Category: Weekly Reflections (Page 1 of 2)

I was attending a conference during this class, but the criteria listed in the assignment description reminded me of a topic I spent a bit of time looking into earlier in the semester, namely tools for people with dyslexia. Of course, it is generally recommended that learners with dyslexia are given alternative ways to access, learn, and demonstrate their understanding of new information, and I believe all teachers should be amenable to this. This can include verbal submissions (like a podcast) rather than essays, allowing the use of text-to-speech, giving lessons both aurally and through text, and allowing learners more time to access information, in addition to many other suggestions. With that said, at times it is necessary to have a text-based component, and we can still make some accommodations to help these learners. I also believe that allowing students to build up their ability with the text-based modality, even if it is not a strength or is made more difficult due to disability, is still worthwhile.

Photo by Brett Jordan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/close-up-shot-of-text-on-a-book-5266319/

One of the main recommendations I have seen frequently is to use appropriate fonts and font sizes for anything requiring students to read. In general, sans serif fonts are considered preferable, but there are also fonts specifically designed for people with dyslexia. The built-in font for Google docs/slides/suite is the Lexend font, which I have started using more frequently when creating presentations (see here: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/Lexend). Other important factors regarding fonts is the size and spacing, both in terms of the space between letters and between lines. Being aware of the line spacing and kerning (the technical term for the spacing between letters) is important in order to make reading text easier for dyslexic learners.

From a UDL perspective, accommodations that help people with dyslexia can also benefit people without that condition in a variety of ways. From my perspective as a teacher, keeping dyslexic students in mind when creating my slide shows helps remind me to keep less text on each slide or spread it out more, which is good as I have a tendency to put too much info on every slide. From a learner’s perspective, have an easier-to-read document or slideshow is beneficial and can make the processing easier overall. The option to show learn and show learning through a variety of different modes is beneficial as well, as for example some students may excel with verbal communication but struggle to write.

I can’t say that I am an expert on this subject at all, but I am trying my best to learn from peers and through research how to cater to a variety of learners. If you have any suggestions or corrections for this post, please feel free to comment them here.

I really enjoyed the SAMR model when it was first discussed in class, and so it was great to have one of the groups present and elaborate on this topic. This model is a useful way to conceptualize the different ways and levels that teachers can utilize technology in their pedagogy, and as a reflective tool (ie teachers referring back to this model to see where each individual usage of technology is positioned) this can be a great way to reconsider how and (perhaps, more importantly) why we utilize technological resources and tools the way we do.

I find it interesting to frame this model in the same manner that discussions around music theory have been going on for years: prescriptivism vs. descriptivism. In this case, I feel that this model is more of a descriptivist approach, merely categorizing the ways that technology can be integrated and putting them into a hierarchy or linear path. However, I feel that if teachers see this from a prescriptivist lens this may lead to a false sense that the “R” should be what teachers always strive for, as rushing towards this final stage may lead to some details and considerations being missed. I think that thoughtful and intentional progression through this model is a useful endeavor and will ultimately lead to a greater and more effective integration of relevant technologies in our classroom.

Image retrieved from https://teachermade.com/samr-substitute-augment-modify-and-redefine-digital-worksheets-with-teachermade/

This week, I created a banner for the website using Microsoft Designer AI. It took me several iterations of the prompt to create this, but it worked out to something along the lines of “Brass trumpet in the style of origami, simple, yellow paper” with the specific dimensions which turned out to still not be compatible with my site. That said, it is still visible at the top of my site, albeit cropped depending on the browser and size of window. 

AI image creation has become remarkably useful for me in the past several weeks, and I seem to find new applications for it every time I use it. Most recently, I used this program to create the title graphic for the slideshow of my group project, as well as using it to create a visual to go along with a “holophrastic slogan” (a phrase that encapsulates a lot of meaning in few words) for another inquiry project. I have attached the image below here – it was also generated on Microsoft Designer. 

Though it takes a lot of practice to create the right prompts, these AI programs are a great way to ensure you can get the exact graphic you are looking for; alternatively, sometimes the images can be beyond what you could have possibly imagined, which can be a blessing and a curse.

The focus of our class this week was how to teach in an era where AI is widely available. Plagiarism and unethical use of AI is a common issue, and it can be difficult to detect and prove when students break these rules. AI-detection softwares are notoriously untrustworthy and create a large percentage of false positives, which negates the purpose and can potentially negatively impact students who did nothing wrong. Some of the solutions to this include allowing AI for beneficial purposes, making clear boundaries and guidelines, and trying to avoid the circumstances that cause students to want to cheat in the first place.

As a music teacher, I will primarily be teaching performance-focused classes, so plagiarism or unethical use of AI by students is somewhat irrelevant as there would be few instances to even attempt it. With that said, I am looking for ways to integrate other musical traditions and knowledge into the band classroom, some of which can not necessarily be taught through the medium of traditional band repertoire. I would be interested in finding ways to implement inquiry or research projects on a range of topics in my music classes, and those are where AI can pose a big issue. For inquiry-based learning, consistent check-ins and work blocks where I can actively see students working would be the main strategies I use to prevent these issues. I am also curious about the idea of a one-on-one interview with students as part of their project – by asking questions related to the subject that are not directly quoted in the (potentially AI-generated) essay or project, it should be easy to determine whether or not the student really spent time to research and understand the topic.

The passage below was generated by ChatGPT with the following prompt: Summarize and rewrite the following notes into a brief blog post [followed by the notes I took on our Nov. 3rd class]

Title: “AI in Education: Unleashing the Power and Navigating the Challenges”

Date: November 3rd, 2023

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has firmly embedded itself in the realm of education, revolutionizing the way teachers teach and students learn. In our recent tech notes session, we explored the fundamental concepts of AI and its applications in the educational landscape.

Understanding AI for Teachers

At its core, AI is the simulation of human intelligence processes by machines, particularly computers. It encompasses learning, reasoning, and self-correction. We delved into the fascinating world of neural networks, a type of machine learning inspired by the human brain. Neural networks enable pattern recognition and can be predictive, employing back-propagation to reflect and learn from experiences.

Key AI Concepts

Machine learning, deep learning through neural networks, and natural language processing are integral to AI. Large language models like ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI, utilize massive language input to learn patterns, making probabilistic guesses word by word. Notably, AI is not without its fallibilities, as it can sometimes be incorrect.

Big Players in the AI Landscape

OpenAI, with its groundbreaking ChatGPT, stands as a pioneer in the field. Microsoft, holding a 49% stake in OpenAI, integrates AI into various aspects, notably Bing. Google boasts Bard, and AI-powered chatbots, often leveraging ChatGPT, have become prevalent. In the gaming world, AI has ventured into powering video game NPCs, with Origins as a prominent example.

AI in Education: Opportunities and Challenges

AI’s impact on education is profound, offering personalized learning, intelligent tutoring, automation of administrative tasks, data-driven insights, enhanced engagement, accessibility, and global learning. However, challenges loom large, including concerns about evaluation and assessment, plagiarism, misinformation, hallucinations, IP violations, and appropriation of content or aesthetic styles. A crucial reminder: always check your sources!

Conclusion

The Pandora’s box of AI has been opened, and it’s here to stay, fundamentally transforming the educational landscape. As we embrace the opportunities AI presents, it is equally crucial to navigate the challenges responsibly, ensuring that the benefits of AI in education are harnessed while mitigating potential pitfalls. The journey of AI in education is both exciting and challenging, and staying informed is key as we step into this new era of learning.

—-End of ChatGPT generated text—

I use ChatGPT occasionally, primarily for helping to find repertoire and to structure some ideas. In my experience, it often takes many different prompts (contantly refined and reworded) in order to get the exact outcome I want, but in this case I was impressed by how good this summary was on the first try! I take very chaotic notes for lack of a better term, but this summary takes all of the important points and distilled them into a succinct blog post.

I find it interesting that, perhaps, ChatGPT has a bit of bias towards itself – I did not use the word groundbreaking in my notes but that program thought it was the most appropriate term to use. This makes me wonder (and worry) about the possible issues when it comes to biases that different AI models may have. There have been some highly-publicized issues in the past with other (admittedly less sophisticated) AI chatbots picking up some pretty disturbing biases (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tay_(chatbot)) and I am curious as to how these issues are prevented and addressed when they come up, aside from just shutting a service down.

Gamification is a topic that has been rapidly growing in popularity in the education field over the past few years. It can take a more literal form, as in literally using games in a classroom to help teach or support important concepts, or it can be used in the sense of transferring the concepts and strategies that make video games appealing into a classroom setting. I believe that, when used in the correct manner and context, gamification can be a powerful tool to help engage learners. I attended a seminar a few years ago where Chris Leeson, an excellent Victoria music educator at the middle school level, explained the particular way he integrated a gamified approach into his band program, which largely included RPG-inspired elements like experience points. One of the most important points he made was that these kinds of approaches can only be successfully used if the teacher really buys into it; as with all other things, students can sense when teachers are being ingenuous and this will completely undermine any benefits. Interestingly, many of the concepts of gamification, such as rewards and a gradual progression of difficulty, mirror concepts we have talked about in our educational psychology class as being beneficial to learning and engagement.

Games in the Music Classroom:

There is a wide variety of games that can be used to help teach or reinforce specific concepts that are relevant to the music classroom. One of the most prominent examples I have seen is the use of rhythm and dance games to help build internal pulse and a mind-body connection in the context of rhythm; though not something I personally enjoy, many of my peers have talked about the value of using dance games like Just Dance in the music classroom to support these concepts (as well as being a fun and engaging activity for students). Other prominent examples include Guitar Hero, Trombone Champ, and Rock Band. In my own personal music study, I have found the app “Perfect Ear” (which has some gamified elements) to be an incredibly powerful and engaging tool to improve my ear training and musicianship. For context, it reminds me in some ways of Duolingo (which, rumor has it, will also be releasing a music-focused “language” learning program in the near future). I would be interested into finding more games and gamified tools that can be used in both an individual and a group setting – if anyone has any suggestions, please send them my way!

Sample screenshot from Perfect Ear app; accessed via https://www.perfectear.app/#screenshots

I really enjoy this tool! I find it surprisingly easy to install and use, and I can see how this can be an effective way to share resources, websites, etc. with students. I am curious about how to continue using this tool on both sides of the classroom; I can see a lot of value in it for creating resources for students, but it also could be an interesting way for students to present projects (keeping in mind FIPPA compliance, as it is stored on Google Drive).

Here is a video of me trying this extension for around the 3rd time. My apologies for the abrupt cut off, I decided it was best to spare everyone from hearing me ramble even more about the advanced stats from this page. For my next post, I will try to embed things from h5P into this video!

One of the concepts from week 1 that stood out to me the most was FIPPA as it relates to the legal responsibilities of educators. In a world where many of us blindly check off “I agree” on dozens of Terms and Conditions agreements per year, it is easy for data storage and other considerations to slip our minds. However, this can cause many issues, particularly legal, when it comes to data storage as educators.

The main point factor of FIPPA as it relates to educators is that we are not allowed to store any personal student data on servers outside of Canada. There are ways around this, including anonymizing student information or having students/parents/guardians sign a waiver, but the most common solution is to use services that store Canadian data in Canada. This can sometimes block our access to significant educational resources, such as some google products.

FIPPA is something that educators need to be aware of. If there is ever a doubt, it is best to err on the side of caution and talk to an administrator for guidance when uncertain. Online educational tools are a phenomenal resource, but it is important to ensure we are following the the law in order to protect students (and protect our employment).