Building Learning Communities #withSchoolAI #AIinEdu

 

Finding a Community that allowed me to explore and grow is one of the most important things I did as an educator. I was able to connect with other educators that has the same ideas and questions about education. We might now always agree on the correct answers to those questions, but it was awesome to be able to hear about the different approaches amazing teachers were taking to address these issues. This Professional Learning Community was something that I have held near and dear to my heart.

I have connected with educators all over the world and these connections have led me to wonderful adventures in learning and growth. Over time, these digital friends became my friends. Community is key for teachers because the job can sometimes feel very lonely. Especially if you are an early adopter or an advocate for less popular pedagogical approaches. I get it. I've been there. Many of us have been there and have come out the other end a little worse for wear, but stronger and better in other ways. It was the Community that always lifted us up and made me excited about the next thing.

Social media has changed drastically since these early Communities formed. Free flowing exchange of ideas is not the same as it once was and Communities are tougher to find and people are hesitant to share because of the fear of backlash. It is tough for educators who are trying desperately to connect and grow. I've been very lucky to be able to connect through other Communities over the years. Google, Adobe, and Raspberry Pi are just a few that have made a lasting impact with me. They did this by making sure that the teachers are at the center of the Community. It is something that is really key to a successful Community. 

As I have worked for SchoolAI for a little over 6 months now, I have taken on the task of building and growing the Community. Part of that has been taking over the digital events each month and engaging with the online Community on our Circle Platform. I have been working on some really fun Community updates that will be rolling out in the coming weeks and I want to invite all of your to join me in the Community. You do not have to be expert user of AI or have even used AI at all. I want this Community to be filled with educators excited to share and try new things and push back on ideas to help all of us grow and learn. It is a free platform that I manage and want to make THE place to be when it comes to talking and sharing about education. 

If you feel like you are looking for a place to have these conversations and ask questions, please take a moment and join the Community and share with the thousands of teachers already there looking to make a difference. 

It would be awesome if you shared this in educational spaces for others to see. 

If you ever have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out to me at nicholas@schoolai.com. I'm the Community Nerd! 

Hugs and High Fives, 

Nick

Don't Cancel Reflection Time #EdChat #PBLChat

One of the things that is so easy to cut when crunched for minutes is the time and space for reflection. We do this for ourselves as educators and we do this for students as well. Sometimes we ask students to reflect at home, knowing that many of them will not do this. Reflection is an important part of the learning process and it should be the last thing that is cut when completing work. As teachers, we need to build in reflection time for ourselves and for our students. 

The other part that can make reflection kind of tough is remembering what you thought about a lesson the next school year. You try to leave notes for yourself, but sometimes cannot make heads or tails of what you meant when you wrote, "Think bigger and smaller at the same time!" (Note: I actually found a note like that once to myself a year later and have no idea what I was trying to tell myself.) Reflection is not always about preparing for the next year. Sometimes it is about processing in the moment to better understand how a lesson went and using that information the next class to debrief with students. 

I built a couple of SchoolAI Spaces that teachers can use for themselves and with their students to help the reflection process. What is nice about using these Spaces is that they will remember the thread you have been using to reflect and can help you make connections over the course of the entire year. Imagine having all of your reflections available to you when you need them to compare how lessons went from the start of the year to the end of the year. 

Teacher Reflection Space

Student Reflection Space

Now imagine students having access to that powerful AI Space so they can reflect and see their growth over the year and the teacher gets the insights to explore on the backend. That would be a game changer for the teacher and for the student. Being able to connect and see the reflections taking place in real time or having a digital space where students can reflect where and when they have time. 

I just had this idea, but Admin could use a Space to share with teachers after evaluations that could help them walk through the lesson that was observed and reflect in a way that allows the admin to see their thinking in a clearer way. 

No matter the reason, reflection is a key part of the learning process and there is Science to back it up. Take the time to reflect on your work and let students do the same. I guarantee you will see benefits for everyone involved.  

Hugs and High Fives, 

NP

New Webinar Series! Connecting the Dots #EdChat

Hello everyone! I am excited to announce that I will be starting a new webinar series with SchoolAI called Connecting the Dots. The focus of this webinar is on the current state of education from a wide variety of viewpoints. My goal is to always have an educator join us in a conversation where they can share their story. I feel it is so important to give teachers a platform to be heard.

These webinars are all free to anyone that wants to listen to the conversation and ask some questions along the way. The conversations w
ill be recorded and shared at a later date.  

The first Connecting the Dots webinar will be Monday April 28th at 8PM EST. I'd love to have you there to be part of the first of many great conversations connecting the dots in education. If you want to share on social, here is one post that I am using you can copy and paste for your community. 

🔥 Two incredible educators. One powerful conversation.

Jennifer Roberts and Marnie Diem Diem on Apr 28 8PM EST for Connecting the Dots webinar!

Brought to you by SchoolAI and hosted by me!

Register for Free! 🔗 bit.ly/43X7N9w

hashtag#withSchoolAI hashtag#AIinEdu

I hope to see all of you there!

Hugs and Hugh Fives, 

NP

2 Awesome Ways #SchoolAI Supports Accessibility #Accessibility #EdChat

As a person with ADHD and Dyslexia, among other things, accessibility is very important to me. Decding to leave the classroom is not an easy decision because I know that my neurodivergence might not thrive outside of the classroom. Having been with SchoolAI for 5 months now, I have seen how much they, not only value neurodivergence, but how much we stress accessibility. I am excited to showcase two things that can help make learning more accessible for students right now. 

1. Voice to Text

It can be tough for younger students to type all of their thoughts accurately and efficiently, so it is important to support them and create tools that make it easier to share their thoughts and ideas. Voice to Text is a feature that now allows them to press and hold the space bar to record their thoughts. They can pause and resume by simply lifting up and back down again. I also loves this for users that process their thoughts at different speeds. By creating an easier way to engage with Text to Speech, users can now share their thoughts without the worry of spelling and how long it might take them to type due to dexterity issues. This can help lower anxiety issues which will allow the user to think more clearly and engage more completely. 

2. EasyRead Mode

Being dyslexic and an internet user means that I often spend too much time rereading things because the fonts are not designed to support more processing. There are a multitude of fonts, but most of them do not support readers with dyslexia. To help with this issue for users, SchoolAI built EasyReader Mode. A students can simply turn it on at the top and the text will adjust and become a dyslexic friendly font. I have to say, this makes my brain so happy. Not just because I was on the Hackathon team that worked on this idea during HQ Week, but because it is easier for me to read. It is estimated that anywhere between 6% and 17% students have some for of dyslexia. Many of those students go undiagnosed. That means there are thousands of students out there that simply feel dumb because school is so tough for them. Little things like this can help make a difference for diagnosed and undiagnosed students. 

These are just two ways that SchoolAI is more accessible to students. Teachers can also use our Tools to level and translate texts to make them more accessible to their students. 20 years ago, the act of trying to make learning more accessible to students in the classroom was a very long and difficult process. Today, there is really no excuse not to make an effort to use a wide variety of edtech tools to support students who are looking for just a little help so they can engage in class. 

Stay tuned for more updates on features and things that can make learning more accessible to all students. 

Hugs and High Fives, 

Nick