Can you dig it? Tools to help Educators understand AI and it's value for learning

The Tools

Literature, Research and Data Collection to Facilitate an Inquiry into AI and it's Educational Impact

As a luddite heading into an unknown world, it is very overwhelming to try and navigate all the opinions, explanations, advertisements hiding as explanations and skewed perspectives to get to some legitimate, clearly explained information. To start the very daunting journey into understanding AI, I think I will start where all good exploration begins on the internet: YouTube

This video, from a potentially questionable but seemingly reliable tech blog is a 5 minute, very clear and detailed description of the different types of AI and what each was intended for. It clearly identifies itself as being video with built in commissions of the products they explain which is refreshing. It's simple and succinct presentation of what AI is and the current notable AI generator products was a welcome overview map to the world of AI I, and many other teachers are about to enter. (You can tell that I am a skeptic and that this is very clearly my first foray into this world as I'm questioning and attempting to verify my sources from the jump)

To learn how to harness AI, one must know the key AI generators being used. The aforementioned video highlighted 3 AI tools that are in high demand at the moment and that this educator had never heard of. Which means this newbie has 3 more potential inquiry options to explore on the ever growing and changing map. 

AI to examine for Educational Purposes and Possible Inquiry Subject

ChatGTP - the classic homework helper. Easily the most well known to educators as it is/was free and did students' homework well before adults even knew it was an option

Gamma - the new easy way to create presentations. This AI generator will create detailed presentations from a text document. It is both a helper to let students show off their work in a more engaging way but can also do their work for them, depending on how it's harnessed. 

Jasper - a writing tool that markets itself as an "on brand AI content creator" that will actually write just about anything you ask it to. The good news for education is that it's not free. The bad news is that it's pretty cheap and students will overlook the cost for the benefit of getting through. 

Pictory - a video creator that allows anyone to turn text into videos. Projects will never be the same once students get ahold of this tool. And it starts with a free trial.

The TL TakeAway:

Navigating this new world, no matter how many maps are created will never be something the average classroom teacher will have time for. This means it could be a powerful skill in a TL's arsenal to engage in collaboration and support. If a TL had a working knowledge of the AI students are or could use, they could help their colleagues create appropriate assignments that harness the AI and still allow for serious learning. At the very least they could help teachers create AI resistant activities that still reveal the desired skills but minimize the chances of a bot doing the work.

These skills also translate to student engagement. If a TL was offering a "how to" on making better presentations and showing the proper use of these tools, it could be a huge draw for the student body. By adding this capacity to a LLC's brand, it could go a long to ensuring the engagement and connectedness of a school's population to the library. 

As an aside (a common issue I'm learning in inquiry), there are some powerful arguments to be made about making education align more with the First People's Principles of Learning to minimize these issues which could be a direction of inquiry. 

Possible References

"How Can Teachers Integrate AI within Schools?" - a Canadian article that looks at how AI can be used in our classrooms. 

Dr. Louis Volante, Dr. Christopher DeLuca. “How Can Teachers Integrate AI within Schools?” EdCan Network, 7 June 2023, www.edcan.ca/articles/how-can-teachers-integrate-ai-within-schools/?gclid=CjwKCAjwmbqoBhAgEiwACIjzEBadpsX1ZJK6X5HZXZ8h-DU7aRggLuPIPCilDfy-X6eDYpEU2u_fVRoCk4gQAvD_BwE.

"Framing Inquiry with Scenarios" - an article to help define how to create AI resistant assignments that promote critical and thoughtful engagement. 

Fontichiaro, Kristin, and Kristin Fontichiaro. "Framing Inquiry with Scenarios." School library monthly, vol. 31, no. 3, 12/01/2014, pp. 50.

Hari, Johann. “Your Attention Didn’t Collapse. It Was Stolen.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 2 Jan. 2022, www.theguardian.com/science/2022/jan/02/attention-span-focus-screens-apps-smartphones-social-media.

Miller, Shannon, and William L. Bass. Leading from the Library: Help Your School Community Thrive in the Digital Age. International Society for Technology in Education, 2019.

"AI Grand Challenges For Education" - an article that proposes the need for technology in the classroom and despairs the lack of engagement for our students who are digital natives and need to be taught in their chosen language. 

Woolf, B. P., Lane, H. C., Chaudhri, V. K., & Kolodner, J. L. (2013). AI Grand Challenges for Education. AI Magazine, 34(4), 66-84. https://doi.org/10.1609/aimag.v34i4.2490

AAI AI Websites:

“Chatgpt.” ChatGPT, openai.com/chatgpt. Accessed 23 Sept. 2023.

“Gamma.” Gamma App: Generate AI Presentations, Webpages & Docs, gamma.app/public/GammaAi-Your-Solution-for-Advanced-AI-and-SelfLearning-h4bysfondj6tgfl. Accessed 23 Sept. 2023.

“Jasper - Ai Writer: Ai Marketing Co-Pilot.” Proof Icon SVG, www.jasper.ai/. Accessed 23 Sept. 2023.

“Pictory - Easy Video Creation for Content Marketers.” Pictory.Ai, 21 Sept. 2023, pictory.ai/.