Brain computer interface is something I knew very little about. Here's what I thought I knew about it...1. I didn't know this label existed. 2. I thought this technology was just tied to automated wheelchairs, such as Stephen Hawking's. 3. I had "heard" this type of technology could help people that were paralyzed. I could go on about my inadequate thinking....BUT the capacity of this technology is mindblowing!

Do I think BCI technology has the capacity to change the lives of people, YES! But at what costs? I found this article on World Economic Forum: "The brain computer interface market is growing - but what are the risks?" The risks cited here are some I hadn't thought of...brain tapping! This happens when an attack compromises confidentialities of people, such as their religious beliefs, their political beliefs, their emotions! So much for confidentiality! Terroism is another risk...this data can be hijacked and used against us as a country. My hope is that, although noted in the article, what is being done to ward off such things and is it enough? I guess we won't know until it happens.

If this technology were offered to the general public masses, would I partake in it? My answer...NO! I don't want anyone to know my private thoughts and I certainly don't want to know anyone elses! Funny or not, I think about shopping and how easily Amazon assists so many people and companies at the touch of a finger. But what if I thought about what I wanted versus what I needed...what would happen to my financials? And that's another thing...I don't want anyone knowing about my personal finances because I'm thinking about paying my tuition or my child's tuition.

Needless to say, I'm more leary of this technology and the opportunity that exists with it becoming mainstreamed. I do believe in its good within the medical field and even gaming field - some amazing gaming experiences could be found within this technology, but right now, I'm going to pass on BCI.

Yes, the technology can help ASD studnets in areas such as VR-based therapies can support brain adaptation and improve cognitive functioning such as students' memory or motor skills, to name a few. This article also presented a different perspective...the parents of autistic children. This technology and educate parents and those that support ASD students. BCI could model a day in the life of their child, their experiences, their thoughts, which could lead to a better understanding of their child/student.

BCI does have endless possiblities for the good.

For the past several years, one of my responsibilitites as a county Math Coach was to write an "If/Then" document for misconceptions. For example, "if" a student exhibited "x" misconception, "then" I would write how best to reteach or circumvent that particular misconception. Well, who knew that I could of had a jumping off point with MagicSchool. I have changed grade levels and I plan to enlist the support of the Misconception AI tool in my work with misconceptions moving forward.

My first experience with MagicSchool was in our first AI assignment. This tool is truly amazing. So much so, that at our county-wide 2-day math professional learning conference, AI was a choice session teachers could attend and MagicSchool was the tool that was highlighted and the teachers got to explore. I'm assuming this was many teachers first experience with Magic School in my district. If used effeciently and effectively, I think the teachers I support in schools will LOVE this tool! It's just a matter of taking the time to explore this resource as we have done in our class.

I used both MagicSchool and Napkin AI to develop this resource in a matter of minutes! I often work with teachers where the lack of classroom management impedes instruction. I worked with one teacher this past year, and she always spoke over her students and they were not listening to her at all. I put that particular situation into the Classroom Management tool on Magic School and it listed several options along with "tips and advice." The product that was presented is a starting place with the teacher and work together to tweak it and make it fit her classroom needs.

After exploring Napkin AI, I uploaded the text for the classroom management examples and created images for each part of the classroom management plan suggested by MagicSchool. The text and images are embedded in this one document.

I've learned that all of these tools, once you explore them are amazing resources for our teachers. My hope is that it takes some things off of a teacher's to do list. My fear is that these tools could easily supplant a teacher's thinking and decision making in their classrooms.

I worked with a 4th grade teacher this year…and saw the impact iReady adaptive learning technology advanced her students learning!  

When this teacher administered the Diagnostic assessment in August only 18% of her students were showing “annual typical growth” which is normal because it was the beginning of the year and they were being assessed on 4th grade standards. The mid-year Diagnostic assessment showed that more than half of her class was making progress towards their annual typical growth of 100%. The EOY was shocking! 56% of her students achieved more than their yearly typical growth. These students met 113% of their typical growth goal! That means that almost 6 out of 10 students reached their yearly growth! Her principal asked me how she achieved this with her students so I told her our coaching story. 

We worked together to analyze the data…the prerequisite reports for the standards assessed on the iReady Diagnostic assessment, her students’ formative assessment work, our county teacher-led small group resources for the standards, and the resources suggested by iReady. We used the data and planning resources to plan for her daily mandated intervention block. Based on the iReady and classroom formatives, we identified knowledge gaps and intentionally planned to address these gaps. The teacher consistently met with her students in teacher-led small groups and when the students were not with her, they were using assigned iReady resources for reteaching purposes. She was so proud of her students and the students themselves were beaming with confidence when I went back to visit after the EOY diagnostic. More than that, I was so proud of this teacher’s persistence in making sure her students were learning and didn’t let anything get in the way of this designated block of time! See explanation of the iReady prerequisite report here and it is linked on my padlet as part 2 of my ALT reflection. 

Not losing the human side of instruction matters just as using the appropriate ALT tools to supplement and extend student learning matters! How this teacher intentionally used ALT had a tremendous impact on her students’ learning!