Less Time Prepping

 More Time Teaching 

Brisk Teaching 

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS

I have been working with teenagers for a long time and there are so many things that I love about working in a high school. I love creating lessons and activities. I love hearing the students' ideas. I love their energy when they get excited about something they are learning. There are also a few things I don't love. I really don't enjoy grading. I also don't enjoy doing lots of paperwork.  Given that final exams are lurking around the corner, I am always looking for ways to make my time more efficient especially with grading and paperwork.

If you were to do an audit of your time for the week, what would it look like? How much time do you spend doing what is most important? How much time do you spend doing what you love? How much time do you spend doing what you don't love? 

I am a big fan of the Eisenhower Matrix. If you haven't seen this, it is a simple matrix that is designed to help make decisions about how to manage your time and prioritize your to-do list. Here's what it looks like.

I am particularly curious about quadrant 3, the delegate quadrant. In 2023, delegate might mean utilizing some AI tools. This is where Brisk Teaching comes in. Notice that it's called Brisk Teaching and not Brisk Learning. This tool is designed for teachers. 

What is Brisk Teaching?

Brisk Teaching is a free AI Chrome extension that integrates with digital tools you already use such as Google docs, Schoology, and more. You can use it on any webpage to change its reading level or use it in Google docs to write curriculum, generate feedback, or detect the use of AI. Check out the 1 minute video below:

Wait! Did she say it will give feedback? Yes! I wrote a short essay on responsible AI use in the classroom and then used Brisk to give feedback on my essay. Here's what it came up with. As the teacher I can certainly edit or delete anything that is generated but it's a very good start.  Check out the feedback Brisk gave on my essay:

Besides Giving Feedback, What Else Can Brisk Teaching Do?

• Change the reading level of any text online
• Change the language of any text online (choose from 13 languages)
• Create a quiz, an examplar, a resource, and lesson plan, or something else
• Use the AI detector to give an idea of how likely it is ChatGPT was used (not 100% reliable but pretty good)

Here is an example of Brisk generating a lesson plan:

How Do I Get Started?

Go to the chrome web store by clicking here and choose "add to chrome".

The Brisk extension will be in your extensions dock. When you are on a Google doc, it will also appear as a small icon in the lower right corner of your screen. You can click and drag it anywhere you want so it won't be in your way.

Is It Really Free? 

Yes! There is a premium version that is sold to schools that has more features but this version is free.

Want to know more? Check out BriskTeaching.com

Want some help using Brisk? Feel free to reach out or book an appointment. I'm always happy to help.