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Overview of the Two AI-Powered Educational Technology Tools

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For this activity, I decided to compare Canva and Gamma to see how useful they could be for creating instructional materials. I chose Canva because I have used it before for work and for some of my college assignments, but I had never really used its AI features. I chose Gamma because it was completely new to me, and I wanted to see how it would create a presentation based on information I provided. Both tools were able to create a presentation fairly quickly, but I noticed some differences in the way they organized information and allowed me to customize the content. The prompt I used for both tools was: “Create for me a lesson plan in the form of a PowerPoint for my GED classroom to introduce them to learning about AI. Include learning objectives, key concepts, discussion questions, and an assessment.” One of the biggest strengths of Canva was how easy it was for me to use and customize. Since I was already familiar with Canva, I did not have much trouble putting the prompt into the ...
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ChatGpt: Is it an AI safe tool to use in the classrooms?

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  For this assignment, I explored the trustworthiness of privacy when it comes to using ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a generative AI tool that can help users learn, create, brainstorm ideas, and solve problems. The AI Nutrition Facts label I reviewed identified several privacy features, including data deletion, human oversight, guardrails, and a 30-day data-retention period. First, ChatGPT does not claim ownership of the data users input . According to OpenAI’s terms, users retain their ownership of their input and their outputs. However, educators should still be careful about entering private or sensitive student information into an AI system. Second, there is a clear way to opt out of having conversations used for model training . Users can change their settings through the Menu and turn off the option to improve the model. ChatGPT also offers temporary chat, which provides an additional privacy option. This gives educators more control over how their information is handled. Final...
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The ARCS Model: Motivating Students to learn

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Keeping students engaged and motivated is one of the biggest challenges educators face, especially in online learning environments.One model we learned about that I found interesting was the ARCS model, it involves attention, relevance, satisfaction and confidence and it all goes towards learner motivation. The article "Exploring VoiceThread Using ARCS Instructional Design Approaches" by Whitney Kilgore, Leah B. Mangrum, and Jennifer Miller explains how John Keller’s ARCS Motivational Model can be used to improve student motivation and engagement.  The first component is Attention, which focuses on capturing and maintaining students’ curiosity. The article explains that attention should not only be gained at the beginning of a lesson but maintained throughout instruction. Using different forms of media, such as text, video, and images, can help create variety and keep learners interested. This is particularly important in online courses where students may easily become distra...
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How an LLM learns

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  The diagram demonstrates this process by showing the progression from examples → numerical representations → learned patterns → contextual prediction → generated text . This simplified model helps explain why an LLM can produce new sentences that were not necessarily copied directly from a particular source.  Artificial intelligence has become increasingly important in education, especially with the development of AI tools that can produce text, images, summaries, and other forms of content. One of the technologies behind many text-based AI systems is the large language model (LLM). Understanding how an LLM works is important for educators because it helps us use these tools responsibly rather than treating them as if they think and learn exactly like humans. An LLM is trained using very large collections of text. These collections can contain books, articles, websites, and other sources of language. During training, the model processes enormous numbers of examples and ...
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Digital Accessibility for Students

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Digital Accessibility: Creating Learning Opportunities for Every Student Technology has transformed education by making learning more flexible and engaging. However, technology is only effective when every learner can access and use it. This week's readings helped me understand that digital accessibility is not simply about complying with legal requirements; it is about ensuring that all students, regardless of ability, have equal opportunities to learn. Accessibility includes designing digital content that can be used by students with visual, hearing, cognitive, physical, or learning disabilities. Features such as captions, transcripts, alternative text for images, accessible documents, keyboard navigation, and compatibility with screen readers help remove barriers and create more inclusive learning environments. I also learned that accessibility benefits all learners, not just those with disabilities. For example, captions help English language learners and students working in no...
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Tech Tool Evaluation

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Selecting, Evaluating, and Implementing Technology Tools This week's readings reinforced that technology integration should always begin with instructional goals rather than with the technology itself. Effective educators carefully select, evaluate, and implement digital tools that align with learning objectives, curriculum standards, and students' needs. Two important frameworks that support this process are the SAMR model (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition) and the TPACK framework (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge). The SAMR model, developed by Puentedura (2006), provides a continuum for evaluating how technology enhances learning. At the substitution and augmentation levels, technology improves traditional tasks with little change in instructional design. At the modification and redefinition levels, technology transforms learning by allowing students to engage in authentic, collaborative, and creative experiences that would otherwise be im...
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Predictive Analytics

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 The video and the article from the module both emphasize how educational data can be used to improve student outcomes through predictive analytics and data-informed decision-making. While the video explained the practical applications of predictive analytics in schools, the article provided a more technical explanation of how predictive modeling works and why it is becoming an important tool for educators and school leaders. One of the biggest ideas I learned is that predictive modeling goes beyond simply looking at a student's grades or attendance. Instead, it combines many different types of information including attendance patterns, behavior, course performance, assessment results, and even nonacademic factors to estimate the likelihood that a student may struggle academically or fail to reach important milestones. Rather than labeling students as simply "at risk" or "not at risk," predictive modeling assigns a probability of success or failure, allowing edu...
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