⬆️ 12 strategies to level up with AI

🎙 PD on learning design, AI, Microsoft and more

We’re partnering with Becky Keene, an incredible and experienced speaker, to offer professional development to schools and districts. About Becky:

• For more than 20 years, Becky has spoken all over the United States at more than 100 school systems.

• She’s keynoted internationally in places like Singapore, Budapest, Auckland, London, and Bruges.

• Her passion topics include AI in education, 21st century learning design, game-based learning, esports, and instructional coaching.

If you’re looking for an AI workshop, a great day of impactful edtech professional learning, or a dynamic keynote, check out Becky!

Email [email protected] for details.

💡 THE BIG IDEA 💡

The SAMR Dozen post by Becky Keene

Educators are already using AI in so many ways to save time and generate ideas.

But that’s just scratching the surface of what it can do, writes speaker and education consultant Becky Keene.

Ready to do more with AI?

Becky uses the SAMR model — a framework that guides us through the stages of technology integration — to suggest ways that AI can level up teaching and learning.

She shares 12 AI strategies for educators in her guest post on the Ditch That Textbook blog.

Here are some of my favorites:

• SUBSTITUTION — Dictation and read aloud: Let students speak their thoughts into a word processing tool or text box. Give students audio support by allowing them to listen to a piece of text, either while they read along or separately. There’s been some great research to support this as an effective strategy for all types of learners.

• AUGMENTATION — Cognitive load reduction: Let a tool like Copilot (free, 13+) summarize a long PDF, website, or text sample for your students as they research. They can also use generative AI to create a workback plan for a project, give them steps to get started, or help them ideate to begin.

• MODIFICATION — Personalized Content Creation: AI-generated content — such as informal assessments, practice exercises, and interactive simulations—caters to diverse learning styles. Set up a custom tutor to leverage generative AI to help students through a tough topic. My favorite tool for this is SchoolAI’s built-in subject tutors.

• REDEFINITION — Virtual reality classrooms: AI-powered VR environments transport students to historical events or scientific phenomena. Imagine walking alongside Shakespeare during a soliloquy or exploring the human body at the cellular level – all in a space that is tailored to the student’s previous interests, voice, behaviors, avatar, and emotion. Class VR is a great way to get started with these ideas.

Read all 12 strategies in the post: The SAMR dozen: 12 AI strategies for educators.

BONUS: Read more examples of how to integrate AI with the 7 Cs in another blog post from Becky Keene.

🎯 Quick Teaching Strategy

⬛️ Create Blackout Poetry

Blackout poetry takes standard text (from a newspaper or magazine article … really any text you find). The artist then uses a marker and blacks out all of the words except for a select few, leaving a pithy piece of prose behind.

I was first introduced to blackout poetry by Austin Kleon, author of the books “Steal Like an Artist” and “Show Your Work”.

You can do blackout poetry with Google Drawings, Slides, or PowerPoint too! It’s a fun way to look at text a little closer, to identify important words, and to remix something into your own creation.

Check out this video for the how-to’s and how it fits into the classroom.

🎥 Use Google Drawings to do blackout poetry in the classroom

🔗 Google Slides Template

🔗 PowerPoint Template

👋 How we can help

There are even more ways I can support you in the important work you do in education:

1. Read one of my six books about meaningful teaching with tech.

2. Take one of our online courses about practical and popular topics in education.

3. Bring me to your school, district or event to speak. I love working with educators!