Artificial Intelligence: Real Talk

In this discussion, Jethro and Damon dive into the use of progressive web apps (PWAs) and local hosting of educational tools to create safer and more controlled learning environments.

They touch upon their personal experiences with AI, the benefits and functionalities of PWAs, and specifically discuss a tool called Audio Pen AI.

Further, they explore the concept of hosting educational chats and software locally, using examples like Campfire by 37 Signals, to prevent unnecessary exposure to the internet for students.

The conversation also covers the potential for schools to adopt locally hosted software for educational purposes, ensuring a safer, more reliable, and financially sensible approach to student technology usage.

01:02 The Future of Software Development

02:31 Progressive Web Apps (PWAs)

05:20 Localized Educational Tools

05:45 Creating a Safe Digital Environment for Students

08:33 The Potential of Local Networks in Schools

24:45 Educational Software and Data Privacy

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In this episode we talk about an AI enhanced classroom.

• Using AI as a coplanner
• Suggestions on activities you could do.
• The AI is really trying to make you happy.
• How to iterate to get the AI to do the things you want it to.
• Whether we need prompting skills today or not?
• The power of collaborating.
• Watching prompt engineers do their work
• It’s very natural language, rather than a strict programming language.
• Diffit and SchoolAI are great AI solutions out there.
• Laurisa Black

About Bonnie Nieves

Bonnie Nieves has an M.Ed. in Curriculum, Instruction & Educational Leadership. She is a high school teacher in Massachusetts, a science and edtech consultant, presenter, and author. Bonnie is the founder of Educate On Purpose coaching where she provides online courses and virtual and in-person professional development training for schools and individuals.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In this episode of A Vision for Learning, host Jethro Jones interviews Erik Francis, an expert in educational leadership and the creator of Maverik Education AI. Francis discusses the role of AI in education, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and critical thinking. Key points include:

• AI's Limitations: ChatGPT and other AI tools can sometimes produce inaccurate information due to the nature of their sourcing and synthesis processes.
• Depth of Knowledge (DOK): Francis highlights the need for students to deeply understand their learning, moving beyond surface-level comprehension. He outlines how different levels of DOK correspond to various question types (e.g., "whether" questions indicate DOK 1, while "how" questions indicate DOK 2).
• AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement: Francis argues that AI should be used as a stimulus for learning, not a source of definitive answers. It can offer suggestions, but educators and students must ultimately use their own judgment and critical thinking skills.
• The Importance of Authenticity: Francis believes that the future of AI in education lies in authenticity. Educators and students should "be the brain" and use AI as a tool to enhance, rather than replace, their own thinking and decision-making processes.
• Misinterpretation about DOK and
• We don’t know the source that chatGPT Is using.
• OpenAI synthesizing all those hits in Google that gives back information that is not accurate.
• How deeply do students have to comprehend their learning?
• You can’t just rely on a calculator.
• The technology doesn’t make things less complex, it makes it easier to do that work.
• There are people who are going to say, “It’s good enough.”
• Circle the verbs and underline the standards.
• Assessing on skills and stuff (old way) vs context (new way)
• Whether - DOK 1
• How - DOK 2
• Supports - DOK 3
• Two or more - DOK 4
• “Worksheets don’t grow dendrites” - Marcia Tate
• Created this to help teachers expand their instructional talent.
• AI is a stimulus, not a source.
• Suggestions, not decisions.
• Teaching is not just a science, it’s an art.
• Rogers’ diffusion of innovation.
• How do we know that our AI stuff is actually good?
• The Future of AI is authenticity.
• “Be the brain and make the impact.”

About Erik Francis:

Erik Francis specializes in providing guidance, support and training to academic leaders and classroom teachers on how to develop rigorous learning environments and deliver engaging educational experiences that engage and encourage students to demonstrate different levels of thinking and understand and use their Depth of Knowledge (DOK) through inquiry and by questioning with good questions. He created Maverik Education AI.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In this episode, Eli Davis speaks with Dr. Annette Teasdell, a nationally recognized scholar of urban education and an acclaimed author. Dr. Teasdell shares her journey, experiences, and insights on dyslexia, the transformative power of education, and the use of AI technologies to support students. The conversation delves into the significance of representation in education, the impact of dyslexia on different populations, especially African Americans, and the essential tools and strategies to help students overcome learning challenges.

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL.

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Welcome to A Vision for Learning! Today, let's discuss using Apple Vision Pro for productivity. Apple promotes this, and I think they're right. I'm impressed with its capabilities.

Recently, I made a video (find it at avisionforlearning.com) about unboxing and my first impressions of the Apple Vision Pro. I edited that video entirely while wearing Apple Vision Pro and using my Mac. It was powerful and enjoyable.

Fascinatingly, AVP (Apple Vision Pro) has already changed my work approach. Firstly, "locking in" by putting on the device and entering work mode has been effective for me. If you're like me, struggling with distractions, this helps with focus. People use various methods to maintain focus, such as timers or Timeler; Apple Vision Pro is another example.

If your work is solitary, this can be beneficial. The "locking in" aspect has been great.

Secondly, comfort is important. Some people find the Solo Loop band uncomfortable compared to the Double Loop band. Personally, I find the Solo Loop quite comfortable and prefer it. Round the top of my skull, it's more comfortable. The other one feels like a small band that digs in, not really loving that.

The next piece: it's easy to get used to all these floating windows around me. It contributes to the locked-in feeling, focused on work. I can have ReadWise, photos, and notes open and easily accessible. I've liked multiple monitors before, but having these fade-into-background windows is cool.

On the Mac, you have other windows that don't fade. Apple introduced Stage Manager, but I haven't gotten into it. With Vision Pro, I'm in Mount Hood with beautiful scenery and sounds. Windows let me see the nature scene; it's a cool different thing that I enjoy.

Switching between Mac and Vision Pro for typing or editing is simple. I use my Mac keyboard for Notes or other apps on Vision Pro easily. You can also use your voice or a heads-up display keyboard on Vision Pro. It feels like you're touching it – not great but functional.
The thing in front of you, not real but feeling like you're touching it, is truly remarkable. You can use the keyboard attached to your Mac too. Productivity is real with this. I'm recording through my Mac, wearing the Vision Pro, and the display is right there.

Controlling my Mac is incredible. I've used screen-sharing software before, but this is different. It's like I'm really using it – not a second-class system. I use my keyboard and mouse normally, and it's a bigger screen with other windows from the Vision Pro.

Multiple screen support for Mac computers on the Vision Pro will happen in the future. Adjusting volume of surrounding sounds is neat as well. On Mount Hood today, I can turn down ambient noise.

iPad apps not designed for the Vision Pro are compatible apps. I've downloaded many familiar apps to see how they work. Interacting with pop-ups can be challenging. One app I use often is Readwise – it works well even though it's not designed for Apple Vision Pro.

Text reading is incredible, better than on my iPad or phone. The perfect size text is wonderful. The challenge comes when taking notes while reading – tapping and holding with your fingers
Selecting something requires tapping and dragging to highlight, like a paragraph. It's not terrible, but not great either, as it can be challenging on iPad apps not designed for Apple Vision Pro. You don't know what you're looking at, and you don't get the feedback you want.

Another issue is that things don't always work as intended on these apps. However, tapping with fingers is intuitive and makes sense. In my other podcasts, I've discussed my oldest daughter with Down Syndrome. She understood and used the system right away, which is incredible.

Using a computer is challenging for her. But using touchscreen devices or this device, she figured it out quickly. I'll discuss more in an episode later this week about using this in school, as there are interesting use cases.

My daughter managed the headset with minimal support from me. You can be productive with it by pinning windows around your environment. If I move upstairs from my office, the windows stay downstairs, and I can see them through the ground.

What's mind-blowing is that during a FaceTime call, I left someone in my office, I walked upstairs and could still see them through the floor. Their voice was muffled and sounded further away. As you turn your head in FaceTime or Zoom, you hear people differently based on their position. If they're on my right, I hear them in my right ear, and if they're on my left, in my left ear.

This is designed for sharing content. Any open window during a FaceTime call has a "not shared" bar above it. Tap on that bar to share with the person you're FaceTiming. There are many collaborative features built into th...