A Vision for Learning Jethro Jones

This simulcast episode of Transformative Principal and A Vision for Learning features Ryan Palmbaum, founder and CEO of Dabbl Discovery, which is an educational platform offering bite-sized video learning aimed at helping people explore new interests and career paths through content created by experts across various industries. 
Ryan, an ex-collegiate and professional soccer player who lived in over ten countries before turning 20, discusses the importance of broad learning and not solely specializing in one area. 
He emphasizes the value of becoming a 'jack of all trades' to connect disparate industries and opportunities. The platform prioritizes verified, quality content from educators and experts, employing a vetting process for creators. 
Ryan also outlines how Dabbl boosts the learning experience through an adaptive algorithm and gamification, distinguishing it from other social media platforms by providing a more fulfilling and educational consumption experience. 
The conversation touches upon the broader future of learning, envisioning a pivot towards more specialized, less time-consuming learning paths and the importance of exploring a wide range of career opportunities at an early age. 
Overall, the discussion underscores personal responsibility in learning and the potential of platforms like Dabble Discovery to transform how individuals explore and engage with educational content.
00:45 Meet Ryan: From Soccer Player to EdTech Innovator
03:52 The Philosophy Behind Dabbl Discovery
05:33 The Importance of Micro Learning and Expert Content
07:27 Personalizing Learning with Dabbl Discovery
10:51 Keeping Learning Engaging and Fun
12:11 Comparing Dabbl to Other Platforms and the Future of Learning
16:32 Ryan's Vision for the Future of Learning and Closing Thoughts

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

In this episode, Jethro interviews Lauren Owens and they discuss her journey from teaching Spanish and student leadership to her current role as the executive Director of Technology at Agua Fria, where she has played a significant role in integrating artificial intelligence into schools. 
Lauren shares her insights on the indispensability of merging technology with curriculum and the importance of AI literacy in education. 
She stresses that AI has been part of educational systems for decades and highlights the necessity for creating frameworks like the AI care model (clarity, accuracy, relevance, ethics) and the stoplight system (red, yellow, green) to guide safe and effective AI use among educators and students. 
Furthermore, Lauren talks about the efforts to prepare students for the workforce through academy models and project-based learning, emphasizing digital mindfulness. 
She also discusses the challenges and learning experiences encountered in promoting AI integration within school systems, suggesting that broader inclusion and engagement could enhance these initiatives.
00:32 Key Takeaways from the Conversation on AI in Education02:00 The Importance of AI Literacy in Education03:28 Challenges and Strategies in Implementing AI in Schools08:30 Creating a Framework for AI Literacy Among Teachers14:54 Launching AI Literacy for Students: Plans and Expectations19:36 Reflecting on the Journey and Future Steps

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

This episode of 'A Vision for Learning' features a discussion with Aaron Makelky, a high school social studies teacher and entrepreneur from Casper, Wyoming, about the future of learning and the integration of artificial intelligence into education. 
Aaron shares insights from his experiments with using ChatGPT in classroom assignments, emphasizing the role of AI in automating tedious tasks and allowing teachers and students to focus on deeper learning. 
He advocates for a shift from traditional teaching methods to incorporating AI tools to prepare students for their future careers. 
The episode also touches on the potential of teachers leveraging their extensive networks for professional growth and the importance of educators embracing new technologies as experiments to enhance the learning experience.
00:23 Introducing Aaron Makelky: A Teacher's Journey into AI and Entrepreneurship
02:11 Aaron's Entrepreneurial Shift and the Value of Time
06:00 Leveraging AI in Education: Aaron's Experiments and Insights
17:43 The Future of Education: Embracing AI and Beyond
32:58 Connecting with Aaron McKey and Final Thoughts
Every habit is a vote for the future personOur web of networks and how thatGoing to use AI to do everything in class. Who can do the work better?Garbage in, Garbage out.Within a couple weeks, students had seen it.Can I do it, too? What is the purpose of that assignment? What real learning do you want your students to experience?Teachers had their world blown Is the learning to go to the library and research? Or is the learning to learn how to research? Beyond the curriculum, so many organic skills. Leveling text is super simple, now. Students can take control of their own learningThe future of education: rowing a rowboat and getting passed by a jetboat. Chasing things that have always been a problem and so focused on chasing those little things. Kids love it when you walk in and say “do you want to try something new today?”How do you turn something that is so slow? How many schools have policies for staff and students around AI? Education is set up on different incentives.There is something outside of the snowglobe. Within the ecosystem of public ed, it’s not going to happen. The best people that teach these things in the new world are those that teach new and different things aroundExperimentation as learning. Movement snacksIt’s already an experimentation“Preparing all students for their next steps”Advice for someone getting pushback. Unless you are preparing your students to be factory workers, you’ve got to do something different. Teachers are afraid to take risks to take advantage of it. Principals are too busy with other tasks to try new things. Allow students to lead. 
AI in Schools, lack of policies, experimenting with teaching students to use AI, lessons learned. A vision for the future of education
**About Aaron Makelky**
Aaron Makelky, a husband, father of three, leader, and teacher, holds a successful career in public education and coaching. Based in Casper, Wyoming, he currently teaches high school social studies and embarked on a business venture in December of 2023. In his newfound entrepreneurial pursuit, he has immersed himself into the world of consulting and online business, delving into the Vision Pursue's Performance Mindset for athletes and coaches.

Aaron relishes the opportunity to explore technology, aiding his students in harnessing its potential. In the spring of 2023, he utilized Chat GPT in his own class assignments to gain a thorough understanding of its applications. He encourages his students to leverage writing tutors and custom chatbots, which he has been experimenting with since the fall of 2023. Aaron actively crowdsources his teaching methods from his students, integrating hands-on learning strategies and simulations, along with Spotify playlists for most of his lessons. He recognizes the crucial role of preparing students for their futures, ac

In this episode of A Vision for Learning, host Jethro Jones invites AI literacy consultant, educator, and academic researcher, Nick  Potkalitsky. They discuss the significant role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the current and future education system. They explore the importance of building trust and transparency with students while integrating AI into learning practices. Nick shares insights into his teaching methodology, emphasizing that the AI tool works best at the beginning and end of the writing phase. However, he underlines the importance of ensuring AI does not replace critical thinking or become a helpline to avoid hard work but remains a useful tool that enhances learning. They also discuss the positives and pitfalls of plagiarism in the AI era and the ethical implications of AI use in both student learning and teacher resources creation.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation
00:55 The Role of AI in Education
02:11 Addressing Plagiarism in the Age of AI
05:07 The Impact of AI on Teaching and Learning
15:08 The Changing Landscape of Writing with AI
19:00 The Future of AI in Education

Maintain the human connection first and foremost. AI detectors are not that good. Detectors introduce a surveillance culture into our classrooms. AI Detectors destroy trustDon’t have the full impact of rolling out AI tools into writing practices?Hesitant to go all-in, but also interested in doing some things with AI. Generating ideas ex-nihilo We need to do more to prod students because of the pandemicNot having the stamina to do things from scratch and then having technology that can do it effortlessly. One method is to ignore the AI Tools. One method is to adopt the AI Tools. One method is to adopt some AI Tools. The Other Wes MooreGiving kids specific prompts, brainstorming, etc. Using AI more socratically. Khanmigo asks more questions. Concentrated human space for drafting. Some commentary from AI It’s easy to get AI to do anything, but hard to get it to do one thing. Using AI as a finishing agent. Need to give AI systems the logical connections between my ideas. How using AI himself has helped him use it with his students.Using it to generate classroom materials.How you’ve used AI yourself.Audiopen.aiAI is becoming a prosthesis for learning. Skipping over the cognitive gains that come from the sustained critical engagement with the writing process. How to prevent AI from encroaching on cognitive gains. What outcomes do we want to see? Help teachers build up watchpoints or criteria to help them know what they should focus on. What criteria can we use to evaluate use? Power comes from engaging with the toolsTraining materials to use the products to see what is possible. My initial response to AI in winter and spring of 2023: Exploration of AI detection software, going so far as to securing quotes for large packages for my schoolMy summer of study: a personal search for AI literacy My initial report of AI x Education published at AI SupremacyMy late summer realization:AI detections are inaccurate, unreliable, inspire a surveillance cultureMy favorite post on the topicNew research program: How does the integration and implementation of AI into today’s classroom impact students' acquisition of more traditional literacy and writing skills and competencies?In Sept, very little evidence to ground new practicesThus, experiments: very gradual, incrementalA collective research project Writing as knowledge-generationThe sentence as the locus of new or different thought generationMy responseMy current thinking: AI allows students to generate both content-knowledge and skills-knowledgeStudents need to know how to write in order to prompt; writing doesn’t disappear in the AI landscape, it just takes on a different formConceptualizing the AI-human workflowDifferent options currently under considerationAlan KnowlesIt is my sense that there will not be one “right” way to conceptualize AI-human in

In this episode of 'A Vision for Learning', host Jethro Jones interviews Jamie Donally, a technology enthusiast and education consultant, known for her work in instructional technology and staff development training particularly in the field of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in classrooms. Jamie began her career as a math teacher and moved into instructional technology where she saw potential for immersive learning. Jamie provides insight into the practical applications of technology in education, emphasizing the importance of understanding objectives and goals before deciding on the implementation of technology. She also discusses the significant aspect of collaboration across different departments in school and highlights the need to be cautious about the information shared on these platforms due to privacy concerns. In their discussion, two books authored by Jamie, exploring AR and VR implementation in classrooms are mentioned. In addition, Jamie recommends several useful resources for AR and VR in the classroom.
The more I use it, the more I see I need it. Not everybody needs a vision pro in their classroom or a Quest. Practical use of the technology. Jumping in headfirst is not Jaime’s focus. How to avoid roadblocks!Haven’t created objectives or goalsStart with the struggle - usually attributed back to the teacher. Where can we start to help them reach their goals? Nobody should be doing technology in a silo. Jaime’s two books: The Immersive Classroom: Create Customized Learning Experiences with AR/VRLearning Transported: Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality for All ClassroomsStart with experiences, then start with creation. CoSpaces - kid-friendly 3d space creation - like roblox for AR/VR.Verizon Innovative Learning PlatformAbout Jaime Donally
Jaime Donally is a passionate technology enthusiast. She began her career as a math teacher and later moved into instructional technology. Her desire to build relationships has created opportunities to collaborate with students and educators around the world. She provides staff development and training on immersive technology as an edtech consultant, and her latest adventures include the launch of Global Maker Day and the #ARVRinEDU community. She’s also an author and speaker on the practical use of augmented reality and virtual reality in the classroom.

00:00 Introduction and Guest Presentation00:55 Discussion on Technology in Classrooms01:52 Exploring Meta Glasses and its Applications06:22 The Future of AR and VR in Education09:04 The Role of AI in Personalized Learning09:55 The Risks and Challenges of Technology in Education12:00 The Process of Evaluating Technology for Teaching14:47 The Impact of Technology on Teaching Quality18:14 Creating Customized Learning Experiences with AR and VR21:50 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

We’re thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:
Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers’ timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.

Welcome to A Vision for Learning on the BeatPodcast Network. I'm your host, Jethro Jones. Download the top 10 learning apps for Apple Vision Pro at avisionforlearning.com. Thanks for tuning in. Today, we discuss my experience one week after getting the Apple Vision Pro.
A few things to note: First, it's not uncomfortable wearing it all day. Surprising, since I don't even like glasses. Second, my eyes get tired only when watching videos, like YouTube or movies. Another odd negative – sometimes it feels like suction cups on my eyes and leaves bags when I remove the headset.
On a positive note, productivity is excellent. Using it for productivity is fantastic; having a Mac virtual display and connecting to my computer is game-changing. The "locking in" aspect also proves powerful, making it harder to be distracted.
Some people complain about the guest mode. I never thought it would mean multiple users on the device. Would I like more users? Absolutely! It'd be great if my wife could switch profiles like on Apple TV and access her stuff with her iCloud account. But I never expected that, so guest mode seems nice to me.I can say, hey, no need to worry about someone using this. They can try it out, use the apps I provide, and move on. Resetting it after each use is a feature and, for schools, setting it up for each kid makes sense, giving them access while keeping it safe.
This next piece is funny—the Apple Studio Display from a couple years ago seemed too expensive, but now I've paid $3,500 for another monitor. The Apple Vision Pro outshines it in many ways: multiple windows, immersive space—I love it.
I look forward to multi-touch and using more than just my pointer finger. However, I've mis-tapped unintentionally since I don't usually think about finger placement on a screen. It's more about learning and understanding.
While controllers have their benefits, not needing to suit up and lock in is great. An immersive environment with 10 fingers will be cool. Multi-touch is coming—allowing all 10 fingers to interact with screens will be nice when it arrives.
Lastly, the app selection remains weak for now. But as immersive virtual reality develops, we'll see more apps designed specifically for it.In immersive iPad apps, it engulfs everything as expected. Developers must discern when this approach is suitable or not. Many apps in the app store don't make sense for the Vision Pro, except for some three-dimensional features.
For instance, OmniPlan 4, a powerful project management app. I've used it before, but it didn't fit my thought process and wasn't beneficial for me. A multitude of apps in the store don't seem fitting for the Vision Pro and might not need to be one.
Regarding Microsoft's involvement with Vision Pro apps, I'd say there isn't much novelty.Not really. There's not. Something like Node, for example, is an excellent idea for an Apple Vision Pro app because, in theory, if it becomes immersive, your line map can fill up your entire space, which could be cool. Sadly, that's not what they've done. They've just made it a window with Vision Pro elements. I think they'll likely adapt and change it to fill the entire area. But do you want that immersive or access other windows simultaneously? These questions need answers.
Another thing about apps, especially iPad apps unoptimized for Vision Pro, is that tap targets don't always work the same. You can't always get reactions, like tapping not working all the time. It can be frustrating. But again, this takes time to happen, and we're waiting.
For example, here's a great app designed for the Apple Vision Pro: timer Pomodoro. It puts a timer in your physical space and counts down without taking up room. You can move it behind you to check the time left. That app is cool.
There are apps that make sense and are better in this setting than others. One tool I like is Crouton—an app I use weekly to plan meals and use recipes. It's fantastic in this app because it looks nice. I