Category: Weekly Reflections

Our presentation was on the use of BandLab in a music class setting. The idea behind BandLab is using an online digital audio software (DAW) to collaborate with other musicians to create a track from anywhere. There are the basic DAW tools like recording functions, adjustments for the tempo, controls for each track and the master controls. We wanted to use BandLab to demonstrate what could be done with such a tool. As a secondary topic, we wanted to use AI (ChatGPT) to generate lyrics for a song / rap which we would go on to make an entire track around. The main educational relevance here is demonstrating how students can use technology to collaborate creatively even if they are not physically in the same space.

What we came up with was a rap with lyrics generated by ChatGPT about the benefits of AI being used in education. In the spirit of the experiment, we all worked on the track independently to see if it would really work. I recorded several layers of vocals at home: contributing to the chorus, recording the entire second verse, and some additional background vocals. I also made some minor edits to the instrumentals such as adding some effects and cutting out the instrumentals to create a “drop” when they come back in after the third verse. For the music video, I was one of the main “actors” playing a part alongside Nishant and Daniel. We all contributed to the ideas for what to film and how, but I remember having some input regarding the circle formation in the chorus and helping orchestrate the “rain on the windows” shots in the bridge.

You can see our final product here:

This week we finally had our group presentations. The one that stuck out to me the most was Mindmeister.

I can see myself using this going forward as it allows you to really organize thoughts in a way that makes sense to me. I can not only see myself using this program for organizing my own thoughts and ideas, but I think Mindmeister could prove a useful tool for my classes going forward. For instance, as a biology teacher, I can see this being a really useful way of organizing ideas for my students. I could possibly give them a mind map or idea map to help them understand complex topics from cell physiology to taxonomic concepts.

I really like the fact that you can switch between a mind map and a more traditional list / outline depending on your needs. They serve different purposes with the same information. The one thing I’m not completely crazy about is the fact that you can only have up to three mind maps at a time, so if I were to try to use Mindmesiter in my classes as a teacher I would likely have to pay for the full version. In addition, I played around with the tool myself and found it a little clunky in some ways; it can be a little hard to move your topics / bubbles in a way that is aesthetically pleasing and the presentation mode is a little awkward to use as well.

Ultimately, I think it’s a really good tool for general organization with a couple downfalls. I could see myself trying to use it in the future, but I wonder what other kinds of mind map programs are out there and if they feel a bit more natural to work with?

In continuing with thinking about the consequences of the widespread use of AI in education, we talked about how we can ensure ethical uses of AI in the classroom, how to avoid plagiarism in a world with AI at our fingertips, and how we can be prepared to deal with such plagiarism instances going forward. I am mostly going to reflect on how we can minimize the risk of plagiarism in our classrooms while still having a place for AI.

After our class discussion and thinking about it, I’ve come to the realization that there will always be a chance for people to plagiarize as long as they have access to an AI tool, and that will only be more true if you don’t allow people the chance to use it at all. For instance, if asked my students to come up with a short story idea all on their own without the use of AI, odds are some students would try to pass off an AI-generated story as their own. But if I tell them they can use AI to generate ideas but that they would be required to A) cite what part / ideas of the text is AI-generated and B) make significant edits to whatever is AI-generated, then this allows the students to use the tool in a controlled, responsible way while teaching them the potential uses for the tool and the importance of citation.

Here is an example of this using ChatGPT.

I would instruct my students to come up with a story that contains i) a central character, ii) a few details about them, iii) their character’s goal, and iv) something about the setting. If they use ChatGPT to generate some ideas, they must cite their input and the AI’s output:

Me: Please give me an idea for a short story. I want to write a short story about a hermit crab named Bongo who is really good at running but wants to become a Broadway actor. The story should be set in 1960s France and should be about 500 words long. Thank you

ChatGPT: Title: “Bongo’s Encore”

Once upon a time in the quaint coastal town of Cannes, France, there lived a hermit crab named Bongo. While his fellow crustaceans were content with the slow pace of sea life, Bongo harbored dreams that went beyond the waves. He yearned for the bright lights of the stage and the applause of an adoring audience. His heart beat to the rhythm of dreams that echoed from Broadway.

It was the vibrant summer of 1965, and Bongo scuttled across the sandy shores with the agility that set him apart from his shell-dwelling comrades. His life wasn’t just about shells and tides; it was about chasing a destiny that shimmered in the distant lights of fame.

One day, while exploring the beach, Bongo stumbled upon a weathered theater poster. The colorful images of dancers in extravagant costumes ignited a spark within him. The poster announced auditions for a grand production, “The Sea’s Symphony,” and Bongo knew he had to seize this opportunity.

The auditions were set to take place at a legendary theater in the heart of Cannes. Bongo, with determination in his heart, embarked on a journey that would take him beyond the familiar comforts of his sandy abode. He scuttled through the narrow streets, drawing curious looks from the locals as he approached the theater doors.

Inside, the atmosphere was electric with anticipation. Bongo, with his tiny claws and a heart full of dreams, stood before the judges. The esteemed panel included a wise old lobster, a graceful seahorse, and a stern-looking starfish.

Bongo took a deep breath and began to perform. His swift moves were a dance of their own, a ballet of nature’s beauty. The judges were captivated, but skepticism lingered. A hermit crab aspiring to be a Broadway star seemed preposterous.

However, Bongo’s passion was undeniable. He poured his heart into each step, defying the limitations of his shell. The judges, moved by his performance, saw a glimmer of something extraordinary in this little hermit crab.

As the applause erupted, Bongo felt a surge of triumph. His dream was within reach. The judges announced him as a featured performer in “The Sea’s Symphony,” and Bongo’s name echoed through the theater.

Rehearsals were a whirlwind of excitement for Bongo. He adapted to the stage with the same agility that made him a swift runner on the beach. The other sea creatures marveled at his dedication, and soon Bongo became a symbol of pursuing one’s dreams against all odds.

The opening night arrived, and the theater buzzed with anticipation. Bongo, adorned in a tiny, shimmering costume, took center stage. The lights bathed him in a warm glow as he danced, twirled, and leaped across the stage, leaving the audience in awe.

As the final curtain fell, the applause was thunderous. Bongo, the hermit crab from the shores of Cannes, had not only fulfilled his dream but had become a sensation. The once skeptical crowd now celebrated him as the star of the show.

And so, in the summer of 1965, Bongo the hermit crab proved that dreams, no matter how unlikely, could come true. His encore echoed through the annals of the sea, inspiring generations of sea creatures to chase their own dreams, no matter how grand or unusual they may seem.

This is an example of an outline of a story I could get my students to “come up with” using AI, but I would expect them to go on to edit elements of the story to make it their own. AI can therefore be used as a tool for generating ideas, but it is still expected that they re-work the output and make it their own in some way and they must cite what they input into an AI tool and what the output is.

I have a lot of different feelings when it comes to artificial intelligence (AI) in general. On one hand, how cool is is that we’ve been able to create increasingly more complex intelligent computers? On the other hand, how scary is it that we’ve been able to create increasingly more complex intelligent computers?

I think, on a personal level, I think AI to be a bit of an existential nightmare, but when it comes to education, things are much more nuanced. I can absolutely see the challenges that the increasing availability of AI will inevitably bring to education: inability to distinguish original work from AI-generated work, autonomy of AI as a creator, ethical concerns, and the impossibility to “policing” such pervasive and well-camouflaged technology. While many educators are trying to fight back against AI, I don’t think that’s really worth it. I mean, AI is already unleashed upon the world – Pandora’s box has been opened, so to speak. I don’t think it’s really possible to keep AI out of education at this point and so the logical thing to do is adapt.

Technologies like ChatGPT are ultimately really neat and powerful tools that, if used correctly, could actually be used to an educational advantage. Now, I’m very far from an expert on the ins and outs of AI chat interphases, nor am I fully aware of the implications or dangers it could pose, but I am ultimately in favour of finding ways to use it for good. For example, helping students brainstorm ideas and then editing / re-writing them could be helpful in some instances. Or even just in helping students understand complex concepts or ideas – AI can take a wall of text or an impenetrable idea and really break it down for any audience. Allow me to demonstrate:

Here is a question I asked ChatGPT (note: all writing in red is generated by ChatGPT):

Me:

“Can you please explain black-body radiation in simple terms? I do not have any experience with physics.”

ChatGPT:

“Certainly! Imagine you have an object that can absorb all the light that falls on it, and it also emits light. This object is what scientists call a “black body.”

Now, when you heat up this black body, something interesting happens. As it gets hotter, it starts to glow. The color of the glow changes as the temperature increases. At lower temperatures, it might glow red, then as it gets hotter, it turns orange, yellow, white, and eventually blue if it’s extremely hot.

Black-body radiation is the electromagnetic radiation (including visible light) that is emitted by a black body when it’s heated. This phenomenon is essential in understanding how objects emit light based on their temperature. The higher the temperature, the shorter the wavelength of the emitted light.

This relationship is described by Planck’s law, named after physicist Max Planck, who first formulated it. Planck’s law helps explain the spectrum of light emitted by a black body at different temperatures.

In everyday terms, you can think of black-body radiation as the reason why a metal rod, for example, changes color as you heat it on a stove. It starts from red and gradually becomes brighter and changes to different colors as it gets hotter.”

While I had a vague idea of what black-body radiation is from a previous physics class, I admit, I feel like ChatGPT’s explanation of it was pretty comprehensive and accessible to the average person with or without any knowledge of physics.

Unfortunately I had to miss class this week, so I as not part of the discussion. However, I have done some personal reflection on the idea of gamification and, as both a lover of learning games (video, board, card…), I’m in love with this approach to learning. While I don’t know many specific resources or platforms to use in a “gamified”classroom, but I am very interested in the idea.

There’s just something about the idea of having a classroom – a naturally fun learning environment – and combining it with a fun-oriented rule-set like a game. I mean you could do so much with that! There are so many different kinds of games you could emulate in the classroom: card games, dice-based probabilities, more competitive styles. I could see it being used in pretty much any class too! You could develop language-oriented gamifications, ones that promote an understanding of chemical, biological, and physical processes, or even math-based games. Heck, I can even see a use for math or computer science skills (applied logic, algorithms, and functions) being used to have students designed gamifications of their own.

As far as I’m concerned regarding gamification in education, it’s such an excited idea with potential limited only by the teacher’s creativity. It’s versatile, engaging, and flexible. The future of gamification in education sounds bright to me.

This week’s class was a Zoom meeting which focused on accessibility in learning. It’s fitting that we had this class on Zoom because video chat technology, I think, provides an interesting starting point for discussion an reflection on the topic of accessibility. The goal of video chat platforms like Zoom is to increase accessibility by allowing people to speak to and see each other regardless of distance from each other. It allows people to attend meetings even if they are bed-redden. It can even help people feel more comfortable attending a course or meeting. On the other hand, those without reliable internet connection or the electronic devices themselves will not be able to benefit from these perks, making it inaccessible to those people. This illustrates a big take-away of the discussion we had: nothing can ever be fully accessible to everyone all the time, but it is important to do the best we can.

More specifically, our in-class conversation focused on accessibility to learning and external support. We spoke about how many of the supports people require in education like health services, learning support, and accommodation for learners with diverse needs. We talked mostly about how these things are often not nearly as accessible as they should be. Many students have a varying degree of need for these supports but, paradoxically, it seems that those who need them most have the hardest time accessing them. This highlights a systemic fault in how accessible these supports are. For instance, someone struggling with clinical depression or anxiety might not physically be able to seek out the help they need. Even if they do have the energy to seek help, these supports can often be withheld from them by doctors, mental health specialists, and other professionals between them and help.

This week we talked about the Metaverse.

We were actually, more broadly, speaking about the pros and cons of distance learning (i.e. the use of video chat technology like Zoom to replace or supplement in-person learning). Maybe I’m just stubbornly old-fashioned in this regard, but as good as video chat technology is, it’s no replacement for the in-person experience.

Of course, the Metaverse is essentially Zoom for every day life. By that I mean, it’s more than a video call, it’s virtual reality. I’ve never tried VR myself, and sure, it sounds neat, but living in VR sounds not only super unhealthy from a social standpoint, but also, it sounds like an existential nightmare. I mean, I’ve never actually watched the Matrix trilogy, but I know enough to see the parallels and it makes me uncomfortable. The idea of spending most (or all) of your waking time in, essentially, a fake universe sounds scary. What happens when people become hopelessly dependent on their new “environment” and then the servers go down? Will people become so caught up in their VR world that they forget the real universe exists and freak out when they are unexpectedly reminded of the virtual nature of their reality? I realize that sounds extreme and borderline “boomer” of me, but these are real possibilities to consider.

How can I tie this to education? Well I guess for starters, students need to be able to critically think about technology – who they interact with online, “where” they go online, and the potential dangers that come with immersive technologies. Does that mean that video technology like Zoom does not belong in the classroom? Absolutely not. That is a very useful tool! Should it replace in-person classes? No, I don’t think that would be a net positive for education. What about the Metaverse? Can VR technology be useful in the classroom or in the work place? Sure – I bet there are many ways they could be used and I’m cautiously optimistic to see what kinds of creative ideas educators come up with in the future to use this technology.

I’m not sure platforms like the Metaverse will really take off like they Meta hopes it will, however, similar predictions were made about the video game industry in the early 1980s, and look where we are with that now. Anything could happen. But I honestly kind of hope the world doesn’t do a full transition to a virtual reality anytime soon.

Unfortunately, I was feeling pretty under the weather this week, so I wasn’t able to attend class. I emailed Guillaume and got caught up on what I’d missed – sounds like the majority of the class time was dedicated to hands-on lab work and exploring a few new resources including a couple AI image generating cites.

While, by nature of not being able to be in class, I do not have as much to reflect on this week as in past weeks, I was able to make some progress on my inquiry project: namely, I had a really good conversation with a friend of mine who has a background in music composition and it also very interested in experimental music and music history. I specifically asked if they had any good ideas of genres or movements in music that were prominent in the 1970s that I could address in this week’s blog post. A few things they brought to my attention were the cross-genre explosion of music in Iceland when they suddenly gained access to the world of music, from classical to rock music, all at once. While that sounds, interesting, I need to check whether or not that occurred in the 70s to see if it would be relevant for this week. What really stood out to me, however, is the development of dub reggae in Jamaica in the 1970s. Obviously, I’m writing this before starting my research for this week’s inquiry post, so we’ll see what I end up going with but I am getting excited about the music I am discovering throughout my inquiry project!

It’s October now. We’ve had three or four full weeks under our belt now and fall is starting to set in. Things are starting to settle finally.

Class this past week was good. I got acquainted with Screencastify and H5E and tried it out. I think I will try to incorporate an interactive video in a future inquiry blog post of mine, but I’ll have to think about how best to do that. For what it was, I felt like I understood how to use the plug-in and the in-class exercise went well.

As far as the inquiry blog post in general go, I am feeling really good about it all! I have been discovering some really cool music through my deep-dive into experimental music. Honestly, I wish I could spend more time just listening and discovering than I do researching artists to include in my posts, but I am enjoying learning about a wide range of artists I might never have listened to otherwise. Of the artists I have come across and discussed so far, I am most interested in Johanna Beyer and Delia Dervyshire as I am really interested in early electronic music production and technology. There have been many other artists I wished to talk about and listen to somewhere in this blog but I am trying to fulfil my original focus while also keeping the blog posts manageable. Some artists, off the top of my head, that I hope to come back to on my own time are Moondog and Sun Ra.

September 26th, 2023

On pods and brainstorms:

Today’s class was interesting! We got into our pods which was cool! I managed to find a group where most of us were focusing on something music-related in for our inquiry blog posts. It was really good to start brainstorming what kind of ed. tech. resource we would focus on for our inquiry presentations down the road.

On the lecture:

After the initial brainstorming session, we talked a bit about how to design multi-media resources to be as engaging as possible for students; we watched a video on how to best present information which was somewhat interesting, but the guy who made the video seemed to violate his own rules. It was a little hypocritical, but hey, it was a great demonstration of what not to do I guess! Some things I learned a bit about is that words (text or verbal) are better when relevant visuals or imagery is supplemented. One thing that stood out and makes sense given my own personal experiences was the “principal of redundancy” which essentially says that when the exact same information is repeated too much – even in different modes – it can be counterproductive to learning. For instance, a teacher showing a slide show with text explaining a concept and reading verbatim from the lecture slides.

On the educational technology of the week:

I’m looking forward to playing around with Screencastify and Canva to see what kinds of additional modes I can bring to my future blog posts and maybe reflections.