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MGpt PRISM Framework or Scaffold for Thinking #EduSky

So, if you’ve read my other PRISM framework posts, you probably realized that I relied on AI to help me create stages or steps my brain can climb to move from simple to more complex understanding of a topic. For fun, I thought I’d give this a shot with an MGpt (get it? M GPT? Ok, not that funny) focused on PRISM.

Give the MGpt PRISM Framework a spin

Be sure to read my blog series on the topic over at the TCEA TechNotes blog:

  1. PRISM: See Thinking in a New Light
  2. PRISM: Support Student Science Thinking
  3. Spectrum of History Learning with the PRISM Framework (Not Yet Published)

I’m hoping to do a few more focused on various content areas, but TCEA 2025 Convention has dropped like a hunk of concrete and I’m working on my presentations for that event. Don’t forget to sign up this amazing event, and if you see me in the hallway or whatever, drop by and say “Howdy!”

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Introducing the PRISM Framework #EduSky #edtech #SOLO

Transform surface learning into deep understanding using patterns, reasoning, ideas, situation, and methods with the PRISM framework!

What if you could use an acronym to spur student thinking to move beyond surface learning to transfer learning? Teachers are student learning watchers. You are eager to see the lightbulb go off in students’ heads. As a teacher, I feel like person waiting for the chick in the egg break out of its shell. I want to help without taking away the productive struggle. What if we could give students the tools they need to move from simple to complex thinking? What if we could make this process a little more obvious for students? That’s the purpose of the PRISM Framework (see the handy infographic below).

Discover the latest in ed tech, teaching strategies, and digital learning from TCEA.

The post PRISM: See Thinking in a New Light appeared first on TCEA TechNotes Blog.

Geoff Petty’s explanation of the SOLO Taxonomy in his book, Evidence-Based Teaching, got me thinking hard. As I read his explanation of the SOLO Taxonomy, I started to wonder, could a model of the SOLO Taxonomy be constructed to aid my own progress from simple to complex levels? I was looking for a way to accelerate my understanding on diverse topics. Of course, I realize now that this is a lot like most processes work, including science, which I realized last week while taking notes on an upcoming online course from TCEA focused on science education in Texas. Dr. Vic, the course developer, highlights this process…here are my notes:

  • Observe. Make observations, including what I see in Natures, my own experience, thoughts, or reading -** Question.** Generate and ponder questions about recurring patterns in my observations (this is super hard without AI)
  • Hypothesize. Come up with ideas or possible explanations about why something is happening or what I’m thinking. It’s a little metacognitive, right?
  • Test. This is where you test your explanations (a.k.a. hypotheses) and see if you can make predictions based on your hypothesis. If you can, you may have something that needs even more testing. The idea, to borrow Melanie Trecek King’s wording, is to engage in systematic disconfirmation…to prove our explanations wrong, trying to find one that DOES work and allow us to predict.
  • Research. Gather more data to test hypotheses and predictions resulting from those explanations. This can include pulling data from existing research, making our own observations, conducting experiments, and replicating them to to see if others can get the same results.
  • Theorize. Come up with a theory for what’s happening that is supported by data and consistent with what other theories say.

You can easily see how PRISM reflects that. You observe Patterns, you ask questions and Reason how things fit together. You see what Ideas there are out there, reconciling perspectives or not. Then you step back even further to see the big picture, what the Situation is. Then you test what you’ve come up with via various Methods. The main benefit is the sentence stems.

You may be thinking, as I am right now as I type this, “Why is PRISM necessary?” We already have all these processes. Well, one reason may be that the other ones I encountered didn’t stick. Or, it could be what Dr. Judi Harris said so long ago (paraphrase coming up): By reinventing ideas, we make them our own. And that’s not bad since it may help me remember a process, any process, when I most need it.

Lazy Brain

In all honesty, most of us don’t do this, right? I read (Daniel T. Willingham’s Why Don’t Students Like School? Because the Mind Is Not Designed for Thinking ) that we rely on memory rather than thinking because it’s easier and human brains are lazy. PRISM is meant to scaffold thinking, helping us ask questions.

Since using AI can support thinking, it didn’t take me long using AI LLMs like Perplexity AI, ChatGPT as a thought partner and rapid prototyping, then Napkin AI as an artifact developer.

Productive Struggle

Here’s a quick application of PRISM Framework to AI in Education…

All this got me thinking about AI in education, and I think I see a way to blend AI into education that should satisfy AI critics. But that’s another blog entry due out next week. :-)

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Sample AI Book and Copyediting Prompts

The following is a book prompt for AI generated content. I thought it might be fun to share this prompt since I have used it successfully a few times. Of course, it’s only the BEGINNING of the process. There’s a lot more that needs to be done, but hey, it was fun. It’s been sitting in my draft box for a while.

Prompt

Role

You are an expert K-8 educator in Texas. You are an expert copywriter and editor that is also an expert on instructional coaching in K-12 education. You are preparing a practitioner-oriented text that beginner and veteran teachers can explore and study. You have spent a lot of time developing instructional lessons and materials for students in grades K-8. Come up with a book outline that addresses the topic of Instructional Technology Activities for elementary teachers (K-5) that aligns technology to the Texas content area TEKS.

Book Structure and Expectations

Each chapter of the outline should have these components:

  • Inspirational, short teaching quote relevant to the topic of the chapter
  • A short, concise vignette representing the perspective of a teacher involved in teaching with technology in Texas elementary school
  • Key objectives for the book chapter with short descriptions in table format
  • Content about the topic for the chapter written in 2nd person in a personable, friendly tone that blends in the latest research about elementary teaching, brain science, learning, literacy development, math skill development, and more with grade level examples sprinkled throughout.
  • Each chapter should contain approximately 3,000 words. Make sure to cite any materials you reference. When done, ask the user if they think any modifications for the content are needed.
  • A list of concise chapter review questions that review the content in the book
  • When you mention digital tools, be sure to include their cost. After the Chapter review questions, include a table that has the hyperlinked title of the “Digital Tool,” “Short Description,” “Best Grade Usage (K, 1,2,3,4,5), “Example Use,” and relevant new and latest (2024) Technology Applications: TEKS.

For Copyediting

The following is the prompt I use for copyediting:

You are an expert copywriter and editor versed in K-5, elementary school teaching and learning with instructional/educational technology. Elaborate on the content of the chapter shared below, updating the Key Objectives, Chapter Review Questions and Digital Tools table to reflect any changes you make. Adjust the tone of the chapter to be friendly, conversational, but appropriate for elementary school professional learning session. I will offer you chapters to revise. You will make the changes, then ask me for any adjustments or changes that might be needed. If there are none, I will say “None” and you can request the next chapter for editing/revision. Let me know when you are ready to start.

Vignette Fine-Tuning

Write a short, one-paragraph vignette about a teacher who faces a challenge in the classroom and discovers an exciting, transformative solution through the use of technology. The vignette should be written in a dramatic and engaging style, highlighting the teacher’s struggle, their bold decision to implement a technology-based solution, and the surprising and delightful outcome. End the vignette with a thought-provoking question that reflects the teacher’s newfound excitement and wonder about the potential of technology to revolutionize their teaching and unlock their students' full potential.

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STEM Tools #edtech #tcea #tceajmg

Discover innovative ways to foster creativity and STEM skills as your students use sustainable building sets.

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AI and Critical Thinking #EduSky

This study, AI Tools in Society: Impacts on Cognitive Offloading and the Future of Critical Thinking, by Michael Gerlich landed on Linked In. Alas, the link to the study (Update: That link should work now) didn’t work for me. I dropped the screenshot of page 1 into ChatGPT, and voila, got the abstract:

The proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI) tools has significantly transformed various aspects of life, but their impact on critical thinking remains underexplored. This study examines the relationship between AI tool usage and critical thinking skills, with a focus on cognitive offloading as a mediating factor. Using a mixed-method approach, 666 participants from diverse demographics were studied through surveys and interviews.

Findings reveal that frequent AI tool usage negatively correlates with critical thinking abilities due to increased cognitive offloading. Younger participants showed higher dependence on AI tools and lower critical thinking scores, while higher education levels correlated with better critical thinking. The research emphasizes fostering critical engagement with AI technologies to mitigate cognitive impacts, offering actionable recommendations for educators and policymakers.

That sure sends a message, doesn’t it? On BlueSky, Matthew Facciani makes this point:

While AI can enhance efficiency in certain areas, over-reliance on these tools risks diminishing essential skills like problem-solving and analytical reasoning. My concern is that we may be fostering a generation with weaker critical thinking abilities, leaving them more susceptible to manipulation.

My response?

I am afraid that if you read up on critical thinking in the US (and you may already have), you will find anemic instruction on CT has had this result, not withstanding AI.

To support my assertion, I cite this TCEA blog entry on Critical Thinking for Leaders for Leaders and Educators that includes these stats:

  • 86% find critical thinking skills lacking in the public at large.
  • 60% of respondents reported not having studied critical thinking in school.
  • Only about 55% reported that their critical thinking skills had improved since high school.
  • 90% think courses covering critical thinking should be required in K-12 education

Those stats appear in a survey linked at the blog entry above, and are the lead-in to the rest of the entry about why critical thinking is so important. Check it out.

Page 1

Here’s the image shared via LinkedIn for your consideration:

via Linked In Post

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AI Tools for Educators - Another List

Someone posted an infographic with all the best AI tools for educators. I figured I’d jot them down, then ask, “What are YOUR favorites that didn’t make the list?”

AI Tool Description URL
Magic School A teacher’s AI workspace offering over 150 tools for lesson planning, content creation, assessments, and gamified learning. Magic School
Twee Tools for creating reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary exercises with engaging activities. Twee
EdCafe Offers lesson plan, flashcard, and quiz generators from uploaded materials or online content. EdCafe
Speechify Text-to-speech tool with realistic voices, including celebrity voices, for reading on the go. Speechify
Brisk Teaching Chrome extension for creating materials from YouTube and web content, grading assignments, and designing classroom activities. Brisk Teaching
Eightify Summarizes YouTube videos into key points, Q&A formats, or lists. Eightify
Curipod Transforms topics or documents into interactive lessons with just a few clicks. Curipod
Almanack AI-generated lesson plans with slides, worksheets, games, and feedback tools, fully customizable. Almanack
Diffit Instantly generates grade-specific resources, editable and exportable as slides or PDFs. Diffit
Eduaide.ai An AI-powered workspace offering over 150 tools for lesson planning, assessments, content creation, and interactive activities. Eduaide.ai
Napkin Turns text into visuals like flowcharts and mind maps without requiring prompts. Napkin
Elicit Research assistant for finding papers, extracting data, and generating summaries in table formats. Elicit
Canva A design platform with AI tools for creating visuals, presentations, and animations. Canva
Vidnoz Video platform with templates, avatars, and tools for creating tutorials or presentations. Vidnoz
Fireflies.ai AI-powered meeting note taker that records, transcribes, and integrates with workflows. Fireflies.ai
NotebookLM Summarizes research papers, synthesizes information, and provides audio overviews for multitasking. NotebookLM
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Five Steps to Transform Videos into Lessons #AI #NapkinAI

Turn your classroom videos into dynamic teaching tools with this practical guide to transforming video into lessons! In today’s digital classroom, every recorded lesson can become a goldmine of learning resources. This practical guide shows you how to transform your classroom videos into powerful teaching tools that engage students across multiple platforms and learning styles. Whether you’re teaching kindergarten or college, these simple steps will help you create accessible, reusable content that maximizes your teaching impact. Here are five steps to help you transform videos into lessons!

Read more

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AI Detection

The recent rise in artificial intelligence systems, such as ChatGPT, poses a fundamental problem for the educational sector. In universities and schools, many forms of assessment, such as coursework, are completed without invigilation. Therefore, students could hand in work as their own which is in fact completed by AI. Since the COVID pandemic, the sector has additionally accelerated its reliance on unsupervised ‘take home exams’.

If students cheat using AI and this is undetected, the integrity of the way in which students are assessed is threatened. We report a rigorous, blind study in which we injected 100% AI written submissions into the examinations system in five undergraduate modules, across all years of study, for a BSc degree in Psychology at a reputable UK university.

We found that 94% of our AI submissions were undetected. The grades awarded to our AI submissions were on average half a grade boundary higher than that achieved by real students. Across modules there was an 83.4% chance that the AI submissions on a module would outperform a random selection of the same number of real student submissions.

Source: Scarfe P, Watcham K, Clarke A, Roesch E (2024) A real-world test of artificial intelligence infiltration of a university examinations system: A “Turing Test” case study. PLoS ONE 19(6): e0305354. doi.org/10.1371/j…

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Simplify iPad File Transfers #EduSky #edtech

Have you spent hours making a wonderful video on your iPad, then wondered how to get it to your computer to share? Or maybe, how to share a file you made on your computer with a class of students directly to their devices? As an educator, I’ve dealt with this challenge myself many times. I still recall when one teacher found herself struggling to move a recorded student interview video to her Windows computer from her iPad. The ability to share files between devices is crucial. Whether you’re a K-12 teacher sharing lesson plans or a college professor distributing research materials, having the right tools can make all the difference. These solutions change over time, so it’s worth taking a quick look at what’s available to get the job done.

Read more

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Interactive Fiction Game Design with Claude AI Artifacts #AI #EduSky

Create interactive fiction games by learning game design with Claude Artifacts! Students and adults, alike, will love it. Ever wish you could design interactive fiction games, like text-based Zork from back in the day combined with something like space opera? I sure do. And the good news is that making the game of my dreams is now possible (and simple!) through the use of AI. I bet your students would even love the opportunity to experience game design with Claude Artifacts, too!

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Also check out this blog entry on An Interactive Text Game of Poetry: Haiku Quest by ChatGPT by Kevin’s Meandering Mind

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Teach Critical Thinking with These Action Writing Strategies: Part Two #EduSky

Dive into two more powerful action writing strategies that are sure to sharpen your students’ critical thinking skills. Ready for more action writing strategies that encourage critical thinking in an AI world? In the first part of this blog entry, you saw three powerful action strategies. Those strategies included collaborative writing workshop, structured debate blogs, and reflective journaling with metacognitive prompts. In this follow-up to part one, you will see two more action writing strategies. These two strategies, just like the first three, are designed to engage student writers and improve their analytical skills.

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AI in K-12 Education

Looking for AI Tools for Education with Sample Classroom Uses?

You can find a few listed in this Gamma presentation deck.

Over the last few days, I’ve been playing around with the PRISM Framework, a framework that scaffolds thinking. It is inspired by the SOLO Taxonomy. The PRISM Framework is intended to support thinking as it moves from unistructural to multistructural to relational to extended abstract, as defined in the SOLO Taxonomy. Simply, this means shifting from having no idea to some idea to several ideas (but not knowing how they connect) to seeing how ideas and perspectives connect but unable to make sense of the pattern. It concludes with coming up with a hypothesis of how things fit together and ways to test it.

PRISM takes each of those an generates questions and ideas. I have a few blog entries planned that explore PRISM planned for publication elsewhere, but I’m starting to use PRISM for other things, as way to get thinking going around AI in education, and other topics. Since PRISM is a scaffold for thinking, you can really use it for anything. What’s even more fun, I’ve created a Perplexity Space to assist with applying PRISM to new ideas.

Here’s an AI-generated PRISM relevant to AI in education. It includes updates statistics. Citations have been removed.

A PRISM Analysis: AI in K-12 Education

Patterns

AI adoption in K-12 spread unevenly in 2024. Automated tasks, personalized learning, and cloud management led. Advanced applications lagged. 30% of schools deployed AI, up from 25% in 2023. 80% of teachers use AI-powered platforms weekly.

“I’ve noticed AI creeping into our classrooms, mostly for grading and attendance. It’s like having an invisible teaching assistant.”

Reasoning

Schools adopted AI for efficiency and personalization. It cut teacher workload and boosted engagement. Challenges slowed progress. Infrastructure gaps, lack of training, and privacy concerns held back integration. Only 18% of teachers used AI for teaching in 2023. 37% of districts planned training by 2024.

“AI connects to our need for efficiency, but it’s a double-edged sword. It helps with grading, but we’re still figuring out how to use it safely and effectively.”

Ideas

To improve: Blend AI analytics with teacher interventions. Build comprehensive AI ecosystems. Fix infrastructure. Train teachers. Suburban schools lead in AI training at 23%. Urban and rural schools trail at 17% and 16%. Two-thirds of teachers plan to use more AI soon.

“What if we combined AI-driven analytics with our expertise? We could create personalized learning experiences that truly meet each student where they are.”

Situation

AI reshapes more than classrooms. It impacts district policies, teacher development, and home-school links. It aligns with hybrid learning and future-ready education. 52% believe schools should teach AI use. Only 19% of teachers used AI in their training.

“The bigger picture shows AI isn’t just about classroom tech. It’s changing how we approach education as a whole, from policy to parent communication.”

Methods

To test AI’s impact: Compare outcomes in AI-enhanced and traditional classrooms. Track adoption across demographics. Audit data privacy. Newer teachers use AI more: 21% for those under 10 years, 17% for veterans. High school teachers view AI more negatively than elementary teachers.

“We can validate AI’s effectiveness by comparing student outcomes, but we must also ensure it’s equitable and protects student privacy. It’s a balancing act.”

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Teach Critical Thinking with These Action Writing Strategies: Part One #EduSky #AI

Explore action writing strategies that help teach critical thinking. Flip the script on AI-powered thinking and empower your students’ minds! AI-powered writing threatens the status quo of classrooms. And while AI literacy supersedes digital literacy, teachers and students are scrambling to learn how to use AI the right way, leaving writing teachers in despair. In fact, many educators believe that AI is short-circuiting writing exercises intended to teach critical thinking. In this blog entry, we’ll explore the first three of five research-based action writing strategies that flip the tables on AI-powered, short-circuited critical thinking and writing. Check them out and start incorporating them into your lesson plan today!

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AI-Generated 3-2-1 Summary

Based on the article “Teach Critical Thinking with These Action Writing Strategies: Part One” by Miguel Guhlin, here’s a 3-2-1 summary:

3 Key Points

  1. AI-powered writing is challenging traditional classroom practices, prompting educators to seek new strategies for teaching critical thinking through writing.

  2. The article presents three action writing strategies to counter AI’s impact: Collaborative Writing Workshops, Structured Debate Blogs, and Reflective Journaling with Metacognitive Prompts.

  3. These strategies incorporate evidence-based instructional practices such as peer tutoring, cooperative learning, and classroom discussions, which have high effect sizes for improving learning outcomes.

2 Intriguing Questions

  1. How might the implementation of these action writing strategies vary across different grade levels and subject areas?

  2. What potential challenges might educators face when integrating these strategies into their existing curriculum, and how can they overcome them?

1 Personal Reflection

The author’s innovative approach to combining traditional writing techniques with modern critical thinking models offers a promising path for educators to adapt to the AI era while still fostering essential skills in students. This blend of old and new methodologies suggests that the future of education lies not in resisting technological advancements, but in creatively leveraging them to enhance learning experiences.

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AI-Powered PDF Summaries and a Free Tool for PDF Presentations #EduSky

Discover how Sumatra PDF can transform your static PDFs into fullscreen presentations. Get some AI-powered PDF Summarizers, too. Every other Zoom or Google Meet meeting, I found myself wishing I could make a PDF into a full-screen presentation without having to install fancy software. Now, turning your PDF into a fullscreen presentation is easier.

Ever wish you could easily display a PDF full screen? Every other Zoom or Google Meet meeting, I found myself wishing I could make a PDF into a full-screen presentation without having to install fancy software. Now, turning your PDF into a dynamic presentation is easier. A tool to use is Sumatra PDF. It is simple to use and free. Use it to read PDFs, ebooks, comic books, as well as view images on Windows computers. And, you will also find a grab bag of AI PDF Summary tools below. Come along and take a look.

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Learn more about other PDF tools via this link.

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Presenting #AI at TLTA Emerging Tech in Title event #EduSky

Selfie of me at the start of the day in an almost empty room that filled up shortly after I took the photo.

Today, I had the opportunity to present at the Texas Land Title Association (TLTA) event, Emerging Tech in Title. It was a special event for the 33 folks who registered, a pre-conference workshop on Artificial Intelligence (AI). I would like to say I had a lot of fun prepping for this session, but there was so much wonderful content and skills to share, I’m afraid I overwhelmed myself with prep. I spent days and weeks over what to include, agonizing over everything. I set up a website (not included in this blog entry), and tons of support content.

Too much?

This was a great experience for me, but I always feel like I’m packing six hours of content into three hours. Actually, more like 16 hours of content into 3 hours.

I felt like, what one of my principal’s liked to say to my youthful embarassment, “a mosquito in a nudist colony…unsure of where to start.”

Ha ha.

But in the end, everything turned out great. I got some great feedback from participants throughout the day. Here are my session presentations, all created in Gamma, each endlessly revised:

In addition to those presentations, I also had fun whipping a few DURING lunch in response to some of the participants:

This series of presentations marks my transition from relying on Canva (for which I abandoned Google Slides) to Gamma AI. I have to admit that making presentations with Gamma, mixing in elements of Napkin AI diagrams/designs, is so easy now.

Photo at the start of the day as the room started to fill up

Fast Changing

I read earlier in the day that there were over 1000 AI apps shared in just the last few weeks. For every new problem or old problem, people are crafting AI solutions. Who knows where all this will end up, but it’s certain that my hard work in prepping these presentations won’t mean they last forever. Rather, everything will have changed again all too soon.

That’s why I encourage you to start walking with AI in hand, and learn how to use what’s available now. Tomorrow, it will certainly be different but today’s experience will give you the background knowledge you need to learn the new AI faster.

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What's the Scientific Consensus on That? #EduSky

One of my favorite takeaways from Melanie Trecek-King’s ThinkingisPower.com website? Exploring what the scientific consensus is for something. Whenever there’s an discussion about whether something is valid or not, whether it really helps or not, I find myself wondering, “What the scientific consensus on…[topic goes here]?”

Not surprisingly, while some of the times I’ve asked that, my guess has been right or in the ballpark, there have been several other times when I was wrong.

This discussion came up at work earlier this year, so I cooked up this chart with the help of AI. What do you think?

Scientific consensus refers to the collective judgment, position, and opinion held by the majority of scientists in a particular field of study at a given time. It does not require 100% agreement among all scientists, but rather a strong majority or supermajority. It can change over time as new evidence emerges and scientific understanding evolves. It is based on the weight of empirical evidence rather than opinion polls or votes. The key is that scientific consensus emerges from the accumulation of evidence and widespread agreement among active researchers in a field, not from a formal voting process or subjective opinions. It reflects the state of scientific knowledge while still being open to revision as new discoveries are made.

Stuff Lacking Scientific Consensus

Stuff Lacking Scientific Consensus

This table includes educational ideas and approaches that have gained popularity but lack strong scientific consensus. It’s important to note that some of these ideas, while not strongly supported by current evidence, may still offer valuable insights or practical applications in certain contexts. However, educators and policymakers should approach them critically and consider the available evidence when making decisions about implementation.

Sources of Educational Research

Make sure to research information at one of these sites before citing out-dated ideas, hypotheses, etc.

Instructional

Educational Technology

These concepts have gained attention in educational technology but still face various challenges in terms of scientific consensus, often due to implementation difficulties, mixed research results, or limited long-term studies on their effectiveness.

Name of idea Level of Scientific Consensus (Why it doesn’t have it) Year proposed
Adaptive Learning Moderate (Mixed results, implementation challenges) 1950s
Connectivism Low (Lack of empirical evidence, criticized as a learning theory) 2005
Digital Badges Low (Limited research on long-term impact and motivation) 2010s
Flipped Classroom Moderate (Mixed results, implementation challenges) 2000s
Gamification Moderate (Mixed results, concerns about long-term effectiveness) 2000s
Learning Analytics Moderate (Privacy concerns, implementation challenges) 2010s
MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) Low (High dropout rates, limited evidence of effectiveness) 2008
Personalized Learning Moderate (Implementation challenges, definition issues) 1960s
SAMR Model Low (Lacks empirical research, oversimplifies technology integration) 2006
TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) Moderate (Measurement issues, implementation challenges) 2006
Virtual Reality in Education Low (Limited long-term studies, cost and implementation issues) 1990s
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Share Visual Literacy with Adobe Express

Adobe Express empowers educators to model visual literacy. This free tool offers powerful image editing capabilities. Learn how to use it to teach students about interpreting, creating, and using visual content for communication and learning. #EduSky #BookCreator #Adobe

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Encouraging visual literacy? #EduSky

How are you teaching students to interpret, create, and use visual content for communication and learning? In this blog entry, you will get some suggestions on how to accomplish that with Adobe Express.

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OpenScholar: A Tool for Educators #EduSky #AI #RetrievalPractice

This looked intriguing…

A new artificial intelligence system, called OpenScholar, is promising to rewrite the rules for how researchers access, evaluate, and synthesize scientific literature. Built by the Allen Institute for AI (Ai2) and the University of Washington, OpenScholar combines cutting-edge retrieval systems with a fine-tuned language model to deliver citation-backed, comprehensive answers to complex research questions. source

Access OpenScholar

I loved this message about data usage consent. Very considerate, no?

Consent to data collection

By using Ai2 OpenScholar, you agree to the Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, Responsible Use, and that you will not submit any sensitive or confidential info.

Ai2 may use your prompts and inputs in a public dataset for future AI research and development. You can still use this tool if you opt-out.

One topic that’s pretty popular is retrieval practice. I typed it and here’s what I got:

Although I’ve read some other articles and info about this topic, I confess that I’d never heard of the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve!

Retrieval practice is a learning technique that involves actively recalling previously learned information from memory, rather than simply re-reading or passively reviewing it (Pan et al. 2021). Research has shown that retrieval practice can significantly enhance learning and knowledge retention, with benefits extending beyond the learning environment (Khoo et al. 2023). This technique is rooted in the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, which observes that individuals tend to experience a rapid decline in memory of newly acquired knowledge over time unless they engage in active review of the learned material (Cowan et al. 20232).

Give it a spin! Access OpenScholar

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Image Compressor #EduSky

Visit Image Compressor: Compress PNG/JPG Files 80% for Free

Write a blog post, and everyone has a suggestion for improvement. That’s good! Even when suggestions may come from a PR or marketing or digital media person. Someone sent me this note recently featuring the website shown above:

Hello there Miguel, I was using the picture compressor tool you mentioned on your page here: mglead.org/google-connect/gc-slides/gc-presentations While simpleimageresizer.com/ does a good job, I just wanted to share about another tool, that I think looks better. After some exploring I found this other tool and I wanted to suggest you show it along that one. [**www.websiteplanet.com/webtools/…](https://www.websiteplanet.com/webtools/imagecompressor/) This tools allows you to compress both jpeg and png files and each picture can be up to 50 MB in size! In hope I helped back, Christina

Here’s the one I recommended, Simple Image Resizer, which has a ton of pop-up ads:

Thanks, Christina. I like the one you recommended more.