group discussions with prompts such as, "Share a time when you felt a strong emotion. How did you react?" and "What are some healthy ways to manage emotions?" These discussions encourage peer learning and help students articulate their thoughts on emotional experiences and management strategies.

Flip Activity

In the Flip activity, students record their thoughts and responses to the prompts, allowing for reflection and peer feedback. This activity fosters a sense of community and supports students in expressing their emotions in a safe, supportive environment.

Conclusion

The lesson concludes with a recap of key points and distribution of handouts on emotion management strategies. This ensures students leave with practical tools to apply in their daily lives.

By incorporating Flip into the health curriculum, educators can create engaging, interactive lessons that promote SEL, helping students develop the emotional and interpersonal skills they need to succeed.

In our kindergarten classroom,

big and bright,

We learn to share and do what's right.

With Microsoft Flip, we can see,

How to show our empathy!

We take turns to tell our tale,

Of times we're happy, brave, or frail.

A little flip and then we share,

Our hearts with friends, to show we care.

When someone’s sad or feeling blue,

We flip a video, it’s what we do!

Talk about love, or kindness too,

And learn together what’s right and true.

Flip helps us talk, reflect, and see,

That every feeling’s meant to be.

In our space, no fear or fuss,

Microsoft Flip connects all of us!

So let’s use Flip to grow each day,

Learning kindness along the way.

With smiles, feelings, hugs, and fun,

Our SEL journey has just begun!

Google Slide Deck Link Enclosed Below

with Flip SEL Lesson Plan for Kinder Classrooms

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1pebmlrBRdUlFr2Ud_nJLK4BQVDB4nIosj_h9hyPrNGI/edit?usp=sharing