Empowering Educators with Almanack’s Teaching Tools

December 3, 2024April 8, 2025Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

In collaboration with Almanack. All opinions are my own.

Education is moving fast. Educators have many responsibilities in their work, requiring flexibility and the ability to balance many things at once. Tasks such as lesson planning, creating assessments and grading, differentiating class materials, and finding ways to boost student engagement can be quite time-consuming. In addition to these tasks, educators want to find the best ways to provide all students with a meaningful, impactful learning experience.

All of these responsibilities demand many hours and can also lead to burnout. However, we are teaching during a time of rapidly evolving educational technology, particularly through AI-powered tools. With the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the world and in education, especially over the past two years, it is important to find tools that leverage this power to enhance student learning and benefit educators.

Almanack is a great option for educators searching through the tools available to find something that will help them streamline their workflow. Having one platform that offers a variety of commonly created resources and other materials makes sense. I often tell educators that they need a toolkit. I think that Almanack is an essential toolkit for educators. It offers many options for educators looking to create different resources for students and those who want to save time and become more efficient, which benefits students because educators have more time available for them.

Some of my favorite Almanack features

Almanack isn’t just an educational tool; it’s a robust and comprehensive platform that provides various resources to help educators design and implement effective learning experiences in the classroom. Here are a few examples of why I think Almanack stands out:

1. Slide Decks and Visual Aids: When I created my first slide deck using Almanack, I was amazed at how professional it looked. The layout, colors, images, and information it generated were all impressive. What would have taken me an hour or more took only a few minutes. Almanack enables educators to leverage AI to create visually appealing slide decks that are informative and more engaging for students. The decks can then be customized with your own images and specific content that aligns with the lesson. See below for an example created simply with a prompt! And it can be translated to different languages!

2. Customizable Worksheets: From K-2 literacy and numeracy activities to advanced topic sheets for grades 3-12, Almanack provides templates that can be customized to fit any subject area. I spend a lot of time creating worksheets for my students and want to provide different activities that best meet my students’ needs. Creating worksheets is easy with Almanack.

3. Interactive Classroom Games: Students love playing games, and when they can interact, the benefits are great. Building collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills are essential for future success. Almanack offers a variety of options, including Battleship-style review games, Bingo, Forbidden Words, and Jeopardy. What once took a lot of time to create is now easier, and it adds fun to the learning experience, promotes retention, and encourages student participation.

4. Comprehensive Study Guides and Rubrics: Teachers can quickly create graphic organizers, detailed study guides, and rubrics to provide students with clear expectations and study aids to support their learning.

5. Multilingual Support: As a language educator, I always explore the languages available within the tools that I use. Almanack can translate text lesson plans and resources into multiple languages, ensuring no student is left behind due to language barriers. Select the Output language when creating your resource; the translation will be done for you.

Compliance and Security: A Core Priority

A common concern is data privacy and security. Almanack complies with COPPA and FERPA, which shows its commitment to safeguarding student information. It strictly regulates the collection and use of personal data to provide a secure environment for students and educators.

Standards Aligned

Almanack also has state standards pre-loaded on its platform. This helps teachers to save time when creating standards-based assessments. It also allows teachers to design and map their curriculum to ease the overhead of tracking compliance with school curriculum/state standards.

Innovations in Worksheet and Assessment Design

Recent updates to Almanack have introduced features like the ability to create differentiated worksheets. Teachers can design their learning materials to meet the specific needs of their students, ensuring that each student can engage with the content at a level that challenges them appropriately. You can also create answer keys directly within the worksheet editor, simplifying the assessment process and enabling teachers to provide timely and accurate feedback, which is essential for student growth.

Effective Teaching with Almanack’s Lesson Planning Tools

Educators may implement a variety of lesson planning methodologies, such as Understanding by Design (UbD) and the 5E instructional model, which are commonly used since they meet a range of teaching styles and are appropriate for all subject areas. Other great options include resources that help plan a project-based learning activity or a simulation, which help educators foster an engaging and informative classroom environment.

Ease of Use

When I first use a website or try a new digital tool, I focus on its ease of use and how user-friendly it is. Almanack is very user-friendly, making it easy for teachers to create lesson plans and classroom resources in minutes. They don’t need any prior experience in AI or knowledge of how to use complex software. It is a very intuitive platform, so educators don’t have to worry about losing time learning how to use it. They can dive right in.

Almanack offers teachers a comprehensive set of tools. I always recommend exploring the different options and considering what would benefit you and your students right now. Something with gamification? Opportunities for students to collaborate? Or something to help you save time and design engaging lessons and presentations for your students. Explore Almanack’s tools and its integration with some other favorites! Whatever you need to create, getting started with Almanack will be easy!

About Rachelle

Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth is a Spanish and STEAM: What’s Next in Emerging Technology Teacher at Riverview High School in Oakmont, PA. Rachelle is also an attorney with a Juris Doctor degree from Duquesne University School of Law and a Master’s in Instructional Technology. Rachelle received her Doctorate in Instructional Technology, and her research focus was on AI and Professional Development. In addition to teaching, she is a full-time consultant and works with companies and organizations to provide PD, speaking, and consulting services. Contact Rachelle for your event!

Rachelle is an ISTE-certified educator and community leader who served as president of the ISTE Teacher Education Network. By EdTech Digest, she was named the EdTech Trendsetter of 2024, one of 30 K-12 IT Influencers to follow in 2021, and one of 150 Women Global EdTech Thought Leaders in 2022.

She is the author of nine books including ‘In Other Words: Quotes That Push Our Thinking,” “Unconventional Ways to Thrive in EDU,” “The Future is Now: Looking Back to Move Ahead,” “Chart A New Course: A Guide to Teaching Essential Skills for Tomorrow’s World, “True Story: Lessons That One Kid Taught Us,” “Things I Wish […] Knew” and her newest “How To Teach AI” is available from ISTE or on Amazon.

Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.

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Lead With Curiosity…Follow With Learning

November 19, 2024November 10, 2024Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post by Dr. Amy Mathews-Perez, a Director of Special Programs in a public school in Central Texas. Connect with Amy on X (formerly Twitter) at @drgrowtoknow or her website dramyperez.com

Lead With Curiosity…..Follow With Learning

No matter your role, if you want to create or improve relationships, there are lots of ways to do that. Whether it is personal or professional, relationships matter. Relationships influence us in ways that are obvious (when we get into an argument with someone and stay mad until we decide to forgive, forget, or just quit giving it energy) and ways that are less than obvious, like the way we feel when we think of someone, our anticipation (or dread) of running into/meeting with a person, or the way our choices are influenced by someone (whether intentional or not). One example of that last thing – choices being influenced – is a tradition I follow at work. I have a small team of great people that I am lucky enough to coordinate. Each year I take each person to lunch with the intention of quality one-on-one time talking about anything but work. I always order what they order for lunch. I love to try new things, and while mirroring their decision is an intentional choice for me, the impact on that person and our relationship is subtle. It validates that person, and it provides a topic of conversation (whether I’ve had that meal before or not, why they like it, etc.).

This blog is about two specific ways you can improve relationships: (1) Lead with curiosity and (2) Follow with learning. First things first: the assumption behind this blog is that you want to create positive relationships or improve the ones you already have.

Most of us have probably heard the phrase, “Lead with curiosity.” Many people think that means asking a lot of questions. While that is a reasonable interpretation of the phrase, let’s consider purpose and timing when leading with curiosity. The purpose of your curiosity is to learn more about the other person, so asking questions is a great start. However – being intentional about the purpose of your questions will guide the conversation and validate the other person. Asking questions that do NOT yield “Yes/No” responses will yield only that: one-word answers, which does not perpetuate authentic conversation. Asking questions with the intention of discovering what the other person enjoys talking about is where the magic is.

The next strategy is to “Follow with learning.” Once you are in a conversation with someone and you discover something, learn it. Seeking to understand is powerful in creating trust. Follow up in ways that confirm for the other person that you are learning from them/about them. This can be accomplished through phrases (like “I didn’t know that…”, “I’m learning so much from you/about you.” Or “Let me get this straight [state back what you just learned]…..” are examples of such phrases. Your intention is to validate their input by learning it, repeating it and/or linking it to something you relate to about it. If you really want to solidify this learning, mention the learning to them at another time or mention it to someone else while this person is present.

Each one of these strategies is important, but for maximum impact, use them both: Lead with curiosity, then immediately follow with learning. Same strategies as mentioned above, but combine them in the conversation. Ultimately, your goal is to suspend your ego, eliminate your “I” voice (talking about yourself without relevance to the conversation), and focus on the other person/people in the conversation through your questions and your learning.

CHALLENGE: Have a conversation with a good friend and a new acquaintance. Have your friend count how many times you say “I” – if it is more than you expected, don’t be surprised. We are all guilty of defaulting to “I” when we run out of things to say, get uncomfortable, or can’t handle silence. There is no magic number about how frequently you say “I” – this challenge is simply a way to raise your awareness. It makes it hard to build authentic relationships with others if we mostly talk about ourselves.

I encourage you to be intentional by leading with curiosity and following that with learning and seeing how your relationships improve in-depth, authenticity, and positivity. Fair warning, though: it is harder than it seems, but remember that “better” is the result of intentional decisions. Bottom line: I believe you can do it. You’ve got this!

About Amy

Texas-born & raised, Amy has served public education for over 30 years. General Ed. Teacher, SLP, Diagnostician, SPED Supervisor, Assistant Principal, Principal, and Director of Special Education are the roles she has held. She is the CEO of Making Education Special for All (M.E.S.A), an LLC dedicated to training, facilitation, consultation, and speaking engagements that revolve around information, motivation, and insights on why and how to make education special for all stakeholders as well as leadership. Her passions are communication, joy, authenticity, and empowerment. “Life is short, but our influence is never-ending,” and Amy is committed to connecting with others through service and smiles.

About Rachelle

Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.

Follow Rachelle on Twitter(X) and Instagram at @Rdene915

**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

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The Benefits of College and Career Readiness for Middle School Students

November 5, 2024April 8, 2025Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Regardless of our role in education or the grade levels that we work with, we all have a responsibility to bring in a variety of learning opportunities to prepare our students for successful careers. They need to engage in learning that will equip them with essential skills and the right knowledge so they can thrive after they leave our classrooms and our schools. Helping students to learn about potential future careers or options for continuing their education should not be limited to the high school years. By starting to focus on career and college readiness at the middle school level, we can help students to learn about the many options available to them and spark their curiosity for learning.

There are many ways to get started with a lot of benefits to creating college and career readiness opportunities for middle school students. Finding methods and tools or comprehensive resources will have a positive impact on student academic success, increase engagement in learning, and foster the development of essential future skills. With online career learning programs, such as Defined Careers, educators can offer an innovative and engaging approach to introduce students to various professions, ignite their passion, and empower them to shape their future.

In this post, I will share the benefits of focusing on career exploration with middle school and even younger students. Exploring the resources provided by Defined Careers is a great way to help students learn about their options and empower them to explore various career pathways.

Early Exposure to Career Options

Introducing college and career readiness in middle school helps to inform students about a wide range of career options. Through career exploration activities and resources, students can explore job roles in various industries and professions. Defined Learning offers comprehensive career exploration tools that provide K-12 students with insights into different careers. With the K-5 program, this early exposure helps students gain a clearer understanding of their interests, passions, and the skills required for 16 different career clusters. For middle and high school students, interactive modules and videos give students the chance to explore diverse career options such as engineering, entrepreneurship, healthcare, or even art. By learning more about a variety of careers, we can help students discover their interests and passions, allowing them to make informed decisions about their educational and career paths.

Continue reading the original post on Defined Learning.

About Rachelle

Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.

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7 Ways AI is Set to Make Teachers’ Jobs Easier

October 29, 2024April 8, 2025Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Collaborative blog post.

Since the early 2000s, education has had to evolve with the rapid integration of technology into the classroom. From the general use of computers and laptops for schoolwork to the rise of smartphones and tablets in the classroom, teachers have had to be agile to keep up with these changing trends. Unfortunately, despite these advancements, many teachers struggle in their jobs, leading to a mass exodus in recent years. In August this year alone, Statista reported that 51,000 teachers and other educational staff quit their jobs in the United States. As the education sector is struggling to find teachers to replace them, artificial intelligence (AI) could be the next advancement that not only changes how students learn but also improves the teaching profession by making the job easier. In a guest post by Matthew Rhoads, Ed.D., he wrote that AI can improve teachers’ workflow by providing opportunities for them to optimize their workflow and instruction in the classroom. Below are 7 ways that AI will make teachers’ jobs easier.

Grading

One of the biggest reasons for teacher stress and burnout is the extra work they must do in addition to teaching. Grading is one of the most time-consuming tasks and is often done outside of regular school hours, eating into a teacher’s work-life balance. As discussed in A Look Back at AI in Education, AI grading tools can automate this process. AI can appraise student work instantaneously with very little human input needed, thereby increasing the time teachers can spend on other aspects of their job as well as increasing their free time. These tools also provide much faster feedback to the students, which in turn will help with engagement.

Roleplaying

One factor of AI that will provide a new dimension to how students learn about different subjects is Generative AI (GenAI). MongoDB details how GenAI is based on foundation models that can perform tasks like classification, sentence completion, the generation of images or voice, and synthetic (artificially generated) data. This means that teachers can use AI to educate students through roleplaying. Gabriel Rshaid, co-founder and director at The Learnerspace & The Global School, writes on LinkedIn that GenAI systems that can impersonate a famous, historical, or even current person as well as replicate historical situations. He argues that not only will it foster critical thinking, but it will also elevate the level of interest and engagement for students. Lack of engagement in lessons is regularly touted as a common issue in modern classrooms, leading to added stress for teachers.

Foreign Language Teaching

Language learning in the classroom can be very difficult for teachers due to the lack of one-on-one time with students. With AI, students can speak to a Language Learning Model such as ChatGPT or an AI interlocutor to create a dialogue that is exactly pitched at their level. In a previous post on AI Literacy, we asked a student about the benefits of using AI for language learning. She replied: “The chatbot was very helpful. Immersing yourself with technology that helps you learn Spanish or any other language can help a lot. You have real-time conversations, and the chatbot expands the conversation so you can learn even more about the language. It also helps you become more comfortable speaking!” As students engage with the AI on their own terms, foreign language teachers will have more time to address individual needs.

Plan Lessons

Like grading, a good amount of time outside teaching is spent planning lessons due to the amount of research and reinvention needed. AI can streamline and optimize this process by not only creating new plans from scratch very quickly but also analyzing past lesson plans to cater to the teacher’s own preferences and style of teaching. Curriculum standards also change very frequently, and AI can be used to ensure that the lessons are updated with the latest requirements. This decreases the time teachers spend on planning lessons and increases their ability to work with students.

Personalized Learning For Students

One of the major issues that makes a teacher’s job difficult is not being able to adapt their teaching methods for individual students. It is not possible for teachers to create personalized learning plans for each student in their classroom, which can lead to some students getting left behind and resulting in a lack of engagement. AI-powered adaptive learning platforms can analyze students’ strengths and weaknesses and provide personalized lessons and study paths.

Improve Classroom Management

While AI will revolutionize how teachers can adapt their lessons to students to improve their learning outcomes, another important aspect of AI that will make a teacher’s job easier is classroom management. A Medium post notes how “one of the most pressing challenges for teachers has always been classroom management,” with discipline being one of the most difficult aspects of the job. When it comes to class management, AI can create a more harmonious classroom environment by being able to “detect when a student is distracted, struggling with a concept, or even feeling unwell.” This will allow teachers to immediately intervene and address the issues before they escalate and result in classroom disruption.

Reduce Burnout

As the above benefits show, AI can have a positive impact on many different facets of teaching to make the job easier. By improving each of the above aspects, AI will reduce overall burnout in teachers, which is having a massive impact on the industry. HMH’s 9th Annual Educator Confidence Report found that burnout is a critical issue, with 82% of educators citing that what they need most is a more balanced workload. Education and students are changing fast, with one teacher noting that “today’s student is different from students even five years ago.” AI will not only allow teachers to keep up, but it will also reduce their workload and give them more time to focus on their students. This will make their job easier and improve their work-life balance, which will hopefully stem the number of teachers leaving the profession.

About Rachelle

Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.

Follow Rachelle on Twitter(X) and Instagram at @Rdene915

**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

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Guest Post: Jooble Recommends How to Start Your Career in Artificial Intelligence: Key Steps and Skills

October 22, 2024October 12, 2024Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

This article was created in collaboration with Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth and Jooble. Opinions are those of the guest writer.

In particular, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is invigorating each line of business, opening up enormous potential for persons trained in AI and associated areas. If your goal is to become an AI developer, you are positioning yourself for terrific job growth, with an average salary of an AI engineer of $160,000 per year in the US, according to Jooble. To help you get started on your AI journey, we provide some tips on essential steps and skills that will help you make it through the course.

Where can Artificial Intelligence be applied?

Artificial Intelligence is a branch of study and application of computing systems that manifest attributes associated with human intelligence to perform tasks that would otherwise necessitate human input. Compared to other SCH software, AI systems can learn from data, and its performance can be refined without needing rewiring. AI is an emerging and growing sector that has penetrated almost all industries across the globe, including the service industry, medical, and financial. For example, 50% of companies plan to invest in machine learning engineers and data departments focused on AI adoption, emphasizing the importance of upskilling the workforce to meet future demands.

AI can simply be a chatbot, up to a complex intelligent model based on neural networks used to make predictions and sophisticated analyses. By far one of the core constructs of AI is the notion that algorithms learn from data input — a key component in the creation of programs that get smarter with time.

The Role of AI in Modern Industries

The United States and China lead in AI investments, making them prime hubs for AI development and job opportunities. AI integration is becoming crucial in various industries as businesses increasingly implement AI technologies to reduce costs and boost productivity. In sectors such as healthcare and automotive, AI solutions are driving a revolution through automated processes, big data analysis, and the development of smart systems, reshaping the way these industries operate. As Ulrich Spiesshofer said, “The countries with the highest robot density have among the lowest unemployment rates. Technology and humans combined in the right way will drive prosperity.”

AI also assists in creating individualized services and goods. For example, generative AI is already altering marketing and entertainment with its ability to design or write content/results based on data. AI processes can even predict consumer behavior, becoming valuable assets for businesses. The demand for AI experts who can learn and apply AI in real-life scenarios is rapidly increasing.

Most Important Things You Need to Learn for a Career in AI

To embark on your AI learning journey, it’s crucial to have a structured learning program and acquire a strong foundation in the following skills:

Computer Science: Learn Python, R, and Java as they are the most used programming languages in AI and data-related fields. Depending on the project or this level of work, knowledge of these languages will be required to deal with AI solutions.

Mathematics and Statistics: Khan says that knowledge of math is ESSENTIAL for AI, and examples of such skills are linear algebra, probability, and statistical methods.

Machine learning and Deep learning of Artificial Intelligence Concepts: Learning about another class of AI, known as machine learning, will enable you to understand how machines learn and optimize from data.

AI Tools and Libraries: Analyze artificial intelligence for business and learn some helpful tools and libraries, such as TensorFlow and PyTorch, for building models.

Main Technologies of the field of AI

AI technology encompasses various fields with new advancements in AI revolving around the existing structure. Key technologies that play a pivotal role include:

Natural Language Processing (NLP): Under the NLP study, machines are capable of learning how to handle human language which is much more useful in other advanced technologies like artificial intelligence digital assistants such as the use of chatbots.

Computer Vision: This field allows users to understand and interpret visual data and is crucial for fields such as healthcare, the automotive industry, and security.

Deep Learning: This superior artificial intelligence method is modeled on the action of the human brain and allows a machine to recognize patterns in the data.

Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming an AI Expert

1. Select Your Right Line of Study

There are multiple opportunities to learn with the help of AI in 2024, from online courses to a university degree. First of all, choose the program that will suit you best if you are eager to master AI as a beginner or if you are eager to obtain an AI degree. There are many universities as well as online centres offering classes from the fundamentals of artificial intelligence to advanced artificial intelligence classes containing concepts such as deep learning and neural networks.

Vacancies in AI presuppose a solid educational background, and thus, the reception of the education that inscribes AI as learning from data, machine learning, and AI engineering is essential.

2. Where to Get Experience in AI Projects

AI learning libraries and tools are essential for gaining practical experience and understanding artificial intelligence. To truly become an AI engineer, working on AI projects is mandatory. The best way to practice is by contributing to AI-related projects whenever possible, participating in hackathons, or providing suggestions for open-source projects. These activities help solidify your knowledge of AI concepts and demonstrate your expertise to potential employers. As Stephen Hawking warned, “Success in creating AI would be the biggest event in human history. Unfortunately, it might also be the last unless we learn how to avoid the risks.” To be a good AI engineer, it’s crucial to continuously gain new knowledge, study daily, and stay updated with the latest advancements to ensure responsible and safe development of AI technologies.

Minimum Qualifications Required for AI and Data Science Professionals

First of all, certifications in the world of AI are very important when it comes to the development of your profession, as many jobs in AI require some proof of your knowledge. Not only do they prove that you are worth your salt, but they also provide you with the necessary leverage to go for a job.

AI certifications that help where to take your AI career

Developments in AI or any related field certification will make you a better candidate for employment. AI certifications from globally technologically advanced companies such as Google, Microsoft, or IBM can let you highlight your strong points in specific areas of interest, such as machine learning, data science, or AI tools. These certifications will give you ways to get on your plan for learning AI and assist you in gaining mastery from the entry-level AI to the expert level.

A number of AI Learning Plans and Learning Systems we currently have are accredited by the respective industries they belong to.

Proprietary AI programs, like Coursera and edX, offer complete programs with necessary learning experiences. These courses are developed in collaboration with professionals in the field, and the topics include different aspects of AI and its applications. Such programs are helpful for beginners in AI and for people who already have some experience in the field but would want to learn more about the development of more complex topics in AI.

Whether you’re a complete newcomer or an advanced AI practitioner looking to elevate your career, these programs will guide you along your AI path. With over 95% of executives agreeing that generative AI will revolutionize AI applications, its use is extending into new domains such as product design and customer engagement, making this an exciting time to dive deeper into AI.

Conclusion

The journey to learn AI proficiency in this exciting field, its process, and its course can be thrilling yet sometimes frustrating, especially when grappling with machine learning concepts. However, with the right skills, relevant education, and practical experience, you can become an AI engineer, helping shape the future of AI and data science. As Fei-Fei Li aptly said, “Artificial intelligence is not a substitute for human intelligence; it is a tool to amplify human creativity and ingenuity.” Across industries, businesses are increasingly employing artificial intelligence, driving demand for AI specialists with highly rewarding salaries. This makes it the perfect time to begin your journey into this promising and rapidly growing field and continue to adopt AI technologies.

About Rachelle

Contact Rachelle to schedule sessions about Artificial Intelligence, Coding, AR/VR, and more for your school or event! Submit the Contact Form.

Follow Rachelle on Twitter(X) and Instagram at @Rdene915

**Interested in writing a guest blog for my site? Would love to share your ideas! Submit your post here. Looking for a new book to read? Find these available at bit.ly/Pothbooks

************ Also check out my THRIVEinEDU Podcast Here!

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Address the “WHY,” not the “HOW.”

October 15, 2024October 2, 2024Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post written By: Maurie Beasley, M.Ed. Counseling (Edited by Jim Beasley)

A student deciding what path to take. To cheat or not to cheat.

Cheating in school — it’s the topic that’s always been there, lurking in the shadows of every classroom and exam hall. For decades, we’ve known it happens, but we often look for the quickest explanation: students are lazy, technology makes it easier, end of story. But here’s the thing: cheating is not just a modern phenomenon, nor is it just about slacking off or taking advantage of new tools like AI. The real reasons why students cheat run much deeper, and if we’re serious about addressing the issue, we need to understand those reasons first.

Let’s be clear: cheating isn’t just some bad habit students picked up recently. It’s been around long before ChatGPT was on the mind of any engineer. And despite the attention AI has brought to the issue, the reasons students cheat are essentially the same as they’ve always been. So why does it persist, and what can we do about it? Let’s take a closer look at these reasons.

Pressure to Perform:

Students today are walking a tightrope, balancing academic expectations, extracurricular activities, and even part-time jobs. The pressure to perform is immense, and it’s no surprise that some students feel they can’t afford to fall.

Let me tell you about my daughter. She was the salutatorian of her high school class. She missed being valedictorian by a hair — a hair that could have been as little as a hundredth of a point. The only B she ever received was from a teacher who told her that grades don’t matter. Her response? “Great, then give me the one point I need to make an A in the class, or better yet, write me a letter explaining to the admissions board at UT Austin that grades don’t matter and being number 2 in my class is ok.” She knew that being valedictorian meant having your first year of college paid for in Texas. My daughter is honest, sometimes to a fault, but several times I was even tempted to tell her to “cheat” a little. That’s the kind of pressure students are under, and when the stakes are this high, cheating may seem like a way to stay on that tightrope, even if just barely.

Fear of Failure:

Beneath that pressure lies an even more pervasive issue: fear of failure. The fear of letting down parents, teachers, and even themselves can be overwhelming. When failure isn’t seen as an opportunity to learn but rather as a personal catastrophe, cheating becomes a tempting escape route. It’s not about cutting corners for the sake of it; it’s about avoiding the crushing weight of perceived inadequacy.

And this fear isn’t just hypothetical. As a counselor, I’ve seen it manifest in tragic ways. I’ve had to make Child Protective Service calls because parents have beaten their children for not performing well enough in school. When failure comes with such dire consequences, is it any wonder some students feel they have no choice but to cheat?

Read the full article on Medium*: [Address the Why, Not the How](https://medium.com/@jim0237/address-the-why-not-the-how-1a7e01d52d56

About Rachelle’s blog

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6 Fresh Ideas For Fall Using CoSpaces Edu!

October 8, 2024April 8, 2025Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

In collaboration with CoSpaces Edu, All opinions are my own

Now that the school year is in full swing and we head into the fall of 2024, many educators are coming up for air and looking for new ideas. For me, it’s always the perfect time to consider how our year has started and look for ways to introduce fun, innovative ideas to our classrooms to boost engagement even more! What I love about technology, is that there is always a way to bring it into our classrooms for our students, and that is what I have found with CoSpaces Edu!

Whether you’re teaching elementary, middle, or high school, focused on STEM, language arts, or any other subject, we know there is an increasing need to equip our students with skills to be successful in the future. In my opinion, I think what better way to do that than with CoSpaces Edu!

CoSpaces Edu is a versatile, very user-friendly platform that brings learning to life for our students. Through augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), with a variety of wonderful features that enable students to engage in 3D creation, coding, and collaboration, CoSpaces Edu can be integrated across all grade levels and subject areas. I have come up with six ideas for getting started with CoSpaces Edu in your classroom this fall. At all grade levels, you can foster creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and digital literacy—skills, all of which are essential for today’s learners.

1. Virtual Tour of Student Interests

One of the easiest and most engaging ways to get started with CoSpaces Edu, which I use every year, is having my students explore its gallery of available projects. Whether they’re in elementary school or high school, students absolutely love the time they have to explore existing projects such as games and virtual museums. By giving them time to explore, not only can it boost their own creativity, but it also helps us learn more about their interests, which is essential.

How to start? Direct them to the gallery and ask them to choose a project or space they find interesting. After exploring, ask them to consider why it captured their attention. Was it the design? The characters? The actual activity itself? Encourage them to think critically about what they might create or how they might change or enhance what they explored. For example, if they enjoyed exploring a historical simulation, maybe they can build their own historical event space or propose redesigning a famous historical space. Moving through in this way not only fosters critical thinking but encourages student discussion, idea sharing, and brainstorming ideas. And the best part is that CoSpaces Edu allows them to explore both virtual and augmented reality so they can fully immerse themselves in and connect with the content they’re learning.

I have used this activity as an icebreaker for new school years or any time throughout the year. It benefits by giving students the opportunity to explore, discover, and connect with their classmates over shared interests that they may not have realized they had in common. Talk about fostering a real learning community!

2. Create an “About Me” Space

Every new school year, educators spend time finding ways to get to know their students better and for students to get to know each other. A new idea is to have students create an interactive “About Me” space. Not sure where to begin? CoSpaces Edu has a ready-to-use template that students can then customize and add fun characters, animations, and even their voice recordings to create a virtual introduction to themselves.

This activity is more than just fun—it builds digital literacy as students learn to manipulate 3D objects and text and even dive into coding. It’s a great way to build a learning community in the classroom as students explore each other’s spaces, and you will see the excitement as they learn from each other. You can easily adapt this project to any grade level. It is also a great way to introduce younger students to AR and VR in a structured way while also allowing older students to dive more into basic block-based CoBlocks or advanced coding with JavaScript.

My students have had a blast designing their virtual world to represent themselves. The About Me is a great way to spark creativity and help students develop essential communication skills as they express interests, hobbies, and goals with their classmates and teachers.

3. Interactive Storytelling in Virtual Worlds

Storytelling is an impactful way to promote learning whether you teach elementary or high school students. Now, students can bring their stories to life in immersive 3D environments with CoSpaces Edu!

In my STEAM course, I work with the other content area teachers to have students leverage what we are learning and connect it to their other classes. Students have created animated and interactive recaps of stories they’ve read, and some have written their own narratives. The magic is when they bring these stories to life using 3D characters in a variety of settings. For example, students could adapt a classic story or novel they have read and add a twist, such as an alternative ending. Many students enjoy using their imagination to create stories. Once they set the scene, they can use CoSpaces Edu’s coding tools—such as CoBlocks—to add interactivity, allowing their characters to move, speak, and more. We can share their work with classmates, which adds more meaning to and engagement with the learning experience.

These types of projects foster creativity and problem-solving and build communication skills. Students not only have to write their narrative but also decide how to visually and interactively represent it. They engage in a process that encourages collaboration, especially when students work in teams to script, design, and code their virtual worlds. This was a game-changer in my Spanish II class!

4. Revolutionize Language Learning with AR/VR

Interactive storytelling can also be an excellent tool for language learners. In my experience, students in Spanish II created virtual worlds in which their characters engaged in dialogues, which helped them build their language skills in a dynamic and engaging way. It also led to greater retention of the content.

One project involved students creating a virtual Spanish-speaking city where they placed shops, restaurants, and other landmarks. Each student had a role in the virtual environment and had to speak in Spanish to describe their location or interact with others. This project increased student engagement, content retention, and enthusiasm for learning the language. It was also a unique way to reinforce grammar and vocabulary.

Incorporating AR/VR into language learning allows students to “live” the language, making it a more authentic and enjoyable experience. This kind of immersive learning fosters deeper connections with the material. It helps students retain what they’ve learned, which is essential in all areas, particularly in building confidence in language skills.

5. Collaborative STEM Projects

With CoSpaces Edu, students can design and code virtual prototypes, models, and even entire experiments. One of my favorite uses for the platform is collaborative STEM projects. Students can work in teams to design and build virtual spaces or objects, such as a virtual physics experiment exploring Newton’s laws or an architectural model of a bridge or building.

CoSpaces Edu’s collaborative features allow multiple students to work on the same project in real-time from different devices, making it perfect for group projects, whether students are in the classroom or learning remotely. Think about global collaboration possibilities, too! We want students to build teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills and manage their time. Because they can collaborate in CoSpaces Edu, it makes opportunities available for STEM learning that is more engaging and hands-on.

6. Virtual Museums and Global Collaboration

Building global awareness is so important. Our students must learn about other cultures and have experiences connecting them with authentic and real-world learning opportunities. What if students from around the world collaborate to create a virtual museum that represents items from their different locations? With CoSpaces Edu, this is not only possible but easy to implement. Teachers can connect classrooms from different countries, enabling students to collaborate on a global scale to build and curate virtual museums on various topics, from world history to art or any topic they choose.

Students can design a virtual museum showcasing the art of different cultures. Using CoSpaces Edu’s 3D creation tools, they can build exhibit halls and import 3D models of art pieces or artifacts. Each student can contribute a different exhibit and then link them together into a larger museum space. A project like this not only fosters creativity and digital literacy but also deepens cultural understanding and instills empathy as students explore and share knowledge from diverse perspectives.

Where to begin

I have used CoSpaces Edu for many years. It is definitely way more than just a tech tool for students. It is a transformative platform that fosters the development of critical future skills like creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and digital literacy. Whether you’re teaching elementary students to create 3D models or high school students to code virtual worlds, CoSpaces Edu offers endless possibilities for engaging, interactive, and collaborative learning experiences.

CoSpaces Edu shifts students from consumers to creators! My students are always wowed by what they explore when we get started. These are only six ideas to explore, and there are many more possibilities and lesson plans available for educators to explore right away.

CoSpaces Edu is easy to use, works on any device, and offers a secure, COPPA- and FERPA-compliant environment, which is critical. Dive into CoSpaces Edu this fall and watch your students’ creativity and future-ready skills soar.

About the Author

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Digital Citizenship

October 1, 2024April 8, 2025Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Digital Citizenship Week is celebrated in October each year. The focus is on building digital citizenship skills, and there is a designated digcit week with events planned for schools to join in and learn more. These are concepts that teachers and schools should focus on throughout the year as well. With the increased use of digital tools in our classrooms and the amount of technology used in everyday life and work, we must consistently provide learning opportunities for students to develop “digcit” skills.

Being a responsible digital citizen means that all individuals are able to use technology ethically, responsibly, and effectively. It is important to develop an understanding of the impact that one’s digital actions can have on other individuals and on society as a whole. Students and teachers must be able to keep themselves safe, know how to protect their privacy, learn how to critically analyze information, and engage in respectful interactions online.

Teaching digital citizenship skills

Privacy and security: With increased data collection and online tracking of websites we use and how our information is shared, understanding how to safeguard our privacy is key. With more students using digital tools and at a younger age, it is essential to build in activities that will help students to better understand how to protect themselves and to respect the privacy of others as well. For instance, teaching students how to create unique passwords is key for securing personal information. With the increase in cybersecurity attacks over the past few years, updating passwords and even using two-factor authentication (TFA) will help to keep everyone safer.

Communication: With the variety of social media platforms available and how quickly we can post and respond, providing opportunities for students to practice responsible posting is an area that we need to focus on regularly. Even with young students, simulating a Twitter (X) chat or other online discussion can be done using Post-it notes, for example. Depending on grade level, another option is to use a tool like Padlet to help students learn how to properly post and interact with one another.

Continue reading the original post on Edutopia.

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Sing a Song about Ms. Davey

September 24, 2024September 13, 2024Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Guest post by Rachel Wood, PhD Candidate studying AI and the future of work, education, and relationships: LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/rachelwoodphd

Opinions expressed are those of the guest blogger.

Every night at bedtime, I sing songs with my son. We snuggle close as the lyrics “lullaby and goodnight, go to sleep…” dance off our lips. Lately, he has begun asking me to make up songs about various important objects in his life- blue blankey, mister fox, and big excavators. I sing songs on the spot that tie melodies to his little world of things. One night, out of his mouth comes “sing a song about Ms. Davey”. Delightfully surprised, I met this request with a smile in my heart because of how it exemplified the fondness he feels toward his school teacher.

Educators are irreplaceable. They are far more than academic messengers; they serve as overseers of students’ psychological wellbeing. Learning has been and always will be a social experience. We learn from teachers, from peers, from successes, from mistakes, and from interactions with others. Sure, we learn our academic material, but more so, we learn social and relational skills. We begin to learn our place in the world as we rub shoulders with others. Relationships are the foundation for motivation and learning (McKay & Macomber, 2023). Educators offer numerous key psychological and relational nutrients, two of which are object constancy and friction. These unique human components are increasingly important to instill in students amidst a world of proliferating emerging technologies.

Object Constancy

Definition: object constancy begins when the “empathic parent holds a vision of the future child and in various ways mediates this vision to the child. The child, in identification with it, can then grow. By internalizing aspects of the parent, the child also internalizes the parent’s image of the child…a primary concern for a teacher is the aiding in the growth and development of another. The idea that teacher’s capacity to imagine future growth, anticipate something for the student, hold that in mind for them, and offer that vision is a reflective way of expanding possibilities and potentialities for them. Perhaps in this way, the successful, authentic, and autonomous student begins in the mind of the teacher” (Danze, 2022, pg. 149).

As overseers of students’ psychological and emotional development, educators contribute to the formation of students’ object constancy. Object constancy is a psychological concept describing how we acquire our internal voice. When we are young, parental figures, family members, and teachers speak into us and speak over us. The tone and content of these voices become embedded in our developing identities. Over time, and with enough repetition, these voices become our own internal voice. For better or for worse, what we hear in our early developmental stages sticks with us. Object constancy is when we internalize external voices, making them our own inner dialog.

Educators contribute to students’ developing object constancy on a regular basis; recognizing achievements, applauding kindness, and course-correcting missteps. Teachers even have the privilege of helping rewire negative voices ringing in students’ ears. Neuroplasticity is the science that reveals how we can change our thoughts, feelings, and actions, unlearning that which is detrimental and instead, learning what is beneficial. A consistent, encouraging voice from a teacher can act as a counterpoint to disparaging voices that may be lingering in students’ minds. Just as educators help students internalize positive voices, they also create opportunities for students to learn from challenges.

Friction

Definition: friction is “shap[ing] learning as people with different backgrounds and skill sets engage with each other on real problems if these people are provided with the right context. Productive friction is particularly valuable at boundaries because it exposes people to different ways of seeing problems and the potential solutions” (Ward et al., 2011).

All human relationships contain some degree of friction. Friction is the concept of learning through challenges. Friction may be small or great, it may be above or below the surface, and it may be beneficial or consequential. Friction is a necessary element of relationships because it teaches us to consider others, compromise, and reduces our tendency toward self-absorption. Educators encourage, yes, but they also challenge. Both are equally important. Excellent educators can gauge the individual balance for each student between encouragement and challenge. This both affirms students as they are and calls them forward to who they can be.

AI and Educators

Definition: Artificial Intelligence, AI is broadly defined as giving a computer human-like capabilities, such as understanding, problem-solving, and reasoning (Enholm et al., 2022).

Object constancy and friction are two components of relationships that cannot be replaced by emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). Sure, on a superficial level you could prompt a Generative AI Large Language Model to mimic these relational elements, but they come naturally in human interactions. There are specific use cases for AI that can offer support in the form of augmentation for teachers who are overwhelmed with work yet longing to return to what led them to education in the beginning: the opportunity to positively influence students through relational connection. There is a place for AI in the classroom that does not threaten but enhances the role of the teacher. Drawing the conclusion that we must choose between teachers and AI is a false dichotomy. Augmenting work with AI can serve as a catalyst to redesign the vocational identity of educators. This ever-present help can afford teachers the opportunity to once again return to a primary role of relational facilitator and guide. Bringing AI into the classroom cannot and will not replace educators, but it may open the door for administrative burdens to lighten and therefore relational dynamics to increase.

The vital role of educators extends beyond the confines of academic instruction, shaping students’ emotional and psychological landscapes through concepts like object constancy and friction. Just as the simple yet profound request to “sing a song about Ms. Davey” highlights the deep bond students form with their teachers, it underscores the immeasurable value of human connection in education. Successful integration of AI into the classroom is predicated upon the fact that technology complements, not replaces, the relational essence of teaching. Leveraging AI to assist with administrative tasks allows educators to return to their core mission: fostering meaningful relationships that guide and shape students’ development. So tonight, as we sing about Ms. Davey, and by extension countless other educators, may AI serve as a tool to enhance impact, and bolster ongoing service in the name of young minds.

References

Danze, E. (2022). How the psychoanalytic use of object constancy and internalization can inform our understanding of the teacher/student relationship. ACSA 110th Annual Meeting. https://www.acsa- arch.org/proceedings/Annual%20Meeting%20Proceedings/ACSA.AM.110/ACSA.AM.1 10.20.pdf?v=2

Enholm, I. M., Papagiannidis, E., Mikalef, P., & Krogstie, J. (2022). Artificial intelligence and business value: A literature review. Information Systems Frontiers, 24(5), 1709-1734. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-021-10186-w

McKay, C., & Macomber, G. (2023). The Importance of Relationships in Education: Reflections of Current Educators. Journal of Education, 203(4), 751-758.

https://doi.org/10.1177/00220574211057044

Ward, C. J., Nolen, S. B., and Horn, I. S. (2011). Productive friction: How conflict in student teaching creates opportunities for learning at the boundary. International Journal of Educational Research, 50(1), 14-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2011.04.004

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Screen Time and Eye Health for Students: What Can Be Done Differently?

September 17, 2024September 18, 2024Dr. Rachelle Dené Poth Leave a comment

Modern education looks vastly different for young students today. With the advent of educational technology, students can experience more interactive and immersive lessons thanks to the proper use of screen time. When focused on education purposes, digital tools can improve visual intelligence, stimulate hand-eye coordination, and strengthen tech knowledge while learning other skills in a controlled environment.

Of course, too much of anything can be a bad thing. A study on screen exposure revealed that children and adolescents are more likely to develop myopia, especially when directly interacting with computers often. This is why it is so important to know the potential repercussions of screen time and how best to navigate it so students reap the benefits.

How screen time is harming student eye health

More than 600,000 children have vision difficulties in the United States. Screen exposure has made eye problems an earlier concern, with 10% of preschoolers already having issues and 30% of adolescents having myopia. Furthermore, the latest CDC statistics even reveal that the number of children under 18 getting diagnosed with vision conditions has increased in the last decade.

The reality is that young kids are exposed to too much screen time, even during their recreational hours, making it harder on their eyes during delicate developmental stages. Blue light exposure is bad enough, but there is also the issue of glare, bad screen practices, and spending too much time in front of the screen. Thankfully, all hope is not lost, and there are ways to do things differently and mitigate the potential negative effects of screen time on students.

How to promote better eye care for kids in the digital age

Promote ocular hygiene

Eye care goes a long way in preventing damage and unnecessary strain. A significant part of this is good ocular hygiene, which ties into other cleanliness practices. A recent study in the National Library of Medicine found students touching their faces 23 times per hour, with 27% involving the eyes. From elementary to high school, students must be reminded to avoid their eyes and keep their hands clean when handling shared digital devices. This trickles over to students who already use corrective vision. Older students who wear contact lenses should clean their lenses regularly and replace their contacts upon expiration. They can even be routed to accessible digital ways of getting new lenses properly, especially when dealing with Dailies like the Acuvue Oasys for astigmatism or biweekly like Avira Vitality. The CDC finds that 40% to 90% of contact users don’t follow their lens care instructions, so teachers and parents need to advocate for them to stay on top of things. It’s also critical to teach students, particularly the younger ones, how to properly clean and use their eyeglasses.

Encourage break time

The American Optometric Association encourages the 20-20-20 rule to prevent digital eye strain. Since screen exposure is inevitable, especially considering how many students have their own mobile devices, it’s good to give them these tools to give their eyes a break. The rule indicates that you take a 20-second break for every 20 minutes of screen time. During this break, you must look at an object at least 20 feet away. The simple rule shouldn’t be hard to teach students, and it’s a genuinely effective method of minimizing strain. When using digital devices as a class, you can even set a timer and have everyone in the class practice the 20-20-20 rule together.

Teach proper screen positioning

Common ed-tech tools require students to be in contact with a monitor. Make sure that the screen is at least 20 inches away from the students’ eyes. For lessons that involve tablets or other handheld devices, teach students to keep at least an arm’s length distance when using larger screens. It’s also a good idea to impose a viewing angle that directs their eyes downward when looking at the middle of the screen.

Know the signs of strain

Many vision problems manifest in unobvious ways, so watch for them. School-aged children can display subtler symptoms like a short attention span, avoidance of reading and other vision or focus-related activities, difficulty keeping track of their place when reading, and turning their heads to the side when looking at something. While other factors may cause these, they can also be manifestations of eye problems.

Post written in collaboration with Maisy Byrne.

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