In this episode of ChatEDU, Matt and Liz explore how AI and humans can collaborate to enhance creative problem-solving based on a recent Harvard Business School study. classrooms.

Getting Started: Matt and Liz chat about Liz's recent camping trip to celebrate her 4-H camp's 100th anniversary. Matt demonstrates Eleven Labs' new Text to Sound Effects System, showcasing how AI is transforming audio production (all while rudely interrupting Liz!).

In the News:

1. AI as an Assignment Evaluator:

2. • Matt and Liz discuss a large-scale study from National Taiwan University involving over 1,000 students.

   • Key findings: 75% of students accepted AI evaluators, but 51% reported format issues.

   • 47% of students attempted to "hack" the AI grading system, raising concerns about fairness and accuracy.

3. UK's First "Teacherless" AI Classroom:

4. • A private school in London is launching an AI and VR-based classroom.

   • The setup includes three learning coaches for 20 students, challenging the "teacherless" claim.

   • Matt and Liz critically examine the high cost and limited scalability of this model.

Beneath the Surface: AI and Creative Problem Solving Matt and Liz examine a Harvard Business School study on AI's role in creative problem-solving:

• Researchers compared human-generated ideas with AI-generated solutions for circular economy challenges.

• Findings: Human solutions were more novel, while AI solutions were more feasible.

• The best outcomes resulted from human-AI collaboration, with humans refining AI-generated ideas.

Matt and Liz relate these findings to their experiences with Personal Interest Projects (PIP) and Capstone projects, where students use AI tools like Sidekick for ideation and project management.

Short Stack Chat Back: Thomas Edison opines on how AI and humans make problem-solving better together.

Announcement: Matt and Liz introduce their new 6-week micro-credential course on "AI in K-12 Education," offered in partnership with Southern Connecticut State University. To learn more, visit www.skills21.org/ai/micro

Have a question or comment? Please email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org

Related Links:

• EdAdvance AI Resources: skills21.org/AI

• Micro-credential registration: skills21.org/AI/micro

• National Taiwan University Study: https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.05216

• The “Teacherless AI Classroom”: https://news.sky.com/story/uks-first-teacherless-ai-classroom-set-to-open-in-london-13200637

• HBR Problem Solving Study with AI: https://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/generative-ai-and-creative-problem-solving

In this episode of ChatEDU (From Solo to System - Elevating AI Across Our Schools), Matt and Liz explore how schools need to move beyond focusing just on teacher AI professional learning to realize the full potential of AI and benefits of generative AI.

Getting Started:

Matt and Liz discuss if they’d pay extra $ for grad school to keep their kids out of the basement and how that might be related to AI “training” runs. You have to listen to understand!

Then in the News:

• Ideogram 2.0: Matt and Liz discuss Ideogram 2.0 and how this new release addresses (sort of) the challenge of rendering accurate text along with images. They explore its potential applications in education and test it live during the podcast.

• Executive Functioning and AI: Liz shares insights from a recent study showing that students who struggle with executive functioning find generative AI significantly more useful for schoolwork than their peers.

Beneath the Surface:

Matt and Liz examine how schools and organizations can move from individual AI use cases to more cohesive, systemic, strategic uses of AI:

• Discussion of McKinsey's report on organizational transformation through generative AI

• Exploration of Yale University's $150 million investment in AI initiatives

• Analysis of how generative AI can drive innovation in schools, from ideation to project completion

• Examination of AI's role in upskilling educators and administrators as part of strategic systems efforts

Short Stack Chat Back:

G.K. Chesterton analyzes the analogy between parents investing in their children's education to prevent basement-dwelling and AI companies investing in longer training runs to reduce hallucinations.

Have a question or comment? Please email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org

Related Links:

• EdAdvance AI Resources: skills21.org/AI

• McKinsey Report: "Gen AI's next inflection point: From employee experimentation to organizational transformation" https://mck.co/3LXQN8K

• Yale University AI Initiative: https://news.yale.edu/2024/08/28/yale-announces-150-million-support-leadership-ai

Study on Executive Functioning and AI: https://www.psypost.org/students-with-concentration-issues-turn-to-chatgpt-and-similar-ai-tools-study-finds/

In this episode of ChatEDU (A Talk with the Boss - The Jonathan Costa Interview), Matt and Liz interview Jonathan Costa, the Executive Director of EdAdvance. They discuss the impact of AI on education and Jonathan's vision for the future of learning. The three have a great conversation on a range of topics including:

AI and Education

• EdAdvance's approach: Using AI to improve service quality and efficiency internally, while helping districts rethink public education through an AI lens

• Vision for AI in education: Improving quality of work rather than eliminating positions

• Challenges: Adapting curriculum and assessment to an AI-integrated world

Rethinking Education

• Need to reduce curriculum content by approximately 50%

• Focus on teaching "durable" skills that can't be easily replicated by AI

• Importance of self-directed learning and mastery of skills

• Shift from "just in case" to "just in time" learning

Assessment and Accountability

• Current assessment methods are a significant barrier to educational improvement

• Need to align assessment with skills that matter most for future success

• Challenge of changing public perception about educational accountability

AI in Personal Life

• Jonathan discusses how AI has impacted his hobbies: golf, gym workouts, and cycling

• AI tools can help set goals and track progress in various areas of life

Advice for Educators

• Embrace AI and don't be afraid to make mistakes

• Focus on where students are going rather than where education has been

• Use AI to encourage student interest and skill development

Closing Thoughts

• Importance of collaboration and goodwill in navigating the AI transition in education

• Excitement about the potential for positive change in education through thoughtful AI integration

In this episode of ChatEDU (Simulated Minds - Using AI to Deepen Research Insights), Matt and Liz explore the use of AI in social science research, focusing on a study from NYU and Stanford about using large language models to simulate research participants.

First in our Intro: Matt and Liz discuss a trend of women using AI to fact-check men's height claims on dating apps. They then explore contrasting organizational approaches to AI adoption:

• AI Bans in Organizations: Matt shares an anecdote about a friend's workplace banning all access to generative AI, while Liz discusses similar bans in various organizations.

• Moderna's AI Adoption: Liz highlights Moderna's extensive use of custom GPTs across their organization, with 750 custom GPTs created and 40% of users actively using them weekly.

Then in the News:

• Grok2 Image Generation Tool: Matt introduces Elon Musk's new AI model, Grok2 which lacks typical content filters. They discuss its potential misuse in school settings and the challenges it presents for educators and parents.

• Student Attitudes Toward AI in Education: Liz shares findings from a global AI student survey by the Digital Education Council, revealing that many students believe overuse of AI in teaching devalues education and negatively impacts academic performance.

Beneath the Surface: Matt and Liz examine a research paper on using large language models to predict results of social science experiments:

• Discussion of the study's methodology using AI to simulate research participants based on demographic profiles

• Exploration of potential applications in cost-effective pilot studies and augmenting traditional research methods

• Demonstration of the approach using Liz's doctoral dissertation on student self-efficacy in high school mathematics

• Simulation of a research participant named Amber and comparison of AI-generated responses to actual research data

Short Stack Chat Back: A simulated Charles Darwin summarizes this week’s Beneath the Surface in three short sentences.

Have a question or comment? Please email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org

Related Links:

• Digital Education Council Global AI Student Survey: https://www.digitaleducationcouncil.com/post/digital-education-council-global-ai-student-survey-2024

• NYU and Stanford Research Paper: https://docsend.com/view/ity6yf2dansesucf#

• EdAdvance AI Resources: skills21.org/AI

• Grok2 Image Woes: https://www.theverge.com/2024/8/14/24220173/xai-grok-image-generator-misinformation-offensive-imges

In this episode of ChatEDU (The Storm Rolled In - Stanford's AI Research Tool), Matt and Liz explore the implications of Stamford University's new AI research tool, STORM, and its potential impact on education and research skills.

First in our Intro: Matt and Liz discuss the recent Olympics. They highlight the artistic swimming competition of course and some interesting AI intersections. These include Google's DeepMind winning a medal in the International Math Olympiad and an ad for Google’s Gemini that made the Internet go nuts!

Then in the News:

• AI-Generated Video Tools: Matt introduces new AI video generation tools like Runway Gen-3 and Kling, discussing their potential use in education and the need for critical evaluation skills.

• AI in College Essays: Liz shares findings from a Foundry 10 study revealing that a third of students admitted to using AI in some capacity for their college application essays, sparking a discussion on fairness and ethics in the application process.

Beneath the Surface: Matt and Liz examine Stanford University's new AI research tool, STORM (Synthesis of Topic Outlines Through Retrieval and Multi-perspective Question Asking):

• Demonstration of STORM's capabilities by quickly generating a comprehensive abstract for Liz's dissertation topic

• Discussion on the implications of such powerful research tools for education and skill development

• Exploration of the balance between efficient task completion and the value of productive struggle in learning

• Consideration of how educators might need to adapt teaching and assessment methods in response to AI tools

Short Stack Chat Back: Roald Dahl-Style - Claude provides a three-sentence analysis of the future of research skills in a world with AI tools like STORM, written in the style of Roald Dahl.

Have a question or comment? Please email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org

Related Links:

• Runway Gen 3 - https://runwayml.com/product

• Kling AI Video Generation - https://klingai.org/

• Foundry 10 Study on AI in College Essays - https://www.foundry10.org/stories/new-research-ai-is-changing-the-college-application-process

• Stanford University STORM Tool - https://storm.genie.stanford.edu/

• Dear Sydney Ad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgtHJKn0Mck

And Just for Liz :).

• French Artistic Swimming Masks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVW02j-1jH4
• Artistic Swimming Moonwalk - ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4zEy166sg0⁠⁠

In this special summer episode of ChatEDU (Crash Course - Building Your AI Professional Learning Plan), Matt and Liz explore strategies for developing effective AI professional learning plans for educators.

Intro

Matt welcomes Liz back and then quizzes her with a paragraph full of “AI tell words” to see how many she can identify.

Liz puts Matt in the “hotseat”, as she inquires about how he approaches AI professional learning for back-to-school and beyond. They discuss a range of issues including:

1. Foundation and Baseline Understanding

2. • Matt unpacks his approach to establishing a baseline understanding of AI for educators

   • Covers the "great everything making machine" concept and demonstrates AI capabilities

   • Addresses how teachers have responded to AI in the past year

3. Differentiated Learning Approaches

4. • Elementary school focus: Productivity tools and building AI literacy foundations

   • Middle and high school: Durable and vulnerable assessments, potential student-facing AI pilots

   • Advanced users: Exploring Leon Furze’s AI assessment scale

5. Academic Integrity and Guidelines

6. • Importance of consistent, district-wide guidelines for AI use

   • Implementing guidelines: Human steps and procedures for addressing potential misuse

7. Engaging Professional Learning Techniques

8. • Matt shares his approach to making AI professional learning engaging and relevant

   • Emphasizes the importance of humanity, humor, and vulnerability in presentations

9. Ongoing Professional Learning Strategies

10. • Connecting AI to district priorities and ongoing initiatives

    • Suggestions for embedding AI learning into regular school activities (faculty meetings, lunch and learns)

    • Importance of continuous learning due to rapidly evolving AI landscape

11. Special Populations and AI

12. • Brief discussion on AI tools for students with special needs and multilingual learners

    • Mention of translation tools and their ease of use

• Skills21.org/prompts - Prompt library

• Skills21.org/AI - AI resources page

• AI student scenarios document

• Professional learning survey (Google Form)

• AI policy/guideline examples

• AI literacy resources for K-12

Have a question or comment? Please email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org

UDIO.com - AI music generation tool

Suno.ai - Another AI music tool mentioned

Skills21.org/ai - Destination for Matt’s AI tools, resources and contact for PL support

In this episode of ChatEDU (AI on the Field - Our Interview with Tech Coach Ed Duclos), Matt and Liz interview Ed Duclos. Ed is a technology (and HS athletics) coach from South Windsor High School in Connecticut. They discuss his district's experiences implementing AI in education over the past year. Key points include:

• South Windsor's approach of encouraging AI exploration

• Formation of teacher and student AI squads

• Criteria for selecting student-facing AI tools

• Evolution of literacy education and importance of AI literacy

• Strategies for integrating AI into writing processes

• Development of AI guidelines and teacher expectations

• Potential for AI tutors to complement teachers' work

Ed shares some wonderful insights on implementing AI and emphasizes the need for flexibility as the technology evolves. The discussion highlights ethical AI use, critical thinking, and adapting teaching practices for an AI-integrated future. We loved chatting with Ed, and hope you’ll enjoy this special summer episode!

In this special summer episode of ChatEDU (The Predication Show - Forecasting AI in Edu), Matt and Liz explore potential futures for AI in education using a forecasting prompt from Professor Ethan Mollick.

First, Matt and Liz introduce the episode concept, explaining how they’ll use Professor Mollick's "Four Futures" AI scenarios to make predictions about various educational topics. Then they dig into the forecasting on topics including:

1. Universal translators implanted in earlobes

1. • Potential for real-time translation across languages

   • Possibility of animal or even alien language translation

   • Timeline estimates for development

2. AI in early learning environments

3. • Interactive storytelling and personalized tutoring

   • Potential for AI playmates and emotional intelligence

   • Concerns about over-reliance on AI and human teacher roles

4. AI addressing or exacerbating educational inequities

5. • Potential for free AI tutoring and leveling the playing field

   • Risks of widening gaps between well-funded and under-resourced schools

   • AGI's potential to revolutionize education access (with caveats)

6. AI influence on student creativity and project-based learning

7. • AI as a brainstorming and project management tool

   • Concerns about balancing AI assistance with original thinking

   • Potential for immersive simulations and personalized mentorship

8. AI-generated excuses for late homework (a lighthearted exploration)

9. • Increasingly sophisticated and personalized excuses

   • Ethical concerns and the importance of honesty

The hosts discuss the implications of these scenarios, balancing excitement for potential benefits with awareness of risks and ethical considerations.

Have a question or comment? Please email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org

Related Links:

• Professor Ethan Mollick's "Four Futures" AI Forecasting Prompt: skills21.org/prompts (See Leadership)