Libraries, AI and Senate Bills

Universal Design for Learning with Cast.org

Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. I’m so pumped for this episode as we are joined by Melissa Sanjeh and Bryan Dean of cast.org. They are here to de-mystify UDL and get you on board to implement their amazing resources into your practice, in the classroom, or district-wide. This is a must listen for any educator invested in the education of ALL students.

Moment of Zen: “No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” ― Charles Dickens The Rundown:

Key Goals of the Podcast:

1. Visibility for cast.org and what it can offer educators/schools
2. Increase depth of understanding around accessibility/UDL

Audience for the Podcast:

• K-12 educators

• Administrators

Questions/Topics

1. What is cast.org? What are the goals of your organization?
2. Why is accessibility important and necessary? What are some common accessibility barriers educators might be overlooking?
3. How does UDL fit in? How can UDL benefit ALL learners?
4. Connection between your work at cast.org and the NETP
5. What advice would you give educators who are just starting to explore UDL, accessibility, and cast.org?
6. Looking towards the future, what are your predictions for the role of accessibility and UDL in education?

From a district leadership perspective, how do we make this into just something that we DO in our district/school?

Additional Questions:

1. Can you share some success stories or personal anecdotes about accessibility and UDL in action?
2. Can you share a Tech Tool for our listeners? What will help them learn more about the topic or what will help them be more accessible?

Tech Tool of the Week

Cast.org

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Special Guests: Melissa Sanjeh, Bryan Dean

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

Libraries, AI and Senate Bills

Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. Today's show includes potential pulitzer prize winning novelist, Danelle Brostrom as well as her ghost writer in this alternate reality, Stephie Luyt. We will be discussing all things Libraries including three school library associated bills currently working their way through Michigan State Congress and how they'll effect our Certified Librarians. We focus on Information Literacy, Artificial Intelligence and of course, Bluey.

Moment of Zen: “The person who deserves most pity is a lonesome one on a rainy day who doesn’t know how to read.” — Benjamin Franklin The Letter:

Dear Senate Education Committee Members,

Thank you for your thoughtful consideration and questions about the “Library in Every School” bills that are sponsored by Senator Camilleri (SB741, SB742) and Senator Bayer (SB743).

At yesterday’s Senate Education Committee Meeting, members of the committee asked for data about school libraries. The Michigan Association of School Librarians (MASL) has a wealth of data and we will share some of it below in several forms.

Please reach out if you have questions about this data or would like to meet to have any of your questions answered.

Thank you very much,

Kathy Lester

>MASL Advocacy Co-Chair, Immediate Past-President AASL, Adjunct Faculty Wayne State University

Alexa Lalejini

>MASL Advocacy Co-Chair, School Librarian, Rockford Public Schools

Stephie Luyt

>MASL Advocacy Co-Chair, School Librarian, Traverse City Area Public Schools

Carrie Betts,

>MASL President, School Librarian, Birmingham Public School District, AASL National School Library of the Year

Christine Beachler,

>MASL President-Elect, School Librarian, Lowell Public Schools

DATA ABOUT THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF SCHOOL LIBRARIANS

Correlation between reading scores and school librarians in Michigan

According to the latest data, Michigan 46th in the nation in the ratio of students to school librarians (ratio of 2788 students per school librarian from 2021-2022) and 43rd in 3rd grade NAEP reading scores.

Michigan Study About the Impact of School Librarians

In Michigan, a Library of Michigan research study showed that school library media programs have a statistically significant positive impact on reading achievement in grades 4, 7, and 11. Specifically, this study showed that schools with librarians have 35 percent more fourth graders who score proficient or above than school without librarians (see page ix of the study). The Michigan reading test scores rise with the extent to which the state’s school library programs are headed by qualified school librarians. The relationship between school libraries and test scores cannot be explained away by other school or community conditions at any school level.

The Impact of Michigan School Libraries on Academic Achievement: Kids Who Have Libraries Succeed

Other research and data about the positive impact of school librarians

The Michigan Association of School Librarians has put together a document that summarizes the different ways that school librarians have a positive impact on students and includes links to research for each item.

bit.ly/slibevid

A good article that summarizes much of the research

The article below is a great article that summarizes much of the research.

Lance, K.C. & Kachel, D.E. (2018). Why school librarians matter: What years of research tell us. Phi Delta Kappan, 99 (7), 15-20.

An infographic about the impact of school librarians on students with cited research studies: bit.ly/slheights

Tech Tool of the Week

Teaching Books is the new Sora extra!

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Special Guest: Stephie Luyt

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

Ed Tech Tools for the School Year Stretch Run

Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. After several rather stress inducing weeks at TCAPSLoop towers we decided to keep this episode light by focusing on some great tech tools to get you through the stretch run of the school year. So let’s start the calming process by inhaling this weeks TCAPS Loop Moment of Zen:

Moment of Zen: “Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.” —Michael Caine The Rundown:

Canva for podcasting

1. 1. How To Create a Podcast in Canva
   2. Free and customizable podcast templates

Google Classroom Practice Sets

1. 1. 1. Practice sets - Google for Education
      2. Uses AI to help find and attach supplemental study material
      3. Uses AI to deliver insights about assignment/class

AI Test Kitchen from Google

Comic Sans Criminal

Additional Inspiration:

• Dr. Nagler Named COSN EmpowerED Superintendent of the Year
• Too much screen time? U-M pioneers digital wellness program for youths | University of Michigan News
• In the legislature now: The American Privacy Rights Act of 2024

Tech Tool of the Week

Bluey. Just watch it.

• Watch - Bluey Official Website
• NPR Bluey Podcast

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

AI Prompt Engineering and Regional Education Media Centers

Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. This episode dives into the world of AI prompts with guest Pete Milne, REMC Director! We explore best practices for crafting effective prompts, ensuring responsible AI use, and leveraging Pete's expertise to elevate your ed-tech game. Buckle up and get ready to unlock the appropriate use of AI in your practice!

Moment of Zen: “The power to question is the basis of all human progress.” – Indira Gandhi The Rundown:

Crafting Powerful Prompts:Pete shares key tips for creating clear, concise, and effective prompts that guide AI tools towards your desired outcome.

Reliable Sources & Verification:Learn the importance of including reputable sources in your prompts and double-checking information for accuracy.

Responsible AI Use:We discuss crucial considerations like avoiding PII (Personally Identifiable Information) and verifying sources to ensure ethical and responsible AI integration.

Practice Makes Perfect:Pete emphasizes the importance of practice when crafting prompts. Explore scenarios like those offered by Common Sense Education (https://www.commonsense.org/education/collections/ai-literacy-lessons-for-grades-6-12)) to hone your skills.

AI as Your Partner: AI is best used as an assistant or thought partner, not a replacement for our expertise.

Tech Tool of the Week

REMC 2Central

• REMC Association of Michigan
• REMC SAVE
• Control Alt Achieve: Super Prompt - An AI Prompt to Create AI Prompts
• The Prepare Framework – AI Pioneers
• Doc for Getting Started with Prompts
• Enhancing Efficiency & Effectiveness While Providing Accommodations for All - April (asynchronous)
• Sketchnoting - April 17th (noon - 3:30)
• PSTL in a Box - May (asynchronous)

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.

Considering Age Appropriate AI

Greetings and Welcome to another Potentially Useful episode of the TCAPSLoop Podcast. Danelle's leveled up after her successful quest through MACUL 2024 and will guide us into the exciting realm of Developmentally Appropriate AI in Education. We know our youngest learners must develop the necessary critical thinking skills to navigate a landscape where AI will be ubiquitous. So, gear-up, fellow ed-tech explorers, as we embark on a journey through bytes, and building blocks.

Moment of Zen: There are very few human beings who receive the truth, complete and staggering, by instant illumination. Most of them acquire it fragment by fragment, on a small scale, by successive developments, cellularly, like a laborious mosaic. - Anais Nin The Rundown:

Thoughts on Access vs. Exposure in regards to AI in schools

Generative AI has potential benefits for education and risks that must be thoughtfully managed.

Early Elementary - Bite sized digital citizenship, scaffolding to big ideas

• AI is not a human
• “Peek under the hood” to see how these things work
• Critical Thinking
  • AI hallucinations
  • AI created images
• Slow down and self reflect AND Seek facts and evidence (5 core dispositions of digital citizenship)
• Not directly on AI systems - under 13

Later Elementary

• Problem solvers, if we aren’t careful, they will learn to rely on this kind of tech rather than solving their own problems
• Ask ChatGPT questions, but the teacher is always in the drivers seat.
• Spend a LOT of time thinking critically about the answers
• Not directly on AI systems - under 13

Middle School

• CAUTION! “Over 13? Let’s get them on AI!” Developmentally what do we know about middle school brains? They lack impulse control. Set guardrails and limits.
• Exercises in which students ask a generative AI chatbot to answer a question or write an essay and then critique it—looking for factual errors, etc.
• “It should be used as a tool to complement and challenge the critical-thinking skills that come online at this age,”

High School

• High school students are fast becoming sophisticated users of programs like ChatGPT.
• Teachers may feel their main duty at this stage is to police students and make sure they’re not using ChatGPT, Photomath, and similar technologies to do their assignments. But experts say that educators have a more important role to play: primarily, to teach students the limitations of the technology. The text and images created by generative AI programs, for example, can be plagued with biases, stereotypes, and inaccuracies.
• “Exercise your natural suspicions. Doubt the machine. Don’t take answers at face value”
• AI is an important component of their education, but it still needs boundaries and guidance.
• AI Literacy Lessons for Grades 6–12 | Common Sense Education

Tech Tool of the Week

AI Literacy Lessons for Grades 6–12 | Common Sense Education

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Thanks for listening and inspiring!

Please rate and review the podcast on your app of choice and leave us a comment on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram

Thank you so much for listening and inspiring!

Hosts: Danelle Brostrom, Larry Burden

Um and Ramble Editing: Larry Burden

Cover art created with help from Adobe Firefly.