Tech Tips and News for March 1, 2024

Image by Vectorportal.com,  CC BY

Now that AI tools for the public have been around for a little over a  year, the theme to many of the articles I'm seeing are more about ways teachers can use AI to save a lot of time, and less about the ways students can use AI. Why is that? Because there are no privacy considerations with AI chatbots in these early days while it is being perfected. In addition, AI doesn't always get the information it produces right. Some AI chatbots have been known to make things up if they can't find a conclusive answer. Hopefully as AI matures, both of these issues will be addressed. In many of the teacher tools I'm seeing emerge, these two issues are less of a factor - as long as teachers aren't divulging any personal or confidential information. So shave some time off your work day by using the AI tools to create your lesson plans, write the questions for your review games, summarizing videos and articles, and anything else you can think of. There are several suggestions below, and in previous posts.

• Why You Should Stop Using Pattern Locks to Secure Your Android Phone
• Is This a Phishing Email? 8 Warning Signs to Look Out For
• How to Create Substitute Teacher Plans in 15 Minutes with AI
• How to Use Google Gemini to Summarize a Video (video)
• Create Quizzes About Videos (video)
• 10 Fascinating Facts About Google Doodles
• Create a Jeopardy Style Review Game in a Snap with MagicAI
• 5 Great AI Extensions for Classroom Teachers (Time-Saving Super Power!) (video)

Why You Should Stop Using Pattern Locks to Secure Your Android Phone

Why You Should Stop Using Pattern Locks to Secure Your Android Phone, from How-To Geek by Oluwademilade Afolabi

Easy to guess patterns are as insecure as an easy to guess password.

Is This a Phishing Email? 8 Warning Signs to Look Out For

Is This a Phishing Email? 8 Warning Signs to Look Out For, from How-To Geek by Chifundo Kasiya

Phishing continues to be one of the most effective ways for hackers to compromise personal data or a network. Make sure you don't become the weak link. 

How to Create Substitute Teacher Plans in 15 Minutes with AI

How to Create Substitute Teacher Plans in 15 Minutes with AI, from Ditch That Textbook by Matt Miller

Matt's suggestions are to use Bing Chat, but you could also use Google Gemini, or the AI chat interfact of your choice. He also suggests you use MagicSchool.ai, which I've posted about before. 

How to Use Google Gemini to Summarize a Video

Gemini Can Create Quizzes About Videos

10 Fascinating Facts About Google Doodles

10 Fascinating Facts About Google Doodles, from How-To Geek by Joe Keeley

Most companies rarely change their logo because it's the way the public recognizes them. Google has done the opposite, constantly changing their logo for special events and anniversaries. Those logo enhancements you see on the search screen are called Google Doodles. You can suggest a Doodle idea for consideration, and so can your students. 

Create a Jeopardy Style Review Game in a Snap with MagicAI

In this week's Ditch That Textbook newsletter, Matt Miller included instructions for having Magic AI write the Jeopardy review questions for you. You just need to give it the topic, standards or objectives, and optionally the categories, and MagicAI will create a Jeopardy game questions. Here are the instructions:

1. Go to https://app.magicschool.ai/tools/jeopardy
2. Choose your grade level
3. Add your topic, standard, or objective(s)
4. Create your categories (optional)
5. Click “generate”
6. Cut and paste the answers and questions into the template
7. Play!

Jeopardy game template links

Google Slides Jeopardy template

Canva Quiz Show template

5 Great AI Extensions for Classroom Teachers (Time-Saving Super Power!)