Tech Tips and News for February 16, 2024

Image generated by ImageFX with the prompt
"photo of a red, gold and black eagle
with a backpack and ball cap walking into a school"

Google now has its own image creator, ImageFX. You can login with Google to use it, and there doesn't appear to be any limit to the images you can create. The reimagined ASA eagle at left was generated by ImageFX, using the prompt listed below the photo. This has been a great option for me when I can't find an image to accompany an article or theme. It seems like it would be very useful to illustrate a point in a lessons as well. 

The other truly helpful tip I ran across this week, is the ability in Chrome to create a link that will take a user to specific text online. No more linking the page and directing the user to the location of the text you want them to see, you can easily create a link that will take them directly to the spot on the site they need to see. 

Check out how to use both of these tips below. 

• How Well Can You Spot a Romance Scam? Play the Interactive Game to find Out.
• Prepare Students for the Real World with AI Literacy - Lessons for Grades 6-12 (and adults)
• Bard Becomes Gemini
• Create a Link to Highlighted Text in Chrome
• How to Use ImageFX, Google's New AI Image Generator
• Create MadLibs Templates with Google Bard
• EdTech Cool Tool - Curipod - Have AI Create Interactive Lessons
• Learning the Basics of MagicSchool Will Teach You the Basics of All AI Programs

How Well Can You Spot a Romance Scam? Play the Interactive Game to find Out.

The National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) is focusing on dating cyber scams this Valentine season. Americans lost $1.3 billion in romance scams in 2022. I have a good friend whose widowed mother fell prey to an online dating scammer before her children intervened. The NCA has developed this dating phishing game so we can test our ability to spot these scams, and learn how to investigate to spot legitimate profiles from scammers. The game itself is ridiculously easy, but the tips given after each profile choice is where the valuable info is. Even if you are not using a dating app or looking for love online, these tips can help us all spot nefarious social media profiles or friend requests. More information about online romance and dating scams are available here. 

Prepare Students for the Real World with AI Literacy - Lessons for Grades 6-12 (and adults)

Prepare Students for the Real World with AI Literacy, From Common Sense Media by Eisha Buch

While our students are too young  to use most of the current AI tools at school, I assure you they are using it at home. Not only is it imperative that teachers understand how students might be using AI now, but AI is the future our students will be facing, and it's never too soon to teach them to understand and use it. These lessons include:

• What is AI
• How is AI Trained?
• AI Chatbots:  Who's Behind the Screen?
• AI Chatbots & Friendship
• Understanding AI Bias
• How AI Bias Impacts Our Lives
• AI Algorithms:  How Well Do They Know You?
• Facing Off with Facial Recognition

Bard Becomes Gemini

Bard Becomes Gemini, from the Keyword by Sissie Hsiao

We've definitely experienced a name change or two....or ten with Google over the past 11 years we've been using it at ASA. The latest name change is that Google Bard, the AI chat interface has now become Gemini, and there is now a Gemini mobile app in addition to web access. Gemini can now also create images from a text prompt. As with all AI chat interfaces, don't share any personal info, as privacy is not a consideration. The AI Chat developers collect all information to help them improve and develop machine learning products and technologies. 

Create a Link to Highlighted Text in Chrome

I just saw this tip in a newsletter from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller, and it's my new favorite tip. Did you know you can direct your students to a specific block of text on a website? When using the Chrome browser, highlight any text and right click. Then select highlight link to text. It creates a link to the exact spot you've highlighted. How did I not know this was a thing?

How to Use ImageFX, Google's New AI Image Generator

How to Use ImageFX, Google's New AI Image Generator, from How-To Geek by Maria Diaz

This image generator seems to handle the depiction of words and letters better than my experience with Dall-E 2 or Bing. It also does not seem to limit the number of images you can generate. Even better, it's easy to login with your Google account. 

Create MadLibs Templates with Google Bard

EdTech Cool Tool - Curipod

EdTech Cool Tool - Curipod, from Control Alt Achieve by Eric Curts

Curipod is one of the AI tools you can use in the classroom with students. It is an interactive slide tool similar to Pear Deck or Kahoot, but you can actually have Curipod use AI to create a lesson for you, and your students can receive instant feedback via AI as well. Use it to create interactive lessons, polls, brain breaks, etc. You can create your own lessons, import existing lessons that you'd like to be interactive, or have Curipod create the lesson using AI. Students do not need to create accounts to participate. Curipod has a free option for teacher accounts. 

Learning the Basics of MagicSchool Will Teach You the Basics of All AI Programs

MagicSchool.ai is an AI platform specifically designed for teachers to create lesson plans, multi-step assignments, YouTube questions, multiple choice quizzes, text rewriting, and to create AI resistat assignments. Taking the 15-20 minute MagicSchoolAI Certification Level 1 course is really just a tutorial on how to use MagicSchoolAI. This quick course also has important tips for using any AI platform.