Wonder Wednesday

Posted Date: 1/23/25 (1:11 AM)

Teaching & Learning

EdTech Edition

January 22, 2025

Wonder Wednesday

Explore SchoolAI Spaces

This week, we’re sharing two interactive Spaces designed for parents and students to explore how AI can benefit education. These Spaces provide engaging opportunities to see firsthand how SchoolAI supports learning and growth. For our teachers, we’ve included the prompts used to create these Spaces, so you can easily replicate or adapt them within your own SchoolAI accounts. Whether you’re a parent, student, or teacher, these resources are here to help you experience the power of AI in education!

Herc the History Tutor

Herc the History Tutor an exciting, interactive space designed to help K-12 students dive into history with personalized support. Powered by a knowledgeable AI tutor, Herc adapts to your child's grade level and specific topics, creating a tailored and engaging learning experience. Whether exploring ancient civilizations or modern world events,

Teachers here is the prompt you can use in SchoolAI to create a space for your students.

Context

This Space is designed to help K-12 students explore history with a personalized AI tutor named Herc. Herc adjusts the content to fit the student's grade level and the specific historical topics they're studying. The goal is to make history interactive and relevant.

Agenda

Introduction: Welcome students and introduce Herc as their AI tutor.
Personalization: Start with a quick assessment or quiz to gauge the student's current knowledge level and interests in history.
Exploration: Guide students through an interactive journey, exploring key events and figures from chosen historical periods, like ancient civilizations or modern world events.
Engagement: Encourage students to ask questions and participate in discussions with Herc, fostering critical thinking and connections to present-day scenarios.
Reflection: Conclude with a reflective activity where students can discuss what they've learned and how history influences the present and future.

Guidelines

Use engaging and interactive language to keep students interested.
Ensure historical accuracy while making connections to modern-day applications.
Encourage students to think critically and ask questions.

Requirements

Tailor content to the student's grade level and current curriculum.

13 Colonies RPG: Step Into the Past!

Embark on an exciting journey to colonial America with our 13 Colonies Role-Playing Game! Step into the shoes of early American colonists with this engaging role-playing game designed for students.

Teachers, here is the AI prompt you can use in SchoolAI to create a similar space for your students.

Context

Students are learning about the 13 original colonies in colonial America. This Space will immerse them in the period and help them understand the historical context and daily life in the colonies.

Agenda

Introduction: Begin with a quiz to determine which of the 13 colonies each student will represent. Offer insights into their selected colony's main characteristics.
Role Assignment: Allow students to choose roles such as settlers, merchants, or artisans, each with unique tasks and challenges.
Interactive Missions: Guide students through scenarios where they:

Establish their colony by selecting resources and negotiating with Native American tribes.
Engage in trade with other colonies and European countries.
Participate in town meetings to discuss governance and community issues.

Reflection: Connect their experiences to modern governance and trade practices.

Guidelines

Use engaging, narrative-driven language to bring the colonial period to life.
Ensure historical accuracy in depicting events and figures.
Encourage critical thinking and decision-making that impacts the colony's prosperity.
Provide feedback to students on their decisions and strategies.

Goals

Help students connect with the material by immersing them in the historical context of colonial America.

EdTech Spotlight

Enhancing Student Learning with SchoolAI

We're thrilled to announce the introduction of SchoolAI in the Ellensburg School District, a powerful platform designed to enrich your child's educational experience.

What is SchoolAI?

SchoolAI offers personalized learning experiences, helping students engage with content in new and interactive ways. It supports teachers by automating routine tasks, allowing more time for direct student interaction.

Benefits of SchoolAI:

Personalized Learning: Tailors activities to meet each student's unique needs.
Interactive Lessons: Engages students through dynamic learning modules.
24/7 Access: Provides resources and support any time, promoting continuous learning.

Privacy and Security:

Rest assured, SchoolAI complies with all necessary privacy and data protection laws to keep student information safe.

To learn more about our AI guidelines, visit our website: Ellensburg School District AI Guidelines.

We are excited about the potential of SchoolAI to enhance learning and teaching within our district. For questions or more information, please contact us.

Thank you for your support!

EdTech Website

OSPI’s Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship Professional Development 2024–25

Digital Literacy

Here are some wonderful opportunities to help ESD staff learn more about media literacy and digital citizenship while growing professionally! Below are two fun activities that staff are encouraged to check out and consider about joining.

Even More Modules Available: OSPI’s Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship Professional Development 2024–25

This free, self-paced, asynchronous course is available for K–12 educators in any role through March 31, 2025. (3 clock hrs)

What’s New?

Six additional modules are now available, featuring resources from:

News Literacy Project
Project Look Sharp
Center for an Informed Public

These modules complement existing ones that explore:

Media Literacy & Digital Citizenship learning objectives.
Instructional resource collections (Common Sense Education, Civic Online Reasoning, and CTRL-F).

Why Participate?

During past AI training sessions, many educators expressed concerns about the spread of misinformation and its impact on our students. This course is an excellent opportunity to address those concerns and build confidence in navigating complex information environments. Staff will learn how to educate themselves on these critical issues while empowering students to think critically about the information they encounter online.

Additionally, engaging with this content aligns with our board policies on media literacy and digital citizenship, making it a valuable professional development opportunity. Plus, the modules are designed to support your lesson planning while earning clock hours!

How to Access:

Register for the required Introductory Module on pdEnroller.
Complete Module 1 to unlock access to the entire Canvas course.
Choose the modules that align with your professional needs.

Registration Open for MisinfoDay 2025

MisinfoDay is an annual educational event co-hosted by the University of Washington’s Center for an Informed Public and Washington State University’s Edward R. Murrow College of Communication.

Event Details:

Date: March 17, 2025
Location: University of Washington (in-person)
Audience: High school students and teachers
Registration Deadline: February 3, 2025

Why Attend?

The event focuses on helping participants navigate complex information environments and make informed decisions about online content.

If You Can’t Attend In Person:

Teach a lesson from the MisinfoDay Resource Library.
Play the escape room game.
Use the brand-new Media Mentorship Toolkit for student projects.

Let’s Connect!

Have questions, or ideas, or need support with EdTech? I’m here to help! Feel free to reach out.

Joell Boast

EdTech Coordinator

Ellensburg School District

📧 Email: joell.boast@esd401.org

📞 Phone: 509-925-8300, ext. 31107

📍 Office Location: EHS Library

Let’s work together to create innovative and supportive learning environments for our students!