Google Classroom is a extensively used in schools across BC, despite the FIPPA concerns for student privacy. The major issue in my eyes is the informed consent. I do not think that what happens, a permission slip going home to be signed by parents, really qualifies as informed consent. I think there needs to be another option available to teachers and students alike, who take the privacy concerns seriously.
While the organization and convenience is a huge benefit to teachers and schools, the issues of school districts signing the ‘terms and conditions’ for people is a huge issue for the informed consent.
The environmental benefit of less paper needs to be weighed against the environmental impact of google’s storage. Storing emails, and information through google means that google has to have a physical location to do so. These plants also have an environmental cost, and I would be curious to know which outweighs the other.
“What strategies can we employ to minimize the risk of plagiarism?”
When I asked ChatGPT this question, this is what it generated: (I couldn’t get the text from ChatGPT to change colour, so please note that it is the numbered list, all contents from 1-7).
Use the information as inspiration: Rather than directly copying or lifting entire responses from an AI, use the generated content as inspiration or a starting point for your own ideas. This helps in developing original content while still benefiting from the AI’s assistance.
Paraphrase and reframe: If you find a helpful response from an AI model like ChatGPT, rephrase and reframe the information in your own words. This practice not only helps to avoid plagiarism but also ensures a deeper understanding of the material.
Combine multiple sources: Instead of relying solely on one AI-generated response, combine information from multiple AI-generated responses or other sources, integrating them into your own unique content.
Attribute when necessary: If you’re directly using or referencing a phrase, idea, or content generated by an AI model like ChatGPT, attribute it appropriately. Acknowledge that the information was derived from an AI source.
Verify and fact-check: AI-generated content can sometimes contain errors or outdated information. Always verify the information provided by an AI model through reliable, authoritative sources before using it in your work.
Review and edit: Just like with any other source, thoroughly review and edit the content generated by an AI. This process helps in refining the language, structure, and ensuring the content aligns with your intended message.
Document your AI usage: If required by your institution or project guidelines, keep track of the AI models or tools you used in your research or content creation process. Mentioning these in your bibliography or references can demonstrate transparency in your work.
Before I used AI to ask this question, the first thing I thought of based on discussions we’ve had in class was, well use it like you would use Wikipedia, as a jumping off point.
I absolutely agree that we need to treat AI as the new google, or the new calculator. It certainly won’t be going anywhere and the best way to move forward with it is to be educated about it. A ‘just say no‘ approach to AI in education would be harmful and counter productive. It’s not necessary that everyone has to be an expert in it, or even use it, but turning a blind eye and demonizing it is not the answer.
Given that the University of Victoria does not even have a stance on AI yet, goes to show how new this is, but also how much, and how fast it will change. This is another reason we should be somewhat adept in AI because it will change and grow, and governments and institutions will be developing stances on it.
The MagicSchool.AI is a really interesting resource educators. I’m especially intrigued by the fact that it is an encrypted and the information doesn’t go anywhere else – which is FIPPA compliant. Super intriguing, I can see myself using this in the future.
I do think there are inherent harms with over use of these tools. Defaulting to the use of AI generated lesson plans or grading rubrics will definitely harm our own capabilities of thinking creatively, and frankly – working hard. This is only one of the many possible harms we could be seeing with the use and over use of AI tools in education. However, I personally feel that I struggle starting from scratch, and having a prompt gets my creative and critical thinking going much faster and better. Although, i’m really not sure if thats because that’s how my brain works, or if I just have debilitating imposter syndrome, and anything 100% my idea is likely not good enough.
The three big issues brought up in class: evaluation and assessment, misinformation, and violations of intellectual property, present real issues in the future of education with AI.
When I asked ChatGPT if teachers should change their assessment now that students have such readily available access to AI, ChatGPT said:
Absolutely! The rise of AI has transformed the way we access information, learn, and solve problems. Teachers can adapt their assessment methods to align with these changes by emphasizing skills that complement AI, such as critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and complex decision-making.
Instead of traditional memorization-based tests, assessments could focus more on application and synthesis of information. For instance, assigning projects that require students to analyze data, interpret results, and propose creative solutions can be more beneficial. This encourages students to utilize AI as a tool rather than just relying on it for answers.
Moreover, formative assessments, where teachers continuously gauge student progress, can be enhanced by integrating AI tools to provide personalized feedback and adaptive learning experiences. This combination can create a more dynamic and tailored approach to education.
Ultimately, teachers should prepare students to collaborate with AI, emphasizing skills that make humans unique, like emotional intelligence, ethical reasoning, and adaptability. The goal is to foster a symbiotic relationship between human intellect and AI capabilities.
I think that gamification is an awesome way to get students involved in a low-stakes way. I would absolutely use gamification in my practice. Likely both online / digital gamification and gamifying activities in the class. This lecture made me reflect back to our orientation day in September, where we were put into teams and were competing to complete our native plants bingo. Myself and another person in my group became really competitive and got so into it (which was really fun), but afterwards I reflected on the competitiveness, I thought it was not good that we’d become that competitive. Our instructor at the end of the activity told us that he purposely made it something where we would get competitive, because team tasks are an awesome way to gel new groups of people.
I think a potential issue with gamifications such as Kahoot, or video game type things, is that students may take it less seriously, and also behave less appropriately for school. I’m thinking specifically about how students may taunt or name call each other in a way they may if they were playing this game outside the classroom. So, some gamification may pose additional classroom management challenges.
Photo by Max Fischer: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-children-clapping-together-5212700/
Okay so for this week’s reflection I’m actually using voice to text just to see how it works. I’m not going to edit it but I will make amendments afterwards by typing if there are glaring mistakes that make the sentences not make sense. I was really impressed with the tool to put your website through to see how accessible it was there was some things I didn’t quite understand so I’ll have to investigate that further but for instance just the contrasting text colors on the background that’s such an easy thing for us to fix that would make a big difference in accessibility. I thought we had some great conversations about udl in class today I do think that as everyone else stated it will be a lot of work but it is really worth the work and it will pay off it’s like investing in something up front and I think that the more that we normalize this approach to education the better it becomes for everyone. I think the key to this will be to really have a growth mindset strive to create the best environment for all your students and normalize having different accommodations different situations different options for different people. I also think that in general the more that we decolonize our classrooms and our pedagogies the more that these things will naturally come into play I think that as I think someone stated in our discussion that having things having fidget things and chairs that move around and allowing kids to move around is like a boom (supposed to be boon) to the classroom and to the students and this is contrary to a traditional classroom setting. I think that the point really is not to focus on how much work it may be, or the cons of these accessible approaches – but to focus on how we can best reach all of our students.
All in all I think the speech to text on Google Docs did a pretty good job of dictating. However, I clearly need to put more breaks in my sentences when I speak.
Check out my interactive video about one of my favourite Instagram creators’ page .
I think this interactive tool will be so beneficial for asynchronous learning. Particularly I’m thinking about if you wanted teach a lesson and make sure that students are: picking up on the important points, paying attention, and engaged (to name a few).
We’re all (those that have been students or educators over the last 3 years) very familiar with online learning and can probably rattle off a list of the pros and cons. Of course some of those are person / situation specific.
I really think there are major benefits to online (synchronous or asynchronous) learning. It was great to be able to complete my university degree on my parents’ farm on a small island. I think key to online learning is having a dedicated work space, because otherwise it is likely to not be effective or productive. I won’t go in to listing all the pros and cons to online versus in person learning but if you want to see more, check out this article. I will say that the biggest and most concerning con in my mind, is child/student support and safety while exclusively online.
Speaking to my own experience, my grades actually improved during the online learning. The end of the semester when covid first started was really poorly delivered (of course, I don’t blame them), but by September, professors had worked hard to develop effective online classes. I was incredibly fortunate to be able to move home to my parents, and be fully supported while I focused more on school than I ever had before. Normally I worked 25 hours a week outside school, but during covid I did not, and if I did it was less hours and on my parents’ farm. However, as Covid restrictions lessoned and I moved back to Victoria but I mostly continued my classes online. I went from living on a rural property to living in a tiny basement suite in a city, and I got a reality check of what the lockdown was like for so many people. This made online school harder. Your environment is so important for success with online school.
If I had to pivot to fully online, the most important thing to me would be to maintain (or establish if a new year or semester) strong relationships with all my students online. Two learning activities I could use if we had to make this pivot now:
Student directed lessons. In teams I would have students take on a subject within out unit of study and they would come up with a lesson for the whole class. The final lesson of this would need to be synchronous, but the work for the group could be asynchronous but I would want to do individual meetings with groups.
I might try some online tools like Flip. I could come up with (or the class could) some discussion prompts, essential questions, or possibly inquiry and this site / app, Flip, provides a platform for students to respond in videos (which they can edit). This is a tool that can be used asynchronously. Or I could do a virtual online tour of a museum, quite a few offer them, heres one of The Louvre offers.
Using the AI photo generator (Designer Microsoft) was actually quite interesting. I can see it being incredibly helpful and useful, but also frustrating. I think because figuring out how to write your prompt is tricky, and although it offers you generated prompts based on your keywords, it can still change things or not quite get at what you want. For instance, I wanted to have a banner made of sourdough starter and sourdough bread and a bakery and it always wanted to have words on it like “happy bakery” and “rise to the occasion”. Even when I wrote “do not have any words in the photo” it would have photos printed over top of the bread. Either way, I did end up with a banner for my website, but I did have to settle for a photo with words – check it out here and on my website home page!
The various learning strategies presented to us this past week are all excellent approaches to creating content for students. The biggest principle to me was the dual coding. I think everyone has experienced teachers who only talk, or only have dense slide decks with too many words and no images. For most of us, this approach does not work at all. When we were discussing dual coding it immediately made me think about my free inquiry project. When following a recipe, I find it to be so important that there are step by step pictures of the process, as well as a description. I find with these pictures, I understand so much better what the dough should look and feel like, and how I should be handling it. I think this concept applies to all learning. Students learn best when there is more than one presentation of the information.
Technology can be really frustrating. Having the site not work (not able to get my website up and running, having to create a new one and still having it not work) due to technical issues out of my control can make you feel helpless in the face of technology. Technology can give you access to so much, and allow you to do so much, but it can also make you feel like you have no control. This process has been frustrating, I look forward to being able to get into my site and develop it.
Aside from the obvious difficulties I had setting up this website, I was intrigued to learn about FIPPA. I think FIPPA is vitally important for the protection of students. It may present some challenges when it comes to certain resources to be used in the classroom, but there are definitely work arounds. Ultimately, the protection of student privacy is far more important anyways than the possible difficulties it may pose. Such as, having to seek informed consent, or setting up 30 new email accounts for students, or using different resources all together. I noticed while on Link 2 Practice that Google is used a lot in the schools. I want to ask the teachers how they are using that, since Google does not store their information in BC, or Canada. My guess is, either they received informed consent or, the less likely option, they are not aware of the issues with data storage.
