Teaching & AI Tools AI tools, design and publishing tools, and learning supports for the classroom. AI Tools Using Generative AI In some previous articles, we have shown how to use AI to accomplish research and analysis-style tasks. This is a hugely helpful style of AI technology, but there is another, more immediately impressive (and somewhat terrifying) form of AI as well. Where all of the other AI tools we have discussed are free for teachers, today’s topic will cover the use of Sora, a paid update to ChatGPT. Generative AI is the term for Artificial intelligence that creates or generates content. This is so incredibly powerful… The purest form of use allows someone with creativity to realize their vision… Maybe you have someone who can’t draw a straight line, but they can write the most descriptive and captivating world-building text. Generative AI can take this text and (sometimes with a little pushing) turn it into something anyone can see. This isn’t unique to visual generation. AI has become more popular in music generation as well. Today, though, I’m going to focus on the visual elements of Gen AI. I have two scenarios for you today. The first is how I actually used Sora in a project I’m working on, and the second is a more practical example. My Actual Usage The project: Create a sample player introduction video for athletics broadcasting as an example for coaches, administration, and AV students. The process: Use Adobe After Effects to create templates for AV kids. Include player names, numbers, height, weight, grade, and position. Provide sample players with live motion overlayed on top of the template. The problem: I don’t have access to any video content that would work in this situation. To be able to use a person in front of a background that doesn’t exist in the original video, you have to record the video in front of a green screen, or you have to use a process called rotoscoping (you literally trace the person in every frame of the video. At 30 frames per second, each player is 10 seconds, which means every player will have to be traced 300 times… way too much work for a demo). You also need video taken from a close vantage point or from a high-quality camera with very good zoom/lenses. This just wasn’t available to me. I COULD schedule time with a couple of students, set up all of the equipment, then do the demo shoot, and, a few years ago, that was the process, but I chose another way… Enter AI: I pay for the upgraded version of ChatGPT. I use it A LOT for a large variety of projects that involve coding, and Gemini just isn’t as good at that. Anyway, as part of that upgrade, I get access to Sora, which creates video clips based on storyboards, text prompts, or even other media. I went the text route… Remember… I said that these videos need to be taken in front of a green screen. So, as part of my prompt, I made sure to include that instruction. Here is what I provided Sora to get started: A baseball player in front of a green screen Please don’t be overwhelmed by the complexity of the prompt… For my efforts, I received two, very reasonable videos. The GIF versions are below: As you can probably tell, there are issues… The bat in that first one jumps from one hand to the other, and the other dude is just boring… I was, however, feeling emboldened by such a decent result with so little effort, so I tried a little harder with my next prompt: A baseball player wearing a black jersey with old gold accent colors including the letters WF. He is standing in front of a green screen. Ignore the fact that I said old gold… I forgot it was called Vegas gold until I finished the project… For this exercise in clarity, Sora rewarded me with these two clips: Ok… Now we are getting somewhere… Still, we have issues. First, these guys are clearly too old. Second, I can’t see faces, and that matters in a player highlight video. Third, The second guy put a double visor on his hat, which is super smooth, but weird… We are good though… I’m feeling excited, so I further modify my prompt to this: A baseball player wearing a black jersey with old gold accent colors including the letters WF. He is standing in front of a green screen. He has a baseball in his right hand, and he has a baseball glove on his left hand. He is a high school student. Focus on the face and his look of intense determination. I hit the button to generate the video, and just knew… this is it… THIS is the prompt that will give me the PERFECT video. Then Sora gave me this: I was 😐underwhelmed. It seems to have gotten confused and thought I meant to CUT OFF HIS FACE! But then I saw the second video: And, dear reader, I was stoked. True, it wasn’t 100% what I asked for. It looks like he thinks he is holding a ball, but it isn’t there, and the green screen is JUST big enough to cover him, but I figured this was a great starting point to bring in the next tool… Remix Sora has a remix button. Basically you tell it to use a previous render as the jumping off point for any corrections. Now, instead of trying to craft a prompt, I just give it a set of tweaks. Here is my new set of instructions: He should be wearing a baseball hat, and he should have a baseball in his right hand. Sora responded with these: Ok… Getting somewhere. I still can’t seem to get a ball in the kid’s hand, and the second dude is either left-handed, or his glove had fused upside down to his flesh… Either way, that isn’t great. I like the first one, and I’m willing to use for the demo, even without the ball. Next, I need to highlight multiple players, so I need a remix that will result in a totally different person, and ideally a different action. I went with this: Please keep the overall composition, but remove the ball and glove, and instead give the player a bat. Also give him a darker skin tone. Critical advice - always say please to the robots. Sora responded with: And I was like “Yessss this isss… Whaaaat???” We were doing SO well until that second bat came out of nowhere. But that’s ok, because Sora also gave me this one: And while it also has some weird hand issues, it is perfectly serviceable for this task! The template I had made needed three players, so when I had originally said “darker skin tone,” I wasn’t actually thinking a different race, I thought it did a great job, so I leaned into it for my third option: Please change the nationality to be Asian. And again, Sora toyed with me. The first clip is smoother, and I like the movement more, but bruh… what is the deal with the levitating bat? I did think the second option was good, and it was about this time I remembered that I have a limit of credits each month, so I took the second video. Next Steps: Once I had the videos, I went through the process of isolating the players, and I put them into the highlight template. I’ll skip all of that because it has nothing to do with the AI part of this video, but feel free to ask questions! Once I was finished, I got this video https://youtu.be/AMtg4d1GsDY Is this perfect? Nope. Not even close, but I think it is easy to argue that it is much more elar about what the goal is than me trying to communicate it verbally, or defaulting to one of those “picture unavailable” sort of things. AI allowed me to give a (nearly) finished-looking result, and, honestly, I think it did a pretty great job. Now, there are obvious negative implications to this technology, but that is true with ALL technology, and pretty much ALL inventions/discoveries. I think we have to be willing to learn and use things for good, and this is just one example of how I’ve tried to do it. An interesting use-case For this one, I’ll keep it much shorter. I wanted to see what the cast of Harry Potter would look like if it were created/casted by AI. The annoying part of this is that you have to collect all of the character descriptions from the book, and because of how AI work, you have to remove names and specific identifiers so that existing content for that character isn’t the inspiration. Luckily, ChatGPT (and Gemini) can do that with a simple prompt: I need the physical aspects as well as the character traits of Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter books. Please just provide the physical appearance and personality trait specific details, and remove all elements that would indicate that the character is Hermione, as if the intent was to make the reader guess who this character is… Similar to the first time we are introduced to her. I was provided with this: read description A young individual with thick, bushy brown hair that seems to have a mind of its own, often falling in wild waves around their face. Their eyes are a deep brown, filled with intensity and a sharp, observant nature. Their complexion is light, and their expression is frequently animated, especially when engaged in conversation or deep thought. They are of average height, though they often carry themselves with a certain confidence that makes them seem taller. One of their most distinctive physical traits is their large front teeth, which add to their expressive appearance. Always seen with a book in hand, they seem prepared for any situation, radiating a sense of readiness and purpose. This individual is exceptionally intelligent and studious, always seeking to expand their knowledge. They possess an unwavering work ethic, often preparing far ahead of time and double-checking their own work for perfection. Highly logical and practical, they tend to analyze situations methodically, yet their quick thinking allows them to adapt under pressure. Despite their academic focus, they are also deeply loyal and incredibly brave, unafraid to stand up for what is right, even when it places them at odds with others. Their sense of justice is strong, and they are passionate about advocating for those who may be overlooked or mistreated. However, their strong opinions and confidence in their knowledge can sometimes come across as bossy or overbearing, especially when they insist on being correct. Though not necessarily drawn to confrontation, they do not hesitate to correct misinformation or challenge authority when necessary. They have a tendency to overthink and worry, especially when the outcome of a situation is uncertain, but their resourcefulness and determination ensure they rarely falter for long. Beneath their structured and intellectual demeanor, there is a deep sense of compassion and warmth, especially for those they care about. I did the same thing for Harry, Ron, Dumbledore, and Volde… read descriptions You said: Please perform the same exercise for Harry Potter. It is ok to keep gender. ChatGPT said: Character Description A slightly thin, wiry boy with a messy mop of jet-black hair that never seems to stay in place, no matter how often it is brushed. His eyes are a striking shade of green, often described as intense and piercing, though they hold a quiet depth beyond his years. A pair of round glasses sit on his nose, often slightly askew from being knocked around. His skin is fair, though he has a somewhat sallow, underfed look, as if he has gone without proper meals for long stretches of time. One of his most defining physical features is a lightning-shaped scar on his forehead, a mark from a past that follows him wherever he goes. Though the scar is small, it carries an air of mystery, often tingling or burning at the most unexpected moments. He is quietly observant, often processing everything around him before speaking. Though not the loudest voice in the room, there is a natural sense of leadership in the way he carries himself—unwillingly at times, yet undeniably present. He has an innate sense of courage, often acting on instinct rather than careful planning, throwing himself into danger if it means protecting those he cares about. Despite his reputation, he is deeply humble and self-conscious, never fully comfortable with the attention he receives. He dislikes being placed on a pedestal and often feels like an outsider, struggling with the weight of expectations placed upon him. He is fiercely loyal and protective, willing to stand up for friends, even against overwhelming odds. His sense of justice is strong, and he cannot tolerate bullying or unfairness, even when it would be easier to stay quiet. Though he has a strong moral compass, he is not without flaws. He can be impulsive, letting his emotions drive him into reckless decisions. His stubborn streak often leads him to take on burdens alone, unwilling to ask for help even when he needs it. Beneath his bravery and resilience, there is a deep longing for belonging and connection, making the bonds he forms all the more precious. 4o You said: The same for Ron Weasley, please. ChatGPT said: Character Description A tall and lanky boy with a slightly gangly frame, often seeming as though he hasn’t quite grown into his own limbs. His hair is a vivid shade of red, somewhat untidy and falling across his forehead in a way that seems to match his relaxed, casual demeanor. His eyes are a light blue, frequently alight with humor or frustration, depending on the situation. His skin is fair and freckled, a trait shared by many in his large family. Though he has a strong presence, he often carries himself with a certain slouch, as if trying not to take up too much space. His hands and feet are slightly oversized, a sign of a boy still growing into his full height. He has a distinct ear-to-ear grin when he’s amused, but just as easily wears an expression of frustration or exasperation when things don’t go his way. A natural comedian, he has a sharp wit and a talent for sarcasm, often using humor to diffuse tension or hide his own insecurities. Though he exudes confidence in casual settings, he sometimes struggles with feelings of inferiority, particularly when compared to those closest to him. He has a deep yearning to prove himself, whether through skill, bravery, or recognition. Despite these insecurities, he is fiercely loyal, standing by his friends through thick and thin—even when jealousy or frustration momentarily gets the better of him. He has a brave heart, though his courage is sometimes tested by fear or doubt, making his victories over them all the more meaningful. He is also quick-tempered, prone to reacting emotionally before thinking things through, but his heart is always in the right place. A strategic thinker, he has a surprising knack for tactical games, displaying an instinctive ability to anticipate moves and patterns—a skill that serves him well in games and real-life situations alike. While he may not always recognize his own worth, his unwavering loyalty, humor, and courage make him an invaluable companion, even when he doubts it himself. 4o You said: The same for Albus Dumbledore, please. ChatGPT said: Character Description A tall and slender man, with a long, flowing silver beard that cascades down to his chest. His hair, equally silver, is kept long, tucked neatly behind his ears, giving him the appearance of someone who has lived through many years of wisdom and experience. His eyes, a striking shade of blue, twinkle with amusement and deep intelligence, often conveying more than his words. They are sharp, constantly assessing and understanding far beyond what is spoken. He wears half-moon spectacles perched delicately on the bridge of his nose, adding to his scholarly appearance. His face is lined with age, but rather than appearing tired or worn, it radiates kindness, patience, and an ever-present sense of curiosity. His posture is relaxed yet commanding, exuding a sense of quiet authority without the need for force. Possessing a calm and collected demeanor, he often speaks in riddles and whimsical phrases, leaving those around him to puzzle out deeper meanings. He is profoundly intelligent and highly strategic, always several steps ahead in any situation. His wisdom is vast, not just in knowledge but in understanding people, their motivations, and the balance of power between good and evil. He carries himself with gentleness and humor, often using lightheartedness to put others at ease. Despite his warm and grandfatherly presence, there is an undeniable depth and sadness beneath his kind exterior—an unspoken weight of past regrets and difficult choices. Though he preaches love and understanding, he is not without flaws, sometimes withholding vital information to protect others, believing that knowledge can be as dangerous as it is powerful. A true believer in the power of love, kindness, and second chances, he has an unshakable faith in people’s ability to change for the better. However, he is also a master manipulator when necessary, steering events with a careful hand, often working in the shadows to ensure the best possible outcome. His compassion, intelligence, and quiet strength make him a guiding force, yet his past remains a reminder that even the greatest minds are not without their burdens. 4o You said: And for Lord Voldemort, please. ChatGPT said: Character Description A tall and unnervingly thin man, with skin as pale as bone, almost translucent in certain lights. His features are gaunt and angular, giving him a serpentine appearance, further emphasized by the absence of a human nose—replaced instead by two thin slits, like a snake’s nostrils. His eyes are a piercing, blood-red shade, with narrow, slit-like pupils, making his gaze both hypnotic and terrifying. His head is completely bald, devoid of any hair, adding to his unnatural and almost spectral presence. His fingers are long and spindly, his movements eerily smooth, almost gliding rather than walking. His lips are thin and colorless, often twisted into a cruel smile or a sneer of disdain. The very air around him seems colder in his presence, as though his mere existence drains warmth and life from his surroundings. His voice is high and chillingly smooth, carrying a cold, commanding authority that demands immediate obedience. When he speaks, there is an unmistakable tone of superiority, as though every word is spoken from the mouth of someone who believes themselves to be far above those around them. An embodiment of intelligence and ambition, he is ruthlessly cunning and dangerously strategic, always calculating his next move with cold precision. He possesses an unshakable belief in his own superiority, dismissing all who oppose him as weak, foolish, or beneath his notice. His hunger for power is insatiable, and he will go to any lengths—no matter how dark or twisted—to achieve absolute control over life and death. Completely devoid of compassion, empathy, or remorse, he views emotions as weaknesses, particularly love, which he despises and fears in equal measure. His lack of humanity is not just psychological but also physical, as his relentless pursuit of immortality has warped his body into something barely recognizable as human. Though he is highly intelligent, his arrogance often blinds him, leading him to underestimate those who do not fit his definition of power. His rage is cold and terrifying, rarely expressed in wild outbursts but instead in calculated, merciless acts of violence, often delivered with a quiet, almost casual cruelty. Despite his outward control, fear is his greatest motivator—the fear of death, of insignificance, of losing control. It is this fear that drives his every action, compelling him to cling to life at any cost, no matter how monstrous he must become to do so. Cool! So now that I have that, I can tell Sora what to do. All I did was paste the descriptions in, as they were given (except for Ron. I’ll show you the first one and the remix). I did have to change “individual” to “girl” in Hermionie’s description. Here is the cast, as set by Sora Hermione Grainger Harry Potter (Featuring a SECOND scar) Scary Ron Weasley (nightmare fuel) Ron Weasley (remix: “This should be as phot-realistic as possible” Still scary… ) Albus Dumbledore Lord Voldemort (not as scary as Ron 1) Originally posted by Cory Robbins on the West Fork Technology Hub (2025-02-18). Curipod Introduction - AI Enhanced Lesson, Activity, and Feedback Tool Curipod is a unique tool that allows teachers to combine the power of AI with the tool feature set of something like kahoot. In this introduction, we will use curipod to generate a custom lesson on a novel. We will utilize the provided activities to get better engagement from students. Let’s start by logging in/signing up. Visit curipod.com. At the top right of the page, there is a “Sign Up For Free” button. It is totally fine to use your Google account for this, and it makes the process a little more simple Ok. Now that the boring part is out of the way, let’s build some education materials! On the home page of our account, we have a couple of “Get Lesson” buttons. We will go ahead and click on one of these to get started. That provides us with a list of options. All of these are super helpful, but the one we will be looking at in this part is “Generate a lesson.” Let’s click on that to continue. Next, we will select our subject area. In this demo, I’ll be an ELA teacher. Once I’ve selected my subject area, I get options for the specific topics I’m looking for. For the demo, I’ll select “Novel Study.” I’ll then provide the title and author of the book, a chapter if I want the lesson to be limited to the single chapter rather than the entire book, and then a focus point from the pretty lengthy list of options. Once I’ve made my selections, I’ll click on “Next.” The next page will ask me to set a grade level, and will allow me to select a language and refine the “prompt” of the lesson. The cool thing about this page is that I can also align to standards. I’m going to click on this button to get started. You will get a spinning circle window with Arkansas and the provided grade already selected. Give it a few seconds (it does take several), and the system will automatically suggest standard alignment options for you. Click the one you would like to use. I can align to multiple standards by repeating my last action. I’m good for now, so I’ll click on “Get Lesson” Next, you will get a screen that tells you what is happening in the background. Some of these take a little bit. It takes around a minute to fully complete the lesson build. Once that finishes, we will be taken to our “Designer” window. This is very similar to Google Slides or Canva. All of the text is editable. Just double-click anywhere to edit, and use the slide thumbnails at the bottom to progress through the presentation. Ok… Now the cool part.I’m going to hit the preview button at the top right. This will allow me to see both the “big screen” or teacher screen AND a sample student screen to see how the activities will work. Now I see two screens, the student on the left, and the projector or teacher screen on the right. There are a few things to pay attention to here: 1: This is the link students will access to see what is currently on the student screen. 2: This is the pin code that students must enter to join your class (spaces don’t have to be typed) 3: This is the button you will see when you hover over the teacher’s side. It let’s you mute the annoying music… You are welcome. 4: This is where students will enter the pin code. I’ll go ahead and enter the pin code then hit join. On the teacher screen, I will immediately see that a student has joined, and a nickname will be provided. This nickname protects student anonymity, but it also ties back to the student’s real name for detailed review. As a student, I’ll provide my real name, and click submit. That shows the student a waiting page, and the teacher has a user and management page. Kids like to click buttons… If they click on the “Slides” button on the left, before the lesson starts, they will only see the intro slide. When students have all joined the activity, the teacher can click on the “start” button. At this point, students are directed to look at the board, and the intro slide is shown on the main screen. Again, if the student clicks on slides, they only see the active slide. This is GREAT if you have kids who struggle reading from their seats. Use the slide navigator buttons to push through the show. Once you reach an activity slide, your buttons will change. in this example, I can set an activity timer. It defaults to a recommended value, but the +/- buttons allow me to modify it. When I’m ready, I’ll click on “Start Activity.” Students will get a countdown, then the activity will start. Students will complete the activity. Sometimes it is writing, sometimes it is multiple choice, sometimes they have to draw a picture… Once a student submits, they will receive a waiting screen with the ability to edit their response. Teachers will see how many responses have been issued so far, and they can add a minute to the activity or end it at any time. Some activities allow voting after everything is submitted. I’ll click on “Start Voting.” Students will be presented with all of the answers (unnamed), and they click their proposed option. I’m seeing a duplicate here because you have to have at least two options to vote on… After voting ends, either because time runs out or all students vote, the rankings will be shown, and the winning students will get congratulatory screens. To present this for real, I would click on the “Start Now” button instead of preview. Then, the process is identical. You will just see the “big screen” or teacher screen side of things. Important Notes Every activity is editable. Several activities will provide AI feedback to the students for things such as clear answers, supporting details, and error checking. Every slide is fully editable. Don’t feel like you have to stick with the provided layout. You can add and remove slides and activities. AI Generated Help Podcast drive.google.com Google Drive file. FAQ What is Curipod and what makes it unique? Curipod is an educational tool that combines the power of AI with interactive features similar to platforms like Kahoot. It allows teachers to generate custom lessons and create engaging activities for students. How can I get started with Curipod? Visit curipod.com and click on the “Sign Up For Free” button in the top right corner. You can easily sign up using your Google account. Once logged in, click on one of the “Get Lesson” buttons on the home page to start building educational materials. How do I generate a lesson on a specific topic using Curipod? After clicking “Get Lesson,” choose “Generate a lesson.” Then, select your subject area (e.g., ELA) and the specific topic (e.g., Novel Study). Provide the title and author of the book (and a chapter if needed), and a focus point for the lesson. Finally, set the grade level, language, refine the prompt, and align to standards if desired. Can I align Curipod lessons with educational standards? Yes, Curipod allows you to align lessons with specific standards. On the lesson generation page, click the button to align to standards. The system will suggest standard alignment options for you to choose from. What is the “Designer” window and how do I use it? The “Designer” window is similar to Google Slides or Canva. It is where you can edit the lesson slides. All of the text is editable by double-clicking. Use the slide thumbnails at the bottom to navigate through the presentation. How do I preview the lesson and how do students join the activity? Click the “Preview” button in the top right corner to see both the teacher and student screens. Students access the lesson using a link and pin code displayed on the teacher screen. Students enter this pin code to join the class activity. How do interactive activities work in Curipod? Once students have joined, click “Start” to begin the lesson. Navigate through the slides until you reach an activity slide. Set a timer for the activity and click “Start Activity.” Students will then complete the activity (e.g., writing, multiple choice, drawing). Some activities will provide AI feedback to the students. Can I customize the generated lessons and activities in Curipod? Yes, every activity and slide is fully editable. You can add, remove, and modify slides and activities to suit your teaching needs. The layout of the slides can also be changed. Originally posted by Cory Robbins on the West Fork Technology Hub (2025-02-11). NotebookLM - Introduction NotebookLM is a free, AI-powered tool from Google designed to help users interact with and learn from their documents. Described as a “personalized AI research assistant,” NotebookLM summarizes uploaded sources and generates insights into their content. It works by analyzing uploaded files, including Google Docs, PDFs, text files, web pages, and even copied text. It then uses Google’s Gemini AI model to allow users to ask questions, summarize information, and create new outputs based on those sources. More About NotebookLM There are several really powerful features in this tool, but the biggest advantage is the concept of “source-grounding.” This just means that, instead of trying to use the entirety of the internet as a source, NotebookLM limits its content knowledge to only the sources you have active in the open notebook. This is huge because the internet is FULL of incorrect information. The ability to specifically point NotebookLM to a set of sources and have it become an “instant expert” on all of that content is a huge deal. Don’t misunderstand… this is not just a tool that will regurgitate the information you feed it. Instead, it “reads,” “watches,” and “listens” to the content you provide, makes connections, and interprets it… similar to if you studied and tried to compile a working knowledge of the sources on your own. Once given the resources, you can: Ask questions at ANY depth of knowledge that would be contained in the sources (ex: “Explain the concept of crop rotation to me. Assume that I have no knowledge of agriculture” or “Explain the concept of crop rotation to me. Assume that I have doctorate-level knowledge of the chemical makeup of various soils but don’t understand the nutrient requirements of common crop types.”) One click study guide to cover all of the source information One click briefing documents to provide an overview of the sources One click FAQ generation over the sources One click timeline generation for chronological aspects of the sources One click (or advanced) podcast style generation. Add your own notes based on conversations with the AI Creating Your First Notebook Show Instructions Visit notebooklm.google.com On your first visit, you will get a welcome message. You can choose to check the box if you want emails when new features are added to NotebookLM, or you can just click on the “okay” button to get started. We don’t have any notebooks yet, so, again, just for the first time, we will get the “Create your first notebook” page. I’ll click on “Create” to make the notebook. Great! When you create a new notebook, you will automatically get this “Add Sources” prompt. We can open this prompt manually to add more sources, but we will talk more about that later. For now, we have 4 primary source types that can be added. Uploaded sources: these can be things like PDF documents, word documents, audio files, text files, and that sort of thing. These are files that are currently on your computer, for example, you may have downloaded a PDF from Lexus Nexus. You can upload that PDF here. NotebookLM will read it and use it for all future interactions within this notebook. Google Drive sources: If you have a Google Doc or a slide, you can select it from your drive. Links: Provide either the link to a website or to a YouTube video. Super handy! Paste text: Sometimes you will be in a situation where the website blocks NotebookLM. No worries! Copy the text you want, and paste it in. Also, sites like Project Gutenberg have full text of novels. You can paste that text in (or upload the text with option one). Start adding sources. You can have up to 50 sources for each notebook. That is quite a bit! If you accidentally closed the add source window, or to add more sources, click the Add source button at the top left! Your sources will now appear in the source list on the left. Each source has a checkbox to the right. If it is clicked, that means that the source will be active in any of the conversations or actions you have with NotebookLM. If it is unchecked, that source becomes dormant and ignored. Example Use case: I could add a rubric as a source, then I could add each student’s essay in a separate Google doc or PDF. Then I can check only the rubric and a single student’s essay. Now when I ask NotebookLM to “analyze the student essay to see how well it adheres to the assigned rubric. Offer suggestions for improvement, areas that are particularly well executed, and suggestions for further research based on this student’s demonstrated knowledge.” NotebookLM should give me a pretty thorough response to that, and it should be pretty valuable insight for me to formulate a response to the student. Once we have our sources uploaded and selected, we can use the center area to ask questions and guide the research. We can type whatever we would like, but NotebookLM does an initial reading, and it will offer some questions below the text input area. You can click one of these to get the conversation started. This is particularly helpful if the content area is something you know very little about. The Studio/Notes panel is on the right. There is an Audio Overview section that allows you to generate a podcast-style conversation between two AI hosts, one male, and one female. I’ve included an example below. It is pretty slick. If you would like, you can click the “Generate” button, and the system will automatically take all of the content and present a podcast that covers the research sources in an overall sense. If you click on the “Customize” button, you can guide the conversation, meaning that you can require the conversation to delve more deeply in specific directions, set a language level, assume a content knowledge level, and many other potential guided parameters. In addition to the audio overview, you have the main “Notes” features. Clicking on the “Add note” button will let you create a note of your own making. You can type whatever you want, and it will be collected at the bottom of the panel. Clicking on any of the other buttons in this panel will automatically generate the element that is indicated on the button. Once clicked, NotebookLM will place these items in the Notes panel. You can click on a note at any time to open it in an expanded view. I’ve included the FAQ option below. Sample Output My Sources Deep Dive conversation (Podcast) drive.google.com Google Drive file. NotebookLM FAQ What is NotebookLM? NotebookLM is a free, experimental AI tool developed by Google that acts as a personalized research assistant. It helps users organize, analyze, and synthesize information from various sources like documents, PDFs, websites, and even audio files. Users can create digital “notebooks” containing up to 50 different sources, each with a maximum of 200,000 words. NotebookLM uses Google’s Gemini AI model, which has a large token window allowing it to process and understand large amounts of text. How Does NotebookLM Work? NotebookLM utilizes a process called “source-grounding,” meaning it focuses specifically on the documents you upload rather than pulling information from the broader internet. This makes it an “expert” on your chosen material. Once you’ve added your sources, you can ask NotebookLM questions about the content in a chat-style interface. The AI then analyzes your sources and provides summaries, answers to your questions, and generates insights based on the information provided. What Can I Do with NotebookLM? NotebookLM offers a range of functionalities for various tasks: Summarization: Quickly grasp the main points of lengthy documents or multiple sources. Question Answering: Ask specific questions about your uploaded content and receive direct answers with citations. Insight Generation: Discover connections and themes within your sources that might not be immediately apparent. Content Creation: Generate different outputs like study guides, FAQs, timelines, briefing documents, and even podcast-style audio summaries. Data Extraction: Pull specific information like lists or data points from your sources. How is NotebookLM Different from Other AI Tools? NotebookLM stands out from other AI tools in a few key ways: Source-Grounding: It focuses solely on the user-provided documents, leading to more accurate and relevant responses. Citation Feature: All answers are linked back to the specific source material, allowing for easy verification. Audio Summary Generation: It can create engaging, podcast-style audio overviews of your content, offering a new way to consume information. Can Students Use NotebookLM? Currently, NotebookLM’s terms of service restrict use to individuals aged 18 and older. However, educators can utilize the tool to create resources for their students, such as study guides, summaries, or audio overviews, and then share those outputs with students. What are Some Examples of How Educators Can Use NotebookLM? Lesson Planning: Generate summaries of complex texts, create study guides for specific chapters or units, or develop differentiated materials for various learning levels. Professional Development: Analyze research articles or policy documents to extract key insights or create briefing documents for collaborative discussions. Research: Analyze large amounts of data from student surveys, interviews, or focus groups to identify trends and patterns. Personal Learning: Deepen understanding of a subject by summarizing and analyzing multiple sources, generating questions, and creating personalized study guides. What are the Limitations of NotebookLM? Potential Inaccuracies: While NotebookLM strives for accuracy, it is still under development and can sometimes generate misleading or incorrect information. Always double-check its output. Bias: AI models can reflect biases present in their training data. Be aware of potential biases and critically evaluate the information presented. Over-Reliance: Avoid becoming overly dependent on the tool for critical thinking or decision-making. Use it as a support tool to enhance your own analysis and understanding. How Can I Get Started with NotebookLM? You can access NotebookLM by visiting notebooklm.google. Create a free account and start experimenting by uploading your own documents or trying out the example notebooks provided. What are Some Tips for Using NotebookLM Effectively? Start Small: Begin with a topic or document you’re already familiar with to test the tool’s capabilities. Experiment with Questions: Ask a variety of questions to explore different ways of interacting with your sources. Use Citations: Verify information by referring to the original sources through the provided citations. Share with Others: Collaborate with colleagues or students by sharing notebooks and resources. Stay Informed: Keep up with updates and new features as NotebookLM continues to evolve. Originally posted by Cory Robbins on the West Fork Technology Hub (2025-01-21). Google's AI Studio - Introduction Ohhhh Boy! This one is fun! Today, we will be looking at AI Studio, a Google product, sort of a user interface, for the Gemini AI platform. In this demo, I will be using my microphone to interact with Gemini in real-time. I’ll have it observe, analyze, and diagnose a set of scoring rubrics, it will guide me through using the maintenance website to submit a work request, and I will also have it analyze a very small amount of code. Note: this is the first time I’ve ever used this tool. I wanted you to see the process, whether it was simple or a struggle. I’m basically playing around, and I REALLY hope this helps you see how approachable this technology is. Quick Click-by-Click to get started Go to https://aistudio.google.com Read and accept the license agreement *Click on the “Stream Realtime” option in the menu *Click on “Share your screen” *Grant any microphone/webcam access you are prompted for *Choose the screen you want to share *Click on share and begin speaking This tech tip is a video because it is difficult to present in any other way, but, out of respect for your time (and to use more AI tools), I’ve also used NotebookLM to provide some audio and text resources, starting with this video summary: This video demonstrates Google AI Studio’s screen-sharing capabilities, showcasing its real-time interaction with Gemini. The presenter uses AI Studio to analyze student work, providing feedback on a complex rubric for a drumline audition. The AI identifies common student weaknesses and suggests improvement strategies, demonstrating its utility in grading and providing feedback. Furthermore, the presenter illustrates how AI Studio can assist in navigating unfamiliar websites and building Google Sheets, highlighting its versatility across various tasks and platforms. The technology’s ability to process large amounts of information quickly and provide actionable feedback is emphasized. Podcast #1 (I told NotebookLM to target instruction to teachers): drive.google.com Google Drive file. Podcast #2 (This was the default output without any prompting): drive.google.com Google Drive file. Briefing Document Okay, here is a detailed briefing document summarizing the key themes and ideas from the provided text: Briefing Document: Google AI Studio Screen Sharing Analysis Introduction: This document summarizes the key takeaways from a tech demonstration of Google’s AI Studio, specifically focusing on its screen-sharing capabilities. The demonstration explores how AI Studio, using the Gemini model, can analyze screen content in real-time and provide feedback, assistance, and insights. The user tested this tool across several scenarios, including analyzing student performance data, navigating new software, creating spreadsheets, reviewing lesson content and even debugging code. Key Themes & Ideas: Real-Time Screen Analysis: AI Studio enables real-time analysis of screen content, going beyond just text input. This includes the ability to “see” and understand: Documents (e.g., Google Classroom Gradebooks, rubric spreadsheets, audition packets) Software interfaces (e.g., website navigation, code editor) Potentially any visual data displayed on the screen. The presenter highlights that “the ability to use basically any window and get instant feedback on how it works is pretty stellar.” Interactive AI Assistance: The tool facilitates two-way conversation between the user and Gemini, allowing for dynamic problem-solving and question answering based on the shared screen content. This interaction can include: Vocal commands: The user can speak to Gemini and receive verbal responses Screen Sharing: Gemini analyzes the screen’s visual content. Webcam integration: Allows the sharing of physical objects or documents. The user noted that he has “an audio file of everything that Jim and I said” in addition to the text transcript of each response, which allows for review. Versatile Applications in Education: The demonstration highlights a broad range of educational uses: **Analyzing student data:**Gemini can quickly identify patterns and areas of weakness in student scores across multiple assignments and a detailed rubric. The presenter notes that this method was “much much faster” than manually analyzing the scores, even though it “isn’t perfect.” Quote: “This is easier than going through and individually looking at each one of the scores.” Generating targeted feedback: Gemini can suggest areas where students need additional support based on their performance data and identify patterns across students. Finding resources: Gemini can recommend search terms and types of resources related to specific learning needs (e.g. video and written resources on internal pulse and technique for drumline students). Reviewing curriculum: Gemini can assess the appropriateness of learning materials (e.g., an audition packet) based on specific student needs. Beyond Educational Context: The tool’s application extends to general productivity and learning: Navigating unfamiliar software: Gemini can guide users through the steps of using a new website or application, even if it is a complicated application. Quote: “the capability to basically remove the limitation of knowing how to use anything that you can have on your screen within reason obviously…is pretty powerful.” Creating new documents/projects: Gemini can provide step-by-step instructions for creating documents, such as setting up a spreadsheet or an email draft. Code assistance: Gemini can provide analysis and debugging support for code. Quote: “I can help you understand the logic of the code, explain specific functions or algorithms and suggest potential causes of issues.” Limitations and Imperfections: The user acknowledges that AI Studio is not flawless: OCR limitations: AI sometimes misreads text from screen images, especially with fast scrolling (e.g., mispronouncing or misinterpreting a musical piece’s title). Initial errors: The user experienced an initial error when the AI misidentified a student. Information recall: The user was able to see that Gemini has difficulty maintaining a context of information shared from different documents. This resulted in the user having to “re-adjust” the questions that were being asked. Dependence on Context: The user discovered that some questions can be confusing and can cause the chatbot to have difficulty responding to prompts. This required him to clear the chat and start a new session. Iterative Process: The user emphasized the importance of adjusting the way information is presented to the tool and the way questions are phrased. The presenter noted that “the retry and kind of readjusting how I went about asking the questions or presenting the information seemed to make quite a bit of difference.” Specific Examples of AI Functionality: Student Data Analysis: Gemini correctly identified that students were struggling with the “formal audition” and that students had weaknesses in internal pulse and technique. Software Navigation: Gemini was able to assist the user in finding the correct fields in a work order request, and identified a discrepancy that was not immediately obvious to the user (that a field was cut off). Spreadsheet Creation: Gemini walked the user through building the framework for a spreadsheet. Curriculum Assessment: Gemini analyzed an audition packet and gave a good assessment about the level of difficulty it contained for the students the user was working with. Code Assistance: Gemini suggested improvements to the structure and accessibility of HTML code. Conclusion: Google AI Studio’s screen sharing feature shows significant potential as a real-time assistant with a variety of applications. It is particularly useful for educators for analyzing student data and improving teaching, but it’s also valuable in general learning, software navigation, and code assistance. While not perfect, it offers a faster and more interactive way to process information and get help with digital tasks. The user concluded that it “has the capability to basically remove the limitation of knowing how to use anything that you can have on your screen within reason obviously…is pretty powerful.” Frequently Asked Questions about AI Studio’s Screen Sharing Feature **What is AI Studio's screen sharing feature and how does it work?** AI Studio’s screen sharing feature allows you to share the contents of your computer screen with the AI model, Gemini. Gemini can then “read” the content of the screen and provide feedback, answer questions, or assist you in various tasks related to what you’re showing it. You can use it for a variety of tasks, like getting feedback on a document, understanding how to navigate a website, or even getting help with coding. When you initiate screen sharing, you’ll be prompted to select the specific screen or window you wish to share, granting the AI access to visually perceive the content being displayed. This effectively creates a real-time, visual interaction with the AI. **How can I use AI Studio's screen sharing feature in an educational context?** The screen sharing feature has numerous applications for educators. It can be used to get feedback on student work, such as rubrics or assignment scores, allowing the AI to identify areas where students are struggling and suggest improvements. It can also help teachers learn how to navigate complex websites or software platforms, create new resources, and even assist with lesson planning. By sharing your screen, you can essentially have an AI tutor or assistant to guide you and provide support in a variety of tasks related to teaching and curriculum development. **Can AI Studio analyze data displayed on my screen, like a spreadsheet of grades?** Yes, AI Studio can analyze data displayed on your screen. For instance, it can process a spreadsheet of student grades and identify patterns in student performance, such as common areas of weakness. In the example in the text, it quickly reviewed student scores in a Google sheet and determined that internal pulse and technique were the main areas of deficiency. The AI can summarize trends, compare student data, and provide helpful insights you can use to adjust your teaching methods or provide targeted support. **How does AI Studio handle complex documents or long web pages when screen sharing?** AI Studio can process complex documents and long web pages by reading the content as you scroll through it. In the example with the rubric, the user scrolled through the lengthy Google Sheet and the AI was able to read and analyze the data. This allows it to understand context, which is important when analyzing information across multiple fields. This enables you to have the AI evaluate various pieces of information in real-time without having to manually copy and paste anything or share direct files. **Can AI Studio help with tasks beyond just data analysis, such as navigating websites or using software?** Absolutely. AI Studio’s screen sharing isn’t just for analyzing data. It can also assist with navigating websites, software applications, and other programs. You can use it to get step-by-step guidance on how to use a platform, troubleshoot problems, or complete tasks, such as filling out forms, opening support tickets, or working through specific processes in a given program. This makes the tool not only useful for content-related tasks, but also for more general assistance with software. **How can AI Studio assist me in creating new digital resources like Google Sheets?** AI Studio can help users, especially those who are new to a certain tool, to create new digital resources. By screen sharing a blank sheet, the AI can walk you through the steps required for the project. It can provide guidance on column headings, formulas, and other necessary functions. This can be extremely helpful in making sure you know how to properly set up a sheet or other resource that might be essential to your productivity. **Can AI Studio provide feedback on curriculum or teaching materials?** Yes, AI Studio can analyze curriculum and teaching materials by visually processing them on your screen, including analyzing an audition packet and suggest elements that might be beneficial for students based on their weaknesses. The AI can identify complex or problematic areas in the curriculum and help to decide what is or is not working for a specific group of students. This functionality will help teachers refine lessons and make sure the learning material is targeted to areas of improvement. **Is AI Studio helpful for debugging code or providing programming suggestions?** Yes, AI Studio can help with coding, including debugging code and providing suggestions for improvements. It can understand the logic of your code, explain its functions, and point out areas for enhancement by identifying best practices. While it can’t directly modify your code, it can help you analyze it and give suggestions on what to do next, so it can be used as a programming resource. This can be especially useful for learning new languages or improving the quality of your code. Originally posted by Cory Robbins on the West Fork Technology Hub (2025-01-28). Design & Publishing Canva - Introduction - Creating account Canva is a free, online resource that has been around for about 10 years and is probably best known as a very powerful desktop publishing tool. However, it can also be used to make things like videos, gifs, websites, booklets, multimedia presentations, social media images, and much, much more! Much like Google Docs it allows for project sharing and collaboration. Canva can be used by your students and even integrates with Google Classroom, Moodle, and many other LMS platforms. We will have some additional training on Canva in the future. For today, the goal is to create an account if you don’t already have one, and join the West Fork Public Schools team. Follow this link to get started: https://www.canva.com/brand/join?token=1YAMwlOmdw1pfJo0sP2P5A&brandingVariant=edu&referrer=team-invite Choose the “Continue with Google” option to get started. If you already have a Canva account you are still encouraged to join the West Fork Public Schools team. You can switch Canva teams by clicking here: If you are creating a new account you will likely be asked to verify your account through email. Once verified, feel free to explore. If you want to learn more on your own, there are many tutorials and youtube videos for users of all abilities. That’s all for today. Much more on Canva to come! Originally posted by Carl Clements on the West Fork Technology Hub (2023-04-04). Creating Newsletters with Canva Newsletters have been a great way to communicate for ages! With digital design and delivery, print-based newsletters have gone out of fashion, and digital newsletter platforms like smore have become popular. Check out Mr. Unger’s Tiger Weekly and Ms. Webb’s High School Newsletter to see some of what Smore is capable of. Smore DOES have a free plan, but it locks quite a bit of the functionality behind a payment plan. Soooo where does that leave us? We can actually use Canva to do some really nice newsletters! This allows you to use a platform that works for more design tasks (meaning you don’t have to learn different tools), and you have free access to all of the premium tools when using your school account. Let’s Do it! First, it would make sense to look at a newsletter template. This DOES make sense, but these template are more similar to the old, paper type of newsletter. There are some great templates, and if you want your newsletter to be printable, then this is your best starting point. The biggest issue with the newsletter template is the vertical size of it. If you have a lot going on, a single 8 1/2" isn’t going to be all that easy to use. Sure, you can use multiple pages, but that puts a page brake and consequently, a visual break in your news. If you just need a little more height to your page, check out the infographic templates! Cool, so we have two options so far, but MAYBE we want to be just that little bit different… that little bit extra… Maybe we want our digital newsletter to feel more, you know, DIGITAL! Because this is what I’m looking for in this demo, I’m going to use the “website” template. It is a bit annoying that there isn’t a blank version of this, so either find a template that you like as a starting point, or just pick a random one that you can delete all of the contents of. For this demo, I’m using the template called: “Digital Noticeboard Teacher Education Website in Yellow Purple Colorful Lined Style” The cool thing about the website layout is that pages are basically equal to slides. Moving from page to page has animated transition effects instead of just scrolling. When I add a page by clicking on this button, I’ll get a new blank page after the currently visible page. Templates usually provide pretty reasonable instructions on what to do, for example, I can double-click on this bubble, and add the information that I’m instructed to. Or, I can change it to whatever I think makes sense! I don’t like this background on the first “page” or section. To change it, I’ll go to my uploads on the left, and I’ll click on a photo that I would like to use. If I don’t already have an image, I can also use the “elements” option to search for free image options. Now I’ve got a picture, but it clearly isn’t a background image. Let’s right click on the image, and then click on “Replace background.” Cool! Now I have a fancy background on this first page! I’ve created another problem though. I can’t really read the title text. I’m going to click on the title, then I’ll click on the font color option to bring up the left toolbar. In the toolbar, I’ll click the font color, I’m going to try white. Well… That’s easier, I guess, but it is still not great. Let’s add an effect to try and bring the text “forward” on the image. On my top toolbar, I’ll click on “Effects” to get my left toolbar. Conveniently, in the effects toolbar, there is an option called “Lift.” I’ll click that. Great! Now the text is easier to read, and it kind of stands up on the page. While I’m here, I’ll just rename the title. Something else that you would expect from a digital newsletter is the ability to click on things and be taken to new locations on the web. Maybe you want to link to the school website, this week’s lunch menu, or maybe your Clever page. I’m going to link to the percussion “Band” app. I’ll click on the button/bubble/asset that I want to turn into a link, and then I’ll click the three dots above it. In this expanded menu, I’ll click on “Link.” I’ll also make a mental (or physical) note that I can also hold down my control key and press K to get to the same thing in the future). That opened the link tool, so all I have to do is pate in the link the location I want my students to visit. Then I’ll hit done. By default, this is going to underline the text, and that is totally fine, but I don’t like it here. I still have the “button” selected, so I’ll click on the underline font button to disable it. Much better! Now it looks a lot more like a button you would find on a website. At this point, I’ll continue going through the template, adding, removing, and editing the elements to make my newsletter look the way I want (except I totally didn’t do that for the sake of the demo). That brings us to sharing! What good is a newsletter if nobody sees it!?!? I’ll click on the “Share” button to option the options. Now, I’ll choice the “Public view link” option. This gives me YET ANOTHER window, and I’ll click on “Create public view link.” Now I can click on the convenient “Copy link” option, and my link is ready to paste into an email or Google Classroom, or wherever else I might think of. So we can share our link, but wouldn’t it be cool if we could see who interacted with it? If we click on share again, our “Public view link” button has a new “live” tag to let us know it is active. Let’s click that. Now, if I click where the visitor label is, I’ll get the analytics window. This shows several stats on views. This might not be critical, but it is nice to see if you are talking to yourself or not! If you get to a point where you no longer want the newsletter to be public, you can click on Share > Public view link, and then click the three little dots to remove your link. Easy! Click here to view my demo newsletter! Well, that’s pretty much it! You can use these same techniques in all of your other Canva design projects, so don’t think that this information HAS to be used just for newsletters. I used exactly the same techniques to make the title thumbnail for this post. PLUS, I used Canva’s stupid-good background removal tool. One click, and we are background free! Originally posted by Cory Robbins on the West Fork Technology Hub (2025-01-14). Alternatives to Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator This is pretty huge news if you are someone that loves Canva (or hates it) but feels like sometimes it is a little too… limiting. Recently Canva purchased the Affinity company. Affinity is company that produces the most comprehensive and direct competitor to the Adobe Creative Suite (PhotoShop, Illustrator, and InDesign). The Affinity versions, Photo, Designer, and Publisher respectively, are really great pieces of software, and, in a lot of ways, they are better than the Adobe versions. At full price, the Affinity suite (works on Mac, Windows, and iPad) will cost $164.99 one time. That’s SO much nicer than the subscript required for Adobe products. Why am I telling you this? It’s because Canva has a policy that provides the best versions of their software to students and teachers for free, and when they purchased Affinity, they made the choice to include the new programs in that free offering! So now, you get everything Canva has to offer, but you also have access to these three professional-level design programs! I think that’s pretty awesome, personally! We have put the suite in Chocolatey, so you and your students can now follow these instructions to install and activate on your school computers. Want to install it on your personal computers? Just follow the step 2 instructions in this link. Installing Affinity On School Computers click the Windows button, and type in “GUI” or “chocolatey” to bring up “Chocolatey GUI.” Click on it to open. Click on “ChocolateyInternal” on the left side of the store. Affinity Photo, Designer, and Publisher are probably near the top of the list, but feel free to search for “Affinity” to narrow your choices. Once you see your Affinity options choose which of the three apps you want to install first, right-click it, and click on “Install.” Your install window will close, and you will then see a new desktop shortcut for your application of choice. If you want to install more of the apps, feel free to do that now or later. The next steps just have to happen with the first app you open. Pick one of your newly installed Affinity apps to open. You will see the screen below. Click on “Sign in with Canva.” Then click on the “Sing in with Canva” button This will open Chrome. On the page, select your team, then click on the “Allow” button. You will get an “Open Affinity [application] 2?” prompt. Select always allow, and then click the “Open…” button. You will get one final button to let you “Lanuch Affinity…” go ahead and click that to get started. The Internet is full of tutorials on this software. Go forth, make beautiful and/or functional things. Bonus tip… The major thing Adobe offers that Affinity doesn’t address is video production. They may add this in the future, but that doesn’t help right now. To fix this, we have also added DaVinci Resolve to Chocolatey. I really like this software too. They use it on Hollywood blockbuster films, so I’m pretty sure it should work for our purposes! Originally posted by Cory Robbins on the West Fork Technology Hub (2024-09-10). I Love PDF Tool Whether scanned from the copier, downloaded from the Internet, or received in an email, PDF files are by design easy to open but difficult to edit. This article demonstrates two of the many tools available to make changes to PDF files. ilovepdf.com is a powerful collection of free PDF tools. Logging in to the website is optional. If you choose to, you can log in with your Google credentials. There are multiple tools in each of the following categories: Organize PDF Optimize PDF Convert to PDF Convert from PDF Edit PDF PDF Security These tools are fairly intuitive to use. The rest of this document will be a demonstration of the tools we use on a regular basis in the tech office. Click the arrow to expand Tool #1 - Organize PDF Click the Organize PDF button. Select the PDF file you want to work with by: drag and drop, Clicking the Select PDF file button, or loading from Google Drive. Select the file and click Open. Once the file is open a thumbnail of each page will be displayed. Drag and drop the pages to change the order. Hover over the thumbnail to Add, Delete, or Rotate a page. When done, click the Organize button. The file can now be renamed and downloaded. Tool #2 - Merge PDF Click the Merge PDF button. Select the PDF files you want to work with by: drag and drop, Clicking the Select PDF file button, or loading from Google Drive. In this example, PDF#1 and PDF#2 are selected and opened. A thumbnail of each file will be shown. You can drag and drop to reorder. Click the Merge PDF button. The merged file can now be renamed and downloaded. Originally posted by Carl Clements on the West Fork Technology Hub (2024-09-24). Learning Supports Texthelp - Read & Write and Equatio As you have no doubt heard from Mrs. Ward, there will be some new tools available for the ATLAS tests moving forward. These include a powerful text-to-speech utility and a versatile math equation editor. In preparation for these testing tools, the state has provided two extensions for Google Chrome. We will be pushing these extensions out to all staff and students very soon. Both tools are products of the texthelp company. The text-to-speech tool is called Read&Write. There are a lot of other tools besides text-to-speech! Other tools include Talking Dictionary, Picture Dictionary, Prediction tool, language translation, and much more. Here is a YouTube tutorial to get you started. This one is designed to introduce Read&Write to students. The math equation editor is called Equatio. There are handy tools for science as well. Here is a YouTube intro tutorial for Equatio geared at teachers. This one is designed to introduce Equatio to students. Here is a useful website that the Coop Tech coordinators put together. There are lots of resources, including a handout that explains every button. Originally posted by Carl Clements on the West Fork Technology Hub (2023-11-07). How to Use escWorks Click the arrow to expand each topic. Creating an escWorks Account Navigate to escWorks: Shoebox Click on “Click here to create and account” Fields with an * are required Choose Northwest Education Service Cooperative as your organization Choose West Fork School District at your Site Enter a password Click Save Record Registering for a Regular Session Navigate to escWorks and click sign in. Enter your login and password Select “Calendar of Sessions” Make sure Northwest Education Service Cooperative is selected. Click on the desired workshop Click Register Click Check Out You will receive an email confirming your registration Registering for a Private Session Some workshops are not advertised on the calendar. For these, you will receive an ID from an administrator or a coop employee. Navigate to escWorks and click sign in. Enter your login and password Select “Search” Enter the provided session ID and click search Click on the desired workshop Click Register Click Check Out You will receive an email confirming your registration Confirming a Session Registration Navigate to escWorks and click sign in. Enter your login and password Click on Registration/Certificate Upcoming Sessions will be listed Cancelling a Session Registration Navigate to escWorks and click sign in. Enter your login and password Click on Registration/Certificate Find the session to cancel and click Cancel Registration Confirm the cancellation You will receive an email confirming your cancellation Downloading a Session Certificate Navigate to escWorks and click sign in. Enter your login and password Click on Registration/Certificate Click on Past Sessions Locate the desired workshop and click Certificate. The certificate will download as a PDF. Updating Your Account Information If your information has changed: New last name, moved to a different district, new email address etc. DO NOT CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT!! Navigate to escWorks and click sign in. Enter your login and password Click on User Account Update any incorrect information Click Save Record Downloading Your Professional Development Record Navigate to escWorks and click sign in. Enter your login and password Click on Professional Development Record Select the appropriate Year of Record and click Go The transcript will download as a PDF Originally posted by Carl Clements on the West Fork Technology Hub (2023-11-28).