Tuesday, December 20, 2022

REWIND—Looking Back at #bsd220tech 2022 Newsletter Highlights


As 2022 comes to a close, the contributing authors of the Barrington 220 #bsd220tech staff newsletter would like to remind you that every article we publish is also available on a blog that’s easily accessible:

https://bsd220tech.blogspot.com

Authors from the Department of Technology and Innovation include Matt Fuller, Ty Gorman, Phil Hintz, Hector Ontiveros, Mark Polzin, and Russ Vander Mey—and our Assistive Technology author is the incomparable Kelly Key. 

We all wish you a Happy 2023, and we would like to remind you of a few popular articles we published in 2022 that you may want to review today!

REWIND to January 2022—Three Classic Myths about EdTech

Ty Gorman presented three “classic” educational technology myths:

  • Myth #1: I need to know everything about an app or feature before trying it with students.
  • Myth #2: If I want students to use an app, I need to first teach them how to use it.
  • Myth #3: As long as I use technology in some way, the students will be engaged.

Read the full article...

REWIND to March 2022—Tips for Using Your Mac Laptop in School and Beyond

You might wish to review some of the tips for using your district MacBook Air laptop, including:

  • Access Emoji and Other Special Characters
  • Three-Finger Click for a Definition (and More)
  • Zoom in to Your Mac Screen
  • Use Text Replacement to Make Typing Easier
  • Use the Preview App to Make PDF Edits

Read the full article...

REWIND to April 2022—Secret Powers of the Often-Overlooked Notes App

The Notes app on your iPad and Mac can share its information among any of your Apple devices, and it has many features, including:

  • Search
  • Text Checklists
  • Dictated Text (Speech to Text)
  • Scan to PDF
  • Screen Captures
  • Photos, Drawings, Videos, and Audio
  • Tags
  • and more!

Read the full article...

REWIND to May 2022—The Benefits of Multimodal Knowledge Representation

Ty Gorman reminded us that "the true benefit of technology comes when students use iPads to do things that were difficult or impossible to do without them...students can create a piece that incorporates text, video, audio, and interactive widgets..." He advocates that "creating a multimodal piece also benefits the student producing it."

Read the full article...

REWIND to October 2022—New iPad 9 Features for the Classroom

Several new learning and teaching opportunities are built into the iPad Generation 9 we are using now, including:

  • Front Camera (Center Stage)
  • Live Text (Speak, Translate, and Copy text)
  • Visual Look Up (Camera and Photos apps)
  • and more!

Read the full article...

And don’t forget about our quick iPad Feature Review that included Split View, Slide Over, Scribble, Quick Note, Focus, and Swipe Gestures!

Read the full article...

Happy New Year from the Barrington 220 authors of the #bsd220tech newsletter!


Remove a Background from a Photo on iPad

One of the many new features built into our iPad Generation 9 devices is the ability to easily select the subject (person or object) in a photo (or paused video frame), copy it, and paste it into another app with the background of the photo removed. 

To try this yourself, open the Photos app on the iPad and find a photo with a prominent subject such as a person, pet, or object. You may also open a video and pause the video at any point.

Tap and hold on the subject of the photo and wait for an outline effect to animate the selection. Lift your finger.

Notice that when selected, the outer edge of the subject glows, the background becomes slightly darker, and a Copy | Share pop-up appears. 

Tap Copy.

Press the Home button on the iPad and tap to open any app that allows pasting of images. In this example, the Book Creator app is used.

Tap the screen on a page in the Book Creator app to display the Paste menu.

Tap Paste. The subject from the photo appears in Book Creator with the background removed.

Using an Apple app such as Keynote or Pages, the subject will retain its transparency and can be pasted over different colors, patterns, or backgrounds. This example shows the image pasted into a Keynote slide with a winter-themed background layer.

This feature is possible because of the built-in Neural Engine in the iPad Generation 9 that drives machine learning functions. In this case, machine learning allows the iPad to recognize and isolate the main subject of an image. 

With that in mind, you might find that this feature has a few limitations. I noticed that the machine learning algorithm makes the determination what the "subject" of the photo is and does not allow the user to select a different subject. In photos with multiple subjects, most of the time, subjects all are selected, requiring the use of cropping tools to remove unwanted parts of a selection. Also, the edges are not always selected perfectly, and sometimes part of the background is added to the subject—or part of the subject is omitted from the selection.

Taking the limitations into account, I still find this feature almost magical considering the amount of time and effort I have expended over the years to create this effect "by hand" with image editing software. 

Please note that this feature may also work on your personal iPhone and can be used on photos and videos you may have captured with previous devices.

For more information about this feature and others, check out the iPadOS 16 User Guide.


Infinite Campus Is Now Podcasting!

 

If you are a fan of listening to Podcasts—like the current 383.7 million listeners in the world as of November 2022—then I have one more to add to your list! Whether leisurely at home or on the drive to and from work, podcasts have become a standard way in our lives to gather information, get juicy celebrity gossip, or learn something new. Our student information system, Infinite Campus, recognizes this and is now using this medium to talk about new features and other ideas that they see are "Transforming K12 Education."   

The new Infinite Campus Podcast called, Transforming K12 Education, with Infinite Campus expert and show host, Peter Snell, began producing bi-monthly episodes this past summer. A wide range of topics includes anything in K12 education; from new features in IC to relevant issues in education and exciting interviews with K12 thought leaders and influencers. Peter Snell was a classroom teacher for 10 years who now works for Infinite Campus. He is passionate about using educational technology to support administrative workflows, build stronger academic communities, and increase student achievement.

You can access the new Infinite Campus podcast through many popular providers:
Here is a direct link to the podcast's home website:


You can also subscribe in your favorite Podcast player using this feed URL:


We hope you take advantage of this new resource for keeping up to date with Infinite Campus features and exciting conversations about leading topics in K–12 education. I'll bet you didn't know that the Infinite Campus student information system is used by 2,000 school districts across 45 states and supports a total of over 8 million students.  

Peter Snell, the podcast's host, is always looking for unique stories about using ed tech to support and improve education to share on this podcast. If you have a story you would like to share, you can contact him via email at peter.snell@infinitecampus.com.

On behalf of your Barrington 220 Infinite Campus Student Information team, we want to wish you and your family a very happy and safe holiday season. We will see you in 2023!


We Need to Start Paying Attention to Artificial Intelligence in Education

 

AI-assisted writing is a form of technology that enables writers to automate certain writing processes, including editing, formatting, and grammar checks. There are arguments both for and against the use of AI-Assisted Writing, with some believing that it has the potential to revolutionize the way we write and others questioning its reliability. Regardless of these differing opinions, it is clear that AI-assisted writing has the potential to have a significant impact on the future of education. It is important to consider both the positive and negative impacts that AI-assisted writing could have to form an informed opinion.

One of the most notable positive impacts of AI-assisted Writing on education is the increased efficiency in writing and editing. By automating certain processes such as spelling and grammar checks, AI-assisted writing can provide quick and accurate feedback to students in real-time, allowing them to focus more of their time on improving their writing rather than on tedious tasks. Additionally, AI-assisted writing can enable the development of more personalized learning experiences as it can be used to provide tailored feedback to students based on their individual needs and preferences. Finally, AI-assisted writing can make writing and editing resources more accessible to students by providing them access to cutting-edge technology that is usually too expensive for most schools to purchase.

A potential negative impact of AI-assisted writing on the future of education is the increased reliance on technology, which could lead to a decrease in the quality of writing. Without the guidance of a teacher, students may become overly reliant on technology and not learn the basics of writing. This could lead to a decrease in the quality of writing and a lack of understanding of the fundamentals of writing. Additionally, there is the potential for misuse of the technology by cheaters. AI-assisted writing could be used to quickly generate essays and papers, which could allow students to get away with plagiarism and other forms of cheating. It is important to consider the potential for misuse when implementing AI Assisted Writing in the classroom.

Sorry for the interruption. It’s me—Ty Gorman—the author. Are you enjoying this article so far? Full disclosure: everything you’ve read so far, including the cool picture at the beginning, was entirely created by artificial intelligence (AI). What is presented here is an unedited essay completed in under ten seconds by an AI text generator when I entered the prompt “Write me an essay on the impact of AI writers on the future of education.” 

AI text generators are already good, and they are quickly becoming much better. I’ve spent the last several weeks experimenting with ChatGPT, the site generating a lot of buzz on Twitter and other news sources. ChatGPT was launched just a few months ago and already has millions of users. The one conclusion I have come to is that teachers at every level need to consider what this means for their classroom and the types of assessments they ask students to produce. 

Consider the following example:

Prompt: "Write me a short essay on the causes of the Civil War."

AI Response:

The Civil War was a pivotal moment in American history. It was a war that pitted the northern states against the southern states and ultimately led to the end of slavery in the United States. There were many causes of the Civil War, but some of the most significant were the differences between the North and the South, the issue of states' rights, and the election of Abraham Lincoln.

One of the main causes of the Civil War was the differences between the North and the South. The North was industrialized and had a more urban population, while the South was primarily agricultural and relied on slave labor to work the plantations. These differences led to tensions between the two regions, as the North was increasingly opposed to the institution of slavery.

These are the first two paragraphs of a concise, accurate, and well-reasoned classic five-paragraph essay completed as quickly as a Google search. The difference is that this article was not found on the Internet; it is original content produced by artificial intelligence. 

To see what would happen, I changed the prompt.

Prompt: "Write a short essay on the causes of the Civil War that sounds like a fifth grader wrote it, including common spelling and grammar errors."

AI response:
The Civl War was a big fite between the North and the South. It happend in the United States in the 1800s. 

The main cause was becaus the North and South did not agree on slavery. The South wanted to keep slavery and the North did not. This made them very mad at each other and they startd to fite.

Another cause was becaus the North and South were very different. The North had factories and big citis. The South had farms and plantations. This made it hard for them to agree on things.

The South was also angry becaus the North was getting more power. The North was getting more people and more money. The South felt like the North was taking over and they did not like it.

The Civl War was a very bad time in American history. Many peoplle died and it was very sad. But it also led to some good things, like slavery being abolished and the United States becoming a better place for everyone.

It’s not great, but could you tell if one of your students turned this in? Would you be fooled?

The internet is buzzing with the discussion over the possible ramifications of this new technology and the predictable panic has begun. Consider these two click-bait headlines:


Yes, Teachers, You Should be Panicking About AI (The Broken Copier Podcast, 2022)

These are excellent articles that you should read when you have a moment. A typical response from teachers I have seen is confusion, followed by shock, followed by a knee-jerk reaction to go backward: “Well, it looks like paper and pen in-class essays from now on!” If the history of educational technology adoption has taught us anything, fighting against the tech is rarely a winning play. After all, the graphing calculator, spell-check, translators, the Internet, and computers all faced similar reactions when they were new. They have since been successfully integrated into how learning happens in school. Calculators didn’t end the need to know how to graph. Spell-checkers and translators didn’t end the need to know how to spell. AI text generators will not end the need to understand how to write. But they will increase the value of intellectual commodities like discernment, creativity, novelty, editing, and organizational clarity in writing.

We wanted to determine how much students in Barrington may already know about AI text generators. In an informal poll conducted by Mr. Cary Waxler (Social Studies, Barrington High School), students were asked what they knew about ChatGPT. Only 10% of 92 16–18-year-old students in five upper-level AP classes had heard of the site. Most students who knew about it learned of it on social media. Responses about what they knew ranged from "It’s maybe a free chat service where you could get help?" to a student who had a good grasp of what it was and "asked it to write a college essay for me, and it produced writing just like mine, if not better."

This is the first in a series of posts in which we will explore the impact of AI text generators on learning in school. Future posts will focus on the following:
  • What are the possible benefits for teachers that this new technology might offer? For example, AI has the potential to personalize and differentiate content creation, lesson plans, assessment prompts, and assignments. How much time have you spent looking for that perfect article on the Internet to use with your class? Instead of finding it, why not write it?
  • How might students use this technology to take shortcuts, and how might they use it to learn? Is using AI to generate ideas for a presentation different from using AI to write the presentation? Are either acceptable? Can students who struggle to organize their thoughts use AI to produce personalized examples of well-organized writing and learn to discern high-quality from low? 
  • What might successful integration look like, and what does this mean for future assessment design? How can students and teachers embed AI generation into their creative endeavors? How might we use this powerful tool to make teaching and learning better? What types of questions must we now ask students to get at the heart of what they know and can do?
  • What are the ethics of AI-generated content? Is it plagiarism? Who owns the copyright? What is ethical to produce and what is cheating?
For now, I encourage you to seek more information. Explore AI generators to see what they can do. Hopefully, we’ll be able to recognize this tool for what it is and use it to improve teaching and learning rather than attempt the futile fight against it. 

Tech Support Team Welcomes Peter Chang

Peter Chang is the newest member of the Barrington 220 technology support team. Peter joins us as a Tier 2 Tech bringing his 6+ years of Barrington 220 building experience with him.

Before moving to the Technology Department, Peter was a Library Technology Associate (LTA) at Barrington Middle School–Station for 5 years and at North Barrington Elementary for almost two years. 

Previously, Peter was a teacher in Crystal Lake and taught Grade 5 for 7 years, Grade 4 for 1 year, and Grade 7 science for 2 years. As a former teacher Peter brings a new perspective to the team that will only make us better.

Outside of work, Peter enjoys watching sports, especially football and baseball. He also enjoys reading and learning about new things in the tech world. Next time you see Peter, please say hi and congratulate him on his new role.

Key's Quick Tips—Using the iPad to Make Any Text Accessible

Key's quick tips are provided by Kelly Key, Assistive Technology Coordinator for Barrington 220. Each month, Kelly features a tool that is available universally for all of our students in the district.

This month Kelly shares two features that are built into the iPad that together, makes any text accessible and read out loud:

Live Text + Alex = Reading & Editing Success

Live Text is a feature that is available on our new Generation 9 iPads. It allows our students to take a picture of text (a book, worksheet, sign, screenshot on the iPad, etc). It will convert the image to text and will make the text accessible including having the ability to read the text out loud.

Directions for using Live Text

Open the Camera app. Take a picture of the document, tap the Live Text button (bottom-right).

Check out this short video demonstration:


The text is now accesssible! See directions below on how to have it read out loud. 

Alex is the most sophisticated voice on the iPad that students can download and use with the Live Text feature. Alex analyzes the text on the screen before reading it out loud. This allows it to read words spelled the same correctly based on the context of the sentence. It also reads numbers correctly (great for math problems) and will read the text in different languages and will switch to reading it with a voice that reads it in the correct dialect.

Directions to Turn On Text-to-Speech

Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > On

Directions to Download and Add the Alex Voice

Settings > Accessibility > Spoken Content > Speak Selection > On

Scroll down to Voices > English > Alex > tap the cloud to download. Once it is downloaded, tap Alex to add a check mark.

Directions to Select Text and Listen

Once text is accessible, tap twice on the screen, select the text you would like read outloud, and press speak on the toolbar.

Check out this short video demonstration: 


This technique is excellent to use for reading comprehension, decoding, and listening to writing out loud to edit writing!


Barrington Transition Program Set to Join Barrington 220 WAN

The Barrington Transition Program (BTP) is set for a major network upgrade. At the December 6 Board of Education meeting, the Board voted to expand the existing space housing the program by acquiring the adjacent office space at 1525 S Grove Avenue. Along with the Board’s commitment to the BTP program at this location, the building now is equipped with point-to-point fiber optic cable services leading directly to the Barrington 220 data center. 

Once the final connections are put in place, network services to the BTP will become a part of the District's Wide Area Network (WAN), gain a 10-fold increase in speed, and provide more reliable Internet services to our staff and students there.

The overall cost of this project to the district is minimal, as 100% of the funding of the fiber optic cable installation was provided through the State of Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology K–12 Broadband Network program which leverages funding from the Federal E-Rate program.

The Barrington 220 Department of Technology and Innovation looks forward to completely integrating the BTP into our high-speed, high-availability network.

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