Class Dismissed SchoolStatus - The Podcast for Teachers

School Districts are struggling to figure out how they should react to ChatGPT. Districts like New York City, Oakland, and Seattle have banned AI technology due to concerns about cheating. 



However, in Episode 241 of Class Dismissed, our guest offers some perspective on why we should embrace generative AI software like ChatGPT.



Ben Farrell is the assistant head of school at New England Innovation Academy. The academy is the nation's first human-centered design middle and high school.



Farrell says, "If we don't find a way to utilize this as a tool to be supportive of where we're going, I think we're missing the boat."



Embracing generative AI in schools may give students valuable skills and insights into this rapidly evolving field. In addition, by incorporating AI into their curriculum, schools can help prepare students for a future where AI will play an increasingly important role in many industries.



Schools can embrace generative AI in various ways, depending on their goals and resources. Here are a few suggestions:



* Offer courses in AI: Schools can offer courses that introduce students to the concepts of AI, including generative AI. These courses could cover topics such as machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing.

* Use generative AI in the classroom: Teachers can use generative AI to create custom learning materials, such as quizzes or study guides, that are tailored to each student's learning style and level of understanding.

* Develop student projects: Schools can encourage students to develop their own AI projects, such as generative art or music, using open-source tools like TensorFlow and PyTorch.

* Collaborate with industry partners: Schools can partner with industry leaders in AI to provide students with real-world experience and mentorship. This could involve internships, hackathons, or other collaborative projects.

* Incorporate AI ethics education: As AI becomes more prevalent in society, it is important for schools to educate students about the ethical considerations of AI. This could include discussions around bias, transparency, and privacy in generative AI applications.



Listen to Episode 241 of the Class Dismissed Podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcasting app to hear our entire conversation with Farrell.



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Making a case for mathematics

Mathematics is one of the world's most fundamental and essential subjects, with applications that extend across a wide range of disciplines and industries. But sometimes, it isn't easy to convince high school students of the importance of math. Our guest in Episode 240 of Class Dismissed is here to arm us with some tricks to show students the importance of math.



Jennifer Kinser–Traut is a project director at the University of Arizona College of education. However, Kinser-Traut spent a decade as a high school math and science teacher before working with the university. While in the K-12 system, she discovered that many students would enter her classroom with a negative attitude toward the need for mathematics.



To combat the negative energy, Kinser Traut began each ninth-grade algebra course with a two-day project titled “Why Math?”



* She and the students met in the library computer lab, and students would have to find 1-3 reasons why they should care about math.

* Students would look for connections with mathematics in their chosen areas, such as nursing, fashion, or skateboarding.



Kinser-Traut says before the “Why Math?” project, she would spend a lot of time trying to sell the students on math. She says her sales pitch was usually unsuccessful.



She says doing the “Why Math?” project with her students turned the tables and required the students to come up with the reasons mathematics is essential.

Why is math relevant to the real world?



* Solving everyday problems: Math is used to solve everyday situations, such as calculating how much to tip at a restaurant, determining the best deal when shopping, or estimating the time needed to complete a task.

* Science and engineering: Math is essential in fields like science and engineering, where it is used to model and solve complex problems in areas such as physics, chemistry, and computer science. Without math, we wouldn't be able to design and build the technologies that have transformed our world.

* Business and finance: Math is essential in business and finance, where it is used to analyze data, create financial models, and make predictions. Understanding math is crucial for making informed financial decisions, managing budgets, and investing wisely.

* Medicine and healthcare: Math is used extensively in medicine and healthcare, where it is used to model and analyze biological systems, develop medical devices, and design clinical trials.

* Sports and entertainment: Math is also relevant in sports and entertainment, where it is used to analyze data and make predictions. For example, sports analysts use math to calculate player statistics and predict game outcomes, while animators and game developers use math to create realistic animations and graphics.



To hear our full interview with Kinser-Traut, listen to  Episode 240 of the Class Dismissed Podcast on iTunes or your favorite podcasting app.

Resources mentioned in the Bright Idea Segment.

Here are some helpful links where students can explore the application of math in their area of interest.



* http://www.learner.org/exhibits/dailymath/resources.html

* https://mathigon.org/applications

* https://pumas.jpl.nasa.gov/examples/index.php



Links related to the creativity quiz

Can You Tell Creativity Fact from Fiction?

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The first step to understanding something new is often the most challenging part. 

Our guest on Episode 239 of Class Dismissed explains why we must rethink how we teach students. 



He suggests we reconsider the three Rs – Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic and possibly replace those with some new Rs. Such as Relationships, Resilience, and Reflection.



Jose Antonio Bowen is the author of the hit book “Teaching Naked.” Bowen led innovation and change for over 35 years at Stanford, Georgetown, and the University of Southampton (UK), and he’s just released a new book. “Teaching Change: How to develop independent thinkers using Relationships Resilience, and Reflection.”



Drawing on new research, Bowen explores ways to prepare students better while also focusing less heavily on teachers themselves, instead placing greater emphasis on their process interactions within a learning environment. In “Teaching Change,” Bowen examines student psychology, history, assumptions, anxiety, and bias and advocates for education to focus on the new 3Rs—Relationships, Resilience, and Reflection.



In our interview with Bowen, he said critical thinking has become more crucial than ever.



“We have to teach them [students] process,” says Bowen. These three Rs are more about the process. The old three Rs were about content — Reading, Writing, Arithmetic — stuff you need to know.”



“Relationships, Resilience, and Reflection are more about what you need to know about yourself so that you can manage your own future change. Because my goal as a teacher is to make myself obsolete, so you don’t need me; you can think for yourself.” 



To learn how more about the new 3Rs, listen to Episode 239 of the Class Dismissed Podcast on your favorite podcast app or iTunes.



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Later start times for secondary education can force an earlier start for elementary students.

There is evidence to suggest that later start times for secondary education can have a positive impact on students. Studies have shown that teenagers have a natural sleep pattern that leads them to stay up late and wake up later in the morning. This is known as the "sleep phase delay." As a result, many teenagers may struggle to fall asleep early enough to wake up for a traditional school start time, leading to a lack of sleep and associated problems such as fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating.



By starting school later, students are more likely to get the recommended amount of sleep, which can lead to improved academic performance, mental health, and overall well-being. Studies have also shown that later start times can reduce tardiness, absenteeism, and behavioral problems in the classroom.



However, when school districts shift middle and high school students to start times later, transportation schedules often have to be adjusted, and elementary students end up starting class earlier.



In a recent paper published by the American Educational Research Association, Kevin Bastian and Sarah Fuller (University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill) report on their study of earlier school start times for elementary students in North Carolina. The pair examined the impact of start times on student absences, suspensions, and standardized test scores, using statewide data and the experience of one district that flipped its elementary and secondary start times, with elementary students starting earlier.



To hear more about their study listen to Episode 238 of the Class Dismissed podcast.

Also, a wildlife biologist that wants us to considering a new perspective when teaching biology. 

Doug Chadwick is a wildlife biologist, author, and frequent National Geographic contributor. During his 35 year affiliation with National Geographic, he’s offered in-depth coverage of wolverines, grizzly bears, and whales, to name a few.  



Now Chadwick has a new mission; he wants us to think differently about how humans mesh with nature. And he believes that a new way of thinking may need to start in the K-12 science classroom. 



The idea is that if humans had a better understanding of what we’re made of and how alike our DNA is to other living things, we may have a better appreciation of our purpose on Earth.



You can listen to Episode 238 of Class Dismissed on your favorite podcasting app or iTunes.



All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017-2023.



 



 



 

A Princeton student created an app to tell whether ChatGPT wrote an essay.

Not long after ChatGPT was revealed to the world in late 2022, a computer science major at Princeton University built an app to detect whether AI wrote an essay.



Edward Tian created GPTZero, which he says can "quickly and efficiently" decipher whether a human or ChatGPT authored an essay. He's explicitly soliciting educators to test his new tool.







We decided to have some fun and ask ChatGPT if there's a tool that can determine if something is written by ChatGPT. This was the response...



"There are several tools that can be used to determine if something is written by a language model like GPT, including Plagiarism detection software, which can be used to detect similarities between a piece of text and a large corpus of text. Some other methods include:



Using a GPT-based language model to generate text and then comparing it to the original text to see if they are similar.

Analyzing the style, grammar, and language use in the text to see if it matches the patterns typically produced by a language model.

comparing the text with the known outputs or samples of the model.

However, these methods are not always foolproof and can be subject to errors. In general, it's difficult to be certain if a text is written by a language model or not"



To learn more about the ChatGPT and hear which large school district is already making moves to ban the AI software, listen to Episode 237 of Class Dismissed.

Also, a cognitive psychologist shares his secrets for memorable lesson plans.

Many students can remember details from their favorite television shows but struggle with remembering things their teachers say in class. Why is this?



Memory is an intriguing subject. You might think that your most recent memory would always be in front of you, but sometimes we find ourselves at a loss when trying to remember something from 15 seconds earlier, such as what I came into the kitchen for or even where my car keys are!



Meanwhile, other seemingly trivial memories can last our entire lives – for example, why do we remember some advertisements?



Our guest in Episode 237 of Class Dismissed is here to help us make some sense of memory. He’ll also give us some teacher tips on how to make a more memorable lesson plan.



Dr. Daniel Willingham is a psychologist and professor at the University of Virginia. He’s also the author of “Why Don’t Students Like School?”His book dives into how the mind works and what it means for the classroom.



Willingham wants educators to know that “memory is the residue of thought.” In other words, your memory is not a product of what you want to remember or what you try to remember; it’s a product of what you think about.



To learn how educators can use this information to their advantage in their lessons, listen to Episode 237 of the Class Dismissed Podcast on your favorite podcast app or iTunes.



All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017-2023.

The fantastic new tool, ChatGPT, is taking the tech world by storm, but it also could become a significant headache for English teachers throughout the country.



ChatGPT software is built on the architecture of GPT-3, with some ~175 billion parameters, but what separates ChatGPT relative to other AI breakthroughs is that it's super easy to use. You type something, and it spits something back to you. "Tell me a joke," "write a recipe for pecan pie in the style of a pirate," and "explain long division to a ten-year-old"... ChatGPThas a — pretty convincing — response for all.



However, you can also type in prompts like, "write me a 300 essay about 'To Kill a Mocking Bird'" or "give me 500 words about Greek Mythology." And you get meaningful results. So you can probably imagine how students could abuse the power of ChatGPT.



In this Episode of Class Dismissed, we put ChatGPT to the test. Can it churn out results that could fool educators? Or is it just a tool educators need to keep an eye on, like CliffNotes? 



To learn more about ChatGPT and hear our test examples listen to Episode 236 of Class Dismissed on your favorite podcasting app or iTunes.



All Rights Reserved. Class Dismissed Podcast 2017-2023