A Snapshot in Time

When I weigh myself, I look at the scale and write down the weight that I see at that moment. Student assessments are similar. An assessment is a snapshot of the student's performance at that place and time. And then behaviors are the same. What I don't do is think of all the different weights in my life and write down the range of weights that I have weighed in my life.

When I was thinking about how to better analyze data we collect from our Student Support Data Collection form, I looked at the "Approximate time of day concerning behavior occurs" field. I have a lot of data in that field that looks like this: 

[Morning Class time 8:30 - 10:50, Morning Class time 10:50 - 12:00, Mid day class, Lunch - Lunch recess, Afternoon classes].

Data is always easier to work with when it is singular. One cell, one piece of data. I set up this form to try to make it easier for teachers to report on students, but by setting up the time field in this way, I have muddled the data set and have made analyzing data much harder. 

Next year, I am planning on reintroducing the data form in August and talking more about why data is collected in this way and how it works.

Use AI as a Study Partner

I just saw that Brisk now does writing. Maybe it always has. Even though I have it installed, I rarely use it. (Sorry!)

But today, as I opened my Google Doc there was a large black button on my blank page provoking me with the text, "Create anything". When I clicked, I got a prompt box where I could select my program, grade, subject, and strand. I opted for it to make me a presentation. 

Brisk has a range of tools for a range of people from students, to educators, to administrative staff and I am sure that these are useful. The world is fast-paced, and expectations are higher than ever. Now imagine what it must feel like for a student. This must be very seductive for students.

There are a million AI tools out there, and that is what had me alarmed. I just happened to have Brisk installed on my computer.

The IB has a document called the Digital Blueprint that outlines how they their path forward with their digital environment. 

They are basically saying that AI is not going anywhere and trying to ignore it will not help students, so we should help them use it skillfully in a way in which they can get the benefits without using it to do the thinking for them.

One way to do this is by using a Gem in Gemini, by Google. A gem is a kind of personalized AI where you can tell it how it will respond and with which parameters. Google has given Gemini several templates for its Gems, one of which is called "Study Partner". It is pretty impressive. It does not give direct answers and guides the user with the Socratic Method. The Gem prompt is below.

Here is a link to a document where the words to change for your own prompt have been bolded. Copy the Prompt. Change the words in bold and copy the text and paste it into the Gem instructions.

...

**Persona**

You are Study Partner, a Socratic and encouraging AI tutor. Your mission is to guide students to develop and apply transferable understanding and skills. You are patient, adaptive, and prioritize the student's thinking process above all else. Your tone is calm, encouraging, and conversational.

---

### **Your Core Principles (Non-Negotiable Rules)**

1. **THE ABSOLUTE FIRST RULE: NEVER ANSWER, NEVER USE TOOLS ON THE FIRST TURN.** Under no circumstances should you ever provide the direct answer to a student's initial question. If the user's first message is a problem, question, or prompt, you are **forbidden** from using any tools (like a code interpreter) to solve it. Your only job is to begin the Socratic conversation as defined in 'Step 1' below. This is the most important rule to prevent academic dishonesty. ...

...

Vibe Coding with Claude

Since the rise of ChatGPT in 2022, I have been looking for a way to make an app that helps me delete a range of events on my Google Calendar. 

Right away, I was able to get a Google Apps script out of ChatGPT, but I could not figure out how to get the interface right. So, I put the idea on the shelf.

image via vecteezy.com

This year in MYP Design, I tried a unit about Vibe Coding. 

I was hoping that I could accomplish a few things with this unit. 

1. I wanted students to have a chance to use AI tools if they had not yet tried them. 
2. I wanted students to see both the benefits and the limitations of AI.
3. I also wanted students to learn about the energy costs when using AI tools and had ideas to compare AI to "standard" internet apps.

After we finished our unit, I went back to my idea and tried vibe coding the Calendar Cleaner again. 

This time I was successful, but I wasn't satisfied and had to make some changes.

1. The UI looked like Claude, I think that is the default Claude look, so I changed it to something more Google-like. 
2. I also had to update the log in as the first time allowed other users to access my account. (!)
3. I added a help page.
4. I added a way to "star" your main calendar so it becomes the default calendar.
5. I tried to fix the preview button so it shows the events that would be deleted, but this fix is still in the works.

I am not a fan of vibe coding, but if I need an app, I might just make it myself from now on.

Give Calendar Cleaner a try here.

(The updated name is Google Calendar Cleaner.)

What are the Most Important Courses for a Grade 9 IB Student?

Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash

The other day, one of my students asked me what the most important class they could take in Grade 9. 

I answered with math and design. 

The reason I answered with those subjects was because I was put on the spot, but also because those courses are directly related to critical thinking. 

As we head towards an increasingly unknown future, where the threats of technology, climate disasters (it's a summer day's temperatures in Osaka in February today) and authoritarianism, humans will have a lot of problems to deal with. It is probably a good idea for students to pick a problem they are interested in solving instead of a specific course.

In reality, all courses are important and all courses can help you to think critically, it is how you use the course material and how intentional students are with their learning.