Mix And Match For Best Results!

NotebookLM and Gemini Together

@LisaBerghoff

I'm so curious about how various digital tools get used in schools. When I ask questions, I am often introduced to new ideas that are so exciting, energizing, and innovative and that pushes me to continue to try new things and stay curious.  I have been using Gemini quite a bit lately and recently noticed that you can now add a NotebookLM notebook as a resource. Like most new features, I looked at it and thought, why would someone want to use that? 

Why Would I Want To Integrate NotebookLM With Gemini?

That was my question too! I did a bunch of research so you don't have to. Here's a list for you.

• NotebookLM can't connect across notebooks on its own.
• NotebookLM has no other access beyond your sources. That's typically the point, but sometimes you want both: the accuracy of your own materials AND the general knowledge of the internet.
• NotebookLM is brilliant at answering questions and summarizing but when you want to create new content, it can be clunky.
• The chat in NotebookLM is not as interactive as Gemini's
• Make NotebookLM your library, while Gemini is your assistant.  This gives the assistant access to your library.
• Gemini's gem: learning coach is designed to help you learn. It comes up with a learning plan and provides a socratic style of interaction. By uploading a notebook, you can have this experience with your specific class materials.
• Gemini is VERY broad and NotebookLM is VERY specific. This gives you a happy medium.

How Do I Integrate A NotebookLM Notebook With Gemini?

1. Make sure you have a notebook ready to go in NotebookLM
2. Go to Gemini and click the + button
3. Find and add the notebook you want to use
4. Type your prompt into Gemini

I created a NotebookLM notebook with the UDL guidelines along with Blooms Taxonomy. I then loaded it into Gemini and asked it to create activities for me for a biology class. Check it out:

Is There Any Concern With Using These Two Tools Together?

As long as you are logged in using your school account, your data is safe. That said, always make sure you are using these tools for school appropriate activities. 

Ready to get started with NotebookLM AND Gemini?

Want some help? Let me know.

 

 How Do We Know The AI 

Isn't Making Stuff Up?

*Image created with NanoBanana2

@LisaBerghoff

I was working with our freshman advisory classes, teaching them about the ethical considerations when using AI, and also teaching them how to use some of the AI tools we have available to us in school.  At the end of one of the presentations, a student asked if there was any way to tell how much of an AI response output was made up by AI and how much of it was real. This was an excellent question. Frankly, I was a little embarrassed that I had not thought of addressing this with the other classes. I was excited to show the students the Double Check Response feature in Gemini. 

What Is Double Check Response?

Double Check Response is a feature that is built into Gemini. After you enter a prompt and receive an output, you can click on Double Check Response to help validate the response. It uses Google search to verify and cite claims that it makes. These links can then be used to go deeper and do more exploring of a topic or concept. They can also be used to help you do the critical thinking task of deciding whether or not to believe what the AI has given you.

How Do I Use Double Check Response?

1. Go to Gemini.google.com and enter a prompt. 

2. When you get your output, scroll to the end and click the three vertical dots. 

3. Click Double Check Response

Count to 5, then take a look, the pieces that can be cited will show up in green. 

The items that are in green will also have an arrow that you can click to see the source. 

Why Should I Use This Or Show It To My Students?

We are trying to teach our students how to be critical thinkers in the world of AI. This tool can help open the conversation beyond just saying- Make sure it's valid. Ask your students to look at the sources, evaluate them. Also, have them look at the parts of the output that are not in green. Is there anything there that should be questioned or researched further? Using this tool, especialy in front of students is a wonderful way to model how we want our kids to interact with AI moving forward. 

Are you ready to use Double Check Response? How about teaching this tool to students? If you want some help, please reach out. I'm happy to assist you.

Technology, But Make It Purposeful

The Triple E Framework

*image generated with nanobanana by Gemini

@LisaBerghoff

I was having a conversation with some teachers last week and we were talking about the issue we see, especially with our freshmen, with their inability to focus and attend in class. One teacher looked me in the eye and said- I know what I'm about to say goes completely against your belief system. She then proceeded to talk about how technology use in children is problematic. This made me twitch a little bit. I agree. Technology use in children is a huge problem. The comment to me about my belief system made me wonder. Have I given the impression that I personally believe that technology should be used for all things at all times?  This is most definitely not what I believe at all. In fact, I believe the opposite. I believe that if we are using technology there should be purpose behind it. I see a large part of my job helping teachers determine when it's best to use, and not to use, technology with students. 

What is important to remember is that we must be intentional with our technology use.

There are several frameworks designed to guide effective use of technology in education. Some that are well known are SAMR and TPACK. These are helpful when thinking about how technology is best used. The assumption is that the tech

But they don't answer the question: 

How is using this technology helping my students learn? 

I was thrilled when I learned about the Triple E Framework.

What Is The Triple E Framework?

The Triple E Framework, developed by Liz Kolb in 2011, was created to help bridge the gap between education technology and teaching practice in the classroom. It is meant to be a coaching tool to help you make decisions about instructional choices and technology use. What I love about it is that it is simple, concrete, and ensures that the use of technology is in service of student learning. The Triple E stands for Engage, Enhance, Extend. There are questions to answer within each of those that can help you determine whether or not technology should be used for a given learning activity. 

How Does The Triple E Framework Work?

The rubric is a wonderful guide. For each area, Engagement, Enhancement, and Extension, there are three questions to respond to. Simply assign a zero, one, or two for each question. Zero indicates no, One is used for sometimes, and 2 is used for yes. When you have completed all nine questions, add up the score. If your number is thirteen or higher, that indicates and excellent connection between the learning goals and the digital tool. If the score is between seven and twelve, there is some connection. If the total comes to six or lower, the connection between the tool and the learning goals is low, definitely do not use technology for this lesson or switch to a different tool. 

Here are the questions being asked: 

Let's not throw out the good because of the bad.

We are all super annoyed that the kids are constantly playing games on their chromebooks. It's frustrating when we want them to be on task and they are jumping from tab to tab. Our natural inclination is to police what's going on by blocking and closing tabs. What if we found a way to be intentional about technology use in our classes? Students don't have to come into class and immediately open their chromebooks. Perhaps your bellringer activity is an in-person conversation or a paper and pencil task. If we make it clear that when we are using technology there is a good reason and purpose for it, then we are modeling how we want our students to be thinking about their own technology use.

Are you ready to figure out how to be more intentional around technology use in your classes? Want to chat about it? I'm happy to help.

 

 But How Do We Know They're Thinking?
Snorkl: Instant Feedback On 
Authentic Student Thinking

@LisaBerghoff

With all of the new technology swirling around our learning spaces, it's easy to get lost. They each promise great things, especially the AI tools. Most claim that they will save teachers so much time. They also say that students will be thoroughly engaged, and that student learning will improve. These are all things we want. One of the issues is that these are variables that are very hard to measure. While it's easy to get caught up in the new shiny tools that are promising big things, it's most important to keep our compass pointed at student learning, specifically higher level thinking. That's why I'm so excited to share about Snorkl, which uses AI to help give feedback on student thinking. 

What Is Snorkl?

Snorkl is a platform that allows students to record and share their reasoning, then they receive instant AI powered feedback to push deep and meaningful learning. 

How Does Snorkl Work?

You create a problem, question, or prompt for your students. You can also select one that has already been created. Students then record themselves solving the problem or answering the question while explaining their reasoning. They have access to a white board where they can draw, type, or write as they speak, The AI reviews the student's explanation based on the guidance you have provided and provides the student with personalized feedback. 

How Do I Get Started With Snorkl?

Start off by navigating to snorkl.app and use your school Google account to log in. 

If this is your first time using Snorkl, I suggest you choose an activity to experience as a student. Choose "Try A Sample Activity".

When you're ready, you can find an activity that has already been created or you can create your own. Here are the steps:

1. Click on "Create An Activity"

2. Give it a title and then choose the student response type. You have 4 options: Whiteboard recording, whiteboard only, audio only, and writing. 

3. Add your activity. This can be an upload of a file like a pdf, or you can type the instructions. 

4. Click "AI Feedback Settings" to tell the AI how to give feedback on student responses. You can use the "Generate from Question" feature or you can enter it manually. 

You now have the option to try your activity as a student or to go ahead and assign it.

When you are ready to assign, you will add it to a class that you have created. You have some settings you can adjust such as whether or not to allow the whiteboard to translate to other languages. You can also limit the number of attempts and allow students to see each other's anonymous responses after they have submitted.

Once assigned, you will get a link to share with your students via Schoology. 

Here is a short video overview:

After your students complete the assignment, you will be able to see their responses in your Snorkl dashboard. You can see their scores, how many attempts they made, and review their responses. You can also click on "Insights" to get general information about how the class did.

From here, you can edit the activity if you want to give more practice or provide more scaffolds.

You have the ability to see all of your activities. You can see class progress as well as looking at individual students.

Why Should I Try Snorkl?

We know that students can sometimes fall through the cracks. With a tool like Snorkl, none of your students can hide in the back and phone it in. This really requires students to use their voice and show their thinking in a way that many other tools do not. Also, Snorkl lends itself to content areas that other AI tools don't do so well. If you are working with math and science, I really think this is where Snorkl shines. 

If you want to see how it works and get some help getting started, please reach out to me. I'm happy to help!

Gemini Is At Your Fingertips!

@LisaBerghoff

If you are still wondering whether or not AI will catch on, that train has long left the station. Want to believe it's not true? Go ahead, but you will be doing yourself and your students a massive disservice. Our students are soon to be launched into the world and eventually the workforce with technology that we could not even imagine when we were studying to become educators. The reality is that today's AI is the worst version we will see. It will only get better and it will become more and more embedded into the technology we currently use. I'm sure you have noticed that when you Google something you are now presented with an AI summary of an answer before you see links to click. AI is becoming less and less about chatbots and more about being the hidden engine behind many tools and objects we use everyday. 

I have written several posts about Google's Gemini and NotebookLM in the past twelve months because we have new features and capabilities available to us on a regular basis. One of the major selling points on using Gemini is that all of our data is protected and not used to train the models. That makes Gemini the perfect AI tool to use to teach our students about responsible AI use. 

Now, Gemini can be found embedded into many Google products that we use so you no longer need to go to Gemini in a new tab. Let's take a look.

Gemini in Google Docs

While in Google docs, you will now see several Gemini options.

First, in the upper right corner you will see the Gemini symbol. click it to open Gemini in a side panel and get questions answered about the content of you document. You can also use it

to brainstorm, get suggested edits, and generate content.

• Next, when creating a new document, at the top you will now see  a "Generate Document" icon. Click here and a window will open up where you can enter a prompt and Gemini will help you format and create a document for a specific purpose. You can also click on "Help Me Write".  Explain what you are trying to write and let Gemini be your writing assistant. 

Gemini In Google Slides: 

Go to create a new slide deck and you will now see that you can use Gemini to get started. 

If you open an existing slide deck, you can click the Gemini symbol to open in a side panel. Just describe what it is that you want and Gemini will attempt to create it for you.

On some slides, you will see the NanoBanana symbol and the ability to "beautify this slide". Click on it and you will be presented with some options. 

NOTE: The slides that are generated using NanoBanana are images and you are currently unable to edit the text. I predict that this will change in the future.

Gemini in Google Forms:

Go to create a new form and you will now have the option of having Gemini take a stab at creating it for you. If you skip this step and decide you want it back, just click the icon that looks like a piece of paper with a baby Gemini symbol on it.

What about Google Sheets? Gmail?

I am told that Gemini within Google sheets and Gmail will be rolling out in the coming months.

The takeaway here is to recognize that more and more, AI is not going to be a separate thing. It is going to be embedded in the tools we use, much in the way AI is already embedded in so many of our day to day components like Netflix, Google Maps, smartphones, smartwatches, and smart thermostats. 

Are you feeling hesitant but curious about using AI tools in school? Good! I would love to have conversations and also show you how to leverage AI to help you help students. Feel free to reach out!

It Doesn't Have To Be So Hard!

Flippity

@LisaBerghoff 

I was recently asked about what it is that makes me want to do things that are physically and mentally demanding. Actually, the words that were used were "what's wrong with you?". I guess I like the challenge. I like to set a big goal and then see if I can accomplish it. This comes with a downside though, sometimes I get stuck in this mode where I think for something to be worthwhile, or to succeed, the process must be at least a little bit painful. In other words, if it doesn't feel hard, it must not be working. While we know that being pushed out of your comfort zone is where real progress happens, sometimes we take this too far. You can be out of your comfort zone and not be completely miserable the whole time. This reminds me that in school, we can be working hard without feeling like we are drowning all the time, if we employ the right tools to help us. 

That's why I often turn to tools like Flippity. The site is packed with small, simple classroom tools that can have a big impact. 

What Is Flippity?

Flippity.net is a free educational website that turns Google sheets into interactive, customizable learning tools. This includes flashcards, quiz shows, digital games, classroom management tools, digital breakouts, and more. There is no registration, login, or account needed. You don't need to have Google sheets set up because there are templates on Flippity that are already formatted for you to use. 

How Do I Use Flippity?

1. Go to Flippity.net to get started. Take a look at the options. New activities are being added regularly. 

2. For each activity, you can click on "Demo" to try it out yourself. This is very helpful and highly suggested. You will get to see exactly how the activity works before setting it up and using it with your students. 

3. When you have decided what activity you want to use, click on "Instructions". Some of the activities have a "quick and easy" method. Others have very easy to follow step-by-step directions followed by a FAQ section. 

Each activity is self contained and you will have a link ready to go to use in class. 

When Should I Use Flippity?

The tools within Flippity tend to fall in a few categories. These might help when making decisions about when to pull these activities out of your toolbox. 

• Study Aids: Flashcards, matching games, memory activities
• Games And Activities: Jeopardy-style quiz, bingo, crosswords, breakouts
• Classroom Tools: Random name pickers, randomizer wheels, scavenger hunts, seating charts
• Organization: Leaderboards, progress indicators, certificate creators

What Flippity Activities Should I Try?

I'm so glad you asked! There are a few that I have been using on repeat lately.

Random Name Picker: I call this the spinny wheel. So easy you can set it up in less than a minute. You don't have to put names in there. Add characters, numbers, settings, or anything where you don't really care what the outcome is. Click on the wheel and watch your students get invested. I don't know why it works, but it does. 

Flippity Flexcards: These are 10-sided multimedia flashcards and they are a powerful study and organization tool. Click on the demo first to see how they work. 

Flippity Randomizer: This reminds me of a slot machine for words or symbols. You could add numbers, math symbols, or anything else that fits with your content. This is a powerful tool for practice. 

Mobile Friendly Leaderboard: Sometimes you need a cool leaderboard for your students who are motivated by seeing their name climb to the top. This one has a spreadsheet template that is easy to follow so you'll have your leaderboard up and running fast.

Are you using Flippity? What are your favorites? Ready to get started with Flippity but want some help? Let me know. I'm happy to help get you up and running with Flippity. 

What To Do With AI

EduGems- created by Eric Curts

@LisaBerghoff

It's not just us, living in the education space, that are being inundated with AI powered products. In every possible category, AI is finding its way and creeping into some of the most unlikely places. AI enhanced bottled water? AI powered bird feeder? AI designed perfume? Yes, these all exist. When we are confronted with the ridiculous it is easy to want to turn away, excuse it all as a marketing scheme, and go back to doing things the way we have for the past 5, 10, or even 20 years. I have the benefit of many years of life experience and I can confidently say that absolutely nothing is all good or all bad. I'm open to being challenged on that if you want to have a conversation. Many of the educational tools that we are seeing very much rely on sound pedagogical practices, clear learning goals, and high expectations. As Gemini is quickly rising to the top as the generative ai tool of choice for education, (we'll see if it stays there), you might be wondering what it is that you are meant to do with it.

I'm excited to share with you a site that was created to help you.

It's called EduGems and it was made by my friend and colleague, Eric Curts. 

What Is A Gem?

Gemini is the generative AI tool created by Google and it meets our privacy standards so that means that it won't use your information to train its models. It also has a pedagogical lens that makes it ideal for teaching and learning. A Gem is a pre-made prompt that can be saved so you can use it over and over again. There are some pre-made gems that you can find when you go to Gemini. You can also create your own. Gems that are created can be shared with others. While in Gemini, you will see Gems in the left side panel. Click to open it and take a look at what is already there. 

What Is EduGems?

EduGems is a site built by the amazing Eric Curts from Ohio. He's smart, a great teacher, and an all around great guy. He built several Gemini Gems designed for educators and he put them all on this site. When you click on one of the links, you will see a link to try out the Gem, another link to copy the Gem, and then also a short description. When you make your own copy, you also have the opportunity to edit and tweak the Gem to make sure it fits your needs. These custom prompts can turn your Gemini into an AI assistant that will do what you want without needing to be a perfect "prompt engineer".

He has the Gems organized by categories: curriculum, literacy, student activities, assessment, support, and professional tasks. Because he's Eric, he also has a tab for his tutorials if you want to learn more. He also has a form where you can submit your own Gems for sharing on his site. More collaboration, less frustration, that is the way to win at this AI game.

How Do I Access EduGems?

Just go to edugems.ai/home to check them out. 

Here is the Bell Ringer Gem in action:

Want to learn how to make your own gems? Want to talk about AI and appropriate use? Want help talking to your students about AI? I'm here for all of it! Feel free to reach out. I'm happy to help.