Pregrade’s Post

The first two thoughts I had when I read this article were, "what a privilege to have the budget for teaching assistants," and "I hope this doesn't become a deterrent from experimenting with AI supported/facilitated asynchronous coursework..." What do you think? I think there can (and should!) be a place for both. No doubt that teaching assistants provide invaluable engagement with students. I wonder if perhaps this is an opportunity to more equitably distribute both access to teaching assistants (I wonder if they could they be "shared" with community colleges that don't have graduate students?) and AI-facilitated learning. #equitableAI #higheredAI

This week's International Center for Academic Integrity #IntegrityMatters blog is written by Marcus Comer and Danielle Andrews-Brown from Virginia State University on the important topic of assessing students' critical thinking and problem solving skills in the age of AI. They highlight the importance of educators shifting their focus from 'writing mechanics' to examining how students demonstrate their learning. #academicintegrity #inclusion https://lnkd.in/eR6qMSuu

💡 Light bulb moment from last week while grading student plans for using GenAI in the writing they'll do this week: They are conflating search engines and AI-generated output. 🚩🚩🚩 Some see GenAI output as search results. I don't blame them because the lines are being blurred - Google Search now has both AI and traditional search results combined, Perplexity combines output with links to other sources... Because I'm having them submit plans for using GenAI before they write, it gives me the opportunity to dispel misconceptions and assumptions that might never have come to light otherwise. After reviewing their planning docs, I shared info with students that helped each one: ✅️ Differentiate between search engine results and GenAI output 🎯 ✅️ Share limitations and ethical issues related to GenAI use connected to their intended use of AI 🚧 ✅️ Offer strategies for keeping their brains 🧠 engaged in the writing and research process. ✅️ Prioritize using credible sources like library databases to properly cite where info comes from and minimize bias as much as possible with scholarly sources. ⭐️ ✅️ Offer tips for using GenAI to avoid over-reliance. 🚨 I also had them offer feedback on each other's plans. Hands down, the best assignment yet to help me peek inside their use of #GenAI before they begin their writing. #artificialintelligence #highered #k12 #teaching #learning #AI #AILiteracy #strategy #guidance

Teacher workloads and working conditions are rather topical at the moment. Without getting caught up in the specifics, I just want to say that elastik is here to help... Did you know that our generative AI writing tool, Writemark.ai, is available to all schools who partner with Elastik? This tool will save middle and upper primary teachers and secondary teachers approximately 100 hours in marking across a school year. In addition to that, Writemark will generate contextual comments for each dimension of the rubric. The provision of individualised feedback will save a teacher a further 150 hours across a school year. The above figures are based on classrooms with 24 to 32 students who write two or more pages each for a marked written piece. Although an educator has full autonomy to review and alter any mark or comment generated, they are able to address the identified needs quicker. Combine that with a significant reduction in workload and it seems obvious that a state of the art tool plays a significant role in solving the issue. #reduceworkload #enhanceoutcomes #improveprogression #inspireteachers

The bottom line of this research is a) teachers think they can identify AI-generated text; b) teachers cannot in fact identify AI-generated text, and c) teachers give better marks to AI-generated text than they do to text actually written by their students. The reason this freaks people out? Our education system focuses on assessment as an end in itself rather than a feedback loop to direct learning - and that my friends is the real problem. https://lnkd.in/e-27NCC7

Capability vs. Capacity With so many emerging ( and often competing ) ideas coming to the forefront of educational discussion, I was struck by the notion of capability vs. capacity.   As teachers, we often add to the pile, whether that be marking, admin or trying to adopt new, innovative ideas into our classroom. And the reason for that is because we are very capable. But capable does not equate to capacity. When we add too much, we burn out and forget why we love what we do.  So, whether it's responding to AI, leaning on direct instruction, or considering Rosenshine principles, we need to consider what we have the capacity to implement. That may mean something else has to go or give. But we need to start ruthlessly prioritising a little more. We are no good to our students if we are burnt out. #education #teachershortage #teacherburnout

94% of students say Grammarly helped improve their grades 👩🎓 Grammarly meets faculty, staff and students everywhere they write and empowers them with the responsible AI assistance they need to be more productive communicators. How does Grammarly invest in student success? ⭐ Provide strategic feedback ⭐ Reinforces academic guardrails ⭐ Support the whole classroom with user-friendly interface and accessibility features ⭐ Protect institutional data Find out more & get started with a free trial 👉 https://lnkd.in/e__siU3i #Grammarly #GrammarlyForEducation #AI #AIAssistance

Teachers, discover how AI can transform your classroom!💡 Watch Aida Sahutoglu, a single parent educator and academic manager, host an insightful session around how the strengths and challenges of single parenthood can help improve your teaching. Aida will guide you through practical strategies for using empathy, flexibility, and resilience to build more inclusive classrooms. You'll also learn how to integrate AI tools to make your teaching more effective and support your students' success. This session is full of actionable tips and AI tools to streamline your workflow and boost your teaching. Watch the full session at: https://hubs.la/Q02ZST700

Happy Thanksgiving to the educators of the world! As someone who serves on my local school board, I’m constantly inspired by the dedication of teachers. Your commitment to students is unmatched. Today, I want to share something I’ve been thinking about and hear your thoughts. Grading essays takes time. It’s exhausting. It can feel endless. Now imagine AI stepping in to help. There’s a tool called WriteGrader and it’s designed to automate essay grading. It gives fast, standardized feedback to students. It’s already being tested in schools and early results seem promising. But I’m curious to know what you think. Would you trust an AI to grade essays in your classroom? What would it take for you to feel confident using it? Or do you believe grading is something only humans can (or should) do? I’d love to hear from the educators in my circle. Would this help you? Or are there challenges AI just can’t address in this space? Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving and a restful break! #AI #EducationInnovation #EdTech #Education

"The HOW2 AI Assistant is a game changer for teachers to contextualise pedagogical, evidence-based teaching techniques into their subject area, working across any subject, level, or setting." — Luke Zwalf, Head of Teaching and Learning, York College Since introducing the AI Assistant, educators have been receiving real-time support to adapt teaching techniques to their specific subjects and topics—saving valuable time while also enhancing the effectiveness of their instruction, and helping them better meet diverse student needs. Learn more about the HOW2 AI Assistant here and see it in action: https://lnkd.in/eGHQeJ3v #CPD #TeachingHOW2s