K-12 Greatest Hits: Your shortcut to what works in education

Every week, we explore new and helpful ways generative artificial intelligence can support teaching and learning. This week, we unwrapped a surprisingly engaging new resource that uses voice to teach and support students in novel ways.

Follow on Twitter: @ideasforteacher @DrBioTom @jonHarper70bd @CFKurban @JBR_Kleinmann @bamradionetwork

Resources Mentioned: ChatGPT Voice| Caroline Kurban’s YouTube Channel |

Dr. Caroline Fell Kurban is the advisor to the Rector at MEF University. Caroline previously held the position of Director of the Center of Research and Best Practices for Learning and Teaching (CELT) at MEF University. She also teaches on the Faculty of Education. She has taught, trained and managed in schools and universities in her twenty-year career. She holds a BSc in Geology, MSc in TESOL, MA in Technology and Learning Design, and a PhD in Applied Linguistics.

Juli Ross-Kleinmann is an experienced Administrator/ Instructional Specialist who has worked in primary, secondary, and higher education. Skilled in, authentically integrating educational technology. professional development, curriculum planning, instructional design, and organizational leadership. Juli has a Master of Science in Education (Administration & Supervision) focused in Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship from Fordham University. She served for three years on the board of ISTE and is an ISTE Certified Educator.

Dr. Thomas Mennella has been an instructor in higher education for over ten years. Starting as a lecturer at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, and then moving on to an Assistant Professorship at Delaware State University (DSU), Tom is now an Associate Professor at Western New England University in Springfield Massachusetts.

Dan Jones earned a BS in Middle Grades Education from Ashland University and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from American College of Education. Dan is an FLGI Master Teacher whose professional interests include e-learning and technology, as well as Project-Based Learning.

We all agree that grading papers, providing detailed feedback, and maintaining consistency across 100 or more papers are some of the most taxing tasks on a teacher’s to-do list. This week, we met at the AI Cafe to explore how artificial intelligence can help, what works, ethical considerations, and pitfalls to avoid.

Follow on Twitter: @ideasforteacher @DrBioTom @jonHarper70bd @CFKurban @JBR_Kleinmann @bamradionetwork

Resources Mentioned: ChatGPT | Bard | Claude | NWEA | Eduaide | Magic School | Twee | DreamBox | Edmentum| ClassPoint | Curipod | Conker | Caroline Kurban’s YouTube Channel |

Dr. Caroline Fell Kurban is the advisor to the Rector at MEF University. Caroline previously held the position of Director of the Center of Research and Best Practices for Learning and Teaching (CELT) at MEF University. She also teaches on the Faculty of Education. She has taught, trained and managed in schools and universities in her twenty-year career. She holds a BSc in Geology, MSc in TESOL, MA in Technology and Learning Design, and a PhD in Applied Linguistics.

Juli Ross-Kleinmann is an experienced Administrator/ Instructional Specialist who has worked in primary, secondary, and higher education. Skilled in, authentically integrating educational technology. professional development, curriculum planning, instructional design, and organizational leadership. Juli has a Master of Science in Education (Administration & Supervision) focused in Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship from Fordham University. She served for three years on the board of ISTE and is an ISTE Certified Educator.

Dr. Thomas Mennella has been an instructor in higher education for over ten years. Starting as a lecturer at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, and then moving on to an Assistant Professorship at Delaware State University (DSU), Tom is now an Associate Professor at Western New England University in Springfield Massachusetts.

Dan Jones earned a BS in Middle Grades Education from Ashland University and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from American College of Education. Dan is an FLGI Master Teacher whose professional interests include e-learning and technology, as well as Project-Based Learning.

Student engagement remains high on the priority list this school term. Recent studies suggest keenly listening to students’ needs can make a significant difference. In this session, we explore what students really need us to hear and how we can improve our ability to hear what matters most to each of them.

Follow our PLN on Twitter: @brandihalverson @LisaPas220 @5Silber @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd @curriculumblog

Related Resources:

Orchestrating the Move to Student-Driven Learning | by Bena Kallick and Allison Zmuda

Brandi Halverson is a mental health professional currently working as a School Counselor. She has 25 years of experience in education ranging from elementary to high school students. Ms. Halverson obtained her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health from San Houston State University. She plans to continue her career by pursuing her LPC and research in mental health studies.

Lisa Leaheey has taught English at North Providence High School for the entirety of her 23-year career. A lifelong voracious reader and movie buff, she spends every day sharing her passion for stories with her students, and she continuously seeks out new ways to elevate her students’ individual strengths and to support their individual needs. Lisa was recently named the 2023 Rhode Island Teacher of the Year,

Sara Silber is an award-winning elementary school teacher and a lead mentor with 30 years of classroom experience. Sara has written two blogposts, for BehaviorFlip’s Blog — “Social Emotional Growth Maps” and “A Teacher’s Journey Through Hacking School Discipline.” More recently, she authored a chapter in the inspiring book Thank You, Teacher. Sara enjoys working with her students and helping them grow and become independent learners. When she is not teaching or planning she is finding ways to support her colleagues. She loves to share her expertise, funny stories and other things that happen in the life of a teacher.

Dr. Steven Weber is an Assistant Principal at Rogers Heritage High School (AR). He has spent over twenty five years in education, serving as a teacher, administrator, and adjunct professor. His leadership experience includes serving as Associate Superintendent for Teaching and Learning with Fayetteville Public Schools (AR), Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction with Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (NC), and Director of Secondary Instruction for Orange County Schools (NC). Weber was a social studies curriculum specialist with the Arkansas Department of Education and North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. In 2019, Weber was named the AACIA (Arkansas Association of Curriculum & Instruction Administrators) Administrator of the Year. Weber is the past president of Arkansas Association of Curriculum & Instruction Administrators, vice president of Arkansas ASCD, and has served on multiple state and national boards.

It's fascinating; this is the first back-to-school season in the age of generative artificial intelligence -- historic. A middle school teacher, a university professor, an early childhood educator-tech coach, and an education researcher met to exchange notes on how they prepared to engage students this term. It's a highly engaged conversation among colleagues, sharing discoveries, aha moments, mistakes made with generative artificial intelligence, and lessons learned. It ends with a lightning round of  AI tools the group found helpful and effective.

Follow on Twitter: @ideasforteacher @DrBioTom @jonHarper70bd @CFKurban @JBR_Kleinmann @bamradionetwork

Resources Mentioned: ChatGPT | Bard | Code.org | Google Experiments | Claude | Show Me  Diagrams | ElevenLabs | Pictory | Eduaide | Magic School | Twee | Canva | Chatmind | Goblin.tools | Midjourney | Otter

Dr. Caroline Fell Kurban is the advisor to the Rector at MEF University. Caroline previously held the position of Director of the Center of Research and Best Practices for Learning and Teaching (CELT) at MEF University. She also teaches on the Faculty of Education. She has taught, trained and managed in schools and universities in her twenty-year career. She holds a BSc in Geology, MSc in TESOL, MA in Technology and Learning Design, and a PhD in Applied Linguistics.

Juli Ross-Kleinmann is an experienced Administrator/ Instructional Specialist who has worked in primary, secondary, and higher education. Skilled in, authentically integrating educational technology. professional development, curriculum planning, instructional design, and organizational leadership. Juli has a Master of Science in Education (Administration & Supervision) focused in Elementary and Middle School Administration/Principalship from Fordham University. She served for three years on the board of ISTE and is an ISTE Certified Educator.

Dr. Thomas Mennella has been an instructor in higher education for over ten years. Starting as a lecturer at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, and then moving on to an Assistant Professorship at Delaware State University (DSU), Tom is now an Associate Professor at Western New England University in Springfield Massachusetts.

Dan Jones earned a BS in Middle Grades Education from Ashland University and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction from American College of Education. Dan is an FLGI Master Teacher whose professional interests include e-learning and technology, as well as Project-Based Learning.

Many of us were consumed with teaching when ChatGPT entered the scene last year, so we had little available attention to give it.  The impact of this tool and other forms of generative AI has grown since then, and now it's essential to know the basics before we head back to school this term.

Follow on Twitter: @Angela_Watson  @sgthomas1973 @jonHarper70bd @bamradionetwork

Angela Watson is a National Board Certified Teacher with a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She has 11 years of classroom experience and over a decade of experience as an instructional coach. Angela created a website in 2003 to share practical classroom ideas and help other educators build a positive mindset to truly enjoy their work.  Angela has written five books and her site now impacts over 8 million educators annually.

The always-on, always-available teaching lifestyle can be overwhelming and stressful. Education technology can add to the problem unless we set some clear boundaries. In this episode, we explore ways to use technology to maximize well-being.

Follow: @realtechfored @ISTEofficial @mrhooker @hyphenatic @jonHarper70bd @shellthief @bamradionetwork #ISTElive23 #edchat #edtech #edtechchat

Get the book: Tech for Teacher Wellness

Meredith Masar Boullion is an ISTE Certified Educator and a district technology facilitator with the Calcasieu Parish School Board in Louisiana, where she works with K-12 teachers to support the integration of technology in the most relevant and meaningful ways. In this role, Bouillon communicates with all district teachers through a weekly educational technology newsletter, website and professional development app. She designs learning experiences to meet the professional development needs of teachers, including face-to-face events, online courses and webinars. She holds a master’s degree in instructional media from Wilkes University.

Many of us routinely park our emotions at the classroom door by compartmentalizing our stress and anxiety. It turns out that putting on a chronic happy face is harmful. The impact of this practice is well-known among mental health professionals. We invited a panel to explore productive, proven alternatives.

Follow Twitter: @5Silber @froehlichm @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork

#mentalhealthawareness

Many of us routinely park our emotions at the classroom door by compartmentalizing our stress and anxiety. It turns out that putting on a chronic happy face is harmful. The impact of this practice is well-known among mental health professionals. We invited a panel to explore productive, proven alternatives.

Follow Twitter: @5Silber @froehlichm @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork

#mentalhealthawareness

In this episode, we cover the TeachAI initiative, the start of the Great AI conversation, and why getting a seat at the table is so important. Next, we look behind the curtain at the wave of AI technology coming to classrooms and flashback to valuable lessons learned from the last tech frenzy.

Follow our PLN on Twitter: @JamesBrauer @bamradionetwork @jonharper70bd

Related Links and Sources

Teach AI.ORG

It’s hiring season, and principals are looking at creative ways to fill those teaching positions. It seems like a good time to take a second look at the four-day school week. Many schools have made the switch this year. How was their experience? Can a shorter school week help us attract and keep teachers in this climate? What have we learned?

Follow on Twitter: @Paul_N_Thompson @TheresaStager@dianalambert @DrRachaelGeorge @bamradionetwork @jonHarper70bd

Paul Thompson is an Associate Professor of Economics in the School of Public Policy at Oregon State University. His research focuses on the effects of four-day school weeks, financial intervention systems, and changes in local and state funding for K-12 education.

Theresa Stager is a seasoned K-12 administrator, currently serving as Principal at Saline High School (MI). She is a Board Member for MASSP (Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals), a Corwin author, and a frequent contributor to podcasts, articles, and books. Theresa is a doctoral student in Leadership and Innovation at Arizona State University and is committed to supporting staff and students and mentoring leaders.

Diana Lambert covers teachers and teaching for EdSource. Before coming to EdSource, Diana was an education reporter for The Sacramento Bee for more than a decade. She has won numerous awards, including the 2017 James Madison Freedom of Information Award from the Society of Professional Journalism, and both a first-place honor for investigative reporting from The Inland Press Association and the McClatchy President’s Award in 2016. Before becoming an education reporter Diana was a bureau chief for the Sacramento Bee.

As always, we've given all we have this school year, and now many of us are beyond teacher tired. So what can we do?  I've invited a group of colleagues to talk about practical ways to manage our emotional and physical energy over the final stretch of the school year.

Follow Twitter:  @AnnettePonnock @Jane Kise @Kakraeger  @GaskellMGaskell  @Jonharper70bd @bamradionetwork

Related Resources:

Educator Bandwidth: How to Reclaim Your Energy, Passion, and Time

Dr Jane Kise is an education consultant and author of over 25 books. She works with schools and leaders around the world on leadership development, instructional coaching, differentiated instruction, and collaborative teaming. Her most recent book is Educator Bandwidth, from ASCD.

Annette Ponnock, PhD is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Yale Center Emotional Intelligence. Dr. Ponnock’s research focuses on teacher motivation and well-being, with an emphasis on urban schools. She received her PhD in Educational Psychology from Temple University and her MA in Psychology from the University of Santa Monica.

Karen Kraeger is a National Board Certified elementary teacher who specializes in gifted and advanced learning. She is an avid reader, lifelong learner and cheerleader for student voice, choice and creativity.

Dr. Michael Gaskell is a veteran principal in New Jersey, author of over four dozen articles on best practices and solutions to persistent problems and has made the most-read section of ASCD Smartbrief numerous times, top 10 blogs of 2021. He has written books (Microstrategy Magic, Leading Schools Through Trauma, & Radical Principals), and presented on disrupting inequity, at numerous national conferences including Learning and the Brain and FETC. He mentors new principals and works tirelessly to support instructional excellence, student success, and the wellness and equity of all children.