In this episode of ChatEDU (Tool Time - Our Fall AI Tool Review), Matt and Liz welcome special guest Abbe Waldron to explore the landscape of AI tools in education. They discuss what's working, what's challenging, and what might be coming next.

Getting Started:

Matt humorously arrives late to the podcast recording, leading to a playful exchange about using ChatGPT to role-play difficult conversations.

In the News:

Study finds ChatGPT eases students’ cognitive load, but at the expense of critical thinking

• Recent research comparing Google vs. ChatGPT for student research tasks

• Students using ChatGPT reported lower cognitive load

• Google users produced more detailed and thorough arguments

• Discussion of three types of cognitive load:

• • Extraneous (filtering unnecessary information)

  • Intrinsic (complexity of material)

  • Germane (mental effort for processing information)

Beneath the Surface: Popular AI Tools in Education

Special guest Abbe Waldron shares insights on trending educational AI tools:

1. Magic School AI:

2. • Offers pre-designed prompts for teachers

   • Suite of tools for various educational tasks

   • Designed with teacher feedback in mind

3. School AI:

4. • Features "Spaces" for student conversations with historical figures

   • Provides tutorials for standardized tests

   • Offers accessibility features like voice input

5. DiffIt:

6. • Quickly creates differentiated materials

   • Allows adjustment by grade level

   • Generates supplementary exercises and resources

Key Discussion Points:

• Teacher adoption varies widely

• Most use seen in high school, some in middle school

• Free features available despite paywalls

• Discussion of teacher guilt around AI use

• Need for critical thinking when using AI outputs

• The state of “student-facing” AI

Looking Ahead:

Abbe shares her vision for future AI tools including integration with published academic content

Short Stack Chat Back:

Dr. Spock offers a logical perspective on the cognitive load study, emphasizing the need to balance technological assistance with maintaining necessary cognitive challenges for learning.

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

Related Links:

• EdAdvance AI Resources: skills21.org/AI

• EdAdvance AI Micro-Credential: skills21.org/ai/micro

• Cognitve Load / Research Study - https://www.psypost.org/study-finds-chatgpt-eases-students-cognitive-load-but-at-the-expense-of-critical-thinking/

• Magic School AI: magicschool.ai

• School AI: schoolai.com

• DiffIt: app.diffit.me

• Perplexity: perplexity.ai

• Khanmigo (Teacher): khanmigo.ai/teachers

In this live episode of ChatEDU (Live Comp Sci - AI in Computer Science Education), Matt and Liz dive into the future of computer science education in an age dominated by AI, The episode was recorded in front of a live audience with the Connecticut Computer Science Teachers Association and features discussions on AI's impact on teaching and learning in computer science, insights from a new Teach AI and CSTA report, and live Q&A with educators.

Getting Started:Matt and Liz kick off the episode by thanking the Connecticut Computer Science Teachers Association team for hosting their first live recording. They joke about the large crowd and share their excitement about the evening's discussions on AI in education.Matt introduced Google’s Notebook LM, a tool that transforms PDFs into engaging NPR-style interviews. Matt uploaded the evening’s feature story on AI and CS which became a short podcast. He joked that they could now retire (which Liz objected to streneously).

Beneath the Surface:

1. AI is Changing Computer Science Education:Matt and Liz explore the shifting landscape of computer science education, including the controversial idea that coding may become obsolete as AI advances. They discuss the Teach AI and CSTA report, "Guidance on the Future of Computer Science Education in an Age of AI," which outlines how computer science teaching must adapt to new AI technologies in the following briefs:

2. 1. Whether kids still need to learn to code.

   2. How AI can support teachers in teaching and feedback.

   3. How to teach students to be ethical, critical consumers of AI.

3. The Importance of "Code Sense":The episode unpacks the Teach AI report's emphasis on "code sense"—the foundational understanding of programming that remains crucial despite AI’s capabilities. They discuss the need for students to learn coding to understand, debug, and critically assess AI-generated outputs.

Live Audience Q&A:

1. AI and Ethical Use:The audience engages with the topic of ethics in AI education, including the role of middle school educators in teaching students to use AI responsibly. Liz highlights the importance of starting these conversations early to help students develop critical thinking skills around technology.

2. AI in Assessment:Discussion on Code.org’s AI Teaching Assistant, designed to support computer science teachers with real-time feedback and assessment. Teachers share their experiences and the potential benefits of integrating AI into the classroom.

Short Stack Chat Back:Matt and Liz end the episode with their "Short Stack Chat Back," featuring an imagined response from Alan Turing on the importance of learning to code, emphasizing that students must be creators, not just consumers, of intelligent systems.

Announcements:Matt and Liz announce upcoming live ChatEDU sessions with other organizations and tease future episodes focusing on AI in various educational settings. They invite listeners to join the conversation by emailing their thoughts and questions at chatedu@edadvance.org

Related Links:

• Teach AI and CSTA Report on the Future of Computer Science Education.https://www.teachai.org/cs

• Google’s Notebook LM: https://research.google.com/notebook-lm/

• Code.org AI Teaching Assistant: https://code.org/ai

• Netflix Documentary "Coded Bias" https://www.netflix.com/title/81328723

Contact Us:Have questions or comments? Email Matt and Liz at chatedu@edadvance.org. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to ChatEDU on your favorite podcast platform!

In this episode of ChatEDU (Missing in Action - Why OpenAI Won’t Release Their AI Content Detection Tool) Matt and Liz explore why OpenAI has not released their AI content detection tool and they unpack the funky intersection between a rock-solid content detection tool and competitive business interests.

Getting Started:

Matt and Liz discuss recent Surgeon General warnings, touching on topics like social media use, parental stress, and the challenges of modern parenting.

In the News:

1. Google's DeepMind and AI Literacy:

• Introduction of AlphaProteo, a new tool for designing protein binders using AI.

• Google.org's "Experience AI" program, offering free project-based resources for young people to create AI and machine learning projects.

• Discussion on the importance of AI literacy beyond generative AI tools.

2. Harvard Study on AI Tutors:

• Results show AI tutors nearly doubling learning gains compared to traditional methods in a physics course.

• AI tutors allowed for personalized, adaptive learning experiences.

• Implications for the "flipped classroom" model and potential for more interactive, hands-on learning in class.

3. OpenAI's New Model - O1 Preview:

• Advancements in complex problem-solving and reasoning capabilities.

• Discussion on potential risks, including a "medium" security risk for biological and chemical weapons development.

Beneath the Surface: OpenAI's AI Detection Tool

• OpenAI developed a watermarking system in 2022 to detect AI-generated text.

• The company has not released this tool, likely due to competitive pressures and potential loss of users.

• Discussion on the California Digital Content Provenance Standards Bill and its potential impact.

• Comparison with YouTube's AI detection tools for content creators.

Short Stack Chat Back:

Mr. Rogers offers a gentle perspective on scientific advancements and the importance of using new technologies responsibly.

Announcements:

Matt and Liz will be recording their first live ChatEDU session with the Connecticut Computer Science Teachers Association.

Upcoming episodes will feature live Q&A sessions.

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

Related Links:

• EdAdvance AI Resources: skills21.org/AI

• Google’s AlphaProteo; https://deepmind.google/discover/blog/alphaproteo-generates-novel-proteins-for-biology-and-health-research/

• Google's Experience AI challenge: https://blog.google/technology/families/improving-ai-literacy-in-young-people/

• Harvard Study on AI Tutors: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2024/09/professor-tailored-ai-tutor-to-physics-course-engagement-doubled/?utm_source=perplexity

• OpenAI O1 Preview: https://openai.com/index/introducing-openai-o1-preview/

• OpenAI’s Unreleased Content Detection Tool: https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/370419/chatgpt-schools-ai-cheating-plagiarism-detection

  California Digital Content Provenance Standards Bill: https://digitaldemocracy.calmatters.org/bills/ca_202320240ab3211

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