Daily Education and News for Schools 5/5/2025
This week, there continues to be news about AI. ChatGPT and some other tools are giving themselves away to college students. Notebook LM has rolled out new features making it a more popular tool for studying finals than probably anything else (we talked about this last week as well.)
Additionally, there’s some interesting research about back lash against brands and people who use AI and AI-generated images to write and publish. While AI is cool, using it heavily can have consequences, so beware. There have been some posts I’ve written and leaned on AI but I always end up rewriting to make them more “like me.” AI has uses but not everywhere, all the time.
As for this post, I bookmarked to Diigo. The quotes are excerpts from the articles and the words are my opinions. I exported and organized them onto this page and included a table of contents to help you move easily around this page.
Read this week’s email newsletter and then dig in to some of these links.
Does using AI-generated content cause a negative response in readers?
Studies Reveal Consumers Easily Detect AI-Generated Content
LINK 🔗 https://www.searchenginejournal.com/studies-reveal-consumers-easily-detect-ai-generated-content/543620
AI may not be the writing boon that, well, AI claims it is. From the image study, Youngblood warned,
“If consumers determine that AI images are poor quality or a bad fit they may hold that against your brand/product/services.”
The content study showed:
50.1% of respondents would think less of writers who use AI.
40.4% would view brands more negatively if they used AI-generated content.
Only 10.1% would view the brands more favorably.
What is ChatGPT’s free offer for college students?
College Students Can Get a Two-Month Free Trial of ChatGPT Plus | Lifehacker
LINK 🔗 https://lifehacker.com/tech/chatgpt-plus-free-trial-college-students?utm_medium=RSS
“You can only take advantage of this offer if you are a full or part-time student at a degree-granting school in either the U.S. or Canada. Don’t be dissuaded if you don’t see your school when attempting to sign up for the offer: OpenAI has a support link to help find or add your school to the list. This tool may also confirmed whether your school is ineligible. You need to be physically present in the U.S. (and its territories) or Canada to sign up for this offer, too—VPNs will not work, unless its a whitelisted educational VPN.
OpenAI says it’ll confirm your student credentials through a service called SheerID. If the service is unable to verify you through your school’s registrar office, or via your school’s single sign-on service, you may need to provide SheerID with extra documents to prove your eligibility. SheerID says it only uses this data to authenticate your eligibility for this promotion, and does not sell or share your data with third parties.”
How do you help people make better decisions?
Social Proof Backfire: The Marketing Mistake Costing You Conversions
LINK 🔗 https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/negative-social-proof
How to be careful that your messaging to people doesn’t have unintended consequences. Sometimes when you normalize behaviors you want to minimize you actually encourage that behavior. Parents and educators working in anti-vaping programs should look at this research and information.
“These anti-drug ads backfired because the ads unintentionally reinforced the idea that drug use was common. Rather than making the unwanted behavior seem scarce, the ads made drug-taking seem popular.
This is called negative social proof.
People look to others to determine what’s normal. The more they hear about something, the more they assume it’s widespread.
We follow the actions of others. For example, simply reframing a menu item as “most popular” can make it 20% more popular.”
These AI Features Make Paint My Favorite Windows Photo Editing App
LINK 🔗 https://www.makeuseof.com/paint-ai-feature-benefits
In a day when AI graphics are all the rage, more people are talking about the AI features built into Microsoft Paint. Here’s a rundown of those features for those of you using PC’s and without access to some of the other AI tools out there.
What are the new features in Notebook LM?
NotebookLM Discover Sources: Add web research to your notebook
LINK 🔗 https://blog.google/technology/google-labs/notebooklm-discover-sources
Discover sources is a new feature in Notebook LM that will let you find new sources to go into your notebook. As always, verify those sources.
NotebookLM launches new features to help students study
LINK 🔗 https://blog.google/technology/google-labs/notebooklm-studying-help
One of the most exciting things my college-bound seniors learned this semester is Notebook LM. Now, Google has rolled out three more features for students as they study for exams (many of which are college-level exams for my seniors.)
How can digital reconstruction help us see a woman from the Bronze Age?
‘Peering into the eyes of the past’: reconstruction reveals face of woman who lived before Trojan war | History | The Guardian
LINK 🔗 https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/apr/05/peering-into-the-eyes-of-the-past-reconstruction-reveals-face-of-woman-who-lived-before-trojan-war
This digital reconstruction of a face of a woman from the bronze age is really fascinating. This is a great way to weave AI/digital tech into history. “Dr Emily Hauser, the historian who commissioned the digital reconstruction, told the Observer: “She’s incredibly modern. She took my breath away.
“For the first time, we are looking into the face of a woman from a kingdom associated with Helen of Troy – Helen’s sister, Clytemnestra, was queen of Mycenae in legend – and from where the poet Homer imagined the Greeks of the Trojan war setting out. Such digital reconstructions persuade us that these were real people.””
How will people be celebrating National Library Week April 6-12, 2025?
National Library Week | ALA
LINK 🔗 https://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek
National Library week is coming up, April 6-12. here are some resources for it.
What did presenters at CoSN say about cell phones in the classroom?
CoSN2025: Why Are Cellphone Bans in K–12 Classrooms Sparking Controversy? | EdTech Magazine
LINK 🔗 https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2025/04/cosn2025-why-are-cellphone-bans-k-12-classrooms-sparking-controversy
A balanced overview of this debate from CoSN’s conference. in Edtech Magazine.
“In reality, Lapus shared, kids check their phones 52 times per day on average and spend an average of 43 minutes on their phones at school, according to research from Common Sense Media.
These numbers don’t paint a complete picture, however. There are the subsequent effects of children’s cellphone use to consider, as well as the ramifications of taking devices away.”
How can you use choose your own adventure games to learn about classic literature with Playbrary?
Playbrary
LINK 🔗 https://playbrary.ai
Larry Ferlazzo shared this in 2024 but this AI tool took many of the classic adventure stories and turned them into choose your own adventure games using chat. So frankenstein, Jane Eyre and many more are now interactive in a new way. I can see many exciting adventures in learning by using this as a tool. (And remember to have kids compare and contrast these to the novels they read, there is no substitute for a good book!)
What happened to NaNoWriMo? How does it relate to AI backlash?
NaNoWriMo shut down after AI, content moderation scandals | TechCrunch
LINK 🔗:https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/01/nanowrimo-shut-down-after-ai-content-moderation-scandals/
So sad to see NaNoWriMo Go! Hat tip to Stephen Downes for telling us about this one. It is an issue with the organization saying it was ok to use AI in creative writing – a stand some best selling authors disagreed with. “Around the same time, the nonprofit was also lambasted for inconsistent moderation on its all-ages forums, which created an unsafe environment for teenage writers, community members claimed.
According to NaNoWriMo, these controversies over content moderation and AI did not directly lead to the organization’s demise. But they certainly didn’t help.
“To blame NaNoWriMo’s demise on the events of the last year does a disservice to all struggling nonprofits,” a NaNoWriMo spokesperson, Kilby, stated in a YouTube video. “Too many members of a very large, very engaged community let themselves believe the service to be provided was free.””
What if we can’t find time to work out for extended periods during the week?
Weekend Exercise Lowers Risk Of Cancer, Heart Disease, Study Finds
LINK 🔗 https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a64388450/weekend-warrior-heart-cancer-health-benefits-study
Working out on the weekend is better than not working out at all — 150 minutes a week – that is the number.
“The researchers discovered that both the active regular and weekend warrior groups had a lower risk of death from all causes (up to 32 percent), as well as a lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease and cancer. “Engaging in physical activity concentrated within one to two days was related with a similar reduction in mortality risk as more evenly spread activity,” the researchers concluded.
Basically, you shouldn’t sweat it if all you can manage is to crank out your workouts on weekends—it’s still better for your health than being less active.”
What does Miguel Guhlin think about Carnegie Learning’s State of AI in Education overview from this week?
LINK 🔗 MyNotes: Carnegie Learning’s State of #AI in #Education #EduSky – Another Think Coming
I appreciate the rundown and detail on what Miguel Guhlin heard and his observations about a webinar he attended. His experience is much like mine. The only place we differ is I do not like the term “thought partner.” AI doesn’t think. It also can’t be a partner. A partner implies an equal. It is a tool for thinking, perhaps. I guess I’m careful not to anthropomorphize AI as the worldview I want to teach the kids. Otherwise, this is a fantastic overview and very helpful and I’ll be sharing it.
How are Chatbots being used in mental health today? What are they finding?
Randomized Trial of a Generative AI Chatbot for Mental Health Treatment | NEJM AI
LINK 🔗 https://ai.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/AIoa2400802
“Generative artificial intelligence (Gen-AI) chatbots hold promise for building highly personalized, effective mental health treatments at scale, while also addressing user engagement and retention issues common among digital therapeutics. We present a randomized controlled trial (RCT) testing an expert–fine-tuned Gen-AI–powered chatbot, Therabot, for mental health treatment.”
AI Therapy Breakthrough: New Study Reveals Promising Results | Psychology Today
LINK 🔗 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/urban-survival/202504/ai-therapy-breakthrough-new-study-reveals-promising-results
This really concerns me but also points to a need to train humans to supervise AI chatbots.
“An artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot trained by Dartmouth researchers to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) significantly reduced depression, anxiety, and eating disorder symptoms.
The randomized clinical trial of Therabot, published in NEJM AI, found that an AI-trained therapy chatbot could play a vital role in expanding access to CBT.”
What is some inexpensive online PD I can take about AI in the classroom for 2.5 CEU’s as part of a webinar? (Vicki Davis is teaching.)
AI’s Role in Transforming Education: A Journey to Understanding Tickets, Tue, Apr 29, 2025 at 5:30 PM | Eventbrite
LINK 🔗
“This 2.5-hour CEU is designed to help individuals and educators gain a better understanding of the latest advancements of AI, the future implications of its use, and to obtain valuable insight about how AI can be used to help educators become more proficient and inspire new ways of learning among their students and colleagues. It is designed for educators at any stage in their career, educational administrators, parents, students, and individuals who desire a better understanding of artificial intelligence in the education sector.”
How can you generate podcasts outside of Notebook LM?
Google Workspace Updates: Introducing Audio Overviews, now available in the Gemini app
LINK 🔗 https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2025/03/audio-overview-gemini-app.html
“Leveraging the same technology that powers NotebookLM’s Audio Overviews, Gemini app users can now generate podcast-style conversations based on documents, slides, and Deep Research reports. Upload files about topics you want to explore and enjoy dynamic discussions between two AI hosts with unique perspectives.”
What are concerns with Alexa privacy and classrooms?
Privacy died last century, the only way to go is off-grid • The Register
LINK 🔗 https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/31/privacy_dead_opinion
These Alexa changes impact classroom and privacy! “
What do I mean by that? Well, take, for example, that recently, Amazon announced a significant change in its Alexa device privacy policy. Starting March 28, 2025, Amazon will remove the option to process Alexa voice requests locally on specific Echo devices. Instead, all voice recordings will be sent to the cloud for processing, a move intended to support Amazon’s new generative AI features in Alexa Plus.”
What is the research showing about cell phone bans?
School phone policies and their association with mental wellbeing, phone use, and social media use (SMART Schools): a cross-sectional observational study – The Lancet Regional Health – Europe
LINK 🔗 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00003-1/fulltext
This UK funded study found the following. That said, a SMART school by definition is one that uses technology. So, I would be curious how a school not as focused on technology might find these results.
“There is no evidence that restrictive school policies are associated with overall phone and social media use or better mental wellbeing in adolescents. The findings do not provide evidence to support the use of school policies that prohibit phone use during the school day in their current form, and indicate that these policies require further development.”
What are teachers saying about cell phones in the classroom?
High school teachers say phone distraction in class is a big problem in the US | Pew Research Center
LINK 🔗 https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/06/12/72-percent-of-us-high-school-teachers-say-cellphone-distraction-is-a-major-problem-in-the-classroom
“High school teachers are especially likely to see cellphones as problematic. About seven-in-ten (72%) say that students being distracted by cellphones is a major problem in their classroom, compared with 33% of middle school teachers and 6% of elementary school teachers.”
What does the general public in America say about cell phones in schools?
Cellphones in schools: Most Americans favor class bans, but not all-day bans | Pew Research Center
LINK 🔗 https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/10/14/most-americans-back-cellphone-bans-during-class-but-fewer-support-all-day-restrictions
“Overall, 68% of U.S. adults say they support a ban on middle and high school students using cellphones during class, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Sept. 30-Oct. 6, 2024. This includes 45% who strongly support this.”
What does the research say about AI detectors?
AI Detectors Don’t Work. Here’s What to Do Instead. – MIT Sloan Teaching & Learning Technologies
LINK 🔗 https://mitsloanedtech.mit.edu/ai/teach/ai-detectors-dont-work
AI detectors don’t work. They don’t work. How many times do we have to tell people? This is the article I point to when people don’t understand this.
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