Tag: #aiineducation

Making Space for the Magic: International Day and AI

I didn’t expect to spend the day after International Day back in the kitchen, but there I was, making scones for the second time in one weekend.

Not because we ran out on International.
Not because guests were coming.
But because not a single person in our family actually ate one on International Day itself.

They were baked, displayed, admired, and then completely ignored by the people who made them. So the next day, I made another batch. And honestly, I forgot how easy scones are to make.

I’ve incorporated some simple, reliable tips for making good scones into the recipe I’ve shared later in this post. Nothing fancy, just gentle handling and not overthinking it.

While the scones baked, I found myself reflecting on International Day as a whole, especially how much AI quietly supported the planning and preparation behind the scenes.

International Day Passports

One of the unexpected highlights of International Day was the passports and passport stamp stickers. They were loved by everyone, including students, parents, teachers, and adults who absolutely did not need a sticker but wanted one anyway.

AI helped me in three main ways.
First, it allowed me to generate country themed concepts quickly.
Second, it made it easy to iterate designs without starting from scratch.
Third, it helped keep visuals playful, inclusive, and consistent.

The final designs felt cohesive and joyful, and ultimately very collectible.

The Sticker Prompt I Used

If you are curious or planning something similar, this is the kind of prompt that worked well.

AI Sticker Prompt (Passport-Style)

Create a colorful passport-style sticker for [COUNTRY NAME].
Use bold, friendly shapes and simple iconic imagery (landmarks, animals, cultural symbols).
Style should be playful, inclusive, and child-friendly, with thick outlines and bright but balanced colors.
Circular or stamp-shaped design, suitable for printing as a small sticker.
Include the country name in clear, friendly lettering.
Clean background, high contrast, joyful tone.

From there, I refined everything in Canva so the stickers, passports, and visuals all felt cohesive and print-ready.

Playlists: A Win, With Notes for Future Organizers

Music always matters on International Day. This year, I used AI to help generate a playlist that reflected our diverse community. The music was clean, upbeat, and suitable for little ears.

It worked well, but for future organizers, I would gently suggest two things.
Invite community members to share song ideas earlier in the planning process.
Consider using a YouTube playlist instead of Spotify, as it often makes culturally diverse music easier to find and share.

AI is excellent for getting started quickly. Community input is what gives it heart.

Keeping Everything in One Place

Behind the scenes, Canva was my organizational anchor. I kept everything in one place, including a shared planning spreadsheet, a working spreadsheet to track country tables and their needs, passport and sticker templates, and social media posts.

This made updates faster and collaboration easier. Most importantly to me, it created an institutional memory where everything is ready to be passed on. When events change hands, clear and accessible materials matter.

AI in the Kitchen Too

With AI saving me time on tasks that would normally take an enormous amount of energy, I felt able to host a table for the first time in four years, despite fighting off all the winter illnesses flying around.

AI supported me in the kitchen through Afternoon Tea inspired menu planning, recipe generation and comparison, recipe scaling, and shopping lists.

The feedback told a great story.

Cucumber sandwiches were a surprise hit. One parent came back for more because they were the only thing their children would eat all day. With food from twenty two countries, this was a delightful surprise.

Marmalade sandwiches sparked a lot of love for Paddington Bear.

Lemon drizzle cake was not everyone’s first choice, but those who tried it came back again and again. One person came back five times.

Coronation chicken was the most labor intensive dish. I had never made it from scratch before, and I am glad I did. The flavour was a delicate balance of warm spices with a subtle sweetness from a surprise ingredient, apricot jam. We made plenty of sandwiches and still had filling left over, but like any good curry, the flavour only improved with time.

Scones sparked a lot of nostalgia, especially among adults who had lived in or visited the UK. They also became a discussion point about how to eat them for those encountering scones for the first time.

AI did not replace judgment. It helped me refine my ideas quickly and plan more realistically, saving me a lot of time.

The Recipes

Scones

Ingredients

  • 2 cups self raising flour ( or 2 cups all purpose flour plus two and a half teaspoons baking powder)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4teaspoon salt
  • 1/4cup cold butter, cubed
  • 1 egg
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons apricot jam
  • 2/3 cup milk, using most in the dough and keeping a little back for glazing.

Method

Heat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius or 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a bowl, mix the flour, sugar, and salt.

Rub the cold butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a jug, whisk together the egg, apricot jam, and milk.

Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, keeping a small amount aside for glazing, and gently bring together into a soft, slightly scrappy dough.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Press down gently, cut into quarters, stack the layers, then press down again.

Cut with a straight sided cutter, a glass, or in my case a spice tin.

Brush the tops with the reserved milk mixture.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until well risen and golden.

Handle gently and avoid overworking the dough. These freeze beautifully, so doubling the recipe is worth it.

Lemon Drizzle Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 oil or softened butter, I used butter for a richer flavour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • Zest of 2 lemons

Drizzle

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 /4 quarter cup sugar

Method

Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs.

Fold in the flour and lemon zest.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

While warm, pour over the lemon drizzle.

Not flashy, but clearly worth a second slice.

What AI Really Gave Me

AI did not make International Day magical.
People did.

But it gave me time, clarity, and breathing room to focus on the details that mattered, respond thoughtfully to feedback, and leave behind resources that future organizers can build on.

And it gave me enough headspace to make another batch of scones the next day, this time just for us.

That feels like a pretty good place to end.

Unlocking Deeper Learning: The Power of App Smashing and AI in an elementary classroom

Technology is constantly evolving, and AI is undoubtedly here to stay. As educators, it’s our responsibility to remain perpetual learners, not just to keep pace but to empower our students to make informed choices and utilize technology effectively. I firmly believe that by modeling this behavior of continuous learning and a willingness to adapt, the learners I encounter will be inspired to cultivate the same crucial skills.

In my previous post, I shared our initial explorations into the world of AI and app smashing, detailing how we creatively combined Magic Student, Seesaw, and Book Creator. Today, I’m excited to delve into our next adventure: how we harnessed the power of Canva and Magic Student to plan and teach a poetry unit that culminated in a truly engaging Poetry Video Podcast.

Planning and Presentation with Canva AI:

Inspired by the free “Canva AI in the Classroom” course, I used the AI features within Canva to create two key poetry lessons: one focusing on the visual form of Shape Poetry and another exploring the concise structure of Haikus. For our Shape Poetry lesson, we the fascinating world of spirals after reading a captivating nonfiction book highlighting their presence in the environment.

To take it one step further, I asked Canva to help create presentations based on these lesson plans. This saved valuable preparation time and provided visually engaging materials tailored to the concepts we were exploring.

Empowering Student Choice with Magic Student’s Poetry Room:

These are the Magic Student Tools that were included in our Poetry Room. If you are a Magic School AI user, I have shared a template to the room below.

As my second graders prepared to embark on their own poetic journeys, I introduced them to a dedicated “Poetry Room” within Magic Student. This digital space offered them agency and support in their creative process. Some students eagerly utilized the Idea Generator to spark initial concepts for their poems, while others astutely used it for feedback on their developing ideas. This demonstrated a wonderful early development of their metacognitive skills as writers, making informed choices about the support they needed.

Collaborative Creation in Canva Classroom:

This is the template we created together using an exemplar haiku I wrote. We learned how to add a background, use text effects and layer elements, including text.

The next stage involved bringing their poetic words to life visually using Canva. We began by collaboratively creating a template within Canva. This was a fantastic opportunity to explicitly teach them how to utilize text effects and layer elements, fostering an understanding of design principles for a more polished final product. Once our shared template was established, I duplicated it for each student and assigned it through Canva Classroom. This allowed us to work simultaneously within the same slide deck, fostering a sense of community and shared creation. It was inspiring to witness the diverse ways students chose to enhance their poems visually. Some experimented with AI image generators within Canva, while others carefully selected graphics or photographs that resonated with their poetic themes.

Unexpected Inspiration: From Slides to Sound:

Our initial plan was to conclude the project with their visually rich poetry slides. However, during our Spring break, I dedicated an hour to exploring the “What’s new in Canva – March edition” webinar. This proved to be an unexpectedly transformative moment! I was particularly excited by the demonstration of Canva’s enhanced video and audio features, sparking an idea to take our poetry project a step further – into the realm of video podcasts.

Creating Poetry Video Podcasts:

Upon our return from the break, I found moments when learners were focused on independent learning to record each learner for our podcast. Using my MacBook’s microphone and Canva’s remarkable new “enhance audio” feature, we captured their voices reading their poetry and sharing their knowledge of poetry. The result was truly impressive – despite the recording taking place within a busy classroom environment, the enhanced audio clarity made it sound as if we were in a professional recording studio!

The journey of our poetry unit, from initial brainstorming with Magic Student to the creation of engaging video podcasts in Canva, has been a testament to the power of integrating AI and innovative digital tools. It’s been inspiring to witness my second graders not only deepen their understanding of poetry but also develop their digital literacy and creative expression in such dynamic ways.

And thanks to Canva’s Visual Suite 2.0, launched just last week, I can easily share all the diverse materials created throughout this unit – planning notes, Canva presentations, and an excerpt from the final video podcast – all within one easily accessible slide deck.

Now, I’d love to hear from you! How are you exploring the possibilities of AI and app smashing in your elementary classroom? What creative projects are you and your students embarking on? Share your experiences and ideas in the comments below – let’s continue to learn and grow together in this exciting era of educational technology!

Empowering Young Writers: AI and App Smashing in the Elementary Classroom

A year ago, I shared my initial foray into incorporating AI in education, moving from skepticism to a sense of pioneering spirit (you can read about it here: https://honorlearners.com/2024/02/18/from-skeptic-to-pioneer-my-journey-into-incorporating-ai-in-education/). Today, I’m thrilled to share how I brought the power of AI to my 2nd-grade learners through an engaging app smash using Magic School AI, Seesaw, and Book Creator. This experience not only boosted their writing skills but also ignited their curiosity and creativity.

The Power of Each App: A Quick Recap

Seesaw: Our digital hub, fostering student portfolios, reflection, and family communication.

Magic School AI: The educator’s ally, providing AI-powered tools for lesson planning, resource generation, and personalized feedback.

Book Creator: The creative canvas, empowering students to design and publish their own digital books.

Our App Smash Journey: Step by Step

Igniting Curiosity with Magic School AI:

We began by tapping into Magic School AI’s Informational Text tool. Our learners chose a variety of topics that sparked their interest, and Magic School AI generated informational texts that served as a springboard for their learning. This step not only provided valuable content but also demonstrated how AI can be a powerful research tool.

Research, Note-Taking, and Drafting:

After absorbing the AI-generated texts, the learners delved deeper, conducting further research and taking detailed notes. They then crafted their own informational texts, demonstrating their understanding of the topics.

Seesaw: The Digital Drafting Space:

Learners typed their drafts into Seesaw, saving them as works in progress. Seesaw’s versatility allowed them to easily revise and refine their writing. It also documented the writing process, allowing families to see the steps we took to edit and revise our writing.

Magic Student: AI-Powered Revision and Feedback:

This is where the magic truly happened. I launched a Magic Student room with three key tools: Text Proofreader, Writing Feedback, and the Raina Chatbot. To ensure feedback was aligned with our learning objectives, I uploaded a copy of our writing rubric. I shared the link to the Magic Student room in Seesaw, and learners used their tech code names (color, animal, number) to protect their identity. What’s particularly powerful about the Magic Student room is the transparency it offers teachers. Teachers can see how learners are interacting with each of the tools, identifying areas where they excel and where they needed additional support. As it was the first time, our learners were using Magic Student, and navigating multiple tabs, the following steps were done with my support. After all, they are only 7!

Text Proofreader:

Learners copied their text from Seesaw into the Text Proofreader, receiving instant feedback on grammar and spelling. We duplicated the page in Seesaw and pasted the feedback, allowing students to make direct edits. As they edited, I provided targeted instruction on spelling patterns and grammatical rules.

Writing Feedback:

Learners then copied their edited text into the Writing Feedback tool, which provided constructive feedback on the strengths and areas for growth in their writing. This feedback was copied into Seesaw, and used as a guide for revision.

Raina Chatbot:

We used a combination of the Writing Feedback tool and the Raina Chatbot to revise sections of their text, focusing on enhancing vocabulary and adding descriptive details. Some learners even expanded their texts by adding new paragraphs based on the feedback they received.

A side note: If you want more information about writing tools that can be used to support learners in Magic School Student, check out this recent Webinar hosted by both Magic School AI and Book Creator. It was inspiring enough for me to take the free Book Creator Certified Author course.

Book Creator: Publishing Our Informational Books:

With their revised texts in hand, learners copied their work into Book Creator. They then transformed their writing into beautifully designed digital books, adding images and multimedia elements. Some learners went above and beyond, incorporating tables of contents and glossaries.

Seesaw: Sharing Our Published Works:

As published authors, learners proudly shared their digital books with their families via Seesaw. We downloaded them as PDFs, uploaded them to Seesaw and added the published book link to the first page. We also shared our books by reading them to a younger class, which was a very rewarding experience.

This app smash journey had a profound impact on my 2nd-grade learners. They experienced firsthand the power of AI as a valuable tool for both learning and creativity. The learners developed a deeper understanding of the writing process, moving beyond simple drafting to engage in meaningful revision and refinement. They gained confidence in their ability to use technology to enhance their learning, becoming more comfortable and proficient with digital tools. Furthermore, they learned valuable lessons about digital citizenship, understanding the importance of protecting their identity online while engaging with AI platforms.

This experience reinforced several key takeaways regarding the integration of AI in elementary education. Firstly, AI can be a valuable and accessible tool for even young learners, fostering creativity and critical thinking. Secondly, app smashing, when thoughtfully planned, creates engaging and meaningful learning experiences that resonate with learners. Finally, providing clear guidance, support, and a structured framework is essential for the successful integration of AI, ensuring that students can maximize its benefits while navigating potential challenges.

I sincerely encourage you to explore the vast possibilities of AI within your own classroom. Take the leap and experiment with app smashing, discovering firsthand how it can transform your teaching practices and enrich your students’ learning experiences. Share your own AI integration stories in the comments below, fostering a community of educators who are passionate about leveraging technology to empower the next generation of learners. Let’s continue to learn from each other and push the boundaries of educational innovation.