Tech Tips and News for April 14, 2023

Image created with Bing Image Creator

Because AI options continue to expand, and their impact on education remains a major topic of conversation in Ed Tech circles, there are several more articles included this week. Major options for chat now include ChatGPT, Bing Chat and Google's Bard. You'll need to create a login at OpenAI for ChatGPT, your Microsoft login (if you have one) will work for Bing, and you'll need to use a personal Gmail account for Bard. (Google has not yet made Bard available for enterprise or education accounts.) Bing was the only AI chat bot that I could use as soon as I logged in - I didn't have to wait for an invitation confirmation or to be approved/verified. They work in very similar ways, and can definitely give you a big head start on many tasks and projects you routinely perform, such as lesson planning or explaining a concept for a specific grade level. For example, I recently used ChatGPT to generate rhyming clues for an Easter basket hunt. I had to tweak what it created a little, but it got me started, and was a huge time saver. Teachers, be sure to check out the article below explaining how to use AI to save you time getting started with your lesson plans. 

• "Your Bank Calling" Scam - Wham! Bam! - That's a SCAM #5 
• Google Workspace Updates
• Google Drive:  Move Folders From My Drive to Shared Drives
• Restrict Copying or Downloading Google Drive Files
• 5 Google Docs Features You Might Have Overlooked or Forgotten About
• Lesson Planning with AI:  Save Time and Get Ideas
• ChatGPT and Beyond:  How to Handle AI in Schools
• Searching with ChatGPT in Bing
• A Short Overview of Google Bard
• How to Write Better ChatGPT Prompts (and this applies to most other text-based AIs, too)
• How to Use Bing Image Creator (and why it's better than Dall-E2)
• 5 Videos That Get Teens Thinking Critically About Media
• How to Use Magic Eraser in Canva

"Your Bank Calling" Scam - Wham! Bam! - That's a SCAM #5 

Google Workspace Updates

Google Drive:  Move Folders From My Drive to Shared Drives

This update is WAY overdue. Now all users can move folders from My Drive into a shared drive, as long as they have Manger, Content Manger, or Contributor permissions to that shared drive. As a review, shared drives are used to store any files that need to be used by many users, or need to remain after a specific user has left the organization. Learn how to move files and folders into a shared drive here. 

Restrict Copying or Downloading Google Drive Files

Restrict Copying or Downloading Google Drive Files, from Workspace Tips

Highly sensitive documents can be shared with restrictions, so the text cannot be copied and pasted, and the file cannot be shared with others. 

5 Google Docs Features You Might Have Overlooked or Forgotten About

5 Google Docs Features You Might Have Overlooked or Forgotten About, from Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne

Learn more about smart chips, building blocks, bookmarks, dropdowns and image sourcing/alt text.

Lesson Planning with AI:  Save Time and Get Ideas

Lesson Planning with AI:  Save Time and Get Ideas, from Ditch That Textbuook by Matt Miller

Learn how to use various AI tools to save time making your lesson plans. 

ChatGPT and Beyond:  How to Handle AI in Schools

ChatGPT and Beyond:  How to Handle AI in Schools, from Common Sense Education by Christie Elgersma

This is basically a synopsis of a recent webinar I watched titled, ChatGPT:  To Ban or Not To Ban. Key considerations include ethics, biases and misinformation, checking sources, and plagiarism. Although ChatGPT is blocked for students at ASA due to the age restriction, if you sense your students are using it at home, you may want to teach a lesson on how students should be correctly using it as ciritical thinkers, and with the aforementioned considerations in mind. With no guidance, students may not be using it as a starting point for research or an assignment, but rather as the entire assigment without understaing the limitations of AI.

Searching with ChatGPT in Bing

A Short Overview of Google Bard

How to Write Better ChatGPT Prompts (and this applies to most other text-based AIs, too)

How to Write Better ChatGPT Prompts (and this applies to most other text-based AIs, too), from ZDNet by David Gewirtz

As with most new technology, there is a bit of a learning curve. These tips will work with any of the main three AI chatbots:  ChatGPT, Bing Chat and Google Bard.

How to Use Bing Image Creator (and why it's better than Dall-E2)

Created with Bing Image Creator

How to Use Bing Image Creator (and why it's better than Dall-E2), from ZDNet by Maria Diaz

As with ChatGPT, other versions of image creators are now also being introduced. I've used Dall-E2 several times to create an image when I can't find one that already exists for a particular project. I do find it takes several tries to get something close to what you have in mind. Both Dall-E2 and Bing impose a limit on the number of free image generations one can use per month, however Bing allows you to continue creating images, it just takes much longer to generate. I gave Bing Image Creator a try, and was able to get something I liked on the first try, of course that could be because I learned to be very descriptive while using Dall-E2. With that in mind, I did notice Bing Image Creator didn't seem to have as many junk images with floating appendages or other parts of the image that don't make sense or are disjointed. The image at right was created using this prompt:  A robot holding a paint pallet, standing in front of an easel, painting a masterpiece. 

5 Videos That Get Teens Thinking Critically About Media

5 Videos That Get Teens Thinking Critically About Media, from Common Sense Media by Eisha B

Use these videos and quick discussion activities to spark meaningful classroom conversations. It covers topics such as social media, hate speech online, civil discourse online, and screen time.

How to Use Magic Eraser in Canva