Monday, March 18, 2024

Free AI Math Tutor - Sizzle. Includes step-by-step solutions for word problems as well as other mathematical problems.

 In the past, apps such as Photmath have assisted users solve math problems. A relatively new site (as well as an app) is Sizzle.

When you open SIzzle you will see the image below. You can type in the question at the bottom as well as the option to upload an image as well as use a QR code to share an image from your phone. All of this without signing in!

If you would like more options, make sure to select Start Solving (upper right).

You will then see the image you see below (as well as the option to sign up).


What is great is that you can do all of this without signing in; however, you can sign up and see your history of questions you have asked.

Embedded below is a 2 minute and 6 second YouTube tutorial.



Take care,
Brad


Sunday, March 17, 2024

Magic Student in Magic School. What it looks like from a teacher and student point of view

 MagicSchool is an amazing platform that has so many tools available for teachers. Now, MagicSchool has launched MagicStudent.

If you have not joined the waitlist (post and video are from 3-17-2024) please do so.

**** NO MORE WAITLIST - MAGIC STUDENT IS OPEN FOR ALL **** 3-18-2024

Once you see Magic Student available (you will know by looking at the top left of your screen and see the option to toggle to Magic Student).

Once you select Magic Student you will see the options below (apologies but wanted you to see them all).


Within the tools you can select Favorites.


When ready to share some (or all) of these tools to your students make sure to select the purple Launch to Students on the left.


Once selected you will be taken to a page where you will see any previous rooms you have created. Of course you can select any of those or select Launch New Room (upper-right).


Once the Launch New Room has been selected you will then select the tools you would like available to them (you can see the add button below).


You will then see the number of tools you selected next to Launch Room (upper right).


Once you Launch the room, you will then need to confirm the room details and then launch the room.


Once launched you will then see a URL as well as a QR code to enter the room for your students.


Once shared with your students, they will launch the page and type in their name. They will then see a page that comes up about using MagicSchool responsibly.


Once they accept, they will then see the tools made available to them by you. When they select the specific tool they would like to use they can then see an exemplar and then type in what they would like (similar to how it looks in MagicSchool for teachers).

What is great for you as well is that the information your students type into MagicStudent, you can see from your end. You can enter into the class and then select the student's name and see their output history.

Embedded below is a 2 minute and 20 second YouTube tutorial. Future videos will be made revolving around this topic as this was just an introduction.


You can also see Magic School's intro video embedded below.





Take care,
Brad







Saturday, March 16, 2024

Quizizz has free printable worksheets. Search by topic, grade level, and/or subject!

Quizizz is a dynamic learning platform that offers a gamified approach to education, making learning engaging and interactive. It's not just about online quizzes; Quizizz also provides free printable worksheets, adding a valuable resource for educators who prefer or need paper-based materials. These worksheets can complement digital learning, allowing for a versatile teaching approach that caters to various learning environments and styles. With its mix of online and offline resources, Quizizz supports diverse educational needs, making it a comprehensive tool for teachers and students alike.

In order to access these free printable worksheets, make sure to click on this link.

Embedded below is a 1 minute and 37 second YouTube tutorial.


Take care,

Brad

Friday, March 15, 2024

Full screen on a keyboard?!?! Here is how to revert back

 If you have ever worked with students, or maybe it has happened to you, the screen on a Chromebook is full. You don't see the tabs, the apps in the bottom shelf, or the clock in the bottom right! Well, it really is a simple fix, simply select the full screen key above the 5 on the keyboard.



Once you select it, you are back to normal!

Embedded below is a 1 minute and 6 second YouTube tutorial.




Take care,

Brad

Thursday, March 14, 2024

School AI has assistants! In this post we will look at the Essay Grading Assistant

SchoolAI is an amazing site that utilizes artificial intelligence in a secure fashion to assist your students in their learning.

However, it is not just about the students. There are assistants that can help teachers. Anywhere from a curriculum coach to an AI coach in education.

To get started, simply select Assistants at the top of the page.

You will then see the options you see below.


In the 2 minute and 24 second tutorial below, you will see how you can utilize the Essay Grading Assistant.


As always, any questions please reach out.

Take care,

Brad

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Empower Student Learning with School AI. Dive Deep into any Topic with Topic Explorer!

State reports were always a huge hit with my 4th graders! Years ago we would take out encyclopedias, books from the library, etc. Later on we would still take books from the library, but we introduced sites like Epic! and other online resources for finding facts to share in their reports. Now, we have SchoolAI and Topic Explorer.

In Topic Explorer, students can research and chat about a topic (or state) of their choice.

To get started, make sure to select Discover.


Scroll down to the bottom of the page and select Topic Explorer.


Then, type in the topic you want them to explore (example would be a state in the United States) as well as the option to type in the age group of the students as well as the tone, etc.


Once you select launch and share the link with them, students can learn all about the topic (or state)!

Embedded below is a 2 minute and 10 second YouTube tutorial.



Take care,
Brad





Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Revise and Refine: Effortlessly Edit Your Spaces in SchoolAI

 If you use SchoolAI and want to edit a previously created "Space" - it is really quite simple.

Once you enter into the site make sure to select My creations under Create a Space


Then select the creation you would like to edit.

You will see sessions you previously ran. Make sure to then scroll up a little and look for the pencil so you can edit the space.

Then, edit the space as you see fit.

Embedded below is a 1 minute and 28 second YouTube tutorial.



Take care,
Brad







Monday, March 11, 2024

Have your students interact with a video using SchoolAI

 If you would like your students to have an interaction with a YouTube video, give the Video Explorer a look.


When you enter into SchoolAI make sure to select Discover and then scroll down to Video Explorer.

Simply enter in the URL of the video and SchoolAI. You can then preview (window to the right) or launch it and test it for yourself.

The video will then be able to be played; however, at the bottom of the screen you should see an introduction to the video. If for some reason you do not, make sure to use ctrl and the - button. This should then shrink your screen so you can see the conversation. 

Please let your students know that SchoolAI will ask questions. Of course they can respond as much as you would like them to, or they can simply start the video. Within the video there will be a few times when the video stops and questions are asked to your students.

Of course they can adjust the question as they would like. They can ask for the question(s) to be in multiple choice, etc.

Embedded below is a 2 minute and 9 second YouTube tutorial.



Take care,

Brad


Sunday, March 10, 2024

Chromebooks added a charging sound, but you have to manually enable

 If you like hearing a sound when you plug in a device, make sure to enable to charging sound on a Chromebook. Please note that you can also add a sound when it is low power as well as device starting sound.


To access this please follow these steps:

  • select the clock in the bottom right 
  • choose the settings gear
  • select audio
  • look under device sounds and add the sounds you would like to add
Embedded below is a 57 second YouTube tutorial.



Take care,
Brad

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Book Explorer. A student chat experience for the book of your choice in SchoolAI

 In SchoolAI there is a great feature that allows your students to have a book chat about the book of your choice.

When you enter in the site, make sure to select Discover and then scroll all the way down the page until you see Book Explorer.


Once selected you will then be presented with what you see below.


I created a book discussion revolving around the book The One and Only Ivan. I did add under the custom instructions that I would like the AI to act as Ivan in a text-based RPG based on the book. I also added in the class description that this was a 4th grade classroom.

In the video below I show the entire chat. Included are times I asked for clarification of a word, I asked to present the question in multiple choice, etc.

This is an amazing way for students to have a meaningful and focused book talk.

Embedded below is a 1 minute and 57 second YouTube tutorial.



Take care,
Brad


Friday, March 8, 2024

Past Meets Present. Conversations that Inspire. Use SchoolAI's Historic Figure Chatbot so students can speak with historical figures!

 Yesterday, I was in a 2nd grade classroom and they were learning about Harriet Tubman. The teacher then asked if they would like to "have a conversation" with Harriet Tubman herself. The students looked at us with the look of bewilderment. We made it clear that the chatbot is a simulation and not a real person or the actual historical figure. We said, "When we interact with this chatbot, it's like we're talking to a computer program designed to simulate how a historical figure might respond based on a lot of information it has been given."

Once they understood that - we then showed them SchoolAI's Historic Figure Chatbot. Every conversation was different, yet similar. They absolutely loved being able to ask questions and have a response that was appropriate and engaging.


  • In order to get started make sure to select Discover.
  • You will then scroll through other spaces, featured collections, created by teacher like you, etc. At the bottom select Historic Figure Chatbot.
  • You will then see the options you see below.



When you are ready you can then preview it or you can launch for your students.

Embedded below is a 2 minute and 6 second YouTube tutorial.


Take care,
Brad






Thursday, March 7, 2024

Forge Your Path, Ignite Your Knowledge: Interactive Learning Redefined. Choose Your Own Adventure! Have students participate and learn about a topic of your choice.

 "Wait dad, they have Choose Your Own Adventure?!!?" That was my sons' reaction when I was talking to my wife about some amazing features in SchoolAI.

  • When you enter into SchoolAI make sure to select Discover at the top of the screen.


  • Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and scroll down to Choose Your Own Adventure.
  • You will then see the image you see below where you can make your adjustments to the adventure.

What I really like about this learning style is it immerses the student instantly into their learning and allows them to make choices. Once their adventure is "over" they are then asked follow-up questions revolving around the topic. 

This is something that as a student I would have been extremely engaged in!

Embedded below is a 2 minute and 11 second YouTube tutorial.



Take care,

Brad 


Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Career Exploration - Chart Your Path with SchoolAI. Ignite Your Career Journey with a Chat!

 SchoolAI is an amazing tool that continues to support teachers and students alike.

In this tutorial we will take a look at the Career Exploration tool built into SchoolAI.

  • Once you log on make sure to select the Discover tab at the top of the page.

  • Scroll down until almost the bottom of the page and you will see multiple customizations and then select Career Exploration Chatbot.
  • You will then see the Career or Job Title followed by more options to fill in if desired.

  • Prior to launching the chatbot you can preview what it would look like for your students. If you like it, then you can launch the chat with your students.
    • If you would like to adjust it, then go ahead and make the adjustments prior to launching.
  • Once you launch you will be presented with a QR code as well as a direct link.
  • The students then will type their name in and start their discussion with bot.
  • As we have discussed in previous posts, you have options such as pausing the chat, ending the chat, sending the chat back to the user, etc.
Embedded below is a 1 minute and 56 second YouTube tutorial.




Take care,
Brad


Tuesday, March 5, 2024

How a Chromebook and Google Sheets can Empower Conversations with Non-English Speaking Students.

Picture this, you are in your school-age years and your family tells you that you are moving to a country where you do not even speak their language. It goes without saying how much this would change your life from adjusting to a new culture, new food, new everything. Then it hits you - I still need to go to school and learn. How will I do that? How will I communicate with anyone? My teacher probably will not understand me - how in the world do I even know how to order lunch?

Once you put yourselves in someone else's shoes, you start to think of what can be used to help students who are in a similar situation. Of course there are apps, websites, etc. that are extremely beneficial and help with communicating. Of course I have not seen every app/website out there and with AI, I am hoping communication will improve; however, one thing I have noticed through the years is that the communication is done from voice to text. 

Well, what if...
  • we could provide the student(s) with a device that already has a keyboard that they recognize and they can type sentences in their language
  • these sentences could then instantly be translated for the user (teacher or other students) in their language and the revers could be done as well!
One such way this can (pretty easily I must say) be accomplished would be to use a Chromebook and a Google Sheet with a few modifications. By modifications, I simply mean adjusting the cells height and width and using a simple formula. The formula I used in my example is 

Previously I posted about:
Those 2 posts are important as they will show you how to change the keyboard, as well as have the "new" keyboard be shown on the screen when typing. Please note I do show how to do everything in the video below; however, those posts are more specific to the task at hand.

Once, the student's online keyboard has been changed to their language and shows on-screen then you can share a Google Sheet with them. If you look below you will see an example of what the Google Sheet can do. Please note that the student's language is Ukrainian. 

Understand that you will not be able to edit this sheet; however, you can make a copy of it.


Embedded below is a 1 minute and 55 second YouTube tutorial.


Take care,
Brad

Monday, March 4, 2024

Empower every student's voice! Have the onscreen keyboard made available in their language.

 In yesterday's post I shared How to change the keyboard on your Chromebook. Today, I share the same thing; however, we take it one step further and add the on-screen keyboard so the student/user can see the keyboard in their own language.

Think about how powerful that is. Imagine you went to another country and did not speak the native language. You would want that computer to show English when you typed as well as understand where the keys are.

Here are the steps (the beginning is from yesterday's post)

  • Select the time in the bottom right of your Chromebook
  • Choose the settings gear
  • Select Device
  • Keyboard
  • Change Input Settings
  • Add Input method

Sunday, March 3, 2024

How to change the keyboard on your Chromebook

 If you would like to add a keyboard for your Chromebook, here are the steps.

  • Select the time in the bottom right of your Chromebook
  • Choose the settings gear
  • Select Device
  • Keyboard
  • Change Input Settings
  • Add Input method
Embedded below is a 1 minute and 20 second YouTube tutorial.



Take care,
Brad

Saturday, March 2, 2024

How to provide users options to choose from in a Google Sheet - great for lunch count, interests, etc.

 If you have a set of people you would like them to choose options, a fun and easy way is to use a Google Sheet. 

If you use page #1 and set up the names in column A and then choices in column B that is perfect.

Then, add a second page and add your choices (in my example I used NFL teams),

Go back to the first page and highlight the cells you want to place the options in and right click.

Under view more cell options choose data validation.

Choose Add Rule.

Under criteria choose dropdown from a range.

Select the icon that allows you to select from a data range (under the dropdown from range).

Go to the 2nd page and choose the criteria (NFL teams).

You now have all the options. You can choose to change the color if you would like to.

Embedded below is a 1 minute and 58 second YouTube tutorial.



Take care,

Brad


Friday, March 1, 2024

In MagicSchool upload a PDF to level the text to differentiate for your class

 In MagicSchool, the ability to level text in a matter of seconds is a game changer. Now, with the ability to upload a PDF and do the same just adds to the "awesomeness". 

Please note that only the first 4,000 words will be used from the PDF.

Embedded below is a 1 minute and 41 second YouTube tutorial.



Take care,

Brad

Thursday, February 29, 2024

In SchoolAI how a student can rejoin the session and pick up exactly where they left off.

 SchoolAI is such a powerful tool for students and teachers alike. For previous posts regarding SchoolAI - see the posts below.



One "issue" if you want to call it that, is when a student or students have had to leave a session for any number of reasons. The issue is, how do they come back to their session because they never really "signed in". Well, it is actually quite simple.

Enter into the sidekick or the space in question, find the student's name and then choose the three dots to the right. You will then see the option to Copy student link (you also see View chat, Pause Chat, and Remove student). Once you select Copy student link, you can then share the link with that student and they can pick up where they left off.


Embedded below is a 1 minute and 20 second YouTube tutorial.



Take care,

Brad

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Check out Curipods Curi-quiz. Curi-Quiz is the perfect activity to practice vocabulary and concepts. Includes instant AI feedback to students and teachers.

 Previously we looked into Curipod for exit tickets , today we are looking into Curipod's Curi-quiz. 


When you open up the Curi-quiz you will see the Generator inputs. You can place what you are currently working on, or something you would like to see students' prior knowledge on a subject. Make sure to then select Do magic and see what is created.


Once you select the Do Magic it will create 5 slides that includes an intro to the class, hints, etc. When ready make sure to select Present in the upper right. The default for time is 2 minutes which you can adjust. At the top of the presented slide your students will see curi.live with the pin for them to enter in to join.

Students type in their real name (which only you can see) followed by a generated nickname for the lesson.

Once your class has all joined make sure to select Play (you may need to select it 2x).

Once your students complete they will receive an option for instant feedback.

When completed you will see feedback as well on how each student did.

Embedded below is a 2 minute and 17 second YouTube tutorial.




Take care,
Brad